Semper Fidelis

Chapters

Who here has been in a Helo crash?
What the heck's a Ponyville?
Why We Fight
Recovery
Transmutation
Hammers and Music
Honor
Weapons and Research
Loyalty
Sleepover
A Night to Remember
Duty
Rings and Races
Birthday Treats
Matrimony
Wedding Gifts
Gathering Storm
The Exchange
Preparations
Instructing the Instructors
Boot
The Heat of the Moment
The Sand Gets Everywhere
Natural Habitat

Who here has been in a Helo crash?

PART ONE
Out Of Place

The thin metal walls around him shuddered as the dual rotors picked up speed. He had always hated the MV-22, he understood how appealing they seemed to the top brass, but he doubted any of them had actually ridden in one. He looked around the cramped hold, grimacing as he observed the fluids leaking from the the various hydraulic lines that ran along the wall. He gripped his rifle tighter and slowly leaned as far back as he could before his flak stopped his movement. He felt a slight comfort knowing that he had at least some protection, even if it was mostly mental.

The loading ramp was down and LCpl. Reese was in position manning the vehicle's single M240B. Jason missed the old CH-46. At least it had windows he thought to himself, staring blankly at the gray paint tinged with stains from the constant leaking. He had asked about that the first time he had ridden in an Osprey. "Oh that? That's normal." the crewman had said. "If you notice it stop leaking, thats when you should worry!"

He shook his head at the memory and took a quick glance around the hold. He didn't know many of the Marines here. Yesterday the Company Guns for 2-1 had stopped by his shop and asked, word for word, "Which one of you POGs wants to see how real Marines operate?" Jason let the insult slide and instantly volunteered. He had been stuck in Afghanistan for almost 4 months and had yet to go outside the wire. He jumped at the opportunity. This was his second deployment. The last time he was here, he spent most of his time within the turret of an MRAP. Not exactly the most dangerous job, but a hell of a lot more thrilling than sitting behind a desk staring at a computer monitor. He snatched at any chance of action they threw at him. He didn't feel terribly important within the camp, spending most of his time dealing with little administrative bullshit that had nearly driven him insane out of boredom.

"SINDER!". Jason started and looked at the Staff Sergeant who had stood up and grabbed hold of one of the handles that ran along the ceiling. "Wake the fuck up. Since your pansy ass couldn't make it to our formation yesterday, I guess I'll just have to brief you now." Jason heard snickers from the grunts around him.*sigh* it must be "pick on the POG" time. "Aye, Staff Sergeant." jason replied. The Staff Sergeant raised an eyebrow "Just stay the fuck out of the way. if rounds start flying, find a rock and crawl under it. God knows you probably can't hit shit anyway."

Jason smiled inwardly as the men around him chuckled. Truth is, he could probably outshoot any of them. He had always been a natural with a firearm, learning the basics from his uncle on their farm, and then soaking up every piece of knowledge he could through Boot Camp and MCT. He had almost gotten a perfect score on the range last year,with the unheard of score of 348 points. which was unbelievable to anyone who hadn't ever seen him shoot. On average, a grunt would shoot maybe 320 points. and those were the good shots.

The Staff Sergeant turned around and started bullshitting with the other grunts. "So," he asked, "how many of you guys have been in a helo crash?" A couple of the older sergeants raised their hands while the younger guys just sat there with smirks on their faces. "Just you two huh? Well there's a first for everything. I'm assuming you guys have heard of how often these things crash."

Jason's mind wandered as he glanced out the back of the helicopter. It was nearly 8 o'clock and the sun was beginning to set. The desert blazing into a deep orange as the dunes cast rolling shadows across the landscape. Their operation was set to begin at 10 and their goal was to eliminate an Al-Qaeda cell within a small village near the border. The location had been revealed by one of their informants within the town. At least some people appreciate all the work we do for the average citizen. Without those civilian informants, we would be making no progress. Jason thought to himself as he started drifting to sleep.

Jason awoke with a start as the Osprey violently shook and began taking evasive maneuvers. A loud crack and a flash of brilliant purple light filled the bay containing the Marines. Jason blinked his eyes rapidly to clear the spots from his vision. The sky had darkened considerably and bolts of purple lightning were striking all around the aircraft.

"What the fuck is happening?!" screamed a Marine towards the front of the vehicle. the other Marines were dumbstruck as they grasped violently to anything they could use as a handhold.

LCpl Reese was holding on for dear life to the mounted gun as the vehicle took increasingly sharper turns to avoid the lightning storm that had materialized around them.

Another bolt struck right next to the Osprey and shook them to their teeth. Reese lost his grip on the weapon and began rolling towards the end of the ramp. Jason quickly jumped to his feet and moved to grab a hold of the young Lance Corporal who was dangerously close to falling off. Two nearly simultaneous strikes shook the aircraft and caused Jason to lose his footing. He fell hard onto the non-skid surface of the ramp and he reached out and grabbed the top edge to stop himself from rolling off the side.

He glanced to the bottom of the ramp, trying to locate Reese. His heart sank as his glance revealed nothing but empty air. FUCK he cursed inwardly. If only i was faster. he quickly realized however, that if he had been, he would be in the same situation as Reese, and that was not somewhere he wanted to be.

At that moment a bolt of lightning struck one of the rotors that powered the aircraft, causing it to burst into flame and lose power.

The aircraft began a horizontal spin and started losing altitude. Jason could feel his grip slipping as he grasped onto the top of the ramp with all the strength he had, his weapon rattling against him as the aircraft shook in it's downward spiral.

One final bolt of lightning struck the top of the vehicle and immersed the Marines in a dazzling purple light. Just as his vision began clearing, Jason's grip finally gave way and he was thrown into the open air. He flailed his limbs at a vain attempt to slow his descent. He managed to roll onto his stomach and extend his arms the way he had seen skydivers do, his weapon hanging from it's sling below him. He grabbed it and moved it to his back. If I somehow manage to survive this fall, I do NOT want to end up being impaled by my rifle.

He glanced over toward the flaming helicopter as it sped toward the ground, which was approaching quickly. He didn't see any of the other Marines jumping out. Damn, He thought to himself, Don't they realize they have a better chance of survival if they get out of that giant hunk of metal?

He gritted his teeth as he watched the hulk of machinery smash into the ground. A fraction of a second later a ruptured fuel tank came into contact with a flaming piece of electronics and the whole vehicle exploded into a huge fireball.

He looked away. No one is walking away from that one, Staff Sergeant. He thought to himself with grim humor.

He took the last few moments to look at where he would soon be landing. There were trees and he tried to move himself toward the thickest bunch he could see, hoping they would cushion his fall.

Wait, why are there pine trees in Afghanistan? Was the last thing he thought before he hit the top branches. His flak jacket took a large portion of the impact and he could feel his SAPI plate crack as he smashed through the top branches. His kevlar bounced off another branch and threw his head back, rotating his body so his back would take the remaining impacts as he made his way to the ground. He felt his leg snap as it twisted his head towards the grass below. He rolled his neck forward and hit the ground on his upper shoulders, causing him to temporarily lose vision and started his ears ringing. The rest of his body landed with a thud.

The ringing in his ears began fading and he started hearing people shouting.

I made it! He thought to himself as he slowly lost consciousness.

I'm Alive.

What the heck's a Ponyville?

Jason awoke with a migraine worse than anything he could remember.

His mind slowly began registering the countless pains throughout his body. His leg was slightly raised and completely immobile. He could feel the cast wrapped tightly around his thigh, reaching all the way down to his ankle. He attempted to reach down to feel it, however he encountered immediate resistance as he tried to move his arm.

He slowly opened his eyes and let them adjust to the light around him as he attempted to turn his head to see what was restraining his arms. He realized then that he couldn't move his head either. It was immobilized by some improvised neck brace. He sighed as he glanced around the room.

He was in a hospital, that much he could tell. However all of the furniture and counters were smaller than he had ever seen, easily a good foot shorter than normal. Even the bed he was in was small, his feet extending off the end and hanging in open air.

As more of his senses returned he could feel that he was naked under the thin blanket that covered him. This concerned him more than a little. He looked around the room quickly, attempting to locate the rest of his gear and clothing. The results of his search were fruitless.

He tried moving his arms again and felt a pressure around his wrists, preventing him from trying further.

Why the hell did they tie me to the bed? Wait, better question. Who the hell are "they"? Or better yet where the hell am I? the hospitals aren't this nice in Afghanistan, and even the Afghans had normal sized furniture.

His mind began racing as he tried to think of possible locations he could be. He heard the door knob turn and he glanced toward the noise. The door opened and in walked...Wait...is that a horse? No, horse isn't the right word. It was too small for a horse. Pony. That's it, I'll call it a pony.

The white mare walked in and closed the door. She didn't look at him as she headed toward a clipboard showing medical charts and started reading it.

Jason waited for about a minute, hoping it would realize that he was awake. When she didn't, he finally decided to get her attention.

"Erm, excuse me..."

The pony jumped in surprise and quickly looked toward him.

"Oh Goodness!" she exclaimed and quickly exited the room.

Jason's mind reeled at the exclamation. Okay, what the FUCK is going on here? Why is there a PONY in this hospital?How was it reading medical charts? HOW THE FUCK COULD IT TALK?! His mind overflowed with questions he couldn't fathom. He thought about this for a few minutes and finally let his mind go blank. He hated trying to figure things out with no information. He was trained to follow orders. Sure he would drive his commander crazy with questions trying to get as much information as possible, but there was none to be given here.

He calmed himself for a few minutes, ensuring himself that things would be explained if he waited. He was good at waiting.

He waited for what felt like hours, growing increasingly frustrated as more and more questions began forming in his head. he was at the point of anger when he finally heard the door open and he managed to cool his head before the white mare entered again, followed by a brown pony with gray hair and wearing glasses and a collar, and a third, purple pony with a single pointed horn on her head.

Hmm, does that make that one a unicorn?

The gray-haired pony walked to the side of his bed, followed closely by the unicorn. The white pony moved to the other side, and began examining his leg.

"Greetings, and welcome to Ponyville." stated the gray-haired mare, somewhat nervously.

Ok so she's definitely female, at least their sex is easy enough to figure out.

"I am the Mayor of this town. This is Twilight Sparkle, our resident scholar."

"Hello!" She said. She appeared to be almost giddy with excitement, and was far less nervous than the Mayor.

"Uh...Hello, I am Corporal Jason Sinder of the United States Marine Corps. Thanks for bringing me to this hospital and getting me patched up."

Twilight's face lit up even more. "He can speak! He understands our language! Oh this is wonderful!"

The Mayor quickly calmed Twilight and asked, "You are quite welcome Corporal Jason Sinder of the United States Marine Corps. I apologize for having you bound to the bed, but we know nothing of you or your species and we must take precautions to protect ourselves. We have many questions for you, which will primarily be asked by Twilight here. I do have one rather important question that I must ask. Are you dangerous?

Jason thought back on his training and answered as truthfully as possible. "Well, yes but not if I don't have a reason."

The Mayor raised an eyebrow, "And do you have a reason?"

Jason suppressed a small chuckle. "After you rescued me from a helicopter crash that nearly killed me? I would have to say no."

All tension seemed to flow out of the Mayor as she smiled. "That is a relief to hear. After your extremely shocking arrival, we didn't know what to expect."

A sudden question crept into Jason's mind, one that he was sure he already knew the answer to, but he still had to ask. "Did you manage to save anyone else?"

The smile disappeared from the Mayor's face and she became somber. "No, the fire burned for almost two days and we could not get close enough to help. I'm afraid that you were the only one of your kind we could save. I am sorry, Corporal Jason Sinder of the United States Marine Corps."

"Cpl. Sinder is fine, Mayor. Thank you for doing what you could. was anyone else injured? Other than my comrades?"

Twilight spoke up. "No, nopony else was hurt. Although Fluttershy did go into a mild case of shock when that...what did you call it? A helicopter?" Jason nodded as much as he could in his immobilized state. " Nearly destroyed her chicken coop."

Jason sighed. I'll have to mourn them later. He thought. Wait...did the Mayor say two DAYS?

"How long have I been unconscious?" He asked.

The white mare spoke up. "Unconscious isn't really the right word for it. You were in a coma. Luckily you've only been asleep for a little more than a week."

A WEEK? Wait, why am I so freaked out by that? I almost died! I should be grateful I'm awake at all! The thoughts immediately calmed him down. He then noticed something. something that was rather unpleasant.

"Um, would it be possible for you to release me? I can't feel my arms and I have no intentions of causing any trouble, especially not in the sorry shape I'm in now."

"Oh! I'm sorry, I wish you would have said something sooner!" exclaimed the Mayor. "Twilight, if you would please."

"Sure." said twilight as her horn glowed purple. It was a color Jason had seen before, he just couldn't place it.

He felt a tingle in his wrist as the bindings slipped off. He lowered his arms and grimaced as the pins and needles rushed through them. He rubbed his wrists with relief and turned his attention toward the mare who was moving toward his head to check the neck brace.

"I assume I have you to thank for the medical attention, miss...?"

The mare smiled. "My name is Nurse Redheart, And you are very welcome. I'm happy that I was able to properly care for your wounds, I'm not exactly familiar with your anatomy. If you don't mind me asking, what exactly are you anyway?"

Jason was somewhat taken aback. Huh, now there's a question I'd never thought anyone would ask me.

"I'm a human, or Homosapien if you want to get scientific."

"Fascinating!" Twilight said, leaning forward intently.

"Well I'm happy I could help." Nurse Redheart continued. "Although I do hope I won't be seeing you often, I don't know how much I would be able to help other than external injuries and broken bones."

"If you don't mind Nurse, would you mind waiting until I finish speaking with the Mayor before giving me my diagnosis? I would very much like to give you my full attention when you give me the bad news."

Nurse Redheart smiled. " Not a problem dear, I'll be back in an hour to check on you. I can talk to you then."

"that would be perfect, thank you."

The nurse turned and exited the room. Jason turned his attention to the two mares to his left. One question centered in his mind.

"So uh...Where exactly am I? I know you said Ponyville, but I've never heard of it. It certainly isn't in Afghanistan and I've certainly never heard of talking ponies anywhere on the planet."

"What planet is that?" Twilight asked, an even greater glimmer of interest shining in her eye.

Another strange question...something tells me I should get used to those.

"Erm, I'm from planet Earth."

"This is so interesting!" Twilight exclaimed "It's not every day you get to have an educated conversation with an alien!"

"Aaaannyway," Jason continued, "back to my question, where in the universe am I?"

"This land is called Equestria, we are ruled by Princesses Luna and Celestia, whom I'm sure you'll meet fairly soon." Twilight beamed. "Ooh I must go write a letter! Be sure to get some rest Cpl. Sinder! I will be back tomorrow to pick your brain with more questions! Take care of yourself!"

"I'm not going anywhere." Jason says as she heads toward the door. she giggles as she exits.

"It was a pleasure making your acquaintance Cpl. Sinder, I'm so happy that we were able to come to an understanding." Stated the Mayor. " When you are released from the hospital, please come see me so we can discuss your stay within Ponyville."

"I will." He said. "Thank you, Mayor."

"Have a good day." she said as she exited the room.

Jason sighed as he let all of this fresh information form coherent thoughts in his head. The thoughts archived themselves within his database of knowledge as Nurse Redheart returned. She grabbed the medical chart and walked to the bed.

"Ok Mister Cpl. Sinder." He couldn't help from laughing and she looked at him quizzically.

"I'm sorry, Corporal is a rank within my organization, like a title. you saying Mister Corporal threw me off guard. The titles are interchangeable, but shouldn't be used at the same time."

"Ah," She said, blushing at her mistake. "well then Mr. Sinder, would you care to hear your diagnosis?"

"Please." He said, still smiling from her grammatical error.

She started reading off the list of the injuries he had. By far the worst was the neck fracture. If it had broken any further he would have been paralyzed. He also had the obvious broken leg and a concussion. The list goes on but he was frankly grateful that he was alive. there aren't many people who can claim to have fallen out of a crashing helicopter and suffer only a few broken bones.

"Wow, all that huh?" The nurse nodded. "How long do you think it'll be before I can walk again?" He asked nervously, dreading the answer.

"I would have to say at least a month, I would prefer more, but I can tell you are rather eager to get out of that bed."

It was true, he hated not being able to do anything. Part of the reason he joined the Corps was for the physical exertion and challenge. He didn't much care for being bedridden for that long.

Ah well, perhaps I can get a hold of some books so I can learn about their culture. I for one would rather not wander around like a lost child when they let me out of here.

Later that evening he sat reading a book the hospital had. The terminology threw him for a loop but he was able to follow it for the most part. It was about a Indiana Jones-esque heroine who went on over the top adventures. He enjoyed the book, even if it was a little childish.

He thought of the month ahead and how boring it was bound to be. He greatly looked forward to Twilight's visit tomorrow. She was someone he could have an extremely intelligent conversation with. Quite the change from the jarheads he was used to speaking to.

She was also kinda cute, in her own way.

Why We Fight

Twilight returned the following day as she said she would. The door opened and Jason looked up from the book he was reading to watch her enter. He smiled as he closed the novel and set it beside him. He was looking forward to this, he had always tried to get as much information from wherever he could, and Twilight seemed like an unlimited source.

"Good morning, Cpl. Sinder!" she said happily as she pushed a chair around to the side of his bed. She set down her saddlebags and began searching through them for some note taking equipment.

"Good morning yourself, Twilight Sparkle." he responded.

She glanced at him as she rummaged through her saddlebags. "It's alright to call me Twilight, you know. It's not like this is going to be some kind of official meeting or anything." She found what she was looking for and sat down in the chair, ready to write down anything he said.

"Then you can call me Jason." He said, eyeing the quill and paper suspended by magic.

"You know Corp...er...Jason, that's the second time you have changed how you like to be referred to. Why is that? First it was Corporal Jason Sinder of the United States Marine Corps, then it was Cpl. Sinder, now it's just Jason. Why? That just seems over complicated to me." she said as she made a quick scribble on the sheet.

"Well the first I used as a formal introduction, explaining who I am and my connection to the Marine Corps. The second is a more formal way of communicating. Stating our rank helps identify who we are in a professional manner. And Jason is simply my first name. Before I joined the Corps, that's what everyone called me, and it's the name I prefer in these relaxed environments." He explained.

Twilight, nodded as she quickly jotted down a few notes.

"Are you going to be doing that the whole time?" He asked.

she looked at him over the top of the paper. "What?"

"Writing down everything I say." He responded, "I thought this was just a friendly conversation, not an interview." He raised an eyebrow towards her and a small grin grew on his face.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, blushing slightly as she lowered the pen and paper to the ground. "I'm sorry, I just wanted to document everything! It isn't exactly normal to speak to an alien, and the information you could provide would be fascinating to any intellectuals around Equestria!"

His grin grew into a full smile. Now here was a girl after his own heart. She obviously wanted to glean any information off of him as she could, and he respected that...

However...

"I just wanted a relaxed conversation, something to help orient myself with your society, you know, figure out how things work around here. I promise, later on you can interview me for as long as you want. Right now though, I just need to get my head screwed on straight."

She smiled. "Ok Jason, that seems fair enough. So, what do you want to learn about first?"

He jumped right into it. "Well, yesterday I remember you mentioning that this was a monarchy..."

They chatted for several hours, exploring every topic that came into their minds. Everything from their different governments, to biology, individual thought processes, social norms, and even going into how individual relationships worked.

Twilight couldn't contain her excitement.

He has just as many questions as I do! she thought to herself. He soaks up every piece of information I give him! Like a parched sponge, and his thirst for knowledge is unquenchable!

"So Jason," she began. "What exactly did you do on Earth?"

He glanced at her with slight confusion.

"What do you mean? I've already told you I'm a Marine. Actually i've told you a few times, you're probably sick of hearing about it." He said.

"Well yes, you have mentioned that a few times, but that wasn't my question." she replied with a grin. "I mean what does a Marine do?"

"Ooohhhhh that's what you meant." he stopped and thought for a second, thinking of how best to explain. "Well the Marines are a branch of the United States military. our primary focus is the defense of our country and the protection of international interests."

"Oh so you're like the Guard!" she exclaimed. " Sworn to protect and serve the common citizen! Keeping the peace and upholding the law!" She was excited. "I must introduce you to my brother, Shining Armor! He's a captain of the Gaurd! I'm sure you two would get along amazingly well!"

"That would be great Twilight, but what you just described sounds more like a police officer. They are responsible for upholding the law within the country. The Marines are focused on any kind of international power that threatens our country's welfare." He tried to think of how he was going to explain this next part. He remembered quite clearly their earlier conversations, and from them he understood that ponies were generally extremely passive. The occasional tussle was fairly common, but assault and murder were completely unheard of within their society.

I might as well spill it. He thought to himself.This is not a wom..er..mare who would appreciate any kind of misinformation. I could lie, but if I was ever found out then it would crush any aspect of trust I have with her. I do NOT want to lose that. Well, here goes nothing.

He sighed, "Our primary method is force. We learn about the threat, locate it, and eliminate it with extreme discrimination." He closed his eyes, not wanting to see the disgust on her face.

"What do you mean eliminate?" she asked. she couldn't fathom what he meant with his explanation. "You mean, like, Going in and breaking things? Scaring them so they aren't a threat anymore?"

Jason looked toward the ceiling and steeled himself for what he was about to say. "That wouldn't work. Not where I'm from. That would just make them more angry. More desperate. More dangerous. No we...We eliminate the threat at the source...We eliminate the people."

He risked a glance into her eyes, and what he saw there fired a bolt of sorrow into his heart. She was in pain. emotional pain the likes of which he had never seen. Tears began forming in her eyes as she stared into his, searching his very soul. "You...You kill them... you take the life of another sentient being. Why?" Her voice had started at a low whisper, but was increasing in volume as her despair turned into anger. "What gives you the right? Who are you to decide who lives and who dies! Nobody that's who! The nerv"

"It's not like we do it for fun!" he interrupted. "The only reason we do it is to protect our loved ones." He was desperate. He had just revealed what kind of monster he was to the closest friend he had made during his stay here. Hell, she was his only friend. His mind scrambled as he attempted to justify his previous actions.

"Do you know where I was before I crashed here? Afghanistan...We were on a mission to destroy an Al-Qaeda cell. The reason we're fighting them is because almost 13 years ago, they destroyed two buildings. do you have any idea how many people died because of their actions?"

Twilight sat in stunned silence. Tears were flowing freely down her cheeks. He realized how angry he was becoming trying to justify himself. He attempted to calm himself and was mildly successful. He no longer felt the need to shout to get his point across, however tears were beginning to form as a result of how desperate he was to regain her friendship. He saw her shake her head in response to his question and he continued.

"2,977...All innocent people, just working and making their way through life. All gone within the span of a single morning." His voice was almost a whisper.

"Why?" She asked. "what possible reason could they have for wanting to hurt so many?" Her voice quivered. She was unable to fathom such a massive loss of life.

"I don't know." He said quietly. He was staring at his feet. His mind lost in melancholy as he recalled that day in his memory. "I can't explain why they did it. Their culture, their beliefs, something drove them to attack us. I don't know what it was, their way of thinking is too foreign for me to understand their motive."

He looked at her. She had brought her hoof to her mouth. He could only see sadness within her large, lavender eyes. It was too much for him and he felt tears begin to roll down his cheeks.

"I lost my mother to that attack." He swallowed hard. "That is why I joined the Marine Corps. So I could do everything within my power to protect the people of my homeland. They are my family and I love them as a family. I will do anything it takes to prevent anything like that from happening again, even if it means I have to kill someone. I will not willingly allow anyone to go through the pain of losing a loved one the same way I lost mine. I will fight for my people, because not all of them can. I will protect my loved ones to my dying breath. And I will gladly give my life, knowing that it meant a little boy can go home to his mother one more time. That, is why I am proud of being a Marine." He looked over towards her, tears streaming down his face. "That, is why we fight."

Twilight lifted herself off of the chair and wrapped her forelegs around the human. Her tears dampening the skin on his chest. He attempted to turn but his wounds prevented him from moving. He instead wrapped his left arm around her and returned the embrace.

"I'm sorry." she said quietly. "I thought I understood what life was like for you, but I obviously didn't. Society has formed to different standards where you are from. Your kind has adjusted to a more primal way of life, using violence to prove it's points." She released him and looked into his eyes. "You do whatever you can to protect people. Even if it means hurting the person who wishes them harm. You are not a simple Guard. You are a Protector. "

Her hug had done incredible things to his emotions. Never before had he had to justify why he joined the Marines, people had always just understood. Here though, after saying those things, he fully realized everything he did for his country, and he was proud. More proud than ever before. He managed to regain his composure after a deep breath.

"I still prefer the term Marine." He said, a small smile making it's way onto his face.

She let out a small laugh and returned to the chair.

"So," she said, "That's what you do huh?"

"Yep."

This conversation isn't over, but that is quite enough of that topic for today. Twilight thought to herself as she changed the subject.

"Personally, I am a scholar. My primary focus is magic, I even managed to gain the attention of Princess Celestia herself!" She said.

"Wow!" He said "You must be exceptionally powerful!"

Their voices continued late into the night, as they explored into each others worlds. Each question bringing them closer together other as knowledge switched hands between them.

Recovery

The first two weeks passed in what seemed like a flash. Twilight had visited almost everyday, and she always had another topic she wanted to talk about.

One by one she had brought her friends to introduce them to him. She had explained to them who he was and what he did for a living. She went through great effort ensuring they understood that he wasn't dangerous before she brought them in. She did this primarily because she didn't want to lie to her best friends, and she felt it was important for them to know exactly what he did and why he did it.

Needless to say, they were all somewhat withdrawn when they first met him, but after speaking with him they were soon able to warm to his company.

Except for maybe Fluttershy, she seemed just as nervous when she left as when she entered. she barely even looked at him the entire time they spoke.

"That's normal for Fluttershy." Twilight explained when he asked about it. "It's just who she is. give her some time and she will open up a bit more for you."

Rainbow Dash had been far easier to win over. She was fascinated by what he did. She didn't talk about the killing, of course, but she had a lot of questions regarding his training and how he did his job. He had spent a couple hours explaining the training he had been through to get him to where he was. she seemed extremely interested in the many ways the Corps had brought his body to their standards and whistled in appreciation as he described the physical turmoil he had been through.

Applejack understood his feelings when she learned about what he did for a living. "Well, a Pony's gotta look out for their kinfolk, I reckon." She had said. "I don't much care for what ya do there Cpl. Sinder, but I see why ya do it and I respect ya for it." Their conversation hadn't lasted long, but they had come to an understanding and were certainly friendly towards each other.

As for Pinkie Pie well, she was Pinkie and let's leave it at that.

After Pinkie had left, Jason brought up something that had been bothering him for a while now.

"Hey Twi, I probably should have brought this up earlier, but where did all of my stuff go? I understand stripping me down for the medical attention, but I don't see anything of mine here."

"Oh!" she exclaimed. " the hospital gave me what you had on you for safe keeping. I was amazed at how much stuff you had on you, I even had to get a small cart to get everything back to my house."

Jason laughed. "Yeah, one of the downsides of my job is we never have the ability to just go back home and get something we need, we have to carry everything on us."

"Anyway, I gave your clothes to Rarity, there were a few rips and tears in them and she said she would be happy to fix them up for you. She has been driving herself crazy trying to get all those little brown stains out of them. I've been meaning to ask how those things got so dirty! I understand you fell out of the sky, but literally every inch of those clothes has a different shade of brown on it."

Jason's eyes widened. "hold on a minute, she's trying to get the brown spots out?" He couldn't help but laugh. "Just tell her to fix the holes and wash them like normal clothes. When she comes to meet me, have her bring them. If you don't mind could you hold onto my other gear for me? I don't really need that stuff, but I need my clothes."

Twilight raised an eyebrow towards him. "Why?" She asked. "It's not like you're going to be doing anything where you'll need them anytime soon."

He looked at her in slight confusion.

Wait a minute they're all naked aren't they? I've never really thought about it but I guess the only times they wear clothes is when they absolutely need to. This ought to be an interesting conversation.

"Well, uh, humans wear clothes pretty much all the time. I guess you could say there is a taboo on nudity. The only reason I've been able to talk to you so casually is because of this blanket covering me. If this wasn't here, I'd probably be too self conscious to hold a normal conversation with you."

"Really?" She asked, her curiosity piqued.

"Yeah, it's actually pretty annoy..."

His statement was interrupted as Twilight snagged a corner of the blanket in her teeth and yanked it off of his naked body.

He impulsively recoiled and moved his hands and working leg to cover his exposed manhood.

"What the HELL Twilight?!?" he said as he desperately reached for the blanket still in the unicorn's teeth.

She began laughing as he snatched the cover away from her and tried to reposition it back over himself

"Wow you weren't kidding. I don't think I've ever seen anypony move quite that fast before!"

Jason groaned in a mixture of embarrassment and pain as his injured extremities protested the unexpected motion.

Twilight's expression became worried. "I'm sorry! I honestly didn't think you would react like that. Are you hurt?"

"Just my pride." Jason muttered.

Twilight seemed relieved. "Tell ya what, I'll go get Rarity so you can meet her and we can drop off your clothes. Would that make you feel better?"

"Much." Jason grunted, still somewhat bitter.

Twilight giggled and headed toward the door. "I'll be back soon, don't you worry."

She used her magic to turn the doorknob, but before she exited, she turned to him.

"Just for the record, you have nothing to be self conscious about there big guy." and with that she slipped out the door.

Jason felt a slight relief at the comment. At least...she...

Wait, WHAT?!?

It was a little less than an hour before Twilight returned, the purple haired fashionista close behind.

"Good afternoon darling!" Rarity exclaimed. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you! I've been studying these clothes of yours for over a week now, and still can't figure out what is wrong with these things. I've tried every method I know and I cannot get any of these little stains out! Twilight here says you can shed some light on the subject, and I would very much like to hear it." She said as she levitated the cammies, skivvy shirt, socks, boots and underwear to him.

He took them and separated the blouse from the pile. Setting the other clothes beside him, he unfolded the blouse and beckoned the white unicorn closer. She approached the side of the bed and looked at the shirt with interest.

"First off, I'm assuming that twilight has explained to you what I am and what I do." She nodded and he continued. "This pattern is called Desert MARPAT." He explained. "It has been specifically designed for the Marine Corps and is worn throughout our branch of the military."

Rarity listened intently as he explained.

"This pattern was designed as camouflage. The mixture of colors in this pattern breaks up our body lines if seen from a distance. We have another color scheme called Woodland MARPAT that was designed for use in wooded areas or places with heavy foliage, while these deserts are used in...well...deserts."

Rarity's eyes widened at the revelation. "So they're supposed to look like that? My that's just AWFUL. How would this outline any of your positive features?"

"That's kinda the point. These were designed to help us blend in to the environment, not stand out."

"I see..." She said, deep in thought "Didn't you have any other kinds of clothes, though? It seems like these wouldn't be suitable for relaxed wear."

"Well yes." Jason said. "I did have jeans and T-shirts that I would wear whenever I wasn't working. also, there is the Dress Blue uniform we would wear for more formal events."

"Those seem a little more interesting than these ghastly things. I would be happy to make you some if you would like."

"Uhh, sure Rarity. I have no way to pay you, but I would be happy to stop by after I get out of here to describe some of my world's fashion trends and some of my uniforms. But for right now, I am quite comfortable with just these."

"Well if you insist dear. But you simply must stop by the boutique once you've healed."

"Will do Rarity, thank you for patching up my cammies."

"Anytime dear, anytime." The unicorn said as she turned towards the exit.

A sudden thought entered Jason's head.

"Uh Rarity!" Jason called.

She turned back toward the human. "Yes dear?"

"There's one piece I'm missing from this uniform. I didn't have it when I was brought here since I was wearing a helmet, but there is a hat that matches this pattern. Do you think you could recreate it for me? I would rather not walk around with an incomplete uniform."

"Sure darling, that won't be a problem. Just let me know what it looks like and I could have it made up for you in a jiffy!'

"I can do you one better than a description. Twilight?"

Twilight looked up from the book she was reading. "Yes?"

"Do you have a pen and paper I can use to draw a sketch for Rarity?"

"Oh! Sure, I have one right here." she retrieved The utensils and floated them to Jason with a little magic.

"Thanks." He said as he took them from the air and began sketching the 8-point cover that completed the uniform.

He was just finishing up the Eagle, Globe and Anchor that decorated the front of the cover when Rarity spoke up.

"That is quite a nice insignia there." she said, commenting on the design. "Could I use this in some of my future projects? There's a dress I had been planning and that symbol could accent it nicely."

Jason thought for a moment, then responded. "I would rather you didn't. This symbol is earned by every Marine after they go through three months of rigorous training to earn their title. It's not something that is simply given away." He completed the sketch and handed it to Rarity. "You can borrow the blouse if you'd like a reference. The embroidered symbol is right there on the left front pocket."

"Thank you, but that won't be necessary. I've already gotten it memorized. is there anything else you need?"

"Ah! yes, there should have been two elastic bands with these, do you know where those went?"

"I put them in the pants pocket." Twilight spoke up.

After a quick search, Jason found them. "Here they are. Thanks Rarity, that's everything I need."

"Then I'll be on my way. Take care of yourself Jason."

"You too, Rarity. Thanks again."

She nodded and left the room.

Jason re-folded the blouse and set it with the rest of his clothes. He couldn't really get dressed with the suspended cast and brace still immobilizing him, but having the clothes nearby still brought him some small comfort.

He turned his attention towards Twilight, who was sitting in her chair reading the book.

"Watcha readin' there Twi?" Jason asked, curious.

Twilight looked up and smiled at him. "An old spell book I found in my library. It's got quite a lot of healing spells, more than a few on broken bones in fact. I'm pretty sure I can use these to fix your injuries if you're interested."

He was more than interested. The thought of being able to get out of this bed brought him great joy.

"I would be more than interested, heck I'd be the first to volunteer!" He smiled at her.

She laughed as she stood and approached the bed.

"Erm Twilight, not that I don't trust you, but do you think we could get a nurse in here? I wouldn't mind if a medical professional watched in case anything goes wrong."

"Sure, let me go get her."

Twilight exited the room and returned not five minutes later, Nurse Redheart in tow.

"This is very strange, but let's see what you've got Ms. Sparkle" the nurse said with interest.

"Ok, here goes." Twilight said as her horn began to glow.

The cast around Jason's leg began glowing purple and he was overcome with an almost unbearable itch. He could actually feel the bone beginning to come back together and repair itself.

The sensation only lasted a minute before the purple glow began to fade.

"How does that feel?" Twilight asked, both curious and nervous at the results of her experiment.

"It feels fantastic!" he exclaimed. all pain had disappeared from the appendage and it didn't feel broken anymore. "Nurse do you think you could remove this cast and check please? It feels a LOT better."

The nurse tilted her head in curiosity. "Sure, I'm interested to see the results myself."

She lowered the leg and quickly set about removing the cast. While she did Twilight proceeded to repeat the procedure on his neck. After the magic receded, Jason cautiously removed the brace and experimentally tilted his head from side to side. Other than the expected stiffness, he felt no pain or cracking.

The nurse finished examining the leg and raised her head. "I don't know how you did it Ms. Sparkle, but within a few seconds you managed to heal something that would have taken months to fully recover. You sure you don't want to work here? we could certainly use your talent!"

Twilight giggled at the praise but shook her head. "No, no. This was just an experiment. something I felt I needed to do for a close friend." She rested her hoof on the back of Jason's hand., a gesture he returned.

The nurse raised an eyebrow towards them but didn't say anything about it. "Ah well suit yourself. Anyway, I would still like Cpl. Sinder to remain here for the night, just so we can make sure he is completely healed."

"That seems fair enough, one more night is much better than another two weeks." He said.

The nurse bid them farewell and exited the room.

"Well I should go too, I have quite a few arrangements to make! I can't wait to finally show you around town! Be careful Jason, we don't want you hurting yourself again so close to your release!" she said with mock seriousness.

He rolled his eyes. "Yes mom."

She laughed and gently shoved his shoulder. She went and gathered her things and started to move to the door.

Before she left, she stopped, glanced over at him and walked back over to the side of the bed.

He turned to face her, a curious look on his face.

She extended her neck and planted a kiss on his lips.

It lasted less than a second before she quickly retracted and walked towards the door. She opened it, said a quick goodbye and smoothly left, letting the door click behind her.

Jason sat staring at where Twilight had just been, mind reeling.

The sun had set a few hours ago, and Jason adjusted himself to a comfortable position as he thought.

What just happened? did Twilight just kiss me? Is there anything wrong with that?

Hell yeah there is! That's beastiality!

Is it though? Twilight was the smartest, funniest, most interesting person I've ever met! she made him happier than he had been in a long time.

She's an animal!

No, she's an alien. There's a difference.

He laid there for a good fifteen minutes, arguing with himself before resting on one final question.

Do you love her?

The answer was extremely easy.

Hell yeah I do. He thought as he slowly drifted to sleep.

Transmutation

Jason rose with the sun the following the day. He slowly got up off the bed, feeling the weakness in his right leg as he stood.

That doesn't feel too bad. Jason thought to himself. I guess the muscles haven't atrophied as much as I feared. Or maybe Twilight's magic healed more than just the bones.

He limped over to where he had left his clothes. He put on his underwear, skivvy shirt and trousers, cinching them tight with his brown MCMAP belt. He left the blouse, boots and socks on the bed as he began performing a few stretches to work the built up tension out of his limbs.

His muscles burned, protesting the sudden exertion as he moved between the various positions that used to be routine. He finished his exercises and stood to his full height. Well at least the ceilings are built to a normal height. he thought as he looked up. It might feel a bit claustrophobic if they were scaled to the furniture. He stood at 6'1", so even among Marines he was tall. He walked back and put on his socks and boots, blousing the trouser legs around the top of the boots with the two boot bands that had been left in his pocket. He picked up the blouse and was about to put it on when he noticed his chevrons were missing from the lapels.

*Sigh* I guess I'll be a Private for a while, at least until I can get replacements. He thought as he slipped his arms through the sleeves and secured the blouse with the four buttons on the front. He fastened his cuffs as he walked toward a mirror on the wall.

He smoothed the blouse against his body as he inspected himself in the mirror. He had lost weight during his stay. After all, the only food the hospital could serve him were various salads and other vegetables. He shuddered as he recalled the time the hospital had attempted to serve him a hay and daisy sandwich.

He didn't mind the diet, but he would need to find a way to acquire at least some animal protein. I'll probably only be able to get fish around here. I'm sure the locals wouldn't be too thrilled if I walked into town one day carrying a deer carcass. He was going to miss red meat, but he'd get by.

Satisfied with his appearance, Jason moved toward the door. I'll make sure to thank Rarity again. She did a really great job fixing these. I can't even tell they'd been ripped.

He opened the door and left the room. Most of the hospital was still asleep and he spent some time exploring. He was surprised at the level of technology they possessed, observing the many pieces of machinery located throughout the building. He saw X-ray machines, CT and MRI scanners as well as various laboratories and research stations. The machines, he noticed, were not digital. They had managed to find some way to transfer the data into an analog format and printers were attached to the machines so they could read the results of the tests.

He eventually found the reception area, which was staffed by a yellow mare with light blue hair. He approached the counter.

"Good morning ma'am, I'm Cpl. Sinder and I am looking for some directions."

The mare looked up at him and her eyes widened at his appearance. "Ah! Good morning Cpl. Sinder, you must be the alien Nurse Redheart has been taking care of! It's nice to meet you. now what can I help you with?"

"I'm being released today. However I was hoping to get a little breakfast before I left. Is there a cafeteria here where I could get some chow?"

She looked at him thoughtfully before she replied. "We do have a cafeteria here, but I'm afraid there is a small fee to eat there. Unless you have some way to pay, I'm afraid you'll have to wait in your room until the meal cart makes it's rounds."

Jason nodded. "I understand ma'am, Thank you for the information." He said.

"Not a problem." she responded. "If theres anything else you need, feel free to call." she returned her attention to the magazine she was reading as Jason turned to return to his room.

On his way back, he came across Nurse Redheart as she exited another recovery room.

"Good morning, Nurse." He said with a wave.

She looked towards him and smiled. "Good morning yourself, Corporal. It looks like you've healed nicely."

"Never better!" he responded happily.

"So what are you up to, wandering around out here? I expected you to stay in your room."

"I felt like going for a walk. You wouldn't believe how relieving it is to be able to move around freely, especially after being bedridden for so long"

She nodded. "I can certainly understand that."

"I was actually looking for the cafeteria to get some morning chow, but I guess there's a fee, and I certainly don't have any way to pay. I was just headed beck to my room to wait for the food cart."

She shook her head. "How about I pay for you? I just finished up my morning checks and was just about to get some breakfast myself. I wouldn't mind having some company while we eat."

"That sounds great! I'll make sure to pay you back as soon as I can."

She shook her head again before looking at him with a smile. "No, it's fine. My treat. Follow me and we'll head on over."

He followed her to the cafeteria. The pony collecting money looked at him with interest, but didn't seem surprised to see him. Word must have gotten around about me. Jason thought to himself. It'll be nice not scaring the crap out of everyone I meet. Nurse Redheart paid for them and they entered the hall.

The food was laid out buffet-style, with a good variety of fruits, vegetables, flowers and...

Are...are those waffles? He thought as he walked toward the food in question. They sure are! Oh man I haven't had a waffle in years. Let's just hope they aren't made out of sun-flour or something like that. He smirked at his own pun as he took a couple and placed them on his plate. He collected some other fruits and a glass of orange juice before joining Nurse Redheart at her table.

"You know, I was surprised at how advanced this hospital is. I know you ponies were smart, but I had no idea you possessed quite this level of technology." He said as he began using a knife and fork to cut up the waffle.

Nurse Redheart swallowed a Morning Glory before answering. "Yes, we are quite proud of our equipment here. This hospital is actually one of the most advanced medical research stations in Equestria. Most of our machines have been designed in-house, and our budget allows us to purchase anything else we need."

"Wow, that's really impressive!" Jason replied before popping a piece of waffle into his mouth. Almost as impressive as how good this is! Man, if all their regular food tastes this good I'll have to be careful. I might get fat... Of course, after four months in the 'Stan anything can taste like a 4-star meal. He swallowed before continuing. "It's no wonder you were able to patch me up so well. You must be over-qualified to look after just a couple broken bones."

"You flatter me, Corporal." she responded light-heartedly. "Of course you are probably one of the most interesting patients I've ever had. Treating an entirely new species is an experience some ponies around here would die for!"

They continued talking through breakfast. After they finished, they began walking back toward the reception center.

"So Corporal, what plans do you have for today after you leave?" The nurse asked.

He thought for a moment before responding. "I don't really know. Twilight said she would be back to collect me this morning. She'll probably want to show me around town. Although I do need to speak with the Mayor, she wanted to see me after I was released."

Nurse Redheart nodded. "You know, you are very lucky to have made a friend like her. She's special that one, you be sure to take good care of her.

"You don't have to tell me twice." he responded with a smile.

"Well I should get back to my rounds, you take care of yourself Corporal." She said.

"Thanks Nurse, you too."

She turned and walked away. He glanced around the room and proceeded to sit down in one of the chairs. He miscalculated the distance and fell the extra foot into the short chair. This is going to take a while to get used to. he thought. His knees were up to his chest and he extended them, trying to get more comfortable. He reached over and picked up a magazine to kill some time while he eagerly awaited the unicorn's arrival.

"Jason." Twilight said.

He awoke with a start. He had fallen asleep in the chair while he was waiting for her arrival. He stretched as he stood, attempting to get the blood flowing through his legs. He had gained the ability to fall asleep pretty much anywhere and in any position. Beds were not readily available when he was in the field, and as such he had grown accustomed to drifting off in uncomfortable positions. It was both a blessing and a curse. It was nice being able to rest when he needed to, but he often fought the sandman in situations where he needed to remain awake. He remembered more than a few times where he had drifted off while he was standing up in lines at CIF and for chow, much to his embarrassment as the Marines awoke him when a gap had formed in the line in front of him.

He felt the pins and needles flowing out of his legs as he greeted her.

"Good morning Twilight! You're here earlier than I expected." He said as he glanced at the clock. It had only been about forty-five minutes since he sat down. The clock showed that it was about half-past eight.

"Of course!" She responded. "We've got a busy day ahead of us. I know you need to speak with the Mayor and I wanted to give you the grand tour of Ponyville before we get you situated at my house, at least until you can afford a place of your own."

He hadn't thought much about where he was going to stay after he was released from the hospital. He wasn't really surprised at her offer. Still...

"Are you sure? I don't want to impose, and I'm sure the Mayor could find a place for me to stay."

"No, it's fine. It won't be permanent and I would still like to help you get adjusted to life around here."

"if you insist." He said with a smile.

He began removing his blouse when she looked at him quizzically.

"What are you doing? are you planning on carrying that around all day instead of wearing it?"

"Ah, well you see without the cover, we aren't supposed to wear the blouse outdoors. I've never really understood that custom, but it wasn't uncommon to be chewed out for not wearing the cover outside."

"Oh! I'm happy you said something." she said as she took off her saddle bag. " Rarity stopped me on my way here and gave me this for you."

She pulled out the 8-point cover and handed it to him.

Jason was amazed. Rarity had reproduced the cover perfectly, the only thing missing was the identifying label usually stitched on the inside top. "Wow, that's amazing! I can't believe she was able to make this so quickly!" he said in shock.

"Well that's Rarity for you." She said with a grin. "She's an absolute miracle worker with a sewing machine."

He put his blouse back on. "Well then," he said, cover in hand. "Shall we go?"

"Indeed we shall." she responded, turning toward the exit.

They walked toward the door, which twilight opened with her magic. Jason set the cover atop his head as he walked into the Equestrian sun.

They had spent most of the day wandering around Ponyville. Twilight had introduced him to many of the town's citizens, including the Cakes, Cheerilee, and many of the town's shopkeepers. They had even run into the "Cutie Mark Crusaders" when they nearly ran him over with what appeared to be an improvised chariot. They were violently curious about him and overwhelmed him with questions before Twilight returned their attentions to the task at hand and they sped off.

They had spoken with the Mayor, who was surprised yet happy at the human's fast recovery. She had given him a certificate indicating his citizenship within Equestria and a permit to take up residence within Ponyville. Their meeting lasted around an hour before they made their way out and found something to eat.

Jason was starting to get annoyed about not being able to pay for anything himself. He had never liked to be a burden on anyone, and having so many other ponies buy him meals was starting to rub him the wrong way. Twilight had brought it up when she noticed his discomfort at their lunch. He quickly explained his problem and she dismissed it with a wave of her hoof.

"I don't mind at all, Jason. But if it really bothers you that much I'm sure there are ponies around town who would be more than willing to pay you for helping them out."

The thought had appealed to him. He wasn't sure how much he could help though. He had taken various woodworking and construction classes during high school, so maybe he could help on some building crews around town, and he was sure there were some other things that he could do to help out.

the sun was beginning to set when they finally arrived at Twilight's library. He was surprised when he learned that the large tree he had seen on the edge of town was actually her home, and even more surprised when he saw how big It was. He followed her inside and immediately recognized the smell of books. He looked around in shock when he saw the wealth of literature lining her walls.

"SPIKE, I'M HOME! THERE'S SOMEPONY HERE I'D LIKE YOU TO MEET! " she called as she entered.

A voice that resembled a young boy responded. "Hey Twilight! I'm upstairs cleaning. I'll be down in a second!"

"Who's Spike?" Jason asked, curious.

"Oh! Spike's my assistant, and resident dragon. I hatched him during my audition for the Magic Academy. He's been with me for years now. I can't believe I forgot to mention him while you were at the hospital."

"Wait, a dragon?" Jason asked, slightly worried. "He's not dangerous is he?"

"Oh heavens no!" Twilight responded with amusement. "He's still a baby, and he's the sweetest dragon you'll probably ever meet."

after a couple of minutes the young dragon appeared at the top of the staircase. He was only a couple of feet tall, and Jason had to suppress a snicker when he observed the pink apron the dragon was wearing.

"Hey Twi. Who'd you want me to..." He stopped mid sentence when he saw the human. "OH! You must be the human Twilight has been talking about! I tell ya, she has been driving me crazy these past couple of weeks. You're practically the only thing she talks about lately."

Jason looked at Twilight with a raised eyebrow. She blushed and looked away from him.

Spike reached the bottom of the stairs and walked over to where the two of them stood. "The name's spike." He said as he reached out his hand to shake.

Jason kneeled, took the young dragon's hand in his and gave it a shake. "Nice to meet you Spike. My name's Cpl. Sinder, or Jason for short."

"Jason, huh? That's a weird name." Jason was slightly surprised at the dragon's somewhat brash attitude, but he smiled at him.

"Well I come from a weird place. I'll tell you about it when we have some time to chat."

"Sounds good to me!" Spike said with some excitement. "I was just about to start dinner, anyway. Does Daisy and bean lasagna sound good to you?"

Actually that sounds really fucking gross. Jason thought to himself.

"Erm, actually I can't really eat flowers. My body doesn't digest them properly." Jason respnded.

"Oh!." Spike exclaimed. Jason could see the dragon thinking as he ran through a list of other recipes. "What about vegetable stir fry? It doesn't have any flowers in it."

"That sounds better." Jason responded with a grin.

"Great! I'll get started on that right away!" He said as he turned and walked toward what Jason assumed to be the kitchen.

He stood and turned to Twilight. "So, what should we do until he's done?"

"Here, follow me and I'll show you where you'll be staying." She responded as she walked to another corner of the library.

She opened a door and walked through it, he followed and found what appeared to be a guest bedroom. It was furnished with a bed, a couple of chairs and a bookshelf. There was also a small desk in the corner, which was adorned with a few pieces of blank paper and some writing utensils. He saw his rifle, flak jacket, helmet and a few other things of his piled in the corner.

"Wow, this is a bit more than I was expecting." he observed, indicating the room as he walked over to his things. "Thanks again for taking care of my stuff."

"You're welcome. Sorry, this room isn't very big, but it will give you some privacy." She said.

"Oh this is more than enough space. Much more than I had in Afghanistan." He said, remembering the small room he had shared with another Marine.

He walked over to his stuff and picked up his rifle. After a quick inspection he found that the rifle and RCO were largely undamaged. some of the rail covers had been knocked off and there were more than a few scratches marring the finish. He would have to fire it to see if the RCO was still working properly, but the lenses hadn't been cracked. Upon closer inspection he realized that the weapon was extremely dirty and rust had begun forming in the compensator.

Shit, this is gonna take a while to clean. Looks like I know what I'll be doing tonight.

"I've been meaning to ask what that is." Twilight said, noticing his attention to the weapon. "I've never seen anything like it."

"Oh, erm...This is a rifle, an M16A4 assault rifle to be specific...I guess you could call it a tool of my trade." He responded. He sat the rifle down and removed a magazine from his flak. He pulled a single round from the mag and showed it to her. "It fires these, which use a small...I guess you could say explosion to propel this little copper piece at the tip to speeds faster than the speed of sound. You can imagine what something so small moving so fast could do to the intended target."

She shuddered at the realization of what the weapon was for, but was fascinated nonetheless. "Wow! I've never heard of a device being able to do that! would you mind showing me sometime? I'd like to do a little research on it."

"Um, sure." He was surprised at her interest in the weapon, despite knowing what it was for. "I'll have to be conservative with the ammunition though. I only brought so much."

"Would you mind letting me have that?" She pointed at the bullet, which he offered to her. She grabbed it with some magic and moved it so she could inspect it better. "I'd love to take this apart so I can see how it works."

"Sure, but be very careful when you take it apart. The gunpowder in there is under quite a bit of pressure and it wouldn't take a lot to set it off, which is not something you want to do unprotected."

"I'll be careful. Besides, If I can get it apart and figure out what it's made of, I might be able to transmute some more for you."

"Wow, that'd be great! I had no idea you could transmute things with your magic."

"I can do anything with magic! You'd be surprised. as long as I know what something is made of and how it looks, I can make pretty much anything."

"Really? Would you mind demonstrating?"

"Sure, thats not a problem. Was there something in particular you wanted me to make?"

He leaned over and removed the single Corporal chevron which was pinned to the center of his flak jacket and showed it to her. The chevron was badly scratched from the fall, but it would be enough to show her.

"Would you mind making a pair of these? I'm actually supposed to have a couple on my uniform."

She looked over the rank quickly and smiled. "Oh that's easy." She left the room and moments later returned with two small pieces of metal. "I've had these for a while now, back from when I was experimenting with conductivity of magic. They should suffice."

"Could you make them black?" He asked, worried that the finished product would be the same brownish color as the lumps floating in front of her.

"Not a problem." She responded. She concentrated on the chevron in his hand and looked back at the metal. She closed her eyes and focused, letting her magic flow into the minerals.

Within seconds the lumps transformed into perfect recreations of the chevron. She inspected them quickly before floating them over to Jason, whose mouth had dropped in awe at her ability.

He quickly took the gift and pinned them in their appropriate positions on his lapels. He surprised her then by dropping to one knee and putting his arms around her neck, tightly hugging her.

"Thank you, Twi." He said, his voice showing his appreciation. She put one of her forehooves around his back and returned the gesture.

"You are more than welcome, Jason."

"DINNER'S READY!" Spike called from the kitchen.

They both jumped in surprise and removed themselves from their embrace.

"Shall we eat?" Twilight asked.

"After you my lady." Jason responded with a smile on his face.

They left the room together and went to enjoy the meal Spike had prepared for them.

A couple of hours passed and Jason was sitting on the floor of his room. He had disassembled the rifle and placed the various parts around him on rags to keep the lubricants from getting on the carpet. He was diligently scrubbing the bolt face when he heard a knock on the door.

"Come in!" He called as he placed the bolt on a rag.

The door opened and Twilight walked over to him.

"Hey Jason, I was just about to go to bed and I wanted to see if there was anything you needed."

"Actually there was something I wanted to talk to you about." Jason quickly assembled his rifle and set it aside as Twilight sat next to him.

"Yes?" She asked.

"I wanted to talk about last night."

She looked at him quizzically. "What about last night?"

"The kiss."

"Oh...OH! The kiss." She began blushing. "Look, I'm sorry about that. It's just that I've never met anypony quite like you. You're smart, funny, and really fun to talk to. I felt like our personalities just clicked. I'm sure you'd never be interested in a bookworm like me, though. We're not even the same..."

He interrupted her by placing a hand on the back of her head, pulling it towards him. Her eyes widened as he leaned forward and kissed her. She tensed slightly before relaxing and closing her eyes, returning his kiss.

The kiss lasted several seconds before he finally removed his lips. "I would be more than interested, Twilight." He kissed her a second time. "In fact," He said after they separated again. "I'm pretty sure I love you."

He could see tears begin forming in her eyes. She threw her arms around him in an embrace, causing him to fall to the floor, Twilight laying atop him. He returned her hug and she leaned back to look at him.

"I love you, too." She said before kissing him a third time. He could feel her tongue pushing against his teeth and opened his mouth to permit her entry. Her tongue was much longer than his and he ran his own along the bottom of hers as she began exploring the details of his mouth, angling her head to better position herself.

She ran her tongue along his teeth, focusing on the small serrations of his front teeth and the sharp points of his canines. The kiss lasted until their lungs burned before they finally broke and breathed heavily.

"Wow..." She gasped. "Remind me to ask why your teeth are shaped like that."

"Well, you see..." She interrupted him by gently placing the tip of her hoof against his lips.

"Later. For now though..." She leaned in for another kiss.

They were interrupted when they heard a loud snore come from the top floor of the tree-house.

"I guess we should stop...Don't want to wake Spike." Jason said in a whisper, still holding Twilight in a tight hug.

"Yeah, though I'd rather not." Twilight responded. She pulled herself from his embrace and slid off him. Jason sat up and looked at her.

"See you tomorrow then?"

"Most definitely." She responded, leaning in and kissing him gently before moving to the door. "Goodnight, Jason."

"Goodnight, Twilight." And with that she left, closing the door behind her.

Jason stood and began preparing for bed. He didn't really have anything to hygiene with, so he undressed, folded his clothes and slipped into the too-small bed.

His heart fluttered with happiness as he drifted into his dreams.

Hammers and Music

Jason awoke as the morning sun illuminated his face through the small window on the wall. He rotated himself on the too-small bed and rested his feet on the ground, taking a quick glance around the small room he inhabited. The bed was comfortable, despite it's small size and he had slept better than he had in months. He lifted himself off the soft mattress and made his way over to the neatly folded clothes positioned on a chair in the corner of the room.

He donned his shirt and trousers and began his morning stretches. It was a routine he had begun in boot camp. His DI's would run the platoon through a quick set of stretches in order to expedite their waking process, however Jason took the exercises to heart, realizing the effectiveness of the slight exertion and their ability to work the remaining fatigue from his well rested body.

He was half-way through a deep calve stretch when he heard a light knock on the door. With a sigh he stood and moved to the door. As he opened it, he was greeted by the small purple dragon he had met the day before.

"Good morning, Spike. I'm surprised you're up this early." Jason said with a small yawn. The dragon had interrupted his morning routine and he could still feel the edges of sleep in his mind.

"Early?" Spike chuckled, "It's almost ten o'clock!"

Jason was shocked. Ten O'Clock?!? How did I manage to sleep so late? I mean yeah the bed was comfy, but still I haven't overslept so much since I was stateside!

"Aaanyway," Spike continued, noticing the humans surprise. "I've got lunch cooking. I know it's a little early, but seeing how you missed breakfast I thought you might appreciate it."

"Right...yes, thanks Spike. Sorry for being so rude, It's rare I get a chance to sleep in."

Spike smirked. "We tried to wake you a couple of times, but I guess you didn't notice. Anyway the food'll be ready in a few minutes."

Man, I was racked the fuck out! Despite Jason's sleep-anywhere ability, he was notorious for being a light sleeper. It didn't take much to wake him and it had been a small nightmare when he had to share rooms with people who snored.

"Thanks Spike, give me a couple minutes and I'll be right out."

"No problem! I'll be in the kitchen." Spike turned and left as Jason closed the door. Alright, first order of business: get a hold of an alarm clock. Jason thought to himself as he put on his boots and socks. He left the blouse on the chair and left the room.

He found Spike in the kitchen, transferring what appeared to be macaroni and cheese to a pair of plates. He picked them up and turned towards the table, noticing Jason as he carried the food to the dining area.

"You know, Twilight seemed kinda down when you wouldn't wake up. I've never seen her like that before. She even woke up early hoping to speak with you before she left." Spike said as he placed the plates on the table. "She's taken a liking to you faster than anyone she's ever met, even faster than the other girls." He sat on one of the chairs and began eating.

The feeling's mutual. Jason thought with a smile as he sat opposite Spike and picked up a fork. He scooped up some of the pasta and gave it an experimental nibble. "Wow this is really good! Thanks Spike, I don't think I've ever had mac and cheese from scratch before." Jason said before shoveling a large pile into his mouth. As he chewed a thought creeped into his mind.

"Hey Spike, I hope you don't mind me asking, but how can you even eat this? Dragons don't really exist where I'm from, but we do have some stories. Dragon's are almost exclusively depicted as carnivores if my memory is correct. Don't know if that has any basis in reality, though. Call me curious."

Spike looked at him in surprise. "Well, yeah we do usually prefer meat, but when we're young we can eat a lot of other stuff. I don't really know too much about it, other than what Twi's told me, but I think once we reach a certain age our bodies can only really digest meat. It's kinda weird, I know but I think us kids can get what we need from a wider range of foods." His eyes glazed over slightly. "Like gemstones! Oh man, if there's a gem in sight get outta my way or I might run you over to get to it!"

"So you never have a craving for meat?" Jason asked between bites.

"I don't think so. I've never tasted it, so I don't really know. Hopefully I won't start changing anytime soon, I don't think the ponies around will like it too much if I start going around eating animals. Oh man, I don't think I'll be able to handle Fluttershy's response to that!" Spike responded with a shiver.

"I know what you mean." Spike looked at him quizzically. Jason swallowed before he continued. "You see, us humans are traditionally omnivores, meaning we eat both vegetables and meat."

Spike was surprised at the revelation. "So you guys eat animals normally? How do you manage to feed an entire planet?"

"Well, we do it out of necessity, We require at least a little animal protein in our diets. As such, we have developed a form of...I guess you could say farming to keep the animal population level while feeding the population." Jason decided to keep the fact that meat was delicious out of his explanation.

"So you need meat to stay healthy? Wow...um I'm not really sure how I can help. Fluttershy keeps pretty good tabs on the local animals so she would notice If a couple went missing."

"That's what I thought... What about fish?"

"Hmm... Well, there's a lake just outside of town. Fluttershy goes down there every once in a while if there's a problem, but she tends to leave it alone." Spike thought a moment. "I know there's a couple of older folks around here that enjoy catching them for fun. You might be able to talk some of them into loaning some of their stuff to you."

"Thanks Spike, that helps a lot. I'll be sure to cook 'em well outta town so the smell doesn't disturb anyone." I'll have to talk to Flutters. She's not going to like it but I need to tell her before she freaks out and begins an investigation to track down the lost fish. Maybe Twi can help a bit, she's far closer to her than I am and I'm sure she'd be willing to talk with her. Of course I'm going to have to tell Twi about my dietary needs first. He wasn't really looking forward to it, but it was something he needed to do.

"So anyway, where's Twilight? I'm kind of surprised she's not here this morning." Jason said before taking the last bite of his pasta.

"Oh there were a few errands she had to run today. She left around nine so she probably won't be back for another couple of hours."

"Ah, Ok. Well in that case I think I'll go for a quick walk if you don't mind. Twilight showed me a lot of the important places around town yesterday, but there's still a lot I haven't seen so I wouldn't mind exploring a bit."

"Great! I was just about to start cleaning anyway." Spike stood and gathered up the plates before taking them to the sink. "You're kinda the talk of the town right now, by the way. Your arrival wasn't exactly subtle and a bunch of ponies have been stopping by to ask Twi about you."

Jason chuckled, slightly bemused that someone like him had become some kind of celebrity. "Heh, sounds like I might get a little more attention than I was expecting. Thanks for the heads up."

"Don't mention it." Spike said as he began rinsing the dishes.

Jason made his way back to his room and put on his blouse. He grabbed his cover and was about to leave when a thought crossed his mind. He walked over to the corner where the rest of his gear lay and began rummaging through one of the pouches. Come on, don't be broken. He thought to himself as he found what he was looking for. He pulled out the iPod and gave it a quick look over. Jeez I guess these Otter Boxes really work! Cracks were spider-webbed across the screen but other than that the device was largely intact.

He usually didn't carry more than he needed, but the audio player had proven invaluable during the long periods of boredom between his duties.

OK, time for test number two. He lightly pressed the power button on the top and watched the music player jump to life. He had learned quickly to power the thing down completely whenever he wasn't using it. More than once he had been left staring at sand because the battery died in his pocket. Still, a month is a long time for a device to just sit there, as such when the menu finally loaded it revealed less than twenty-percent battery life remained.

Jason sighed. Damn. I'll have to see if Twi can work out some kind of electrical miracle and get this thing charged.

The earbuds, he found, had fared far worse than the player. The left speaker was completely crushed, leaving nothing but a sad plastic husk. The right ear was still somewhat intact, though he could see a couple cracks on the plastic around the speaker. He plugged the jack in and put the speaker in his ear while choosing a random song to see if they still worked. The music wasn't as clear as it used to be, and without the other earbud he could only hear certain parts of the melody.

Jason sighed and turned off the device. Well, something's better than nothing. he thought as he removed the earbud and stuffed it, along with the ipod, into his pocket.

He collected his cover and began heading towards the door of the library.

"Spike! I'm headed out!" Jason called while opening the exit.

"OK! See you later Jason!" Spike called from somewhere upstairs.

Jason stepped out the door, letting it close behind him. He inhaled deeply the midday air before beginning the exploration of his new home.

Jason spent a good two hours wandering around the town. A few of the ponies he met were rather eager to make his acquaintance, asking the usual "What are you? Where are you from? How do you manage to stay standing upright?". A majority of the ponies, however, merely eyed him with caution and kept their distance.

He was following a winding road alongside the small stream that ran through the town when he came across an earth pony attempting to hang a somewhat large sign on what appeared to be a sawmill. He was having a heck of a time trying to keep the advertisement in place while fumbling with the hammer and nails that would secure it to the building.

"Here, let me help you with that." Jason said cheerfully as he approached the stallion. He hefted the sign into place and motioned towards the sand colored stallion for the hammer.

The pony cautiously handed Jason a couple of nails and the hammer. He put one of the nails into his teeth and flipped the hammer into position. Using friction to hold the sign in place, he quickly positioned the nail and with a few deft strokes of the hammer sent it home against the wood. He adjusted his arm on the sign and quickly drove the second nail into place.

He inspected the sign quickly, ensuring it was squared away and took a moment to read the advertisement. The sign simply read "Planer's Carpentry and Sawmill." Satisfied with his work, he turned toward the stallion and returned the hammer.

"There you go, that outta do the trick." Jason said as the stallion took the hammer. "You must be Planer, nice to meet you. I'm Cpl. Sinder." Jason said and extended his hand for a shake.

Planer gave jason an appraising look as he took his hand. "That I am, a pleasure to make your acquaintance Cpl. Sinder." They released their grasp and Planer smiled. "I dare say I ain't ever seen anypony hang a sign that quick. A unicorn, sure but never anypony with just their hooves! Normally I have to get somepony else to help whenever a shopkeep wants a sign hung, and even then it takes us a good fifteen minutes to get the job done!"

Jason chuckled lightly. "Yeah well, these hands make this kinda job pretty simple." He said with a shrug.

"I noticed, say how good are ya with smaller things? Makin' chairs and the like." Planer asked, a hint of excitement in his voice.

"Well, as long as I know what the measurements are and there are the right tools available, I should be able to make 'em without too much trouble. Why?"

The stallion's excitement visibly grew. "Well, ya see I've got this pretty big contract lined up. The spa's lookin' ta get a bunch of lounge chairs made up for 'em. Normally I could take care of em no problem, but the deadline's comin' up and I'm a bit behind. Ya seem like ya have the know-how and ability to make a couple of 'em. I'd be more than happy to pay ya for yer efforts."

Jason's ears perked up at the mention of payment. "Sure, I'd be willing to help you out. Just let me know what I need to do."

"Follow me and we'll get ya situated!" Planer said as he entered the building, Jason close behind.

The interior of the sawmill was surprisingly well lit. Jason quickly glanced around the building and noticed many different pieces of machinery as well as multiple walls covered with various woodworking tools. He was surprised at the number of powered saws and lathes that lined the far wall.

Jason spoke up. "If you don't mind me asking, how do you keep all these saws powered? I don't see anything like a generator in here."

"Generator? Nah these guys are all water powered! Got a couple water wheels on the river that give these babies all the juice they need. Here, follow me and I'll show ya what you'll be makin'." Planer walked over to one side of the building. Five lounge chairs sat in a row next to a lathe. "Here they are, watcha think? Think ya can make one?"

Jason glanced over the construction of the chairs. They were a fairly simple design. The triangle frame was made up of cut 2x4's, while 1x4's were used for the seats and back. They weren't exactly luxury dining chairs, and Jason knew he could make one fairly easily.

"Sure, I can make these without a problem. How many do you need?"

Planer nearly bounced with excitement as he spoke. "Well I need fifteen total, but as ya can see I'm already a third the way done. I'd say if ya can pump out five or six more, then I'll be able to get this contract done by tomorrow!"

"I can do that." Jason said with a nod. "Do you have the measurements and a sketch written down somewhere I could use as a reference?"

"Right over here, Cpl. Sinder." Planer responded, motioning towards a set of diagrams on the wall.

"Jason's fine." he said as he got to work.

Jason's pockets jingled as he made his way back to the library. It had taken nearly six hours to get the job done, in that time he had managed to complete seven chairs, and Planer had finished three of his own. Planer had excitedly handed over a bag of gold coins, overflowing with gratitude at Jason's assistance.

"There's seventy-five bits in there for ya. Don't ya go spendin' it all in one place now, ya hear? and if you're ever in need of work, stop on by. I'd be more than happy to pay ya for more work like that!"

Jason of course had no idea how much seventy-five bits was worth, but didn't bother asking the carpenter. I'll ask Twilight when I get back. I suppose money is something I probably should've asked about sooner. Jason thought as he walked through the darkening streets. It was nearing 20:00 and the sun was beginning to set behind the trees.

He was nearing the town center when he heard something eerily similar to music he heard back home.

Is...Is that dubstep? Jason thought as he began searching for the source of the music. He quickly found the building from which the sound was emanating and gave the door a quick knock. He liked what he heard and was hoping to meet whoever was causing the racket.

He waited a minute or so before a gray mare with wadding stuffed into her ears opened the door. She was turned away from him and was shouting into another room.

"Vinyl do turn that down! We have a guest!" There was no response and the volume did not decrease.

The mare sighed and turned her head towards Jason. She jumped in surprise when she saw the human but quickly regained her composure. "Ah! You must be the human the town has been buzzing about!" She stepped outside and closed the door behind her, muffling the music and making it easier to hear. She pulled the wadding from her ears before continuing. "I'm dreadfully sorry about that racket. Vinyl has a big show coming up and has been writing new music."

"That's quite alright. My name's Cpl. Sinder, and actually that music is what brought me here. You see, we have music that is extremely similar where I come from and I was curious as to what was making it. Do you think it would be alright if I spoke to Vinyl, miss...?"

"Oh! Where are my manners? My name's Octavia, lead cellist for the Canterlot Grand Symphony."

Jason's eyes widened in surprise. "A cellist? Really? How do you hold... you know what, never mind. I'm surprised you ponies have such a wide variety of music! Honestly I'm kind of surprised you even have music, nonetheless an entire symphony!" He stated, impressed.

"Why wouldn't we have music? Do you think we're uncultured?" Octavia asked, somewhat irritated.

"No no no, not at all! You could say I'm still very new to your culture in general. In fact, this is the first I've heard music in Ponyville."

"I'm sorry, that was rather short of me." Octavia said. "I'm sorry this noise Is the first taste of Equestrian music. In fact hold on. Let me go get my instrument and I'll give you a demonstration of what real music sounds like." She entered the building and Jason waited. He was excited, he hadn't heard live music in quite a while. At least music that wasn't some kind of rock or metal.

Octavia emerged, towing a wheeled cello case behind her. "Here, follow me. Let's find somewhere away from this racket."

Jason followed her through the town streets. The sun had set and there were various streetlights illuminating their passage. Octavia eventually stopped under one of the lights, there was a small bench sitting next to the light pole.Jason could still hear the distant thumping of the bass, but it was far quieter.

Jason took a seat and observed Octavia as she pulled the instrument from it's case and rosin'd up her bow. She set a small up a small folding music stand and placed a single piece of sheet music upon it. She read off the song's title and composer, names that Jason forgot nearly immediately, and began slowly running her bow across the strings.

It was a beautiful piece, conveying gentle emotions contrasted by swelling crescendos. Jason was amazed at the skill Octavia displayed as she drew gorgeous sounds from the instrument. It was a fairly short piece, but it ended well and left Jason with a good sense of satisfaction at the music's conclusion.

"That was beautiful, Octavia. Thank you for sharing it with me. I can see why you're the first chair." Jason said with a smile.

"You flatter me Jason, but thank you for the compliment."

"May I?" Jason asked, gesturing towards the instrument.

Octavia was somewhat hesitant, yet her own curiosity got the better of her and she carefully handed the instrument to the human.

Jason had played the cello himself all throughout high school. It was a secret he kept to himself when he joined the Corps, however his parents had encouraged him to try out the instrument. He had attended multiple lessons and had gotten fairly decent at managing the instrument, though it had obviously been years since he had laid eyes on one.

The scale of the instrument was a little smaller than the one he had used before, however it was still large enough for him to handle easily. He experimented with his hand positioning and carefully played a couple of scales before beginning a piece he had memorized for an audition. He fumbled with a few parts, his fingers lacking the dexterity they once possessed, however his performance was more than adequate to demonstrate his own proficiency.

He finished the piece and Octavia gave him a light applause. "Thank you for that, Jason. It isn't often one gets to hear music of another world. That was quite nice."

Jason chuckled. "Now who's the flatterer? Please, I know that wasn't nearly up to your standard."

"You're too modest." Octavia stated in a mock scolding tone. "That was far better than most of the ponies I know. Heck, you could probably make it into the symphony with skills like those!"

"No, no. I'll leave the music to the professionals. I'm just a Marine trying to figure this place out." Jason said with a light chuckle. "Thanks for the compliment though. Anyway, do you think we could head back now? I would still like to speak with Vinyl."

"Oh! Sure, I guess I kind of distracted you from the reason you knocked on our door. We can head back now." She quickly returned her instrument to its case before leading the way back to her home. Jason followed closely, passing the time with idle chatter as they walked.

It wasn't long before the thumping bass returned to Jason's ears. As they approached the house he noticed Octavia growing more and more distressed.

"Something wrong, Octavia?" Jason asked.

"It's that blasted music. You wouldn't believe how annoying it gets after living with it for years. Just once I'd like to get a normal nights sleep without having to plug my ears." She was understandably frustrated. She glanced at him apologetically. "Sorry you have to listen to it."

Jason chuckled. "It's fine. In fact that music is what brought me to your home. You see, where I'm from that kind of music is actually extremely popular. I couldn't tell you the size of the fanbase that has formed around that particular genre, nonetheless the many other sub-genres that it has given birth to." He rubbed the back of his head gently. "Heck, even I'm a fan to a certain extent."

Octavia raised an eyebrow. "So you didn't knock on our door to complain about the volume?"

Jason couldn't help but laugh. "No, not at all! What gave you that idea?"

"You wouldn't be the first." She shuddered slightly. "Or the last."

They finally arrived at the musician's home. Octavia pulled out some wadding and stuffed it into her ears before she entered, gesturing towards Jason to follow her.

As he stepped into the house, he was immediately assaulted by the decibels emanating from Vinyl's room. The volume was high outside, sure but the inside was on a completely different level. The walls shook with the beat and Jason couldn't help but cover his ears to protect his sensitive eardrums. He followed Octavia into what appeared to be the living room.

The room was filled with electronics. Large speaker stacks lined the walls along with expensive-looking amplifier rigs and lighting systems. Countless chords ran along the floor, linking the many speakers to a single control panel in front of the room's fireplace.

Behind the controls stood a white unicorn. Her mane was a deep blue streaked with lighter sky-blue accents. She wore sunglasses and headphones, and seemed to be completely concentrated on the panel situated in front of her. Her head bobbed in time with the beat as she used some magic to adjust one of the sliders on her mixer. What that did, Jason couldn't tell through the deafening din that was starting to give him a headache.

Jason could see Octavia shouting but couldn't hear her over the music. The DJ obviously couldn't either as she continued to fiddle with her mixer. Octavia huffed in frustration and made her way over to Vinyl, using a hoof to shake her back to reality.

Vinyl started and removed her headphones, while using magic to turn the volume down to a more reasonable level. "'Sup 'Tavi? Sorry, I was really into this new set I've been workin' on."

"We've got a visitor." Octavia said flatly, gesturing towards Jason. He slowly removed his hands from his ears, trying to adjust to the volume of the music.

Vinyl removed her sunglasses, revealing the lavender eyes that sat behind them. Her eyelids widened and she quickly turned the music off completely. "Oh man! Why didn't you say something sooner!" she moved past Octavia and walked to where Jason stood. She looked up into his face and grinned. "Name's DJ Pon-3, pleasure ta meet ya." She extended a hoof in greeting.

Jason took the hoof and gave it a shake. "DJ Pon-3? I thought it was Vinyl."

The unicorns grin widened. "Sorry, Pon-3's a stage name. I guess you've been talkin' with 'Tavi here then?"

Octavia spoke up. "For around forty-five minutes. If you would turn down the music you would have known he was here."

Vinyl looked at her friend apologetically ."Heh, sorry I guess I was a little more in to the groove than I thought." She turned her attention back towards Jason. "So, what exactly are you?"

"I'm Cpl. Jason Sinder. A human just trying to meet some of the ponies around town."

"Well, you've met the town's musical experts." Vinyl chuckled, walking back toward her mixer. "What brought you to our humble abode?"

"Actually it was the music you were playing. You see, where I'm from dubstep's actually pretty popular. I guess you could say I was drawn to what I thought was familiar." Jason said with a small shrug.

"Well if ya like it, wanna hear a song?" Vinyl said, her excitement showing. "I'm just about done with it and it would be awesome to get your opinion."

"Er, sure I guess. Do you think you could keep it down a little though? I don't think I'd be able to hear anything other than the wobbles at the volume you were playing before."

"Aw, you're no fun. Fine." Vinyl replaced her glasses and headphones before manning her position behind her panel. Octavia rolled her eyes and walked to Jason's side, pushing the wadding deeper into her ears. "Hold onto your hooves Jason, It's about to get loud in here!" Vinyl said while adjusting a few of her sliders and pressing the play button.

The music started quietly, the samples playing an easy melody while the percussion built to an ever increasing climax. Jason felt himself begin bouncing to the beat. Man, she's really good. I haven't been this into a song since that concert back in J-ville. The beat continued to grow, Vinyl's head bobbing as she worked her magic. Jason watched as she slowly raised a hoof into the air. The song was becoming increasingly frantic and was coming to a head when Vinyl brought her hoof down onto a large button in the corner of her mixer.

The walls began shaking as the bass speakers came to life. Jason's heart was pounding and he could barely contain himself as the rhythm pounded in his head.

The song finally came to a conclusion and Jason felt slightly out of breath, his adrenaline started ebbing off and he gave the DJ an approving nod.

"That was awesome! I haven't lost myself to a song like that in a long time."

Vinyl smiled and removed her headphones. "Glad you liked it. I'm plannin' on premiering it in Manehatten in a couple days."

"The crowds' gonna love it, I can promise you that. Hey, I've actually got some music from my own world here, If you want to give it a listen."

Both of the ponies looked at him in surprise as he pulled the iPod out of his pocket. "Sorry, the headphones are a little messed up, but one of em still works."

"Let me see the jack." Vinyl said, curious.

Jason shrugged and walked over to the DJ, unplugging the earbuds and handing them to her.

She quickly examined the jack. "I might just have something that'll work, hold on." She moved over to a box at the corner of her stand and began searching through the many cables that were inside.

"Aha!" she exclaimed and pulled a double sided cable from the box. She tossed Jason the cable. "See if that fits."

He examined the cable. It looked like a standard 3mm headphone jack and he slid it into the ipod's port. Satisfied, he handed Vinyl the device and took it toward one of the amplifiers, plugging the other end of the cable into one of the countless jacks on the front. She turned a dial and the amplifier sprung to life.

She nodded and returned the ipod to Jason. "Let's hear some of this alien music of yours."

Jason turned on the ipod and quickly selected a song. She outta like some Ephixa Jason thought to himself as he pressed play and cranked the volume.

It didn't take long before Vinyl's head was bobbing to the fast beat that emanated from her speakers. Hardstyle was by far Jason's favorite kind of electronic music, and from the looks of it Vinyl was really getting into it.

"That was incredible!" Vinyl panted. The intense music had affected her in ways Jason wasn't expecting. He noticed her tail twitching and a blush forming on her cheeks.

"You OK there Vinyl?" Jason asked.

"Oh man, that was intense! You humans know how to make some music!"

Jason chuckled. "I've actually got some stuff on here for you too, there Octavia."

Octavia raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Let's hear it then."

Jason quickly found where he kept his classical music on the device. He selected one of Beethoven's symphonies and set the ipod on top of the amplifier, letting the music play. Octavia's eyes drifted closed and she began swaying in time with the music. Jason turned and found a seat on the couch. Vinyl followed and sat next to him.

"She seems to be enjoying it." Vinyl observed, commenting on her companions aloof demeanor. "I tell ya, you guys know how to write some songs!"

Jason chuckled. "Yeah, there are some people with real talent where I'm from."

"Can I buy that from you? It'd be awesome to use some foreign reference and get some samples."

Jason was hesitant. "I'm not sure how long it'll be useful to you. It's almost out of battery power."

"Not a problem." Vinyl said, tapping her horn. "I know a few electricity spells that can charge it up without an issue."

"I don't know..." Jason still wasn't sure. Yeah, he needed the money, but he didn't really feel like parting with the device.

"I'll give you a hundred bits for it."

Jason was shocked. He'd just spent six hours doing carpentry and had only made seventy-five. He still had no idea what money was worth, but it seemed like quite a hefty amount.

"Uh...sure. Why not." Jason finally relented. He could tell the unicorn wasn't going to take no for an answer.

"Great!" The DJ smiled widely. "Let me go get your money."

She walked out of the room. Jason looked over to Octavia. He noticed that her tail had begun twitching slightly, and her complexion was starting to take a slightly reddish tone. He didn't say anything and the mare remained in a trance as Vinyl returned with a pouch in her mouth. She handed Jason the purse, which he hefted before slipping it into his pocket.

"A pleasure doing business with you!" She stated.

The music came to an end and Octavia shivered. She turned to face him and opened her eyes half-way. She slowly sauntered her way over and sat on the other side of the couch, facing him. She leaned her chest on his shoulder and began trailing a hoof across his chest.

"That was amazing, Jason" Octavia said, her voice taking on a sultry tone.

"Erm...I'm glad you enjo..." He was cut off suddenly when Octavia leaned forward and planted a passionate kiss on his lips.

Jason's body spasmed and he quickly pushed the mare back, breaking her kiss.

"Hey now, hold on a minute. I'm already in a relationship!" He glanced over at Vinyl to see that she now wore the same half-lidded gaze that was present on Octavia's face.

He looked back to Octavia and saw her eyebrow raised slightly above her sensual eyes.

"So?" She asked quietly. Her hoof trailed down from his chest and rested on his groin.

"OK THEN! TIME FOR ME TO GO." He said as he quickly rose, knocking the mare against the armrest. He turned to the couch. "A good evening to you, ladies." He quickly turned and exited the house.

"Jason, wait!" He heard Octavia call as he closed the door behind him and began quickly walking toward the Library.

What was that all about. Jason thought, his heart racing a mile a minute. The coins jingled in his pocket as he kept a brisk pace. Are relationships not sacred to ponies? They didn't seem to care at all! Shit, maybe they don't...maybe I'm the asshole. His pace slowed at the thought. Maybe I should ask Twilight... Fuck, If relationships work the same way they do at home that might piss her off...But if they don't I need to apologize...FUCK.

Jason continued arguing with himself the entire walk home. as he approached the tree he came to a final decision. I need to talk to Twilight about it. Hopefully she can understand my predicament. He opened the door to the library and stepped in, closing the portal behind him. He glanced at the clock. Damn, I didn't know it was that late! He refrained from announcing his arrival and instead made his way toward the kitchen.

As he crossed the main study area, he found Twilight asleep on the couch, a book propped open in front of her chin. He smiled and reached out a hand to awaken her, then hesitated. Instead he kneeled down a planted a light kiss on her forehead.

Twilight stirred and slowly opened her eyes. She glanced towards Jason and sat up. "Jeez, what took you so long?" She stretched quickly before throwing her arms around his shoulders and embracing him. "You had me worried."

Jason chuckled softly. "You were waiting for me?"

She leaned back and looked into his eyes. He could see the worry that was still present within hers. "Of course i was. I was beginning to think something terrible had happened to you."

He leaned in and kissed her. Just a light brush of the lips before pulling back and responding. "Twilight, you of all people should know that I can take care of myself." he said quietly.

She giggled softly. "I know, I know. Still, a mare can worry about her stallion, can't she?"

Jason smiled and tightened his embrace. "Of course she can." He released her and stood, walking into the kitchen and returning with a couple glasses of water. He handed her one before sitting next to her. Twilight leaned against him, enjoying the contact as she sipped from her glass.

"So what, pray tell, have you been doing all this time? I was expecting you back hours ago."

"I've been working."Jason said as he reached into his pockets and removed the two pouches of coins he had earned. He handed Twilight the purses. She was astonished at the weight of the bags and raised an eyebrow toward him.

"How much is in these?" She asked, hefting the two pouches in her hooves.

"A hundred and seventy-five bits." Jason responded, curious at her reaction.

Twilight's jaw literally dropped. "175 bits!?" She exclaimed. "That's almost a week's worth of work! What in Equestria have you been doing to make so much money?"

Now it was Jason's turn to be astonished. "I..I just did some work at Planer's shop! I made some chairs for him...Oh and I sold my iPod to Vinyl."

"What's an iPod?" Twilight asked.

"It's a little device used to store and play music. She offered me a hundred bits on the spot when I played her some music from my home."

Twilight looked a little hurt. "I wish you would have shown me it sooner, I would have loved to listen to some of it."

Nice going dumbass, way to think with your wallet instead of your head.

"Sorry, Twi. I honestly wasn't expecting to sell it but Vinyl's offer kinda struck me flat-footed."

Twilight sighed. "That's alright, Jason. I'm sure I'll be able to hear Vinyl playing it at night."

"Actually, there was something else I needed to talk to you about." Jason could feel his insides beginning to twist. He did not want to have this conversation, but he needed to.

"When I was at Vinyl and Octavia's house, I was trying to get to know them a little better. I played Octavia a song on her cello and played them some music from the ipod. All of a sudden they started getting...affectionate. Octavia even kissed me."

Twilight giggled. "My, aren't you the mare's stallion. Not even a day on your own and you've already got girls falling for you."

Jason was surprised, to say the least. "Wait, you're not mad?"

Twilight leaned away from him and looked at him quizzically. "Why would I be?"

"Erm...Well other mares are trying to go after your boyfriend, that doesn't upset you at all?"

She was still confused. "Why would that make me upset? Isn't that how it is where you're from."

Jason shook his head. "Not at all. It's not uncommon for situations like this to be devastating for relationships."

"Why? Are girls really that selfish where you're from?"

"No, not selfish. That's just the way things are."

"How do you maintain a steady population if each stallion only gets one mare?"

A sudden realization dawned upon Jason. Throughout Jason's entire tour yesterday, and his exploration today a vast majority of the ponies he had met were female. In fact, apart from Planer, everypony he had met today was a girl.

"Twilight, what's the average ratio on boy to girl births here in Equestria?"

That question only piqued her curiosity more. "Only about one in every five births is a stallion, but what does that have to do with this?"

"Everything." Jason sighed. "You see, back on Earth the births are about fifty-fifty to boys and girls, meaning that, for the most part, our relationships are monogamous."

Sudden realization flowed through Twilight. "So you thought you were being unfaithful when Octavia approached you?" Twilight began giggling again. "Hah! Boy I bet you were uncomfortable in that situation!" Twilight suddenly took on a serious tone. "Wait, what did you do when that all happened?"

Jason shook his head. "I got out of there as quickly as possible."

"Jason!" She chided him. "You have no idea how insulting it is to be rejected like that! You need to go and apologize!"

"I know, I know." Jason said in defeat. "I'll do it first thing tomorrow morning. But I'm kinda tired right now. Planer worked me hard today and I'm a little burned out by that whole situation. I could really use some sleep."

Twilight sighed and leaned against him again. "I'm sorry Jason, I know you're still trying to adapt to this new world. I shouldn't have snapped at you. It's just that it's extremely bad manners to act like that."

"I don't blame you. If I saw someone react to a girls advances like that back home, I'd be pretty upset too." Jason gave a soft chuckle. "Besides, I'm still with you. And that's not something I would set aside so easily." He leaned over and kissed her, this time a bit more passionately.

He broke the kiss after a few seconds before saying, "we should probably get to bed, probably going to have a long day ahead of us tomorrow."

"Yeah, probably for the best. Spike told me about your conversation this morning. A meat eater huh? We're going to need to talk to Fluttershy about that."

It's like she knows what I'm going to say before I do. "Yeah, that and the apology."

They stood together, but before they parted Twilight reared up on her hind legs and wrapped her forehooves around his neck, planting a light kiss upon his lips.

"Goodnight, Jason." she whispered.

"Goodnight, miss Sparkle." He responded before planting a kiss of his own on her lips.

She lowered herself to the ground and made her way to the stairs. Jason watched as she walked, his eyes drawn to her smooth flanks that rotated as she moved.

She glanced back at him and he looked away quickly, a blush forming on his cheeks. She smiled as she disappeared up the stairs.

Jason shook his head and made his way toward his room. As he entered, he noticed a small red alarm clock on the center of his bed. He chuckled and picked up the clock, setting the alarm for 7:30 before setting it on his nightstand. He undressed and folded his clothes. Before setting them down however, he picked up the skivvy shirt and gave it an experimental sniff. I really need to find a way to wash these. Or better yet I should talk to Rarity about getting more clothes. He sighed and set the shirt upon the rest of his uniform.

He slipped under the covers on his mattress and let his mind run through the day's series of events. There's still quite a lot I need to learn about this place He yawned.

Quite a lot indeed.

Author's Note

Sorry this one took so long guys. I type as inspiration strikes and when time allows, but I will try to update this as frequently as possible without taking away from the quality of the content.

Honor

The Marine sat uncomfortably in the folding chair, half paying attention to the Blue Force Tracker in front of him. Two blue blips moved across the displayed map, designated as V-1 and V-2. The operation was not set to start for another hour or so and boredom was starting to creep into his mind.

He leaned back and glanced around the crowded tent. Officers wandered from station to station, observing the equipment and checking the progress of the two vehicles as they approached the LZ. The Marine took a quick glance out the open tent flap, observing the the world outside. The sun had recently set, turning the sand a deep rust color as the ambient light of day began to fade.

"Blackburn, Blackburn this is Viper two!" The voice had piped through one of the speakers of the Comm station across the tent. The Marine could hear the tension in the pilot's voice and quickly looked back toward his own computer. V-1 remained on course, however V-2 had begun moving erratically, obviously performing evasive maneuvers. The radioman picked up the microphone and responded.

"Send it, Viper-2" He said quickly.

"Some kind of electrical storm just popped up around us! We're taking evasive maneuvers to avoid the lightning, but they're getting awful close to us."

A thunderstorm? What the fuck, none of the weather guys said anything about a storm.

"Copy, Viper two. Get out of that storm and return to your flight path." The radioman replied.

"Roger, Blackburn. We'll do what we can to get get back on track but this lightning is not going *KRSHHK*" The radio burst into static, causing everyone in the tent to jump.

The radio sprang back to life. "MAYDAY MAYDAY, THIS IS VIPER TWO. WE JUST LOST OUR PORT ROTOR. ANTI-TORQUE IS GONE AND WE ARE LOSING ALTI..." The radio burst into static once more before going quiet.

The Marine stared dumbfounded at his monitor.

V-2 was gone.

Not moving like it was crashing, just gone. It had vanished along with the radio transmission.

"What the fuck jus.." One of the officers began before the tracker Marine regained his composure and spoke up.

"Sir! Viper two is gone!"

"What the fuck do you mean gone?!?" The officer shouted, rushing to the Marine's station. He quickly looked at the monitor. It didn't take long before he realized the Marine had meant exactly what he said. He gritted his teeth and ran over to the comm station, grabbing the microphone from the stunned radioman.

"Viper One, Viper One, This is Blackburn."

"Send it, Blackburn." The reply was quick and tense.

"Wave off from your current flight path and locate Viper Two. Something just hit them."

The Marine at the tracking station could see that V-1 was already turning around, trying to locate the wounded bird.

"Copy that, Blackburn, looping around now."

They spent the next several minutes in tense silence, waiting to hear the results of the remaining aircraft's search.

"Blackburn, this is Viper One"

The officer responded quickly. "Send it, Viper One. Did you find Viper Two?"

there was a brief pause, letting everyone know the truth before the pilot finally responded.

"Negative. There's not even a crash site. It's like Viper Two was never here."

The officers arm went limp, sagging to his waist before the microphone slipped from his hand and clattered against the folding table which supported the radio.

The entire tent sat in shocked silence. Viper Two was gone.

Not just dead.

Gone.

Jason inhaled deeply as he steeled himself in front of the door.

The musicians' house was silent, a stark contrast to the racket which had seeped from the building the day before. He exhaled with a sigh before knocking.

He waited a few minutes, awaiting a response. He raised his hand to knock again, but stopped when the door opened inward, revealing the cellist he had met the day before.

Octavia looked at him, her face became dour, revealing the pain and embarrassment he had caused her. She was about to slam the door in his face.

A reasonable reaction. Jason thought to himself as he put his hand on the door, halting it's quick movement. But I still need to make this right.

Octavia jumped slightly at the unexpected resistance and attempted to close the door again. She was unsuccessful.

She sighed and looked at him, her flash of anger fading. "What do you want, Jason?" She asked, her voice revealing exactly how much she didn't want to see him.

"I've come to apologize. About last night." He answered.

Twilight had offered to come with him. She thought it would be better if she was there to help explain. However, Jason had refused, feeling that this was something he needed to do himself.

He sighed. "Look, I know I've got some explaining to do. Is Vinyl awake? This is something she should hear as well."

The mare examined him before releasing a sigh herself.

"Yes, we were just finishing up breakfast." She said. "Come in, I'll go get her."

Jason followed the mare into her home, stopping just on the other side of the door and closing it behind him. He waited there as Octavia fetched her housemate.

Vinyl was a lot angrier at him than Octavia was, or maybe she just couldn't control herself as well as her companion could.

"You've got a lot of nerve showing your face after what you pulled." Vinyl hissed at him. "I outta throw you out right now."

Her horn glowed, enveloping Jason in a field of shimmering magic. He felt himself getting pulled from the floor.

"W-Wait! I've come to apologize! To explain why I did what I did!" He didn't like the feeling. He had always preferred having solid ground under his feet, rather than...well...nothing.

The unicorn raised an eyebrow. "Well spill it, before I decide to throw you through the door." She didn't release her magic.

Jason looked at her, his toes barely touching the ground. "Could you let me down please? I really don't like this."

Vinyl's horn flared, raising him completely off the floor.

"Okay okay! I'm sorry! Let me explain myself first, then you can throw me anywhere you like!"

Vinyl examined him for a second, then sighed and released her magic hold on him. He fell onto his feet, stumbling slightly to keep his balance. "alright, come on."

They moved to the living room, The two mares taking positions on the couch. Jason pulled up a chair and sat facing them.

He quickly explained to them the social barrier which had driven his actions the previous night. Revealing to them his species' aversion to polygamy. They sat there, listening. He could see their stern expressions softening as he continued his explanation.

"You see, because of the social standards I know, your advances last night would have meant disloyalty, Infidelity even to my significant other." He didn't reveal who that was. He was still new to Equestria and remembered far too well the worried and cautious faces ponies had thrown him as he wandered the streets.

Jason took those reactions at face value. He understood that his profession worried the ponies, and it would be some time before he would be able to win them over, if he could at all. As such he decided to keep his relationship with Twilight a secret. Everypony already knew that Twilight was taking care of him, housing him and explaining the workings of pony society. He wanted to try to keep it at that, a teacher-student relationship, at least in public. He understood that the ponies wouldn't hurt her, she was far too powerful to succumb to them attempting to attack her. However he was afraid of what they would do to her socially.

Twi had attempted to dissuade his resolve, ensuring him that nopony would mind. He wouldn't relent though. He had far too much experience with women becoming outcast because of their affections. That was not something he wanted to see happen to the girl he loved.

"It wasn't until later last night that I learned about how ponies embraced polygamy. I had no idea about how vital it was in order to keep your population stable. I'm truly sorry I treated you like that last night, but I can hope you at least sort of understand why I did." He let his head sag, his vision drawn to the floor.

He heard the two mares get up from the couch and tensed as he waited for Vinyl's magic to wash over him.

He jumped in surprise when the two mares threw their hooves around his shoulders and embraced him. He picked his head up, looking back and forth at the two mares who held him in their grip.

"I'm sorry Jason." Octavia whispered, picking her own head up and looking at him. "I should have known better. Shoot you didn't even know we had music, why did I think you would be okay with just going at it like that?"

Vinyl picked her head up, surprised at Octavia's statement. "You didn't know we had music?"

Jason chuckled lightly. "Well, not until I heard the bass coming from your house last night."

Vinyl giggled softly before releasing him and returning to the sofa. Octavia squeezed once before letting go and joining her housemate.

"So, who's this special somepony you've been talking about?" Octavia asked, curiously. "They must really have you smitten the way you reacted yesterday."

"Oh come on, there's no way you don't already know." Vinyl laughed.

Jason and Octavia looked at her. His heart sank. "W-What do you mean?" he stuttered.

Vinyl looked at him incredulously. Octavia spoke up.

"Well, yes I did see the signs, but I still want to get the truth from him rather than believe the gossip."

"What signs?" Jason asked, his mouth dry.

"Oh please, Twilight has been enthralled by you." Vinyl said. "She may still be kinda new here, but we know her well enough to see when an interest in something becomes more than just that. I don't really get how but no matter what, whenever somepony tries to talk with her, the conversation always ends up about you. I've seen a normal conversation about weather somehow turn into your world's government structure. That and there's her body language."

"Body language?" Jason asked, a little dumbfounded.

"Well duh." Vinyl rolled her eyes. "You haven't noticed how close she stays to you? How she leans against you all the time? The way she looks at you? Honestly she acts like a filly who just learned what a special somepony is."

Jason, in fact, had noticed. However Twilight was the only pony he really interacted with. He had no idea that her subtle actions were indicative of courtship. He thought that was just how ponies were.

"Erm, well actually..." Jason stammered.

"How long have you been together?" Octavia asked suddenly.

"Uh...Well we really didn't start getting serious until after I got out of the hospital."

"Really? That recently?"

"Erm, yeah...Why?"

Vinyl snickered. "If that's true then the whole town knew about her feelings for you before you did. Heck, we probably knew before she did."

"Wait...when did she start acting different?" Jason asked.

Octavias eyes turned toward the ceiling in thought before looking at him and replying. "I'd have to say the day after you woke up."

Jason's heart swelled at the revelation. That long? She loved me as soon as she met me? Wow...I...I had no idea.

Octavia saw the change in his expression and sighed. "We just destroyed any chance we had at taking you to bed with us, didn't we?"

Jason chuckled. "Afraid so ladies." He looked at them with a raised eyebrow, a grin tugging at the corners of his mouth. "At least until I get completely used to pony society."

Jason walked toward the busy town center, a small grin on his lips as he thought about the morning.

After the apology, Jason had spent a couple of hours talking, joking and laughing with the two musicians. He had shared stories of his musical experiences, as well as sharing a few of his favorite songs from the music player. It was a good thing he had, too. The combination of Vinyl's excitement at the device and Jason's expedited exit the previous night had left the DJ with absolutely no knowledge on how to operate the gadget.

Jason's thoughts cleared as his mind returned to the present. He glanced at the town's clock. He still had a couple of hours before he was to meet Twilight for lunch, he needed to find something to do. He thought quickly before he patted his hand against the bag of coins which bulged slightly from his pocket.

I know! I'll see if I can get a hold of more clothes! Let's see now...What would Rarity's shop look like... He glanced around the town. It didn't take long for him to locate the white two-story building, lavishly painted and covered with various accoutrements which made the store quite the spectacle to behold.

He pushed open the door, a light jingle accompanying the motion.

"Just a moment please!" a familiar voice called from the opposite side of the building. Jason could hear the whir of a sewing machine working furiously at the hooves of the purple haired fashionista. He waited at the counter as Rarity completed her stitching. After giving her work an approving nod she finally set the garment down and turned her attention to her new customer. Her eyes widened and a smile grew across her face as she recognized him.

"Jason darling! How are you doing today? Goodness, I wasn't expecting you out of the hospital for another few weeks. how in Equestria did you recover so quickly?" Rarity asked, the elegance of her voice accompanied by a genuine sense of excitement.

Jason chuckled. "Got a little help from Twi on that one."

Rarity gave him a warm smile. "She really does love you, doesn't she?"

Jason winced slightly. Man, Vinyl was right. Everyone in this town really does already know.

If Rarity had seen his reaction at her statement, she paid it no mind as she continued.

"Anyway how can I help you this fine day?" Rarity asked with a slight tilt of her head.

"I did say I was going to visit once I got out of the hospital didn't I? Besides, I still need to thank you for this." He lifted up his left hand which held the eight-point cover.

Rarity waved a hoof in dismissal. "Think nothing of it, dear. I'm more than happy to help."

"Still, I wanted to pay you for this spectacular piece of work."

Rarity chuckled lightly. "If that's spectacular to you, you should see some of the dresses I've made. Anyway, I believe we've already established how you were going to pay me." She raised an eyebrow toward him. "Something about alien clothes and fashion?"

Jason grinned. "You're right, I guess we did. Luckily that brings us to reason number two of my visit."

Rarity eyed him curiously.

"I was actually hoping to commission a few more sets of clothes from you. Some uniforms, some regular clothes. Heck, maybe a suit." Jason watched as Rarity's eyes began to widen in excitement, a half grin forming on his face. "I've even got a way to pay you this time."

"So, How'd it go?" Twilight asked as they waited for their food. "Given your attitude, it seems it went well."

"That it did. They were more than understanding." Jason replied with a smile. He looked at her, observing her proximity to his own body. She had sat in the chair literally inches away from him, getting as close as possible without touching.

How did I not notice this before? I mean yeah it's been months since I've interacted with civilians, but still even a total introvert would understand this kind of body language.

"Oh? and what does that mean?" She asked playfully.

Jason chuckled lightly. He lifted up his arm and wrapped it around her shoulders, pulling her against his body. She jumped in surprise but her tension quickly dissipated as she melted into his embrace. "Nothing like that, but we are deffinately on friendly terms."

She cast a sidelong glance up at him, a smile spreading across her face. "Whatever happened to keeping our relationship quiet?" She asked mischeviously.

"Well it seems that somepony in this relationship has been a little less subtle than she thought. In fact it seems as though everyone in this town already knows of our relationship." Jason chided playfully.

Twilight's expression shrank and the lavender fur on her face darkened as she blushed. "W-What? What are you talking about? I haven't said anything!" She sputtered.

Jason looked at her, mock bemusement on his face. He slowly ran his eyes down to the short distance which seperated their seats. She followed his gaze and winced slightly in realization at their proximity.

"Oh!" She exclaimed. "Oh...how long have I been doing that?"

Jason chuckled lightly. "Well, since we sat down in this restaurant." he stated matter-of-factly.

She looked up at him, unamused at his joke. "Not funny. Seriously, how long have I been acting like that?"

He raised an eyebrow in response. "Honestly I've never seen you act any different than the way you are now. In fact I thought that was how you were normally. It wasn't until Vinyl pointed it out that I thought it was kinda suspicious."

Twilight groaned. "Vinyl pointed it out? If she knows then my friends definitely already know. I can't believe they let me act like this without saying something!"

"What's wrong with the way you've been acting?" Jason asked.

Twilight looked at him apologetically. "I'm sorry I said that Jason. I love you and I would be the first to admit it to anypony. But I've been acting like a silly little school filly."

Jason leaned down and planted a light kiss upon her lips, which she returned. It only lasted a split second before they broke contact. "You should act the way you want to. Don't let society change who you are." he gazed into her eyes, a warm smile spreading across his face. "Besides, that silly little school filly is the pony I fell in love with." She returned his gaze and they lost themselves in each other's eyes.

*Ahem*

They both started and returned to reality. They looked to the waiter who had come bearing their food, blushes forming on their faces. Jason released Twilight from their embrace and the waiter spoke.

"So, which one of you had the flower sandwich?" The waiter sounded a little stuck-up, like he was too good for this restaurant.

Twilight raised a hoof meekly. The waiter turned his head and removed her plate from his back and placed it in front of her. "And that leaves the steamed vegetables for you, sir." He placed the plate in front of him. "Enjoy your meal." Twilight and Jason gave their thanks and the waiter turned and left them to eat.

Jason took a glance around the restaurant. He saw more than one set of eyes staring at them from around the room. Most of them smiled and looked away when his eyes met theirs, but the rest had looks of appalled disgust and were staring at them somewhat maliciously. Jason did not hesitate to stare down the unpleasant glares with a cold look of his own and they were quick to look away, a mixture of fear and embarrassment obvious on their faces.

Jason returned his attention to his food. The smell of the cooked vegetables wafted into his nostrils and he grimaced slightly. The smell was not unpleasant, but his body rebelled at the thought of another meal of nothing but plants.

Twilight noticed his reservation and spoke up. "Jason, you look sick. Is something wrong?"

"No, nothing's wrong." Jason said as he picked up a fork and speared a soft carrot. "I'm just getting a little tired of this diet, that's all." He popped the carrot into his mouth, coating his tongue in butter.

"I can understand that." Twilight said as she picked up her sandwich with a little magic. "I guess it would be like taking the flowers from a pony diet. We'd be able to survive, but the cravings would be severe." She took a bite, chewed and swallowed before continuing. "Tell ya what, we'll go pay Fluttershy a visit after this so we can try to get you a little boost to your diet without frightening her."

"That sounds good, Twi. That'll also give us a chance to let her know about us." Jason responded between mouthfuls.

Twilight raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure? I mean, she's one of my best friends and one of the first ponies I wanted to tell, but I know you were hesitant to reveal our relationship."

Jason chuckled lightly. "Did you completely miss our earlier conversation? Everybody already knows. It would be better for us to explain ourselves before she starts believing the gossip that's most definitely floating around." He took another bite. "Besides, Rarity already knows, and I'm sure she's spoken with her about it. She really didn't talk too much to me about it, but I think we should pay her a visit as well. Heck, we might as well visit all your friends today and confess before they start believing everything they hear around town."

She looked at him incredulously. "I don't think my friends would be so quick to believe gossip, but I understand what you mean."

"Great! Let's hurry up here then, we've got a ways to go today." Jason said as he popped a piece of brocolli into his mouth and chewed vigorously.

Jason stood before the blackened husk of the wrecked helicopter that had delivered him to this new world.

He had spotted the wreck as they approached Fluttershy's cottage. His mouth went dry when he realized what it was and he had insisted on taking the detour.

The plants had already begun re-growing, obscuring the damage the fire had caused to the landscape. The helicopter was twisted grotesquely, warped by the impact of the crash along with the heat of the flame. It was barely recognizable as a helicopter.

"Were you able to pull anything out? Was everything destroyed?" Jason asked, his heart heavy.

Twilights response was pained. She could see the effect that the wreck was having on Jason. "We didn't know what any of it was. When we realized we couldn't help the people inside, our primary concern had to be containing the fire. I'm sorry Jason, but as far as I know nothing has been removed."

Jason exhaled heavily. "Alright, give me some time. I need to take a look." He began walking around the wreck, looking for a gap which would grant him entrance into the twisted cargo hold. One of the side doors had been ripped open and he quickly slipped inside.

Twilight spoke up. "Hey...Let me know if you want any help." There was no response and she sat to wait.

She sat there for a few minutes before Jason finally emerged. In his arms were a few rifles. The plastic had melted, leaving nothing but the receivers and barrels. He gingerly set down the five weapons before turning in silence and returning to the hold.

Twilight watched as he pulled a total of fourteen rifles out of the crashed helicopter. After he finished with the rifles, he began bringing out helmets. Any cloth or leather that had once adorned the kevlars had been burned away, but the helmets' shells had remained largely intact.

He returned to the vehicle once more, this time returning with small metal tags placed on long chains. most of them were bent or warped from the heat of the flame. He only carried nine of them, the rest had been unrecoverable.

He silently got to work. He did not have the bayonets for the rifles, so he was forced to dig small holes. Deep enough so that the front sight would rest on the ground as he buried the front of the barrels, leaving the rest of the rifle sticking straight into the air.

Jason was methodical with this task, ensuring that each rifle was perfectly or as near-perfectly vertical as possible before moving on to the next weapon. After he finished planting the rifles, he began placing the helmets on the short stubs where the weapons' stocks would have been. He was once again ensuring that the helmets could balance where he set them and squared them away so they would be perfectly aligned.

Once he had finished setting up the graves, he stood back and slowly looked over the monuments. He took the nine dog tags he had collected out of his pockets and separated one from the rest of the group, letting the bunch hang from his hand as he brought the tag before his eyes.

"Ereks, Simon K. 476-13-9782. O Positive. Catholic." He read the information aloud slowly, memorizing the name before stepping forward and hanging the chain from the pistol grip of the first monument. He took a step back and brought himself to attention. He slowly raised his right hand, bringing his upper arm to a perfect ninety-degree angle. His elbow was bent and he brought his rigid hand to lightly touch the brim of his eight-point cover.

He slowly lowered his salute, returning to attention before pulling another chain from the bunch which hung from his left hand.

"Turner, Aaron G. 521-88-7988. B Positive. Protestant."

Twilight watched in silence as Jason honored his fallen brothers. Tears had been flowing from her eyes the moment Jason had read that first name. She hurt for him. She knew this was probably one of the hardest things Jason had ever had to do. She was moved by the morbid beauty of the procedure, now fully understanding the devotion her lover had for these fallen Marines.

She wanted to run to him. Embrace him. Let him know everything was going to be okay.

She restrained herself, knowing that interrupting this ceremony was not something he would easily forgive. She continued watching as Jason moved on to the next grave. She could see rivulets of tears glisten on his cheeks, reflecting the noonday sun.

"Wolfe, Andrew M..."

Weapons and Research

Jason inhaled deeply as he looked over the open field, enjoying the fresh smell of the morning air. He adjusted the rifle that was slung over his shoulder, moving it to a more comfortable position before turning his attention to Twilight.

"This seems as good a place as any. Lots of open ground and plenty of burms we could use." He said.

"Excellent!" She responded. She removed her saddlebag, which was brimming with various books and pens. "Honestly, I didn't think we would ever stop walking!" She rolled her shoulders, working some feeling back into her appendages.

They had spent a good portion of the morning hiking through the landscape outside of Ponyville. Jason had been quite insistent that they find a location far away from the town before he demonstrated the workings of the weapon. Twilight had objected at first, believing that she would be able to contain the use of the rifle with her magic. Jason had no doubt that she could, however he always liked to err on the side of caution, especially when dealing with the rifle. He had far too many memories of Marines being injured because of bad ORM, and as such wanted to find somewhere that risks could be reduced to negligible levels.

Jason smiled as he unslung his rifle and laid it against her bag. "Here, go ahead and get yourself situated while I go put up the target." He pulled a large piece of paper out of her bag. He had brought it just so he would have a target to shoot at. He wanted to demonstrate the weapons accuracy, as well as how it worked. Of course he didn't really need the designs that normally adorned range targets, but he had painted a large black spot on it to be used as an aiming point.

"How about we rest for a bit first?" Twilight said. Jason glanced in her direction. She had moved to a nearby tree and sat in its shadow. "We've been walking for hours, and I'm sure even you could use a break."

It had only been about a three-mile walk, not exactly a grueling distance for him. Nonetheless he smiled and walked over to where she sat and laid next to her, leaning his head against the tree. Twilight turned to face him and laid down, resting her chin on his chest and closing her eyes, her lips forming a comfortable smile. He rested his hand on the back of her head, slowly running his fingers through her purple mane.

She sighed in contentment. "You know, I've never heard of anypony with stamina quite like yours. We just walked nearly three miles and you're in the same condition as you were when we left. Most ponies would at least have broken a sweat by now." She said, obvious fatigue creeping into her voice.

He chuckled. "Well, I'm not exactly like most ponies now, am I?"

"Mmhm." was her only response. he could feel her breathing deepen as she drifted to sleep on his chest. He smiled and craned his neck, planting a single light kiss on her forehead before resting on the tree again.

How could a guy be so lucky? Jason thought to himself, feeling sleep approaching quickly. This girl is spoiling me with her love, although I've been trying my damnedest to return the favor. And if New York was anywhere near as peaceful as Ponyville, I probably wouldn't have enlisted, hell if Earth was like Equestria we wouldn't even need a Marine Corps.

He chuckled as he imagined various human political figures as ponies. The thought amused him as he drifted to sleep.

The past couple of weeks had passed quickly. Twilight's friends had expressed their approval when they revealed their relationship to them. As Jason had assumed, they all had their suspicions, however, they knew Twilight and trusted her judgement. It also helped that they had met him while he was in the hospital since they were able to draw their own opinions.

When they had spoken to Fluttershy about Jason's diet, she was surprisingly understanding.

"Oh... I-I'm quite aware of your diet. I'm very happy that you came to me before taking matters into your own hoo...h-hands." Fluttershy said. She had the softest voice Jason had ever heard. It was almost as if it was trying to hide behind the ambient noise of the room.

Jason had been surprised at her revelation. "How did you know? I'm pretty sure I've only told Twilight and Spike that I was an omnivore."

She shied away from him at the question, covering her face further with her long pink mane. "U-Uhm i-it was your teeth. I saw them when I first met you. I was only able to see your front teeth though, which are shaped like a meat eater's. Honeslty I didn't know you were an omnivore, I thought you were a carnivore."

"So that's why your teeth are shaped like that!" Twilight blurted out. Fluttershy jumped at the exclamation, emitting a small squeak before recoiling further into her personal shelter. Jason glared at Twi, who had quickly covered her mouth with her hoof. She looked at him apologetically.

Jason sighed before moving directly in front of the yellow pegasus, peering through the small gap in her pink hair.

His voice was gentle when he spoke to her. "Fluttershy, if you understand my biology, then I'm sure you understand the importance of a varied diet to my health. If I don't have a proper amount of protein in my diet, my muscles will begin degenerating. I wanted to make sure you understand why I need to occasionaly consume meat. I was hoping you might have some suggestions as to where I would be able to acquire some without affecting your ecosystem. I would be able to survive on fish alone if that would make it easier for you."

Her response was quiet, but she had slowly emerged from her cocoon of hair while he was explaining. "W-well, when I need to care for my bear friends, I usually get some fish from a small stream that runs out of the Everfree Forrest. The fish from there are wild and often times swim into Ponyville's primary river and do a bit of damage before I am able to retrieve them. You would actually be helping if you could stop them before they begin eating the local fish."

Jason smiled at her gently. "That would be perfect. If I can help in any way, I will. Thank you for being so understanding Fluttershy."

Jason spent the next few days wandering from job to job. As it turned out, Planer had given him quite a bit of praise because of his assistance. As a result, his skills were in high demand and he had no trouble finding work from ponies who required the use of his versatile hands.

He had spent time mostly as a repair man, using his nimble fingers to fix smaller pieces of machinery which hooves had trouble handling. He helped in gardens, lent his muscle to some building crews, and many other odd jobs around town. The spa ponies Aloe and Lotus Blossom even approached him one day and asked if he would try his hand as a masseuse. Evidently, part of Planer's payment for his chair contract had been a massage, during which he explained in painful detail exactly how flexible and strong his hands were. The two beauticians were curious as to how Jason could impact their spa medicine.

That job hadn't lasted long. His first two customers were an earth pony and a unicorn. He had no knowledge about the art, much less the anatomy of the various subspecies of ponies. He mainly paid attention to the back and joints, which the ponies seemed to enjoy. When he had finished his time with them, they gave plenty of praise and a generous tip. However, his third customer was a pegasus. When he attempted to massage the joints where her wings attached to her body she squealed and quickly sat up. Jason was shocked and took a step back. The pegasus mare stared at him viciously, a slight blush on her cheeks.

"W-What? What did I do?" Jason stammered.

That just made the mare more angry and the next thing Jason knew was her forehoof making contact with his face, knocking him to the floor. And that was the end of that job.

Twilight had been sick with worry when Jason showed up on her doorstep with half of his face bruised and swollen. Despite his protests, she tended his wound. During that time, she of course asked what had caused it. Jason explained the events leading up to the pony equivalent of a slap.

Twilight burst into uproarious laughter, which lasted a good minute before she was able to control herself enough to speak. "You...You tried...to massage her flight muscles? *Snerk*" Jason was a little bit irritated at her fun, considering he was the butt of the joke.

His response was short, him trying to suppress his anger to the back of his mind. "And what, might I ask, is so funny about that?"

Twilight chuckled a bit more before responding. "Let's see... how do I put this...A pegasus' flight muscles are a major...erogenous zone. Most of the time, you shouldn't touch them. Unless you're in the bedroom that is."

Oh...OH! Oh fuck. So, not even five minutes into her massage and I was already feeling her up. Great. Now I'm a pervert. Fuck Jason brought his thumb and index finger, placing them on the bridge of his nose as he looked toward the floor. He snickered at his own embarrassment.

Twilight chuckled lightly at his realization before leaving to the kitchen. She returned a few minutes later with a bag of ice, which she handed to Jason.

He gratefully took the bag, holding it against the now swollen side of his face. He winced slightly as the cold seeped into his bruise before the coolness gently numbed his injured nerves.

He leaned back on the sofa, enjoying the sensation. Twilight wandered over to one of her many bookshelves and removed one of her countless volumes before returning to the couch and hopping up beside him. She leaned against him lightly before opening the book and beginning to read.

Jason lifted his arm, embracing his marefriend. "Hey Twi, I have a question." Jason said.

"Yes?" Twilight said, looking at him from the corner of her eye.

"How exactly does your economy work? From what I've seen, almost everyone in this town does their own personal hobbies on a day to day basis."

Twilight didn't seem to understand the question. "What do you mean? Why would anypony do something they didn't want to?"

Jason sighed. "You see, back on Earth, people have jobs to make money in order to survive. A lot of people have to do things they don't normally want to. Sure people have their own hobbies, but apart from a few individuals those hobbies make them very little income, if any at all. So they work for larger companies in order to mass produce goods and services to the common populace. The way Ponyville is, it seems everyone manages to survive off of their hobbies, with very few individuals, like myself, doing various jobs to make other's lives easier. I can understand how a situation like this could work for small towns, but I can't see an entire nation's economy working like this. Isn't there anything that can't be made here in Equestria? Things that needed to be bought or traded from other countries?"

Twilight thought for a moment before responding. "I think I see what you mean. I think I have some references I could give you on the topic, but yes there are a few things we must trade for from another region. For example, coal is a very limited resource throughout most of Equestria, which is unfortunate since so much of our technology is steam based. There are a few deposits scattered around, but the largest concentrations of coal were found in Saddle Arabia."

*Snerk* Jason could barely suppress his amusement at the pun. Twilight looked at him in confusion, but Jason waved off her question, motioning for her to continue.

"Anyway, while they are rich in coal, their deposits of gemstones are nearly non-existent. Now gems are important because a lot of magic users use them for enchanting, and the enchanted jewels can be attached to common tools, allowing the magic to function in the hooves of non-unicorns. So Princess Celestia set up trade agreements between them and the rest of Equestria. They would provide coal, and we would provide gemstones."

This was eerily similar to the way things were back on Earth, which drove him to ask. "So...um...has this caused any problems? with Saddle Arabia I mean. This situation is a lot like what is going on back home, only with different resources. We trade technology and money for oil to a region called the Middle-East, and unfortunately a lot of their locals have taken offense to everything we have given them. Call it a difference in ideology, but they see a lot of the stuff we give them as 'corruption by the infidels'. A lot of this tension is what's been keeping the war going for so long. They are attempting to drive us from their homeland, to remove our presence from their society, trying to make it 'pure' again."

Twilights expression became somber. "No, we haven't had any issues like that. Although there are rumors that the supply of coal peaked a few years ago. The Saddle Arabians are having more and more trouble locating new deposits and so they are beginning to be overworked, trying to get as much coal from existing pockets to meet with demand. Our scientists are working diligently to research alternative forms of energy, but until we find a stable source we need that coal."

"I hope they find it soon. We have been having that same problem back home with much the same results." Jason said quietly. "It's only a matter of time before someone will snap under the pressure."

They sat together in silence, each thinking about the conversation before Jason finally cut through the dark atmosphere that had befallen them.

"So Twi, got any plans for the weekend?" Jason asked, curious.

Twilight looked at him, grateful for the change in topic. "No, not really. Was gonna catch up on some reading. Why?" She raised an eyebrow toward him, her head tilting in curiosity.

God she's adorable. Jason thought to himself as he smiled. "Well, It's been over a month now and I still haven't seen if my rifle still works. I was planning on taking it out of town and doing some shooting. I know you were interested in learning about it, so I thought you might want to come along."

Twilight's eyes widened in excitement. "Oooh I was hoping you would say that! I've been dying to learn about it since you first explained it to me! When are we going? What should I bring? Oh I can't wait!" She sat back on her haunches, bringing her front hooves up and tapping them together, her eyes closed and a happy grin flowed across her face.

Jason chuckled at his marefriend's excitement.

Jason opened his eyes slowly, letting them adjust to the afternoon sun. The back of his head hurt from resting against the rough bark of the tree for so long.

His hand still rested on the back of Twilight's head, though she had snuggled up closer to him. Her forehoof was draped over his chest and her head had come to rest under his chin, supporting his own head. He slowly moved his hand down to caress her cheek, tilting his head slightly to plant a kiss on the top of her head. She stirred slightly at the contact and began to awaken.

He craned his neck slightly and whispered into her ear. "Good afternoon, Twi." The light rush of air from his breath gently brushed against Twilight's ear, sending a shiver through her body. Her tail gave a slight twitch. She nuzzled her head against his chin.

Jason noticed her reaction. "So, you like that do you? I'm gonna have to remember that." He continued to whisper into her ear. Twilight was fully awake now, her body temperature rising due to his teasing.

She put a stop to it by leaning up slightly and giving him a kiss. Not one of the short kisses they shared in passing, but a full, passionate kiss. It was several minutes before they finally broke contact, panting for breath. Jason looked into Twilight's eyes, which had closed part-way. The same way Octavia's had the night he met her. He felt a tightness growing in his trousers.

Twilight, who was now laying fully on top of him, felt it too. When she realized what it was, her eyes opened fully and she quickly stood, slipping off of Jason as she turned her head away from him. A furious blush took over her features.

Jason propped himself up on his elbows, looking at Twilight with a mixture of concern and curiosity. "Twi, is something wrong?"

He could see the nervousness flowing from her. "N-no, nothing's wrong." She stammered. She shook her head, attempting to shake off her arousal. "I just wanted to make sure we actually did what we came out here to do."

There was something else, hiding beneath the surface of her words. Jason knew her well enough to know she wasn't telling the full truth. He decided not to pry as he sighed and got to his feet. "Ok then, I'll go set up the targets."

Twilight watched as he went about his task. Why did I push away from him like that? I'm a grown mare! I should be ready for that! But...But I'm scared. What if I'm no good? Sure I've read up on it, but that's hardly a substitute for experience. I love him so much, but I don't want to lose him because of that! She shook her head. Come on Twilight, you should know he's not the kind of stallion who would leave you because of that! Twilight continued to argue with herself as Jason finished setting up the large piece of paper and made his way to where he had laid the rifle earlier. He examined the weapon to ensure there was no dirt or rust which would interfere with the rifle's operation. Satisfied, he reached down and pulled out the two magazines he had bought. He looked over to Twilight who was still lost in her own thoughts.

"Hey Twilight! You gonna come watch or are you going to sit and examine worms all day?" Jason called in a playfully mocking tone.

Twilight jumped slightly as her thoughts returned to the present. She shook her head before standing and walking over to where Jason stood. She silently took out a pen and the small notebook she had been using to record everything Jason had explained to her about the weapon.

Jason had spent hours in the past explaining every detail he could remember about the weapon to her. Everything from how the mechanism inside functioned to what the rifle was made out of. The only thing She did not yet know about the weapon was an actual observation of the rifle in use.

Jason could see that she was still lost in thought. "Hey, are you sure everything is OK?" he asked with a worried tone.

Twilight sighed lightly. "Yes, everything's fine. Just...need some time to think about things."

Jason smiled at her reassuringly. "Here, let me help you take your mind off of things. Follow me." He turned and began walking toward what he had marked as the one-hundred meter line. It was a rough range estimate, as he didn't have the tools to get an accurate distance. He used a pace count he remembered from land-nav courses he took during training and used that to measure the distance. It was close enough for military work.

Before he laid down, he pulled out two sets of ear plugs he had gotten from Planer. The carpenter used them when he operated his various power tools and Jason had asked for a couple of pairs in preparation for the trip. He handed a set to Twilight before squishing his own pair into his ears.

Twilight eyed the ear-pro curiously before asking. "What are these for?"

"To protect your hearing. You forget that this guy operates off of explosions. As you can imagine, it is not the quietest of instruments." His voice was almost a shout, his body naturally increasing the volume so he could hear himself through his blocked ears.

Twilight nodded as she squished her own earplugs with magic and inserted them into her ears. She picked up her note taking equipment and sat facing Jason.

He assumed a good prone position and inserted the magazine into the weapon, tapping the bottom of the mag twice with the palm of his hand to ensure it was fully in position and locked in place by the magazine catch. He pulled the charging handle to the rear and released it, letting the bolt slide into place and lock into the chamber. He then canted the weapon at an angle and pulled the charging handle halfway back, checking to ensure a round had chambered properly. Satisfied, he released the handle and tapped the forward assist with his right hand to make sure the bolt was locked.

He explained in detail every step he took and why he did it. Twilight furiously scribbled on her notepad as he spoke.

He was just about to sight in when a thought crossed his mind. He glanced to his right. Twilight was sitting perpendicularly to the rifle to get the best observation point she could. "Hey Twi?"

"Yes?" She asked.

"You might wanna move to the other side of me. You're directly in the path of the ejection port and I don't wanna see you get hit by hot brass."

"Oh! Right, Ok." She said as she stood and moved to his opposite side.

"Much better, thank you." Jason said as he got a good cheek weld on the weapon's stock, aligning his right eye perfectly with the telescopic sight.

In addition to the large black spot on the center of the sheet, Jason had drawn three large plus signs to one side, targets he would use to adjust the optic. He placed the tip of the illuminated chevron upon the top target, closing his eyes and reopening them to check his natural point of aim. He adjusted his position and repeated the procedure until the chevron was dead on when he opened his eyes.

"Ready?" Jason asked, not moving from his position.

"As I'll ever be." Twilight responded anxiously.

Jason used his thumb to click the weapon's fire selector to semi-automatic. He steadied his breathing, waiting for his natural respiratory pause before slowly pulling the trigger.

*CRACK-OW*

The weapon's sudden report caused Twilight to jump, both at the volume and the small shockwave that emanated from the weapon.

"Wow..." Twilight said in wonder, her adrenaline pumping.

Jason was already preparing for the second shot. He would complete this course of fire before speaking to her.

There were two more rounds fired before Jason clicked the weapon to safe, removed the magazine and ejected the loaded cartridge from the chamber. He laid the weapon down before reaching over and collecting the live round, slipping it back into the mostly full mag. He pushed himself up to his knees and looked toward Twilight. "So, What d'ya think?"

"That was amazing! I wasn't expecting it to be so loud"

Jason chuckled as he pulled out his ear-pro. Twilight mirrored the action. "There's a reason I had you wear these. Now then, shall we go see how we did?"

"Let's." Twilight said. They both stood and made their way out to the target. The shots were ever so slightly high and to the right. Twilight, however, was impressed nonetheless.

"Wow! That thing is incredibly accurate! Where did the bullets go?"

Jason chuckled. "Well paper isn't exactly good at stopping anything, especially not something moving at supersonic speeds. The rounds most likely buried themselves in that hill." He jerked his thumb toward the burm directly behind the target. "Now then, I still have fifty seven more rounds. Shall we go fire them?" Jason asked, a grin on his face.

"We?" Twilight asked, puzzled.

""Yes, we. You didn't think I was going to have all of the fun now, did you?"

Jason finished zeroing the RCO before turning his attention to the large circle in the center of the sheet. As he fired off the magazine, he went into the finer details of marksmanship. Describing exactly what he did and why he did it. The special position he held his arms and how it affected his control of the weapon. His breathing pattern and why it was important. Where he aimed with the RCO. He even fired off a few rounds with the weapon on burst, just to show her every function of the rifle.

As he fired the last round, the bolt locked to the rear. After canting the weapon to ensure the magazine was empty, he clicked the weapon on safe and removed the empty container. Using one hand he pushed himself to his knees, still grasping the rifle in one hand. He twisted his legs and assumed a sitting position facing Twilight. "OK Twi, Are you ready?"

She nodded in excitement. Her horn began glowing and a shroud of magic enveloped the rifle in his hands. His grip tightened. "Now hold on there, skippy. There's a couple things I need to teach you before I let you handle this."

He began to teach her the many safety rules used while handling the weapon. "There's a little ditty you can use to memorize the safety rules, it goes Treat, Never, Keep, Keep. Treat every weapon as if it were loaded. Never point the weapon at anything you do not intend to shoot. Keep the weapon on safe until you intend to fire and keep your finger, or in your case magic, straight and off the trigger until you are ready to fire."

Twilight repeated the rules aloud, demonstrating her confidence and knowledge at the new information. Jason nodded. "There is a fifth safety rule as well. It wasn't taught during training, but it is fairly known among almost every fleet Marine. It says 'know your target and what lies behind it.' As you saw, that paper is not good at stopping bullets. As such, you should always make sure there isn't anything behind the target that can't take the hit." Twilight nodded in understanding, her eyes still wide in excitement at the prospect of handling the weapon.

Jason smiled. "Ok Twi, looks like you're ready." He extended the weapon towards her, offering for her to take it. She eagerly extended her magic, levitating the rifle from Jason's grip. He spoke up. "Ok, the first thing to do is check the safety and the chamber, make sure it's on safe and clear."

She looked at the little lever on the side, ensuring it pointed toward 'SAFE', before beginning to rotate the weapon to look into the ejection port.

Jason reached out, grabbing the barrel and stopping it before it aimed towards his face. Twilight jumped in surprise, releasing her magic. Jason snatched the weapon before it could fall to the ground. She looked at him. He was glaring at her and she shrank in stature.

He sighed and let his anger flow away. "What is your second weapon safety rule?" he said calmly.

"Never point your weapon at anything you do not intend to shoot." Twilight murmured meekly, understanding that she had almost broken it.

"Good!" Jason said lightly, attempting to ease the tension. "Now, let's try that again." He once again held the weapon toward her and she gently took it from him.

She once again checked the safety before rotating the weapon, keeping the barrel pointing downrange, to check the chamber. Satisfied the weapon was clear, she returned it to its original position before looking at Jason curiously, wondering what to do next.

"Excellent! Now, go ahead and lay down in a comfortable position. Make sure you're lined up with the target."

Her anatomy made it impossible for Jason to teach her the proper firing positions, so instead he concentrated on teaching her correct cheek weld and sight usage. Her magic would compensate for the lack of body support. She laid down facing the target, hovering the weapon to her side. Her different facial structure made it difficult for her to get the proper cheek weld and she had to tilt her head down slightly in order to get proper eye relief. Her familiarity with telescopes meant she was able to get proper alignment down the optic without much trouble.

"Ok Twi, make sure you have a good hold on the weapon and be ready for the recoil. You don't want to let it fly back and hit you." Jason said as he knelt down on her left side. "Center the tip of the chevron on the black circle and check your breathing. When you're ready, go ahead and switch off safe."

Her breathing steadied and she switched the weapon to semi-auto. Jason observed as magic gradually enveloped the trigger. After a few more breaths Twilight exhaled and held it. The weapon twitched in anticipation as she jerked the trigger. The rifle moved slightly as it recoiled. As soon as it returned to its original position, Twilight lifted her head, attempting to see where her shot hit the target.

The round went wide, missing the circle entirely and impacting near the left support. Jason had expected as much from her first shot, however now that she knew what to expect from the weapon, he knew that her following rounds would be better.

"Good, Twi. You hit the target! Now, make sure you don't jerk the trigger next time. A slow, gentle pull is all you need. And now that you know what to expect, you know there isn't anything to be worried about. Don't tense up before you fire, that's why you missed the circle. Be calm, be controlled and you will be accurate." Jason said reassuringly.

Twilight nodded in understanding before sighting in again

"Good. now try again."

Her breathing steadied once more as she prepared to fire again. She was much more relaxed this time as she slowly moved the trigger to the rear, the rifle remaining steady. The round flew true, impacting dead center on the black disc. Twilight made a happy sound as she observed the fruits of her labor. Jason gently set a hand on her head, congratulating her.

"Great shot, love! Absolutely perfect. Now, do you think you can do it twenty-eight more times?" He asked in a teasing tone.

Twilight grinned at the challenge and braced herself for another round.

Jason stood in front of the target, mouth slightly agape at what he beheld. A two-inch diameter hole had been roughly cut out of the center of the black disc. Jason had concentrated his fire to the upper left corner of the target, in order to give Twilight a large portion of the circle to fire at.

He was amazed at the tightness of her grouping, each round seemed to touch at least one other hole. He was a good shot, yeah, but he had never seen marksmanship of this caliber before.

Twilight stood next to him, beaming with pride at her accomplishment. Adrenaline continued pumping through her body, both from the excitement of firing the weapon, and from learning how good she was at it.

"This...This is amazing Twi." Jason said, still in shock. "How are you so good? Heck, you're a better shot than I am! And that's saying something!" He looked down at her, a half grin replacing his amazed expression. "Are you sure you've never done this before?"

She giggled lightly and returned his gaze. "Or maybe I just had the best teacher in the world."

The sentiment was too much for him. He turned to face her and dropped to his knees, throwing his arms around her neck and embracing her tightly. "How could a guy like me be lucky enough to have a girl like you?" He asked, his voice a whisper.

She returned his embrace eagerly. "That's what I should be asking. You are kind, generous, smart, unselfish, incredibly loyal and confident. You put every other stallion I've met to shame. You make me a better pony just by knowing you." she pulled back from the embrace slightly, looking deep into her stallions eyes. "I'm the luckiest mare in all of Equestria to have the chance to know you. I love you, Corporal Jason Sinder."

Jason responded by leaning forward and kissing her. Deeply, and with more passion than ever before. Their tongues running together, exploring every detail of their partner's mouths. She lingered slightly on the sharp points and serrations of his front teeth. Jason reciprocated the action by running his own tongue over the flat, grinding surfaces of hers.

The kiss lasted for a few, long minutes before they reluctantly broke contact, both panting for air. They looked deeply into each others eyes. Jason became painfully aware of the tightness in his trousers.

He loved the mare in his arms more than anything he knew. More than his home. More than his family. More than the Marine Corps. He wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.

The next question came from him as a whisper, still staring into Twilight's eyes. "Are...Are you ready? To take this to the next level?" He wanted to solidify their relationship, but he was a gentleman. He did not want to push her into an uncomfortable situation.

She looked at him with confused arousal. He could feel her shivering, see her face reddening with her increased blood pressure.

The thought had taken her by surprise, and her earlier nervousness came back. Shouldn't I be the one asking that? From every book I've read, it's usually the mare who initiates...this activity. He seems more than willing, but am I ready? Celestia, I want to be with him. I want him to be my first.

Jason noticed her nervousness as he waited for her response. "Twilight Sparkle, I love you. I want to be with you forever. I don't want to risk losing you by pushing something you're not comfortable with." He said gently.

Twilight's heart swelled at his words. she sighed lightly. "Jason, I love you too. More than anything. I want to be with you...but you should know. You are the first stallion I have ever gone this far with. I don't want to risk losing you by not being good enough." she looked away from him in embarrassment.

Jason was appalled at the aspect. What the fuck is that? Are the males here really so shallow that they would leave just because of that? Humans I can understand, but we are selfish creatures. Maybe the difference in the gender balance here has made the males shallow fucks, but not me.

Jason moved his hand, caressing her cheek lightly as he turned her head to look at him. She looked into his eyes, a hopeful glimmer shining within them. Jason leaned forward and kissed her again, trying to take Twilight off of the emotional roller coaster he had thrown her on. As they kissed, he shifted his body weight forward, gently rolling Twilight onto her back, her hind legs protruding limply on either side of his stomach. He supported his weight with his elbows, his hands beneath her head.

He kissed her until his lungs burned and he needed to breathe. They separated and he looked down at her with a half-lidded gaze and a warm smile. "Twilight, nothing that happens today could possibly lessen my feelings for you. I love you too much to be affected by physical means. Besides, I'm not doing this for me. I'm doing it for us. And I'll be damned if I leave you disappointed."

Twilight's nerves calmed as Jason kissed her again. His hands slowly moved to her ears, gently caressing the sensitive skin. Twilight let out a small gasp at the contact. Her skin was burning and she could feel a dampness forming between her hind legs. She began to moan softly at Jason's soft touch, she was becoming more and more aroused at his teasing.

He noticed a faint light that began emanating from her horn, her arousal releasing the tiniest flow of magic to parts unknown. Experimentally, he took his right hand and gently ran his fingertips along the length of the magical appendage, feeling the smooth spirals.

Twilight shuddered in ecstasy at his touch, her moans becoming louder as her arousal rose. Jason smiled at her reaction, his tongue still running along hers.

He was still woefully incompetent in terms of pony anatomy, but he seemed to be doing alright, based on her reactions anyway. He slowly took his left hand away from her ear, moving it underneath his own abdomen and gently slid it along her chest.

Come on, She has to have them. She is a female after all. He continued searching, his hand sliding more and more toward her hind legs. They've got to be down there some... His hand brushed lightly across one of her sensitive nipples and she shuddered once more. Her breathing was becoming labored and he could feel the air flowing over his cheek from her dilated nostrils, her eyes closed in passion.

He stopped his ministrations on her horn and broke the kiss. she made a disappointed noise and looked at him with desperation. He began sliding down her body, planting light kisses on her neck just below her jaw line. He continued the light kissing as he moved further and further south. he stopped briefly at her nipples, giving them tender kisses and a couple of gentle suckles.

Please, oh please don't stop...Ah! I-I'm almost there! Twilight thought to herself as waves of pleasure coursed over her body.

He moved his arms between her hind legs, looping them around her hips and holding them in place with his shoulders as he continued his southward journey.

What's he doing? Surely he isn't going to...to...Oh! Ooooh! AH! She lost herself as Jason lightly kissed her labia. The fluids of her arousal were flowing freely now and coated his mouth and chin as he began to work.

He teased around her wet marehood with his tongue, tracing intricate patterns along her sensitive skin. Her moans were becoming louder and more frequent as he brought her closer to climax. He finished his teasing as he slipped his slender tongue between her lips, penetrating her. Twilight shuddered hard and her back arched in pleasure as he slowly moved his tongue along her inner walls.

His upper lip brushed against a small bump towards the tip of her slit. The brief contact causing a rather loud and obvious moan to escape her throat. He turned his tongue's attention to the cause of the outburst and began tracing circles around her sensitive clitoris.

He switched between licking playfully around the sensitive nub and diving deep within her marehood. He continued his effort for what felt like a small eternity before Twilight felt a pressure building deep within her.

"Jason! OH! I-I'm close! Oh sweet Celestia don't stop! Ah! Jason I'm...I'm! AHHhh!"

Her back arched severely as her body rocked with the orgasm. Her horn glowed brightly as purple sparks of magical energy flowed from its tip.

Jason had opened his eyes to watch the fruits of his labor as his partner came. The sparks that emanated from her horn, however, brought flashes of memory across his mind.

The Osprey swerved through the air, bolts of purple lightning striking all around them. LCpl Reese held onto the mounted gun for dear life...

Twilight's body shuddered a few more times before the orgasm finally subsided. She collapsed against the ground, her breaths coming in harsh pants. After a few minutes she realized Jason hadn't moved. She lifted her head to gaze down at her lover.

He stared back at her in shock, a single line of liquid running from his chin, still connected them.

"J-Jason?" She asked, worry creeping into her voice.

"It was you." He said. His voice was a whisper, barely audible over her still labored breathing

"W-What?"

"You brought me to Equestria. Your lightning destroyed the helicopter."

She stared back at him in stunned silence, the gravity of his statement finding purchase in her mind.

Loyalty

The revelation had flipped a mental switch within Jason's head. His mind's natural thirst for knowledge and understanding exploded at the extraordinary circumstances under which he learned this new information. He turned into something he hated. The asshole Corporal. The douchebag in cammies. The Marine who takes no bullshit answers.

He stood up in silence and began to pack away everything they had brought with them. He attempted to fight down that side of him, to avoid any further conflict.

Twilight recovered soon after he had left, getting to her hooves and quickly moving to where he kneeled. "Jason, are you okay? Do you want to talk about it?" She asked. She was shocked and afraid at his sudden change, and would do anything to get her Jason back. He responded with silence, continuing with his task as if he hadn't heard her. "Jason, please talk to me. This is something we really need to..."

"Shut the fuck up!" He snapped at her. His mind was on a hair trigger, and even that small comment set him off. Jason regretted the words before they even finished coming out of his mouth.

Twilight recoiled at the outburst, her face a mask of sadness and pain. She had heard Jason mutter the explative before, but never in this connotation, and never, never, directed at her.

She stood there silently, looking at him. Her eyes pleading, wishing that he would just give them a chance to figure this out.

Jason would have none of it. He was fully aware of his precarious mental state, and did not want to have this conversation while he was heated.

Jason brought his fingers to the bridge of his nose. "Twilight, I'm sorry. I...I'm not myself right now." He dropped his hand and looked at her apologetically, still visibly shaken and emotionally upset. "I...I need some time to think...to cool down a bit...Just....Just leave me alone for a while, OK?"

Twilight looked at him with sorrow. Tears were beginning to form in the corners of her eyes. She reared up and wrapped her forehooves around his shoulders. Jason winced at the contact. Twilight noticed the reaction, which caused the tears to begin streaming down her face. "Jason... I'm sorry...I'm so sorry." Her body shuddered as she cried into his shoulder. "I've never meant to hurt anypony... especially not you. I'll leave you alone, but I wanted to tell you that before I go." She let herself down and backed a few steps away from him, tears leaving streaks down her face. "I'm sorry, Jason...Goodbye."

Her horn glowed for a split second and then she was gone, a faint pop echoing across the field.

Jason felt like half of his heart had been cut out when she teleported. He was angry, confused, depressed, nervous, all at the same time. His mind was reeling, attempting to figure out how to react to the information.

One of the first mares he met, the mare who had taken him under her metaphorical wing. The mare he had fallen in love with, was the same pony who had ripped him from his home world. She was the pony who had killed twenty seven of his brothers.

Jason shivered as his mind brought forth memories of the twisted and blackened abomination that now stood as a sullen tomb for the men inside. Jason had only been able to salvage fourteen rifles, but the Osprey had been loaded to capacity with Marines. The pilot, copilot, crew chief and the flight engineer, along with the twenty three grunts who sat in the hold. Himself and Reese were the only ones who weren't in the hold when the helicopter crashed, but Reese had been thrown out before they had teleported, so Jason had assumed the worst.

The raging emotions flowing throughout his mind moved to his diaphragm, causing it to flex. His lungs contracted and he screamed. As loud as he could and for as long as he could. Weeks of building tension, budding anger and buried sadness flowed out of his body. He did not know these emotions had been building within him, his mind subconciously suppressing them as he attempted to adjust to this new world.

When his lungs burned in protest and he could no longer continue he became silent. He felt empty inside. All of the anger had flowed out of his body like the air from his lungs, leaving behind only confusion and sadness. He was confused because he didn't understand anything anymore, his mind a barely functional shell after the violent turmoil the coursing emotions had put it through. And sadness because he had driven Twilight away in anger. She was the only person who would be able to bring things into focus. She would have given insight into why she did what she did.

Jason looked around him. Twilight had left her saddlebags in her quick exit. He finished packing away their things, secured the flap and threw them over his shoulder. He stooped over, grabbing his rifle's sling and ran it over his other shoulder. He cast one final glance over the empty field before turning down the path they had come in on and began his long, lonely walk back to Ponyville.

Jason's breath was hard, yet controlled as he jogged, following the winding forest trails that snaked their way around Ponyville. His steps were light as he maintained an easy pace, the soft cotton shorts and T-shirt he wore brushing lightly against his skin.

The PT clothing was part of the large commission he had ordered, and, because of their smaller size and simpler designs, had been the first completed. No sooner than he picked up the clothes did he fall back into his previous exercise schedule.

Twilight had not been home when he arrived. Spike said he hadn't seen her, so it seemed that either she wanted to spend time alone herself, or she had gone to her best friends.

Jason decided to go for a run. The monotonous exercise had always proven to be an effective relaxation tool. The physical exertion taking his mind off of things that pressured him, allowing him to begin thinking of it again slowly, one bit at a time. Thus allowing him to take different perspectives on the issue. That was exactly what he needed right now.

He had already completed two laps around Ponyville's long perimeter road. His mind blank, his body falling into an unconscious rhythm as he followed the contour of the dirt beneath his feet.

"Jason!"

He heard Rainbow Dash's characteristic, tom-boyish voice call for him. He continued to run. If she wants to talk to me bad enough, she can catch up. he thought to himself before his mind went blank again.

The task was easy enough for the talented flier and it wasn't long before she appeared next to him, flapping gently as she matched his pace. Jason looked out of the corner of his eye and she put on a false smile. She was obviously trying to be friendly, but there was a worry in her eyes. A sadness that betrayed her true feelings. He returned his attention to the road before him, maintaining his pace.

"I take it you've spoken with Twilight?" Jason asked flatly.

Rainbow dropped the charade, her face fully revealing her true emotions. She was worried. Worried for one of her best friends in the world. Jason understood that, he even respected it.

"Y...Yeah. She came to see us...Look, Jason, I don't know what happened but Twilight is an emotional trainwreck right now. We can barely get more than a few words out of her, and even then she keeps saying 'ask Jason.' I don't know if you two broke up or what, but this is out of control." she looked at him desperately. He continued running. "Dude, even you're torn up about this. I can see it. Normally you're so strong and...well...awesome. But right now you're acting like a crazystallion. How long have you been running?"

"Since I got back to Twilights house."

"And how long ago was that?"

"About six and a half miles." He had no sense of time right now, so he estimated the distance, trying to give her some kind of reference.

"Six....Six and a half miles?! Celestia, Jason you need to stop. Stop before you hurt yourself." Jason was reminded yet again that the physicality of these equines was not the same as his. Although, to be fair, six and a half miles is a long run for most humans as well. But...

"No. I'm not done yet."

"Jason!" She accelerated slightly before swerving in front of him, cutting him off and forcing him to stop. "Stop!...Please...We really need to talk." She put a hoof on his shoulder. He finally looked at her. His mind came flowing back to him as the hypnotic rhythm of the jog vanished.

Jason panted heavily, slowly but surely regaining his breath. Eventually, he let out a sigh. "What has Twilight told you?" Jason asked.

She looked at him. She was still worried, but obviously relieved that she had been able to get him to talk to her. "Like I said man, she just keeps saying 'ask Jason.' I don't think she's gonna talk to anypony unless you talk to her first. We're desperate here, dude. She's shut us out. Her best friends in the world and she shut us out. Please, Jason. What the hay happened?"

He stared at her blankly for a few long seconds before whispering. "She brought me here."

She didn't understand what he meant. "Where, the road? Ponyville?"

"Equestria."

"Oh...OH!...wait...That's it? You're both freaking out because one of her magic experiments brought you here? What's the big..."

"Her lightning destroyed the propeller on the helicopter I was riding in, causing it to smash into the ground." His face remained cold. Rainbows eyes widened as she began to put the pieces together in her head. "Twilight killed twenty seven of my Marines. All of them, gone like the flame from a match." Rainbow landed while he spoke, a wave of sorrow visible on her face before she turned her head to the ground. Jason stepped around her and began jogging again.

It was a few minutes before she glided up beside him again. She flew beside him in silence for a few minutes before asking. "Do you blame her?" She asked, not trying to stop his run this time.

"What?" Jason responded.

"Do you blame her for their deaths?"

"Of course I do. She did it, there's no mistaking that."

"Jason, do you have any idea what she was doing the night you got here?" Rainbow asked, her voice quiet.

Jason continued running, but he was listening now.

"She was in the middle of the Everfree Forest, trying to take care of this massive rogue electrical storm. We knew about it in advance of course, but the lightning in the clouds was so powerful, none of our weather patrol could get rid of them without getting really hurt. There are still ponies in the hospital with burns. Twilight was awake for days, looking through these really old books, trying to find some spell to take care of it. Just when she found something that might work, the whole thunderhead started moving! Straight at Ponyville! Dude, that storm had enough power to wipe Ponyville off the map. Poof. Gone. Twilight did what she had to and ran straight to the middle of the storm and cast the spell. We found her after you crashed , unconscious in the middle of those cursed woods. She used all of her energy to save that town. I don't know why you were sucked through because of it, but I can promise you that Twilight had never planned on that helicopter coming through."

She gave him a determined look. "So, I ask you again, Do. You. Blame. Her?"

Jason stopped in his tracks. His thoughts came rushing back, but this time there was one point of focus within his convoluted mind. His thoughts began organizing themselves into some semblance of normality as he searched for the answer. His thoughts once again archiving themselves into usable pools of data, from which he would be able to pull useful facts to try and find the answer.

He thought back on everything Twilight had taught him. All the time they had spent together. Jason had not noticed his behaviour, but looking back upon his refreshed memories, he realized that he had spent almost every available second with the lavender mare. He could describe every feature of her beautiful face. He could name all of her favorite authors. He knew her favorite restaurants. He had helped her to the best of his abilities whenever she was working on a new spell. He could remember how she liked her tea. The thrilling sound of her laughter. The swelling in his heart when they kissed. He knew her. He knew her better than anybody else... And he loved her more than anybody on either of their worlds

However, If there was one thing that Twilight, even with all of her power and knowledge, was incapable of...

It would be murder...

"Jason?"

Jason blinked rapidly as he began to take in his surroundings. He had been only half-conscious ever since he first saw those sparks coming from his lover's horn. His body simply going through routines, repeating habits that had been embedded within his mind. Now, he was awake.

He looked at the cyan pegasus who had come to stand in front of him. "No...I...I don't...Thank you Rainbow Dash."

Worry and sadness were still visible upon her face, but she still lifted an eyebrow in curiosity. "Thanks? For what?"

Jason gave her a sad smile. "For waking me up." He surprised her by dropping to one knee and throwing his arms around her neck. "If it wasn't for you, I'd still be running...running from myself...Running from Twilight." He could feel the tears rolling down his cheeks. He released her and held her at arms length, looking into her eyes. "I hurt her Rainbow... I hurt her bad." He closed his eyes and breathed deeply. "But I will do anything I can to fix this. I will make this right." He opened his eyes. Rainbow's face had changed completely. She no longer wore the mask of sorrow and worry. Now, her face shone with hope.

"You know Jason, I might just have to watch my back, otherwise you might steal my Element from right under my nose." She grinned slightly.

Jason knew about the Elements of Harmony. Twilight had spent many a night regaling him with tales of their various adventures, which, of course, included how they met and the magic they had unlocked to defeat Nightmare Moon.

Jason scoffed at the statement. "Trust me, Rainbow, you have nothing to worry about from me. You just spent who knows how long to try and find a depressed alien. Not only that, but you then had to speak with said depressed alien and attempt to bring him back to the bright side. All of this to help a friend in need. No, miss Element of Loyalty," He smiled at her. "You have nothing to fear from me."

Jason followed Rainbow Dash back to the library he and Twilight called home.

Evidently, after Twi had had her breakdown, the five of them escorted their friend back home. They had then sent Rainbow Dash, the fastest mover, to locate and retrieve Jason in order to ease their friend's grieving mind.

As they entered the building, Jason immediately felt four sets of eyes lock onto him. He quickly took in the scene before him.

Fluttershy, Rarity, Applejack and Pinkie Pie all wore matching expressions of pure worry. The four sat in front of a somewhat large magical bubble. It looked as though Twilight had put herself within solitary confinement, isolating herself from her closest friends. They moved aside as Jason walked to the dome in the middle of the carpet. The five mares were silent as Jason looked into the field. He exhaled slowly before standing to his full height and turning his attention to the five mares gathered in the room. They all stared at him with worried interest.

"Ladies, I hate to ask this of you, but please move to another room. There is a lot me and Twi need to talk about. I promise you, if Twilight is comfortable with it, we will both tell you what happened here tonight. Rainbow already knows, but she has promised to keep it secret until Twilight decides she is ready. But please, for now, give me a chance to make this right"

They looked at him curiously, but none of them pressed. Whatever the secret was, it had driven one of their friends to completely isolate herself from them, which meant, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that they should tread lightly. They got to their hooves and began making their way to one of the side study rooms across from Jason's bedroom. Before she followed the rest of her friends into the room, Applejack turned back to Jason one last time.

"I hope you know what yer doin' there, Cpl Sinder. Twilight's our friend too."

Jason looked back at her, a serious expression on his face. "I know AJ...Trust me, I know."

She nodded before slipping through the door, letting it click behind her.

He turned around and faced the magical field surrounding his lover. He sat down next to it and placed a hand on the magical force field.

"Twilight, I hope you can hear me through this. I have things I need to say... Things you need to hear, but first...I'm sorry...I'm sorry for all of this...I didn't know what to do." He paused for a moment, collecting his thoughts before continuing. "The revelation disabled me... I couldn't think straight. My mind had literally shut down as it tried to process everything. It wasn't until Rainbow talked to me that I was able to come to a conclusion... Twilight, It's not your fault... You are litteraly the living manifestation of the Elements of Harmony. Magic may be your element, but the others wouldn't have been revealed without your direct influence on their lives. Kindness... Honesty... Loyalty... Laughter and generosity are all strong traits of yours. You once told me that I made you a better pony... That couldn't be further from the truth." He paused and took a deep breath. "Twi you didn't know me before I came to Equestria. The me you saw out in that field today is the closest I've been to the monster that used to live on Earth. Twilight you rescued me from that past. Ever since our first meeting in that hospital room, I've been healing. Not physically, but mentally and morally. Me coming to Equestria is the best thing that could have happened to me. It was more than anything I've ever deserved. Thanks to you Twi, I know how to live again. How to live and how to love..." Jason trailed off as a new thought came to mind. "But...But that's not what all of this is about, is it? You're sorry for the other Marines." His voice grew softer. "You think you murdered them."

The force field disappeared with a pop. The hand Jason had laid on the shield now pressed against the bottom of Twilights hoof. She looked at him with the saddest expression he could have ever imagined. Her eyes were bloodshot, having long ago run out of tears to shed.

Her words came in a trembling whisper. "Yes... I did Jason...I just reached out with my magic and snatched their lives away."

His response was calm, yet assertive. "No, Twilight, you did not. I've seen killers... I've worked with killers...I've been a killer. Twi, Rainbow told me what you were doing the night of the accident. She told me about the wild electrical storm that spawned deep within the Everfree Forest, and how it threatened this entire town. The pegasi weren't able to get close to it, the lightning bolts were powerful enough to seriously hurt or even kill members of the weather team. She told me about the long nights you spent researching and combining different spells trying to figure out how to take care of it. How were you supposed to know that teleportation spell made things swap places? You were just trying to get the storm gone, and you did. It was a twist of fate that we just happened to be on the other side. A tragedy bred from good intentions. How many lives did you save by getting rid of that storm? Rainbow said that it had the capacity to completely destroy Ponyville. That's thousands of ponies you saved! Do you remember what I told you the day I described my profession? I said I would gladly give my life if it meant innocent people could live even one more day. Every Marine I know shares this feeling. We fight so the innocent don't have to. We die... so the innocent don't have to. What you did gave those Marines a chance to die for what they believed in. They may not have known it, but that's the truth. Do not take those sacrifices from them by saying you just murdered them. You're a hero Twilight." She took a few steps forward and they closed in a tight embrace. "And don't let anyone tell you different."

The seven of them stood together in front of the makeshift graves Jason had created. The six mares all wore funeral black and bore somber expressions. A pastor had been hired to say a few words. Nothing religious, given the vast differences in beliefs of the deceased, only words to remember the fallen. Jason stood at parade rest in his newly made Dress Blues, his rifle gripped tightly in his right hand. The white of his cover, belt and gloves shone brightly in the noonday sun

Behind them was a cart, loaded with all kinds of scrap metal, pieces of cloth and loose plastic.

The pastor finished his sermon and took a few steps back, his head lowered. Twilight took a somber look at Jason. He caught her gaze and gave her a slow nod. She lowered her head and turned around, walking toward the cart. Using her levitation, she hovered the various items over to the already existing graves. She carefully disassembled what Jason had set up, setting aside all of the marked dog tags.

Twilight closed her eyes in concentration.

They all watched in silence as the various pieces of junk transformed. Twilight had taken a lot of time examining the proper setup of the graves, all the way down to the angle of the boots, planted at a forty five degree angle near the muzzle of the weapon, lined up with the pistol grip. Twilight continued transmuting more and more items into the rifles, helmets, boots, bayonets and dog tags each grave required. Each time she completed a set, she would assemble it on the even ground with magical precision.

Twilight had insisted on doing this. It would be her way of honoring their sacrifice, giving them a proper burial. One that would represent all of them, not just a few.

She completed the twenty-seventh grave after carefully setting the kevlar helmet atop the rifle stock. After which she slowly returned to her friends.

Jason brought himself to attention. He went through the mechanical motions of drill as he brought the weapon into the ceremonial firing position. He quickly pulled the charging handle to the rear and released it, chambering one of the specially made blank rounds. He snapped the stock of the weapon into his armpit, simultaneously turning his head to look down the barrel. He pulled the trigger, a soft report and a jet of smoke emerging from the barrel. No sooner than he saw the smoke did he return to his starting position, the weapon bisecting his torso diagonally.

He repeated this process twenty more times, to ensure the Marines received the traditional twenty-one gun salute at their funeral.

Once he was finished, he marched himself over to the wagon. Leaving his rifle resting on the cart, he reached into one of the side containers that sat over the wheel well, pulling out a rectangular package wrapped in brown paper. He removed the wrapping to reveal a finely crafted plaque. It was slightly raised with intricate patterns adorning the sides. Fine block lettering made up the inscription. Jason carried the plaque to Twilight, and together they walked to the front of the formation of monuments. The graves were set up in a perfect rectangle, three ranks of nine each. The two of them centered themselves before the fifth grave in the first rank.

Together, they lowered the plaque to the ground, ensuring it was straight and aligned with the formation. Before they returned to their friends, they both read the inscription to themselves.

For the men of 2nd Battalion 1st Marines
These men lost their lives to an accident while saving the lives of thousands.
May their sacrifice never be forgotten.
Rest in peace, Marines. You've earned it.
Semper Fidelis

They looked at each other and nodded, turning and walking toward their friends. A group of ponies had begun gathering around the ceremony, drawn by the strange sound of the human's weapon. They watched in respectful silence as the last step of the ceremony concluded.

The pastor and their five friends slowly began moving off, along with most of the crowd. A few onlookers remained behind, curious what the plaque said. They waited respectfully until Twilight and Jason remained.

"Are you sure about this Twi?" Jason asked quietly. "You just used a lot of energy transmuting those graves."

Twilight sighed gently. She looked with pride over the neat, precise and humble monuments she had created. Each one immaculately clean. "Yes, but I want to make sure they stay that way. I can cast a short term spell today, and in a day or two we can come back and cast a long term one."

"How long is 'long term'?"

"I was planning on trying to make it last a year. To set it on the anniversary of your arrival, and the anniversary of their deaths."

Jason laid his hand on the back of Twi's neck. "That would be good, Twilight."

Her horn began to glow and the whole area became encased within a magical field. The field lasted a few minutes before finally fading away. As far as Jason could understand, The spell would essentially seal the area in time. Ponies would be free to walk through the area and view the memorial, however everything would remain in the exact state as it was now. Meaning the colors wouldn't fade, weapons won't rust. They would be completely immovable, secured in place by time itself. It was extremely powerful magic, that much Jason could understand.

Twilight nearly collapsed when she had finished her task, completely fatigued by the effort. Jason had been ready and gently supported her.

"Come on, Twi." Jason said softly. "It's time to go home."

They walked together back towards the library they shared, Twilight leaning against her stallion, as much for comfort as for support.

As they left, the ponies who had been standing around began moving toward the new memorial, curious about the strange tombstones and small plaque.

Author's Note

Special thanks to Valhuir for the idea of the memorial preservation. Cheers, brother.

Sleepover

Jason stretched as he prepared for his afternoon PT session.

The days following the funeral flowed together. He had spent most of his time with Twilight, helping her cope with her mental devastation at the realization of the deaths she had caused. She often fell into long periods of silence, brooding over her actions. Jason had spoken with her constantly, taking her mind off of thoughts of the past. He had seen this before. Hell, he had done this before. Back during his first deployment, the first time he had taken a life.

Marines had countless ways of dealing with death, both from taking lives and coping with the loss of their comrades. Each person was different, and dealt with the mental pressure in their own ways. Some embraced the killing, seeing it as a way of life and as something they had to do to survive. Others fell into states of depression, changing who they were as human beings. Every Marine goes through a period of therapy and counseling, both to prevent them from becoming either psychopathic or from becoming suicidal.

Jason knew that Twilight's own mental strength would keep her from either of those extremes, but she was dangerously close to losing herself in depression. He did everything in his power to bring her back to her old self. He would distract her with her research, bringing up new ideas for spells or enchantments that could keep her perplexed for a while. He had done what he could, and from what he could tell she was making progress. She spent less time brooding now and was once more approaching her studies with the determination she used to show. She was eating better and even cracked a smile every now and then.

But Jason was not a therapist, and was still incompetent in terms of pony psychology. He never let her be alone, afraid that in solitude she would get thoughts in her head that would send her into regression. He had stopped making any kind of romantic advances toward her, instead focusing on helping her recover. He was her friend first, and he had taken every step he could to aid in her recovery, much as she had helped him during his time in the hospital. She would recover, of that much he was sure, but she would be mentally tougher after this. He wanted to make sure that she would still be able to feel the joy in life, instead of becoming the cold, abrasive person he had seen many Marines turn into after dealing with this sort of turmoil.

He spoke with her friends constantly, looking for ideas and insights on things that would help her recover. Participating in activities she used to enjoy, trying to get her back to the pony he had fallen in love with. He would make himself scarce whenever her friends visited, allowing them to help her in their own way, thus reinforcing their already strong friendships. They did, however, keep him well informed on everything they did in his absence. They saw how much he cared for her and took every step in letting him know any progress they made. His own friendships with the five mares blossomed in this time of hardship, all of them sharing the burden of helping Twilight.

Applejack and Rarity had suggested a sleepover at Twilight's library, something they had often done before Jason's arrival to Equestria. He had supported the practice wholeheartedly, knowing that an evening of stories and entertainment would help her immensely.

Soon after the mares arrived, sleeping rolls in tow, Jason had excused himself to his evening PT, allowing the girls privacy to get the evening started right.

Jason finished his stretches and began to jog lightly toward the perimeter road he had become very familiar with.

"WATCH OUT!" He heard a characteristic and easily recognizable voice call out. His body reacted in instinct and he dove forward, feeling a rush of air fly past him before he heard a loud crash to his left, Rainbow Dash cutting a small trench into the soft dirt as she collided with the ground. He pushed himself off the cool road, standing up and brushing the dust off his clothing before walking over to where Rainbow lay in a crumpled heap.

"You Ok Rainbow?" He asked, genuine worry in his voice.

Rainbow groaned as she untangled her limbs. She stood shakily, still dizzy from the impact. "Yeah...Yeah I'm fine." Her eyes rolled a little and she shook her head in an attempt to regain focus. Jason raised an eyebrow.

"You sure? That was a pretty hard fall."

"Yeah, I'm sure." She regained her composure and looked towards him. "I'm a lot tougher than I look. It would take more than that to take me out!"

Jason chuckled lightly. "Well, if you say so."

"Hey, just because us ponies aren't as big and strong as you doesn't mean we aren't tough in our own ways." She chided.

Jason put up his hands defensively. "Hey, hey I didn't mean to offend. You ponies have definitely demonstrated your strength. I was just making sure you weren't hurt is all."

Rainbow relaxed before letting out a sigh. "Sorry Jason, I know you were just worried, but it really bugs me when ponies think I'm weak. It just really gets under my skin, ya know?"

"Oh trust me I know." He said. She looked at him quizzically. He let out a sigh of his own before elaborating. "Back in high school, before I joined the Marine Corps, I was always the skinny nerdy kid. Bullies would always pick on me for being so awkward all the time. I had my friends, but they were about as good in a fight as I was. I guess you could say that that was a little side motivation for me joining the Marines. They taught me everything I needed to know about fighting, sure, but on top of that they gave me confidence. Confidence to stand up to people like that, who pick on the weak because it makes them feel superior." He gave her a half grin. "But it helps knowing I can beat the crap out of anybody who tries anything."

She laughed at that. "You know, that sounds a lot like my school days."

"Really? How so?" He asked, curious. He began walking towards the road, gesturing for her to follow as she spoke.

"Well... I wasn't an egghead or anything like that, but when I was a little filly, before I got my cutie mark, I had a little trouble getting full control of my wings. I tended to... crash... a lot. There were a couple of these older colts who started picking on me because of it. They started calling me "Rainbow Crash" and picking on me all the time. Sometimes they even got a little pushy, bumping into me during flight lessons and trying to make me run into stuff. Eventually, I was able to talk my parents into letting me take martial arts lessons, you know, to defend myself."

Jason interrupted. "Wait, there are pony martial arts? Doesn't that go against, like, common society or something?"

She rolled her eyes. "Well duuh. Trust me man, not every town in Equestria is like Ponyville. Some of the more industrial towns and cities have a real problem with crime. No murders or anything crazy like that, but ponies have developed ways to defend themselves. Sometimes, when ponies move away from those cities, they bring different styles they've come up with and teach them to ponies in their new homes."

"Huh... Twilight never mentioned anything like that before. From her explanations, I thought everywhere was rather peaceful."

"Well... Twilight has always been somewhat naive. You could say she was a little sheltered as a filly. She's from Canterlot, so with the Princesses right there crime is almost non-existent."

Jason let this knowledge sink in as Rainbow continued.

"Anyway, after I started getting more confident in my abilities, I started pushing the bullies back. They didn't know how to react and started trying to fight me. It only took one clobbering for them to start leaving me alone." She said with a hint of pride.

"That's really cool, Rainbow. So after that, did you continue your studies? Of the martial arts I mean."

"Oh heck yeah! I couldn't get enough of it! On top of all the techniques I learned, the exercises really strengthened my wings." She extended her flight appendages for emphasis. "I probably wouldn't be near as good a flier if it wasn't for that. I've mastered a few different styles. I guess you could say I was a force to be reckoned with." She puffed out her chest slightly. "I would even say that I am the strongest in Ponyville." She paused for a second. "Well, except for Twilight."

"Really?" Jason was surprised. "Twilight isn't much of a fighter. I don't think she would put up much of a threat."

Rainbow scoffed. "Are you kidding? I mean yeah, on an even field with no magic I could totally take her, but if she can use her horn I'm toast. You know how powerful she is."

"True, I hadn't thought of that. Wait... You said you mastered a few styles? Like...Officially?"

"Yep! I'm a certified master of Flutter Strike, Pointed Feather and Broken Wing." She said with pride.

"Wow... That's amazing! It must have taken years to master those!" He grinned at her. "You'll have to teach me a few moves. I might even be able to show you some MCMAP, too."

"Really? I didn't think you would be interested in something like that."

He chuckled. "You kidding? Fighting is my job. Why wouldn't I be interested? Besides, I've been trained to fight humans. If I get into a fight with a pony I wouldn't have any clue what to do. I'd pretty much just be flailing my arms at them. I'd probably just get my ass kicked if I ever went against a trained martial artist."

Her eyes glowed with excitement. "That'd be awesome!" She looked at him mischievously. "I can hardly wait for your first lesson.

A touch of nervousness entered his mind. What the hell did I just get myself into? He let the fear pass with a sigh. "Hey, I was just about to go for a run. Care to join me?"

He watched as she became a little skeptical, but she seemed a little excited at the idea. She thought for a moment before responding. "You know, I guess the Running Of The Leaves is coming up. It wouldn't hurt to get into running shape." She eyed him seriously. "Just so long as you aren't planning on going another six and a half miles again."

He laughed. "No, just one lap. I don't usually go on death runs like that. Unless I feel like totally hazing myself."

Her nervousness vanished at that and she began stretching. "If that's the case, then heck yeah I'll join you." She grinned in excitement.

Jason stretched again lightly, waiting for her to finish. When she finished, they began their run. Jason noticed that because of his long stride, Rainbow had to push a little harder than normal to keep up. He adjusted his pace a little to make it a little easier for her.

"So, how's Twilight been doing?" Rainbow asked.

Jason thought for a moment before responding. "She's getting better. She isn't smiling as much as she used to, and I haven't seen her laugh since her...revelation, but she's eating normally again and is studying new magic. Hopefully her stupor will only last a few more days. She's back home right now. Rarity and Applejack are having a sleepover at the library tonight. I'm hoping that will help get her back to her normal happy self."

"That's great to hear." Rainbow's breath was growing shallower and she was beginning to pant. "I tell ya, she had us worried sick. It's fantastic that you're here to help her through this. Honestly I don't think any of us would've had any idea how to handle it."

Jason became serious. "I've had some experience with helping other Marines deal with death. I'm really happy that I'm able to help, but without you and the other girls, I probably wouldn't be able to help her so much by myself. The friendships and memories you share with her are helping way more than I am."

"That might be true, but without your love we would only be going through the motions. You've really brought us together and are guiding us through this really well."

Jason let that thought sink in and they continued for awhile in silence. After several minutes, Rainbow spoke up again.

"So... Uh Jason, I've been meaning to ask this for a while, but since Twilight brought you here with her magic, do you think she can send you back? To Earth I mean."

The question shocked him. Sure, he had his thoughts of home, but everything he had been through since arriving had buried any thoughts of returning to the back of his mind.

"I...I really don't know. Twilight had no idea she was going to pull me through in the first place, so I don't think she would have any idea where to send me. Yeah, I've told her what planet and galaxy I'm from, but that doesn't exactly mean she'll be able to send me there. I don't think pony astronomers would name celestial bodies the same way humans did. I don't even know if I'm from the same dimension. I don't think there's any way for Twilight to know for certain exactly where to send me, and that's not something I want to experiment with. I don't want to mess with the possibility of me just floating around in space. No, I think it's safe to say that I'm here for good."

His terminology obviously threw Rainbow for a loop, but she got the gist of his explanation. "Would you go back? You know, if you could."

That question threw him down another train of thought. He was silent for a while as he began to bring up his memories from both home and the experiences he had here in Equestria. "Honestly... No... I don't think I would. It's been almost two months since I arrived here. In that time, I'm sure that everyone back home already assumes I'm dead. The Marine Corps would have already paid out my life insurance to my family, and they would have already had my funeral. I wouldn't want to go back and force my family to repay that debt. Besides, other than my father, I don't have any other family. I was an only child, and after my mother died we sort of drifted apart. He took her death a lot harder than I did and began making extremely poor decisions. As for the Marine Corps, yeah I loved my brothers, but I've already buried too many Marines." He became somber. "And they've already buried me. I don't want to go back just to have to bury more." He glanced towards her and gave her a dry, half-grin. "Besides, I've got too much of a good thing going on here. The girl I love is here, and from as much as I can tell, she loves me too. If I left, I would be robbing both of us of that. I don't want to lose her, Rainbow, especially not now when she needs me most."

"You have no idea how much she really loves you, do you Jason?" Her breath was hard and Jason slowed their pace slightly. He could see she was beginning to struggle and wanted to make it a little easier for her.

"Before her episode, she was the happiest any of us had ever seen her. She oozed her feelings, even when you weren't around. Honestly, we were all a little jealous." She began blushing lightly. "She found this amazing guy. Someone who cared for her as much, if not more, than we did. And then we met you and you turned out to be this amazing stallion. You're smart, funny, confident and treat everypony with more respect than any of us deserve." Her blush deepened. "It kinda hurt when I found out you were a monogamist. Every stallion should strive to be just like you."

Jason couldn't suppress his smile. Quite the mare's stallion indeed, apparently. Jason thought back to his conversation with Twilight after his incident with Octavia and Vinyl. "You know... Monogamy isn't a species requirement for us humans...more of a cultural thing."

He was beginning to feel something, not unlike what he felt when he first met Twilight. A kind of natural attraction towards the cyan pegasus who ran beside him. Twilight had often spoken to him about the idea of polygamy. She felt that she shouldn't keep him to herself, that he was someone to be shared with other ponies, if only to improve their happiness. Jason could understand where she was coming from, but he was still nervous about the idea. His courtship with Twilight was still in its early stages, and he didn't want to split his focus. It also didn't help that he had no idea what other pony would even consider a relationship with the strange alien. Twilight had been special. She had spent nearly every day at the hospital while he healed, learning all she could about him, and in turn he learned about her.

But Rainbow had just confessed her interest in him, essentially directly into his face.

She looked toward him, almost stumbling in surprise. Her face barely concealed her hope and excitement. "W-What? So you're saying... There's a chance?"

"I would say so, Rainbow... In the future."

Her expression drooped before he explained. "Twilight has to be my focus right now, Rainbow. Please understand that. I have to make sure she's alright before I begin pursuing another relationship. Once she's back to her old self, We'll have to see if there's anything here." He smiled at her warmly.

She looked at him with renewed hope. "I get it completely, Jason. You're right, we need to help Twilight first." She smiled. "But once she's better, I'm taking you both out on a date."

They continued running, Rainbow Dash trotting a little closer to the human than she had been when they started.

They finished their run and Rainbow leaned against the wall of a building, panting heavily.

"How the heck did you manage to run around that twice?!"

Jason laughed. It had been a fairly easy pace for him, but her short legs had made the run quite the ordeal for Rainbow. "Oh come on, it wasn't that bad."

She looked at him in disbelief. "Are you kidding? that was almost a sprint the whole way, but you made it seem like you were just trotting along. If that was easy for you, I doubt anypony would be able to beat you in a footrace!"

That meant a lot, coming from the most physically fit mare in Ponyville. "You think so? Heh, maybe I should enter this Running Of The Leaves you were talking about."

She glowered at him, but then laughed lightly. "Only if you tie your legs together, otherwise that's cheating."

He laughed with her. "Hey come on, you did really good today." He grinned at her mischievously. "If you keep running with me like that, you might even be able to beat me."

Her competitive nature burned within her. "It is on! Applejack won't stand a chance this year!"

Rainbow flapped her wings and began to hover, taking the weight off of her fatigued legs. It wasn't long before they found themselves in front of the library.

"Hey, why don't you come in and join the party? I'm sure the others won't mind."

"Uh...You sure? This whole sleepover thing is more their deal."

"Come on, live a little." He shoved her playfully.

"Alright, alright. Just give me a little bit so I can go shower and get some stuff. I kinda reek right now."

He didn't notice her smell, but he became immediately aware of his own musk.

"Yeah, you and me both. I'll let the others know you're coming. See you in a bit." He said with a smile.

"Yeah, you too." She responded before speeding off toward her home in the clouds.

Jason walked through the front door to the sound of excited voices. He quietly closed the door behind him when the voices broke into laughter. He heard a familiar sound, one he hadn't heard for what felt like an eternity.

She's laughing! Oh my god she's laughing! He had to restrain himself from running around the corner to see Twilight. He peeked around the corner toward the fireplace. The three mares were arranged facing towards each other next to a small fire which burned within the brick hearth. Twilight was facing towards the door, giving him an unobstructed view of her beautiful smile, eyes closed in her mirth. Her laughter rang in his ears. It was a sound he had been longing to hear.

Twilight finally opened her eyes and caught him looking at her. She directed her smile towards him and beckoned him with her hoof. "Jason! You're just in time! AJ was about to tell us about her recent trip to the Appleoosa Rodeo!"

His heart swelled as he walked to where they lay. I wonder what they talked about...Whatever it was, it had worked a small miracle. Looks like this sleepover is a huge success.

"Oh? That sounds awesome!" He kneeled beside her and planted a light kiss on her lips. She returned it with a passion that had been missing for days. He held the kiss longer than usual. He didn't want that moment to end, but he became aware of the two other mares staring at them. He reluctantly broke the kiss.

"Oh, I hope you girls don't mind but Rainbow Dash will be joining us a little later."

That seemed to surprise the three mares. Twilight spoke up. "Really? That's great! We've been asking her to come for months!"

Now it was Jason's turn to be surprised. "Really?" He asked.

"Yessir, she's always refusin' though. Always sayin' she's too old fer this little filly stuff." Applejack explained. "Wonder why she's suddenly so willin' ta join us."

"Oh, Applejack, surely that's obvious." Rarity said.

The orange pony eyed the white unicorn dubiously. "Nope...Can't say it is."

"It's because he asked her." She explained.

"Ah...Yep that explains it then." Applejack said with easy acceptance.

Jason was lost in confusion. "Wait... Why would me asking her make any difference?"

It was Twilight's turn to speak up. "Wow Jason, you are really not good at reading ponies are you?"

Jason was too lost to respond.

"Rainbow's had a crush on you almost as long as I have. It started pretty much right after you regaled her with stories of your training when she met you in the hospital. I guess whatever happened between you two tonight opened her up to spend the night with us." Twilight continued.

Jason was still astounded at her speedy recovery. Maybe just having such close friends around her had eased her mind, or at least taken it off of things.

"All we did was go for a run!" he said, somewhat flabbergasted at the revelation.

"That'd do it." Applejack said. "You know that pegasus loves her some excercise."

Jason needed time to think. "Well then, if you'll excuse me girls, I need to shower. I kind of reek right now, and I need to get out of these sweaty clothes."

"That's yer sweat?" Applejack asked. "I thought maybe mah brother gave you some of his cologne or sumthin'. He usually only puts it on when he's tryin' ta impress some filly and it smells kinda like that."

That threw Jason for another loop. "Wait, you think I smell good?" Jason couldn't help but laugh. "Well, be that as it may, I think I smell terrible. So if you'll excuse me I'll go remedy that."

Jason stood and walked to his room. He heard the mares return to their previous conversation as he closed the door behind them. His mind struggled to organize the onslaught of information that had just presented itself. Above the confusion, he felt relief and happiness. Twilight was back, at least for tonight, and for that he was immensely grateful. He smiled as he collected his second pair of basketball-like shorts and a comfortable shirt before making his way to the bathroom.

He showered and dressed quickly, during which Rainbow had arrived and situated herself next to Twilight, joining in on their storytelling and laughter. Jason waved to her before depositing his dirty clothes in his room and joining them. He grabbed one of the larger pillows and sat between Twilight and Rainbow, leaning back into a comfortable position.

He spent most of the night as an observer, occasionally telling a story of Earth. He watched as they made s'mores with the small fire in the fireplace. Applejack told the fairly lengthy tale of her trip to Appleloosa (he still couldn't get over the punny names of their towns). He participated as Rarity taught them how to sew some small stuffed animals.

He politely refused involvement when they started giving each other makeovers, but watched in amusement as Rarity applied a facial mask and hair curlers to an embarrassed, yet not unwilling Rainbow Dash. He noticed when the unicorn refrained from applying her skills to the orange earth pony, but understood perfectly well why.

The lights were dimmed as they began telling scary stories. None of them were particularly scary to the human, but he played along as they each told a story. Twilight told the tale of the Headless Horse, a story that AJ and Rarity had obviously heard before, but kept Rainbow tense. Jason laughed as Rainbow squealed in terror when Twi used a pillow to conceal her head as she played the part. He noticed that during the telling, Rainbow had scooted closer to him. Heh, at least I noticed this time.

Rainbow returned Twilight's story with one of her own, this one about a character named The Olden Pony. Again, it appeared that the other mares had heard the tale before, but again they played along, feigning terror throughout the story. Jason felt Twilight lean against him, shivering in fright. He put his arm around her, occasionally tensing his muscles and causing her to jump in surprise.

After the screaming subsided at the conclusion of Rainbow's story, it was Jason's turn.

He stood and grinned maliciously as he began his story. "Ok girls, get close. I am about to tell you the story of The Slender Man."

He watched as the four mares huddled close together around the single candle that illuminated the room, eyes nervous yet eager to hear the tale.

He licked his thumb and forefinger, his evil grin still present on his face. He reached down and pinched the single flame with his moistened digits, extinguishing the sole source of light and casting the room into darkness. He silently stood and began slowly walking around the ponies as he began speaking, his voice dark and slow.

"Years ago, there was a private investigator named Eric Johansen. He spent years looking into a series of disappearances. Children had been vanishing from the town of Ravenholm, next to the dark forest of Lion's Heart in the country known as England. The people of Ravenholm hired him to find their lost young, and he had graciously took up their offer. His own child had disappeared from his crib without a trace years ago, So he had a personal interest in the case. When asked, the people of the town would give him sad and terrified looks, only saying "The Forest" or "When the sun sets, he will prowell." Needless to say, Eric was becoming terrified. Whatever plagued the town scared them into silence. Eric wanted to rid them of this menace and his determination drove him when his subconscious screamed at him to leave. Leave and never look back.

The very next night, he walked to the edge of the nightmare forest. Armed with nothing but a flashlight and his own determination, he dove into the blackness. Before he made it past the second row of trees, he came across a barkless trunk. on this tree, someone had violently carved a message. Eric shone his light at the rough text and read." Jason dropped his voice to a deep, gravelly tone.

"LEAVE OR THE SLENDER WILL TAKE YOU"

Jason grinned slightly as he heard the satisfying whimpers from the group of ponies he slowly orbited.

"Eric was terrified, but was he going to let a little carving stop his investigation? No, he shook off his fear and continued deeper into the woods. The trees around him were dead, they had long ago lost their leaves and now stood as lifeless husks. The forest was dead silent, not even a single cricket chirped as his feet crunched through the dry underbrush. His flashlight erratically illuminating the trunks as he walked. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of a piece of paper nailed to a tree. He carefully walked to the note. Scrawled crudely onto the sheet was a face. It had no ears, no nose, no mouth and no eyes. The only thing making it identifiable as a face was the neck and shoulders attached to the featureless circle. There was a message quickly written over the picture. "ALWAYS WATCHES, NO EYES." No sooner than he removed the paper from the tree did Eric hear a loud boom echo throughout the forest. BOOM...BOOM...BOOM... Terror gripped the young man as he stuffed the note into his pocket. He looked around desperately for a branch or log, something he could defend himself with. Finding something suitable, he bent over and picked it up. As he stood back up he saw something. He slowly pointed his light towards it. What he saw froze him where he stood. Standing before him was a man, but not a man. The monster was over seven feet tall, his arms and albino hands extending down past his knees. He wore a black suit and tie. But the thing that froze his heart was the creatures face. It was pure white, and smooth as a mirror. It had no eyes, yet Eric could feel it staring at him. Staring into his very soul. Just then a piercing scream flooded his mind. He tried to cover his ears, but the sound was in his head. He turned and ran from the creature. Ran as fast as he could. After long minutes, the screech vanished from his mind. His hearing returned slowly, the ominous BOOM...BOOM...BOOM the only thing he could hear in this cursed forest. He was lost. He didn't know how to get out. He began searching, looking for anything resembling civilization to guide him from this hell.

He found an abandoned house, long ago deserted and falling apart at the seams. He ran into the home, hoping to find some shelter from the monster. Inside he found countless personal belongings of the previous inhabitants. Whoever the house had belonged to had left everything. Almost like they vanished. Nailed to the wall at the end of the long front hallway was another white sheet of paper. He was almost to scared to read the note, but he gave it a cautious glance. Written in thick red ink were the words "DON'T LOOK OR IT TAKES YOU." He turned and stopped dead. The monster stood less than a foot away from the terrified private eye. The creature slowly raised it's grotesque hand hand placed it upon Eric's forehead. His mind exploded as the screech returned. Through the din, he could hear a voice, deep and terrible.

"YOUR SON AWAITS YOU"

That was the last anyone had heard of Eric Johansen. He vanished in those woods. The disappearances stopped in the town of Ravenholm, yet more and more towns were beginning to report missing children. It is believed that the creature can teleport to anywhere, at any time. We should be safe though, we're probably lightyears from *MPHFH*"

Jason brought a hand to his mouth to muffle his own voice and silently moved opposite to where he had been standing. He crouched low and waited.

"J-Jason?" He heard Twilight ask. He could hear her voice shiver as terror overwhelmed her.

He dropped his voice into the low demonic tone he had just used.

"HE'S WAITING FOR YOU." He said as he wrapped his long arms around the huddled group, touching all of them simultaneously.

The group shrieked in terror and Twilight's horn lit up, enveloping Jason in magic. He was pulled off of them and brought to hover nearly four feet off the ground, the magic illuminating the dark room with a purple glow.

Jason burst into uproarious laughter as the group buried themselves into a tight hug and screamed, eyes welded shut in terror. After many long seconds, the screaming subsided and the mares finally pulled themselves from each other's death grip. They were still terrified, but Twi slowly lowered Jason to his feet and released her magic.

"Okay..." Rainbow panted. "Jason wins."

"Tarnation, Jason. Ah ain't never been that scared before, and ah've fought real monsters!" Applejack removed her hat and wiped her brow.

Twilight went around the room and lit every available light, bringing the entire room into artificial daylight.

"Well then, I think that's enough scary stories for one night, but we are definitely going to get you a stage for Nightmare Night. That's going to scare everypony in town!" She winked at him mischievously. "Especially with a little help from us."

Rainbow grinned. "Oh definitely! Dude, I can hardly wait!"

Jason laughed wholeheartedly and gave a little bow. "Happy I could deliver."

"Now then, I do believe there's one more thing Twilight wanted to do tonight." Rarity spoke up.

Twi looked at her in confusion. "Huh? I don't remember..."

Rarity floated up an empty bottle and waggled it a little.

"Oh...Oh! Rarity, you can't be serious..."

"I most certainly am. There's one little empty checkbox in that book of yours on sleepovers. If I recall, you wanted to wait until there was at least one stallion here, and lo and behold." She gestured toward Jason with a hoof.

"What?" Jason asked, curious.

Applejack had brought a hoof to her face. "She wants ta play Spin the Bottle."

"Spin the... Wait you ponies have that game?" Jason asked, surprised.

"What...do you know the game?" Twilight asked.

"Well...I've never played it, but yeah I've heard of it. That's mostly little kid stuff though."

"Perfect! Then we won't need to explain the rules! Come on Jason, we're all friends here. Besides, it seems like you're on the good end of the deal. Here you are surrounded by four beautiful mares," She bounced a tuft of hair on one of her hooves. "While we only have one of you."

Jason thought for a moment. "True enough." He looked toward Twilight. She returned his gaze and gave a resigned smile. She nodded slightly. "Alright...Screw it, why not."

The five of them formed a small circle. Applejack had resigned herself to the game, hoping for it to be over quickly. Rainbow Dash was nervous beyond belief, but hopeful. Rarity appeared to be excited just to play the game. It was something Jason had expected, her being by far the girliest of the group. Twilight didn't fully seem to care, she was just happy to be spending time with her friends.

"Ok then, since it was my idea, I'll go first." Rarity used her magic to give the bottle a twist, sending it spinning. It rotated in place for a few seconds before slowly coming to a stop with the mouth pointing at Applejack. Rarity grinned and leaned forward, planting a gentle, obviously fake kiss on the orange mare's lips. Ending the short contact with an over-acted *MWAH*, Rarity spoke up. "Ok, Applejack, your turn."

The earth pony humphed as she kicked out with a hind leg, hitting the bottle and started it spinning. It spun for quite a bit longer before the inertia died, leaving the bottle pointed at Rainbow Dash. Applejack stood and briskly walked over to the pegasus. She planted a quick kiss to the corner of Rainbow's mouth, much like one would kiss a sibling, before returning to her seat and hiding her face behind the brim of her hat.

Rainbow gulped. "I... I guess that means it's my turn right?" She asked. Rarity nodded and the cyan pegasus sighed. "Well, here goes nothing." She said as she flicked the bottle with a wing tip, sending it spinning.

As it slowed, Jason could see the smallest purple glow on the side of the bottle, slowing it's spin. He took a quick glance at Twilight and saw her horn faintly glowing. She grinned at him mischievously. Clever girl! Jason thought to himself. She was using a grain of sand to focus her magic, using it to stop the bottle. It was small enough to be almost unnoticeable. The mouth of the bottle, obviously, stopped at Jason.

Rainbow gulped and stood up, obviously nervous. Jason could see looks of excitement coming from Twilight and Rarity. He could barely glimpse Applejack looking at them from the corner of her eye, a small grin tugging at her cheeks. Rainbow slowly made her way to him. She looked into his eyes before leaning forward and giving him a slight peck on the lips before quickly returning to her spot. Both Twi and Rarity let out sounds of disappointment, Applejack chuckled lightly and shook her head.

"Oh, come on Rainbow Dash! That was your chance!" Rarity exclaimed.

"W-what are you talking about? I was just playing the game!" Rainbow exclaimed.

Rarity gave out an exasperated sigh. "Jason, it's your turn."

Welp, I already know where this is going. He thought to himself as he gave the bottle a flick of his wrist.

Sure enough, it stopped on Rainbow Dash. "H-Hey, what the heck?" Twilight gave Rainbow a light shove, silencing her.

Jason sighed lightly and got to his feet.

"Now Jason, be sure to do this one right. Make sure she has something to remember tonight by!" Rarity said happily.

Jason gave her a sideways glance, a look of amused disbelief on his face. He looked toward Rainbow and gave her a smile. He dropped down to one knee and took her chin in his hand. She tensed as he tilted her head up to look at him.

"Rainbow, relax." He said gently before leaning in and planting a full kiss upon her lips. There was no tongue, but plenty of passion and she quickly melted into the contact. After a few seconds, Jason broke the kiss and looked into her eyes.

"Much better!" Rarity exclaimed and tapped her hooves together. The whole group chuckled and Jason returned to his seat.

"My turn!" Twilight exclaimed and began to grab the bottle with her magic.

Applejack spoke up. "Ah shoot, don't even bother Twi."

Twilight looked at her in confusion. "Huh?"

"Yeah, just hurry up and kiss him already. You've been dying to all night. Besides, you'd probably use that little trick of yours anyway."

HAH! Jason thought to himself in victory.

"B-But I..."

Rainbow gave her a shove towards him. "Just do it already."

Jason turned to face her and extended his arms, pulling her into an embrace. She looked into his eyes and he into hers. She leaned into him as she planted a gentle, passionate kiss upon his lips. Their tongues danced lightly with each other, not going into the full wrestling match they usually shared, but sharing a gentle passion they had both been lusting after. The remained in contact for nearly a full minute.

*Ahem*

They broke contact and looked to their friends. Rarity and Applejack shared expressions of pure joy. Rainbow looked at them with an expression of shock, her mouth slightly agape. Her face was red and her wings had extended slightly, evidently becoming aroused at the passion of their kiss.

"Ah hate to kill the mood, but could ya wait until after we leave before ya jump him?" Applejack said nonchalantly.

They both laughed. "You ok there, Rainbow?" Jason asked, drawing everyone's attention to her.

"It's just...you...uh..." She stammered.

The group of friends laughed at her embarrassment.

"Well then! I would have to say this night has been quite the success!" Rarity exclaimed.

The group agreed. They continued talking, laughing and enjoying each other's company late into the night.

Quite the success indeed. Jason thought as he tightened his half embrace around Twilight. She looked at him, a warm smile on her face.

Quite the success indeed.

A Night to Remember

Jason gasped as he attempted to regain his breath.

Rainbow stood over him, her eyes glistening in victory and she wore a wide smile, despite her own lack of breath.

"You weren't kidding." Jason groaned as he sat up. "You are way stronger than I thought you were."

Rainbow laughed. "Told you so."

"I'm serious. I never expected anypony to be able to pick me up and throw me like that! I mean yeah with magic it would be easy, but never with bare hooves!"

Rainbow continued to laugh. "It's all in the technique." she said, slightly smug.

"You don't say..." Jason grunted as he struggled to his feet. Rainbow had spent the past couple of hours "demonstrating" many of the techniques of Broken Wing...Which generally meant pain to Jason. He was incapable of learning any of the aerial moves for obvious reasons, but he was making good progress on the ground side of the style. He still wound up on his back ninety-nine percent of the time, but there was great satisfaction in that one percent chance when he managed to return the favor.

"Aww giving up so soon?" Rainbow asked in mock disappointment.

"Come on, Rainbow. We've been at this for hours. Besides, if we keep going at it like this I'm probably going to end up in the hospital again."

She was appalled at the comment. "I wouldn't ever put you in the hospital!"

He looked at her incredulously before looking to the various cuts and bruises which adorned his arms and legs.

"W-well...not on purpose anyway. Besides, the only reason I'm so hard on you is because you told me to. I wouldn't give it my all against a normal student."

Jason laughed as he gently stretched, attempting to work some of the built up tension and soreness out of his muscles. "If I ever get in a fight, do you think they'll pull their punches? No, it's better to learn this way. Train with the best when they're at their best."

Rainbow blushed lightly. "H-hey, I'm not the best..."

Jason spread his arms and looked around. "Oh? Are there some other masters of of not one, not two, but three martial arts nearby that I don't know about?"

"N-No..."

"Then you are the best. Maybe not to yourself, but you are to me." He looked at her, a warm smile on his face.

Her blush deepened further before she turned and began walking down the road towards town.

Jason chuckled and ran after her. He caught up and slowed his pace to match hers.

They walked in silence for a short while before Rainbow spoke up.

"Hey Jason...Thanks."

"For what?" He asked.

"Everything... Helping me with my running...teaching me your martial arts..."

"To be fair you've taught me a lot more than I've taught you."

She ignored his interruption and continued. "...For being so good to everypony...not just your friends but everypony. I know it must still be really weird for you here, but you still go out of your way to help ponies. You try to make them happy, despite your own struggles."

"Why should I be the one to stop other's happiness?" He sighed. "I'm the stranger here. I don't want to be the one who changed how people live, just because I walked around all disgruntled all the time. Besides, I do like it here. These ponies have treated me with kindness for the most part, and I'll definitely do what I can to return the favor."

She looked at him, a spark gleaming in her eye. She faced forward again before speaking. "Better add modesty to your list of traits."

Jason chuckled lightly and they continued their walk.

"So..." Jason said as they approached the town.

"So?" Rainbow repeated, her voice quizzical.

He looked at her from the corner of his eye. "It's been almost a week since that slumber party, and Twilight is worlds better than she was beforehand."

She turned her head toward him, the same quizzical expression on her face. "Yeeeaaaahhh?...So?"

Jason chuckled lightly before responding. "I seem to recall a certain blue pegasus promising to take my lovely Twilight and myself on a date once she was better."

Rainbow's face reddened as she remembered. "Oh!...The...The date...right...um are you sure? I mean, do you think Twilight's ready for that?"

"She suggested it." Jason replied.

"Oh! I don't know...It's just..."

"Rainbow..." Jason sighed. he sped up slightly and stopped himself in front of her. He dropped to a knee in front of her and placed his hand on her shoulder. He looked into her eyes and saw a fire burning. Raw emotion shone through her eyes like a flashlight in a dark cave, but her own self-conscious thoughts prevented her from acting on them, at least at that moment.

"Rainbow, I don't want to force you into something you're uncomfortable with. Tell me, and I will leave you alone until you are ready. I enjoy your company, and I do feel like something might be there. Do you remember the kiss? from the sleepover?"

Her eyes flashed as she relived the memory. She nodded slowly.

"Before then, there was still a light. Small, like a little ember. That kiss added kindling to the fire, allowing it to grow to a small flame. Give us a chance, Rainbow. Let us try to stoke that little fire into something more. Something huge."

She gazed deep into his eyes. "I want to Jason...but..."

He sighed. "Rainbow, I don't know what your reservations are, and like I said if i'm making you uncomfortable please let me know and I'll stop. But whatever happened in the past, whatever is keeping you from pursuing happiness...It's not important...at least not now...So please, Rainbow. Let us take you on a date. Give us a chance to let you share in our happiness."

He could have sworn he saw tears forming in the corners of the pegasus' eyes before she closed them tightly and shook her head with a grunt, trying to put on a tough girl act.

"Fine!" She blurted out.

Jason smiled warmly at her. "Great. We'll pick you up next Tuesday at seven."

She raised an eyebrow toward him. "And how do you plan to 'pick me up'?" She asked.

That threw him, and he looked at her in confusion. "I mean we'll stop by your house to coll..." His voice trailed off as Rainbow dash moved to stand next to him. She pointed to her home...

...Which floated two-hundred feet off the ground.

"Ah..." Jason said, slightly perturbed at the realization. "That does make it a little difficult..."

Rainbow laughed lightly. "How about I collect you two from your home at 7 next Tuesday?"

"Erm... I guess that works, but it's a little rude for the ones asking for a date to be the ones being collected."

"You're not asking me, I'm asking you. That's how it works in Equestria. Herds don't ask ponies to join, ponies ask to join herds. It's just common courtesy. Honestly, I don't know how it got into your head to ask me like that!"

"I was afraid that if I didn't, you'd never ask."

"Of course I would have! I...just would have waited, that's..."

She was interrupted as Jason placed a hand on her cheek. She looked at him in surprise.

"You don't have to hide yourself from me, Rainbow. There is an interest here, I can assure you of that, and I would very much like to help it grow. I've seen who you really are, and that's the pony I have feelings for. Please don't try to hide her."

"I-I'm no..."

He leaned in and planted a kiss on her lips, much like the one they had shared the week before. Slow, Passionate and full of promises. Rainbow's shock faded quickly and she melted into his embrace.

They broke contact a few seconds later, gently leaning away from each other, each looking deep into the other's eyes. Rainbow's expression was one of happiness. Happiness and hope.

Jason smiled. "There she is...There's the mare I want to have join in our happiness."

Rainbow pushed him away lightly, still smiling. "Next Tuesday at seven. Don't forget."

"Oh I definitely won't." He responded before she took off and flew towards her home in the clouds.

Jason watched her fade into the distance before turning to continue his walk home. Hmm...I wonder what she has planned for us... He thought to himself, a smile spreading across his face.

"So, how'd it go?" Twilight asked, her voice hopeful.

Jason smiled as he began removing his blouse. "She will be picking us up next Tuesday at 7." He folded the shirt and laid it upon the back of a sofa.

"Fantastic!" Twilight said. There was a tension in her voice for some reason. Just then, jason caught a whiff of something burning.

He made his way through the library and found her in the kitchen. Thick smoke poured from a small pot on the stove. Twilight was trying her hardest, a whisk held in her telekenesis was quickly stirring whatever was in the pan.

Jason walked over and stood beside her, waving away some of the smoke and peering into the pan. "And what experiement is this?" He asked, curious.

Twilight sighed. "Dinner.." she said in defeat as she pulled the pan from the stove.

*Snerk* Jason couldn't supress the outburst as he peered into the pot, identifying the now blackened pieces as potatoes.

Twilight shot him a look before sighing and making her way to the trash, dumping the burnt vegetables into the can.

"Oh come on, they didn't look that bad. Besides, I love me some burnt potatoes." He mocked playfully.

"Ha...Ha...Ha..." She responded dryly. "Very funny." She made her way to the sink and began scraping out the charred pieces that still stuck to the pan.

"So, whats the occasion? I don't think I've ever seen you cook before."

Twilight sighed. "I wanted to surprise you... Spike went with Rarity to Manehattan for a few days. I guess there's some big fashion show going on so she asked him to be her assistant. She's got some new dresses to show and she needed his help evidently, and you know Spike can't say no to Rarity."

Jason chuckled. "Well, you certainly surprised me. I'm happy you stopped before you burnt the library down."

She looked at him incredulously. Jason laughed and placed his hand on the back of her head. "How about I help you. I'm a decent enough cook, and it could be fun to make something together."

She gave him a relieved smile. "That would be nice. I may be many things, but a cook is not one of them."

Jason chuckled lightly before bending down and giving her a quick kiss. He then stood and made his way over to the cookbook which was open on the countertop next to the stove. He flipped to a random page and scanned for something that would be simple enough to make easily. Jason was by no means a practiced chef, but living alone had given him enough experieance to make simple dishes.

Twilight finished cleaning the pan and walked over to stand next to Jason, who was reading the ingredient list for a pasta dish with a cheese and butter sauce. He pointed to the recipe so Twilight could see what he was looking at.

"How's this sound?" He asked.

She quickly looked over the description and ingredients. "Mmm that sounds great! How should we start?"

Jason began reading off the ingredients aloud and they began going through various cupboards to retrieve them. He was amazed at the impressive selection of spices and fresh ingredients Spike maintained. Well, everyone needs a hobby. Jason thought to himself as he pulled out a small jar of butter and a bag of flour.

Once they finished collecting the ingredients, they began reading the instructions.

"Here, I can make the pasta, and you can make the sauce." Jason said, reaching toward a bag of dried noodles.

"Works for me." She responded as she snagged a block of white cheese off the counter and a grater from a drawer across the room.

They went about their tasks with excitement. This was a new experience for them, and they worked together with great enthusiasm. Jason diligently stirred the pasta, ensuring it didn't burn as Twilight carefully measured out the ingredients for the sauce, mixing evertything together with an almost scientific precision. They talked as they worked, telling each other about the day's happenings. Twilight told him about some research she was doing on Spike's special firebreath magic.

Jason had seen him incinerate Twilight's letters to the princess, and understood that somehow, the green fire teleported whatever was caught in it directly to Princess Celestia. Evidently, the princess had cast the spell on Spike just before they had moved to Ponyville so they would have a way to communicate. Twilight was working on a way to turn the spell into an enchantment that could be placed on two items, giving the bearers the ability to teleport items between each other.

Jason listened intently while he stirred.

The sauce was finished in almost no time. Twilight set the small pan aside and moved to stand next to Jason, looking into the pot to see how the pasta was coming.

"Just a couple more minutes." Jason said. He laid a hand on the back of her head. "Hey, would you mind getting me a strainer?"

"Sure." she replied. She leaned against him lightly as her horn began glowing. After a few short seconds the collonder floated over to where they stood.

"Thanks, Twi." Jason said as he grabbed it and set it in the sink. He reached over and snagged a loose towel to grab the pot. He folded the towel a few times before grabbing hold of the hot handles on either side and moving it to the sink. He emptied the pasta into the strainer, letting any left-over water run into the sink.

Twilight watched patiently as Jason poured the pasta back into the pot. She lifted her pan and levitated it to the pot, carefully pouring the creamy sauce over the steaming noodles. Jason took up a large spoon and stirred in the sauce, making sure the noodles were evenly covered.

As Jason stirred, Twilight pulled a single large plate from a cupboard and floated it over to them. Once he was satisfied with the dish, Jason took the plate and piled a generous amount of the pasta onto it. Jason turned at saw Twilight, two forks floating beside her, walking toward the sofa Jason had laid his blouse on. He followed her into the room. She hopped up onto the couch, leaving a gap next to the armrest for him. She tapped the space with a hoof.

"Hold on just a minute." Jason said, handing the plate to Twilight. He bent over and quickly removed his boots, bootbands and socks. He stretched his toes in relief as full circulation returned to his feet. He pulled a small end table over to the couch, which Twilight proceeded to set the plate upon as Jason flopped down with a satisfied sigh.

Twilight leaned against him and he wrapped his arm around her, holding her in a gentle embrace. She floated one of the forks to him, which he took, before diving into the small mountain of pasta they had made together.

Jason twirled some of the pasta onto the fork with his free hand and took a bite. It was by no means gourmet dining, but it was filling and not wholly unpleasant. He enjoyed the meal greatly, after all it was something he had made with Twilight, and that sentiment made the food that much tastier. They continued talking in between mouthfuls as the pile grew smaller and smaller.

Once the pasta had disappeared, Jason laid his fork on the plate and rotated in his seat, extending his legs on the couch. Twilight adjusted herself so she would be half-laying on him, her head resting just below his chin. They both sighed in contentment and comfort.

Jason dipped his head slightly and kissed the top of her head. This time, however, he didn't stop. He continued planting light kisses upon her scalp as he slowly brought his free hand up to caress her cheek. She enjoyed the sensation for a moment before finally looking to face him. She kissed him deeply, a passionate, loving kiss which could show her love for him far better than words ever could.

She broke the kiss and looked into his eyes, her own half-lidded. "Feeling a little frisky, are we?"

Jason smiled and leaned forward. "You tell me..." He whispered into her ear.

She gasped lightly as his warm breath brushed against her sensitive ears. She extended her neck slightly and kissed him again, their tongues joining in a gentle dance.

She adjusted herself so she would lay directly atop him, her head centered above his so they would no longer have to strain their necks. The kiss continued for several long minutes, Jason running his fingers through his mares long mane and smooth coat. Twilight gently ran her hooves over his firm chest. Their shared arousal was growing rapidly. Jason could feel his trousers tightening and noticed a moisture forming on his stomach, Twilight's growing arousal was beginning to soak into Jason's skivvy shirt.

Twilight broke the kiss and pulled her head back, looking her stallion deep in the eyes. "Are you ready?" She asked, a coy smile showing as she looked at him with half-lidded eyes.

He gave her a warm smile. "More than you could imagine."

She leaned in for another kiss. As their tongues dueled, Jason felt a slight tugging at his waistband. He opened his eyes partway and saw Twilight's horn glowing with magic. He felt his belt being pulled from it's loops and heard it rattle as Twilight tossed it once it was completely removed, all the while exploring Jason's mouth with her tongue.

He felt the pressure in his trousers being relieved as Twilight slowly undid the four buttons that secured his fly. All at once Twilight slipped Jason's trousers from his legs with magical energy. Twilight slid her body down his chest until he could feel her wet marehood pressed against the top of his erect member, his thin underwear the only thing separating them.

He watched as his shirt became enveloped in purple energy and raised his arms as Twilight pulled it off, revealing his powerful abdominal and pectoral muscles. Twilight slowly ran her hooves over his chest, following the contours of his toned muscles as she began slowly grinding against his stiff manhood.

Before long, Twilight lost control of herself and almost violently pulled Jason's boxers from this legs, his member eagerly returning to attention as the waistband slid past it. Twilight tossed the undergarment aside and kissed Jason again, the previous tenderness gone and replaced with ravenous lust.

Jason propped himself up on his elbows and watched with excitement as Twilight slid down his body, her eyes locked with his as she moved. He shuddered slightly as her soft fur brushed against the sensitive head of his penis. She settled between his legs before she broke eye contact and finally observed what he had to offer.

His heart fluttered as he watched her eyes widen in nervous excitement. "I hope you find it satisfactory." He said quietly.

She looked at him with a half smile. "Well, It's certainly the biggest I've ever seen."

His eyes widened in surprise before he remembered. Heh...I can't believe I forgot she was a virgin. He brought a hand to his face, embarrassed at his own forgetfulness.

All embarrassment vanished in a gasp as Twilight gently brushed a hoof against his hard shaft. His gaze met hers, his body responding positively to her ministrations. She smiled as she began slowly stroking his length.

She continued stroking, gradually increasing her tempo and before long Jason could feel a pressure growing in his loins. The pressure continued growing until Jason was struggling to contain it, the many months of abstinence taking their toll on his endurance.

Just when Jason felt he could no longer contain himself, Twilight removed her hoof. Jason was just about to complain when he could feel a warm wetness as Twilight licked the very base of his shaft, slowly dragging her tongue along the ridge on the bottom of his penis. Jason shuddered in ecstasy as she reached the base of his sensitive head. Her tongue continued up until she was at the very tip, her tongue playfully circling around the hole of his urethra.

Jason was tensing violently, his body racked with pleasure. He could barely contain himself when she finally took him into her mouth. He was quivering as her wide tongue stimulated the sensitive tissue on the bottom of his member. She made it most of the way down his shaft, her long snout making the task slightly easier. She opened her eyes and looked up at him, trying to gauge his reaction. Her lips tightened into a smile as she observed his face, wrought with astounded pleasure.

She slowly began bobbing her head, sucking gently on the upstroke and twisting her head around his member. Her pace slowly increasing as she got into it.

It was only a few short minutes before Jason could no longer stand against the onslaught of pleasure. "T-Twilight... I'm- I'm gonna!"

Twilight took the hint and pushed her head all the way down, gagging lightly as she took him into her throat.

The sensation proved too much for Jason and his body convulsed as he came. His body shuddered in time with his convulsions, glob after glob passing into his lover's throat. The orgasm lasted a few long seconds until Jason finally collapsed onto the couch. Twilight lifted her head and coughed as Jason fell out of her. She swallowed hard a few times and panted until she regained her breath.

once she recovered, she made her way back up the couch and laid upon Jason's chest, snuggling her head into the crook of Jason's neck. "That was amazing, Twilight." Jason said, still panting lightly.

She giggled. "I'm happy I could finally return the favor."

Jason moved his hand to her chin, lifting it into a passionate kiss. He could taste himself, but he didn't care. He loved these kisses almost as much as the mare he shared them with, and would not sacrifice them because of silly vanity.

He could feel his arousal returning as their kiss deepened. He slowly ran his fingers down her spine, feeling her shiver at the touch. He ran his hand down, tracing his fingers around her cutie mark and caressing her flanks. She began breathing heavily through her nose.

He slowly ran his hand between her hind legs, tweaking her nipples a little as he made his way to his goal. she gasped as he ran his fingers along her wet slit.

"You're still good to go?" She asked in disbelief, her voice quivering as she spoke.

Jason chuckled. "Trust me, my dear. I'm only getting warmed up."

She shook her head. "You humans and your stamina." She leaned in and kissed him again.

His fingers were becoming slick from the juices of her arousal. After circling her labia a few more times, he gently pushed the finger inside. Twilight moaned into his mouth and attacked with a new ferocity. Her hips ground against his stomach in passion.

Jason removed his finger, much to Twilight's disappointment, and placed it on her side. He gently rolled her onto her back, her legs on either side of him as they switched positions. Their kiss continued for a few more minutes until Jason finally broke it and looked down on her, his arousal obvious.

"Are you ready for this Twi?" He asked softly.

She returned his gaze. Any nervousness she once felt was being washed away by her love for the human. "Y-Yes..." She said. "I...I want you to be my first... I want you to be my only stallion. I love you Jason.

He leaned his head down and rested his forehead against hers. "I love you too, Twilight. More than anything in this world. I would never do anything to hurt you. If you ever feel uncomfortable or want me to stop, please tell me. I promise you, I will be gentle."

He kissed her deeply as he pressed the head of his penis against her. She gasped as he slowly pushed into her, spreading her lips as he entered her marehood. She moaned in a combination of pleasure and pain as he drove deeper inside of her. He finally bottomed out inside of her and she moaned again as she felt him fill her completely, the strange shape of his member stimulating parts unkown within her anatomy. He kissed her deeply as he felt her squeeze in around him.

He slowly began moving, pulling back a ways before filling her again. Her initial pain was rapidly replaced with unparalleled pleasure as he picked up speed. She found herself panting and moaning with the motion of his hips, the volume of her exclamations increasing as she neared climax. Her horn glowed faintly and sparks of magical energy began flying in every direction.

The repeated in and out motions soon pushed her over the edge. She moaned loudly as her body convulsed in orgasm. The tightening muscles increased Jason's pleasure as he continued pumping through his partner's climax.

The convulsions lasted many long seconds before Twilight could feel them beginning to reside. Just when Twilight thought it was over, Jason's continued motions began rapidly building a pressure within her.

"Ah...Ohhh Jason I'm...I'm still! AHH JASON!" Twilight nearly screamed as Jason pushed her into a second orgasm. Her already sensitive nerves exploded in pleasure as her spasms redoubled in strength. The waves of pleasure greater than any other feeling Twilight had ever felt in her life.

The power of her spasms soon pushed Jason over the edge and they came together, each sharing in each other's convulsions. Jason pushed himself deep within her as he released his seed. He groaned loudly in both pleasure and emotion as he shared himself with the pony who brought him his greatest joys in life.

Their spasms subsided and they soon found themselves in each other's arms, laying on their sides on the couch. They panted as they both regained their breath, eyes locked in a loving gaze.

"I love you, Twilight Sparkle."

"And I you, Jason Sinder."

They closed into a gentle kiss. The kiss continued as they slowly drifted to sleep in each other's arms.

Jason brought a hand to his chin as he contemplated the clothes hanging in front of him. His eyes drifted over his various dress uniforms, pausing for a moment on the black jacket of his dress blues. He shook his head.

This is a date, not a ceremony. He thought to himself as he continued his search. His eyes fell upon a light blue button up shirt. He pulled it from the hanger and set it on his mattress. He moved to his dresser and pulled out a pair of dark denim jeans. It was the first time he had worn the slightly dressy civilian outfit. For the most part, Jason wore either his cammies or PT gear. He preferred the utilities since so many of the jobs he did around town involved manual labor and he wanted to prevent the nicer clothes from being ruined.

Jason had no idea how formal this date was going to be, so he decided on the middle ground. He walked to the clothes he had selected, slipping a fresh white T-shirt on before pulling on the dark pants. He tucked in the shirt and secured the jeans with a black leather belt. He lifted the shirt and examined it quickly. Rarity had chosen the sky blue fabric for him, saying it complimented the blue of his eyes nicely. He put the shirt on letting the tails of the shirt hang over the jeans. He buttoned all but the top two buttons, letting the white undershirt show under the collar. He rolled the sleeves so they hung right below his elbows, making sure the rolls lay flat as opposed to bulging out. He pulled on a pair of short ankle socks before putting on the pair of dress shoes. He stood and walked to the tall mirror in the corner.

He inspected himself in the mirror, starting with a quick glance at his fresh haircut. It had taken a while for Ponyville's barber to get used to Jason's strange head and haircut request. Normally, Jason would have let his hair grow out, but he had the curse of naturally difficult hair, often times forming tangles and mats as it grew. In order to prevent this Jason would have to wash and comb his hair multiple times a day. He learned early in his life that short hair was the way to go, which made the Marines' strict policies on hair length and style fairly easy to adjust to. His first few fades fron the hairdresser unicorn had turned out jagged and ugly, but as he continued to visit her weekly over the past months, she had improved tremendously.

He nodded in satisfaction as he looked over his outfit. He refrained from purchasing any cologne or aftershaves. The various scents may have been appealing to mares, but Jason couldn't stomach actually purchasing any, each one smelling like various types of human body odor.

He leaned back, stretching his sore abdominal muscles. He and Twilight had taken full advantage of Spike's absence over the past week, and Jason's muscles were sore from the near constant exertion, not that he was complaining in the slightest.

Jason heard a light tapping on his door and walked over to open it.

His jaw dropped as he saw Twilight. She was wearing a dark blue dress, accented with light blue stars and filligre. The ensemble was held together with a single brooch in the shape of her cutie mark which sat centered on her neck. She wore light blue earings in the shape of five-pointed stars and had matching shoes on each of her hooves.

She smiled at his reaction and gave a quick spin to give him a three sixty degree view of her outfit. The dress followed the countours of her body, drawing his attention to her positive features. The outfit, to put it bluntly, was damn sexy. Jason couldn't help but let his mind wander to thoughts of removing it, bit by bit from her body.

"So, what do you think?" she asked with a coy smile.

Jason shook his head, his thoughts returning to the present. "I...I think I'm underdressed." He responded, his mouth dry. "How much time do we have?"

"About twenty minutes." she responded.

"Perfect, give me just a bit, I'm gonna change real quick."

She looked at him with a raised eyebrow, but relented. "Ok Jason, I'll be in the living room."

She turned and left as Jason closed the door. Jason pulled off his shoes, socks and jeans before walking back to the closet. He pulled out the dark gray three piece suit Rarity had made for him. Thin pin stripes ran along the length of the clothes. The blue shirt he wore was made to be worn with the suit, so he left it on. He rolled the sleeves back down and secured them with a pair of silver cufflinks. He pulled the dark blue spotted tie from the hangar and ran it around his neck, quickly tying the Windsor knot and pulling it tight.

He removed the trousers from their hanger and slipped them over his legs. He pulled the belt from his jeans and quickly ran it through the trousers' belt loops. The pants were tailored perfectly to his body so the belt was unnecesary, however it was a nice addition to the ensemble. He pulled the vest from inside the coat and ran his arms through the holes before fastening the buttons, the vest hugging his body comfortably.

Finally he pulled the jacket from the hanger and ran his arms through the silken sleeves. He left the jacket open, showing the vest that lay beneath as he walked to the mirror again. He quickly looked over the suit as he wore it, ensuring everything fit properly. The suit had been tailored to be form-fitting, not tight like his dress uniforms, but snug enough to accent his features.

Satisfied, he made his way out of the room, walking to the living room to join Twilight. She looked up from her book as he entered the room, her eyes widening as she saw him. He watched as she slowly ran her eyes over his body, appraising him much as he had her. He wondered if she was thinking what he had.

His suspiscions proved justified as Twilight quickly licked her lips, a touch of a blush forming on her cheeks.

This is going to be a fun night. Jason thought to himself happily as he moved to sit next to his lover. She leaned into him and returned to her novel, Jason retrieving his own form the end table as they waited.

Before long they heard a knocking on the front door. They both stood and looked at each other. "Are you ready for this?" Twilight asked, remembering his previous reservations.

Jason sighed. "I'm willing to give it a shot, and I couldn't think of anypony else I would want to join us more than her." He gave her a smile. "Yes, I am ready." He said with confidence.

Together they walked to the front door, opening it to bear witness to their date.

Jason's eyes widened as he gazed upon the cyan pegasus who looked up at him nervously.

She wore a prismatic dress, the streaks of color matching her rainbow mane. White clouds ran along the edge of the material. Strips of the rainbow material ran around the base of her wings, allowing them free movement while still holding the dress in place. Around her ears she wore a golden strand of leaves, giving her a slightly Greek appearance. Golden strips of fabric were wound around her forehooves.

Jason stood in stunned silence as he stared. Twilight looked up at him and gave him a light shove, bringing him back to reality.

"Uh... Wow, Rainbow you look fantastic!" Jason stammered.

The mares laughed, Twilight turning her attention to Rainbow. "I haven't seen that dress in a while." she said.

Rainbow tore her eyes from Jason's body before she gave her response. "I should say the same... I guess we had the same idea."

Jason looked between the two in confusion. "Idea? What idea?"

"Rarity made dresses for all of us a while ago. She said they were the best dresses she'd ever made, sort of as a test of her abilities. She went to great lengths to ensure they were perfect, although it took some convincing for all of us to accept them as such." Twilight began explaining.

Rainbow spoke up. "Yeah, we all had these crazy expectations and demands to make them exactly how we wanted them. Of course none of us knew what actually looked good in a dress."

They laughed at the memory, Jason smiled as he witnessed the depth of their friendship.

Rainbow returned her attention to Jason and ran her eyes over the fine suit he wore. "Anyway, you don't look so bad yourself. Rarity make that up for you?" She asked.

"Oh uh yeah." Jason responded, "She seemed pretty excited when I asked for it. I don't really understand why, it's not like it's anywhere near as elaborate as your dresses."

"No duh she was excited!" Rainbow exclaimed, a smile growing on her face. "She's always looking for ways to test herself, and making clothes for an alien is probably the biggest challenge she'd ever had." She glanced over him again. "And she succeeded. That looks really good on you!"

"You think so?" He turned, posing slightly. "I don't really know. I've never really had much experience with formal wear. I mean yeah I have my dress uniforms, but there's a lot of regulations on how those are supposed to look. With suits like these it's usually a shot in the dark on what looks good."

Twilight leaned against him slightly. "Trust me, you look terrific in that suit." She looked up at him, giving him a sultry glance. "But I think I would prefer to see it on the floor."

Rainbow looked back and forth between the couple, a blush forming on her cheeks at the insinuation. "Ooookay..."

The pair broke their stare and returned their attention to her, shaking off the sudden onset of arousal. Jason cleared his throat quickly before speaking. "Anyway, shall we go?"

Rainbow smiled. "Yeah, our reservations are pretty soon and I don't want to miss it."

The three of them departed the library, walking towards the center of town. The sun was setting, the last rays of sunlight burning the sky into a deep orange. The group laughed and chatted as they walked, telling jokes and swapping stories as they made their way across town.

"So, where are you taking us, Rainbow?" Twilight asked. "It's not that I don't trust you, but I would like to know what to expect."

"Rainbow smirked. "Oh, nowhere big, just Elda's."

Jason hadn't heard of the place, but couldn't help but notice Twilight's small stumble when she heard the name.

"ELDA'S?!?" Twilight exclaimed, her jaw dropping in shock. "What kind of miracle did you pull to get reservations so soon?"

Rainbow's smirk widened to a full grin. "Oh, I called in a few favors." She didn't elaborate, leaving Twilight perplexed.

"Who's Elda?" Jason asked, genuine curiosity driving the question.

Twilight Answered. "Elda Goldenclaw is probably the most famous griffon chef in all of Equestria. She singlehoofedly revolutionized the culinary arts with her unique international combinations and spicing. Usually to get a table at her restaurant, a pony needs to set a reservation at least eight months in advance."

"And," Rainbow added, "She takes rather... special requests. See, Griffons are omnivores too, so they know how to cook meat. Now I know you've been surviving off fish just fine, but I thought you might want some professionally cooked meat."

The thought brought Jason's mouth to a water. "Oh...Wow... I-I don't even know what to say. Are you sure you're ok with that? I mean, you won't have a problem watching me eat it?"

Rainbow scoffed. "Come on, Jason I'm trying to make a good impression here. I want to join your herd and I'll do anything to convince you I'm worth it." She looked at him over her shoulder. "Besides, I'm smart enough to understand there's more to a pony than what they eat."

Jason chuckled lightly. "You might be trying a little too hard there, Rainbow. We've spent enough time together that I already want you to join in our happiness." Twilight shoved him gently with her hoof, giving him a slightly cross look. "Not that I don't appreciate it, of course." He added hastily.

She smiled toward him. "Call it tradition, then. The mare is always supposed to take her potential herdmates to a nice dinner before they decide whether or not she acan join them."

Jason blinked. "Wow, pony relationship roles are totally backwards from human's"

Twilight raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Well, usually the man is supposed to treat the woman to dinner, or other entertainment to keep her interested enough for a second date. Since our population balance is so different, women can be a lot more selective. It falls on the man to keep them interested, usually."

"Huh, backwards is right." Rainbow said. "But you're in Equestria now, so you're gonna have to do things our way." Rainbow said playfully.

Before long they found themselves in front of the restaurant. A line of ponies had formed a line that passed out of one of the doors.

"Are we gonna have to stand in line for this?" Jason asked.

"Oh, no no no. There's always a line that forms here at night. See, sometimes ponies miss their reservations. Elda is pretty harsh on ponies who are late. Even if you're only one minute late, she'll give your table to somepony else. So, as you can imagine, quite a few walk-ins are allowed every night, so ponies line up at the chance that they'll be lucky."

"So, if she's this well known, why set up in Ponyville? I would think someone of her stature would set up in Canterlot or one of the other larger cities." Jason asked.

"Oh, she has multiple restaurants. She has a devoted staff of waiters and cooks at each city, but she likes to jump around from time to time. We're lucky enough to have her here tonight." Rainbow explained.

"Ah, that makes sense." Jason said as he followed her through the door.

A mare wearing a fine working dress stood behind a small podium. She looked up to the trio as they approached, eyes widening as she observed Jason. She wasn't from Ponyville, that much he could tell. She was probably one of Elda's personal assistants who follow her from place to place.

She shook off her surprise quickly and smiled at them. "Good evening, how may I help you?" She had an accent Jason couldn't place, almost like a strange combination of British and French.

Rainbow answered. "Yes, we have a reservation for three at seven forty-five."

"Name?"

"Rainbow Dash."

The mare looked down at her seating and scheduling charts. "Ah yes, your table just opened." She gestured to a younger unicorn mare who stood nearby, who eagerly moved to her side. She pointed at one of the tables on her chart before returning her attention to the trio. "Angel Dust will show you to your seats, enjoy your meal."

They thanked the hostess before following the young mare to a slightly secluded table, set apart from the main seating area. Drinks had already been poured for them and sat waiting their arrival. They took their seats and the waitress departed. Jason took a cautionary sip of the dark red liquid in the wine glass. His taste buds soared in delight as the flavorful, slightly fruity alcohol flowed over his tongue. It was the best wine he had ever had.

Rainbow and Twilight did likewise. He sat dumbfounded as Rainbow somehow lifted the cup with one hoof. He saw other ponies perform the feat, but he still didn't understand how it worked.

"Mmm. This is fantastic!" Twilight said in approval.

"Like I said, all out." Rainbow said before she took a sip.

They spent some time talking, joking and laughing as they waited for their order to be taken. The atmosphere and good company elevating their enjoyment of the evening.

"Rainbow! My friend!" The accent was similar to that of the mare who worked the front, but was louder and deeper.

Jason turned in his seat to see the source of the voice and froze. Walking toward them was Elda Goldenclaw, wearing a very professional-looking chefs shirt. Jason had never seen a griffon before, and to be honest he was a little intimidated at her presence. She had an extremely powerful build and her claws were noticeably razor sharp and immaculately clean.

"Elda!" Rainbow spoke up. "Didn't expect to see you out of the kitchen! What's the occasion?"

"Should be obvious." The griffon responded. "When a good friend is bringing two ponies on a date, one should always try and see who they are." She turned her attention to Jason. "Or maybe one shouldn't say ponies. Who is this, may one ask?"

Jason regained his composure and spoke up. "Cpl. Jason Sinder, Miss Goldenclaw. A pleasure to make your acquaintance." He extended a hand toward her.

She took his hand in her claw, gripping lightly to avoid scratching him. " The pleasure is mine. You must be something to get Rainbow interested in you."

Jason smiled. "I am what I am, I can't really help that these beautiful mares are always falling madly in love with me." Jason said jokingly.

Twilight gave him a light shove and Rainbow blushed. Jason laughed and Elda smiled.

"He certainly does not lack for confidence." The griffon said. "Now then, for tonight's dinner, we are starting with a finely cut salad with spinach, lettuce and tomatoes, drizzled with a light vinaigrette dressing and topped with a finely shredded cheese. The main entree will be a handmade butternut squash and pear ravioli with a smooth rosemary sauce. Although, if one remembers correctly, Rainbow said something about you preferring meat, yes?"

Jason looked at her in surprise. "Well, yes if you have any available."

Elda smiled. "Luckily, Rainbow told this one far enough in advance so she was able to get a prime cut of beef for you. How would you like it cooked?"

Jason was amazed. He hadn't had real beef since he was in the States, and the thought of eating it in this primarily vegetarian world blew his mind. "Erm... I don't know...I'll leave it to the chef's professional discretion."

Elda's grin widened. "Very well. Following the main course will be a cheese tiramisu. This one will be making your dishes personally, so please enjoy your time here. This one wishes you the best of wishes on your date, have a good evening."

"That sounds awesome Elda! Thanks a bunch for this, I won't ever forget it." Rainbow said in a thankful tone.

Elda bowed her head slightly in response before turning and making her way back toward the kitchen.

Jason turned toward Rainbow. "How in the world did you manage to pull this kind of favor? This is incredible! I would never have thought someone like her would completely change her system just so one pony and her dates could have a private table!"

Rainbow smiled. "I taught her Broken Wing. As part of her payment, she promised me a good meal. I never really had a reason to call it in until now, but I'm glad I waited."

"Why would somepony like her need to know Broken Wing?" Twilight asked, curious.

"Griffon pride." Rainbow said flatly. "In the bigger cities, some ponies take exception to her success and sometimes try to attack her. She wanted to learn to defend herself so she wouldn't need a guard. How embarrassing would that be for a griffon? To need a pony to defend them."

"I see what you mean." Twilight said in understanding.

Their conversations continued throughout their meal. Twilight and Jason were feeling their connection to the pegasus growing as they laughed, talked and laughed some more.

The steak that was set before Jason was the single most beautiful item of food he had ever seen. The meat was cooked and seasoned to perfection, tender enough to be cut with a dull butter knife and the various seasonings enhanced the flavor of the meat, instead of drowning it.

Jason stretched in satisfaction as they left the restaurant.

"That was fantastic, Rainbow Dash!" Twilight said with a warm smile.

"No kidding! That was the best food I've ever had, from either Earth or Equestria!" Jason exclaimed.

"I'm very happy you enjoyed it." Rainbow said. She grew quiet as they made their way back to the library.

As they drew closer to their destination, Rainbow finally spoke up.

"So...uh...What do you say?" She asked nervously.

"What do you mean?" Jason asked with a raised eyebrow.

"You know...About... About me...and you..."

"Ah...Right, just give me a moment to talk with Twi." Jason said kneeling down and speaking into her ear.

"You say yes right?" He asked.

"Of course I do!" She whispered back. "I'm happy with her, you're happy with her, what possible reason could we have to say no? I would love for her to join us!"

"Fantastic, I think so too. But play along for now."

Twilight nodded and Jason stood. "We have spoken, and Twilight says yes."

Rainbow perked up in excitement.

"But I'm still on the fence about it. Why don't you follow us back to the library so I have time to think."

"Oh...O-Ok...If you say so." She looked crushed, and Jason had to fight the urge to tell her right now. He hoped the payoff would be worth it.

They walked the rest of the way in silence, letting the anxiety brew in Rainbow slowly.

They finally reached the door to the library and Jason turned around in front of it, Twilight making her way to his side and both of them facing Rainbow Dash.

"I have decided that as far as our herd goes, we only want ponies who would add to our value as a whole."

Rainbow looked to be on the verge of an emotional breakdown, a look of pained confusion flashing across her face. It was time to end the charade.

He gave her a wide, warm smile. "And there is nopony else in the entirety of Equestria who is more qualified than you, Rainbow Dash."

Rainbow's look of pain quickly changed to pure shock at his words.

"If you find us suitable, we would be happy, no, honored to have you join us. We love you, Rainbow Dash." Tears began forming in the pegasus' eyes. "Both as friends, and, if you like, as lovers."

Jason looked down at Twilight, who was giving Rainbow a warm, welcoming smile of her own. Rainbow looked between the two as she tried to make sense of what was happening. Jason laid a hand on the back of Twilight's head before looking back to Rainbow.

"Welcome to the herd."

Tears began flowing down Rainbow's cheeks as her confused expression transformed into one of pure excitement and joy.

Jason didn't have enough time to brace himself as she leapt into him, tackling him through the suddenly open doorway. Twilight had expected her reaction and opened the doorway for them.

Rainbow planted a solid kiss onto his lips, releasing a passion that had been building within her for months. She finally had him, had them. She let her happiness flow into the kiss, hoping to permeate the room with her raw emotion.

Twilight tried to slip past and give them some privacy, however Rainbow wasn't going to have any of it. When she noticed Twilight walking past, she quickly broke her kiss with Jason and stood, flapping her wings once to boost her in front of the lavender unicorn.

Twilight reared her head back in surprise when Rainbow kissed her as well. She had not been expecting this, but before long she began returning the kiss, her eagerness growing as she felt the love flow through her.

The sight of his two loves embraced in such a way was proving to be too much for Jason and before long he began noticing a tightness growing in his trousers. He rolled to his knees and threw his arms around the two mares, pulling them to him. He shared kisses with both of them, some with Rainbow, some with Twilight, and some were shared between all three.

"Uh....Wow....Don't I feel out of place..."

The three of them shot looks down the hallway towards the source of the voice. Spike stood in the middle of the hall, mouth agape in shock.

"Spike!" Twilight blurted out. "What are you doing here?!? I thought you were in Manehattan!"

"I was..." He said slowly, trying to erase the spectacle he had just seen from his mind. "But we had to cut it short. Got an urgent message from the Princess for you, and without any way to send it to you, we came back." He held up a scroll, which Twilight took with a little magic and floated it over to her. She unrolled the scroll and read it quickly.

"Oh...Oh my!" Twilight exclaimed.

"What? What is it?" Jason asked.

"The Princesses are coming! Here! on..." She double checked the date. "On Thursday! Oh no... We only have a day to prepare!... Oh nonononono I need to talk with the mayor!" She turned and ran out the door.

Jason called after her. "Wait, Twi! Why are the Princesses coming!?"

"TO MEET YOU!" She responded before disappearing around a corner.

Jason stood there in surprise for a few seconds before closing the door. Rainbow still looked toward the exit in surprise.

"Wow...Uh...Talk about a mood killer, huh?" Rainbow asked.

"Yeah...Yeah no kidding."

Duty

Fuck. Jason thought to himself nervously, his brow beginning to sweat under the black leather band of his white dress cover. Do I bow or do I salute?

He stood at parade rest, his limbs stiff. The dress blues he wore were tight on his body. Not too small, but tailored to be form fitting as was custom. The uniform complimented his features nicely, making him quite the impressive sight to behold.

But, as is the curse of all dress uniforms, they were designed for appearances, not for comfort. The tight fitting jacket limited Jason's movements, and he had to be careful not to rip the material by moving his arms in ways the uniform was not designed for.

The jacket was stressed slightly as Jason held his hands in the small of his back, his feet spread slightly and pointed at a forty-five degree angle. The heat of the late summer evening was not unbearable, but was far from comfortable and Jason was beginning to sweat into the white undershirt he wore beneath the black jacket.

Twilight stood to his left, Rainbow on his right. Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy stood beside them, all eagerly awaiting the Princesses' arrival. Almost every citizen of Ponyville had gathered around the town square, excited whispers filled the air as ponies crowded the narrow streets, attempting to get the best viewing positions possible.

Jason was just about to bend over and voice his question to Twilight when he saw the Mayor approaching quickly.

"The royal carriage has been seen just outside town. The princesses will be here within minutes!" The Mayor was beaming in excitement. "It isn't often the princesses come to our small town, so as you can imagine their visits, no matter how short, are cause for celebration."

Jason took a quick glance over the rapidly growing crowd. "That seems to be an understatement, Mayor. Everyone seems to love them, truly and unconditionally. Most of the world leaders of Earth would envy this kind of devotion. It's uncommon where I'm from to have this many supporters without any protesters."

"What possible reason could anypony have for protesting the princesses?" The mayor seemed appaled at the thought.

"Maybe they don't like the way they've been running things. Problems with their policies and such." Jason looked at the mayor with a smile, attempting to keep the conversation friendly.

The mayor looked at him indifferently. "Ah...Yes I suppose that makes sense. But we don't have that issue. Princess Celestia has maintained peace in Equestria for over a thousand years. And ever since your marefriend and her friends saved Princess Luna from herself, they have both ruled with kindness and compassion. We love them because they love us, Cpl. Sinder, and we would do anything for them because they would do the same."

Jason chuckled lightheartedly. "You ponies are extremely lucky to have leaders like those. Ponies would not fare so well if your politicians were like ours. Corruption runs rampant in our government, each person has their own secret agenda and goals. Unfortunately, for the most part, those goals are not for the benefit of the common man."

The Mayor gazed down the road, a serious look on her face. Jason was a little concerned at this reaction. He looked toward Twilight to find her already looking up at him. She wore a familiar expression and shook her head slightly. We'll talk later. Jason may not be good at reading other ponies, but he could read Twilight very well. Jason nodded and looked down the road.

He could hear cheering in the distance, and as time passed, it grew louder. His nervous anticipation piqued when he saw ponies throwing confetti and cheering at the bend in the road.

His breath caught as he witnessed the princesses for the first time. They were taller than he was expecting. The white one, who he assumed was Princess Celestia, was closer to the size of a normal horse, her shoulders just slightly lower than his head. Princess Luna was smaller, kind of in-between the size of regular ponies and her larger sister.

He watched in wonder as their manes drifted on invisible currents of magic. Celestia's pastel rainbow and Luna's midnight-blue hair drew him in, and it took effort for Jason to regain his senses. He shook himself quickly before assuming the rigid position of attention, unconsciously trying to extend his height in a vain attempt to gain a few inches.

The princesses approached slowly, taking the time to greet each pony as they passed, exchanging pleasantries and asking the occasional question. Jason waited patiently as the princesses made their way through the crowd. Jason could wait, he was good at waiting.

Jason's mind grew foggy and his vision swam. His balance was a little off and he began swaying slightly. Twilight looked at him in concern.

"Jason, are you ok?" She asked.

The question caught Rainbow's attention and she quickly turned her head toward him.

"Whoa there, big guy! you don't look so good..." She said, worry beginning to creep into her voice.

"I'm fi..." Jason began.

He didn't finish.

Jason's vision went dark as he blacked out, his previously precarious balance now non-existent as he fell face first towards the ground.

The two mares beside him reacted in simultaneous urgency. Twilight's horn glowed as she enveloped the unconscious human in magic, slowing his fall. While Twilight attempted to stop him, Rainbow quickly flew to catch him. She managed to slide her hooves under his chest and head, preventing him from smashing into the ground. Twilight released her magic after gently setting him down and Rainbow rolled him over, keeping one hoof behind his head.

Twilight quickly ran to the human's side, Rainbow turning her head and looking at her with worry.

"What's wrong with him?" Rainbow asked, hoping Twilight would have the answer.

"I...I don't know... He seemed fine this morning." Twilights own worry shown from her voice. She gently laid a hoof on Jason's chest.

She looked down on her stallion for a moment before shaking her head and turning her attention to Rainbow, who was looking down at Jason.

"Rainbow, stay with him. I'm going to go find a nurse." She said with determination.

"That will not be necessary."

Twilight's eyes widened as she recognized the voice. She turned her head quickly and found the royal sisters standing behind where she sat. They looked down towards the small group before them, concerned frowns on their faces.

The other mares they had been standing with now formed a small circle around the downed human, giving them space to tend to him. They bowed their heads toward the princesses when they noticed their presence.

Twilight's instinct screamed at her. Her own training and the loyalty to her teachers and rulers demanded she bow to the pair, but her devotion to Jason rooted her to the spot. Rainbow Dash, who still supported his head, was having the same conundrum.

"Princess Celestia! Princess Luna! Forgive me for not rising." Twilight blurted out, looking at the princesses apologetically.

"There is no need to apologize, Twilight Sparkle." Princess Luna said calmly. "We understand that one's stallion must take priority, especially in situations such as these."

Twilight was relieved she had been able to convince the princess that the Royal Canterlot Voice was not needed in these situations. She still didn't know what was wrong with him and was afraid the incredible volume of Princess Luna's voice could create...problems.

"Thank you for understanding, Your Highness." She bowed her head slightly in gratitude before looking up and glancing around the ring of ponies that had surrounded them. "Please!" she called out gently. "Can someone please find a nurse?"

"IMMF RIGH HERF CSHILD." Twilight heard a muffled voice and quickly looked to find the source when she saw Nurse Redheart running toward them, a medical bag gripped in her teeth.

Twilight stood and moved aside as the nurse positioned herself next to him. She pulled out a stethoscope along with a thermometer, bandages and a few other medical supplies from her bag before tending to the downed human.

It was several minutes before Jason slowly regained consciousness, his head spinning as his vision slowly focused. He was overtaken by a slight sense of vertigo as he was levitated onto a stretcher.

"Urgh...What happened?" Jason groaned.

Twilight and Rainbow were at his side in an instant, concern apparent on their faces.

"Dude, you passed out! We should be asking you! what the hay happened?" Rainbow exclaimed.

"How do you feel, Jason? Are you okay?" Twilight asked.

Jason closed his eyes and shook his head quickly, shaking off the last traces of dizziness from his mind. "yeah...yeah I'm fine..." As his mind cleared, it became immediately apparent what had happened to him.

He propped himself up onto his elbows before brining his hand to his face, covering his eyes in angry embarassment. "Such a fucking BOOT!" He exclaimed to noone in particular.

The two mares standing beside him glanced at each other quickly before looking at him in confusion.

Jason sighed. "It was my fault. I locked my knees when I was at attention. We're always told not to do that for this exact reason. Cuts off blood circulation and makes us pass out."

He looked toward the pair, an embarrased smile on his face. "I guess I was trying to make a good impression and blew it." His eyes widened. "Oh god the princesses saw, didn't they?"

"Indeed we did."

Jason winced when he heard the voice. She had only said three words, but Jason could hear the powerful tone and pure regality of her voice in that simple statement.

Jason immediately stood. He fought the sudden wave of dizziness as the blood rushed to his head. He turned toward the source of the voice. He assumed the rigid position of attention, his hand snapping to his forehead. He winced slightly as he realized the cover was missing from his head.

FUCK! Jason thought to himself, his face blank as he held the salute. That'd be an ass-chewing for sure.

His voice was calm and steady as he spoke. "Good afternoon, Your Royal Highnesses. Corporal Jason Sinder, reporting as ordered."

Jason watched as the princesses regarded him with thinly veiled surprise. Jason couldn't help but notice Princess Luna's small grin at his discipline.

Princess Celestia's surprise was quickly replaced by a kind gentleness as she smiled. "At ease, Marine."

Jason was surprised to say the least. Never did he expect anypony to use the proper military phrasing, much less his title. At least not without him having to explain it. He hesitantly went to parade rest.

The Princess continued. "We are perfectly aware of your discipline and bearing, but you are not in service to our government. We are here to meet you as a citizen, and we would like you to behave as one. Please, we would much prefer this to be a relaxed conversation."

Jason's demeanor relaxed slightly. He kind of wanted this to be a relaxed meeting, but he wasn't stupid. He was speaking with the two most powerful ponies in the entirety of Equestria, and he refused to fall into the trap of complacency. He would answer all of their questions to the best of his ability, but he was going to maintain his discipline, like he was speaking to his Commanding Officer. "Yes, Your Majesty. I will do my best."

Celestia's smile widened as she saw his muscles relax. "Now, if you'll come with us, I have asked the Mayor to prepare the town hall for our meeting. There is much we must discuss."

Jason walked with the princesses. While he was unconscious, he had been moved away from the center of town and the crowd who gathered there. As they walked past, the crowd erupted into cheers. The Princesses maintained their regal appearance as they passed, and Jason couldn't help but notice more than a few angry glares directed toward him.

He ignored them as he walked with the Princesses, Twilight and Rainbow following close behind, along with their other friends. The royal sisters asked many questions, mostly trivial courtesies as they headed towards the large building next to the town square. How has he been? How well was he adjusting? What kind of jobs did he do? Those kinds of questions.

Jason could tell that they already knew the answers. Twilight had been writing them letters diligently, and he was sure she had been including a lot of information about him.

Their idle conversation lasted until the group finally arrived at the town hall. Jason was surprised when he saw the two white stallions, gilded in shining golden armor, flanking the large double doors of the building.

This was the first time Jason had seen the Guard, and he fought the urge to greet them. He was curious about the military-esque ponies. He wanted to see how they might compare to the Marines, but he saw the set of their jaw and knew instantly that they were on duty and wouldn't respond to him anyway.

The guards opened the doors and the Princesses slipped inside. Jason followed closely and the doors closed behind him, shutting the rest of town behind them as they stopped in the front chamber, just outside the main hall.

"Corporal Sinder." Princess Celestia said. "I'm sure you have realized by now that we already know a great deal about you. My faithful student, Twilight Sparkle, has kept us well informed on your...Achievements and progress. From what she has written, you are adapting very well to our society and are doing quite a bit to assist the ponies of Ponyville."

"I will always do whatever I can to help, Your Majesty. These ponies have, for the most part, treated me fairly and with kindness and seem to have accepted me into their community. I cannot say what happens when I'm not around, but when I am, the ponies are very respectful. But, I must say that without Twilight and her friends, I would still be struggling. Their friendship has been the most positive piece of this experience, and, as I say often, possibly one of the greatest things that has ever happened to me." He turned to gesture to where the group of six mares had been and was surprised when they were not there. A touch of nervousness crept into his mind as he turned back toward the princesses.

"Forgive us, Corporal, but we have asked that your herd and their friends remain outside." Princess Luna said, her expression becoming serious.

The absence of the mares troubled Jason quite a bit. He knew that the princesses probably didn't mean him harm, but their presence had steeled his resolve. Now, he stood alone with the two alicorns and he felt very small.

"Yes... There are questions we have that we must ask in private. You are still welcome in Equestria, of course, but there are a few things we would like to know. Call it a test of sorts." Celestia said.

Jason's nervousness grew. A test?...A test of what? Jason remained silent, waiting for the princesses to continue.

"First question." Luna said with determination. "What are your intentions in Equestria?"

That, is a HUGE fucking question... Jason thought as he began thinking of an answer. The Princesses waited patiently as he arranged his thoughts. He compiled his response fairly quickly, but ran the statement through his head a few times before speaking. "Your Highness, the only intention I have is living. I want to help as many ponies as possible, to make myself useful. I'm not looking to make waves in society, just to blend in like I've always been here, like I belong here."

"A fair response, but it seems to lack ambition." Celestia said flatly. "You do not want to, say, have others conform to your standards of 'normalcy'? To make our society more like yours?"

"That has never been my intention, Your Majesty. I am the only one of my kind in the whole of Equestria. I am not so selfish as to have others change their ways for just one alien."

He saw the touch of a grin pass over Luna's lips before Celestia spoke. "Your modesty is certainly admirable. Now, next question: What do you have to offer to our world?"

Another big question. "It is true that my particular skill set is not particularly useful to such a peaceful world, but I have a few insights on tools and machines, as well as some techniques and methods that could assist the laborers of Equestria. I have done many jobs around Ponyville, ranging from repairing small watches all the way to building homes for the growing population. Some would call me a jack of all trades. However, even though I can do quite a few different jobs, I am by no means an expert at any of them. The only thing I have absolute confidence in is being a Marine."

"Which brings us to our next question." Princess Luna said. "Given the opportunity, would you consider entering into military service for Equestria?"

That question kicked like a mule. He didn't know. He loved Ponyville, but had never even considered the possibility. He knew he had a lot of information that could be useful to the Guard, but his methods would be extreme. He was trained to kill people, a skill he wasn't sure would be received well within the Guard ranks.

His mind turned to his motivation for joining the Marines in the first place. He joined to defend his home, his family and his country. He was willing to fight for them, and die for them. He thought of Twilight and Rainbow. The home they shared. The countless citizens of Ponyville who had welcomed him with kindness. He felt more connection to this small town than he had ever felt for New York. The answer came easily after that sudden realization.

"Yes... Yes I would Your Highness. If I was ever called upon to defend my new home and the ponies who live there, I would not hesitate to take up arms against whatever may threaten it. My life means nothing compared to those I love. Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Applejack... They mean far more to Equestria than I ever will. They have done things that have changed the world, and always for the better. I promise, if anything were to ever endanger them, or any of the citizens of Equestria, I would lay down my life for their defense."

The Princesses' eyes widened in surprise at the determination in his voice. They understood immediately that this was far more than a simple answer. This was an oath, a promise to them as much as to himself. This was far more than they were expecting. The Guard had it's oath of enlistment, of course, but they had never heard anypony promise their lives to the defense of Equestria. They looked at each other quickly before returning their attention to the Marine before them. He stood at a stiff parade rest.

Jason's heart was pumping, adrenaline flowing through his veins. He had only felt like this once before. The day he stood on the parade deck of Parris Island, short minutes after completing the Crucible. He had flashbacks of his Drill Instructors moving down the ranks of his platoon, stopping before each Marine and handing them the small metal insignia. The day he had earned his Eagle, Globe and Anchor.

He once again fought back tears of pride. Only after he had said the words, did he understand the truth of what he said. He felt a greater devotion to Equestria than he had ever felt for Earth and America. He had been devoted to his home country, but there were constant reminders that there was evil within America. The prisons were filling and he had seen more than one violent crime in his life. He knew of the slime and corruption that ran rampant within big corporations and politicians. He knew that there were a lot of officials who were willing to trade his life and the lives of his Marines without much of a thought.

He had seen none of that in the months he had spent in Equestria. He felt a greater determination at defending and preserving the innocence of this world. He would fight as needed to protect those he loved. He would fight so normal ponies wouldn't have to.

The Princesses' faces grew into warm smiles as they regarded him with newfound respect. Princess Celestia spoke. "We had come with more questions, but that answer has erased any kind of doubt we may have once shared. We are grateful for your obvious devotion."

"Indeed we are. You show more enthusiasm towards duty than we have ever seen." Luna added. "Which is quite the statement. We have lived more than a thousand years, and have never met anypony so willing to sacrifice themselves for Equestria."

Jason shook his head slightly. "Please, your Highness, do not misinterperate my words. I will fight to defend this land, but I will not simply roll over and die for it. I will take any means necessary to eliminate any threat there is to my home and the ponies I care for. If this fighting takes my life, so be it, but I will continue fighting until the last breath is taken from my body."

Luna's smile widened. "As is expected. Now then, shall we explain to him the other reason for our visit, dear sister?"

"Indeed we shall."

Jason looked at them curiously.

Luna continued. "You see, Jason, may we call you Jason?"

Jason smiled slightly. "You are the Princesses of an entire land. You could call me Monkey and I would respond."

"All right Jason, my sister and I have a small wager. She claims that the Guard is a significant fighting force, capable of defending Equestria at a moments notice." Luna paused, giving Jason a serious look.

Jason nodded in understanding. "But...?"

A small grin formed on her lips. "I believe the exact opposite is true. I do still have memories from when I was Nightmare Moon, and I have more than a few of the Guard showing their incompetence. Neither of us are particularly well versed in military practice, and leave much of that job to our generals."

Princess Celestia continued for her sister. "What we would like from you, as a combat veteran, is an honest appraisal of our prime force. In order to settle our wager, they need to either pass or fail an inspection from you."

Jason's eyes widened slightly at the implication. I'm supposed to inspect an entire fighting force?!? Jason recovered from the surprise quickly. "It would be an honor, your Majesty, but if I may ask, what would you consider a 'pass'?"

"We leave that up to you, Jason. Inspect them, and give us your honest opinion on their capabilities." Luna said.

"I can do that your Highness. When did you want me to perform the inspection?" Jason asked.

A mischievous grin spread across Princess Luna's face as she turned toward the door to the inner hall. The large doors were enveloped in blue magic as she opened them.

"Right now..."

Jason's heart skipped a beat as he witnessed the huge formation filling a vast majority of the large chamber. A single path ran down the enter of the room. The formation, broken up into eight platoon-sized units, stood on either side, facing inward.

Jason ran his eyes over the formations, taking in the general appearance of the unit before beginning his in-depth inspection. Jason noticed they were all stallions. As he looked over the formations, he noticed that stallions of the same species shared coat and mane colors. Unicorns were a charcoal gray with white tails and matching plumage on their golden helmets, while pegasi and earth ponies shared a white and blue color scheme. Jason assumed that the color of their hair and coat was considered part of their uniform. From a distance, Jason was impressed. The ponies standing before him appeared decently disciplined, or at least well-practiced at standing at attention.

Jason moved to the left of the path and slowly walked in front of the formation, closely inspecting the front rank of Guards. Their armor was well polished

The princesses stood at the doors, waiting patiently as Jason conducted his inspection. As he walked in front of the assembled stallions, he noticed nearly every stallion following his movements with their eyes.

He finished his pass of the left side and began made his way back to the front of the hall, inspecting the remaining formations on the right. They looked impressive, certainly, but there was something missing. There was no intensity in the stallions, no devotion to the formation. Jason knew they thought this was more of a chore than anything.

Jason made a second pass, this time walking between the second and third ranks of the formations, getting a closer look at the stallions who would normally be hidden by the ponies in front of them.

He saw more than a few eyes widen in surprise and worry as he looked over the rear stallions.

He could now easily see the tue state of these guards. The front stallions obviously took extensive time cleaning their armor, since they were the ones who would be seen. As he looked over the back ranks, he saw many sets of tarnished armor, unkept plumage, untrimmed tails and ill fitting uniforms.

Jason finished his pass of the right formation and didn't even bother making his way down the opposite side before quickly making his way back to the princesses. He came to attention directly in front of them, a look of impatient anger on his face.

"They fail, Your Highnesses." He said, his voice tense.

The princesses' eyes widened in surprise at the determination in his voice.

Princess Celestia spoke up. "That was a very fast verdict, Jason. Do you care to elaborate?"

"They lack discipline. It is extremely easy to spot for a trained eye, but these guards only do the bare minimum required to please you. The personal appearance of the guards in the rear ranks is horrendous, a lot of them don't look like they've cleaned their armor in months. They also have no bearing."

"What do you mean by bearing?" Princess Luna asked.

"Permit me a demonstration, Your Highness."

Luna nodded and Jason turned to the first fromation on the right, centering himself directly in front of the assembled stallions.

"Who is in charge of this unit?" Jason asked.

"I am, Sir." Jason's eyes were drawn to the stallion at the very front of the first rank. He was surprised at the stallions appearance. He was a unicorn, yet his coat was white as opposed to the dark gray that was used among the other unicorns. Jason was curious as to what might give this stallion the right to break the uniformity of his unit.

"Front and center, Guardsman." Jason said quickly.

The stallion walked over and stood in front of Jason, lifting his head to look into Jason's face. Jason looked over the Guard's armor. It had the same basic shape as the rest of the guards, however the color scheme had been customized. Other than the borders of the golden plate, the armor had been colored a deep lavender. Jason could instantly recognize where he had seen the color before. It was the same color as Twilights coat. Jason's eyes then noticed the pink six pointed star that adorned the armor directly below his neck. Realization crept into Jason's mind.

"What is your name, Guard?"

"Shining Armor, Sir. Captain of the Royal Guard." The white stallion said.

Jason nodded. Well...Shit...I was really hoping to meet him in a better situation than this. I hope I get a chance to talk to him later...He's going to hate me for this Jason thought to himself as he inhaled.

"Your unit is unsat, Guard. Your front rank looks to be the only stallions in this whole unit who have even touched their armor to clean it. Some of these Guards are so fat they barely fit in their armor. There is no uniformity in their tails and there are helmets back there that are missing chunks of plumage. How the hell did you let them come to this inspection in such a sorry state?"

Shining Armor blinked, his eyes widening in surprise. "Uh...Well I...Uh" He floundered for the words.

"Uh uh ummm....SPEAK GUARD!" Jason said, his voice raising.

"We didn't know we were being inspected Sir! We thought it was an exercise!"

"So you only care about your appearance when you're about to be inspected? That's fucking pathetic. Any Captain worth anything should be on their stallions all the time to make sure they look their best. How the hell did you get this job? You're obviously not qualified."

Shining Armor's eyes narrowed in anger. "How dare you... What right do you have to criticize how I lead my Guards?"

"Watch your mouth there, Guard." Jason interrupted.

"NO! I won't have my unit disgraced by an alien! What the hay do you know about military life?!"

Jason's response was even, yet tense. "Six years of active service. Two combat deployments. Participation in at least a dozen firefights." Jason paused as he inhaled, his eyes hardening as he looked down on the stallion. "Five confirmed kills." He said quietly. "I have far more true military experience than you could imagine."

Shining Armor's eyes widened as he learned this. He quickly realized that Jason had a much better understanding of military life than he had expected.

"Get back in formation, Captain."

Shining Armor moved back to his place in the formation, his face blank.

Jason walked back before the Princesses who looked at him in near-shock. They were not expecting this display.

"Did you see how quickly the Captain let his emotions take control of his thoughts? Bearing is the ability to maintain a cool head even under duress. If any kind of situation ever arises where they would need to react quickly to save other ponies, that little hesitation bred from emotions could mean the difference between victory and defeat. The Captain is not the only stallion here with the issue. There are other subtle signs present in every one of these stallions that they would fall to emotion fairly quickly. It's not an issue of devotion, but of poor training. Now, please understand Your Highnesses, the training I speak of will change ponies. They would be more effective in combat, but their demeanor will change. They might be more aggressive towards others, and will have a much tougher attitude. I would not recommend putting anypony through it unless there is an imminent threat to Equestria. I believe that these Stallions are good ponies. They wanted to join to protect the peace, and I respect them for that. I wouldn't want to change them unless it was absolutely necessary."

Princess Luna spoke up. "If a situation ever arose where we required you to provide this training you speak of, would you be willing to provide it?"

"Of course, Your Majesty, without hesitation."

"Good, Good... We will keep that in mind." Celestia said before turning to face her sister. They spoke in private for a short time. Jason watched as Princess Luna nodded and they returned their attention to the Marine.

Princess Celestia raised her voice, ensuirng everypony in the hall could hear what she was about to say.

"Corporal Jason Sinder, do you promise, from this day forth, to protect and serve Equestria and her citizens? To stand and defend the Royalty and our citizens from threats both foreign and domestic?"

The words were extremely similar to the oath he had sworn upon his enlistment in the Marines. The promise he was about to make would bind him to the defense of the nation and his home.

He did not hesitate in his response.

"I, Corporal Jason Sinder, do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the land of Equestria against all enemies, foreign and domestic. I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same, and that I will obey the orders of the Princesses and the orders of the officers appointed over me, so help me God."

He repeated the oath from memory. The day he had first spoken those words had been one of the most important days of his life, and he had taken the time to remember them verbatim, adjusting to fit the situation of course.

The Princesses smiled. Celestia spoke. "Then, as of this day, The Princesses of Equestria do hereby commission you, Corporal Jason Sinder, into the Royal Guard, and promote you to the rank of Captain. All personnel of lesser grade shall obey any and all lawful orders given by you. You will be stationed here in reserve until such a day where Equestria may require your services. Congratulations, Corporal Jason Sinder, Captain of the Guard."

Princess Luna continued for her sister. "As is fit for your position, you may choose the symbol to adorn your insignia of grade. Do you know what you would like?"

Jason's heart was racing, his mind reeling with a surprised pride. He thought of countless possibilities for the design. After filtering through countless ideas, he was left with only two. He was just about to ask for the six pointed star, similar to the one Shining Armor wore, but thought better of it. He wasn't going to steal the unicorn's insignia, and decided that, if for any reason he was captured, he would not want anything to link him with either of the mares he loved.

"Yes, Your Majesty. I would like this, the Eagle Globe and Anchor, as my insignia." He said, pointing to one of the golden emblems placed on his collar.

"And so shall it be." The Princess said. She pulled up a piece of fabric which had been left on a bench against the wall and began transmuting it into a blue, shield shaped patch. He watched as the golden insignia was formed onto the patch.

Once completed, the patch was floated to Jason. He quickly looked at the patch and, satisfied with the appearance, gave the Princess a nod.

She moved the patch over his left breast pocket, aligning it perfectly with the seams and pressing it into place. Jason felt a slight warmth creep into his chest as the insignia was permanently attached to his uniform, directly over his heart.

The magic faded, leaving the patch in place.

"Congratulations, Captain." Celestia said with a smile. "I look forward to the achievements and service you provide in your new station."

"It is an honor, Your Majesty. I will do my best to represent the crown with pride and duty."

The Princess nodded before turning her attention to the formation of guards.

"Captains! Assemble before me please."

The eight officers separated themselves from their units and quickly made their way to the Princesses, forming a single line before them.

"Princess Luna and myself shall be returning to Canterlot today. The Guard will be allowed the evening to rest before returning tomorrow. Take the time to meet your new comrade. I'm sure many of you have questions, especially you, Shining Armor. Relax, enjoy the time off, and be ready to travel tomorrow. That is all, dismissed."

The Captains saluted and returned to their units. They spoke to their stallions quickly before dismissing them.

The Princesses turned to Jason.

"We will take our leave now, Captain. Return to your friends, I am sure they will be eager to hear of what took place here." Princess Celestia said, a warm smile on her face.

"Yes, Your Majesty. I'm sure they are."

"Dismissed." Princess Luna said.

Jason came to attention and saluted. After a nod from the Princesses, he cut the salute and turned toward the exit, exhilaration practically oozing from him.

Twilight stood, speaking with her friends. She had no idea what was going on in the hall, but she was sure that whatever it was, it was going to be big.

She heard the doors open and turned her head quickly to the building.

Jason emerged, beaming in excitement.

She ran towards him, her friends following closely behind her. Rainbow Dash, of course, won the race and landed in front of him. Her eyes were locked on his chest and her jaw had dropped in astonishment.

Twilight soon stood beside her herdmate and followed her gaze to the new insignia which adorned his chest. Her own jaw dropped as she recognized the symbol and the weight it carried.

"They...They made you a Captain of the Guard?" Twilight said in astonishment.

"That...Is... AWESOME!" Rainbow exclaimed.

Jason braced himself just in time for Rainbow's now-expected leap. He almost fell as she leapt into the embrace, wrapping her hooves around his neck and planting a loving kiss on his lips. He returned her kiss quickly before breaking contact, looking into her eyes. "I am indeed a Captain, but I will remain here in reserve until they need me."

Rainbow lowered herself to her hooves, Twilight taking her place in an embrace. "Congratulations, Captain Sinder." She said with a smile.

Jason kissed her, expressing his gratitude the best way he knew how. After a few seconds, Jason broke the kiss and leaned his head back. "By the way, your brother is here."

Her eyes widened in surprise.

"Shining is here? I had no idea he was coming! Did you get a chance to talk?"

"Erm...Yeah... But I'm afraid it didn't go as well as I'd hoped it would..."

Twilight raised an eyebrow towards him as she lowered herself to her hooves. "Really? What happened?"

Jason sighed. "I may have just embarrassed him in front of his stallions and the Princesses..."

Twilight's eyes widened in surprise. "Why? What did you do?"

"Here, we'll talk as we walk." Jason said as he began walking toward the library, the six mares following him closely as he told them about what happened within the town hall.

Jason walked into the crowded tavern, his freshly pressed cammies now adorned with a smaller version of the insignia he had been given. Twilight had been more than willing to make him one the size of his chevrons, and he had replaced the rank on his left lapel with the insignia.

It had been easy enough to find the large gathering of stallions on liberty. It seemed military men, no matter their species, shared similar hobbies.

No sooner than he walked through the door did the racket of the building die to absolute silence. Jason felt the eyes of every stallion in the bar upon him. Tension was thick in the air and Jason felt a lump forming in his throat.

Jason cleared his throat, attempting to shake off his nervousness. "Good evening gents. Don't stop your revelry on my account."

The room remained silent, contentious eyes staring at him.

Jason sighed. "Look, I know you are all upset with me. I would be too if some random pony did what I did to me. Understand that I was doing what the Princesses had asked of me. Never did I expect they would commission me like that. I promise you, unless ordered to, I will never do that to anypony again. I know all to well the embarrassment that comes from an inspection like that, and I do not wish it upon anypony."

"I also promise that I will do my best to bring honor to the Guard. Equestria is now my home, and I will do everything in my power to defend her."

Jason became quiet. He didn't know what else to say. The tension in the room remained and Jason felt like he was drowning in their stares.

After a short time, he heard a voice call from across the room. "Captain Sinder! Join us, will you?"

Jason looked for the source of the voice and soon saw the eight Captains seated around an isolated table at the very edge of the room. Everypony in the room simultaneously looked to the Captains before returning to their drinks. Jason raised a hand in acknowledgement before slowly making his way over to them, weaving between crowded tables as he worked his way closer to the group of officers.

Shining Armor waved a hoof toward him as he approached, the other seven Captains were staring at him in contempt.

Shining's horn glowed and a chair was levitated to an open space at the table. Jason nodded in thanks and sat.

Jason took a backward glance around the room. More than a few of the Guards were still staring at him. Jason returned his attention to the table and sighed. "Well... I've certainly made quite the impression."

He was surprised when he heard Shining Armor chuckle.

"You could say that again. But to be fair, you just insulted everypony in this room and then got promoted for it. I'm sure you can understand why that could be a little irritating."

Jason nodded in understanding. "Honestly, I never wanted this. I wanted to work my way up from the bottom, like any normal Guard. Never did I expect to be boosted up the ranks like that.

Shining looked at him incredulously. "Are you kidding? You have more true combat experience than anypony in all of Equestria. I'm kind of surprised they didn't make you a General. The information and experience you can provide us could be invaluable should we ever need to go into any sort of battle."

"That isn't something I wish on anyone, but if you understand the Princesses reasoning, I'm sure there are others who do as well. Why are you the only pony willing to talk to me? If anything, you should be the one who hates me the most. Given the fact I called you out directly..."

A half grin appeared on Shining's face. "I'm talking to you because you're dating my sister. I'm pretty sure you can understand that."

Jason gave a low chuckle. "Yeah, that's about as good a reason as any."

The unicorn's smile widened. "Here, let me get you a drink. If there's one thing that can get words moving a little, it'd be alcohol." He stood and raised a hoof toward one of the waitresses.

Jason was surprised, to say the least. He was expecting to be the one buying drinks tonight, as a way of making up for the embarrassment he had caused. His cargo pocket was bulging with coins.

The almond colored mare made her way over to them, eyeing the human a little before speaking. "Good evening, gentlecolts. What can I get for you tonight?"

" A round of drinks for us and our new comrade here." Shining said, gesturing around the table. "The strongest thing you've got."

The mare nodded and walked away toward the bar.

Jason turned his attention to the other officers gathered around the bar. They all seemed distinctly unhappy that he was there. Jason sighed. "Look, gents, I know you probably hate me, and for good reason. But please know that what you saw today is not how I usually am. The only reason I did what I did is because the Princesses asked me to. Never would I have called out your stallions like that. I may pull you aside and speak to you about it, but only in private so you could take care of it in your own way. I've had the same thing happen to me many times, and I do not want to do it again. We don't have to be friends, but if we are going to be working together, we can at least be civil."

The seven stallions looked at each other quickly. Eventually one sighed, relaxing slightly before speaking.

"Look, Captain Sinder..."

"Jason."

The sand-coated earth pony raised an eyebrow toward him. "Pardon?" His accent had a bit of a southern twist, not unlike Applejack's.

"We're off duty... I'm pretty sure there aren't any regulations restricting how we talk to each other on libbo. I want this to be relaxed, so please, feel free to use my first name."

"Erm... Okay Jason. Anywho, we understand the Princesses told ya ta perform tha inspection, an' we respect your verdict. Ah guess we're jus' a little bitter 'bout their eagerness to promote ya so quick. We worked hard ta earn these ranks, and they just gave it ta ya without a second thought. What we wanna know is what qualifies ya fer such special treatment."

The almond-coated waitress returned and placed glasses before each of the officers. The group thanked her and she departed.

"Well that is certainly understandable. Are there any specific questions you had?" Jason asked. He took the glass from in front of him and lifted it to his mouth. His throat burned as the amber liquid slid over his tongue, leaving behind a faint apple aftertaste.

one of the other captains, a blood red unicorn, spoke up. "Yes, what kind of training did you go through? We know you're military, that's obvious enough, but I personally want to see if you're up to par."

"Fair enough..." Jason took another sip, thinking over his answer before speaking again.

He started from the beginning, talking about the strict screening he had gone through before he was even allowed to enlist. He then began telling stories of his time in boot camp, detailing the training and discipline that was instilled into him by his Drill Instructors over the three months on Parris Island.

He managed to get a few laughs from the stallions as he told them some of the funnier stories of the stupid things recruits did. The officers were beginning to warm to him as they learned the true depth of his training. The military was a part of him, and the Captains were quickly learning to accept him.

Drinks continued flowing as Jason spoke. After finishing his tales of boot camp and MCT, the other Captains began telling stories of their own. The group laughed as they drank, bonding as soldiers while they exchanged stories.

Jason was slowly becoming inebriated, his words flowing more naturally as he drank. During one of his stories, he raised an arm to emphasize one of his points. As he did so, his hand came into contact with a mug of beer, knocking it from the grip of a gray unicorn who was making his way behind them.

The mug shattered as it collided with the ground, spilling the alcohol across the wooden floor.

The room became silent at the noise, all eyes turning to the stallion and the human.

"Hey! Watch it, freak!" The stallion said, contemptious anger in his voice.

The other Captains around the table immediately stood and moved to the unicorn. "What did you just say, Guard?" Shining Armor hissed.

The stallion's eyes widened in surprise at their quick response to defend the human.

"Nothing to you, Sirs. I was talking to the freak."

Shining Armor moved closer to the stallion, causing him to sit and lean back to avoid touching the Captain. "You may want to rethink those words. Say them again and I will have you court-martialed."

"Stand down, Captain. I'll handle this." Jason said calmly.

Shining Armor cast a glance over his shoulder towards Jason. "You sure?"

Jason stood and turned toward the offending stallion. "Definitely. How can I earn any respect if I can't handle my own battles?"

Shining Armor backed away from the unicorn, allowing Jason to move and stand directly in front of the seated stallion. The unicorn was forced to crane his neck to look at Jason's face, the human towering a good three feet above him.

"Do you have an issue?" Jason asked, his voice calm.

The stallion stood, his eyes angry. "Yeah...Yeah I do..."

"Do you want to handle it?"

"Yes."

"Then let's handle it." Jason quickly undid the four buttons on the front of his blouse, followed by the cuffs. He slid the shirt off and laid it over the chair he had been sitting in.

"Outside... Now." Jason turned towards the exit and began walking, the gray unicorn following closely behind him.

Before long they found themselves facing each other in the street, illuminated by a single light from the tavern. Many of the guards had followed them out, eager to watch the fight.

They stood there for a few seconds, measuring up their opponent and looking for any kind of weakness. Before long, Jason assumed the basic MCMAP stance he had gotten so used to. His feet were staggered, his right foot to the rear and his left foot forward, giving him a solid base. His hands were brought into fists before his face, just in front of his mouth. His elbows were close together, using his forearms to protect his chest.

"Come at me then, you little shit." Jason said, his voice cold.

The unicorn's eyes flashed in anger and he crouched low, preparing to tackle the human.

This was a technique Rainbow had used countless times in their practice, as such Jason knew exactly what to expect. He waited for the stallion's legs to tense before he leapt.

The unicorn leapt forward, his hooves extended. He attempted to use his momentum to knock Jason from his feet. Jason sidestepped quickly, rotating his body and allowing the stallions hooves to fly past him harmlessly. Jason extended his forearms, knocking the stallions legs aside and disorienting him. Jason rotated his arm at the elbow, opening his hand and catching the flying stallion's chin in a vice-like grip.

Jason lifted the guards head, allowing his momentum to carry his lower body under his head, twisting him onto his back. Once the body had passed the head, Jason grunted and slammed the unicorn onto the ground. The guard gasped as the wind was knocked out of him.

Jason released his grip and stood. Believing his opponent to be defeated, he turned and began walking back towards the bar. The spectators watched, Jaws hanging limply in astonishment at the human's prowess.

Before Jason had taken five steps, he heard the gravel road crunch as the guard stood. He noticed a faint blue glow forming around his body. That mother FUCKER! Jason thought quickly. He dove to the side, attempting to break the unicorn's focus. He rolled as he hit the ground, scooping a few pieces of loose gravel into his hand. He came to his feet in a low crouch, facing the stallion.

The guard's horn glowed as he attempted to wrap the human in magic.

Jason threw one of the stones at the stallion. One of two things could happen. Either the unicorn will grab the stone with his magic, leaving Jason open, or the rock would hit him in the face, distracting him and leaving Jason open.

The guard winced as the stone smashed into his nose. Jason took the opening and closed the distance.

He looped one of his long arms around the back of the stallion's neck, wrapping his elbow around the pony's trachea. With his free hand, Jason grabbed onto the unicorn's horn. Jason stood to his full height, pulling the stallion to his hind legs. Jason placed the hand of the arm that held the choke into the elbow of his other arm, using it as leverage as he tightened his grip.

The stallion struggled slightly, so Jason wrapped a leg around his lower body and let them fall backwards. They hit the ground with a thud and Jason quickly wrapped his free leg around the stallions other hind leg, immobilizing them with his thighs and calves.

The stallion's forelegs flailed helplessly in the air.

"Are you done?" Jason's voice was calm and even.

"Screw you..." The stallion choked out.

"You know... I could kill you right now. It would be easy... just a little more pressure." Jason flexed his muscles for a split second, causing the stallion to gag before Jason released the pressure. "But I don't want to. We're on the same side, you and I. We both serve to protect our homes... The ones we love. It would be so much better if we could get along. But do not test me. I have more combat experience than anypony here. I have killed people, and I will not hesitate to do it again if anything threatens me or my home. Now then... Are... You... Done?"

The unicorn nodded and Jason instantly released him. The stallion wheezed as his lungs fought to bring in more air.

The guard rolled off and Jason got to his feet, brushing dirt from his clothes before turning to face the slowly recovering stallion. He extended his hand, offering to help the stallion to his hooves. The unicorn extended his hoof gratefully and Jason grabbed it, pulling him up. Jason held the grip and looked the stallion square in the eyes.

"No hard feelings?"

a respectful smirk formed on the guards face. "None at all, sir."

With newfound respect toward one another, the pair made their way back into the bar.

As Jason passed by the large group who had come out to watch, more than a few of them patted him on the back, and even more had comments to make.

"Awesome fight, Sir!"

"You really laid him out! Good work, Sir!"

"That was badass, Sir!"

The unicorn Jason had fought led him to the bar and placed a few gold coins on the counter.

"A drink, for myself and the Captain. The strongest you have!"

The bartender swept the coins from the table and poured them two glasses. They took up their glasses and the unicorn turned toward the ponies around the room.

"HEY! LISTEN UP!" he shouted.

The noise around the room slowly died as the soldiers turned their attention toward the gray unicorn.

"A Toast! To our new Captain! May he continue to kick ass and bring honor to the guard!"

the tavern exploded into cries of "Hear hear!" and various other cheers. Jason smiled and downed the entire glass of liquor. The cheers increased in volume as Jason held up the glass before slamming it mouth down onto the bar.

"A ROUND! A ROUND FOR EVERYPONY!" Jason shouted. The tavern redoubled in volume.

It was somewhere around three A.M. when Jason and Shining Armor finally stumbled through the library doors.

They were unable to walk straight, and knocked quite a few stacks of books and other items to the ground.

"Jason?" Twilight's voice was quiet and nervous. The racket they were making had awoken her and she peeked her head over the stairs before turning on the light with her magic.

"Twilie! It's..It's..It's so g-good to see you!" Shining Armor said.

"Twilie?" Jason asked, chuckling loudly.

"Shining! Why didn't you come by sooner! I...Was..." Her voice trailed off as she watched her brother and her herdmate stumble around the room. "Are you guys okay?"

"Never better!" Jason said loudly before letting out a loud belch. "Scratch that... Now I feel better."

The two Captains laughed together as Twilight walked down the stairs.

"Oh...Celestia, you guys are drunk!" She said in surprise.

"Oh, no...No no no not at all." Jason said as he caught himself from falling, knocking over an end table in the process. "Okay... Yeah we are. But just a little."

Twilight rolled her eyes before laughing lightly. "Come on... Let's get you guys to bed"

Twilight placed a hoof on her brother's shoulder, guiding him toward the couch. He was asleep before his head hit the cushion.

Twilight turned and looked at Jason. He looked at her with half lidded eyes and a small, sensual smile.

Twilight gave him an incredulous look. "No."

"What?"

"No! You're wasted! You need sleep!"

"Oh come on! It's like, my birthday or something!"

Twilight rolled her eyes. "No, and that's final." Her horn glowed and she grabbed Jason in a telekinetic field, levitating him off the ground slightly. She moved him towards his room and opened the door. Jason struggled feebly in an attempt to break free. Twilight walked him over to the bed and laid him down on his side.

"I love you, Twi." He said.

Twilight's eyes widened a little and she looked down on him. He had already fallen into a drunken slumber.

Twilight smiled and shook her head. She leaned down and planted a kiss on his cheek. "I love you too, Jason." She said before making her way out of the room, flicking off the lights before gently closing the door behind her.

Rings and Races

PART TWO
Darkened Horizons

Jason stood from his kneeling position, brushing sawdust from his nearly-white cammies as he took a step back and examined his work.

Before him laid a rather large bed-frame. He had spent nearly a month cutting, sanding, nailing and staining the wood, giving him immense pride at the prowess of his creation. From his vantage point, he noticed a few spots he had missed while applying the second coat of sealant. He sighed before dipping his brush into the can and dabbing the clear liquid onto the offending locations.

Planer made his way over to see Jason's work.

"Just 'bout done, eh? Ah tell ya Sir, it's a shame ya won't let me sell it. Ah could make a small fortune offa this piece."

Jason rolled his eyes. Planer never missed a chance to poke fun at his position, but the human still felt obligated to comment on it.

"Come on, Planer. You're one of my oldest friends. Enough with the "Sir" shit. You know how I hate that."

"Well, what can ah say? It's hard fer a retired Guard ta break habits like that." Planer said with a smirk.

Jason sighed and returned to his feet, moving to where Planer stood and examining his work again.

"Yeah, it's just about done. Just need to let it dry. Thanks again for letting me use your tools for this."

"Aw, hay. You've been helpin' me for what, three years now? After all the money ah've made offa yer pieces, tha least ah could do is let ya use mah tools." He gave the human a nudge. "Ah have ta say though, if the rest of your furniture is near as fancy as that, yer new house is gonna be the fanciest in all o' Equestria!"

Jason smiled at the praise. He knew Planer was exaggerating, but he appreciated the sentiment nonetheless.

Jason had saved up quite a bit of money over the past years. The constant demand for the human's skills had made him quite the hot commodity, so he was almost always working. The speed and the skill he delivered to his various contracts had pleased his clients to no end, and quite a few of them were extremely generous tippers.

Roughly three or four months ago, Jason and Twilight had finally managed to convince Rainbow to move in with them. She had been hesitant to leave her home in the clouds, since she had assembled it herself, shaping the clouds to fit her needs, and on top of that it was fairly spacious and comfortable. However, due to Jason and Twilight's grounded nature, they were unable to visit her as often as they wanted. Sure, Twilight could cast her cloudwalking spell, but that had its own limitations. They were able to visit for short periods of time, but if they wanted to, say, spend the night, they would constantly need to monitor the time to ensure the spell wouldn't wear off while they were in the clouds. They used these facts to slowly convince Rainbow that moving would help strengthen the relationship.

It was more of a transition than a move. Rainbow gradually spent more and more time with her herdmates, slowly moving her personal belonings from her cloud home to the library.

It had only taken a few days for her to learn the...Benefits... Of sharing a home.

Unfortunately, as Rainbow moved her things, they quickly realized how limited they were on space. Boxes had started piling up as Rainbow ran out of places to put her things.

And so, Jason took it upon himself to find them a new house, one large enough for their small herd. Both Rainbow and Twilight had offered to help pay for the house, but Jason had refused. In essence, both of the mares worked for the government. Twilight could make quite the stipend from the research she performed, but she had long ago decided to release her knowledge freely to the ponies of Equestria, advancing the magic practices of the world with little compensation, other than accreditation. Her only source of income was the small flow of money that came from Ponyville's government for running the public library. It was enough to live comfortably on, but not much more than that.

Rainbow was more of a federal government worker, being in charge of Ponyville's weather team. She was responsible for maintaining the carefully balanced ecosystem according to the various weather charts that were distributed from the professionals in Cloudsdale. As the leader of the team, Rainbow made a little more than the average weather pegasus, but it was still a government job.

It hadn't taken long for them to choose their new home. There were only two houses with the space they needed, and one of them was nearly falling apart due to disrepair and infestation. That left them with one house at the outskirts of Ponyville. It was a two-story, three bedroom home with two bathrooms, a fairly large living room with a fireplace, a well-equipped kitchen (much to Spike's delight), and a fair bit of yard space with trees and flowers. It was a gorgeous home, and Jason was happy to begin the payments. It was not cheap, but at the rate of his income, he would be able to pay it off within a couple of years.

Despite the obvious appeal of the home, it was still unfurnished. They had moved some of the furniture from the library, such as the sofas, dressers, tables and a few chairs, but Jason had decided to make a few pieces himself to finish out the furnishing.

Satisfied with his work, he resealed the can of clear sealant and replaced it in a cabinet before making his way to a sink to clean the brush. Planer took a few closer looks at the bedframe, examining the designs and patterns which adorned the walnut-colored wood.

"Ya know, I wasn't kiddin'..." He said before making his way back to the cabinet he was working on. "That's probably the finest piece o' carpentry ah've ever laid mah eyes on. I may not be one a them so-called 'masters' from Canterlot, but in our little town you are by far the most talented craftsman."

Jason gave a half grin. "So people tell me. That's the only reason I can think of as to why ponies like to give me so much money for so little work."

Jason hadn't actually worked for Planer since that first spa contract. He would occasionaly help the stallion on larger jobs, but often times he did it as a favor. Jason had taken up the carpentry as a hobby, something he did for fun when he was in-between jobs. He allowed Planer to sell his pieces in the shop, giving the shopkeeper a percentage of the money earned from the furniture they sold.

Planer snorted. "Anyway, how ya gonna get that home? 's a little big ta fit through the door."

"I can dissassemble it. Just undo a few screws and it breaks down. I'll get a cart or maybe Twilight can help out with a little telekenesis."

"As always, you've thought o' everything." Planer shook his head before quickly tapping in a finishing nail. "So, Runnin' o' the Leaves is comin' up... You gonna win again this year?"

Jason smirked. "I'm certainly gonna try, but Rainbow's getting a lot faster and she's actually almost beaten me a few times now. I think it may be a real challenge this year."

It was a half-truth. Rainbow's stamina had certainly been improving, and she no longer struggling to keep up with him during their runs, but Jason was still slowing his pace for her. She was an amazing sprinter and could get her legs moving very quickly. Her fast acceleration had made it difficult for Jason to catch and pass her. He still could, but it was far more difficult than it had been when they started.These were sprints however, and Jason still had much better long-distance capabilities. Sometimes he felt bad about always beating her, but he was perfectly aware that she wanted to beat him on her own, her competitive nature constantly driving her to improve. She wouldn't forgive him if he just let her win.

"Well, it oughtta be a good time, anyway. I'll make sure ta keep Twilight company fer ya." Planer shot Jason a devilish look.

Jason looked at him incredulously. "Yeah, good luck with that, old man. She may not be a star athlete, but she can still run circles around you."

Planer chuckled. "Easy kid, ah was jus' jokin'. Ah haven't participated in that race in years. Ah don't even know if ah could finish one lap." He shook his head before picking up a sanding block and rubbing down a rough patch.

"So, when ya gonna ask her?" Planer asked, his voice nonchalant.

Jason blinked. "Ask who what?"

Planer shot him a sideways glance. "Don't play dumb. You've been shoppin' around fer a horn ring. That can only mean one thing...So, when ya gonna ask her?"

God damnit, Rarity... "Maybe I just wanna get her a ring. You know... For her birthday." It was an unconvincing argument at best. Jason half-hoped Planer would buy it.

His hopes proved unfounded as Planer gave him an incredulous look. "A horn ring? For a birthday present? Come on, Jason. I'm an Earth pony and even I know that horn rings mean only one thing."

Jason sighed in surrender. "Alright, alright fine. Yes, I'm going to propose. It's still in the planning phase, though. Hell, I haven't even bought the ring yet." He shook his head quickly. "Ya know, I still haven't gotten used to how quick gossip spreads around here. Please, at least try to keep it a secret from her."

Planer gave him a quick grin. "Well, that's yer fault for trustin' Rarity with a secret, especially one like that. Don't worry though, we can at least keep it from reaching her ears, ah promise you that."

Jason sighed. "Thanks, Planer."

The human had spent quite a bit of time over the past month doing research on the subject of Equestrian marriage. He had to be careful, he didn't want Twilight getting suspicious or nosy after all.

Originally, Jason learned, marriage had been more of a social tool. In olden times of hardship, herds would sometimes arrange a trade of sorts. When a herd was struggling, they would sometimes be able to broker a marriage. Stallions were far more selfish back then. They could afford to be, since mares would be desperate to find somepony of the opposite gender to do the more demanding jobs and hard labor. They were capable of maintaining enough for themselves, however if they wanted to continue to grow their family, they would need a partner. More ponies meant they needed more resources. More resources meant more work. As the work increased, more ponies were needed. Stallions always held the power within the herd, since they were seen as the most valuable member. They were needed to create more children to make the herd larger.

If herds were struggling, they had the option to arrange a joining of sorts. The stallion of one herd would offer one of his mares to the stallion in charge of the herd they wished to join. If the more succesful stallion accepted the offer, the two herds would be merged into one, thus strengthening their bond and the likeliness of their prosperity.

This practice had dissolved centuries ago. Ever since the cities and population centers of Equestria had been established and made the idea of it pointless, since even small herds could support themselves within the strong economies of the towns. Marriage had become more like the human version, a binding of individual ponies as a sign of love and devotion, often times accompanied by a ceremony and celebration.

Jason had been surprised when he learned that pegasi didn't follow that tradition. To them, marriage was never a common practice. The pegasi had always lived in small groups, and their flight made it simple for them to move from one source of resources to another. They lived much more like nomads than settlers. Even today, Pegasi liked to travel. Cloudsdale was the only true pegasus city. There were plenty of smaller townships scattered around, but most pegasi liked to move from place to place.

Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy had been exceptions. Rainbow had been given her position within the weather team shortly after her arrival in Ponyville, and felt a certain devotion to keeping everything balanced within the small town. Fluttershy had more personal reasons to stay. She had formed friendships with all of the various animals she cared for. She had even named them and could point them out at a distance. She wouldn't be able to bring herself to leave her friends behind.

To pegasi, marriage was a far more personal affair. The two would meet in private and exchange vows, along with a single primary flight feather from their wing. The feathers held their own latent magic, protecting them from damage and preserving them from aging. The feathers were extremely symbolic. It was a literal piece of the pony, one that would live much longer than the mare or stallion themselves.

In pegasus relationships, it was custom for the mare to initiate the practice, so Jason was willing to wait.

However, Earth pony and unicorn relationships could be initiated from either side. Jason had been with Twilight for years, each day growing their love toward one another. Contrary to his original belief, Rainbow had actually strengthened his relationship with the unicorn.

The pegasus was capable of stimulating Jason's physical interests, with excercise, sports, training and competition. Twilight, on the other hand, tested him mentally. He relished in the conversations, lessons and debates they shared nearly every day.

Jason had found a perfect balance with the two mares. He was happy. Extremely happy. Long ago, he had claimed that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with them, and as time passed the phrase was cemented into a monument of truth within his mind.

He had gone to Rarity last week with the prospect of a ring. He had no idea what he was looking for, so he hoped she would have some idea, both as a fashion designer and as a unicorn, about what would look good on Twilight.

Needless to say, she was absolutely ecstatic. Evidently, she had been waiting for this visit for months, and had made it a hobby of hers to create sketches of various horn rings. She had quite the portfolio to show Jason when he finally asked.

The designs covered every end of the spectrum. From extremely simple bands to indescribably intricate designs that covered the entire horn in fine wire filligre and gemstones. Jason was floored by the selection. He literally spent hours looking through the sketchbook. He tried to balance what he knew Twilight would like with what he wanted to give her.

He was tempted to choose the most extravagant, and beautiful design Rarity had created, but quickly thought against it. Twilight was beautiful, yes, but she presented it in a reserved fashion. She didn't flaunt her beauty, didn't spend hours on her makeup and hair. She didn't attempt to wear outfits to show others she was beautiful, she simply was.

After days of indecision, he finally decided on a middle ground. After he was done here, he would present Rarity with his chosen design. It was a golden band, roughly an eighth of an inch wide that widened slightly around three inlaid gems which formed the centerpiece of the ring. The two outside gemstones were white diamonds, cut into slightly elongated diamond shapes. The two diamonds flanked a purple gemstone, matching the shape and shade of the six-pointed star of Twilight's cutie mark. Thin wire filligre arced around one side of the ring.

Jason had no idea how much the ring would cost, so he brought a fist-sized pouch filled to bursting with bits. He hoped it would be enough.

Jason made his way over to the hook where his blouse hung. He looked over the faded material and sighed. These have served me well these past years, but I think it might be time for a new set. You can barely tell these were even camouflage anymore.

He slipped his arms through the sleeves before securing the cuffs and the front of the worn shirt.

"Okay Planer, I'm done for the day. I need to swing by Carousel Boutique before it closes."

Planer raised an eyebrow towards the human.

Jason smirked. "Hey, I said I haven't bought the ring yet. Doesn't mean I'm not about to."

Planer grinned back. "Fair enough. Good luck to ya."

"Hey, I'm just buying the ring. I still have no idea how or when I'm going to ask, but I appreciate it. I'll let you know when I figure it out. I'll swing by tomorrow to pick up the bed." Jason moved to the door, setting his cover atop his head. "See ya later, Planer."

"Yep." Planer replied, half lost in concentration over his own project.

Jason chuckled lightly as he left the workshop.

"Soooooo...?" Rarity asked in excited curiosity.

"Oh, yes. Sorry, got lost in our conversation. I'm here 'cause I need a new set of cammies." He extended his arms, giving her a better view of the faded material. "These ones are just about done."

She looked at him with poorly disguised dissapointment. "Oh... Okay, yes. It's been bothering me lately about how badly those have worn! I wanted to say something about it, but you've never told me about the regulations on your utilities. Here, let me see the blouse so I can get a better idea on the stitching and sizing."

Jason smirked. "Come on Rarity, you should have had plenty of time to examine these." She looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "You know, when I was in the hospital."

Rarity rolled her eyes. "Darling, that was years ago! My memory might be good, but it's not that good."

His smirk widened slightly before he began undoing the buttons of the shirt. before he slipped off the blouse completely, he reached into his left breast pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper. He handed the blouse to Rarity, who took it with a little telekenisis and hung it on a hanger.

"Now, I'm not giving you my trousers, you're gonna have to wait a bit so I can go throw on a pair of jeans. Here, I've got a few notes you might find useful."

He handed her the note before turning to the door. "I'll be back in a few minutes, don't go anywhere."

"Sure thing, darling. I'll get to work on these as soon as possible for you."

"Hey, don't stress about it. I don't mind wearing civvies for a bit 'til they're done. Back in a bit." Jason opened the door. He could hear her unfolding the paper as he let the door click behind him.

He heard her squeal of excitement through the wooden portal and smiled, turning toward his new home and stepping off at a brisk pace.

Jason stood with the group of ponies, lightly refreshing his stretches as the countdown timer ticked down the seconds to the start of the race.

Rainbow stood by his side, stretching on her own. Her wings flapped a little in excitement.

Applejack approached the pair, a challenging smile on her face.

"Ah've got you this year fer sure, Rainbow Dash. After last year's embarrassment, ah made sure ta practice extra hard." her eyes narrowed. "Ah'm gonna give you a run fer yer money."

"Bring it on, AJ." Rainbow responded, returning Applejack's challenge.

Jason chuckled at the competitive nature of the two mares. "You know, Applejack, you're always welcome to join us for our evening PT sessions. Honestly, I'm surprised you never come."

She looked at him incredulously. "Yer kiddin', right? Ah might like a li'l competition every now an' then, but that don't mean ah wanna murder myself every night."

Rainbow and Jason chuckled. "Hey, it's not that bad. After the first couple weeks, you start getting getting used to it. And Jason knows some really good workouts." Rainbow shot him a coy look. "If you know what I mean."

Applejack rolled her eyes. "Oookay, that's way more than ah needed ta know. 'Sides, ah'm so busy mos' the time with the farm that ah cain't really make it out. 'S fine though. I make enough time to get mah own excercises in."

Rainbow snorted. "If you say so, AJ. We'll see how effective your workouts are. You know, while I'm smoking you in this race. Again."

"Well, you've still gotta beat me Rainbow. Don't forget, I'm part of this contest too." Jason shot his herdmate a mischievous grin.

Rainbow blinked a couple times. She was letting her own rivalry with Applejack distract her from her real challenge. Beating the human.

She looked toward him, a devilish gleam in her eye. "Oh, don't think I've forgotten about you. A girl should be allowed a little trash talk, though. Besides, if I beat you, then by default I beat Applejack." She lifted her chin and waved her hoof in dismissal. "Easy...As...Pie..."

Jason chuckled. "We'll see, miss Never-Wins."

That made her a little angry. "Do I need to remind you of the countless beatings I've laid down on you? You didn't get your certifications without plenty of your own losses."

"Fair enough." He shrugged his shoulders before giving her a quick grin. "Doesn't make you any faster though."

They heard a familiar giggle behind them and turned to face the source of the noise. Twilight had walked up in the middle of their conversation, catching only the exchange between her herd mates. A race marker with a large "14" printed on the side adorned her flank. "I trust you are going to give each other quite a challenge then."

Jason shrugged. "That's up to her." Rainbow punched him, the weight and hardness of her hoof hurting more than intended. "OW! Hey, any more of that and I'll call ya out for cheating."

Rainbow rolled her eyes. "Please... Just you having those legs should be called cheating."

Jason chuckled. "So Twi, you ready?"

"Sure am! The weather is perfect, and I'm not sick so this ought to be fun!"

Jason had been surprised the first time he had participated in the race. He hadn't expected Twilight to participate, it just wasn't something he thought she would be interested in. She was by no means a physical pony. She only excercised as necessary to stay in shape, Jason didn't think she would want to actually compete.

Jason realized rather quickly what motivated her to participate. The leaves of the trees were at their pinnacle of transition, and burned the woods along the trail into brilliant displays of browns and ambers. The beauty of the scenery had actually caused him to fall back slightly in the race due to the distraction, but he had won the event with no further issue.

Jason glanced around the starting area quickly, observing the various bleachers that had been built next to the starting line. Anypony who didn't want to participate in the race still felt an obligation to attend. The race was like a holiday, marking the end of the fall season.

The bleachers were packed to capacity with ponies. After a quick search, he spotted Planer in the crowd. He waved to the carpenter quickly before glancing over the rest of the crowd. Surprisingly, he saw more than a few "GO CAPTAIN SINDER!" and "RUN JASON RUN!" signs in the crowd. Evidently, he had garnered a few fans over his past couple of victories. He could have sworn he saw Octavia and Vinyl holding a couple of the signs.

"HEEEELLLLLOOOO!!! SALUTATIONS! AND GOOOOD MOOORNIING PONYVILLE! THIS IS YOUR COMMENTATOR, NARRATOR AND SUPER-BESTEST ANNOUNCER PINKIE PIE! COMING AT YOU LIVE FROM OUR SUPER-YUMMY LOOKING HOT AIR BALLOON!"

The crowd cheered as Pinkie's voice pierced through the speakers mounted around the bleachers. It had become a tradition, this race. Pinkie and Spike would announce from the balloon. Rarity didn't like getting dirty so she would watch from the bleachers. Fluttershy hated the crowds, so she tended to find a nice quiet spot further along the trail and would pass out cups of water as the racers ran past.

"Jeez, you don't have to yell, Pinkie."

Jason could picture Spike, his claws clamped tight over his ears trying to muffle the words Pinkie was shouting into the microphone.

"HELPING ME ANNOUNCE FOR TODAYS SUPER-DUPER, AWESOME-POSSUM, CRAZY-WAZY RACE IS OUR VERY OWN SPIKE THE DRAGON!!!"

"I'm telling you Pinkie Pie, you don't have to yell... That's what the microphone is for..." There was a rustling noise as Spike took control of the mic. "Sorry about that folks. Welcome to this year's annual Running Of The Leaves!" The crowd cheered again.

"We're just a few minutes from the start of the race, so we'd like to take this time to introduce the competitors! Starting off with number one..."

Spike ran down the list of competitors, reading off their names and occupations for those who didn't already know them. For every name he read off, Pinkie would have some witty comment to make. There were twenty-five other ponies participating, so the introductions were going to take a while.

"And finally, number twenty-six! Our very own resident human and Captain of the Royal Guard, Captain Jason Sinder!"

"CHAMPION FOR THREE YEARS RUNNING. I TELL YA, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO GET YOUR LEGS LICKETY-SPICKITY-BANANA-SPLITELY QUICK IF YOU WANT TO BEAT HIM!"

It wasn't hard for Jason to picture the purple dragon rolling his eyes painfully at Pinkie's remarks.

He was amazed at the reaction Spike's announcement brought from the crowd. The human was nearly deafened by the cheers that came from the crowded bleachers. He knew he was slowly becoming more and more popular, but he had no idea exactly how much he meant to these ponies. His heart swelled at the recognition.

"Oops, looks like we're only a minute from the start, mares and gentlecolts. Competitors! Take your positions and prepare to start!"

"Welp, looks like it's time to go!" Jason said. he kneeled down quickly and gave Twilight a quick kiss. "Good luck, Twi."

She smiled. "You too, Jace." She had adapted the nickname a while ago. It was only fair, since he so loved to shorten her name in a similar fashion.

Twilight turned and moved to the edge. she didn't like to be in the middle when the stampede began. Jason turned his body to face Rainbow and Applejack.

"You guys ready?"

"Almost." Rainbow said quickly before extending her neck and kissing him gently. She cut the kiss and gave him a determined look. "There! Now I'm ready."

Jason chuckled lightly. He glanced toward Applejack, who looked at them with a bemused smile.

"You want one too?" Jason asked.

"Celestia no! Ah don't know where Rainbow's mouth has been!"

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?!?"

Jason couldn't help but burst into laughter, much to Rainbow's disapproval. She looked at him angrily.

"Oh come on, that was funny." He wiped a tear from his eye. Her gaze grew colder. "Hey, don't be like that. ain't nothing wrong with a little trash talk, right?"

Rainbow hated having her own words used against her.

"Besides," He said, reaching out and wrapping his arms around her neck. "I know where your mouth's been, and I'm still willing to kiss you." He proved it by planting another kiss on her lips.

"ERASERS, LOOK FOR YOUR PENCILS!"

"Give me that!" The mic rustled as Spike took control again. "Racers, take your mark!"

Jason stood and faced down the road, bending his legs in preparation. The line of ponies beside him matched his movement.

He looked down at Rainbow, who was glaring down the road in determination.

"Hey, don't forget the plan." He said.

"Oh, trust me I won't. But don't think I'm just going to let you win."

He chuckled "I wouldn't have it any other way."

"ON YOUR MARKERS!"

"Get set!"

"GHOST!"

Nobody moved... Pinkie tried to pull that trick every year.

"Go!"

The group of racers surged forward, the percussion of their feet and hooves shaking the dead leaves from the trees as they ran. The crowd cheered as they watched the season come to an end.

"I can't believe you pushed yourself like that! How many times have I told you that pushing too hard could wind up hurting you!" Jason said. He was chastising the cyan pegasus he now carried in his arms like a baby. Twilight was holding open the door to their house, a worried expression on her face.

Rainbow looked toward her front forehooves, a disheartened expression on her face. "I know, I know...It's... It's just that I was so close to beating you! If I was just a little faster... If I could just push a little harder, it would be me with that trophy! Not you again!"

Jason exhaled deeply. "Rainbow Dash, you've got to learn when to let go. You are improving immensely, and I haven't had to work that hard to win in a long time. But notice that I'm not carrying the trophy. I'm carrying you. You and Twilight are by far the most important ponies in my life. I won't ask you to stop what you love, all I ask is that you be more careful. You're lucky it was just a sprain. If you had broken your leg, you'd be unable to do anything you enjoy. I'm sure you remember the time you spent with a broken wing?"

She shuddered at the memory. She had found her love of reading in the hospital, but she still remembered the pains of being bedridden.

She leaned her head against his chest. "I understand Jason."

"Good!" Jason gently laid her down on one of the couches in their new living room. She groaned as she stretched out, gently rubbing the muscle she had pulled. He kneeled down beside her. "Comfy?"

She gave him a weak smile. "As I can be..."

Twilight walked over, a glass of liquid floating beside her. "Here Rain, It's got some herbs in it that will help with the pain."

Rainbow took it as it was offered. "Thanks, Twi." She took an experimental sip. Her face scrunched up like she had just eaten half a lemon. "Urrgh what is this?" She asked in a disgusted tone.

"It's a zebra recipe I got from Zecora... I know it's nasty, but it works."

"If you say so..." Rainbow took another swallow, this time drinking as much as possible. She wanted to down the concoction quickly, rather than prolong her own suffering.

She grimaced and shook her head quickly, trying to alleviate her own disgust as she finished the last bit from the glass. Jason could see her fighting to hold it down and quickly took the cup from her. She coughed a few times before the concoction finally settled in her stomach. Her head fell against the armrest with a small plop. She looked worse than she had before she drank the medicine.

Jason exhaled quickly before handing the glass to Twilight. "Hey, Twi. I just bought a book on some different physical therapy techniques. It should be in the bedroom. would you mind getting it for me?"

Twilight took up the glass with a little magic. "Sure, I'll be right back."

Twilight disappeared into the kitchen.

Jason looked toward Rainbow and gave a little snicker. "Sorry 'bout that, Rainbow. That shit looked vile."

"Urgh you have no Idea." She looked at him incredulously. "The things I do for you two."

"I would happily return the favor... Thanks again for helping out with this."

"Hey, you met her first. It's only fair that she gets the ring first."

Jason smiled at her warmly. "Still...I'll be expecting a feather here soon."

Rainbow blushed. "Um...Y-yeah...sure."

Jason chuckled lightly. "I was only teasing, Rainbow... Only if and when you're ready." He leaned down and gave her a quick kiss.

Rainbow broke the contact. "You better hurry up, or you're gonna miss your chance."

Jason cupped her cheek in his hand. "Thanks, Rain."

He stood and made his way to the master bedroom, moving as quietly as he could to keep Twilight from hearing. He glanced through the door. Twilight stood there with the book floating in front of her. She idly examined the table of contents, looking for the section on strained muscles.

Jason crept up behind her, each step silent on the rug that covered most of the floor. He waited until she was flipping through the pages of the book before dropping to one knee directly behind her.

She gasped in surprise as she found the section of the book that had been cut out, making a secret compartment for a velvet-covered box. Her magic faltered in her surprise and she dropped the book.

She jumped in greater surprise when Jason reached around her, catching the book before it could hit the ground. She spun around to face him, eyes wide as she saw his kneeling figure before her.

"Twilight Sparkle..." Jason said as he pulled the box from the book. He closed the manual and set it aside before looking into her eyes. He opened the box slowly, revealing the engagement ring Rarity had made for him. She glanced down to the ring quickly before returning her eyes to his. The ring was secondary to what was happening right now. Tears began forming in her eyes.

"Will you marry me?"

Tears began flowing from her eyes as she burst forward, wrapping her forehooves around his shoulders and embracing him tightly. She buried her face into his neck and shoulder, wetting his shirt with her tears. "I thought you'd never ask..." She whispered. She pulled her head back to look him in the eyes once more.

"Yes... Yes of course I will. I love you Jason... I can't think of anyone I would rather spend the rest of my life with."

Jason's heart swelled at her acceptance. He leaned his neck forward and kissed her deeply, trying to transfer all of his love into her at once. Eventually, she broke the kiss and let herself down to all four hooves. She presented her horn to him.

Jason fumbled slightly as he attempted to quickly remove the ring from its box. He caught the ring and looked to her horn. He centered the gemstones and slid it down her magical appendage. It came to rest securely, sitting roughly a quarter inch from her forehead. She looked back up at him before he leaned forward and kissed her again.

"Oh Jason darling! that was beautiful!"

Jason and Twilight froze mid-kiss, their eyes shooting wide. They turned to look toward the door, only to find all of their friends staring at them through the open portal. They all wore matching grins, and Jason could see tears slowly dripping down Rarity's face. Rainbow shot him a warm, yet mischievous look.

Jason returned her smile. "Heh, last time I trust any of you girls with a secret."

"Hey come on, this was waaaay to big a deal to keep secret. I did only tell our friends though, didn't want things to get too crazy." Rainbow said.

Jason chuckled lightly, shaking his head before looking back at the group. "Where's Pinkie? She might be crazy, but you wouldn't leave her out of the loop."

Applejack shook her head. "Ah reckon she's already settin' up decorations. Ain't no way somthin' like this is gonna go without a party."

Almost on cue, a burst of confetti filled the air behind the group. "Come on girls and guys! The sun's still shining and the fish are still jumping and there's still celebrating to do! LET'S PARTY!"

The group laughed and the mares who crowded the door quickly exited, making their way toward the source of the voice.

Jason stayed on his knees, Twilight walking up beside him and leaning much of her weight on him. "Shall we go?"

Jason chuckled and wrapped his arm around her. "Don't really have a choice... They're kind of occupying our house."

"Well, we could stay in here and... You know." She said coyly.

Jason looked at her. "Now that'd just be rude. He gave her a quick kiss. "Besides..." Another kiss. "There'll be plenty of time for that later tonight. Just don't hit the punch to hard."

She snorted. "You're telling me not to get drunk? Please... You know I don't drink. Besides, I seem to have more than a few memories of having to put you to bed after my brother's visits."

Jason shrugged. "Guilty as charged." He shot her a grin. "'sides, I don't think Pinkie ever has alcohol at her parties."

An electric burst of static shot through the house quickly, before a song slowly spooled up on a turntable.

Jason's eyes widened slightly. "Jeez, she even got Vinyl? This ought to be a good one." Jason stood, placing a had on the back of his fiancee's head. "Shall we go, my love?"

Twilight leaned against him. "I believe we shall." She said happily.

They walked together out of the bedroom, immersing themselves in the afternoon of music, revelry and happiness.

Birthday Treats

"Jason! Hurry up and get those walls secured! We can't hold this thing up forever!" Ball Peen shouted.

"Alright, alright hold on." The human shifted on top of the skeletal wooden frame of an unfinished wall. He moved to the corner where the two walls met and quickly drove in a couple of nails, securing the walls together. "Ok, you're good."

The three stallions removed their grip on the frame and took a few cautious steps back. The wall remained upright, held in place by the nails Jason had just driven in.

Ball Peen nodded in satisfaction. "Ok, you guys get the base secured and Jason can finish getting the top nailed together."

The other stallions quickly got to work, nailing the baseboards to the floor while Jason carefully stood on the top of the walls. His years of experience on these construction crews had strengthened his balance and confidence while working on these buildings. The ponies weren't able to move like Jason on top of the unfinished walls. Before his arrival, they had to set up scaffolding in order to get the height they needed to secure the walls together.

Ball Peen had been the first stallion willing to let Jason join their building crew, and the grey Earth pony had been amazed at the dexterity of the human's body. With the humans help, they completed a week and a half's work in a single day.

They had finished that first house in a quarter the time it normally took to complete a building. Ball Peen, to put it bluntly, was desperate to keep Jason on his crew. He had essentially allowed the human to write his own contract, giving him the power to determine when he would work, how much he would be paid, as well as being compensated for the purchase of a full set of tools.

Jason walked along the top of the walls, making his way around the unfinished building to the oppostie end of the wall. He crouched down and drove in the last few nails. The wall they had just put up was the final external wall of the building. They had managed to get all of them up in a single day.

Jason sat down, letting his legs dangle toward the center of the small house. He slipped his hammer into the loop on his belt and lifted an arm to wipe the sweat from his brow.

He noticed a bottle of water enveloped in pale-blue magic floating up toward him. He took hold of it, the magic disappearing as his grip tightened. He raised the bottle toward the hard hat-laden unicorn in gratitude before pulling out the cork and taking a quick swig.

Ball Peen took a quick glance around the building, examining their work. Jason finished his drink and hopped down from his perch. He walked to where the boss stood.

The stallion sighed. "Good work today, Jason... You know, I can barely remember the times we had before you joined us. Four walls up in a single afternoon." He shook his head. "That used to take, what, a week? Two weeks? Now it's just another day."

Jason chuckled. "Well, most of that time was just spent setting up the scaffolding, right?"

"True enough."

Jason felt a warmth against his skin and quickly pulled his dog tags from under his shirt. Next to them on the chain were two silver rings, each adorned with a single gem, one lavender and one cyan. No sooner than he pulled out the items did the lavender one become enveloped in green fire. A scroll materialized before him and Jason quickly reached out and caught the message before it fell to the ground.

Twilight had perfected the enchantment last year. It had taken her some time to learn the various magics that went into the spell, and the Princesses were not forthcoming in their knowledge. They knew how Twilight loved a challenge, and his fiancee hadn't even asked them for help.

The spell was a strange variation on teleportation. The fire was able to be bound to a single recipient, whether that be a person, pony, or item. The spell Princess Celestia had cast on Spike made her the sole recipient of his messages, and as such he was able to send any message, from anywhere and it would always find it's way to her, no matter her own location.

The magic laid within the fire itself, and as such anything they wanted to use as a base needed two enchanctments. One for the teleportation, and one to create the fire.

Twilight had made two matching rings as an expirement. She kept one herself, and gave the other to Jason. The enchantments worked beautifully, and before long she had given her herdmates another set of the rings. All three of them each had two rings. Jason had one for Rainbow and another for Twilight, Twilight had one for him and one for Rainbow , and Rainbow had one for Jason and the other for Twilight. When the rings were used together, two copies of the message were created, one copy per recipient.

With the rings, they were able to communicate with each other from anywhere at any time, something Jason considered invaluable when he was called away for his Guard duties.

Of course, it was impossible to actually wear the rings. The magical fire that enveloped the rings was hot... Very hot. He still had a scar from the first time they had tested them, so the enchanted items dangled loosely next to his ID tags.

Jason tucked away the tags after the magical fire had receded and unrolled the message.

Jason,

They say a book is the best present a pony can recieve.
We'd like to put that theory to the test.
Come home as soon as you can...
We'll be waiting...

Love, Twi and Rain.

Jason raised an eyebrow, a touch of excitement working into his mind.

Ball Peen glanced at the message. "What's that? Birthday tidings?" He grinned. "You know, I'm still amazed you even came in to work today, especially after your party this morning."

"Heh, well I wanted to at least get you guys started on this build. I know how you like to get things going quickly. Besides, there won't be anything for me to do here tomorrow while you guys are getting all the interior plans finalized, so I'll be off tomorrow."

Ball Peen nodded. "So... Any news on the wedding?"

Jason chuckled. "You know about as much as I do... I have no idea about how pony weddings go. Unfortunately, I was out on a training excercise when Shining Armor and Princess Cadence got married. I'm leaving the planning to Twi and Rarity. I think they're looking at having it a couple days after Winter Wrap-Up. You know, so all the flowers and everything will be fresh."

"Yeah, that ought to be good." The stallion said in agreement.

"Anyway," Jason lifted the message. "The herd calls... Good work today, I'll see you later."

"Yep. Happy birthday, Jason."

"Thanks." Jason said before beginning his journey home.

Jason closed the door behind him. He slipped off his boots before glancing around the entryway. There was a single book, wrapped in a red ribbon, on one of the small tables. He picked it up and removed the ribbon, reading the title quickly.

Woodworking for Masters: Advanced Carving, Painting and Jointing Techniques for your Above Average Craftsman.

Jason regarded the book with interest. This ought to be interesting. He thought before returning his attention to the quiet home. "TWI? RAINBOW?" He called.

"Up here, Jason..." He heard Twilight's voice coming from the master bedroom. He tucked the book under his arm and made his way upstairs.

"Hey there girls, you said you wanted... to...test..." His voice trailed off as he rounded the corner and beheld the scene before him.

His herd mates lay upon the bed together. Rainbow was laying on her back, her head propped against Twilight's side and her hind legs hanging limply in the air. Her forehooves were tied together using the same red ribbon that had wrapped the book. It was secured with a simple bow.

Her position gave Jason an unobstructed view of her exposed marehood and she looked at him with a familiar, half-lidded gaze.

It took him several moments to tear his eyes away from the pegasus and look upon his fiancee. She laid on her side, her head resting on the mattress. Her forehooves were tied similarly to Rainbow's and she wore the same sultry expression. Her hind legs laid on the mattress in such a way that Jason could see just enough of her genitals to get the idea.

"So..." Rainbow began, her voice hot.

"Which present would you prefer?" Twilight continued.

"The book?" Rainbow said. Jason could see her wings beginning to stiffen as she looked at him.

"Or us?" Twilight finished, spreading her legs further and revealing more of her marehood.

Jason stood there in stunned silence. After a few seconds, he took the book from under his arm and read the cover again. He looked back to the mares who laid on the bed, practically begging for him.

Back to the book.

Back to the bed.

The third time he looked to the book, he heard a sound approaching desperation from Rainbow. That little sound was his cue to quit playing.

He looked back to the mattress and grinned. He tossed the book over his shoulder without so much as a second thought and began slowly making his way to the bed.. The mares giggled in eager anticipation as he approached. He crawled onto the bed and stretched out, laying atop the first mare he got to.

He kissed Rainbow deeply as he reached up and caressed Twilight's face with his palm. The unicorn rubbed her cheek against his hand while Rainbow eagerly returned the human's kiss. Jason could feel the covers shift as the pegasus' wings stiffened beneath him.

He broke the kiss and pulled his head back, shifting his gaze between his two lovers.

"Happy birthday to me, eh?" He said with a smile.

The mares laughed lightly, obvious arousal present on their faces.

"Well, why don't you untie us so we can give you your real birthday present." Twilight said in a low voice. The pure sensuality of her tone was enough to make Jason's blood boil and he had to restrain himself from doing as she asked.

"Hmmm... No... I think I'll leave you just like that for a bit." He grinned as he saw Twilight's eyebrows raise in surprise.

"R-really?" The unicorn stammered.

Rainbow Dash beamed with excitement. "Oh man! How could you go all these years without letting us know you were into this stuff!"

Jason chuckled as he shifted his body slightly, giving himself better access to the mares' bodies.

"Honestly? I didn't know my self." His grin widened as he brushed his hand over her stiff wings, drawing a shuddering gasp from the aroused pegasus. "But there's a first time for everything right?"

He began planting light kisses down Rainbow's neck, her body pinned to the bed beneath his weight. Her breathing grew heavier as his kisses moved further down her body. He stopped when he reached the center of her chest and slowly moved around her torso, his lips moving closer to the sensitive flight muscles where her wings met her body.

As he administered his kisses to the pegasus, his hands found their way to Twilight. He gently rubbed her cheek with his left hand while his right began tracing intricate patterns around her cutie mark.

Rainbow shuddered violently and let out a moan as he lightly nibbled at the sensitive skin at her wing joint. Rainbow liked her foreplay a little more aggressive than Twi did, and that suited Jason just fine.

Jason could physically feel Twilight's body temperature rising, her arousal mounting both at her fiancee's touch and at the display before her. He took a quick glance toward her to see if she was ready for the next step.

Not quite he thought to himself. Twilight was close, but her horn had not yet begun to glow.

"Uh...Oh...Ah Jason..." Rainbow moaned. Each sound was in response to one of the human's light nibbles as he slowly made his way to one of her wingtips.

He took the finger circling Twi's cutie mark and ran it around the back of her flank. He followed the curves of her muscle, barely brushing against her dampening genitals. He felt her shiver slightly and no sooner than his finger finished it's journey did he notice a faint glow emanating from her horn.

He smirked. Gotcha! He took his hand from her cheek and ran it up along the side of her face. He ran his fingers through her mane for a few seconds before finally taking his fingers and brushing them against her horn.

"Ah!" Twilight moaned as he ran his middle finger along the edge of her horn ring, following the arcing filigree and tracing the natural ridges of her appendage.

While his hands worked their magic on the unicorn, Jason moved his head and began kissing Rainbow's torso again. He fell into a rhythm.

kiss, suck, nibble, kiss, suck...

He slowly moved his head further and further down her body. Before long, he found the pegasus' nipples and began using his established method on the sensitive nubs.

Twilight protested when he removed his hands from her body. He took his arms and wrapped them around Rain's flanks in a position he knew all to well. The unicorn's moans continued as Jason replaced his hands upon her body. He continued playing with Rainbow's nipples as he began working his hands a little harder.

He continued teasing Twilight's horn while he slipped his other hand around to her rear. He began gently rubbing the sensitive skin around her wet vagina.

Rainbow felt Twilight shudder beneath her as Jason moved. "Hah...uh... You know, I don't... Ah!...I don't think there's a sin...single stallion in all of...Oh!... All of Equestria that...hah!... That can handle us as well as you can!... Unh!"

Jason looked up toward her with a smile. She returned his gaze, her face red and breathing heavily.

"I don't think I want to find out." Jason said before suddenly dropping his head and licking along her soaking slit. He simultaneously slipped two fingers into Twilight.

The mares sang out in a lustrous chorus. Twilight's horn slipped from his grasp as she threw back her head in pleasure. Rainbow's hind legs kicked uselessly in the air. She was completely immobilized by the human, his shoulders holding her flanks in place while her hardened wings prevented her from rolling side to side. She could move her forehooves a little, but the ribbon still bound them together.

Her helpless state seemed to redouble her pleasure as Jason continued tending to her arousal.

He teased her by gently flicking his tongue just inside her lips, brushing the outsides of her sensitive vagina yet leaving her depths starving for stimulation. Before long, the teasing proved too much for her. She took her tied forehooves and placed them on the back of the humans head, driving him deep into her.

He laughed, the quick expulsions of air playing along her clitoris and labia as he relented and drove his tongue deep within her. She cried out as her body shuddered in ecstasy. His tongue explored every inch of her vagina as it flicked back and forth within her, occasionally changing shapes as Jason flexed his oral muscle.

His hand remained busy within Twilight. He moved his hand back and forth gently, his fingers wiggling slightly as he pleasured his fiancee.

Before long Jason could see sparks beginning to fly from Twi's horn, and she was doing her best to outlast the pegasus.

She proved successful as Rainbow Dash tightened her grip on his head. She held him tight against her as her body began convulsing around his tongue. He continued working as the cyan mare began crying out in pure pleasure.

The sounds coming from the pegasus proved to much for Twilight and soon she too was wrapped in her own orgasm.

The mares cried out in unison as they came. Jason's hands and tongue continued their ministrations throughout their spasms. Their close proximity to each other seemed to magnify their pleasure and Jason barely had to work to push them into their second orgasms.

Jason stopped his efforts and slowly came to his knees, taking a moment to look down upon his lovers as they recovered.

"You know, I don't think i'm ever going to get over how much fun that is." He said with a smirk.

"I'm happy....you....enjoyed it...Jason." Twilight panted.

He reached out to the two mares, grabbing one end of each of their ribbons and undid their knots. He slipped the ribbons from their forehooves and they extended their legs, stretching out some of the tightness that had formed as a result of their bondage.

After a few minutes, the mares had recovered enough to assume a sitting position on the bed. They glanced at each other quickly before turning their attention to him again, their expressions once again becoming sultry.

"Well Jason, since you've had a chance to unwrap us, it's only fair we get to unwrap you." Twilight said, a sensual determination in her voice.

His arousal instantly returned with those words. He shrugged before responding. "Fair's fair, right? I'm all yours, ladies."

He saw Twilight's horn glow as his blouse became enveloped in magic.

Before Twilight could so much as undo a single button, Rainbow shoved her lightly. The contact was enough to break the unicorn's concentration and the magical field disappeared from around him.

They both looked at the pegasus in confusion.

"Oh come on Twi! Just try it without magic for once. I'm telling you, it's so much fun! You get to run your hooves all over him! It's kinda like giving him a massage, only his clothes disappear as you go." She shot Twilight a mischievous grin. "It's totally awesome."

Jason thought for a moment. It was true, Twilight had never physically undressed him, instead always relying on magic to get the job done. He had no objections. He quite enjoyed the experience when Rainbow did it, and she was right in that it was like a massage, and got him going a lot faster than the magic ever did.

Twilight thought for a moment before relenting. "Alright, I'll give it a shot." She looked toward Jason. "Ok, big guy, lay up there on the pillows, we'll take care of everything."

Jason gave a half bow. "As you wish, milady." He grinned before making his way to the head of the bed. He lay on his back, his upper body propped up slightly against the headboard.

His herd mates moved to either side of him, laying next to him and allowing his arms to wrap around them. The began slowly rubbing their forehooves against his chest and they each gave him a passionate kiss before going about their task.

Rainbow Dash had the technique down to a science and quickly managed to undo a few of the buttons of the blouse. Twilight, on the other hand, was having some trouble. Rainbow saw her struggle and after a quick snicker showed her the proper way to do it.

Without further issue the mares had managed to completely undo the six buttons that held the blouse in place. using a combination of their teeth and gentle rubbing, they eventually managed to remove the shirt from his body.

The constant contact the mares had with his body was causing a more than a few pleasant reactions from him and his trousers were beginning to grow uncomfortably tight.

Thankfully, he didn't have to wait long before the mares released the tension on his fly. No sooner than they undid his fly did they move towards his feet. They each took a cuff of the pant legs in their mouths and pulled the trousers from his body.

Next came his skivvy shirt. They started from the bottom, using their hooves to gently roll the T-shirt up and over his extended arms. He helped a little bit to get the shirt over his head and he casually tossed it off the bed. The mares took a few moments to run their hooves over his toned abdominal and pectoral muscles. Twilight extended her neck and gave him a deep kiss, their tongues dancing lightly against one another. Rainbow took the opportunity to plant a few kisses along his jawline, more than a few of which turned into gentle nibbles.

Jason felt a slight tug at his feet. He opened his eyes and saw Twi's horn glowing. She was having fun undressing him, but she was not going to be using her teeth to remove his dirty socks. She took the opportunity while Rainbow was distracted to yank them off with a little magic.

Jason couldn't help but chuckle at her cleverness. Rainbow lifted her head and Twilight broke the kiss. The two mares looked toward each other.

Twilight spoke first. "You think he's ready?"

Rainbow looked into his eyes for a moment before looking over her shoulder toward his poorly concealed erection. She looked back at Twilight with a grin. "I'd say so." She turned her attention to the human. "I hope you're ready, birthday boy."

"More than you can imagine." He responded, his voice betraying his arousal.

The mares shifted their position, sliding down his nearly-naked body and settling on either side of his legs.

They started off gently, lightly teasing and caressing him with their hooves through his thin boxers. The teasing lasted a few moments before the mares simultaneously grabbed hold of either side of his waistband and slid the garment down.

He stood at rigid attention, eager for the gift his lovers would soon bestow upon him.

No sooner than they had him exposed did the mares begin nuzzling him with the tips of their snouts, occasionally delivering small kisses which caused him to twitch slightly in pleasure. They began moving in opposite directions, Rainbow moving toward the base of his shaft while Twilight made her way up to his sensitive head.

The gentle kisses gradually turned into licking and light sucking. Rainbow found her mark a few moments before Twilight did and began graciously working the base of his manhood, lovingly tending the area where his penis met his scrotum.

By the time Twilight had found her way to her destination, Jason was already tensing in pleasure. He fought the urge to climax when she finally graced him with the presence of her lips upon the head of his member. She gave it a few generous licks before taking him into her mouth.

She wiggled her tongue along the underside of his shaft and sucked gently for a few seconds before she began bobbing her head slowly. Jason's abdominal muscles tightened violently as he attempted to fight off the orgasm building deep within him.

Rainbow followed Twilight's lead and as the unicorn moved up his shaft, the pegasus followed. On each upstroke, Rainbow would follow close behind Twilight and trace long patterns along his member with her tongue.

After a minute or so, the mares switched places. Twilight lifted her head and looked at her fiancee lovingly while Rainbow took him into her mouth.

"I do hope you're enjoying your present, dear." Twilight said.

Jason was unable to respond. His toes curled as the sensation on his manhood changed. Rainbow's technique was different than the unicorn's. She was more aggressive... Faster... More savage in her felatio.

Twilight giggled at his reaction, obviously satisfied, before tending to the areas of his penis Rainbow couldn't reach.

Jason couldn't hold out against the onslaught any longer.

"L-Ladies!" He panted, unable to say more.

Rainbow took the cue and lifted her head. Twilight grabbed him with a field of magic and gently pulsed the pressure she held him with. The mares positioned themselves before him, eagerly awaiting his orgasm.

His body shuddered as he delivered his seed into their open mouths. Pulse after pulse of semen shot onto his lovers faces. His body went limp as his orgasm receded. The mares swallowed hard before moving to join him.

In the back of his head he remembered his teenage years and the times he would feel disgusted when girlfriends would attempt to get intimate after felatio. It was a personal aversion he held until after he had come to Equestria. These mares were different than the girls he had dated. He cared for these mares on a fundamental level that any kind of vanity he may have once held vanished in their presence.

He shared short kisses with his lovers, trying to express his gratitude without words.

Twilight eventually floated over a towel and her and Rainbow cleaned themselves off before snuggling deeper into his arms.

"I'm still the luckiest guy in the world." He whispered before giving them each a kiss on the head.

"Oh, we know... You've made that perfectly clear over the years." Rainbow said, nuzzling him lightly.

"But we're even luckier." Twilight said before leaning up and giving him a quick kiss. "There are millions of other mares in Equestria, but only one of you. And we're lucky enough to have you all to ourselves."

Jason tightened his grip around the mares. He could feel sleep rapidly approaching and he attempted to fight it off, hoping to enjoy his closeness with the two mares for as long as possible.

Rainbow's gentle snores and Twilight's deep breathing proved too much for his resolve and he fell into a peaceful, comfortable, and loving sleep.

Author's Note

Sorry about the wait on this one guys...Had to work through a little writer's block to get this one out. It's primarily a transitional chapter so nothing really important happened, but it bridges a gap to the next chapter. I'm hoping to get it out soon. I appreciate your patience and continued reading.

Matrimony

Jason sighed as he leaned back in his favorite chair, the wooden frame creaking lightly as his weight shifted. He set aside the letter he was reading before glancing out the study's window. The fireplace burned gently, casting flickering light out of the window and illuminating the snow that fell just on the other side of the glass. Frost formed intricate crystals on the pane.

Just two more weeks, huh? He thought to himself. A small smile formed on his face as the now familiar touch of excitement entered his heart.

Twilight and Rainbow had retired nearly an hour ago, and Jason sat alone in his study. The room had been a personal project of his over the cold winter months. After he had finished building and purchasing the rest of the furniture for their house, he had begun work on the various furnishings of his personal room. Of course, the mares and Spike were welcome in the room whenever they wished, however Jason would often retire here to relax and think. The manual Twilight had given him for his birthday actually proved to be quite the wealth of knowledge in terms of carpentry.

That is, whenever he got around to reading it.

Winter was Jason's favorite time of year. He loved the cold weather and the constant snows brought most construction in the town to a screeching halt, so other than a few smaller indoor jobs, he had a lot of free time.

Tonight, Jason had been re-reading letters he had saved. He didn't receive mail often, other than work requests, so he liked to keep the ones that were a little more personal. He had just finished reading the letter of congratulations he had received from Captain Stalwart, the commander of the Royal Sentries, the unit responsible for monitoring Equestria's borders and roads.

Jason leafed through the stack of papers before him, looking for one in particular. He caught a glimpse of the special stationary that was a signature of a royal document and pulled it from the stack. This letter in particular was one he was most fond of. He began reading.

Dear Captain Jason Sinder and my faithful student Twilight Sparkle,

Let me begin by giving my heartfelt Congratulations on your recent engagement.

Jason, though you have only been with us a short time, your influence over the ponies of Ponyville has spread. Tales of your kindness and helpful attitude have spread across our world more quickly than you can imagine.

Your arrival in Equestria was by no means a secret, and rumors had begun circulating quickly of your previous profession and what it entailed. That first year, I remember more than a few Nightmare Night stories of the "Monster from Another World".

The visitors we have from Ponyville took no time in putting a stop to those rumors, telling of your true nature and how much they have come to like you.

I understand you may have been curious as to why me and my sister waited so long to actually meet you, and the truth is it was a test for my student, Twilight, to see how she would handle a situation unlike any anypony has ever faced.

Little did I expect it to result in her marriage.

Twilight, I cannot begin to express how proud I am to see the progress you have made as my student. The true role you will play in this world may not be clear to you, but the lessons you have learned and the experiences you have gained through your love and friendship and the great feats you have accomplished are shaping you to become one of the greatest mares in Equestrian history, of that I promise you.

In conclusion, I would like to extend you a very special offer. If you would like, I will personally officiate over your wedding. I have seen who both of you truly are, and approve of this joining of souls with all my being. Normally, this right is reserved to the weddings of fellow princesses, but since I have personal connections to each of you, as Twilight's teacher and as Jason's commander, I will overlook this somewhat archaic tradition.

Please let me know.

Sincerely, Princess Celestia.

Jason's heart soared once again as he finished reading. He couldn't believe it. A princess, presiding over his wedding?! It was insane for him to think about. He understood that it was most likely because of Twilight's close personal connection to the princess that had made her so willing to make such an offer, but it was still beyond anything Jason had ever expected.

"Jason? You're still awake?"

The voice brought Jason back to reality and he looked over to the door of the room. Spike stood there, rubbing his eye sleepily.

"Hey Spike. Can't sleep?" Jason asked gently.

"N-No...I was just going down for some water and saw your fire... Everything ok?"

"Oh yeah, just reading a few letters. How 'bout I get you that water? I wanted to talk with you anyway." Jason said before standing and making his way to the small bar in the corner.

"Erm, Ok."

Jason took a glass and filled it with the small water barrel he kept upstairs. He walked over to Spike and handed him the drink. As the dragon took it, Jason gestured to a pair of chairs facing each other. Spike moved over to one of the chairs and hopped up before taking a quick sip.

Jason sat opposite Spike and regarded him for a few moments, thinking of exactly what he was about to say. Before long, he sighed and began speaking.

"Look Spike, there's only a few weeks until the wedding. Now, I know it's been a couple of months since I've proposed, but I have yet to actually hear your feelings on this. It's a big misstep on my part. You're as big a part of this family as Twilight and Rainbow. Heck you've known Twilight longer than anyone other than her direct relatives. You've even known her longer than the Princess!"

"Erm... To be fair, I don't really remember that far back... It's because she hatched me that Princess Celestia learned about her." Spike said. He reached up and scratched the back of his head.

Jason dismissed the statement with a wave of his hand. "Still... You play a bigger part in her life than I do, I hope you understand that."

"Pfft... As if... Three years, and you still don't see how much you mean to her." Spike responded, a defiant look on his face

"I could say the same to you." Jason's response was a little more tense than he had wanted. Spike recoiled slightly and looked at Jason, a little hurt and slightly confused.

"Spike, she loves you more than you know. You have become a part of her life... Tell me, can you remember a single point of your entire life when you were away from her for more than a few days? Every decision she makes and every action she takes, she always has you in mind. You're telling me that you haven't realized this? You've known her you're entire life! Tell me, who is Twilight to you?... Honestly?"

Jason waited patiently for nearly ten minutes as Spike wracked his brain for an answer. Jason could visibly see Spike's change in mood as the dragon thought. First there was confusion, then a little anger, and finally realization.

"I...I don't know... I've always been there for her, and she's always been there for me... She practically raised me... No, she did raise me..." Spike gave a soft chuckle before looking back at Jason. "You know, I never met my real mother... I've always seen Twilight as more of a sister than anything... But she's more than that... I see that now... Everything she's taught me and done for me... She's my mother...Oh Celestia she's my mother!" Jason could see tears forming in Spike's eyes, even as a grin spread across his face. "She drives me crazy, sometimes. With her OCD and tenacious need for knowledge... But I don't know what I'd do without her..." Spike's chin drooped and the tears began rolling down his cheeks, dripping into the cup of water he held loosely.

Jason moved from his chair and kneeled before the crying dragon, placing a hand on his shoulder and taking the cup from him. He set it aside as Spike looked up at him.

"I can tell you that she feels the same way... She may not realize it, but her maternal instincts drive her greatly when it comes to you. I know how you hate it when she leaves you behind to go on dangerous missions, but she does it because she doesn't want to see you hurt." A warm grin spread across the human's face. "I love her, Spike, but you will always be first on her list of priorities. This is something I understand, and accept. As such, I need to know your thoughts on our marriage. You play a huge role in this relationship, I hope you understand that now."

Spike chuckled. "Are you kidding?" Jason's eyes widened as the dragon wrapped his scaly arms around his neck in a hug. "You make her happy... And I want my...Mother... To be happy. I've never had any issues with your proposal, ever since that first night you spent in our library I've liked you." He chuckled as he released the human. "Sometimes, I was kind of worried she would bring home some stallion who wouldn't really respect her. She's a genius, but she's so socially awkward that she doesn't know when ponies are trying to manipulate her. When she first started talking about you, you could say I was a little skeptical. You have no idea how relieved I was when I finally met you. Yes, I approve of the marriage, without a second thought."

Jason gave the little dragon a hug. "Thank you Spike, it really means a lot to hear you say that." After a few seconds, Jason released Spike. "Now then, It's late and waaay past your bedtime."

Spike blinked a couple times. "Really? Just like that you're gonna send me to bed."

"Yep!" Jason said as he scooped the dragon up in his arms. Spike struggled a little until he realized how futile it was.

"Hmph!" Spike exclaimed, folding his arms in resignation to the situation.

"Hey! I want Twilight chastising me about letting you stay up about as much as you do." Jason said as he took Spike to his room.

Spike remained in angry silence for the duration of their trip. Jason set him down in his bed and covered him with a blanket. The dragon rolled onto his side angrily.

Jason chuckled a little. "Good night, Spike."

"Goodnight..." The dragon responded. Jason smiled before turning and walking to the door.

"...Dad"

Jason froze.

That word... That single word sent his mind reeling. He turned to look at the dragon who lay in the bed. He was facing away from him.

Jason's head swam as the full weight of the word hit him. He finished his journey in shocked silence, letting the door click quietly behind him as he left Spike's room.

Jason exhaled heavily.

He looked into the mirror before him, looking over his Dress Blues for what felt like the millionth time. He was nervous... More nervous than he'd been in his entire life, which is weird considering he'd been screamed at, shot at, blown up, thrown out of a helicopter, and thrown into a completely different world.

But this... This was different... His life wasn't at stake here. The world wouldn't end if he screwed this up, hell, the only person who would probably notice was him, but still his body broke out in a cold sweat.

The rehearsal had gone well enough, even though the Princess wasn't able to be present. She had some final business to take care of in Canterlot and was unable to make it, but she would be there today.

Planer stuck his head through the door. "Jason! I hope yer ready, we ain't got much time now."

Jason sighed before walking over to the door. "How do I look? Is there anything messed up with my uniform?"

"How tha hay should ah know?" Planer shook his head. "Ya look fine Jason, let's go, e'vrypony's waitin'"

"Alright, alright let's go." Jason said. He took one final glance around the room, making sure he didn't forget anything before finally following Planer out of the room and into the hallway outside. Jason could hear the low rumble of voices coming from the central room of the town hall. "How many people are here?" Jason asked his throat becoming dry.

"Don't worry about it. E'vrypony important is right where they should be."

"Planer..."

The stallion rolled his eyes. "Ok, th' place is packed. Seems like e'vrypony in town who could fit is in there, and there're even more outside."

Jason's heart sank. "R-Really?"

"Well, yer not exactly a low-profile couple 'round here, and ya did make th' weddin' open ta th' public."

Jason sighed before giving a helpless laugh. "Damn... Shoulda gave that one a second thought."

Planer eyed him suspiciously. "Yer not gettin' cold feet now, are ya?"

"Oh no, no, no... Just a little nervous."

They walked together through the doors leading to the central chamber. Jason nearly stumbled as he beheld the mass of ponies who crowded the room. There was a decently sized aisle down the center of the room, and a small section cordoned off for family.

"Alright, ya know yer place, I'm gonna go join e'vrypony else. Good luck, Jason." Planer said before making his way to the back of the hall. Jason was sad to see him go.

The human turned to the podium. His eyes widened as he bear witness to the Princess who was already present.

He made his way to his proper place and greeted her with a small bow.

"Good morning, Your Highness. I can't tell you how great an honor it is to have you here for this."

"The pleasure is mine Captain Sinder. Now please, we are about to begin. We will have time to speak after the ceremony."

"Oh... Of course Your Highness." Damn, did I really cut it that close? His question was answered as the small string quartet took up their instruments and began playing the wedding processional.

Jason turned to face down the aisle just in time to see the first pair of ponies begin walking down the center of the room.

Rainbow Dash matched Planer's steps as they walked through the sea of ponies. Behind them came Applejack and Captain Stalwart. The orange mare kept casting glances at the blood-red unicorn beside her. Jason couldn't guess why.

Jason suppressed a snicker when he saw the pure white hat she wore on her head.

Each of the Elements of Harmony, besides Rainbow Dash, walked with another Captain of the Guard. Planer had been the obvious choice for his best man, he was, after all, his oldest and closest friend in Equestria. Shining Armor had turned down the offer to be a groomsman.

"Somepony's gotta walk mom down the aisle, since dad's gonna be giving away Twilie... Besides, it wouldn't make sense for the brides brother to be on the grooms side." The explanaition made sense.

As each pair made it to the end of the aisle, they stopped and bowed to the Princess, who would nod at them before they split and moved to their positions on either side of the podium.

Once the bridesmaids and groomsmen had finished taking their positions, Twilight's family began making their way down the aisle.

Shining Armor strode proudly beside his mother. Star Sparkle beamed with happiness beside her son as they made their way to the front of the room. They bowed before making their way to the cordoned off area at the front of the crowd.

The music changed subtly into the traditional Equestrian bridal march. Jason only heard the first few notes before his mind lost focus of everything else in the room.

Twilight stepped through the open doors at the end of the hall. Jason's heart stopped when he beheld his betrothed garbed in her wedding gown. This is happening... Oh god this is really happening!

Jason only had eyes for her as she walked. Her father moved beside her, his chest puffed out in pride. The crowd looked at her in awed silence. Spike followed behind her, tending to the train of her gown.

The pair made their way to the end of the aisle before bowing to the Princess. The music stopped as she nodded and the pair moved before her.

Celestia spoke, her voice magnified by a small gem hovering at her throat. "Doubly blessed is the couple which comes to be married with the approval and blessings of their families and friends. Who has the honor of presenting this mare to be married to this man?"

"I do." Jason's attention was snapped back to reality as Nightlight said those words. Twilight took a few steps forward, after which Jason joined her facing the Princess. Nightlight moved to his family and looked to the ceremony in happiness.

Twilight and Jason exchanged a look before turning their attention to the Princess.

The Princess smiled before beginning.

"Ladies and gentlecolts! Citizens of Equestria and residents of Ponyville! Today, we are gathered here, not to witness the beginning of what will be, but rather what already is! We do not create this marriage, because we cannot. We can and do, however, celebrate with Twilight Sparkle and Captain Jason Sinder the wondrous and joyful occurrence that has already taken place in their lives, and the commitment they make today.

"There is a vast and unknown future stretching out before you. The possibilities and potentials of your married life are great, and now falls upon your shoulders the task of choosing your values and making real your dreams. Through your commitment to each other, may you grow and nurture a love that makes you a better pony and a better man, a love that continues to give you great joy, and also a passion for living that provides you with energy and patience to face the responsibilities of life.

"May you always need one another, not to fill an emptiness, but to help each other know your fullness. May you want one another, but not out of lack. May you embrace one another, but not encircle one another. May you succeed in all important ways with each other, and not fail in the little graces. May you have happiness, and may you find it in making one another happy. May you have love, and may you find it in loving one another."

The Princess closed her eyes and dipped her head slightly, giving the signal that it was time to exchange vows.

Jason and Twilight turned to face each other. Jason swallowed once before his grin widened and warmed as he gazed upon the unicorn. He kneeled to meet her at eye level before beginning.

"I, promise you, Twilight, that I will be your husband from this day forward, to honor the faith and trust you place in me, to love and respect you in your successes and in your failures, to make you laugh and to be there when you cry, to care for you in sickness and in health, to softly kiss you when you are hurting, and to be your companion and your friend, on this journey that we make together." Jason could see tears making their way to Twilight's eyes. He picked up his hand and caressed her cheek, using his thumb to wipe away the little bit that had started rolling down her cheek.

"I pledge to you endless strength that you can count on when you are weak. I'll be your music when you can't hear, your sunshine when you can't see, or your perfume when you can't smell. You'll never need to look further than me. I'll be your days and nights when you need them filled, your spark of life in the darkness, your hope when you're down and out."

Jason heard more than a few sniffles around the room. A few came from Twilight's family, Rarity was practically bawling and Jason could have sworn he heard one come from his groomsmen. Oh man... If that's Planer, I'll never let him hear the end of it.

Twilight raised her hoof and took Jason's hand, holding it lovingly as she spoke.

"I promise to always be there for you, to shelter and hold your love as the most precious gift in my life. I will be truthful and honor you. I will care for you always and stand by you in times of sorrow and joy. In the presence of our family and friends, I offer you my solemn vow to be your partner in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, and in joy as well as in sorrow. I promise to love you unconditionally, to support you in your goals, to honor and respect you, to laugh with you and cry with you, and to cherish you for as long as we both shall live."

At the conclusion of the vow, Planer stepped forward. In his teeth was a finely carved cherrywood box. Jason could tell it was something the carpenter had made himself. Jason smiled and thanked him as he took the box. Planer dipped his head and returned to his position.

Jason opened the box. Inside were their rings. Twilight's ring did not have the large gemstones that were present on her engagement ring, instead it took the form of a simple band. Wire filigree arced along one side. Jason took her ring and set the box between them.

"I give you this ring as a symbol of my love for you. Let it be a reminder that I am always by your side and that I will always be your friend and husband."

He slipped the ring onto her horn, the filigree fitting perfectly into the gaps left by her engagement ring.

Once the ring was in place, Twilight looked into his eyes.

"I will wear it gladly. Whenever I look at it, I will remember this joyous day and the vows and commitments that we have made."

Twilight's horn glowed as she lifted Jason's ring from the box. It was a simple band, much like Twilight's without the filigree. A single gemstone was inlaid into the ring. A six-pointed star matching her cutie mark.

Jason extended his left hand and she took it in her hoof.

"Jason, I give you this ring as a symbol of my love. As it encircles your finger, may it remind you always that you are surrounded by my enduring love."

Twilight slid the ring onto Jason's ring finger. Jason glanced at it quickly before looking into her eyes.

"I will forever wear this ring as a sign of my commitment and the desire of my heart"

As the rings sat in place, Princess Celestia took a step forward and spoke.

"You have for each other a golden ring. This most precious of metals symbolizes that love is the most precious element in your life together. The ring has no beginning and no ending, which symbolizes that the love between you will never cease. You place these rings upon each other as a visible sign of the vows which, this day, have made you husband and wife.

"And now, as a Princess of Equestria, I hereby pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride."

Twilight reared up onto her hind legs, draping her forehooves on his shoulders as he wrapped his arms around her in an embrace. They joined lips for the first time as a married couple. The only time Jason could remember this level of passion in the contact of their lips was years ago... That first night in the library. He didn't want it to end, but in his heart he knew it never would.

The crowd exploded into cheers as they bore witness to the exchange of passion.

They broke the kiss and looked into each other's eyes with unparalleled love.

Celestia's voice boomed over the crowd. "Ladies and gentlecolts! Family and friends! Allow me to be the first to introduce you to the newlyweds, Twilight Sparkle and Captain Jason Sinder!"

The pair turned and faced the crowd. Jason reached with his hand and laid it upon the back of her head as she leaned against him.

Together, they made their way down the aisle. What felt like the entire population of Ponyville cheered as they passed. Jason felt like his heart was ready to burst from his chest.

He ran his fingers through his wife's hair. Nothing else mattered right now, all he knew was the love he felt for the mare who walked beside him.

Wedding Gifts

"Hey! It's about time you guys got back!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed as she flew to embrace her herdmates.

"How was the honeymoon?" Spike asked, watching from the hallway.

The newlyweds dropped their luggage in the entryway to return Rainbow's hugs.

"It was fun, but it's good to be home again." Jason said. He released his grip on the pegasus before picking up his bag and running the strap over his shoulder.

Twilight finished her embrace before continuing. "A lot of amazing scenery, but honestly I prefer being home. We missed you guys."

"Yeah, without you guys there it was a little boring." Jason added. He lifted his other bag before proceeding to walk through the door to the living room. He stopped in the doorway as he examined the living room.

"Hey, uh, Spike? What are these?" The whole room was stacked with boxes. Some were wrapped in colorful wrapping paper while others bore the familiar brown of mail packaging.

"Wedding presents." Spike said flatly. "You guys left so quick, you didn't get a chance to open all of them. They've been coming in all week!"

"Yeah, the suspense has been killing me!" Rainbow added. "All these boxes and I couldn't even open them!"

Jason was astonished. The only gifts he had been expecting were from their friends and Twilight's family, which they had received and opened before they had left.

Rarity had given them a matching set of formal wear, for use at balls and more formal gatherings. Applejack had given them a very special cookbook, one that contained more than a few of the Apple family's secret recipes. Neither Twilight or Jason could cook really all that well, but they understood the value of the gift.

Pinkie Pie had given them one of her special "Party Time!" cards. Jason still didn't know how these worked, but if the card is torn, Pinkie will somehow always appear, party cannon in tow.

Fluttershy's gift had been the biggest surprise. Evidently, she had been working over the past few months to improve her painting skills. When she had learned of their engagement, Fluttershy took on her most ambitious project yet. The large oil painting now hung on the wall of their living room. It was an excellent panoramic view of Ponyville from Fluttershy's cottage, each building painted in vibrant detail.

Rainbow did not have a material gift, but congratulated them in her own way. During their reception, Rainbow had flown a show for the entire gathering. It was an amazing spectacle, her maneuvers flowing seamlessly between one another. Somehow, she had managed to gather bits of clouds as she performed and spelled out "Congratulations, Twi and Jase" by the end of her performance. Jason never grew tired of these performances, since he knew the diligent work and dedication Rainbow put into each of her routines, and this one was special. This one was for them.

Twilight and Jason had been surprised when Princess Celestia had given them a pair of tickets for an all-expense paid trip to Jahayca, a tropical island just off the coast of Equestria. They had enjoyed the trip immensely, but they agreed that they liked Ponyville more.

From the quantity of boxes which now cluttered their living room, it looked like nearly everyone they knew had given them some kind of gift, whether it be a greeting card or some other trinket.

"Well," Jason said, reaching his free hand up and rubbing the back of his head." I hate to keep ya waitin', Rain. Twi? You up for opening some gifts?"

"I don't know, Jason. I'm pretty tired from that trip." Twilight said, rolling her shoulders to work some of the stiffness out.

"Oh come on!" Rainbow exclaimed. "These things have been driving me crazy all week!"

Twilight giggled. "Oh, alright Rain, just let us put our things up and we'll come back and open them for you."

Rainbow sighed with obvious relief. "Thank you! I don't think I coulda handled the suspense another day."

Twilight and Jason chuckled as they made their way up the stairs to drop their bags before returning to see things the ponies of Equestria had graced them with.

The room sat in a cluttered mess. Twilight had done her best to organize the gifts into their own various categories as they were unwrapped, yet bits of packaging and paper still lay strewn across the floor.

A lot of the gifts they had received had been the generic wedding presents. Pictures, kitchen equipment, a few tools, and more than a few books.

Probably the strangest gifts they received were the ones for child care. There were actually a few boxes of diapers, some powder and toys for newborns. Jason thought that was weird, almost like the ponies who had gotten them didn't know who they were buying the gifts for. Still, he appreciated the sentiment.

Spike sat in one corner, practically drooling over the new kitchen utensils he would undoubtedly gain possession of.

Twilight and Jason sat on the couch, each leafing through a few new books. Most of them were research materials and history books, which Jason knew would soon find themselves home in Twilight's Library. There were a few books on military history and carpentry which Jason would hold onto.

Rainbow had snatched the brand new Daring Do novel almost as soon as they unwrapped it and now sat enthralled in the story.

Jason closed the book he was leafing through and stretched. A yawn found it's way to his lips and he soon felt the touch of sleep in his mind.

"Hey, I'm gonna go ahead and hit the rack. I'm pretty tired from that trip." He said.

"'Kay, G'night." Spike said.

Jason looked to the clock and raised an eyebrow. "Spike, What time is it?"

Spike tore his gaze from the cast-iron skillet he had been running his claw across and glanced toward the clock. No sooner than he looked did his gaze return to the pan. "It's eleven-thirty." He said flatly.

Jason smirked and shook his head. "Come on Spike, it's way past your bedtime."

Spike groaned. "Oh come on! I haven't even made it halfway through this pile yet!"

"It'll still be there tomorrow. Come on." Jason stood and walked over to where Spike sat. The dragon crossed his arms in protest.

Jason sighed and bent over, scooping Spike into his arms. He stood and looked to the mares.

"You joining us?" He asked.

"You kiddin'?" Rainbow didn't look up from her book. "I've been waitin' for this one for months! I'm not sleepin' till I finish this!"

"In a minute." Twilight said as she closed her book and set it atop one of the many piles around her. "I've only got a few books left, I'll join you when I get them organized."

Jason chuckled. "Ok, g'night girls."

"Goodnight." The mares said in unison.

Dragon in hand, Jason walked up the stairs to bed.

Twilight craned her neck. It was sore from looking at so many books. She glanced over to the clock.

Oh man! It's already after two! She sighed and looked to where Rainbow lay.

The pegasus was still wide awake and enthralled by the novel before her.

Twilight turned her head to where the pile of books had been. Oh thank Celestia, only one left.

She picked up the book with a little magic, moving it before her so she could read the title. Strangely, the midnight-blue book did not have a title. In fact there wasn't any text on it. Curious, Twilight opened it and looked at the first few pages.

Scrawled onto the front page was a note. Twilight read it with interest.

Dearest Twilight Sparkle

May we first congratulate you on your marriage. We have taken great time to observe the Captain and his attitudes and abilities, and we must say that he is quite the catch indeed. There are few mares in Equestria who could be so lucky as to join with such a shining example of a gentlecolt (or gentleman, as the case may be).

Now, we understand you may be curious as to the subject of this book. Inside, is our personal research into Captain Sinder's biology, and how it may be affected by magic. We remember our correspondence when Jason first arrived in our world, and we must say the conversations had sparked our own curiosity.

As you know, my personal magical specialty is transmutation, whether that be in inanimate objects or even biological ones, including ponies and, in the case of this book, humans.

I know you have no intentions in changing who Jason is, nor would I want you to, but you may take personal interest in the notes I have taken on page 153.

Once again, congratulations on your wedding. My sister and I couldn't be happier for you.

Sincerely, Princess Luna

Twilight's eyes widened in gleeful surprise. "Eeee! Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh!"

Rainbow looked at Twilight in surprise, startled by her herdmates sudden outburst. "What? What is it?"

Twilight shoved a hoof into her mouth, muffling her excited outburst. Once she calmed down a little, she removed her hoof from her mouth and held up the book so Rainbow could see it.

"These are Princess Luna's personal notes and research! I don't really know what it's about yet, but I know it has something to do with Jason!"

Rainbow raised an eyebrow. "About Jason? What does she know about him that you don't?"

"I don't really know yet..." She said. Rainbow had a point. What did the Princess know? Curious, Twilight flipped to the page the Princess had mentioned in her notes. Twilight read the title and gasped in shock, dropping the book in her surprise.

"What is it?" Rainbow asked, standing to move closer and get a better look.

Twilight remained silent as she picked the book off the ground and re read the title of the section.

Alteration of Reproductive Organs : Compatibility with Ponies

Her eyes glazed over slightly as she quickly read through data recorded within the section.

Rainbow sat in silence and watched as Twilight read. Her patience was beginning to run thin as Twilight began speaking again.

"I...I don't believe it..." Twilight said, her voice quivering in awe.

"What?" Rainbow honestly had no clue what any of this meant. Was it bad or good? Did the Princess have bad news? The suspense was killing her.

"She... She found a way..."

"Found a way to do what?" Rainbow was beginning to get a little irritated at the vague responses Twilight was giving her.

"For Jason to...to..."

"Dammit Twilight, spit it out!" Jason's vocabulary was beginning to rub off on the cyan pegasus.

Twilight tore her gaze from the book and looked into Rainbow's eyes. "She found a way to make our biology compatible."

"What?"

"A way for us... To have Jason's children..."

"What?" Rainbow blinked a few times. "Wait, WHAT?!"

"She found a way to adjust his biology so he can actually get us pregnant." Twilight was shaking. "And it lets him retain his own humanity. It changes the way his biology functions temporarily, meaning that for a few hours at a time, his sperm is actually potent in ponies."

Rainbow's jaw dropped in shock. It took a few minutes before she was able to form a question. "So, wait, how would that work? Like, what would they be?"

Twilight read a few more lines from the book before responding. "The way I understand it, any children we may have would be ponies. Any trait that would affect things like the type of pony, coat color, and any other uniquely pony trait would come from us, but traits that are shared between our species, like eye and hair color, can come from him or us. Hopefully, this means that his own personal traits have a chance to be passed along to our children."

Rainbow fell into silent thought. Twilight continued reading, attempting to learn as much as she could.

After a long silence, Rainbow finally spoke up. "That's great and all, but I'm not ready for that! I mean, I love the big guy to death, and maybe when I'm older I'd be willing, but there's so much I still want to do! If I had a kid, there's no way I'd be able to keep up my flying, and the recovery time it would take after birth would seriously hurt any chance I have at the Wonderbolts. If you want to, more power to ya, and I'll happily support you, but I'm just not ready for that yet."

"Honestly, I don't think I'm ready either... I mean, we just got married! I don't even know if he wants kids!"

Rainbow shook her head. "Naw, you kiddin'? You've seen how he is with Spike... In fact I'm pretty sure I've heard the little guy call him 'Dad' a few times, and he's always out playin' with Scoots and her friends. The guy loves kids."

"Well, yeah, but that doesn't mean he wants some of his own."

They sat together in silent thought for a few minutes.

"So... Are we gonna tell him now, or later?" Rainbow asked.

"Now? It's two thirty in the morning!"

Rainbow rolled her eyes. "Not now now... you know what I mean."

"I... I don't know." Twilight looked down at the sofa cushion for a few moments. She felt her eyelids growing heavy. "I'm too tired to really think right now. Let me sleep on it." She closed the book and set it on the end table, away from the other piles of books she had made.

She let out a deep sigh. "I'm gonna go to bed... Try to clear my head a bit..."

"Yeah..." Rainbow said, flapping her wings a few times and hovering over to where her book lay open. "Goodnight, Twi." She said before looking at the novel, attempting to find where she had left off.

"'Night, Rain." Twilight said before making her way upstairs.

Before she entered the master bedroom, she took the few extra steps to Spikes door and peered through the cracked portal.

Spike lay in his bed, tucked in tightly and snoring gently in a deep sleep. The sight of the sleeping dragon brought a warm smile to her face and she gently pushed the door closed. She turned and walked to the master bedroom.

As she entered, she observed her husband, lost in peaceful sleep in the large bed he made for them. The familiar swell of emotion filled her heart as she witnessed the man she loved.

She walked to the side of the bed and used a little magic to lift the covers enough for her to slide under. No sooner than she made herself comfortable did Jason roll over in his sleep, laying one of his muscular arms across her and pulling her into an embrace.

She found comfort in his embrace, and nuzzled her back further into his body. The love she felt for the human unparalleled by any other emotion she had ever experienced. She drifted off into a comfortable, and safe sleep in her husband's arms.

Author's Note

Hey guys, sorry for the short chapter, but I felt it provided plenty of plot points, and I didn't want to move to the next part in the same chapter.

I don't know how often I'll be able to update from now on. I just got orders to another unit and will be moving soon, so that will interfere with my typing a little. I hope you guys can understand.

Thanks again to everyone who is sticking with the story, and as always I appreciate any input you guys provide.

Gathering Storm

Jason sat heavily on the scaffolding in the corner of the unfinished room. He sighed as he loosened the straps around his calves, removing the stilts from his feet and leaning them against the metal framework he sat upon.

It had taken Jason a while to actually make a pair that were properly balanced and sturdy enough to hold his weight. He got inspiration from the countless hours he had spent carrying around ladders and moving scaffolding when installing ceilings into the houses and buildings they constructed.

After they were done, and he gained enough confidence in their use, they proved to be yet another valuable tool in the speeding of their construction.

He let out a sigh, grabbing a bottle of water and taking a few swigs before casting a look around the flat pieces of drywall he had installed on the ceiling. He liked drywall. It was simple, just put the panels on the jack, lift them up and screw it into the ceiling joists. Once they were all in place, a crew would come in and spray on the stucco that would finish up the ceiling.

Jason hopped off the scaffolding and made his way to the small, temporary shed the crew kept all their supplies in to grab some putty and a drywall knife. As he made his way through the house, he noticed something a little off.

The building was quiet.

Normally, this wouldn't concern him, but there was still a lot of work to do, and he couldn't find a single pony in the building. In fact, other than him, the house was completely empty.

Confused, Jason left the building and took a look around. The whole build site was deserted.

In the distance, he heard more than a few shouts and a general ruckus coming from further in town.

Jason let his curiosity get the better of him. He snagged his blouse and cover from the shed and began walking toward the source of the noise, slipping the clothes on as he moved.

The din of the crowd grew louder as he approached the town square.

What the hell is going on? He thought to himself.

An orange unicorn mare nearly knocked him over as she ran toward the town square. Jason recovered quickly and called after her.

"Hey! What the heck is going on?"

The unicorn didn't break her stride, or even acknowledge him as she continued to run.

Growing more concerned, Jason picked up his pace and began running in the same direction as the unicorn.

Before long, Jason found himself at the edge of a huge crowd, all of them grumbling in concern and fear.

He tapped the shoulder of a charcoal earth pony at the edge of the crowd. The mare jumped and looked at Jason in anger, which quickly changed to relief as she recognized the human.

"Captain Sinder! Do you know what's going on? Everypony in town just started running to the town square! I just got here, but I've never seen anypony this upset!"

A few of the ponies nearby heard the mare and turned their attentions to the human, each of them voicing much the same question.

"Captain Sinder! Can you do anything about this?"

"Captain Sinder, What's going on?"

Jason held up his hands, trying to show his ignorance.

"Hey, hey I know about as much as you do! Let me through so I can figure out what's happening."

The ponies began separating a little, giving Jason just enough space to squeeze through the sea of citizens.

As he made his way to the focus of the group, he noticed that their demeanor was changing. They were no longer confused...Now...Now they were angry.

"You better do something about this, Jason!"

"They can't get away with this!"

"We'll have their heads!"

Wait, WHAT? What the fuck happened!? What the hell has them so upset?

Before long, Jason could see the town hall. Behind the podium stood the Mayor, who was doing her best to manage the crowd from her vantage point.

It didn't take long for her to see Jason's tall figure making his way through the crowd toward her. She waved at him, beckoning him to her before bending over and speaking into the microphone.

"Clear a path! Let Captain Sinder through!"

The crowd instantly turned their attention to him, the volume of their voices increasing as they all tried to talk to him at once.

"You have to do something, Captain!"

"Take it to them!"

"They have to pay!"

Despite their shouts, they made enough of a path for him to make it to the platform where the Mayor stood. He climbed up and made his way to her.

"Thank goodness you're here, Captain! I don't know how much longer I'd be able to keep them passive."

"What the hell happened, Mayor? I don't think I've ever seen anypony this upset before."

"I'll explain in a bit. Can you please talk to them? Maybe your words will carry a little more weight than mine."

"Um...Ok sure."

The Mayor stepped aside from the podium, letting Jason take his position behind the microphone.

"Citizens of Ponyville!" Jason's voice boomed out over the crowd and the gathering grew quiet, giving their full attention to the Captain.

"Please calm down and return to your homes or places of business. There is much I need to discuss with the Mayor, and once I get the full story I will be able to formulate a plan. This is going to take time, and until then you will not get any further information than what the Mayor has already told you."

"That's horse apples!" Came an angry cry from the crowd.

"Yeah! You can't expect us to do nothing about this!"

"That's EXACTLY what I want you to do." Jason said, letting his voice take a hard, commanding edge. The crowd grew silent at the tone of his voice. "You ponies are not trained for this, and you cannot let what has happened drive this town into chaos! Go home! Calm down! Let us do our jobs! Once me and the Mayor have had time to talk and formulate a plan, she will call another meeting and let you know what we've decided. Until then, keep calm. Nothing good comes from panic."

Jason stood to his full height and crossed his arms, letting the crowd know he was done speaking. He heard more than a few angry grumbles, but thankfully the group slowly began dispersing.

Once a majority of the crowd had gone, Jason relaxed and turned his attention to the Mayor who still stood beside him.

"Now then, would you please tell me exactly what the hell that was all about?"

The Mayor let out a sigh. "Inside." She said as she turned toward the doors of the building.

Jason followed the mare through the double doors, letting them close behind him. He followed her into her office.

"Close the door." She said as she walked to her desk.

Jason obliged, clicking the door closed behind him before making his way to the opposite side of her desk.

The Mayor picked up an announcement sheet, not unlike a printed news article, and passed it to the human.

Before the human got a chance to read the article, the Mayor spoke up. "Now, I'm assuming you've heard of the protests that have been going on in Saddle Arabia?"

"Yeah, I thought they were just peaceful picket lines and strikes. Mostly against bad working conditions and inadequate pay, right?"

"Well... Not so peaceful anymore..." The Mayor said quietly.

Jason raised an eyebrow toward her. She responded by simply waving a hoof toward the notice Jason now held. She walked to the window and gazed out, giving him time to read it.

FIVE DEAD IN EMBASSY ATTACK!

Earlier today, a group of protesters, calling themselves the 'Guardians of the Sand', attacked the Equestrian embassy in Saddle Arabia.

Armed with mining tools and various explosives, a group of roughly twenty Saddle Arabians overpowered the small Guard detachment protecting the embassy, killing two Guards and severely injuring seven others in an unprovoked and unwarranted attack.

As the group made their way into the building, they struck out at any embassy employees unfortunate enough to cross their path.

Their goal seems to have been the Equestrian ambassador, Crimson Starlight, and her aides. The ambassador, along with four of her assistants, have been captured by the militants and are now being held ransom by the group.

No demands have been made as of yet, however after the group took control of the hostages, they quickly left the building. Their current location is unknown.

Officials have since been able to make it back into the building. As of now, the casualties are listed as five dead, and twenty three critically injured. The wounded have been taken to the local hospital for emergency treatment.

The overall goal of the 'Guardians of the Sand' is unknown at this time, however they have proven to be willing to result to any level of brutal, inpony violence to accomplish their mission.

The Princesses have announced a royal address, which will be delivered before the end of the day.

Jason set the letter down on the desk before bringing his thumb and forefinger to the bridge of his nose.

"FUCK!" Jason shouted. The mayor turned her attention to him and spoke.

"Yes...'Fuck' indeed... I'm sure you understand why the town was so upset?"

Jason lowered his hand and looked to the Mayor. "Yes... Yes I do... But the attack isn't what has me worried."

The mayor looked at him with angry surprise. "What!? You mean you're not infuriated by this?"

"I'm upset, yes, but more than that... I'm scared..."

The anger disappeared from the Mayor, yet the surprise in her eyes flared.

"You're scared? Why? Haven't you experienced something like this before? Back on Earth?"

"I have... And that's exactly why I'm scared. You see, I've seen this before... I know how it usually turns out." A hint of sadness crept into his voice. "But you ponies haven't... I'm afraid that this is going to escalate out of control... The anger I saw out there today must be travelling all the way across Equestria, and angry people, or ponies rather, make rash decisions. If we charge blindly into this, more ponies are going to die..."

An edge of seriousness crept into Jason's voice. "This is how wars begin... I need to speak with the Princesses... I need to try and talk them out of making a decision everypony is going to regret."

Jason felt one of his message rings warming against his flesh and quickly pulled them out. Before long, a small, slightly scorched piece of paper materialized before him and he quickly reached out and grabbed it. He read the message quickly.

Jason,

Come home as soon as possible. There is a letter here for you from the Princesses. It looks important.

Twilight

"What's that?" The Mayor asked, eyeing the note curiously.

"An answer to my prayers." Jason said as he tucked the note into his pocket. "Excuse me Mayor, the Princesses have sent an urgent letter to my home. Please, do what you can to keep the peace here. I'll talk to the Princesses and see what they have planned."

He glanced down at her desk and picked up the announcement. "Do you mind if I take this? I didn't see Twilight or Rainbow in the crowd, and they need to know what's going on."

"Go ahead, it's going to be posted all over the newspapers soon anyway." The mayor exhaled in an attempt to calm herself. Jason picked up the sheet and folded it into his pocket.

"Good luck, Jason."

"Thanks..." He said as he turned to the exit. "For all of our sakes, I hope we can finish this without more bloodshed..."

Jason walked home in silence. Occasionally, a mare or stallion would attempt to stop him and ask questions. He did his best to calm the ponies before continuing his walk.

Before long, he found himself at home. He entered the building and walked into the living room.

He was surprised to find Applejack and Rarity speaking with his herdmates.

"AJ? Rarity? What are you doing here?" Jason asked.

The group of mares turned their attention to him, looks of obvious worry present on their faces.

"We were in that crowd... We came to tell Twilight and Rainbow what happened." Rarity said. Her voice was by far the most serious he had ever heard.

"Yeah... We were doin' our best, but unfortunately, we couldn' hear the Mayor all that well. You talked to 'er right? What exactly happened?" Applejack seemed hopeful that he could provide more information.

Jason pulled the announcement from his pocket and held it out. "Here, this can explain it better than I can."

Twilight grabbed the paper with her telekenesis.

"Now, you said there was a letter for me?" Jason asked, looking around quickly.

"It's on the end table." Twilight said as she unfolded the announcement and began reading it aloud.

Jason walked over and picked up the message. He broke the wax seal and read the short note quickly.

Captain Sinder,

By now, I'm sure you've heard of the situation in Saddle Arabia. We require your expertise in Canterlot as we plan our next course of action.

Please come as quickly as possible. We don't know how much time we have before they act again.

Princess Celestia

Jason folded the note closed and waited for Twilight to finish reading the article. As she read, Jason could hear her voice quiver in shock.

The room fell into silence when Twilight finally finished reading. It took several moments before the mares were able to overcome their shock and reveal their true emotions.

"Those MOTHER FUCKERS!" Rainbow shouted. Even after all this time, Jason was still surprised to hear the pegasus use his own profanity. She flapped her wings and took to the air, hovering in circles and fuming in pure anger. "If I ever get my hooves on them... I'll make them feel every little bit of pain they caused!"

Applejack appeared to feel much the same way, yet she remained silent. Jason could see her hind legs twitch as she refrained from kicking something.

Rarity and Twilight wore matching expressions of sadness. It looked like the deaths themselves, rather than what caused them, drove their emotions.

Twilight turned to look at him, a look of sad determination crossing her face. "So what happens now?"

Jason lifted up the royal letter. "I have been summoned to Canterlot to discuss just that. I'm leaving immediately. We need to figure out how to take care of this."

"Yeah! We have to make them pay!" Rainbow said, her voice heavy with angry anticipation.

Jason's response was terse. "No...That is the exact opposite of what needs to happen! We have to find out how to resolve this without further bloodshed."

"What?!" Rainbow Dash was shocked at his reply. "You can't seriously be okay with what they've done!"

"That's not what I said." He looked at her flatly. "I'm just as pissed off as you are... Hell, if I was younger I probably would have gone and grabbed my rifle and started putting ponies in the ground. But that can't happen. The only thing violence breeds is more violence."

Rainbow Dash looked at him incredulously. She didn't understand. How could she? These ponies have never experienced anything like this before. They didn't know how to react, and they were scared. Jason could see it. Rainbow Dash and Applejack may be putting on tough airs, but Jason caught the familiar glint in their eyes. They were terrified.

Jason let out a deep sigh. "Look... Just trust me on this one. I've dealt with situations like this before, so let me do my thing. I know you want to take the fight to them, but you should know that they won't stop. They've already killed, and you're mistaken if you think they're done. Now, I know I said I plan to resolve this peacefully..."

He cast a gaze around the room, looking at each mare in turn. "...But I will be dusting off my rifle and gear. There is a storm gathering, ladies. If we can't resolve this peacefully, it'll be time for this Marine to once again do his duty."

Jason lifted his flak and slung it over his shoulder, his kevlar hanging loosely from the vest and secured by the chinstrap running through a strip of MOLLE webbing. His magazine pouches were full to capacity with ammunition.

"You're sure this is how we should go?" Twilight asked. "I know the Princess wanted you there as soon as possible, and it would be faster if I teleported you."

"I'm sure. I'm not really a big fan of teleportation. Besides..." He glanced behind her, looking at the other five mares who were coming with them. "They wanted to come, too. I'm pretty sure you can't take all of us at once."

"I could've taken more than one trip..." Twilight said, kicking at the ground dejectedly.

"And make you that much more tired before meeting with the Princesses? No, the train'll be fast enough, and it gives us time to relax before we arrive."

"Let's go already!" Rainbow said, shoving her way into the train car. She was still obviously pretty heated about the whole situation. Jason understood how she felt, but he needed to calm her down before they got to Canterlot.

Jason picked up his rifle and followed the pegasus onto the train, the other mares following close behind.

The train was surprisingly empty. Evidently, the attack had driven nearly everyone to stay where they were, out of fear of the confined space of a train.

Jason took a seat next to a window, setting his flak against the wall between the seats. He placed the rifle between his feet and held the barrel. Twilight sat next to him after stowing her bag. Before long, Rainbow finally set down accross from him.

"You know, I'm still not sure why you decided to come with me. The Princess summoned me, not you."

Rainbow looked at him incredulously. "You're kidding right? We're the Element Bearers! We have a duty just as much as you do."

The tone of her voice stung. This pure hatred the pegasus was emitting was something Jason hadn't experienced since he'd been in the 'Stan. He didn't like it. His herdmate was lashing out in distress, but he had no idea how to handle it.

He opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted before he could utter a word.

"Rainbow Dash... What is wrong? I've never seen you this angry before... I mean... Really, what's wrong?"

Fluttershy made her way into the final unoccupied seat beside them, looking toward Rainbow with concern.

"What's wrong? WHAT'S WRONG?!? YOU KNOW WHAT'S WRONG!!!"

Fluttershy recoiled at Rainbow's outrage, and shrank into the corner of her seat.

"RAINBOW DASH!" Jason shouted. This had gone on long enough. He was content with letting her brood to herself, but if she was going to start taking it out on her friends, Jason was going to step in.

She turned her anger toward him. "What?"

"That. Is. Enough... You need to calm down. I know you're pissed off, but yelling at your friends isn't going to make it any better. Fluttershy is just trying to help, and look at what you've done."

Rainbow looked at him for a few more moments before looking toward Fluttershy, who still sought shelter in the cushions of the seat. She looked at her for a few seconds before crossing her arms in a huff.

"Sorry, Fluttershy... You didn't deserve that." She said, her tone not quite as tense.

"Rain, do you need to vent?" Twilight asked, concern in her voice.

"Let me, Twi." Jason said. "I think I know how to handle this. Rainbow come with me." Jason said as he stood, setting his rifle against his flak. Rainbow followed him as he moved into the empty train car adjacent to theirs.

Jason stepped aside as they entered the car, allowing Rainbow to hover past him before he slid the door closed behind her.

"Ok, now... What the hell has you on edge?" Jason asked, his voice even.

"IT'S DRIVING ME CRAZY! THESE...PONIES...HAVE COMMITTED MURDER! THEY HAVE TO PAY! AND YOU JUST WANT TO DO NOTHING?!? I THOUGHT THAT WAS YOUR GOAL IN LIFE! TO PROTECT THE INNOCENT!" She was furious, to say the least.

"It is. Always has been, always will."

"Then what the fuck are you doing?! Ponies are DEAD Jason! We have to make sure they won't do anything like this again!"

"I agree completely... But you're right, ponies are dead. I need to do whatever I can to ensure that number doesn't grow. Rainbow, do you remember how many people died because of the attack that killed my mother?"

Rainbow was quiet. "Somewhere around three thousand right?"

"Exactly... That's no small number. But do you have any idea how many more people have died in the war that single attack spawned?"

Rainbow shook her head.

"On our side alone, we've lost over eight thousand soldiers. That doesn't include the enemy or civilian casualties. You do NOT want to know that number... War is hell on Earth, Rainbow Dash. If there is any chance to resolve this through diplomacy, we need to grasp at it. It's not that I'm doing nothing, I will do everything in my power to keep a war from happening. You need to understand that. I don't want anypony to experience what I have."

The anger flooded out of Rainbow as she listened, pure sadness replacing it as his words found purchase in her head. Jason let her sit there and think for several minutes.

"Jason...I'm...I'm scared..." Rainbows words quivered as she spoke.

Jason took a few steps forward and knelt before her, throwing his arms around her shoulders in an attempt to comfort her.

"I am too, Rainbow Dash... Nobody wants this... Especially not me..." He loosened his grip so they could look at each other. "We're all scared... Whether they realize it or not, everypony is terrified. Back on Earth, we have a name for the people who use fear to accomplish their goals. We call them terrorists, and that's exactly who these so-called 'Guardians of the Sand' are... Nothing but fucking terrorists."

He saw a few tears forming in her eyes and tightened his embrace around her. As she buried her head into his shoulder, he felt her body shudder as she sobbed lightly, the full strength of her fear and sorrow emerging as the anger she had suppressed it with vanished.

Jason donned his body armor before disembarking the train, leaving the helmet hanging from the vest and keeping his eight-point cover on his head. He preferred to wear the armor, since he didn't know how long it would be before he would have a chance to set it down and he wanted full use of his arms. He slung his rifle over his shoulder and stepped onto the platform.

As the group stepped off the train, they were stopped by a detachment of guards. They wore full armor and inexpertly wielded some awkward-looking polearms.

"Halt and identify!" The lead guard shouted. The whole group of guards looked young.

The group stopped and Jason gave him a flat look. "...Seriously?"

"Identify yourselves!" The guard began attempting to point the spear toward him, fumbling as the front heavy weapon began slipping from his grip.

Jason reached out and grabbed the weapon below the blade. He jerked his arm and tore the spear from the guard, easily disarming him. The other guards attempted to level their spears towards him. He planted the haft of the spear in the ground.

"My name is CAPTAIN Jason Sinder. Stand down, Guards." Jason said sternly.

The guards hesitated. They cast glances towards each other. Evidently they'd heard of him, but they weren't entirely convinced. Yeah, he definitely wasn't a pony, but they'd never seen a human before.

Jason sighed and pulled aside his kevlar, revealing the matte-black Captain's insignia pinned to his flak. The group looked at the insignia and nearly fell over themselves as they attempted to come to attention.

"Sir! We apologize! We didn't know who you were!" The now-unarmed guard said.

"Obviously..." Jason said. He handed the weapon back to the guard, who took it cautiously. "How long have you been with the Guard?" He asked the whole group.

One of the guards off to the side spoke up. "Sir! We graduated basic training together about a month ago."

Jason looked at the group incredulously. "Fresh out of boot, and they're tasking you with station security? Right after a terrorist attack? Who is your mentor? Where is he?"

The guards floundered at the onslaught of questions. "Uh... Um our mentor is Sergeant Blackhoof...Sir... He's in the office over there, Sir." The guard who spoke pointed toward a small office to one side of the platform. Jason glanced toward the building before turning to the mares behind him.

"Go ahead and make your way to the palace, I need to take care of something real quick. I'll meet you over there."

The mares said their farewells and made their way out of the train depot. Jason watched them for a moment before turning back to the Guards. He watched as they went back to rigid attention under his gaze. Jason let out a quick sigh.

"At ease, Guards." He said. The group before him hesitantly relaxed slightly. "How long have you been tasked with this duty?"

"We've been on guard since about seven-thirty this morning, Sir."

"And in that time, has Sergeant... Blackhoof was it? Come out to check on you?"

The Guards paused to think for a few moments before responding. "No Sir, he hasn't left the building."

Jason stared at them flatly. "Alright... Back to your posts... I'm going to have a talk with the Sergeant."

"Yes Sir." The guards replied in chorus as they scurried back to their positions.

He shifted the rifle on his shoulder before turning and walking toward the Guard office. The window was dark, reinforcing Jason's suspicions. He opened the door of the guard shack and stepped inside. The room was empty, yet a loud snore made Jason perfectly aware of the Sergeants location.

He opened the side room, where he found Sergeant Blackhoof asleep on a small bed. Must be a sleeping post... makes sense, since it's a busy station. But it's fucking three o'clock in the afternoon. Jason flicked on the light in the room. The Sergeant mumbled something in his sleep and rolled over.

"Oh... I'm going to enjoy this..." Jason said under his breath. Jason examined the bed quickly. It was a cheap build, and he could see the joints straining even under the weight of only one pony.

"Perfect..." Jason inhaled deeply.

With a swift kick, Jason knocked out one of the legs at the head of the bed, causing it to tilt and dumping the Sergeant to the floor.

"Urgh... What the hay!?" The Sergeant shook his head as he untangled himself from the blanket. "Do you have any idea who you're messing with?!?"

"Do you?" Jason's response was quiet.

The stallion's eyes shot open and he looked toward the Captain.

"C-Captain Sinder! I-I had no idea you were coming!" He fumbled over the bed covers as he attempted to come to attention.

"Don't bother, Sergeant. You stand relieved."

The stallion blinked a few times, trying to comprehend what was just said to him. "E-Excuse me, sir?"

"I SAID YOU...STAND...RELIEVED..." Jason was allowing his volume to increase with his anger.''

"For what, Sir?" The stallion looked honestly confused.

"For what? FOR WHAT?!? We are in a state of emergency! Equestrian citizens have been killed, Sergeant. You were charged with guarding the most widely used entrance to our country's capital city, and you were fucking asleep! In the middle of the afternoon! You left the safety of this city to the care of Guards who are so fucking green they still have price tags on their fucking armor! Come with me, Sergeant. We're going to have a talk with Captain Steadfast." Jason stepped aside, motioning for Sergeant Blackhoof to lead the way.

"Sir, I can't leave my post."

"Motherfucker, you being gone won't be any fucking different than when you were asleep. Get the fuck moving."

The Sergeant begrudgingly started moving out of the building. As the pair stepped onto the platform, Jason pointed to the Guard who had stopped him and waved him over. He quickly jogged over to the Captain before matching his brisk pace.

"Yes Sir?"

"You're in charge until a new Sergeant comes down. One who will actually do their fucking job."

"Yes Sir." The Guard turned around and moved back to his position.

"You're fucking pathetic. I'm curious how long they'll still have to call you 'Sergeant'."

The stallion was silent the entire trip. He messed up bad, and he knew it. He seemed resigned to his fate.

Jason let out a sigh. "Sorry about that, ladies. That whole situation at the station needed to be taken care of."

"What the hay was that all about?" Rainbow asked, curious.

"You know how you thought I wasn't going to do anything?"

She nodded.

"I found a Guard who was literally doing nothing. It was a disgrace I needed to remedy."

Twilight spoke up. "Okay, now that we're all here we should head in. The Princesses have waited long enough."

Jason breathed deeply. "You're right. Let's go."

They turned toward the large doors leading to the throne room, Twilight taking the lead with Jason at her side. The mares followed suit as they walked into the massive chamber.

The Princesses stood before a few other stallions. Jason recognized Captain Stalwart and Captain Armor. There were a few other guards present whom Jason didn't recognize. Jason winced a little as the huge doors closed with a boom behind them. The small gathering stopped speaking and looked toward their group.

"Twilie? What are you doing here?" Shining Armor was genuinely surprised to see his sister. Jason watched as his surprise changed into concern.

"Indeed... I did not summon you or your friends, Twilight. You should be in Ponyville where it's safe." Princess Celestia's voice was... different somehow. No less regal, but the usual kindness was missing. She sounded angry.

"Your Highness, I know you did not summon us, but we are the Element Bearers. Surely there is something we can do to help." Twilight's response was even. She had caught the tone of the Princess' voice and recognized something was off.

"What you can do is keep yourself safe. You possess the greatest magic in all of Equestria. We cannot have you going against ponies who are willing to do anything to achieve their goals. We summoned Jason because he has experience with situations like this. You do not. Please, wait outside while I brief the Captains."

"Oh come on, Your Highness! We wanna help too!" Jason should have expected Rainbow's outburst, but he still winced at her statement.

"You will be helping by staying alive..." Princess Celestia's voice was even. "Do not argue with me on this, Miss Dash. Just wait outside."

Jason turned toward the mares. "Go on, I'll talk to you girls about it later."

"We'll hold ya to that, Jason." Applejack said flatly. "We ain't happy about this."

The mares turned and exited the room. Jason watched them leave before turning back to the group. He took up position next to Captain Armor. The other Captains nodded towards him in greeting before turning their attention to the Princesses.

"It is good to have you join us, Captain Sinder. You have met Captain Stalwart and Captain Armor, Next to them are Captain Thunderclap and Captain Phalanx. Like you, they have been in a reserve state for the past several years, however in light of recent events we have decided to activate their units. We will be sending them in to Saddle Arabia to reinforce and defend our interests in that country." Princess Celestia said. Each Captain nodded in turn as they were introduced. Jason returned their nods with one of his own.

"Your Majesty, if I may ask, when are they being deployed?" Jason asked.

"If all things go well here, then they should be leaving before the end of the week." Princess Luna answered.

"Ma'am, before they leave, I would like to brief the Captains in private. There is a lot I need to tell them about occupation so they aren't doing more damage to the indigenous citizens and inadvertently hurting our cause."

"Very well, Captain. I will leave you to brief them as soon as we are done here." Princess Celestia turned her attention to the other Captains. "Gentlemen you have been briefed. Captain Armor and Captain Stalwart, return to your units and begin issuing the new defensive orders we have outlined for you. Captain Thunderclap and Captain Phalanx, please wait outside until we finish briefing Captain Sinder. Dismissed."

The four stallions came to attention and bowed before turning and exiting the throne room.

"Now then, Captain Sinder, we are sure you are curious as to what role you will be playing in all of this." Princess Luna said.

Jason remained silent, waiting for the Princesses to continue.

"We are placing you in charge of a special unit. Your unit will be tasked with handling any and all situations regarding the Guardians of the Sand. Since you have the most knowledge of warfare, and have dealt with situations like this before, you are the most qualified officer we have to take this position. As for your Guards, we have asked each Captain to provide a select few stallions from their units to supplement your own. The Guards have been informed and are currently preparing to transfer to your command." Princess Celestia paced as she spoke.

Jason attempted to sift through everything he had just been told. This was huge. Just yesterday, he had been building a house in Ponyville, thinking of what he should get Rainbow for her birthday next week, and now he was in charge of a special unit, preparing for what could easily turn into a war. It was several moments before he could think of a question.

"Your Majesty, what exactly are you asking me to do?"

"We expect you to do what you were trained for." Princess Luna's voice was cold. "These are enemies of Equestria, a threat to our citizens and criminals of the highest calibre. You are here to... Eliminate that threat."

That's what I thought... Jason thought to himself. I have to try and stop this... I don't want to be leader of a kill squad. We need to end this through diplomacy.

"Your Highnesses, may I speak candidly for a moment?" Jason asked.

"Go ahead, Captain."

"I understand your emotions are running hot right now. Your citizens have died, it would be wrong if you weren't angry. But we need to do whatever we can right now to end this diplomatically. Yes, I have been trained to do what you ask, but I should only be used as a last resort. We need to take any opportunity we have to resolve this peacefully, before Equestria finds itself at war."

Princess Celestia nodded in agreement. "We know that, Captain." She looked at him, her expression serious. "However, there is always the possibility that we simply can't resolve this without further bloodshed. You are our contingency plan, Jason, and you need to be prepared to act as such."

Princess Luna spoke up. "And that brings us to our next point." Her horn glowed as she lifted a torn and dirty sheet of paper from the table at the edge of the room. She levitated the sheet to him. "While you were traveling, we received a message from the Guardians of the Sand." Jason looked through the message while the Princess spoke. "Those, are their demands for the exchange of our ambassador."

The message was short.

Tyrants of Equestria,

In five days time, you will send a representative to the northern tip of the Stoneshod Wastes. This representative will have the Ember of Korlah in their possession. The ambassador and her assistants will only be returned to you once we have the Ember in our possession.

We will meet at noon. For every hour you are late, a hostage will be executed.

This is your only warning.

Guardians of the Sand

"When did you receive this letter?" Jason asked. "And what's the Ember of Korlah?"

"Yesterday..." Princess Celestia said as she walked to one side of the room. She used her magic to pull out a small wooden box. She opened it and pulled out an item. "And this, is the Ember of Korlah." She levitated the item to Jason, who took it and examined it closely.

It was a gorgeous piece of craftsmanship. It was made of a single cherry wood dowel, with intricately carved designs adorning every inch of the rod. The carvings depicted flames. Jason rolled the item in his hand. As he looked it over, he found a single jewel embedded into the wood. A strange glint in the gem caught his eye and he examined it closer. Trapped within the gem was a burning flame.

He looked up and reached out with the item, offering it back to the Princess. She took it and set it back in it's box.

"It's beautiful, but why would the Guardians go through so much trouble to acquire it?" Jason asked.

"The Ember of Korlah is one of the most powerful magical artifacts in Equestria." Princess Luna explained as her sister secured the artifact. "It was made centuries ago by Starswirl the Bearded, one of the greatest magicians in history."

"Yes, Twilight has talked about him a few times, but that doesn't really answer my question. What does it do?"

"Quite simply, it creates fire." Princess Celestia answered as she moved beside her sister. "Starswirl created it in an attempt to woo a glassblower mare he had taken a fancy to. He created the device to assist her in her craft, since she was an earth pony and lacked magic to assist her when heating the glass."

The Princess let out a deep sigh, a touch of sorrow creeping into her demeanor.

"Unfortunately, the Ember was far more powerful than Starswirl had anticipated. He poured his love into the creation, and that, mixed with his natural magical talent, created a force to be reckoned with. The first time she attempted to use the Ember, her place of work was completely engulfed by fire. She died in that fire, marking one of the most tragic accidents in Canterlot history. Because of the Ember's magical nature, it survived the blaze. Starswirl approached me several days later with the Ember in his possession. He gave it to me so that I may protect it and keep it from falling into the wrong hooves."

"Ok, so the Guardians want to set fires?" Jason said. "You surely can't be planning on actually giving them such a powerful artifact!"

"Certainly not." Princess Luna responded. Her horn glowed as she pulled out a wrapped package. "You will be giving them this." She floated the parcel over to him.

He took the package and unwrapped it. What he found was a perfect recreation of the Ember of Korlah. Princess Luna must have painstakingly transmuted the recreation for the exchange. He looked at the crystal. A flame burned within it, though it was much weaker than the real artifact.

"That, is a perfect recreation of the Ember." Princess Luna said, letting a little pride into her voice. "I did have to enchant it with the flame spell to reproduce the effect in the gem, however it is only powerful enough to light tiny fires, no larger than that of a candle."

Jason nodded. It was a good plan, but it was only a temporary solution to their problem. "So, after we get the hostages back, what then? The Guardians of the Sand are not going to be happy about this deception."

"At that point, they will no longer have anything to barter with. We will have our ambassador back, and the units we are sending to reinforce our establishments in Saddle Arabia should act as a major deterrent to future attacks. We will have time to better plan our next course of action to drive them to the negotiation table." Princess Celestia stated.

"Very well Your Highness, it will be done." Jason gave a small bow.

"Good. You will be leaving tomorrow morning. The trip to Stoneshod Wastes takes two full days, meaning you will have a day to prepare for the meeting when you arrive. You will be travelling via private carriage pulled by the best team in Equestria. For this first mission, you will only be taking a small team. Their information is on the table over there." Princess Celestia gestured with her hoof. Jason walked over to the table, picking up the paper and folding it into his pocket.

The Princess let out a sigh. "I'm sorry for this, Captain Sinder. I had hoped to never again stand on the brink of war. I have to say, though, that I am grateful to have someone with your experience here to assist us."

"To be fair Your Majesty, I have done little as of yet."

"True, but should things go poorly, we have somepony who knows what to do." Jason watched a little bit of the tension flow from her. "You are dismissed, Captain. Brief Captain Thunderclap and Captain Phalanx quickly, and spend the rest of the evening with your herd and your friends. You may be used to this, but they are not. Talk to them, be with them and say your goodbyes. I cannot guarantee when you will return, so spend as much time with them as you can."

Jason bowed to the Princesses. "Thank you, Your Highnesses. I will be ready to leave tomorrow morning."

The Princesses nodded in reply and Jason turned and exited the large room.

Jason leaned on the stone railing, looking out over the vast scenery visible from the mountainside city. In the distance, he could see faint lights glowing from far away towns.

I need a fucking cigarette... Jason thought to himself as the warm summer air filled his lungs.

His arrival in Equestria had been quite the effective cessation method, seeing as tobacco was not grown or smoked in this world. Luckily, Jason had been able to distract himself from his cravings. But the stress he was under now brought them to the forefront of his mind.

He looked to his left, watching as one of the city's intricate waterways flowed it's excess over the side, allowing a flowing waterfall to cascade to the ground far below, the liquid glittering in the shining moonlight.

"Jason?" Rainbow's voice was quiet, as though she was afraid to interrupt his meditation.

He was relieved. Hearing the voice of one of the mares he loved pulled him from the melancholy his mind had settled into. He turned to face her, allowing a smile to cross his face.

"Hey Rain, I'm surprised you're still awake."

"I can't sleep. Not now. Not without you." She walked to stand next to him, hopping up and resting her hooves on the railing. He turned to once again gaze over the scenery, stretching out an arm and wrapping it around her shoulders, holding her in a half-embrace. She leaned into him as they looked over the landscape.

"Are you sure you're going to be okay? I don't know what I'd do if something happened to you." She said quietly.

"You'll be alright, Rainbow. You're strong, you can handle just about anything this world throws at you. Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. So long as they honor the exchange, everything should go smoothly." Jason said, squeezing her gently.

They stayed together for several silent minutes, sharing in each others loving company and enjoying the gorgeous scenery expanding infinitely before them.

Rainbow eventually broke the silence, her voice nearly a whisper. "Jason... There's... There's something I've been wanting to tell you for a while now."

Jason looked down at her, his eyebrow raised in curiosity. "What is it, Rainbow? You know you can tell me anything."

"I... I promise. To always be there for you. Anywhere you may settle is where I will call home. I promise to support you in your choices and...And... Aw heck what's the word?" She hopped down and began pacing in thought.

Jason blinked. Wait... Is she doing what I think she is?

"Endeavors! That's it!" She walked to stand in front of him. "I promise to support you in your choices and endeavors. The love I feel for you is greater than anything I've ever felt." She reached her head back to her wings, pulling a loose feather from among her primary flight feathers. She set the feather on the ground before her and stared at it, almost as though she didn't want to look at him. "I offer you this feather as a sign of my devotion and love. With it, I promise to you everything that I am, that I will love and cherish you forever..."

Her voice trailed off as she completed her vow. She continued to stare at the feather as she awaited his response.

Jason let out a soft chuckle. "Rainbow Dash, you certainly have a way with timing, don't you?"

The pegasus winced at his words. They were obviously not what she was wanting to hear.

Jason lowered himself to a knee and picked up the feather. With his other hand, he gently lifted her chin so he could look into her eyes. "I humbly accept this feather, Rainbow Dash. In return, I promise to be your strength. I promise to protect you and your own. I will always be there for you. Maybe not physically, but my heart will accompany you wherever you may go. My home is yours, as much as it is mine."

He reached into his skivvy shirt, pulling free the chain he wore around his neck. He undid the fastener and removed the message rings before securing the chain together again.

"I offer you these, my identification tags, as a sign of my devotion and love. I may not have grown them from my own flesh, but these tags are, in essence, who I am. With them, I cement my relationship to you. I will love, and honor you forever, Rainbow Dash."

Tears were flowing down her cheeks. She dipped her head slightly, allowing him to run the chain over and down her neck, letting them dangle just above her legs. She looked at him for a short time before stepping forward and kissing him.

As they kissed, Jason wrapped his arms around her neck. He clutched the feather tightly in his hand.

After several minutes, the pair finally broke contact. They looked once more into each other's eyes, renewed love flowing between them in the gaze.

"Come on, Jason. We've got one more night together before you leave. I'll be damned if I'm not going to enjoy it. I'm sure Twilight will appreciate it as well." She turned back toward the building, her hips swaying sensually as she walked to the door. Her tail occasionally flipped to the side, giving Jason a preview of things to come.

"Aye aye, Misses Rainbow Dash!" Jason said as he hastily rose and trotted to catch up.

Side by side they walked into the building, Rainbow occasionally swatting him with her tail and Jason gently playing with one of her ears.

Author's Note

Hey guys. I've spent the little amount of free time i've had over the past couple weeks to knock this out before I actually make my move. I was hoping to leave you with a better idea of things to come.

Thanks for bearing with me, here. I really appreciate all the support you guys have shown.

The Exchange

You have GOT to be kidding me... Jason thought to himself as he looked over the Guards before him.

They stood beside the dirt road which would take them to Saddle Arabia. The sun was just beginning to peek over the horizon, the early morning rays warmly illuminating the landscape around them. The carriage team stood before their vehicle, stretching in preparation for the long journey ahead of them. Jason had been impressed at the appearance of the team, they looked to be some of the most athletic earth ponies he had ever seen.

The guards, on the other hand, were a different story.

There were only seven of them. The rest of his unit was still being assembled, so for this mission only the few who were ready would be going.

The dossier the Princesses had given him had looked promising, but the stallions standing before him did not match what he had read.

It didn't take him long to figure out what had happened. The Captains had been given personal discretion on who they would give up for Jason's unit, meaning they could give him whoever they wanted. Were they going to give up their best stallions for a possible suicide mission? Hell no... They sent him the shitbags, the criminals, the ones they wanted to be rid of. Jason could only hope the rest of his unit would be different.

He paused as he looked at the very end of the line. He easily recognized the stallion at the end. He raised an eyebrow slightly before returning his gaze to the group as a whole.

"Alright, everypony on the carriage. I'll speak to you more once we get moving."

The assembly responded with a chorus of "Yes, Sir." before turning and gathering up their gear.

"Sergeant Blackhoof, come over here." Jason said loudly.

The stallion hoisted his gear onto his back quickly before trotting before the Captain.

"It's Corporal now, Sir. What did you need me for?" The stallion said as he stood at attention.

Jason raised an eyebrow. "What are you doing here?" He said flatly.

"I volunteered, Sir. I heard about the unit that was being put together for you and I wanted to try and make up for... For what happened yesterday. I spoke with Captain Steadfast and he approved of the transfer." Jason saw the stallion's knees quiver a little under the weight of his gear. "I was a little surprised to be honest, Sir. He seemed relieved about sending me over here."

I fucking KNEW it... Jason thought to himself. He let out a quick sigh. "Alright Corporal, go ahead and get loaded up."

Corporal Blackhoof saluted quickly before awkwardly turning and making his way to the carriage.

Jason walked over to where his own equipment lay, bending over to collect the armor and rifle.

He inspected them quickly before throwing them over his shoulder. Damn... He thought to himself. I Really should have thought this through better. I hope I'm not gone too long. He had his armor, his rifle, an ample supply of ammunition, and some food he bought the previous day and a few basic toiletries. That was it, that was the entirety of his inventory. He hadn't thought to bring extra clothes or things to wash the ones he had. It'd been years since he'd had to. It was an oversight that was most definitely going to bite him in the ass.

He sighed before slinging the rifle and throwing the armor over his shoulder. He took one last glance toward Canterlot, his wife and life-partner still sleeping somewhere within the tall stone buildings. His gaze lingered for a few seconds before he finally turned to the carriage, now laden with the stallions and their gear.

"JASON!!!" He wasn't surprised to hear her call. It was an occurrence he had come to expect from the cyan pegasus.

He turned to look toward the source of the voice. It didn't take long for him to find the rainbow contrail that came from his lover. As she approached, Jason noticed she held a pencil in her mouth, and was quickly scribbling something onto a small paper she had in her hoof. She landed a few feet away and quickly folded the note.

She had taken his example and wore her message rings upon the chain hanging around her neck. She hadn't taken the dog tags off since Jason had put them on her, other than to put the rings on it. She lifted the ring with the lavender jewel and blew through it, engulfing the letter in green flame and sending it off to Twilight.

Once the fire receded, Rainbow dropped the ring and looked toward him, an obviously hurt expression playing across her face.

"You were really going to leave without saying goodbye?" She asked quietly.

The words shot icicles through Jason's heart. He tried to play it off by raising a hand and putting it behind his head. He chuckled uneasily.

"I thought I did last night..." Even he didn't believe the words coming from his mouth.

His vision blurred slightly as a bright flash of purple overcame his vision. He blinked a few times to clear the spots from his eyes before he was tackled to the ground, the impact replacing the spots with stars. Even through his daze, he could easily recognize the lavender unicorn now laying upon his chest.

"Urgh... You know, I was kinda hoping to at least get to Saddle Arabia before I was attacked." No one laughed. He hadn't really expected them to.

"Please don't go..." Twilight said softly, her face buried in his chest. She looked up at him, tears forming in her eyes. "We need you back home... Ponyville needs their Captain." Rainbow walked over and stood beside them, looking down at Jason with a sad expression.

Jason smiled weakly before reaching up and cupping her cheek. "Not as much as Equestria does, love." He lifted his thumb and gingerly wiped away a small rivulet that had begun rolling down her cheek. "Ponyville still has you two, and all of your friends defend her. These guards are going into this thing blind... Hell, I am too, but I at least know how to react to an attack."

"I still wish we could go with you..." Rainbow said. She looked at the ground, kicking away a loose pebble.

"I know, Rainbow, I know... But the Princesses were right. Equestria needs you and your friends as well, more so than they need me. Yes I have valuable knowledge, but it's also something that can be easily passed on. The role you fill in this world is much greater than that. You are the element bearers! Your individual personalities combined into such a strong friendship power the greatest magic in the world! It would be foolish to risk that just trying to stop a few rogue ponies. I'll be fine, trust me."

Twilight leaned up and gave him a quick kiss before slipping off and allowing him to sit up. He glanced between the two mares. They obviously understood what he was saying, but that didn't make them like it anymore than they already did.

"Yeah...Yeah we know... We just don't like sending you somewhere so dangerous by yourself..." Twilight said quietly.

"Hey, I'll have other guards with me. They'll keep me safe." Hopefully... He wasn't holding his breath on that last thought.

"You still haven't said why you were leaving without saying goodbye..." Rainbow said. The statement sent his mind stumbling again.

...Why did I?... I don't know... I really don't... He fought for an answer.

"I... Didn't know how to..." He looked between the mares he loved, attempting to form his emotions into words. "I've never really had a family. Whenever I deployed before, my goodbyes were usually a phone call to my dad, but those didn't really mean much. Anyone else I would want to say goodbye to was already there next to me, waiting to get on the plane with me. I've never had to say goodbye before... Not like this. I thought It'd be easier this way..."

"You were wrong..." Rainbow took a few steps toward him, leaning her head down and kissing him. He returned it gratefully, wrapping his arms around her neck. Twilight moved closer to them as they shared their embrace.

"We love you, Jason" Twilight said softly as her herdmates broke their kiss. "We may not be going with you, but... But we'll be damned if we let you go without saying goodbye."

Jason's eyes widened. He had heard Rainbow swear plenty of times, but he had never expected it from Twilight. He turned his gaze toward her. She seemed a little short of breath after using the expletive.

"Oh... So that's why you use those words that much..." It looked like she had gotten a bit of an adrenaline rush from it, like a kid swearing in front of people for the first time.

Jason let a warm smile cross his face. He reached out an arm, gesturing for Twilight to move closer. She took a few steps and he wrapped her in an embrace. She lifted a forehoof and wrapped it around his shoulders. Rainbow moved to the other side, joining in their hug. The three of them stayed like that for several moments, sharing in their mutual love.

"I'm sorry I tried." Jason said as he leaned back from the embrace, looking at both mares in turn. "I hope this was better, but I really need to go, We're on a tight schedule here."

"Almost." Twilight said before leaning forward and kissing him again, deeply and passionately, trying to get as much from it as she could. It didn't last as long as Jason hoped it would, but Twilight eventually broke the contact. "As much as I'd love to keep going, I'm sure your other misses would appreciate a turn."

They both looked toward Rainbow Dash, who blushed slightly at the statement. Jason chuckled lightly before leaning forward and kissing her, sharing the same passion he had attempted to show Twilight.

After a while, they ended their kiss. The mares released their grip on him and let him stand. He scooped up his gear again, looping the rifle over his arm and hanging the armor over his shoulder. "Goodbye, girls... I'll be back soon."

God I hope that's the truth... He thought to himself in silence.

"You better, Jason." Rainbow said, a mocking grin crossing her face. "Or else I'm gonna find you and kick your butt."

Jason chuckled. "Aye aye, misses Rainbow Dash."

Rainbow blushed again.

"We love you, Jason. Always remember that." Twilight said, a familiar tinge of sadness creeping into her voice.

"And I you, my loves. Always have, always will." He said as he turned to the carriage, a few tears threatening to make their way over his eyelids.

Always have...Always will...

The carriage bumped and rattled as it was pulled over the gravel road. Despite how heavily laden the vehicle was, each rut and rock justled the vehicle.

The carriage, while large enough to transport the small team, was extremely cramped. It was designed for ponies, and Jason found himself bent over uncomfortably. He gripped his rifle tightly, trying to suppress his discomfort. He was uncomfortable, nervous, and bearing a heavy heart. He didn't know what was about to happen. Was he going to be alright? would these guards listen to him? He worried at the possibility of him not returning home. He was afraid that he would never see his loved ones again.

He shook his head quickly, attempting to shake his current train of thought. He looked around the cramped vehicle, looking to each guard in turn. They all seemed to be lost in their own thoughts. Some were nervous, some excited and some were indifferent. He let out a sigh before raising his voice to speak to the group as a whole.

"Alright, gents. Before I give you your briefing, I'd like to know a little something about each of you. If I'm going to be leading you, I need to know who I'm going to be working with. Tell me your background. Where you're from, what you're good at, your experiences, anything really. Just let me know who you are. I don't need any of your secrets or anything like that, just give me what you're comfortable with. Who wants to start?"

"I'll start, Sir!" Jason looked to the other side of the carriage and saw Corporal Blackhoof extending his hoof eagerly.

Jason let a small smirk cross his face. The young stallion was doing his best to make up for the poor impression he had given the Captain. Jason was willing to give him a shot.

"Alright Corporal, go ahead."

The white stallion cleared his throat quickly before speaking. "My name is Corporal Blackhoof. I was born and raised in Manehattan, to a family of clockmakers. I was never really able to take up the family craft all that well, so I spent my childhood looking for other things I might be good at." He chuckled lightly. "I was always getting in trouble around town, trying to do some crazy or stupid thing to get my mark. I'm not gonna lie, it wasn't until I was in my upper education before I finally got it. One day, a contingent of Guards came by our school to do some recruiting. They put on this whole event, showing off their marching and giving out demos and little events about what life was like in the Guard. I did all of them. I think it was when I tried on this armor in one of their tents. That's when I got it. It was the weirdest thing, but when I put it on it just felt...right, ya know? When I took it off, there it was. Crossed polearms behind a blue shield. I knew my destiny then... As soon as I was old enough, I signed up. I've been with the guard almost five years now, and I honestly wouldn't trade that time for anything."

Quite the motivator... Jason thought to himself with a grin. Let's just hope he can keep his head out of his ass from now on. "Very good Corporal. Who's next?"

"I'll give it a go." Jason looked to the gray unicorn sitting opposite the Captain. The stallion gave him a smile. Jason was pleasantly surprised. Of the group that had been arranged for him, this stallion seemed to be the most promising.

"Alright Guard, you have the floor."

"My name's Guard First Class Carbon. I was raised in Canterlot." His grin widened a little. "Believe it or not, my parents spent much of their lives as travelling performers, moving from town to town and doin' acrobatics and things like that. The only thing they really passed on to me was throwing stuff with my telekinesis. I got really good at throwing knives. I could hit a bullseye from across the stage. I think it was the first time I hit dead center is when I got my mark. It's this weird circle with little tick marks around it. I'm pretty sure it means accuracy."

Jason raised an eyebrow. "Mind if I see it?"

The stallion was a little hesitant about it, but turned slightly nonetheless, revealing the blue crosshair that adorned his flank.

"That's a crosshair, and accuracy is exactly what it means." Jason said with a touch of finality. "You didn't happen to bring any of your knives with you, did you?"

"I always do. I prefer them over those awkward sticks we get issued." The stallion seemed genuinely excited about Jason's interest in his hobby. "A crosshair, huh? What's that? I've never heard of one before."

"It's something we humans use to aim with. Here." He quickly unscrewed the RCO from his rifle and held it up so Carbon could look through it. "I know it's not exactly like yours, but it's the same idea. The circle represents the edges of the scope and the tack marks are supposed to be full lines. The point where the lines intersect in the middle is where our shot will land."

"Oooohh. That makes a lot of sense." Carbon's expression changed a little, losing himself in thought. "Why would my mark be something from your world, Sir?"

Jason shrugged before screwing the optic back onto his rifle. "Beats me... Maybe It's because you ponies don't really have anything that matches your personality, so the magic that makes your marks looked through the universe to find an alternative. Anyway, why'd you join the guard?"

Carbon shook his head. "Disagreement with my parents, Sir. They wanted to use me for entertainment, but I thought my talents could be better used elsewhere, so here I am."

Why the hell did they send him here? He seems to have his shit together... "So, did you volunteer for this mission, or told to be here by your previous Captain?"

"Eh... Captain Stalwart told me I was coming here yesterday. I think it might have something to do with the fight I got into last week."

"A fight? Over what?" Jason asked.

"Some Sergeant was trying to mess with a couple of Guards under me. He screwed up on something he was tasked with and was trying to pass the blame off on some of the younger colts. I tried to tell him off, but he took a swing at me. He landed a few hits, but I got more in. Wound up in medbay I think." He let out a dry chuckle. "Got me busted down... Was a Corporal until just before the attack."

"That's exactly the kind of stallion I want to work with, Carbon. We'll see if we can't get you your rank back." Jason said with a half grin.

The Guard seemed surprised at that statement. "Uh... Thanks Sir."

Jason chuckled lightly before looking around the carriage again. "Alright, who's next?"

A few more of the stallions raised their hooves, eager to tell their stories.

A few hours passed as the team introduced themselves. Despite Jason's original impressions of the group, they were definitely stallions he could work with. They weren't all stellar soldiers like Carbon seemed to be, however what they lacked in intelligence and physical ability, they made up for with sheer determination and dedication. The attack on Equestria had steeled their resolve, and they all wanted to do what they could for their country.

Once the stallions had finished their introductions, it was Jason's turn. If he expected these Guards to follow him, they needed to understand why they should. He spent nearly an hour detailing his training and experience, much as he had the night he had met the other Captains. The Guards listened intently as he spoke, clinging to every word as he told stories of the battles he had been a part of.

Jason didn't skim over the grim details as he had before. There was a significant chance that these stallions would face death, and they needed to understand that. Jason told them of the friends he had lost, and how he had dealt with their deaths on a personal level. The stallions listened in silence, the mood of the carriage darkening as they grasped at what they were being told. Jason reinforced his position, that no matter what happened, he would do his best to lead them to victory.

The long ride to Saddle Arabia dragged on and on. Jason could see the environment around them changing as they drew closer to their destination.

As the sun began setting, the wagon team pulled the vehicle to the side of the road. They parked next to a swiftly running stream to rest for the night. Jason was still amazed at the dexterity of the team that pulled their carriage. He had come to believe he had the best endurance in Equestria, given his experiences in Ponyville, however these stallions had just put him to shame. There were six of them, each extremely lean and well muscled. Four would pull the carriage while two rode up front. They would rotate every so often, but they had still run all day, with a barely noticeable drop in speed.

Jason stepped from the carriage and stretched, attempting to work the cramps from his stiff extremities. "Alright, everypony out. unpack only what you'll need for the night, I want to be able to move as soon as possible tomorrow morning."

The group began moving quickly as the carriage team released themselves from their harnesses. Jason walked over to the stallions who hopped down from atop the carriage. "Good work today, gentlecolts. I'm both amazed and impressed at your stamina and speed."

One of them eyed him quickly before letting out a low chuckle. "We've got these to thank for that." He said, pointing to a jeweled necklace hanging around his neck. Jason leaned forward to get a better look at it. The jewels glowed with magical energy.

"What are those?" The human asked, curious.

"Gifts from the Princesses themselves." The stallion said with pride. "Normally, we act as personal transports for any foreign dignitaries that may wish to visit Equestria, so we need to be able to travel long distances in a short amount of time. These little beauties are Rejuvenation Stones. Wear them for about an hour and they sap all the tiredness from your body and leave you feeling good as new. We run for a while, and once we start getting tired we rotate. The guys up top take the reigns for a while and the others recover. It's extremely useful, as you could imagine."

"Without a doubt..." Jason said, the versatility of magic once again boggling his mind. He turned and walked away from the team, allowing them to prepare for the night. He walked over to where the stallions had begun setting up some small tents, attempting to get them up before the light of day vanished. Jason nodded in approval at the speed of their work and turned toward the woods, moving off to gather firewood for the night.

Jason scribbled into his notepad. He struggled to see his writing in the flickering firelight that illuminated the dark clearing. Most of the stallions had already gone to bed, while the others talked quietly among themselves on the opposite side of the fire. He shifted from his cross-legged sitting position and extended his legs to the side, propping himself up on his elbow. He read the note to himself quickly.

Twi and Rain,

Set up camp safe. Had time to talk with the other stallions here, and I can assure you I'm in good hooves. I'll write again

once something has happened. Be safe, and take care of yourselves.

Love, Jason.

Satisfied, he folded the note and pulled one of his message rings from his breast pocket. He blew through the ring, engulfing the note in green flame and sending it off to his herd mates. He slipped the ring back into his pocket and cast a quick look around.

On the other side of the fire, he could see Carbon and Blackhoof staring at him. "What?" He asked flatly.

"What was that, Sir? I've never seen anything quite like it." Carbon responded.

Jason chuckled lightly. "Ok, first off, enough with the 'Sir' Shit, at least when we're relaxing like this. We're going to be working together, and as such I want to get used to working on an equal level. Do I expect you to follow my orders? Definitely, but I don't want you feeling like I wouldn't appreciate your input. If there are ever any situations where you feel you might have a better plan, or have any concerns I may not have thought of, feel free to voice them. I may be a higher rank, but we're still serving under the same flag. You can call me Jason" The stallions nodded in understanding. Jason let a grin cross his face. "As for these..." he pulled the rings from his pocket and held them up for the stallions to see. "They're a gift from my wife. It's like an instant mail service. Write a note, and blow on it through this ring, and it will be teleported to it's partner, which is held by her."

The stallions seemed fascinated by the idea, but weren't surprised. "If you don't mind me asking Sir...Er, I mean Jason, who is your wife?" Blackhoof asked.

Jason raised an eyebrow towards him. "What, you didn't see them when we left?"

"Well, yeah but we didn't know who they were."

Jason let out a sigh. "Well I have one wife and one life partner. Their names are Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash respectively..."

"Wait... Aren't they bearers of the Elements of Harmony?" Carbon interrupted, suddenly much more interested.

"Yes...Yes they are." Jason responded, slightly surprised at the stallion's sudden attentiveness.

"Wow... That's amazing! How did you manage to land not one, but two Element bearers?" Blachoof seemed amazed at the humans achievement.

"First off, I didn't land anypony..." Jason responded tersely. He spent the next several minutes telling them of his courtships. How he met Twilight, how she had taught him the ropes of pony society, how their relationship blossomed as they shared stories and knowledge.

He told them of how she had brought him to Equestria, and how the revelation had shocked her so deeply. He then told them of how Rainbow worked so desperately to help Jason and Twilight resolve the issue. He described how the devotion and loyalty she displayed had started another fire in his heart. He told a few stories of the experiences they shared over the years, and how their feelings had cemented themselves into a monument of love within his heart. He showed them the wedding ring he wore to show his bond with the unicorn. Finally, he reached over to his flak and pulled the feather from the MOLLE webbing on the back of his flak.

"Rain gave me this the day before we left." He let out a small chuckle at the memory, still so vivid in his mind. "She's never been good with timing, but I think she wanted to do it before I left." His tone became a little sad. "You know, in case I don't come back."

The stallions sat there respectfully for a moment before Blackhoof spoke up. "So why wear it on your back like that? It's obvious it means a lot to you, so why leave it so exposed?"

Jason chuckled again, attempting to lighten the mood as he slipped the feather back onto his flak. "I guess it's a little dumb, but I like the symbolism." He lifted up the hand, showing the ring again. "Having this around my finger shows that Twilight's love will always surround me. And having the feather there shows that Rainbow will always have my back, no matter what."

The stallions looked at him, each bearing a raised eyebrow. they looked at each other quickly before bursting into laughter.

"That's the cheesiest thing I've ever heard!" Carbon said between bouts of laughter.

"Eh, fuck you..." Jason said, despite the grin forming on his face. He let their laughter fade before asking his next question. "What about you guys? Got any girls back home?"

"Yeah, I got one back in Canterlot." Blackhoof responded. "Name's Tulip Petal. Works as a baker in the Canterlot Royal Market. Met her a couple weeks ago. It's nothing serious yet, but she's got a plot like you wouldn't believe." He lifted his forehooves and traced a crude recreation through the air. He shot them a quick grin before continuing. "And she loves to bake fresh cinnamon rolls after a night of good sex. Like's to call them a 'reward'." Jason and Carbon chuckled at the description.

Jason turned to look at Carbon. "What about you?"

Carbon shook his head. "Nah, only really had eyes for one girl. She was a musician who spent a couple years with my family's travelling show." His eyes glazed over slightly as he remembered her. "She was the most beautiful mare I've ever met. She would sit in the wagon at night, practicing her music for hours and perfecting every aspect of her performance." He let out a sigh, a touch of sadness creeping into his voice. "Never really got a chance to pursue anything with her, though. She had a chance to audition with the Canterlot Grand Symphony and she snagged it. I haven't seen her since." He shook his head slowly, mulling over missed opportunities. "I'm always wondering how she's doing, but I have no idea how to get in touch with her."

"Damn... Sorry man. What was her name?" Jason asked apologetically.

"Octavia... Octavia Melody..."

Jason blinked. "Octavia?...No shit..." He let out a chuckle.

Carbon looked at him, his eyebrow raised in confusion. "Why? What's so funny about that?"

Jason looked him square in the face, a wide grin present on his own. "I'm the answer to your prayers, my friend. Octavia was one of the first mares I met when I got out of the hospital."

"What?" Carbon was genuinely shocked at this revelation. "Do you know where she is? How is she? Is she doing alright?" The flurry of questions didn't really surprise the human.

"Easy there, killer. She's doing fine. She's living in Ponyville, sharing a house with the DJ Vinyl Scratch. We've been friends for years." Jason's grin widened as he watched relief flow over the stallion. "Tell ya what. Why don't you take some leave when we get back and come with me to Ponyville. I'm sure she'd love to see you again, and you might get a chance to make up for some lost time."

"Yeah...Yeah that'd be awesome!" Carbon responded.

Jason laughed at the stallion's obvious excitement. He glanced at the fire quickly, noticing it had died down to embers as they spoke. "Alright guys, it's pretty late and we've got a long day ahead of us tomorrow. Go ahead and get some sleep."

The three of them stood together. Jason bent over and grabbed the bucket of water he had collected from the stream and poured it over the nearly-dead fire. Smoke billowed from the pit as the last few motes of light were washed into oblivion. He set the bucket beside the pit and began making his way to the carriage where he would sleep.

He opened the light wooden door before half-turning to look back at the stallions who were making their way back their tents. "G'night, gents." He called after them.

"Good night, Sir." They replied in chorus.

Jason shook his head before stepping into the carriage and securing the door shut behind him.

Jason gazed out over the desert valley, taking in the view briefly as the setting sun burned the sky into a deep orange. He let the beauty of the scenery wash over him briefly before turning his mind to more serious matters. Carbon, Blackhoof and a young earth pony simply named 'Pike' stood beside him, examining the valley that had become known as the Stoneshod Wastes.

Jason hadn't been expecting what he saw, but he was grateful nonetheless. He took time to analyze the area, taking in any easily identifiable features as well as positions that may give them any kind of tactical advantage.

The valley was barren, with little in terms of vegetation. There were one or two small shrubs near the bottom, where any amount of sporadic rainfall may gather.

They had lucked out. They had started making their way past the Wastes at around noon that day, and had followed it on their journey to the northern tip. At it's center, the valley was nearly a half mile wide, with sides so steep it would be impossible to get down without special equipment. However, as they progressed further North the valley narrowed and the sheer sides transformed into more gentle slopes.

Jason attempted to gauge the distance. Using his RCO, he matched up his reticle with a dry stump he had guessed to be about two feet in diameter. Using this rough estimate, he was able to gauge the distance at about three-hundred meters from hilltop to hilltop, an easy range for him to be effective with the rifle. The hills would also provide good concealment for anyone observing.

They spent a few minutes there, finalizing their observations. Once he was satisfied with his knowledge, Jason began attempting to formulate their plan. He turned to the stallions beside him.

"Okay Guards, go ahead and start getting set up for the night. I'm going to finalize the plan for tomorrow. Once you are all finished with setup, have the rest of the team assemble by the fire. I'll give you the full mission brief then."

The Guards responded with a chorus of "yes, Sir!" and snapped to their tasks.

Jason made his way to the wagon. He reached into the cargo hold and pulled out the wrapped package the Princesses had delivered to him before he left. He tore off the paper, revealing a wooden case matching the box that contained the true Ember of Korlah. Hell, it could have been the real box for all that it mattered. He lifted the lid, revealing the magical artifact. He quickly examined the jewel, ensuring the flame was the same he had seen while in Canterlot. Satisfied that it was, in fact, the reproduction, he began closing the lid.

A glint from the corner of the box, slightly hidden beneath the padded interior, caught his eye. Curious, he reopened the box and lifted away the loose fabric. Hidden beneath was another, smaller package, no bigger than a small ring box. A small note was taped to the package. He removed the paper and read it quickly.

Captain Sinder,

Found these after you left the castle and thought you may be able to make use of them. They are a pair of jewels, enchanted for communication. Just slip one into your ear and you will be able to speak and listen to the pony wearing the other.

Best of luck, Princess Luna.

Jason's eyes widened a little. Radios? Hell yeah! This mission just keeps getting better and better! He cracked open the package, revealing the two glittering emeralds it contained. Curious, he attempted to slip one into his ear.

To put it bluntly, it was uncomfortable as fuck. The inside of a pony's ear was no where near the same as Jason's so he had a hell of a time trying to make it fit. He eventually found an orientation that actually stayed put, but he would absolutely hate having to wear it for any period of time. With some relief, he pulled the jewel from his ear and re-wrapped them in the paper.

He slipped the fake Ember and the two communication jewels into his pockets and moved to the fire, where he sat and waited for the rest of the team to finish their tasks. The more he thought of the plan, the more refinements he was able to make, polishing exactly what roles each pony would play and where each element would be during the operation.

As he waited for the stallions, he racked his memory on the terrain of the valley. He picked up a loose twig and began creating a rough map of the valley. Nothing precise, but detailed enough for military work.

One by one the stallions finished and moved to sit by the fire. Not surprisingly, Carbon was the first to finish, followed closely by Blackhoof. Pike and Halberd, another earth pony, came together and sat next to Blackhoof, facing the Captain. Over by the tents, he could see two different colors glowing in the rapidly growing darkness. Jason let out a sigh and stood, making his way over to the commotion.

Jason had to fight to keep a straight face at the sight he beheld. Razor, the team's only pegasus, had somehow managed to get himself helplessly tangled in his own tent lines. Iron and Copper, a pair of unicorn brothers, were attempting to untangle the ropes with their telekinesis.

Jason watched in silent amusement as the trio attempted to work the lines. He watched as a line was pulled the wrong way and unintentionally tightened around the trapped pegasus, adding to his discomfort. Jason finally let out a chuckle, drawing the attention of the three stallions.

"Alright, alright, that's enough of that." Jason said as he unzipped a pouch on the front of his flak. He pulled out a folding knife and stepped toward the ensnared stallion. He knelt down, opened the knife and quickly cut through the ropes surrounding Razor. He didn't really care if that ruined the tent for the pegasus. They weren't going to be here long enough for it to really matter. He'd pay to repair it if he had to.

Razor extended his wings in relief and stood.

"Head over to the fire pit. I'm about to give you your briefing. You can finish setting up after that." Jason said as he closed the blade and slipped it back into the pouch and zipping it closed.

"Yes Sir." The trio responded before making their way to the fire, Jason following close behind.

The stallions rejoined their companions and Jason moved to the opposite side of the fire.

"Ok, now that we're all finally here..." He cast a quick glance at Razor, who flinched a little under his gaze. "I can give you your briefing."

"As you already know, four days ago our Saddle Arabian embassy was attacked by a group of terrorists, known as the 'Guardians of the Sand', resulting in the injury and deaths of many of our comrades and citizens. These terrorists have kidnapped our ambassador, Crimson Starlight, and a few of her assistants." He glanced around the group quickly. They remained patiently silent and waited for him to continue.

"Shortly after the attack, the Princesses received a letter, detailing the Guardians' demands for the return of Miss Starlight. There was only one thing they wanted..." He reached into his cargo pocket quickly and pulled out the box within. "This is the Ember of Korlah. Or rather a perfect recreation of the true item. It's an extremely powerful artifact with the ability to create massive fires. As you can imagine, we would never consider giving up the true artifact, however we have created a much weaker copy. We will be exchanging this copy for the hostages."

"Sir?" Carbon interrupted.

"Yes?"

"Won't the Guardians be mad about this trick? I mean, they've already killed, right? Wouldn't this just make them want to cause more violence?"

"A valid point. Hopefully, by the time they realize they've been had, we'll already have the ambassador and her assistants in our custody. Without the hostages, they don't really have anything to bargain with, and with the units we are sending to reinforce our nations interests, they should think twice about attacking us again. Any more questions on that?"

"No Sir."

Jason looked around the group again before continuing. "Now, in their demands they told us to be in that valley at noon tomorrow." He jerked a thumb towards the Wastes. "Three of you will be meeting with their representative tomorrow."

"Blackhoof, you'll be the representative that'll hand over the artifact and receive the hostages. I don't know what kind of language barrier there might be, but they may attempt to get a rise out of you. Keep your head and just get through the exchange. We want to be gone as soon as possible, so don't drag things out any longer than you need to. Pike, you will be next to him during the exchange. Keep an eye out for anything suspicious.

"Yes Sir." The two earth ponies responded in unison.

"Now, Iron..." He looked toward the unicorn.

"Yes Sir?"

"According to the dossier I was given, you have some medical training?"

The stallion nodded. "Yes Sir, I volunteered for the local hospital for a few years and picked up some basic medical training along the way. Don't expect me to perform transplants or anything like that, but I can give first aid without any problems."

"Perfect. You'll be responsible for checking over the hostages and ensuring their in good enough shape to travel. I want you out of the way until Guardians' representative is gone."

Iron nodded in understanding.

"Razor, I want you on overwatch. Find a cloud overhead and post on it. Keep an eye out for anything out of the ordinary, and if you see anything I want you to fly straight to me and let me know. Stay high enough so you can see, but try not to draw any more attention to yourself than you need to."

The pegasus nodded in understanding. "Yes Sir."

"Copper, Halberd, sorry to do this to you, but I need you on gear watch. Keep an eye on the carriage and the pulling team. I don't want to risk the possibility that they might sneak up while we're distracted and tamper with our stuff. I'd rather not get stranded out here without a way back."

The stallions looked crestfallen, yet responded with understanding. "Yes, Sir..."

"Now, myself and Carbon will be posted here..." Jason bent over and grabbed a twig before pointing toward the crude map he had drawn. He scratched an "X" at the crest of a hill on their side of the valley. "If anything goes down, I want to be in a position where I can provide fire support with my rifle. Carbon, you'll act as my second pair of eyes. Again, keep an eye out for anything out of the ordinary."

The group nodded. Jason doubted they understood what fire support was, and hopefully they wouldn't need to, but they weren't questioning his orders.

"Now, we've been given something a little special for this mission..." He reached into his pocket and pulled out the communication crystals. "These are straight from the Princesses. They let us talk to each other from a distance. Blackhoof, you'll have one and I'll have the other so I can give you orders from my position." He reached out, offering one of the crystals to the stallion, who took it readily. "Let's do a quick comm check, to make sure they work. Just slip it into your ear and say something, I should be able to hear it through mine." Jason said as he slipped the item into it's uncomfortable position. Blackhoof slipped it into his ear much more easily."

Jason turned his head and spoke. "Blackhoof, this is Sinder, Comm check." He looked toward the stallion.

"I didn't hear anything, Sir."

Jason's brow furrowed slightly. He repeated the line again.

"Still nothing."

"Hrmm..." Jason thought for a moment. He looked toward Carbon quickly and an idea popped into his mind. "Carbon, you try. maybe it won't work for me since I'm not a pony." He pulled the the jewel from his ear and offered it to the unicorn, who grabbed it with a little magic and tucked it into his own ear.

"Comm check." Carbon said quickly.

"There, I got him!" Blackhoof said excitedly. "Wow, that's pretty cool!"

"I hear him, too." Carbon said as he pulled out his earpiece.

"Alright..." Jason said. "Carbon, you'll have to act as my comm operator. Tell me what Blackhoof says and relay my orders to him when I give them."

"Understood, Sir."

"Alright, they want us there no later than noon, so I want us all in position and waiting at least an hour beforehand so we'll be ready. We'll be rising with the sun tomorrow so we'll have time to secure all of our gear before the meeting. I want to be on the road home as soon as this is over." He cast another glance over the group. "Any questions?"

He could see in their eyes the nervous excitement they all felt. This was by far the most intense thing any of them had experienced in their career with the Guard. Jason could understand the excitement they felt, hell, his own heart was beating a little faster than normal.

The group remained silent. Evidently, Jason had done a good enough job explaining what was supposed to happen and they couldn't think of anything else.

"No? Alright. Go ahead and get some chow and then hit the hay. It's going to be a busy day and I want you all rested for it."

The group responded with a chorus of "Yes Sir!" and turned to their evening routine.

The midday sun beat down on Jason as he looked over the valley. His rifle sat propped on a small pile of rocks he head assembled as a rest. Through his RCO, he could easily see the stallions waiting at the bottom of the valley. Iron stood apart from Blackhoof and Pike, prepared to assist as necessary.

There was only about a half an hour remaining until the Guardians were supposed to show, and Jason could feel the tension in his body growing as time passed. He wished they would hurry and show up. He didn't know how much more of the suspense he could take.

He turned his head to look at Carbon who lay beside him, observing the valley. "Hey, do another comm check...Just to be sure."

"Really? Another one?" Jason could almost hear the stallion roll his eyes. It was probably the fifth one since they had taken their positions.

"Yes, another one... Just to be safe."

"Alright... Hey Blackhoof, Captain Sinder wants a comm check... Yes another one..." The unicorn chuckled lightly. "Alright I'll tell him... Ok... Ok, keep your eyes open, Carbon out." Carbon looked towards the Captain.

"He says they're still good down there, and that you should relax. Everything'll be fine."

Jason let out a sigh, attempting to relax. "Alright... Keep your eyes peeled, they should be here any minute now."

It was nearly fifteen minutes before Jason saw movement on the other side of the valley. Through his RCO, he saw a single pony, concealed by a brown hooded cloak, step to the top of the rise and pause, casting a gaze over the valley below.

He stood there for nearly a minute, taking in the entire view before slowly beginning to walk down the hill toward the three Guards waiting below. Jason took one last sweeping view of the ridge before returning his reticle to the cloaked Saddle Arabian.

The pony stopped about twenty feet from the Guards. Jason could just barely see their mouth move under the hood, calling out to Blackhoof.

Jason waited patiently. They would relay what was being said to him soon. He saw the pony stop speaking, and soon after Blackhoof spoke into the headset.

"He says they want to see the Ember before he shows the hostages." Carbon said, repeating the words Blackhoof was saying.

"Alright... Go ahead and show them, but keep it until we see the hostages."

Carbon repeated the words and Jason watched as Blackhoof pulled the artifact from the box beside him. He saw the Guardian's head move as he attempted to see it better without having to move closer. Evidently, he was satisfied by what he saw and turned back toward the ridge he had walked down.

Jason heard a piercing whistle echo through the valley, and before long watched as seven figures emerged from the other side of the ridge. Five of them, who he assumed were the hostages, wore extremely ragged cloaks. The hoods they wore obscured their manes, however even at this distance Jason could see their faces. They looked remarkably tired.

Behind them stood two more ponies, wearing the same cloaks as the Guardian still standing in the valley.

The negotiator turned back toward Blackhoof and began speaking again.

"Now he wants to have a unicorn levitate the artifact to them. He said once he has the artifact, he'll leave and release the hostages." Carbon said.

"Oh no... not gonna happen. Have them bring the hostages half way down the hill so they can't slip away with them again. Once They're there, we'll hand off the artifact. After that, I want them to walk back over the hill, leaving the hostages where they are. Once they're gone, have the hostages make their way to you."

Carbon nodded before repeating the words to Blackhoof.

Jason watched through his scope as Blackhoof spoke. He could see a visible pause in the cloaked stallion as he thought. Finally, he saw the ponies mouth move before turning and making his way up the hill.

"He said 'One moment'." Carbon said.

Jason observed as the stallion walked up the hill and made his way to the group standing there. They spoke for a time before turning and urging the hostages forward.

Jason could see the fatigue the ambassador and her assistants moved with. They were exhausted, and probably starving. The human wished they would hurry up a little so they could get them the assistance they needed.

The hostages and the two ponies guarding them stopped at the midway point. The negotiator made his way back to where he was standing before and stopped. He said a few short words.

"He's asking for the artifact, Sir." Carbon said.

"Alright... How good's your telekinesis?"

"It's pretty good, even at this range. I should be able to do it from here."

"Good... Go ahead and pass it off to them."

"Okay sir..." Carbon squinted in concentration as his horn began to glow with grey magic. Jason looked through his RCO and watched as the wooden dowel slowly floated to the cloaked stallion. It stopped about a foot in front of him and slowly sank to the ground. Carbon released his magic.

The hooded pony took a few steps forward and bent his head down to examine the artifact. Evidently satisfied, he picked it up in his mouth and turned toward the hostages. Jason cautiously switched his weapon to semi-automatic, worried at what the stallion was about to do.

The Guardian made his way to his comrades, and together they began walking up the hill, leaving the hostages where they stood. Jason watched closely as the three disappeared over the ridge.

Jason waited a full minute before speaking. "Okay... I think we're clear. Have Blackhoof tell the hostages to begin walking toward them."

Carbon repeated the order into his earpiece.

Before long, the five mares began slowly making their way to the stallions. They were slow, but they were making progress.

Before they had even made it halfway to the Guards, the ambassador's legs buckled beneath her. She fell forward hard, going limp as she collapsed.

The ragged cloak billowed out slightly as she fell, letting Jason catch a glimpse of... something. What it was, he couldn't really tell.

"Sir! Blackhoof, Pike and Iron are running toward the hostages!" Carbon shouted.

"What?!" Jason shifted his sight to see the stallions quickly making their way to the downed mare. "God dammit! They need to stop! Right now!"

"Blackhoof, stop moving! Captain Sinder didn't tell you to move!" Carbon was nearly shouting into the earpiece.

"No... NO! STOP!" Carbon was becoming flustered

Blackhoof continued running.

"What the hell's going on?" Jason asked, his eyes riveted to the running Guards.

"He keeps saying not to worry! They say they've gotta help the ambassador!"

They were only about twenty feet from the group now.

"God DAMMIT Blackhoof! Follow your fucking orders and STOP!" Jason shouted.

Ten feet.

"Blackhoof do not get any closer to those mares. We don't know if it's..." Carbon's words died in his throat.

Jason saw the sand thrown into the air around the group in the valley a fraction of a second before the shock wave rattled the very ground he laid upon. His teeth chattered as his very bones shook with the explosion. His eardrums started ringing at the echoing volume of the blast.

"ARGHH!!" Jason could barely hear the cry of pain from Carbon. The stallion shook his head violently, throwing the jewel from his ear. the emerald was emitting an extremely high-pitched screech that even Jason could hear as it flew through the air before burying itself in the now loosened sand.

Jason laid there frozen, staring through his RCO at the area where, only seconds before, his Guards had been standing. Carbon sat beside him, grasping at his head and grunting in pain.

Jason's mouth ran dry as the smoke and dust slowly cleared. There was nothing left... Only a charred crater.

No... no no no... god dammit... GOD FUCKING DAMMIT NO!

He gritted his teeth in anger.

He tore his gaze away from the smoking hole in the side of the hill and began tracing along the opposite ridge line. Sure enough, the three ponies had returned. They stood there stoically, gazing at the effects of their plans. The one that had taken the Ember stood in the middle. The artifact still glowed with magical energy.

They lit the fuse... THEY LIT THE FUCKING FUSE WITH IT! Jason seethed in his anger

"I hope you're fucking happy... Mother fuckers... This desert is the last fucking thing you are ever going to fucking see. You just dug your own fucking graves." He muttered to himself as he aimed. He centered the three-hundred meter tack mark of his bullet drop compensator on the middle bastard. The one who had just murdered his guards. He placed his finger on the trigger and steadied his breathing.

They just stood there.

Jason barely noticed the recoil of the rifle as he fired. He watched the ponies jump as the round cracked inches away from their bodies. They looked around frantically as they tried to find the source of the noise.

"Fuck." Jason said to himself as he adjusted his aim.

His second round sailed true, flying the three hundred meters in a fraction of a second before burying itself in the chest of the lead pony.

Jason grinned in grim satisfaction as he watched the spray of blood emerge from the pony before he collapsed to the ground.

The other ponies looked to their leader in sheer horror, frozen in terror as his life slipped away. Their frozen state gave Jason enough time to adjust his aim.

The second pony dropped much like the first, the round finding it's home in the stallion's side.

Watching his only remaining companion drop broke the stupor of the remaining Guardian. He turned away from Jason and sprinted with every ounce of speed he could muster. He was gone before Jason had time to adjust his aim.

The human stood quickly, gathering up his rifle and making his way down the hill toward the valley. "Carbon! On me!" He called to the unicorn beside him.

The stallion shook his head quickly before standing and following the human.

Together, they ran down the hill. as they neared the bottom, Jason slowed and looked up.

"RAZOR!" He screamed, hoping he would be loud enough for the pegasus to hear.

He continued moving across the valley, and before long Razor swooped down beside him. The pegasus was still in shock over what he had just witnessed.

"Razor, did you see where the last one went?" Jason picked up his pace again.

"Yes Sir!"

"Good. Go get him and bring him back. I trust you can fly faster than that fucker can run?"

"Yes Sir, easily... But how am I going to get him back here?"

"I DON'T FUCKING CARE! BREAK HIS FUCKING LEGS AND DRAG HIM BACK IF YOU HAVE TO! JUST GET HIM BACK HERE!"

"YES SIR!" Razor flew off over the hill.

"Carbon, stay with me. We need to see if there are any survivors." Jason looked to the unicorn. As they moved, Jason noticed the difficulty the stallion was having with keeping his balance. He stopped and turned his body toward him. "Carbon come here, let me see your ear."

The stallion moved in front of the Captain and turned his head so Jason could better inspect his ear. Jason easily saw the line of blood trickling from his ear.

"You blew an eardrum. It's treatable... Come on." Jason stood again and began running back toward the smoldering crater. As he drew closer, he realized the futility of his haste. There was literally nothing left. The blast had blown apart anything that had once resembled a pony. He glanced around the area quickly.

At the far side of the blast zone, he saw a faint glint of light. he moved over and picked it up. It was a shard of armor, just a small sliver. This one piece of metal was all that remained of the three guards. There wasn't even any trace of the ambassador or her assistants.

They were simply gone.

He turned to look at Carbon. The stallion seemed lost. He didn't know what to do. The loss of his comrades was playing hell in his mind.

Jason remembered a time when he had looked the same way.

"Let's go, Carbon... Let's get a little payback..." His teeth ground together in frustration and anger.

The stallion nodded in silence. Together they made their way up to the top of the hill.

They stood together next to the two downed ponies, awaiting Razor's return. The stallion who had been the leader was dead, of that there was no doubt. Blood continued spilling out through his punctured larynx.

The other stallion, however, was still breathing. The round had pierced his stomach, and blood pooled around him as he raggedly drew breath. It was a fatal wound, however it would be some time before he bled out. Jason and Carbon ignored his haggard breaths.

After a few minutes, they saw Razor flying back. The pegasus had scooped his forehooves under the arms of the final stallion and was struggling to carry the pony back. Jason unslung his rifle and held it before him in a tactical carry.

Before long, Razor deposited the terrified stallion before the human. The moment his hooves touched ground, he attempted to turn and flee again.

Jason fired a single round past the stallion. He froze in place.

"Ah, ah, ah. I don't think so... You and I are gonna have a nice little talk. Get back over here." Jason said, his voice cold.

The stallion turned and walked back to Jason, obvious terror plain on his face.

Jason gave him a wicked grin. "Good afternoon to you, sir! How are you this fine day?"

The stallion remained silent.

"What's the matter? Cat got your tongue? I would think you were having a good day! You know, considering you just MURDERED EIGHT PONIES!" The human took a quick step forward, bringing the stock of his rifle across the face of the stallion, causing him to collapse to the ground.

Jason reached down and grabbed the stallion under the chin and hoisting it up.

"Hey, hey! We're not done here yet!" He gave the stallion a couple of slaps, bringing him back to consciousness.

"Now, I know you're not the leader of this little 'organization' of yours, hell that guy probably wasn't even the leader. Who was that guy anyway? Was he important to you?"

Jason saw a little flash of anger go through the stallions eyes. "He was my brother..."

"Perfect!" Jason said with a small laugh. "You see, that unicorn Guard, you know, the one you killed? He had a brother, too. In fact he's just on the other side of the valley! He probably doesn't even know what's happened yet!"

"Now, I've got a little message for your leaders, and you're going to deliver it for me. That's the only reason you're still breathing. You, and your fucking pathetic club of 'extremists', are going to stop this little game of yours. You see, I'm being nice right now..."

"Where I'm from, this little club of yours wouldn't even register as a threat. If you tried to pull that shit there, you'd be gone within a week. Wiped out of existence. You see, we have a way of dealing with you bitches who like to let little pieces of plastic and a few chemicals do your dirty work for you. It's something we have been doing for a long time, and we have gotten very, very GOOD at it."

"We like to get up close and personal. Take it right into your face. We won't hide behind masks and trickery. We will look for you, and we will kill you. It's that simple. It doesn't bother us. You're a threat to our family. A threat to our friends."

"We fucking hate threats. You wanna see what we do to them? Here, I'll show you." Jason released the pony's chin and stood. He walked over to the still gasping stallion.

Jason took the rifle in one hand and placed the barrel of the on the pony's temple. Holding it in place, Jason turned to face the remaining Guardian. "This is what we like to do to threats."

He pulled the trigger.

The rifle jerked and Jason could feel the blood splatter against his shin as the round turned the stallions brain into nothing but pink mist.

The final Guardian's eyes widened in horror as he watched the last member of his team die.

Jason walked back over to the stallion and stood there, towering above the now cowering pony.

"You are all going to stop this. You have your chance to end this little conflict. Disappear. Put away your explosives and go back to living. If you don't... If you decide to try this again... I will return. Next time, however, I won't stop. I won't stop until every...Single...One of you mother fuckers are dead. And I won't be alone. There will be others, like me, to wipe you and your kind off the face of this planet."

"That is your only warning. Either stop this and go on living, or continue and die. That's what I want you to tell your leaders. Those are their only options. Live... Or die. Can you do that for me? Will you carry that message for me?"

The stallion could only nod in his terror.

"Good!... Good..." Jason turned away from the stallion and took a step.

Before he took another, he wheeled around and kicked, his foot landing on the side of the stallion's head. The pony fell to the ground, unconscious.

Jason looked at the stallions crumpled form for a minute before letting out a sigh.

He looked at Carbon and Razor, who were staring at him in shocked terror.

Jason attempted to calm his reeling mind, trying to release the anger that had balled up inside of him. It worked to a certain degree, however the anger was being replaced by a depressed melancholy. He let his emotions deaden slightly. He'd have time to brood later, for now though he still had a job to do.

"I'm sorry you had to see that, gents. That is a side of me I had never hoped to unleash again. However, fear seems to be the only thing these ponies understand. I had to try and scare them to their senses, and this was the only way I could do that right now."

The stallions remained silent.

Jason let out another sigh. "If you no longer trust me to lead you, I fully understand. After what you witnessed today, I'd be willing to voluntarily dismiss you, either back to your unit or out of the guard entirely. However, that will have to wait until we get back to Canterlot. For now, we still have to get back home."

A deeper sense of sadness crept into his mind.

"I still have to tell Copper his brother is dead..."

Author's Note

And with that I break 100k words. As you can tell, the story still has a ways to go, but I feel this is a milestone that I am happy to have crossed.

As some of you may have noticed, I've changed the tags from Slice of Life to Adventure, for obvious reasons. If I could, I would have both since the current majority of the story is still SoL, but alas the system says I can't.

Thanks to everyone who has been with me every step of the way! Let me know what you think of the direction the story is going in the comments! And as always, I appreciate any constructive criticism you may have for me.

Preparations

Jason stood in the large antechamber, his eyes blank as his mind wandered to memories of the past few days.

The majority of the return trip had been spent in silence, the other stallions still attempting to get a grip on what exactly happened. Jason did what he could to counsel the Guards. His previous experiences in Afghanistan, as well as the time he spent helping Twilight recover, had given him a decent idea on how to handle the stallions in his charge.

The Captain made sure to speak to each stallion on a personal level, to better guage how they were taking the losses. Each Guard took it in their own unique ways.

Razor seemed to feel that he had failed in his assigned role as overwatch. He had been so focused on the hostages, and the guards running towards them, he failed to notice the guardians returning, and in turn didn't notify Jason of their reappearance. Despite the human's silent agreement to the pegasus' belief, Jason had to ensure that Razor didn't truly believe that, lest the stallion fall into the downward spiral of depression.

"None of us saw them coming, Razor. We were all so focused on what was happeneing in the canyon, we lost all situational awareness on everything outside of it. Without you, we would never have caught that final Guardian. You did good work today, don't beat yourself up over something that everyone else missed as well." Jason kept his voice calm, attempting to ease the stallion's mind.

Carbon had taken it much better than Jason had expected him to. The losses hurt, that much was obvious, but the unicorn understood there was nothing more he could have done. He wasn't strong enough with magic to stop the Guards, and he had done everything Jason had ordered him to do. If anything, the events in the canyon had set his resolve in their rapidly approaching campaign against the Guardians of the Sand.

Halberd was rather indifferent about the whole ordeal. He was obviously a little shaken by the deaths, however he had no personal stake in the ponies who were killed, and had little to do with the operation itself. His role as gearwatch proved redudndant as the Guardians didn't attempt to mess with their stuff. The earth pony didn't really know the stallions who were killed all that well, and was not deeply affected by their loss.

Copper, understandably, took it the hardest. It would take a cold, emotionless pony to be unmoved by the sudden and unexpected loss of a sibling. The unicorn had grown more cold and more distant as the carriage made it's return trip. Jason kept pressing, attempting to get the stallion to expose his true feelings, rather than letting him brood on his own dark and depressing thoughts.

Eventually, Jason's questions pushed the stallion over the edge. "Sir, with all due respect, leave me alone! You don't know what I'm going through! You've never lost a brother like that! How could you possibly know what it feels like!?" The unicorn shouted.

Jason's response was calm and even. He understood how the stallion's precarious state of mind was affecting his rational thought, and did his best not to further anger the emotionally unstable Guard.

"I know how you feel far better than you can imagine."

Copper raised an incredulous eyebrow toward the Captain.

"When I first arrived in Equestria, I was not alone. There were twenty-seven other Marines, just like me, riding in the vehicle that brought us here. I was thrown out and had to watch as the helicopter exploded, incinerating my Marines... My brothers. I couldn't do anything other than watch them burn. You see, we Marines may not be blood relatives, but our brotherhood is forged in the hellfires and torment of our shared experience. It all starts with boot camp, our Drill Instructors driving into us a deep sense of discipline and dedication to the Corps and our fellow Marines. After that, there's combat. You need to have absolute trust in the Marines around you. You need to know they have your back, as much as you have theirs. This level of trust cannot be achieved between anyone less than brothers."

Copper still seemed skeptical at Jason's description, yet he listened intently.

Jason let out a quick sigh. "Very well. If that's not enough for you, here's something that may hit a little closer to home." Jason looked Copper dead in the eyes. "I lost my mother to a terrorist attack. I saw her that morning. I gave her a kiss before I left for school. Next thing I know, every TV in the school has the news on and there's just video of two sky scrapers burning. I know the buildings, my mom worked in them. People were dying in those flames. They were so hot that people were jumping out of windows seven-hundred feet off the ground rather than succumb to the fire."

The unicorn's eyes widened in shock at Jason's revelation.

"So as you can see, I know what it's like to feel loss. In fact I'm one of the only people in this world who has experienced loss as you have." Jason let out a deep sigh. "Look, all I'm trying to say is that I'm here for you. If you need to talk, just let me know. I'll make time for you. I know what this is like, and nopony should have to face this kind of ordeal alone."

"A-Alright Sir... I'll make sure to remember that... But if you don't mind, I'd rather be alone right now... I need time to think." Copper said quietly.

"Alright, Copper. Just let me know if you want to talk."

Jason's mind was brought back to the present as the large door leading to the throne room slowly creaked open. Halberd walked through the wooden portal, his normal indifferent expression present on his face. He looked to the Captain before speaking.

"They wish to speak with you again, Sir. They didn't really tell me why, they just said to send you in." The stallion looked toward Jason apologetically.

"It's fine, Halberd. I needed to speak with them as well. Do you remember where I told you to meet with the others?"

"Yes Sir, the fountain directly outside the palace."

"Good, meet with the other Guards there and wait for me. Once I get a chance to speak with the Princesses, I'll meet you and let you know what's going to happen."

"Yes Sir, we'll be there."

Jason nodded toward the stallion, who shortly thereafter turned and left the building. Jason inhaled deeply and braced himself before stepping through the double doors and into the throne room.

This was the second time Jason had found himself in the room today. They had arrived fairly early that morning and wasted no time in briefing the Princesses as to the outcome of the operation.

The two alicorns had not been pleased with what Jason told them. He had spent quite some time detailing the plan he had devised, the roles of each stallion, and the exact moment when things went wrong and the events that transpired as a result.

Jason didn't withhold any details. He explained to the best of his ability exactly what happened, including the deaths of the ambassador and her assistants, as well as the three Guards under his command. He described the Guardians he had killed, along with how he did it, including the one he had executed.

The Princesses, understandably, were shocked at his retelling of events. They wanted to speak privately with each of the Guards who participated in the operation so that they may get a better, unbiased view on what had transpired in the desert. They spoke with Razor first, followed by Carbon, then Copper and finally Halberd. Jason waited patiently in the antechamber until his time arrived.

He strode through the large room, moving quickly to cover the distance in as little time as possible. Before long, he found himself before the small flight of stairs that led up to the twin thrones, before which each of the Princesses stood. He came to attention at the bottom of the stairs, staring straight ahead at the steps before him.

"Captain Sinder reporting as ordered, Your Highnesses." Jason said quickly.

"At ease, Jason. We're not here to interrogate you." Princess Celestia's voice was calm. Controlled even. Yet the tone of her voice still sent a shiver down his spine. He assumed a relaxed parade rest and looked up toward the royal sisters.

They returned his gaze, each bearing an expression of sad determination upon their faces. Princess Luna was the first to speak.

"Jason, as you know we have spent quite a bit of time debriefing the remaining members of your team of the events that occurred within the Stoneshod Wastes. The first thing we have come to realize is that the deaths of the ambassador and your Guards is by no means your fault."

Princess Celestia continued for her sister. "Indeed. We understand you did everything within your power, short of taking extreme measures, to attempt to stop the Guards from approaching the ambassador and her assistants. It has become clear to us that the Guardians of the Sand had planned on murdering the hostages whether we cooperated or not. It is fortunate you were there and able to make them... Understand... The error of their ways. Also, since you were able to recover the fake Ember, we do not need to worry about them using it in the future."

"Now then, about the Guards you were placed in charge of..." Princess Luna said, her voice becoming slightly darker. "You warned us... When we first met you, you warned us that our Guard force lacked discipline, and bearing. You demonstrated this before our very eyes, yet we did nothing to remedy the situation. As I understand it, the emotions that Iron, Pike and Blackhoof felt towards the ambassador led them to disregard your orders and in turn got them killed. This is not a situation we wish to repeat..."

"When we met, you offered to provide training to strengthen these traits. After seeing what happens when they aren't where they need to be, we have decided to take you up on your offer. You will train a new branch of our Guard force. you will be responsible for instilling within these stallions a warrior ethos, and the skills they will need to completely eradicate our enemies."

Jason blinked. He had been thinking about this the entire trip back, and had been hoping the Princesses would allow him to do this. He had been willing to beg, if need be, to get the stallions the training they would need to survive a war. What he hadn't expected was them bringing up the idea first.

"When would you like me to begin, Your Majesty?" Jason asked.

"That's entirely up to you, Captain. Of course sooner would be preferable, but we understand it will take you some time to get everything ready to conduct the training. You will have time to speak with our military advisors, but if you have any ideas ready, please tell us now so we can get the ball rolling on this." Princess Celestia said.

Jason thought for a moment, running several ideas through his mind. He set aside the minor ones and arranged the major ones so they would be presentable.

Jason inhaled through his nose, preparing to speak.

"Okay, Your Majesties. First off, I will not be able to train a large number of ponies alone. Before I can begin training the general populace, I will need to teach a few instructors who will then be able to assist me. I will only need around three of them, and they will receive specialized individual training to become prime examples. I already have an idea of a few stallions who may be willing to take these positions."

"Also, I am aware that you were assembling a unit for me. I would like this disbanded. If these stallions are placed in the unit by their former Captains with little or no choice in the matter, I do not want them here. The only ponies I want to teach are those willing to receive the training. If they are there against their will, they will only spread dissent among their peers. Volunteers are better to work with, as they actually want to be there, and will take the training far more seriously. I would like there to be a wide scale recruiting drive, both within the established Guard forces as well as the civilian populace. There are many citizens who were angered by these attacks, and I'm sure it will be easy to find some who are willing to join up."

The Princesses nodded in agreement. "Understood, Captain. We will begin looking for stallions willing to join. Is there anything else?" Princess Luna asked.

"Yes. The new unit will need to be equipped differently. The armor and weapons the current Guard forces are issued is ineffective as true battle gear. I would recommend special uniforms be created for them, much like the one I'm wearing now. The camouflage will offer a greater range of motion while concealing them much better than the shiny armor they wear now. I understand that without the metal plate, they are a little more exposed, which brings me to my next point. They will need weapons that will allow them to maintain distance from the explosive-using Guardians. I will leave my rifle with you, so that you or your researchers can disassemble it, study it, and reproduce it. Modifications will need to be made so that non-unicorn stallions will be able to wield them. The rifles will increase their lethality, while giving them the ability to maintain distance from their targets."

The Princesses seemed a little disheartened at the prospect of producing the weapons, yet they seemed to understand the necessity of it. Eventually, they nodded in agreement. "Alright, Jason." Princess Celestia said. "We will begin preparing the new equipment. I have one more question. Do you know where you would like to set up this training camp? Equestria is a large country, however there are few places that would be appropriate."

A half grin appeared on Jason's face. The Princesses were slightly taken aback by the look.

"Indeed I do, Your Majesty. The stallions will be training in one of the most hostile environments in all of Equestria. They will need to be constantly alert and aware of their surroundings, lest they be attacked by some wild monster and have to fight to survive. This will teach them teamwork, and ensure they understand the importance of keeping their eyes open for anything that may be considered a threat."

The Princesses' eyes widened in shock. They knew exactly where he planned to put the camp.

His grin widened a little further. "That's right, Your Highnesses. Camp Sandblast will be located in the very heart of the Everfree Forest."

Jason stepped out of the large doors at the front of the palace, drinking in the afternoon sun as he looked around the large courtyard. Directly in front of him he saw the large fountain. The four Guards stood together, patiently awaiting Jason's arrival.

He had spoken with the Princesses for nearly an hour, detailing his various plans for the training and everything they would require to move forward.

Jason was surprised at the amount of support the Princesses were giving him in this endeavor. They were essentially writing him a blank check, and promised to provide him with anything and everything her required.

Before he left, he discussed one final thing with the Princesses. The stallions he had led in this last mission. Before Jason could even consider moving forward with this training, he had to ensure the stallions he already had under his command were taken care of. He requested from them personal discretion, based on the Guards' own choices, about how their careers would continue. He didn't know if any of them wanted to leave the Guard as a result of the failed mission, but he would like to give them the option so they would be able to get the help they needed.

Jason made his way down the stairs and began walking toward the fountain. Razor picked up his head and saw the Captain. He spoke to the other Guards quickly and they all turned their attention to the officer walking toward him. Before long, Jason found himself before the Guards. They looked to him, determined anticipation present on all of their faces.

Jason cleared his throat quickly before speaking. "Alright, gents. The Princesses have given me personal discretion in terms of your service to the Guard. Now, I've spoken with each of you extensively over the past few days, and have gotten to know you fairly well. I understand that the...Outcome... Of this last mission is a lot for anypony to take. We all had connections with the fallen, and we all feel their loss. I understand that some of you may feel quite a bit of... Personal turmoil over the whole situation, and so I give each of you three options. First, You can be honorably discharged from military service, in order to get the help you need. Trust me, there is no shame in looking for help. Some of the greatest men that I know have gone through things like this themselves, and benefited greatly from therapy and support groups. Your second option is to return to your former units. Go back to the primary guard force and remain there for the rest of your careers." He looked to each stallion in turn, ensuring they understood their options before continuing. "Or, your third option, stay under my command and continue taking the fight to the Guardians. Now, before you make your decision, you have to understand what this means."

He looked to Carbon and Razor. They held his gaze, their jaws set and their eyes shining. "Carbon, Razor... You have seen what I am capable of. If you remain under command, you will become tougher. Both mentally and physically. You will become killers, because that will be our mission. Our sole purpose will be to kill the Guardians of the Sand." Their eyes widened slightly at the revelation.

Jason looked over the group as a whole. "I have given you your choices. If you know what you want to do, let me know. If you need time to think, I will be leaving for Ponyville tomorrow morning. Let me know before then. Do any of you know what you want to do?"

"Screw that!" Halberd spoke up, his eyes shaking from apprehension. "I'm not getting myself blown up! Send me back to my unit, Sir. I'll gladly finish out my tour in the normal ranks."

Jason nodded. He was expecting this choice from the earth pony. "Very well, Halberd. I will send word to Captain Steadfast and inform him that you will be returning to your command." He looked over the remaining Guards standing before him. "Anypony else?"

Carbon and Razor glanced towards each other before looking back toward their Captain. Carbon spoke up, talking for the both of them. "We're with you, Sir. We understand what we may need to do in the future, but we also understand the necessity of it. We've seen first hand what these ponies are capable of. If we won't take care of them who else will?"

Jason nodded, the touch of a grin gracing his lips. He had been hoping for this. These stallions were ones he could rely on. They had followed his orders as he gave them, and they trusted his judgement. They had seen the monster Jason could become, and yet still wanted to follow his leadership.

Jason looked to Copper. The unicorn was staring at the ground, seemingly lost in thought. "Copper? Do you know what you want to do?"

The stallion picked up his head and looked at Jason, a cold determination in his eyes. "You said that you were going after the Guardians?" His voice was even.

Jason blinked. The pure hatred that emanated from the stallion surprised him. "Yes... That's right... Eventually."

"Then I'm with you, Sir. I'm going to make them pay for taking my brother from me."

Jason frowned. He had hoped the stallion would leave the service. He could really benefit from some professional help due to his loss, but Jason could understand his emotions.

Jason paused for a moment, before nodding. "Very well..." He turned his attention to Halberd. "Halberd, you are dismissed. Go ahead and gather up your gear. You'll report back to your unit first thing tomorrow morning."

The stallion saluted. "Yes Sir. It's been a pleasure."

Jason returned the salute. "Likewise. Fair wind and following seas, Guard." They broke their salutes and Halberd walked away.

Jason returned his attention to the remaining stallions. "Alright. You three will be accompanying me to Ponyville tomorrow. I'll give you a more in depth briefing while we travel, but in short we will be training an elite unit of fighters. As the only stallions in the Guard force with anything close to combat experience, you will assist me as instructors. Over the next couple of months, I will be personally teaching you everything I know about combat and warfare. Once I have passed on everything I can, you will assist me in training our elite unit. We will be the most effective fighting force in Equestrian history. The training will be hard, both mentally and physically. You will be strong. You will be fast. And you will be deadly. You have the night to rest, and prepare for the move. We will be in Ponyville for a while, so pack everything you can carry. Any questions?"

Their eyes were set. They were nervous about what he had just told them, yet no less motivated to do their best. They responded with silence. Jason gave them a quick grin. "Good. Before I dismiss you, let me say that I look forward to teaching you. You stallions show outstanding potential, and I couldn't think of anypony else more suited to this training. Now, we leave at zero-eight hundred tomorrow morning from platform three at the train depot. I want you there no later than zero-seven thirty. If there are no further questions, you are dismissed for the night."

The three stallions came to attention and saluted. "Yes Sir!" They responded in chorus. Jason returned their salute before the trio turned to their own personal matters. Jason watched them for a moment before letting out a sigh.

This is going to be an interesting few months... He thought to himself quickly as he glanced around the courtyard. Ponies moved throughout the yard, walking between various shops and kiosks scattered around the edges of the courtyard. Jason couldn't help but shake his head at his observations. Life goes on... He thought to himself as he exited the yard. He began searching for a hotel where he could stay for the evening. His clothes stank, and the touches of fatigue were playing at the edges of his mind. I need a shower... A shower and a bed...

He walked among the oblivious citizens, none of them understanding the storm that lingered upon the horizon.

Jason's eyes widened in surprise as he saw the large gathering of ponies crowding the platform of the Ponyville train station. Many of them held banners with various welcome home messages painted across them in bright colors. He saw Rainbow, Twilight and the other Element Bearers at the forefront of the group. He felt a slight bitterness growing in his mouth.

The train slowly came to a halt at the station. Jason and the Guards waited for the other passengers to depart before gathering up their own belongings and stepping from the car. The crowd erupted into cheers as the Guards stepped onto the platform, and Jason felt the bitterness within him swell. He didn't look at any of the ponies within the crowd, instead trying to remove himself from the gathering as quickly as possible.

He didn't stop walking until he reached the outside of the train station. Carbon, Razor and Copper were close on his heels. Jason waited outside the building, giving the stallions time to set down their duffels and get a quick look around the town. None of them had been to Ponyville before, so today was going to consist of a quick tour and allow them time to settle before training began.

Before long, Twilight, Rainbow and their friends found them outside the station.

"Why the long face, Jacey?" Pinkie asked in her usual tone. "I thought that greeting party would have made you a lot happier!" She looked at him with a little concern.

Twi and Rain moved themselves beside him, leaning against either side of him.

"We're happy you're home safe, Jason." Twi said warmly.

"Yeah..." Rainbow added. "We tried to talk Pinkie out of that greeting, but she had already told everypony you were coming home and they already had plans for you. I'm sorry."

Jason let out a quick sigh before kneeling down and embracing his partners. He had written them a few times on the way back from the desert, and they knew of the outcome of his mission. He could see they had heavy hearts, yet they did their best to console him in his failure.

Jason looked up and could see the confused faces on the remaining mares gathered around them. They looked at him somewhat expectantly. "You didn't tell them?" He asked his partners quietly.

Twilight shook her head. "No... We thought it would be best if they heard it from you..."

Jason blinked. It felt as though someone had just dropped a lead brick into his stomach. He didn't like telling the tale of his failure, although he had to agree that it would be better if he told it rather than someone else. He glanced quickly to the stallions who had accompanied him home. They looked at him briefly, and he could have sworn he saw borderline jealousy in their eyes before they turned and spoke amongst themselves.

Jason let out a quick sigh before speaking. "We... Failed. We lost the ambassador and her assistants. The exchange went well enough, but the Guardians had their own plans. We never saw the attack coming." He gritted his teeth slightly, steeling himself for the next part. "I lost three Guards."

The group was silent, letting his words sink in. Even Pinkie was serious, fully understanding the weight of what he said.

"I'm sorry, Jason. If I knew, I wouldn't have tried to celebrate that..." Jason watched as Pinkie's hair lost it's normal crazy poof and hang straight over her shoulders.

"It's not your fault, Pinkie. I know your heart was in the right place, just like it always is." Jason tried to give her a smile. "I really do appreciate the thought, and I wouldn't mind seeing it again. Given more appropriate circumstances. Don't take it too hard... Really."

"So now what? What's the next step?" Rainbow asked.

"That, is what they're here for." Jason said, using a hand to gesture to the stallions. They heard their Captain talking about them and they took a few steps toward the group. The mares turned and looked at the Guards who had accompanied him.

"Ladies, meet Carbon, Razor and Copper." The stallions nodded as Jason said their names. "Over the next couple of months, I will be teaching them everything I know. They are going to be the first Marine trained Guards in Equestrian history. Once they have completed their training, they will assist me in training a larger group." Jason returned his attention to the mares around him. "The Princesses have given me permission to train a special unit. Our sole purpose will be to fight the Guardians. She has designated this branch of the military as the Corps of Protectors."

Twilight's eyes widened. "The Corps of Protectors?" She seemed shocked at the revelation. "There haven't been Protectors in Equestria since before the royal sisters gained the throne over a thousand years ago!"

"Your memory serves true, Twilight..." Jason let out a sigh. "They have seen fit to reestablish the position because of the very real and very serious threat the Guardians are to Equestria."

"Is there anything we can do to help?" Rainbow asked, a serious expression on her face.

"Actually, yes..." Jason inhaled. "These stallions are going to need to be the very best at what they do. I can teach them about warfare, but there are things that only other ponies can teach them." He looked to Rainbow and Twilight. "If you are willing, I would like each of you to take them as your own personal students. Twilight, Can you teach Copper and Carbon how to better use their magic? I don't expect them to be nearly as strong as you, but they should have full control over their telekinesis, so they can maintain it despite various distractions."

Twilight nodded in understanding. "I can do that. I have quite a few exercises for them to strengthen their magic."

"Thanks, Twi." He turned his attention to Rainbow. "Rain..."

"I got it! You want me to teach Razor how to fly better!" She gave him a mischievous grin before turning to Razor. "Oh this ought to be fun."

Jason couldn't suppress his grin as Razor gulped in nervousness. He had no idea what he was getting into.

"Perfect. Thank you, girls." Jason turned his attention to Rarity. "Rarity, I have a favor to ask."

"Anything, dear. Just say the word." She waved a hoof.

"They're going to be wearing cammies like me. The normal armor the Guard wears is ineffective, so this unit will be wearing utilities." The unicorns eyes widened slightly. "Now don't worry, we're already establishing contracts with various factories to mass produce the uniforms, but it will be some time before production begins. I just need a few sets for these three."

Rarity sighed in relief. "Consider it done, Jason."

Jason shot her a smile. "Thanks Rarity. Just let me know how much it'll cost."

She waved a hoof dismissively. "I wouldn't dream of it, Jason. This is the least I could do for this cause."

Jason raised an eyebrow. He wondered exactly how much the uniforms would cost, but he didn't press. "I can't thank you enough, Rarity. Thank you."

She nodded.

Jason returned his attention to the group. "Now then, I need to make sure these Guards have a place to stay while they're here, and make sure they get settled in alright, so I'll go ahead and say my goodbyes." He looked to his herdmates. "I'll be home a bit later, don't worry."

"We'll be waiting, Jason. We can't tell you how happy we are that you're home safe." Twilight said, a loving warmth present in her voice.

Jason wrapped her and Rainbow into another loving embrace. "I'm happy to be back." He released his grip and stood before moving next to the Guards. The group split, Twilight and her friends moving in one direction while the Guards walked further into town.

Jason stood outside the small home the Mayor had leased to the Guards. They would share the small home throughout their training until Camp Sandblast was completed. The sun had set about twenty minutes ago, and the faint light of twilight still illuminated the city streets.

Jason knocked on the door and waited. Before long, Carbon answered.

"Sir? I wasn't expecting you until tomorrow." The stallion seemed a little nervous.

"Don't worry, your training doesn't start until tomorrow. There's just something I wanted to show you. Can you come with me?"

Carbon nodded. "Yes Sir. I was just hanging around right now anyway." He stepped out of the door, letting it close behind him.

Together they moved to the center of town. As they walked Jason told him about his upcoming training, trying to give him a better idea of what to expect. Before long, Jason could hear the familiar thumping of Vinyl's subwoofers echoing through the evening air.

As they moved closer to the source of the sound, Carbon became more and more uncomfortable. Eventually, it became to much for him. "What is that sound?" He asked as he raised a hoof to his still-healing ear.

Jason grinned. "That, is our destination."

Carbon was confused, and they finished their journey in silence. Jason stood before the door to the musicians' home. As he knocked, he could feel the vibrations of the speakers through the wood.

Eventually, Octavia opened the door. The usual wadding was stuffed into her ears and she looked up at Jason.

"Jason! It's so good to see you! I heard you were back in town." She stepped through the door and closed it behind her, muffling the racket her housemate was producing. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Jason smiled. "Hey, 'Tavi. Just passing by. I brought by one of my friends who was interested in seeing you." Jason turned and gestured to the Guard who stood beside him. Carbon still held a hoof to his ear, yet his face had become a mask of shock.

Octavia turned her attention to the Guard and her jaw dropped in surprise. "...Carbon?" She asked, her voice barely audible over the electronic music being pumped through the air.

"Octavia..." Carbon said after he was finally able to find his voice. Jason smiled as he looked between the two ponies.

"And with that, I'll be on my way. I'm sure you two have a lot of catching up to do. Don't forget, Carbon. Be ready to begin training at zero-seven tomorrow morning."

"Yes Sir, zero-seven." He couldn't take his eyes off of Octavia.

Jason chuckled lightly before turning to his home, and the family who awaited him.

Author's Note

Merry Christmas, my friends.

Instructing the Instructors

The late morning sun beat down on the small group of runners as they made their way over the winding perimeter road. The midsummer heat made their breaths more haggard as the high temperature sapped the energy from their already weary bodies.

Jason continued pushing the stallions in front of him. They still had another half lap to go, yet the Guards were beginning to drag ass a little bit. Given any other circumstance, Jason would have let them. Hell, he probably would have been right there with them. It was hot. Damn hot. Jason could feel his own energy draining as he ran, and if he felt tired, he couldn't imagine what the stallions in front of him were feeling.

This was perfect. This heat is exactly what Jason wanted. They were preparing for operations in the desert, after all. The sooner the Guards under his command could adapt to stressful conditions, the better.

Jason saw Razor beginning to fall back from the other two stallions. Like most pegasi, Razor had become reliant on his wings for traveling more than a few yards, and so his legs had taken quite a bit of work before he could maintain a decent pace for any considerable distance.

"LET'S GO RAZOR! DON'T YOU FALL BEHIND ME! IF I PASS YOU, I'M ADDING ANOTHER LAP!" Jason shouted. Razor's ears perked slightly at his commander's words and he picked up speed again, returning to his place beside the other Guards.

Jason missed his runs with Rainbow Dash. The exercise used to relax him. It gave him time to think, and he relished in the shared activity with his partner. Now however, the runs were becoming a chore. Jason pushed himself, and the stallions in front of him, harder than he had in years. They weren't fun anymore. Cardio was going to play a major role in the upcoming operations they would need to participate in, and Jason was making sure that his Protectors would be capable of handling it.

Jason looked around quickly, taking in the familiar scenery of the trail. In the distance, he could hear the tell-tale sounds of construction emanating from deep within the Everfree Forest. The construction had begun a couple of weeks ago, though Jason would have preferred it to start much sooner.

Fluttershy had actually been the cause of the delay. A rather large section of the forest had to be cleared before anything could actually be built, and so work crews had been assembled to begin clearing the trees.

Jason had been observing one of Razor's flight lessons when he heard the commotion. He knew the work was supposed to begin today. The government workers the Princesses sent to handle the building of the camp had kept in constant communication with the Captain, giving him frequent updates on where they were in the process. Jason had been amazed at the efficiency with which they went about their work, and had left them alone for the most part, rather than nit picking everything they did.

Jason tore himself from the lesson just as Rainbow was demonstrating a complex corkscrew maneuver for Razor to learn and began making his way toward the ruckus. The general mumble began separating into identifiable voices as the human drew closer. He could recognize a few of the contractors from his previous jobs, but he couldn't identify the high-pitched voice they were arguing with.

His eyes widened as he beheld Fluttershy, wings spread wide and face a mask of anger. She stood in the center of the path into the Forest, blocking the contractors and their equipment. The human was taken aback at the pegasus' complete one-eighty in attitude. He had never seen her this angry before. Honestly, he didn't even know she was capable of such rage. He had heard stories, sure, but this was the first time he's actually seen it.

He could see Pumpkin Spice, one of the advisors Celestia had sent, cautiously speaking to Fluttershy from amongst the contractors.

"NO!" Fluttershy shouted. "I will not just stand by and let you destroy countless homes!"

Pumpkin Spice's response was calm, but even at this distance Jason could see how impatient she was becoming at the whole situation.

"Ma'am please. This is for the security of Equestria! And we're not destroying any homes, we're simply clearing a few trees to make room for the training camp. Nopony lives in the Everfree Forest! Whose home could we possibly be destroying?"

"Well, for one Zecora lives there. Our construction will be a significant distance from her home though..." The crowd turned their attention to Jason as he spoke. He could see almost obvious relief wash over both mares as he walked in between them.

"Captain Sinder! Please convince this young mare how important it is that we get in and clear the land for Camp Sandblast!"

"Jason, help me tell these bullies that they can't just cut down the Forest! So many animals are going to lose their homes if the trees come down!"

The mares assaulted him simultaneously, putting Jason in a rather awkward position. Camp Sandblast needed to be built, of that much he was certain. But Fluttershy was not going to relent if her animal friends were in danger. He had to defuse this quickly.

"Alright, alright. Let's see if we can work this out... Miss Spice, do you have the plans for Camp Sandblast on hand?"

"Of course, I have them right here." The orange earth pony said calmly as she pulled out a few sets of blueprints. She took a few steps toward Jason and set the plans before him.

Jason gestured toward Fluttershy, urging her to approach. She cautiously left her position and moved next to Jason.

"Okay, Fluttershy. Here are the plans we have for the camp. I understand your reservations, but we are going to need to build it, and the Everfree Forest is the best environment available to train the new Corps of Protectors. We are willing to work with you to make this happen, but I'm sorry, some of the trees are going to come down. They have to."

Fluttershy was appalled. "You're on her side?! I can't believe it! After all the help I've given you!"

Jason was starting to become angry. "Fluttershy, ponies have DIED because they weren't properly trained! The Everfree Forest is by far the most hostile environment in Equestria, meaning it's the closest we can get to what the Protectors are going to have to live in while we're at war. I am willing to work with you to have as little an impact on the environment as possible, but you're going to need to cooperate. I'm sorry, but if you don't then we are going to be using this established plan and clear an entire chunk of the woods." Jason's expression hardened. "I'm sorry, but the lives of the stallions under my command are far more important to me than a few birds and squirrels."

Jason could see tears forming in the corners of her eyes. "I won't let you! I'll never let you past me!"

Jason let out a painful sigh. This was not going well. "Fluttershy, please. Work with us here. We're willing to compromise!"

"I won't let you destroy a single home!" She nearly screamed.

Jason clenched his jaw he didn't want to do this... He really didn't... But he saw no other option. She was being irrational in her rage.

"Then, as a Captain of the Royal Guard, I hereby place you under arrest for the obstruction of military operations. Fluttershy, please come with me."

Her eyes widened in shock. Everypony was silent. The contractors watched in sad silence at what was transpiring before them. Many of them were Ponyville residents, and knew both Jason and Fluttershy. They knew of the friendship between the two, and they could understand why Jason was doing what he was doing, but that didn't make them like it. They loved Fluttershy. Everyone did. How could you not love the Element of Kindness?

"You're... You're arresting me?" Fluttershy's voice quivered.

"You're not giving me a choice! Camp Sandblast needs to be built! I told you, this is going to happen! I can understand how you feel, they are the same emotions I feel about defending the citizens of Equestria. To properly defend them, we need a force capable of stopping any threat, and to create that force we need to train them in the hellfire's of combat, or as close to them as we can get."

He looked at her desperately. He wanted her help. She knew the Forest better than anyone in Ponyville, and her insight would be invaluable in going forward.

"Work with us Fluttershy. If you are there organizing the construction, you can ensure that no animals are being mistreated. would that be more acceptable for you? I don't want to arrest you. Believe me, I don't. But I won't hesitate if you won't cooperate."

Fluttershy became lost in thought. She didn't like this. Jason could tell, yet he hoped that he had given her a good alternative. One that would let her be in control of which trees were taken down.

After a while, Fluttershy spoke up. "Okay Jason... I'll help you... I don't like it... But I'll help." She looked defeated.

Jason let out a sigh in bitter victory. He was going to do whatever he could to make it up to her, but he was grateful she had decided to listen to reason. If he had actually needed to take her into custody, he doubted there was any way he would be able to repair their friendship.

"Thank you, Fluttershy. Pumpkin Spice, please speak with Fluttershy and get her up to speed about the plans for the camp. If you'll excuse me, I need to get back to training my instructors." He looked to Fluttershy. "Fluttershy, I promise to stop by later to talk with you."

Fluttershy ignored him as Pumpkin Spice walked over to her to begin detailing their plans. Jason turned away from the gathering and began making his way to the library, where Twilight was busy teaching the two unicorns the finer aspects of magic.

After that initial interruption, the construction continued as planned, albeit at a slower pace than originally planned. Fluttershy ensured that every tree they cut down was devoid of animal life before she let the saws anywhere near it. The workers were becoming a little agitated at her diligence, yet they didn't attempt to progress without her approval.

Jason's mind returned to the present as the finish line came into view. The stallions in front of him remained in their small formation, exactly the same way they had been when they started their seven-mile death run.

It had been an extremely effective month and a half. Their stamina was improving remarkably well, and their individual training with his herd mates was progressing far better than he had expected. Carbon and Copper were learning more and more advanced spells, and Razor was actually beginning to keep up with Rainbow during their flight exercises.

Jason alternated their group PT sessions between cardio and martial arts, with the help of Rainbow. Originally, they didn't even know what part of their bodies they were supposed to fight with, but after many hours of practice they were able to hold their own decently well against the certified masters. They never won, but their sparring matches were lasting longer and longer as they became more confident in their abilities.

As far as their combat training went, Jason taught them what he could. Without their weapons and other equipment, their instruction was limited. He taught them basic unit tactics and formations. Fire team movements, patrolling methods, bounding, and anything else he could think of that didn't necessarily require weapons, however he was beginning to run out of things to teach. His lessons became shorter and their PT became longer. He was essentially killing time until their first sets of gear arrived from Canterlot.

Jason did his best to teach them how to be instructors. He was no DI. He didn't have that training. All he had were his memories from Boot Camp, and he did what he could from those. He led through example, often time losing his voice from the constant shouting, and through personal training, by explaining why he did what he did and the effect it should have on their students.

"STOP!" Jason shouted as they passed the finish line. Their run slowed to a jog, then to a walk as they slowly turned. They walked in a circle for a while, allowing their fatigued legs to cool down from the strenuous exercise.

Jason watched as Coppers legs quivered beneath him. As he took another step, the leg gave out and he fell forward onto the gravel road. He took a few quick steps and stopped directly beside the downed unicorn. He inhaled deeply.

"GET UP! GET THE FUCK UP! YOU THINK ANYPONY IS GOING TO RESPECT YOU IF YOU CAN'T EVEN HANDLE A LITTLE RUN?! YOU'RE FUCKING PATHETIC! I CAN'T BELIEVE I ACTUALLY AGREED TO LET YOU TRAIN OUR CORPS OF PROTECTORS! I MUST HAVE BEEN OUT OF MY FUCKING MIND!"

Copper slowly got to his hooves, anger quickly flashing over his face as his legs struggled to support his weight. It was enough for Jason to grab onto.

"WHAT? ARE YOU MAD? DO I PISS YOU OFF? HUH? YOU THINK I'M WRONG?"

Copper gritted his teeth. "Yes, Sir." He hissed.

"I'M SORRY, I DON'T SPEAK BITCH. WHY DON'T YOU TRY AGAIN WITH SOME FUCKING INTENSITY IN YOUR FUCKING BODY?"

Copper stiffened. "YES SIR!" He shouted.

"SO YOU THINK YOU SHOULD BE HERE, THEN!" Jason leaned closer to the stallion, his face mere inches from the pony's. "THEN QUIT BEING A LITTLE BITCH. FIND YOUR FUCKING BALLS AND PONY THE FUCK UP."

"AYE AYE SIR!" Copper responded.

Jason returned to his full height. "GET ON LINE!" He shouted.

"GET ON LINE!" The ponies responded in unison as they quickly formed a line facing Jason.

The Captain looked over the stallions quickly. One of the first things Jason had gotten rid of was the customary dyeing of the stallion's coat and mane. It was good practice for units that adhered to uniformity and appearance, however it was impractical for a functional military. He had them maintain a short haircut, however the white and gray dyes the ponies had used on their coats was nearly gone, revealing their natural colors. It would still be a couple weeks until the color was totally gone, giving their coats a strange, tipped appearance.

Jason looked at his watch quickly. It was just before six P.M. Perfect. Jason thought to himself as he relaxed his pose.

"At ease, gents." Jason had flipped the mental switch within his head, turning off DI mode and returning to his normal, more relaxed state.

The stallions sighed in relief and allowed themselves to relax. Their training day started at five every morning and ended at six at night. If he could, Jason would have kept them in the training mindset, but he wasn't a machine. It was what he was training these stallions for. Their platoons would remain in that mindset twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.

"Alright. Good work today. Tomorrow, we'll be going over a few more instructor theories before you go to your subspecies training. In the afternoon, we'll be practicing IED detection. Finally we've got our next phase of PMAP. You'll need your mouthguard and sparring gear. We'll be focusing on standing strikes and kicks, as well as a few throws. Any questions?"

"Sir, did we get any word on when we're supposed to get our weapons?" Carbon asked. "We really need to start applying what we're learning with the right equipment."

"I agree. I know that the weapons are in the final stages of testing right now so hopefully we'll be getting them soon. Anything else?"

"Sir." Razor spoke up. "Do you know if we're going to be tested on our specialized training? With the mares I mean. I know we still have a lot to learn from them, but how are we going to know when we're ready to begin training new recruits?"

Jason thought for a moment. He honestly didn't know. That was something he would have to speak to Twi and Rain about. It was a good idea. Having a cumulative test would show both Jason and the stallions themselves that they were ready, though Jason knew it would still be a while before they were ready. However they should begin creating the tests so they'd be ready.

"Good question. I'll speak with Twilight and Rainbow tonight and see what they have to say and get back to you tomorrow morning. Any other questions?"

The stallions were silent.

Jason let out a sigh. "Alright. You're dismissed. We'll meet here tomorrow morning at zero-five. Be ready to scream tomorrow morning."

The stallions snapped to attention. "Aye aye, Sir." They said in unison before turning and beginning their walk to the small home. Their fatigued limbs protested the movement and they walked with minor limps.

"Stop limping. I know you're hurting, but you need to be a symbol of unwavering strength to the recruits beneath you. If they see you moving like that, they begin to think you're not as strong as they think you are." Jason called after them.

"Aye, Sir." They responded as they attempted to walk normally.

Jason exhaled quickly before turning and taking a step toward his home. His leg nearly failed beneath him as he attempted to walk and he barely caught himself before he fell to the ground. "Aw fuck." He said under his breath as he took another step. His legs were done, and he struggled to walk normally as he made the journey home.

Jason stiffly walked into his home. He could smell a thick and slightly sweet aroma emanating from the kitchen and his stomach growled in anticipation, his body naturally looking for any way to replenish the calories he had expended during his workout.

"I'm assuming that's you, Spike?" Jason called out

"Hey Dad!" Spike responded from the kitchen. "Dinner'll be ready in a few. How was work?"

"Tiring..." Jason said as he made his way to the living room and collapsed on the couch. He was exhausted. The day's training had been tiresome. He was thankful that Rainbow and Twilight were able to share at least a small amount of the effort of training the stallions. The few hours they had the Guards each day gave the Captain time to rest, and plan their next courses of training.

Jason exhaled deeply. He needed a shower, but he was unsure if his legs would even support his weight right now.

"Where's Twi and Rain?" Jason called to the dragon.

Spike emerged from the doorway, adorned in his pink apron. A smirk made it's way to Jason's face. He had gotten Spike a different one years ago. Something that could be considered more 'manly', If one could consider an apron manly in the first place, yet Spike still wore the one Jason had met him in. It was his favorite, and Jason wouldn't begrudge him his preferences.

"Twi's out restocking her quills and paper, and Rainbow's got some last minute weather tasks to put together. There was supposed to be a bit of rain last night but it didn't happen, so now there's gotta be an even bigger one tonight."

"Any idea when it's supposed to end?" Jason asked as he gently began stretching his legs, trying to prevent them from cramping.

"Nah, you're gonna have to ask Rainbow about that." Spike said with a shake of his head. "I better get back to it, or the sauce'll burn."

"Okay Spike. I'm gonna go shower."

"Oh yeah! I almost forgot. You got a letter from the research ponies in Canterlot. I left it on your desk." Spike said before vanishing into the kitchen.

"Thanks, I'll take a look at it." Jason said as he struggled to his feet. He was a little concerned at how his body was reacting to the exercise. He hadn't been this sore in quite some time. Maybe the daily hazing sessions he put himself and the Guards through daily were beginning to catch up to him. Maybe he was getting old. He didn't know, so he let the thoughts slip from his mind.

He stepped into his study and closed the door. The letter, adorned with the official 'Ministry of Research' seal, sat centered on his desk. With a sigh, he set his weight on his chair and picked up the message. He broke the seal quickly and read it to himself.

Captain Sinder

It is with great eagerness that I write you today.

After countless hours of development and testing, we have completed the first prototypes for the projectile weapons to be used by the Corps of Protectors. We have demonstrated them to the Royal Sisters, and they have given their approval to proceed with transferring the weapons to you for further testing.

We will be transporting the weapons to you as soon as possible, expect them to be there in no more than two days.

I look forward to our meeting with anticipation.

Respectfully,

Storm Wind

Director of Weapons Research

Ministry of Research.

It's about time... Jason thought as he set the letter back onto his desk. An unexpected relief washed over him. He would finally be able to train his instructors with the weapons that may one day save their lives, and with the weapons they would be one step closer to completing their training.

He set the letter back on the desk and rose. He stopped by the bedroom quickly to get out of his sweat-laden clothes and collect a fresh set before making his way to the bathroom and the cool shower that awaited him.

Jason took his usual position at the table, relishing in the clean feeling after the refreshing shower. Some of the ache had eased from his muscles, but he reminded himself that he still needed to stretch before bed, lest the lactic acid build in his muscles.

Twi and Rain still hadn’t returned from their tasks, leaving Jason and Spike to enjoy their dinner alone.

Jason looked out the window quickly. The late summer sun was setting, bringing yet another eventful day to a close. A touch of curiosity entered his mind. He understood that Rain would be gone as long as needed to ensure the clouds were properly placed for the storm, but he was curious as to what was taking Twi so long.

He let the thought slip from his mind as Spike walked into the dining room carrying a bowl of salad. Jason slid his chair out and moved to assist the dragon. As he entered the kitchen, he heard the distinctive thud of the front door closing and bags being set in the entryway. He stepped to the counter and collected a covered casserole dish before returning to the dining room and observing who had come home.

Twilight stretched her neck slightly. It looked like her day had been just as long as his and she seemed tired.

“Hey Twi, just in time for dinner!” Jason said with a smile.

“Thank goodness. I’ve been so busy all day I had to miss lunch. I’m starving and that smells delicious.” She sniffed the air graciously before returning the human’s smile and making her way to the dining room.

Before long they sat together at the table, enjoying the meal Spike had so painstakingly made for them.

“So Twi,” Jason said between mouthfuls.”Where ya been? Spike said you were just out restocking your writing gear. That shouldn’t have taken that long.”

Twilight finished chewing and swallowed before responding. “I got stopped on my way back by a group of colts.”

Jason raised an eyebrow. “What for?” He asked.

“To ask questions about the Protectors.” She said before scooping another spoonful of the casserole into her mouth. She chewed quickly before continuing. “They’ve seen me training Carbon and Copper, so they thought I would have information for anypony who wanted to join.” She shook her head quickly. “I told them as much as I could, but they had a lot of questions I couldn’t answer.”

Jason nodded as he ate. “Yeah, we really need to get those recruiting stations finished. I answer questions when I can, but I’m so busy with training I don’t really have the time. I’ll make sure to send a letter to see if we can’t get that side of things moving a little faster.”

They ate in silence for a little while, simply enjoying the food and one another’s company. Eventually, Jason broke the silence once again. “Razor brought up a good idea today. He asked if there was gonna be a cumulative exam at the end of their individual training.”

Jason saw Twi’s ears perk at the mention of a test and she looked up toward him, a touch of excitement in her eyes. He saw the pace of her chewing quicken slightly.

He continued before she had a chance to interrupt. “I know Carbon and Copper still need a little more work, but when they are at least trained enough to handle themselves and begin instructing others, a test could reinforce their confidence in their abilities.”

Twi swallowed. “I’m happy you brought that up, actually. I’m getting pretty close to finishing their basic training.”

Jason’s eyes widened slightly at the revelation. “Really? Wait, what do you mean by ‘basic’ training?”

“Just what it sounds like. They have great control over the most basic and most practical of spells, like telekinesis.” She grinned a little at Jason’s surprise. “They are decently gifted and extremely motivated to learn what I have to teach them. All I really have left to pass on to them are some of the more advanced exercises to strengthen their focus. Everything else I could teach them will require months of diligent study to master, but for what they will need they are more than qualified.”

Jason blinked. If this was true, then their training was far closer to complete than he had anticipated. They still required weapons training and he wanted to get them all to black belt in the martial arts program he and Rainbow had developed. Without the individual training, however, they would have that much more time each day to focus on these parts of their training.

“Well if that’s true, do you think you can start putting together their exams? If we can get those knocked out, we can focus on other areas of training.”

“Sure, I’ll get to work on mine tomorrow morning. It shouldn’t take too long to put together. Be sure you talk with Rain though, you know how she is with tests, I can’t imagine she’ll be too excited about having to make one.”

“Nah, she’ll probably put Razor through some kind of obstacle course to test his flying. She likes setting those up.”

The room was engulfed in a flash of white light. A moment later, the walls shook from the proximity of the lightning bolt.

The three of them jumped in surprise at the unexpected thunderclap. Spike and Twilight both glanced out the window just in time to see the fat raindrops begin pounding against the panes.

Jason sat there frozen. In his mind, all he could see was a plume of sand being thrown into the sky, engulfing the Guards as they approached the downed ambassador.
He shut his eyes tight, shaking his head quickly in an attempt to rattle the memory from his mind. He let out a sigh and stood “Excuse me for a minute.” he said before making his way to the bathroom. He rinsed his face quickly, the cold water washing the last bit of shock from his mind.

The visions had been occurring more and more frequently. Originally, it took something excessive, much like that clap of thunder, to set it off. Now though, any kind of sudden, loud noise was enough to bring them back. Even a popping balloon.

God dammit… He thought to himself as he snatched a towel from the bar next to the sink. After drying his face, he look at the towel in his hands, focusing on the rough, yet soft texture in his hands. He focused on the light blue color and before long the last few visions left his mind.

Hmm… Rain’s gonna need one of these in a minute. Jason thought as he returned the hand towel to it’s place on the bar. He opened the cabinet beside him and snagged a clean towel before exiting the room.

He set the folded cloth onto the small bench in the entryway. He rejoined Twi and Spike at the dinner table. They looked at him together, obvious concern on their faces.

"You okay Jase?” Twilight asked.

“Yeah, you look like you’ve seen a ghost.” Spike said with worried eyes.

“Yeah...Yeah I’m fine. Don’t worry about it, it’s nothing.” Jason said with a smile before picking up his fork and taking another bite.

Twilight and Spike looked toward each other, obviously unconvinced by Jason’s words. Yet they relented and returned to their meal.

They ate in silence for a few minutes before a gust of wind overtook the dining room.

“I’M HOOOME!” Rainbow called from the door before pulling it shut behind her, sealing the now raging storm behind the thick wooden portal.

“Hey Rain!” Jason called in response. “There’s a towel for you on the bench!”

“Thanks!” She answered. A few seconds later she joined them in the dining room, the towel draped around her neck. “What’s for dinner?” She asked as she sniffed the air and licked her lips. “It smells awesome!”

“Cheese and potato casserole and some salad.” Spike said quickly.

“Man, quite the storm, huh? You’re usually back before the rain starts.” Jason observed. Droplets of water still dripped from her damp coat. She laid the towel out on the chair before sitting and beginning to pile some of the food onto her plate.

“Yeah, I wanted to make sure the rain actually started tonight.” A quick flash of anger played across her face before vanishing as she scooped up a few pieces of lettuce. “Got a bit of an ass chewing from our regional supervisor for missing yesterdays storm, so i needed to make sure everything was fine.” She popped the food into her mouth and chewed ravenously.

Twilight shot Rain a quick glare. She was growing more accepting of the change in Rainbow’s vocabulary, but she didn’t really like her cussing in front of Spike. Rainbow ignored her as she got lost in her food.

Jason chuckled. “At least the rain’ll cool things off a bit. It was pretty hot out there today.”

“You’re tellin’ me!” Rainbow exclaimed. “I’d be lying if I said i didn’t enjoy the nice shower on the way home.” She took a bite and swallowed quickly. “How was PT?” She shot him a mischievous grin. “I saw you out there hazing the stallions. How many laps did you have em run?”

“Three…” He returned her grin. “May have been just a little warm, though. It’s a good thing they hydrated properly, but Razor almost fell out.”

“Well, that’s still way better than last month. He was barely able to finish a lap!”

“True...True…” Jason took a final bite before setting his fork across his plate. He savored the last mouthful, enjoying the food Spike had made. “Thanks, Spike. That was pretty good.” He said after finally swallowing.

“Thanks!” Spike said, a touch of pride working it’s way into his voice. “It’s a new recipe I found. I really like the mixture of spices and cheeses, really gives the potatoes a lot of flavor.”

Jason chuckled, happy at the dragons excitement. He reached out and rustled his quills lightly.

Rainbow was devouring the food ravenously, obviously starving after a day of hard work.

“So Rain, there’s something we need to talk about.” Jason said.

Rainbow froze, surprising Jason slightly. She looked up from her food, a little bit of cheese still present on her lip. “What? What happened? Did I do something wrong?”

Jason shook his head. “What? No… It’s about Razor’s training.”

Obvious relief washed over her. “Oh, okay. What’s up?” She asked, her worry replaced by curiosity.

“Well I’ve already talked to Twi about it, but we need some kind of final test for the stallions. Something that touches on every little thing you two have taught them. You know, so we have a good idea as to when they’ll be ready to start training their own recruits.”

“Is that all?” She responded dismissively. “That’ll be cake. I’ve already been putting something together for him. I’ve already been quizzing him. Before we moved to another part of his training, I made sure he understood everything I taught him. Y’know, so I was certain he knew everything by heart. A final test shouldn’t be hard to put together.”

“Perfect!” Jason exclaimed. He was extremely happy he had such qualified partners to assist in the training. He doubted there was anypony else in Equestria who could have taught the stallions quite as well as these two mares have. “Any idea how much longer before he’ll be ready?”

“Honestly, I’ve taught him all I can. All that’s left for him is to practice. Practice makes perfect after all. I’ve taught him everything I know about reading wind currents and their effects on flight. It’s just him pushing himself now, finding out his own personal limits and pushing them to improve his own flight. He’ll probably be ready for the test as soon as I finish it.”

Jason was flabberghasted. He had no idea how far the stallions had come. He didn’t like to talk about training too much at the end of the day, instead preferring to rest and relax with his family. Something he was now regretting. He should have been keeping closer tabs on their progress.

“Well alright.” Jason’s mind was racing. He may be able to complete their training within the next few weeks, meaning they were that much closer to receiving fresh recruits. Camp Sandblast still needed to be finished, but they may be able to afford some extra leave time while construction was being wrapped up. That would be good.

“Let’s get ‘em knocked out then. The sooner we complete their training the better!” Jason exclaimed with a bit of excitement.

Rainbow sat up on her haunches and gave him a cheesy salute. “Aye aye, sir!”

Jason chuckled before turning the conversation to lighter topics, asking how their days were, and just generally enjoying the company of the family around him.

“Alright gents, find a tree.” Jason told the stallions before him.

The rain had dropped the temperature considerably, making the outdoors far more comfortable, yet the humidity in the air still drew traces of sweat from the human as he watched the stallions make their way to individual trees and turn toward him. Curiosity was obvious on their faces.

“Today, you’re going to scream. Not at me. Not at each other. But at the trees.”

The stallions were taken aback in confusion. He could see their faces scrunching as they thought, trying to figure out what their Captain was thinking.

“Uh...Sir?” Carbon asked.

Jason held up a finger, silencing the stallion.

“The purpose of this is two fold. For one, it’s going to strengthen your voices. You’re going to be shouting almost nonstop when you’re instructing the recruits, so we’re going to start now so you’ll be used to it. Second, it’s going to help your bearing. I know, it’s dumb to scream at trees, but you have to resist the urge to laugh. I don’t know what it is, but recruits are stupid. Sure they may be borderline geniuses normally, but with the stress we are going to be putting them through, they won’t be able to think properly. At least not during the first few weeks while they get used to it. Anyway, with their stupidity, they will do some ridiculously funny shit, and you need to be able to keep a straight face.”

The stallions didn’t get it, but they didn’t question him. Jason continued his explanation.

“Also, it’ll give you practice on picking out things to yell at them about. One of our primary jobs is to keep the recruits stressed out. If we keep their minds in a constant sense of fear, they’ll be much better at making snap decisions, especially while under stress. When we go to combat, they’ll be able to make life or death choices much faster since they’ve been through something like it before. Allow me to demonstrate.”

Jason walked over to a tree of his own and inhaled deeply. “OKAY MOTHERFUCKER! WHAT THE FUCK DID I TELL YOU ABOUT GROWING CROOKED? GROW STRAIGHT NOW! FASTER! I SAID FASTER YOU LITTLE SHIT! YOU CALL THAT VOLUME? MY GRANNY COULD SCREAM LOUDER THAN YOU, AND SHE HAS TO GO THROUGH SIX FEET OF DIRT!”

He heard a few chuckles from the stallions as they watched. Jason spun to Copper, who stood the closest, and quickly walked over to him.

“YOU THINK THAT’S FUNNY? THAT FUCKING TREE IS UNDER YOUR COMMAND, AND IT IS UNSAT! LOOK AT IT! HALF THE BRANCHES ARE DEAD! HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO TRUST YOU WITH RECRUITS IF YOU CAN’T EVEN KEEP A FUCKING TREE ALIVE?!”

Copper was struggling to hold back his laughter as the Captain screamed at him. Their bearing had improved a little over the past weeks, yet there was still more to be desired.

Jason relaxed before he spoke. “Do you see my point? It doesn’t matter what you scream at them about. I don’t care about their feelings. We’re making them tougher, able to take verbal abuse will only toughen their mind. Scream at them about anything you want, just keep them scared. However, they won’t be scared if they see you laughing all the time, so lock that shit up.”

Jason walked to the center of the triangle the three stallions formed. “Now then, when I give the word, start screaming. Don’t stop until I say so. Any questions?

“Sir?” Razor raised a hoof.

“Yes?”

“What do we do if we can’t scream anymore? I mean, I’ll scream as long as I can, but eventually my voice is going to give out.”

“Like I said, this is partially to strengthen your voices, and that only happens through practice. once you get to the point where your voice doesn’t work properly, drop your tone and try speaking from the back of your throat. LIKE THIS.” Jason dropped his voice to the raspy frog-voice he had been working on throughout their training. He had lost his voice a few times, giving him more than enough opportunities to practice. The voice wasn’t quite as loud as full on screaming, but the raspiness added another level of fear to the recipient.

His voice returned to normal. “Understand?”

Razor nodded and returned his attention to the tree in front of him.

“Alright. Ready? Go!” Jason shouted and the three stallions simultaneously burst into full volume shouts.

Jason walked between the stallions, listening to each of them as they tried to find any little thing they could use as a focus point of their rage. The human struggled to keep a straight face as he listened. He nearly lost it when he heard Carbon order the maple tree before him to start doing pushups because its leaves were out of uniform regs.

Jason watched the stallions for nearly forty five minutes. They were doing their best to keep it up. Shouting at full volume for that long was hard. Damn hard. Their voices had failed nearly ten minutes ago and even their frog voices were were on the verge of failure. Still, Jason let them continue, pushing them to their absolute breaking point. Dark spots were beginning to form on their cammies as the clothes absorbed their sweat.

“Captain Sinder!” He heard a voice call from behind him. He turned to see who called for him and saw Storm Wind making her way towards him. He turned his attention back to the stallions, who had stopped to see the source of the interruption.

“Did I tell you to stop?” His voice was even. The stallions returned their attention to the spit covered trees in front of them and continued their ass chewing.

Jason turned back toward Storm Wind and walked to meet her halfway.

“Miss Wind! I wasn’t expecting you until tomorrow!” Jason said, letting a touch of excitement into his voice. If she was here, that meant the weapons were, too.

“I did say within two days didn’t I?” She said with a smile. “I knew you wanted the weapons as soon as possible, so I hopped onto the first train possible. The weapons are currently under guard at the train depot, just waiting for you to pick them up!” The unicorn seemed eager to receive his appraisal on her work.

“Excellent! Let me just wrap things up here and we’ll meet you over there.”

“Perfect. That’ll give me time to unpack them for you.”

“We’ll be there soon.” Jason nodded toward her before turning and returning to the stallions. He glanced at his watch.

Excellent… Just five more minutes and we’ll start heading over He listened intently as the stallions yelled, their breathing heavy and voices ruined.

The four Protectors all looked down, practically drooling over the weapons that lay before them. They half paid attention to Storm Wind as she listed off various specifications of the weapons, such as weight, caliber, action, and composition.

The unicorn variation, to put it bluntly, was gorgeous. It was little more than a long rectangle, roughly the size of a two by four. Jason picked up one of the rifles. from the ground, it was just long enough to come up past his belt. He could see the magazine well and trigger assemblies cut into the bottom of the rifle. He hadn’t thought of concealing the trigger like that, but it made sense since the unicorns could manipulate the trigger without physically having to touch it.

The RCO that had been developed for the weapon extended off the rifle at roughly a forty five degree angle, with concave areas cut into the polymer body just behind the eyepiece, meaning the pony using it could get a proper cheek weld while using the weapon.

He picked up the rifle’s twin and held them toward the unicorns who were still ogling the weapons.

“Here, take a look for yourself. Remember your weapon safety rules.”

“Aye, Sir.” They responded in unison as they extended their magic and took hold of the weapons.

After he released his grip, Jason turned his attention to the interesting rig that had been designed for Razor.

He took a knee to examine the setup more closely. The rifle itself was nearly identical to the unicorn variation. The interesting part of the setup was the harness it was mounted to. A metal framework held the rifle in place while various straps would be used to mount the weapon to the operator. The RCO was slightly larger, and sat mounted to a brace that could be moved aside when not in use. The trigger was also interesting. It looked to be some sort of pressure switch that could be operated via mouth. It was attached to the same pivoting brace as the RCO.

Jason glanced toward Razor. “Welp, you wanna get mounted up? I’m curious on how this works.” Jason said, the faintest traces of a grin appearing on his face.

Razor nodded eagerly. A few technicians who had accompanied Storm Wind stepped up and used their magic to lift the harness off of the platform. They set the rig in place and began tightening the straps. Before long, they stepped back. Razor rolled his shoulders quickly, allowing the rig to settle more firmly onto his body. He flapped his wings experimentally.

“Good. It has a low enough profile that it won’t interfere with my flying.” He looked toward the RCO mount and saw a small piece that was padded for his teeth on the side of the trigger. He leaned his head over and pulled the optic into position. “Huh, this doesn’t look right.”

The technicians stepped forward again and made some adjustments to the rig. Eventually, Razor voiced his approval.

Jason left Razor to get better acquainted to his weapon and turned his attention to his own rifle.

The ponies had made extensive modifications to the weapon. The barrel was roughly the same length, but that is where the similarities ended. The foregrip now resembled the same boxxy weapon the unicorns now wielded, however the corners had been rounded and were extremely comfortable to hold. The charging handle was in the same position over the collapsible stock, but the ejection port was a mere slot in the side. Jason pulled the bolt to the rear to get a better look inside. The chamber and everything inside looked functional, but he would need to actually test it before he could call himself confident. He released the charging handle and watched the bolt slide forward. Strangely, the polymer sleeve that had sealed the ejection port did not slide forward.

Jason frowned and turned the weapon over, examining the bolt release on the other side. There was a second button right next to it that was up. He pressed it and felt a small click within the weapon. He looked at the ejection port and the sleeve and returned to the sealed position. He raised an eyebrow and looked toward Storm Wind. She was looking at him with poorly concealed excitement.

“That, is part of the Protector Combat Rifle, or PCR’s intricate climate proofing. When that port is sealed, there is zero chance of anything getting into the chamber, including water and sand. It’s designed to lock to the rear after the first round, so it doesn’t impede with ejection.” She beamed with pride. “Once we are able to further refine the design, it’ll move with the bolt and prevent anything from getting in there during the firing process.”

“Wow, that’s pretty amazing!” Jason said. He was genuinely impressed at their ingenuity. They didn’t even have rifles until a few months ago. He was amazed at the innovations they were able to make in such a short time. “How were you able to machine it so accurately?”

A half grin formed on the unicorn’s face. “You’d be surprised how tight we can get our tolerances when some of the best magicians in Equestria building them. Your rifle is one of a kind, so we put a little extra effort into it.”

Jason went to his shooting stance and brought the weapon to his shoulder. It was perfect. The weapon sat perfectly balanced in his hands, with the perfect eye relief from the RCO. It was the most comfortable rifle he had ever held. Almost like it had been tailor-made for him which, on second thought, it had been.

Jason let the rifle fall to a tactical carry. “Did you happen to bring magazines and ammunition?” He asked Storm Wind.

She grinned. “Indeed we did. We brought the weapons, along with anything and everything that comes with them, including enough ammunition to finish instructing your instructors.”

“Excellent, then I believe a proper test is in order. They just finished building the Camp Sandblast rifle range last week and I think it’s about time to break it in.” Jason said with an excited grin of his own.

Storm Wind, her technicians and the Protectors all shared similar expressions as they began making their way to the Everfree Forest, magazines and ammo cans in tow.

Jason stood proudly in front of the three instructors. The noonday sun hung high in the sky, bathing the brand new parade deck in bright, summer light.

The three weeks following the arrival of the weapons had gone by in a flash. It had taken some time to adjust Jason’s tactics to the differences in the weapons they had. The unicorns were extremely versatile in their handling of the weapons, since their magic meant they could move it in anyway they want.

Razor, however, was far more limited. His weapon was stationary, meaning he had difficulty maneuvering the rifle in close quarters, yet at longer ranges the more stable rifle was extremely easy to fire accurately.

Weapons training and martial arts filled a great portion of their final weeks of training. everything they would need to kill the enemy, at least in physical terms.

They still ran of course, much to the stallions’ disappointment.

But they had done it. They had demonstrated that they were ready to take future Protectors under their wing. They had proven their loyalty and dedication, both to the Corps of Protectors and to the defense of Equestria as a whole.

That is why Jason stood before them today in his dress blues.

In his hands, he held a wooden box. On it’s lid was a red hexagon. Within the shape was a golden shield, emblazoned with the globe of Equestria. Behind the shield were a pair of crossed PCRs, which extended from the corners at the top and out through the curved sides.

Jason had spent hours thinking of different ideas for the symbol. He had finally settled on the symbolism created by this final insignia. It was simple enough. the globe on the shield meant they would defend Equestria from anything they could, and the rifles depicted exactly how they would do just that.

Honestly, he just picked the hexagon because it looked good with the rest of the design.

A small group of ponies had gathered to watch the ceremony. Most of the representatives from Canterlot were there, along with Twi and Rain, a couple of other townsfolk and, not surprisingly, Octavia. They talked quietly amongst themselves as they waited for the ceremony to begin.

Jason waited a few more minutes before executing an about face and looking out toward the crowd. He cleared his throat quickly before speaking.

“Ladies and Gentlecolts. Standing before you today are the first of what will become a great institution within our homeland of Equestria. But they are more than just a government body. They are a family. A brotherhood dedicated to protecting the ponies of this great land.”

“That is why we bear this mantle. We will stop at nothing to ensure that our children can return to their parents once more. To ensure that our enemies never have the chance to rob a wife of her husband. We lay down our lives to prevent that from happening. It is a sacrifice we are willing to make, so the common citizen will not have to.”

“Standing behind me are the first of the Protectors. Over the past three months, they have undergone rigorous training under my watchful eye. They are the best trained members of the Equestrian military, and together we will use our shared knowledge to teach even more protectors. The ones that we train will then train even more Protectors, until there are so many of us that no enemy we face could ever hope to compete with our numbers. We will be elite. We will be powerful. and we will be effective.”

Jason conducted another about face and looked with pride at the stallions before him. Their chests puffed with pride under his gaze.

“Gentlecolts, you have suffered these long months to become the best in your profession, and it is with pride that I say you have succeeded. You have gone with me to combat once before, and now that I know your true character, I say that it would be my honor to fight with you by my side.”

“You are the best of the best, and that is exactly what you should remain. Completing this training is but the first step into what I hope will be a long, and prosperous career. There is much ahead of us, but I feel you are now capable of handling anything this world has left to throw at you.”

“With these insignias, I give you the title of Protector. The first such titles that have been given in over a millennia. The world has called you to service once again, and we rise to the call.”

He stepped to Carbon, the first stallion in line. He opened the box and pulled one of the matte black hexagons from the velvet lined container. embossed on the shape was the insignia of the Protector. Jason tucked the box under his arm and took another step forward. With his free hand, he reached forward and pushed the pin through the camouflage lapel of Carbon’s blouse. He took a step back and came to attention. Carbon continued staring straight forward, yet Jason could see the pride in his eyes.

“Congratulations, Protector.” Jason said quietly.

“Thank you, Sir.” Carbon responded.

Jason moved down the line. Copper stood at rigid attention beside Carbon. Jason stopped and pulled another insignia from the box. He stepped forward and pinned the unicorn before stepping back and coming to attention.

Copper’s eyes were different than Carbon’s. Instead of pride, Jason saw only determination. He was ready to go. Where to, Jason had no idea, but it was definitely somewhere.

“Congratulations, Protector.” Jason said.

“Thank you, Sir.” Copper replied, his voice tense.

Jason repeated the ritual once more for Razor. A few tears had begun streaming down the stallions face as the strength of his pride overwhelmed his body.

“Congratulations, Protector.”

“Thank you, Sir.” Razor responded. His voice quivered slightly as he spoke.

Jason returned to his position in front of the small formation.

“You are now true members of the Corps of Protectors. You are my brothers, and allow me to be the first to say, welcome to the family. Following today, you will be given two weeks of leave. Go home, spend time with your loved ones, rest, and be ready to get back to work on the 10th of next month.”

Jason looked over each stallion again, immensely proud of the progress they have made over the past three months.

“Detail, atten-HUT.”

The stallions didn’t move.

FUCK… Jason thought to himself as he noticed they were already at attention.

He didn’t miss a beat.

“When you receive the command, commence your leave.”

One final glance.

“DISMISSED!”

The stallions instantly relaxed and turned to congratulate one another. The crowd erupted into cheers and made their way onto the parade deck.

Jason watched as Carbon ran toward the crowd. He met with Octavia and they joined in a loving embrace, which quickly turned into a deep and passionate kiss.

Jason raised an eyebrow at the spectacle before letting a smile grow on his face.

Speaking of love… He thought to himself as he looked over the crowd. Where are my girls at?

“Looking for someone?” A familiar voice asked.

Jason let out a chuckle before kneeling suddenly and pulling Twilight into a loving embrace. He gave her a kiss before looking around quickly.

He saw Rainbow shaking hooves with Razor, undoubtedly congratulating him. She nodded before turning to look for him. He raised a hand toward her and she smiled toward him.

A few seconds later, she too was snuggled into an embrace.

“What’s the deal, big guy? You haven’t been this clingy in months!” Rainbow exclaimed with a giggle.

Jason chuckled. “Training cycle’s over. I finally get to relax for a while.” He shot them both a mischievous grin. “Which means I’m gonna have a lot more energy at night.”

“Oooh I can hardly wait…” Twilight exclaimed sensually.

“You and me both, sister.” Rainbow added, her tone matching Twilight’s.

Jason looked up toward the crowd. a few of the ponies were making their way toward them.

Jason chuckled once more before returning to his feet. “Sorry girls, looks like you’re gonna have to wait just a little longer.”

“As long as you keep that uniform on. I’ve always wanted to take it off you.” Rainbow said.

Jason laughed a good, hearty laugh. he hadn’t felt this good in ages.

The ponies formed a sort of line in front of him, all wanting to congratulate him on his accomplishments and to wish him luck in his future endeavors.

Author's Note

Sorry about the wait on this one guys, but I am now officially moved in to my new unit and will hopefully be able to get back into my previous update tempo.

Thanks again to all of you who have stuck with me. You guys are awesome!

Boot

What the hay did I get myself into?

Azimuth stared into the darkness, toward the wooden floor of the extended carriage as it bumped along the dirt trail.

The vehicle was huge. Not quite as big as a train, but still the largest carriage he had ever seen. There were two of the vehicles waiting when he had gotten off of the train. It was late, a few minutes past midnight when the large group of recruits had been herded into the long vehicles and sealed into darkness. The wagons, or 'buses' as the pullers called them, had no windows.

Time seemed to crawl in the pitch black. The stallions around him were silent, each wallowing in their own self doubt and worry. If he had to guess, Azimuth would have said that nearly thirty minutes had passed before his mind had gotten over the shock of being corralled into the cramped, uncomfortable, and quite frankly terrifying vehicles. He didn't know where they were going, what was around them, or how to even get back to the train station. He was lost, the buses taking many turns as they made their way to Camp Sandblast.

It was at this time that Azimuth was beginning to have some second thoughts. He wasn't a Guard. Heck, he wasn't even a very good unicorn, his magical talent limited to little more than simple telekinesis. What possible benefits could he bring to this new Corps of Protectors? He didn't have any training. His family didn't have any military background.

He was just mad.

He buried his face into his hooves. Maybe rushing to a recruiter as soon as possible was a mistake. He was mad about the attacks. More mad than he had ever been in his life, and perhaps that had clouded his judgement a little. Now he was nervous. He had no idea what was waiting for him when he would finally get off of the bus.

He let out a sigh, letting his mind go blank in an attempt to calm himself. It worked to a small extent.

Little late now. Not a whole lot I can do about it, other than maybe jumping out the door.

He entertained that thought for a second before shaking his head. He let out a half chuckle.

That's not really an option... I'd never be able to live with myself if I quit before training even began.

He shifted a little in the seat, attempting to find a comfortable position on the hard wooden bench. He let his eyes close.

Maybe I should try to get a little sleep. Celestia knows how long it'll be before I get another chance...

Jason stood outside the somewhat large administration building just inside the main gate of Camp Sandblast. Flanking him on either side were the instructors, mentally preparing themselves for the task ahead. He could see just the touch of a smile making their way to each stallion's lips.

He raised a hand to his forehead, lifting up the campaign cover a little and rubbing the spot where the hard plastic ridge was beginning to irritate his skin.

Note to self... He thought quickly. Padding is a virtue. He let the cover return to it's position, the hard edge already pressing into his skin. The covers had been an afterthought. The recruits wouldn't be able to mistake the human, but the other instructors needed some symbol to make them easily identifiable to the recruits, thus the campaign covers were created. They matched the style Jason had feared throughout his own training, modified slightly to accommodate the unicorns' horns.

Jason glanced around him quickly. Behind him was a large slab of concrete. The slab was marked with countless yellow dots, representing hoofprints. The phantom formation faced a few large signs, printed on which were oaths that each recruit must repeat before they would be herded into the building to begin their in-processing. The oaths were a formality. They stated basic rules that each recruit must follow while undergoing training.

Another sign bore the Instructors Creed, something Jason and his instructors would read in unison to the recruits. Again, this was mostly a formality. Chances are, most of the stallions were going to be so stressed out they wouldn't know what was going on. However, for the few who would be attentive the Creed would tell the recruits why the instructors did what they did.

Jason heard a faint rumble in the distance and returned his attention forward.

"Alright. Copper, Razor, you'll be the ones on to get on the buses. You already know your spiel. Carbon, you'll be the one to hurry them to their hoofprints." Jason let a smirk cross his face. "Make sure they can understand what you're saying. I want 'em scared, but they should at least sort of know what they're supposed to do."

The stallions chuckled. "Aye sir."

Jason's smirk widened. "Have fun, gents."

Azimuth's world was thrown into chaos all at once. His vision exploded as the enchanted crystals lining the walls bathed the bus with brilliantly white light. He felt the vehicle shift as he rapidly blinked, attempting to clear the spots from his eyes.

"WAKE THE FUCK UP AND EYES FORWARD."

The loud growl from the front of the bus drew the attention of every stallion in the vehicle. Standing at the front was a deep-blue pegasus, clad in a splotchy tan uniform and wearing a brown hat with a wide brim that formed a circle around his head. The stallions in the bus were silent as they stared at the pegasus.

"FIRST THING. IF MYSELF, OR ANYBODY ELSE HERE SPEAKS TO ANY OF YOU SACKS OF SHIT, YOU WILL RESPOND WITH 'YES SIR, NO SIR OR AYE AYE SIR'. DO YOU UNDERSTAND?"

Wait...Any...Body? What does that mean?

The stallions in the bus all responded with a hesitant chorus of 'yes,sir.'

"YOU BETTER FIND SOME FUCKING VOLUME!" The pegasus shouted.

"YES SIR!" Every stallion, including Azimuth, responded in unison, attempting to get as much volume from their voices as possible.

"WELCOME TO CAMP SANDBLAST. I AM SERGEANT RAZOR, AND I AM ONE OF YOUR DRILL INSTRUCTORS. I AM HERE TO BUILD YOU SORRY MOTHERFUCKERS INTO THE GREATEST FIGHTING FORCE EQUESTRIA HAS EVER KNOWN. WHEN I TELL YOU, YOU WILL GET OFF THIS BUS AND FIND A SET OF YELLOW HOOFPRINTS TO STAND ON. GET THERE AND DON'T MOVE UNTIL TOLD TO DO OTHERWISE. ANY QUESTIONS?"

Razor continued before anypony had a chance to respond.

"GOOD. GET OFF MY BUS." The pegasus turned and stepped off the vehicle.

The stallions surged to their hooves and pressed into each other as they attempted to file off the carriage. Azimuth was swept up into the flow of stallions, his sand colored form being consumed by the mass of ponies.

As they stepped from the bus, they were herded toward a large building. Or rather, the large slab of concrete that lay on the ground before it. A black stallion, clad much the same as Sergeant Razor, was screaming at them and speeding them towards the yellow marks on the ground.

From the corner of his eye, Azimuth saw a tall figure standing to the side, watching over the group as they scrambled. He attempted to look and get a better view of the creature before he was screamed at to fall in.

As the stallions fell in, they grew increasingly cramped, the space between the spots allowing the minimum space possible between each recruit. The gathering grew silent as their movements stopped. They remained standing there for a couple of minutes. Anypony who attempted to look around was promptly yelled at by one of the instructors who stood vigil over the group. The instructors each walked around the group slowly. Sergeant Razor and the black pony were joined by a copper colored stallion and eventually they formed a line facing the group. They stood together silently, hard eyes looking carefully over the entirety of the group.

They didn't look any bigger than anypony Azimuth had ever seen, yet the aura that poured from their bodies seemed suffocating. He had no doubt that any one of them would have no trouble making him their mare.

Before long, the tall figure Azimuth had seen from the corner of his eye made it's way before the group, standing directly in front of Sergeant Razor. It's strange, bi-pedal form towering over the entire crowd. It crossed it's arms as it looked over the group.

Azimuth could feel himself shrink subconsciously. The presence of the other stallions had been suffocating, and even mildly frightening. But this... Having this creature looking at them like this was terrifying. Azimuth had no idea what the source of these feelings was. Just the way the creature stood. How it held itself. It was like it would be able to tear him apart without a second thought. Like it had done it before.

Azimuth watched with rapt attention as the creature began speaking.

"Welcome to Camp Sandblast. You have volunteered to be among the first members of Equestria's Corps of Protectors, the organization that will become the best trained, best equipped and most lethal fighting force in the entirety of Equestria. My name is Captain Jason Sinder, and I am your Senior Drill Instructor. Behind me are Sergeant Carbon, Sergeant Razor and Sergeant Copper. We are the first members of this brotherhood, and together we pledge to you."

Captain Sinder raised his right hand, an action mirrored by the line of instructors behind him. From memory, they recited in unison.

"We are Protector Instructors.

It is our duty to pass on any and all knowledge we have accrued to the recruits in our charge.

We will be hard, yet we will be fair.

With the fires of hell we shall forge these stallions into warriors whose sole purpose in life will be the defense of our home, and the ponies who live there.

We will destroy all who threaten Equestria with extreme prejudice.

Our enemies will become dust beneath our hooves, the direct result of the knowledge we will pass on to our recruits.

They will be strong.

They will be lethal.

And they will be effective.

With the Princesses as our witness, we swear this oath to you."

The group of instructors lowered their arms. Captain Sinder began speaking again.

"We swear to you this oath, so you may understand the hell we will put you through. The next few months are going to be the most stressful and exhausting times any of you have ever faced. Both mentally and physically. You will be tested. You will be pushed to your limits, and some of you may not be able to make it. This is for the best. We want the strongest stallions in Equestria, and we will weed out anypony who can't handle it. We will tell you when to eat. We will tell you when to sleep. And we will tell you when to shit. You will respond to every order with 'Aye Aye Sir.' Try to second guess us. I dare you. Every time we address you, you will respond. If you don't, only the wrath of the Drill Instructors await you. At this time, look at the sign over my right shoulder and raise your right hoof."

Azimuth did as he was ordered. He balanced as he raised his hoof and strained his eyes to read the poorly illuminated sign behind the Captain.

"Repeat after me. I, State your name..."

"I, Azimuth." The stallion responded. Around him, other ponies said their names. In the distance, he heard somepony actually say 'state your name.' The group fell into silence.

Captain Sinder remained silent, his eyes drawn to the offending voice. He calmly looked over his shoulder to Sergeant Copper.

The Drill Instructor snapped into action, and with inpony speed moved to the stallion who had made a mockery of their oath.

"YOU WANNA GET FUCKING SMART? ALREADY? NOT EVEN TEN MINUTES IN AND YOU ALREADY WANT TO GET ON MY SHIT LIST. DON'T YOU FUCKING WORRY. I KNOW YOUR FACE. I'LL HAVE YOUR ASS!"

"Drill Instructor!" Captain Sinder called. In an instant, Sergeant Copper was silent. He quickly returned to his position beside the other instructors, eyes locked forward.

"Now, let's try that again." Captain Sinder said evenly. "I, State your name..."

"I, Azimuth..." The group repeated the words. There were no incidents this time.

"Am a Protector Recruit.

I will entrust my care and instruction to the instructors and leaders above me.

I trust, and believe in their ability to teach me the skills required to honor the title of Protector.

We will be the Princesses answer to any threat, either foreign or domestic.

I will lay down my life for the defense of our country, so that the common pony doesn't have to.

I will fight, so that the common pony doesn't have to.

i will not lay down and die for the enemy. Instead, I will fight, kicking and screaming to take as many of the enemy with me as I fall into Celestia's heavenly embrace.

I will remain faithful to my brothers around me. I will trust them with my life, as they do of me.

We are forged in the fires of Camp Sandblast, the flames branding my very soul with this simple truth.

Once a Protector, always a Protector.

Captain Sinder lowered his hand, an action the group of recruits mirrored.

"With that oath, we begin your training. Remember this as you fight your way through the next months. You are not alone. To your right and left, and in front and behind you, are stallions who are going through this struggle with you. Find strength in them. Build a bond stronger than steel with them. If anypony fails, it is not their fault. It is the fault of every pony around them, as they were unable to provide the support they needed.

"That being said, do not attempt to take things on alone. We are a brotherhood, and we work much better together than we do as individuals. If things become to much for you, tell somepony."

The Captain looked over the crowd. "Any questions?"

Much to Azimuth's surprise, the creature waited a decent amount of time, actually giving the stallions a chance to ask questions if they needed to.

Of course, nopony raised their hooves.

"Very well. With that I turn you over to your Drill Instructors. We will speak again in due time."

The Captain turned and began walking away. The formation remained silent.

Sergeant Carbon took a step forward. "OKAY, I KNOW WE RESPOND WHEN AN OFFICER SPEAKS TO YOU!"

Most of the ponies in the formation jolted in surprise before ringing out in chorus. "AYE AYE SIR!"

The three instructors began moving quickly, their motion seemed jerky as they bounced between various recruits, screaming into their faces. Over the din of the instructors, Sergeant Razor bellowed instructions.

"ALRIGHT, WHEN I SAY, FIRST SQUAD WILL FILE INTO THE DOUBLE DOORS IN FRONT OF YOU. SECOND SQUAD FOLLOW FIRST AS THE LAST PONY PASSES YOU."

The stallions in the first squad began moving towards the door quickly, bumping into each other as they awkwardly moved.

"DID I TELL YOU TO FUCKING MOVE YET?! GET BACK ONTO YOUR FUCKING HOOFPRINTS!"

The stallions stumbled over each other as they tried to get back to their original positions. After a short few seconds, they stood at attention, once again staring forward. A few cast nervous glances around the group.

"EYES FRONT!" Sergeant Razor shouted. He circled around the group slowly. "Let's try this again. WHEN I SAY, FIRST SQUAD WILL FILE INTO THE DOUBLE DOORS IN FRONT OF YOU. SECOND SQUAD FOLLOW FIRST AS THE LAST PONY PASSES YOU."

Nopony moved this time.

"READY...MOVE!"

The stallions jumped to motion, moving quickly to the doors.

"GET BACK!" Sergeant Razor shouted.

The stallions froze and looked toward him again.

"I SAID GET BACK! DON'T MAKE ME SAY IT AGAIN!"

The stallions returned to their hoofprints. a few of them were beginning to show signs of irritation.

"I KNOW WE TOLD YOU TO RESPOND TO OUR ORDERS." He paused.

The group of recruits remained silent.

"WELL? 'YES SIR'? SOME SHIT. IT'S LIKE I'M FUCKING TALKING TO MYSELF HERE."

"YES SIR!" The group cautiously responded.

"RIGHT, NOW WHEN I SAY, FIRST SQUAD WILL FILE INTO THE DOUBLE DOORS IN FRONT OF YOU. SECOND SQUAD FOLLOW FIRST AS THE LAST PONY PASSES YOU."

"YES SIR!" The group shouted in response.

"READY...MOVE!"

"AYE AYE, SIR!" The stallions once again surged forward, the line closest to the building snaking it's way through the door. As the last stallion in the line passed the beginning of the second, the ponies in that line began to move, following the first.

This is going to be a loooong few months... Azimuth thought to himself as he gently trotted, attempting to keep pace with the stallion in front of him.

Jason stood to the side, observing as his Drill Instructors ran the new recruits through the wringer. He resisted the urge to grin at the fun the Instructors were having.

He didn't envy the recruits. He remembered perfectly well what it was like to be in that crowd. What it was like to be wrong in everything you do.

He had to suppress a snicker as Razor made them get back a third time for not responding to his commands.

Jason turned and began walking towards the squad bay. It was a long, single story building lined with windows. Inside was a wide open floor plan, with bunk beds running along the entire length. There was an empty area towards the front of the building, near the door, known as the quarterdeck. From the quarterdeck, one could access the head and showers, as well as the room where the Drill Instructors on duty would sleep.

Camp Sandblast was exactly what Jason had wanted. There were obstacle courses, a decently sized parade deck, a chow hall, and all of the training space he needed.

Civilians ran most of the base, including the chow hall and armory. The MOR had sent some qualified experts along with the shipment of PCRs, in order to maintain and repair any of the weapons that may get damaged through training. They were also here to observe the weapons in use and see if there were any improvements that could be made to the design.

Jason stepped into the DI duty hut and sat down. The recruits would be going through in-processing for most of the following day, led from place to place by the other Instructors.

They needed to go through medical for a few screenings as well as initial inoculations. They needed to go to the armory to be issued a rifle. They needed to be issued their gear, including cammies, covers and other clothing as well as all of the other miscellaneous gear they will need. There was also all of the administrative paperwork they needed to go through, papers they needed to sign and information they needed to fill out.

Not to mention the haircuts. Dear god, the haircuts were going to take forever.

Jason slipped off his blouse and sat to relax. He fiddled with his campaign cover for a while before remembering back to the irritation the hat had caused. He looked around quickly and found a small piece of felt laying on one of the tables. What it was doing there, he didn't know but he dismissed the thought quickly and snatched it up. He took a couple pieces of tape from the desk and quickly stuck the fabric along the hard edge of the cover. Experimentally, he set the cover on his head.

It was still far from comfortable, but at least it wasn't cutting into his skull anymore.

He took off the cover again and set it onto the desk. He had some time to rest, and he'd be a fool not to take it. The DI's could handle in-processing just fine, but as soon as that was over Jason was going to take them and begin their true training. He needed to be prepared for it.

He leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes and letting his mind wander, looking for that familiar touch of sleep at the edge of his mind.

He didn't find it.

What he did find was a voice. One that had been silent for several years. It was his voice of self doubt. The little thoughts in the back of his mind that made him second guess himself. The last time he had heard it was the first time Twilight had kissed him. He remembered the turmoil in his mind as he argued the grounds of bestiality and xenophelia. It had been silent ever since Jason realized he didn't care.

What the hell are you doing? The voice asked.

Trying to sleep. You don't mind do you?

You know what the fuck I mean. Why are you doing this? Do you really think it's a good idea for you to get this involved in a war?

It's not a war yet...

Bullshit... You and I both know where this is headed. That's the only reason you agreed to create this boot camp. So I'll ask again. What the fuck are you doing?

Jason let out a sigh. He couldn't believe he was arguing with himself like this, but he had a feeling it wouldn't just go away. He decided to entertain that portion of his thoughts a little.

I'm making sure the ponies of Equestria are trained well enough to handle the situations the Guardians of the Sand are going to put them through. Surely you can understand that.

Don't you think that's messing with nature a little? I mean, these ponies are normally pacifists. Why the hell should we give them the tools to destroy themselves?

We gave them the tools to defend themselves...

Are you really that naïve? We just jumped their war tech from bows and spears to assault rifles in less than six months! You have no idea what kind of negative repercussions that may cause in the future.

well they need the ability to defend themselves now. The Guardians attacked before they even had these weapons, so the war was going to happen regardless of our input. If we have the ability to assist Equestria, then I'll be damned if I don't.

And why should we defend Equestria? There has to be a reason the Guardians started this whole conflict. It's foolish to go to war without knowing what the enemy is fighting for.

Jason paused. The voice was right. He had no idea what the Guardians' motivation was. Why were they fighting? Why did they attack us? He didn't know. In the end, he decided he didn't care.

I'm doing it because the Guardians have attacked civilians. Not just the ambassador and her aides, but normal Equestrian citizens working at the embassy. Ponies just trying to live. Just like my mother.

So, what? You're going to turn this into some matter of personal vendetta? It's not like the Guardians are the ones who killed mom.

No. I'm doing it to protect the ponies of Equestria. The faster we can eliminate that threat, the fewer chances they have to hurt innocent ponies, including Twilight and Rainbow.

So your willing to kill an unknown number of Saddle Arabians for that?

If it means keeping my wife, and my partner safe, then you bet your ass I am.

The voice went silent again, letting Jason fall into a quiet, dreamless sleep.

The clothes Azimuth wore were uncomfortable. The fabric was rough, the seams hard and they didn't feel like they fit quite right. Then again, what did he know? He never had any reason to wear clothes before. He didn't really understand why he was wearing them now as a matter of fact. But, Sergeant Copper had ordered them to put them on, so here they stood. Clad in the strangely stained clothes.

His head itched. The barber had not been kind in the cutting of his mane, if it could even be called that anymore. His dark brown hair was now barely longer than his sand colored coat. His flanks still ached from the countless vaccines the doctors had injected him with, and he was tired from the effort of using his telekinesis to sign so many pieces of paper.

The sun had risen and fallen over the time it had taken them to complete all of the in-processing. Other than that little nap he had gotten on the bus, Azimuth hadn't slept in nearly two days. He felt his eyes growing heavy as he stood in front of his bunk bed. To his left stood an emerald pegasus, to his right was a dark gray unicorn. He hadn't gotten a chance to speak to any of the other recruits around him, much less learn their names. Every time he tried, one of the Drill Instructors would leap down his throat and silence him.

He was tired, uncomfortable, stiff and mentally exhausted. So much had happened that day, rushing from place to place before his mind had the chance to catch up to his body. Even now, his thoughts were trying to process everything that had happened today.

He cautiously looked around the squad bay with his eyes. he didn't dare turn his head to get a better view. It hadn't taken him long for him to learn of the Drill Instructors' unnatural ability to spot even the tiniest movement, and their quickness to correct it.

The recruits around him didn't seem to be faring much better. Their eyes all wore the same tired expression. Behind each of them was a green duffel bag, filled with all of the gear that had been given to them at the very beginning of their processing. The bags sat on top of metal boxes at the end of the beds, two per bunk.

The former guards were easy enough to spot. Their customary white and gray coats standing out among the rainbow of other recruits. They seemed to be faring only marginally better than the other recruits, yet it was still fairly easy to see the tiredness in their eyes.

"EYES FRONT, RECRUIT!" Sergeant Carbon had materialized in front of Azimuth, seemingly appearing from nowhere. His eyes snapped forward and his limbs stiffened.

He stood there silently, Sergeant Carbon stared at him expectantly. In his tired state, Azimuth didn't know what else he could do.

"RESPOND!" Sergeant Carbon screamed, rivulets of spit flying into Azimuths face.

"AYE AYE SIR!" Azimuth screamed in response. He couldn't get much volume from his weakened voice. The day of near-constant screaming had reduced it to little more than a raspy shout.

"SCREAM IT!" The Sergeants face was getting closer and closer to the recruits. In the back of his mind, Azimuth wondered how the instructor was still able to scream with such volume. The recruits had been screaming alot, but not nearly as much as the instructors had.

"AYE AYE, SIR!" Azimuth attempted to squeeze the last bit of volume he could from his strained voice.

This continued for what felt like a small eternity. Sergeant Carbon demanding more volume and Azimuth trying to give it to him. Before he knew it, all three instructors had swarmed around the recruit. They screamed in unison at the unicorn.

Tears of exertion were beginning to flow from his eyes as Azimuth scremed his responses. Eventually the instructors dispersed, dissappearing nearly as suddenly as they appeared. They spread to other recruits around the room.

Azimuths limbs were stiff, his muscles quivering at the shock of the ordeal he had just been through. His mind remained blank as he attempted to calm himself. The screams of the instructors continued to reverberate around the room.

The white door at the end of the room opened quietly. From the corner of his eye, Azimuth saw Captain Sinder step out and take a position at the front of the room. He crossed his arms and watched the instructors do their work..

The volume of the instructors increased as recruits attempted to turn and look at the Captain.

After a few minutes, the Captain finally spoke. His volume was even greater than the Instructors'.

"DRILL INSTRUCTORS!" He shouted. In an instant the Instructors were silent. They continued walking in front of the recruits, drilling into each stallion with their eyes as they passed them.

The Captain began speaking again. His voice was quieter. He didn't need to scream like the other instructors did. The recuits had only seen him once before, yet they felt the power that emanated from the strange creature. If there was one thing none of them wanted to see, it was their Senior Drill Instructor angry.

"Instructors, dissappear. I'm going to have a little heart to heart with the recruits."

"Aye, Senior Drill Instructor." The instructors responded in unison as they began moving to the front of the squad bay. Together they dissapeared into the room the Captain had emerged from, the door swingin shut as the last tail vanished from view.

"Ears."

"OPEN, SIR!"

"Eyeballs."

"CLICK, SIR!"

That had been one of the first things taught to the recruits. Ears meant listen, and eyeballs meant to look at the instructor who was speaking. They had used it countless times that day, although it usually involved much more screaming on the instructors part. Azimuth was a little surprised by the conversational tone the Captain used, but he was honestly relieved at the reprieve from the near-constant screaming.

"When I give you the word, you will form a school circle around me. Ready...MOVE!"

The recruits didn't move. They hadn't been taught what a school circle was yet.

"Ears!"

"OPEN, SIR!"

"Eyeballs."

"CLICK, SIR!"

"When I tell you to get into a school circle, you will form three lines around me in a half circle. Understood?"

"Yes, Sir." The volume of the recruits had dropped to match the Captain's tone.

"Okay, volume."

The recruits jumped a little. "YES, SIR!"

"SCREAM IT!" The Captain's scream was unlike anything Azimuth had ever heard. His voice was gravelly, a little pinched and absolutely terrifying.

"AYE AYE, SIR!" The recruits screamed louder than Azimuth thought possible.

"THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO FUCKIN' HEAR! WHEN I SPEAK TO YOU, YOU WILL RESPOND WITH SPEED AND INTENSITY. YOU THINK THE INSTRUCTORS ARE BAD? I TAUGHT THEM EVERYTHING THEY KNOW. YOU DO NOT WANT TO PISS ME OFF. UNDERSTOOD?"

"YES SIR!"

The Captain exhaled quickly, the tension seemed to flow out of him as he relaxed a little.

"Now, when I give you the word, form a school circle around me. Ready... MOVE!"

"AYE AYE, SIR!" The recruits shouted as they scrambled. The formed three lines around the Captain and stood at attention.

The Captain looked around him quickly. "Prepare to seat!"

"PREPARE TO SEAT, AYE AYE SIR!"

"Prepare to seat!"

"PREPARE TO SEAT, AYE AYE SIR!"

"Ready... MOVE!"

"DROP LIKE A ROCK!" The group dropped simultaneously, sitting as they were taught and giving their undivided attemtion to the Captain.

If there was one thing Azimuth had noticed, it was that the instructors liked to repeat themselves before giving a final order. He assumed it was so that each recruit understood what they were supposed to do before the actual order was given.

Captain Sinder ran his eyes over the group, looking into each stallions eyes before he spoke again.

"At ease, gents. Every night before you hit the rack, we will gather together to talk about the days training and to address any issues you may have. I will also pass along information pertaining to future training. Now, what is the first thing you notice about this discussion?

The recruits were silent. They glanced around at each other quickly, attempting to find the answer. Eventually, a mint-colored earth pony spoke up.

"SIR!"

"Stand when you speak to me." The Captains gaze was cold and the stallion immediately stood.

"SIR! THE OTHER DRILL INSTRUCTORS AREN'T HERE!"

"Exactly. Sit down."

"AYE AYE SIR!" The recruit responded as he dropped.

The Captain looked to the group as a whole. "This will be a relaxed discussion. I don't want you screaming at me in this environment. Understood?"

"YES, SIR!" The recruits shouted in response

The Captain gave them a steady glare.

"...Yes, Sir." The recruits said again, their voices dropping to a more conversational tone. The day of constant screaming meant they were responding by instinct now, rather than consciously speaking.

"Better." The Captain quickly dissapeared into the duty hut, emerging a second later with a wheeled chair. He placed the chair in the middle of the semi-circle and sat.

"Okay, first off. Have any of you been addressed as an individual while you have been here?"

A few of the recruits responded with hesitant 'Yes, Sir's. The Captain shook his head quickly.

"Getting screamed at isn't what I meant. I meant a one-on-one conversation with any of the instructors."

The group remained silent for a moment before a voice in the back of the group responded.

"No, Sir."

"That's exactly right." The Captain said. "The Corps of Protectors will be the greatest warriors in Equestrian history, but that can't happen if you work as a bunch of individuals. Your individuality is the first thing we will strip from you in this training. You will get it back when you earn your title, but one of the primary purposes of this training is to build a sense of camaraderie and teamwork. You will be trained as a group. You will work as a group. And you will act as a group. 'I', 'me', 'myself', and 'we' are now meaningless fucking terms. From now on, you are 'this recruit' or 'these recruits'. Understand?"

The group responded with a chorus of "Yes, Sir!"

"Good. Next, if you need to speak to myself or any of the other instructors, you must request permission to do so. You are not entitled to anything. Approach the instructor, stand at attention, give the proper greeting of the day. The instructor will ask you what you need. After that you will say 'This recruit requests permission to speak Senior Drill Instructor or Drill Instructor Captain Sinder, Sergeant Razor, Sergeant Copper or Sergeant Carbon.' You will use their proper title and rank when referring to any of the instructors. They earned their title. They earned their rank. You will refer to them as such. From there, if they decide you are worth their time, they will give you permission to speak. If they tell you to go away, you better fucking dissappear. Understand?"

"Yes, Sir!"

"Now that we have that out of the way, we can begin talking like we normally will during these conversations. As you can probably tell, I am not here to slay you. That's what the Drill Instructors are for. I am here to ensure you are properly trained. I will ensure you have everything you need, and also I am here to resolve any issues you may have, as long as it's a truly serious problem. Don't waste my time with minor complaints like 'The Drill Instructors yelled at me too much'. If you have any medical problems, or if you feel yourself breaking under the mental pressure, tell me and I will work with you. I am here to help you, but hear me, do not take my kindness for weakness. If you piss me off, I will personally fuck you up. I will PT you until you fucking die. I will crush your hopes and dreams. Don't fuck with me. Understand?"

"Yes, Sir!"

I still don't know what a fuck is... Azimuth thought to himself. He had heard the word countless times while he had been here, yet he still had no idea what it meant.

Cpatain Sinder visibly relaxed.

"Now, here's how this is going to work. We've got a little time for questions, so I will ask one and I want input from at least two of you. After that, I will answer one question of yours. Understood?

"Yes, Sir."

The Captain nodded. "First, who here is beginning to have some second thoughts?"

Azimuth was shocked. Was he that transparent? Did the Captain have some kind of sixth sense about things like that?

The group remained silent.

Captain Sinder gave the group a dubious look. "I know there's a few of you. Believe me, when I went through training I definitely had a few of my own. Come on, show of hooves, who is feeling like it may have been a mistake coming here?"

Hesitantly, Azimuth raised a hoof. Around him, several other stallions mirrored his action.

"That's what I thought." He looked around quickly before pointing to one of the recruits, a rust colored pegasus. "You. Stand up and tell me what you're worried about."

Hesitantly, the pegasus stood. "Sir, Honestly I..."

"I?" Captain Sinder said, his voice even.

The stallion blinked. It took a few seconds before he realized his error. "Sir, honestly this recruit was expecting this to be purely about combat. All these recruits have done so far is be yelled at."

"Your actual education hasn't really started yet. Today was all in-processing and administrative work, although your training has begun in a sense. Combat is the primary focus of your time here. The reason the Drill Instructors will always yell at you is to keep you under stress. The reason for this is so you will be able to function under the stress of combat. When rounds are flying and bombs are going off, you need to be able to make snap decisions. You will get the best combat training we can possibly give you, and you will be under stress the whole time. This is to make you more effective as warriors. Understood?"

"Yes, Sir."

"Good. Sit down." The Captain looked around again. A couple of the recruits still held their hooves up. He selected another and told him to stand.

"Sir, this recruit is wondering if he made the wrong decision coming here."

Captain Sinder exhaled deeply. He looked around the group quickly. "How many of you recruits share this feeling?"

A couple other recruits raised their hoof. Hesitantly, Azimuth added his own to their number.

"I won't lie to you, this training is going to suck. It will break some of you. Get it out of your head that things will return to normal once you graduate. You will be changed, along with your lifestyle. My suggestion is to embrace the suck. The sooner you treat the suck as normal life, the better life will be for you. Any little concession life gives you from now on will seem like a gift from Celestia herself. You will gain a special appreciation for life. Understand that we do this job so that civilians don't need to live through the hell that we do. There are countless families in Equestria, and we do everything in our power to ensure they don't have to see the things we see. We are a special breed. A select few who are willing to sacrifice some of life's comforts so others don't have to. Take this to heart as we go through training and then into combat against the Guardians of the Sand."

"Aye Aye, Sir." The recruit said quickly before sitting.

"Alright. Now, what questions do you have for me?"

Azimuth raised his hoof somewhat hesitantly. Captain Sinder saw the movement and pointed towards him. "You. What is your question?"

Azimuth rose to his hooves, his legs stiff. "Sir, what exactly are you? I...This recruit has never seen or heard of your species before."

Azimuth realized the mistake in his words no sooner than they left his lips. He suppressed a shudder as the Captain looked at him evenly, his expression blank and unblinking.

Captain Sinder's response was even, and touched with just the trace of venom."I am a Protector officer, and your Senior Drill Instructor. That's all you need to care about. Maybe when you get closer to graduation, I will tell you more about myself and the things I have done." He turned to look at the rest of the recruits. "Do not pester me with questions about me or my history. When I feel like you've earned it, I will tell you about myself." His gaze returned to Azimuth. "Understood?"

"Y-Yes, Sir." Azimuth stuttered quickly.

"Good. Sit down."

"Aye aye, Sir." Azimuth said, sitting on his haunches quickly.

"Any more questions?"

The group was silent. Nopony was willing to ask anything after Azimuth's little bombshell.

"If I don't have any further questions, then I will turn you over to the Drill Instructors to prepare for sleep."

The group was in turmoil. The day had been long, and they were all exhausted, yet they were terrified at the aspect of having the Drill Instructors upon them again. The group was remained quiet. As he looked around, Azimuth could see a few recruits' faces twisted in thought, trying to think of a question.

After a pregnant pause, Captain Sinder spoke again. "Very well. Sleep well tonight. Your formal instruction will begin tomorrow morning. If you think you're tired now, you haven't experienced true exhaustion. Standby..."

The Captain stood, wheeling his chair against the wall and standing at the center of the circle.

"DRILL INSTRUCTORS!"

No sooner than the words left his lips did the door to the small room at the front of the hallway explode open, the Drill Instructors swarming out and rushing to the gathering.

"ON YOUR FEET!" Sergeant Carbon shouted.

"AYE AYE, SIR!" The recruits shouted in a panicked urgency.

"GET ON LINE!"

"AYE AYE, SIR!" The recruits stumbled over each over as they rushed to get to their assigned racks.

The Drill Instructor was counting down from one hundred. The numbers ticked past as fast as Sergeant Carbon could speak. Azimuth could have sworn the Drill Instructor was skipping numbers in his countdown.

"TWENTYNINETWENTYEIGHTTWENTYSEVENTWENTYSIX, TWENTY FIVE FOUR TWENTY!"

Azimuth made it to his rack and turned to face the center of the long bay, his legs stiff as he stood at attention.

"TEN NINE EIGHT, SEVEN SIX, FIVE!"

"GET ON LINE!" The recruits shouted in unison.

"FUCK YOU, FIVE!"

"GET ON LINE!" The recruits squeezed as much volume from their voices as they could.

"FOUR THREE TWO ONE YOU ARE!"

"DONE SIR!"

"YOU ARE!"

"DONE SIR!"

The room was silent and Sergeant Carbon looked around slowly. The other Drill Instructors walked in frontof the recruits, staring each one down as they passed.

"On MY COMMAND, YOU WILL HAVE FIFTY SECONDS TO REMOVE YOU BLOUSE AND PLACE IT ON THE HANGER. UNDERSTOOD?"

"YES SIR!"

"BLOUSE, BLOUSE OFF THE BODY. READY. MOVE! FORTYNINEFORTYEIGHTFORTYSEVEN..."

Azimuth focused quickly, concentrating his magic on the buttons securing the shirt to his body. The buttons came off easily and he slid the garment off. He set the shirt on the floor and turned to retrieve the hanger from the cross bar of his rack.

Sergeant Copper was on him in an instant.

"GET YOUR FUCKING BLOUSE OFF THE FUCKING FLOOR! WHAT THE FUCK IS FUCKING WRONG WITH YOU?"

In his surprise, Azimuth's magic disappeared, causing the hanger to clatter to the floor. He struggled to focus his magic on the shirt that lay in a crumpled heap. "AYE AYE SIR!" He screamed.

"PICK IT UP! PICK IT UP NOW!" The Sergeant's screaming was not making things any easier.

"...SEVENTEENSIXTEENFIFTEEN..."

"GET THE BLOUSE ON THE FUCKING HANGER, RECRUIT!"

"AYE AYE, SIR!" Azimuth struggled to slip the sides of the hanger into the sleeves of the tangled and crumpled shirt.

"TEN NINE EIGHT, SEVEN SIX, FIVE!"

"GET ON LINE!"

"FOUR THREE TWO ONE YOU ARE!"

"DONE SIR!"

"YOU ARE!"

"DONE SIR!"

Azimuth was, in fact, not done. His blouse was still twisted upon itself and hung at an awkward angle off the hanger that floated beside him.

From the corners of his eyes, he could see that he was actually closer to done than a vast majority of the recruits. Most of the earth ponies and pegasi were still tangled in their blouses, unable to easily remove the buttons that secured them. The group stood there silently, all in various stages of completion of their given task.

Sergeant Carbon looked around slowly, his eyes taking in the scene around him.

"GOOD. SINCE YOU SORRY SACKS OF SHIT DON'T WANT TO MOVE FAST, WE GET TO TRY THIS AGAIN. BLOUSE, BLOUSE, ON THE BODY, READY MOVE!"

This went on for what felt like hours. Put the blouse on, take the blouse off. Put the blouse on, take the blouse off. It took seven or eight attempts before the recruits had managed to complete the task in the given amount of time. It took twice as many to remove their trousers.

There were no clocks. Everything was done on the Drill Instructors time. What felt like hours could have only been twenty minutes, and what felt short could ahave been an hour. Azimuth didn't know, and in the end, it didn't really matter. As long as he moved quickly, and didn't mess anything up, the Drill Insstructors left him alone.

Eventually, the recruits stood naked in front of their racks, their uniforms hanging from the cross bars of the bunk beds. Many panted from the effort of the whole ordeal.

"CANTEEN ON LINE. READY, MOVE!"

Azimuth concentrated and floated the one-quart canteen of green plastic in front of him. The recruits around him mirrored his action, the unicorns with telekinesis, the earth ponies and pegasi holding the canteen in their hoof.

"Throughout your stay here in Camp Sandblast, it is imperative that you stay hydrated. If you are unable to keep up because of dehydration, it's your own fucking fault. Before you hit the rack each night, you will drink one full canteen. Throughout the day, you are expected to drink six to eight canteens on your own. Understood?"

"YES, SIR!"

"WHEN YOU RECEIVE THE COMMAND, YOU WILL UNSCREW THE CAP AND DRINK THE ENTIRE CANTEEN. WHEN YOU ARE FINISHED, HOLD THE CANTEEN OUT IN FRONT OF YOU. READY, MOVE!"

"AYE AYE, SIR!" Azimuth's magic enveloped the cap of the canteen and quickly removed it. He pulled the canteen to his lips and began drinking quickly. It was hard. A quart is a lot of water. He struggled against his own gag reflex and a growing discomfort within his stomach. The Drill Instructor wasn't counting down, instead he watched and waited until each recruit held their canteen in front of them.

Azimuth couldn't drink any more. There was still about a quarter of the water remaining, but he didn't think his gurgling and churning stomach could handle anymore without vomiting. He held the partially full canteen in front of him.

"STOP!"

"AYE AYE SIR!" The Recruits all held their canteens before them.

"NOW, HOLD THE CANTEEN OVER YOUR HEAD!"

Azimuth levitated the canteen into position. A growing sense of dread forming itself in his mind.

"TURN THEM OVER!"

Azimuth closed his eyes in defeat. Hesitantly, he rotated the plastic container over his head.

He shivered as the cool water splashed over what was left of his mane, soaking into his coat. Drips of water falling to the ground. Around him, he heard numerous splashes as other recruits who had failed to drink everything poured the contents of their canteens over themselves.

Azimuth was tired, cold, wet and miserable. He looked jealously at the recruits who were dry.

"CAP 'EM!"

"AYE AYE, SIR!"

"Now you see what happens when you don't follow our orders. Every time you don't listen to us there will be a consequence, whether it be physical or mental."

Sergeant Carbon's voice was lowered down to a more conversational tone. Azimuth was grateful. He was in no mood to be yelled at anymore. He just wanted sleep. That's all he wanted.

"CANTEENS, AGAINST THE FOOT LOCKER. READY, MOVE!"

"Aye Aye, Sir." He didn't shout. It wasn't in him anymore. He floated the canteen against the metal box behind him.

Sergeant Carbon checked the watch strapped just above his hoof. "IN BETWEEN THE RACKS. READY, MOVE!"

The recruits moved between the racks. He faced the bed. Across from him was a grey pegasus, and beside him was a dirt brown earth pony who faced the other direction.

"PREPARE TO MOUNT!"

"PREPARE TO MOUNT AYE AYE SIR!"

"PREPARE TO MOUNT!"

"Prepare to mount aye aye Sir." He looked longingly at the bed before him. He was still wet, but he didn't care.

"MOUNT!"

Azimuth jumped onto the bed and lay on his back on top of the blankets, his head resting on the pillow. He felt a gust of wind as the pegasus flapped up to the top rack. The bed shook a little as the pegasus settled. The bay grew silent. The Drill Instructors continued walking in front of the racks, their hooves clicking on the hard floor.

After a few minutes, Azimuth could hear faint music playing from somewhere outside. It was a solemn song, played on a bugle.

"LIGHTS LIGHTSLIGHTSLIGHTSLIGHTSLIGHTS!" With a click, the room was cast into darkness. The bay was silent as the song played to it's conclusion.

"Good night, gents." Captain Sinder said from the front of the bay.

"GOOD NIGHT, SIR!"

The Drill Instructors moved to the front of the bay and disappeared into their room, the door closing behind them with a click.

Azimuth rolled over, pulling the tucked covers over himself and trying to get comfortable. He had almost fallen asleep when he felt the bed shift above him.

"*Psst* hey!" Said a voice from above him.

Begrudgingly, Azimuth responded. "What?"

"I'm Jet Stream. What's your name?"

"Azimuth..." He didn't want to talk. He wanted the pegasus to go away so he could sleep in his damp, stiff, rough, and unreasonably comfortable bed.

"Hey, look. This is gonna suck. I say we work together to make it through this. It'll be easier if we both have somepony to work through it with."

"Sounds good to me..." Sleep was already beginning to take him away.

"Alright Azimuth. We'll talk more later. G'night."

Azimuth was already gone, his head sinking into the damp pillow.

Jason let the door click behind him before removing his cover and letting out a sigh. He looked around the duty hut quickly, observing the instructors who sat sprawled out in the various chairs around the room. He walked to the desk, setting his cover down before occupying the last vacant chair. The instructors were exhausted.

Jason was immensely proud of the performance of the instructors. They did exactly what they were trained to do, and did so with an enthusiasm befitting of their position. The recruits were terrified of them, which was exactly as it should be.

The instructors had a right to be tired. They had been awake with the recruits throughout the entire duration of the in-processing, and had been screaming at them almost nonstop.

Jason turned around and pulled open one of the drawers of the desk behind him. From it, he took a bottle of honey and passed it to Carbon.

"Here. put a drop on your tongue, it'll help with your voice." Carbon took the bottle.

"Thanks..." His voice was raspy, and betrayed his tiredness. He dripped a little onto his tongue before passing it to Copper.

Jason leaned back in his chair. He was still fairly awake, thanks to the small nap he had taken earlier that day. He hadn't done nearly as much as the other instructors. "So, how was your first day?" He asked.

He watched as Carbon worked the thick liquid around his mouth quickly before swallowing.

"Tiring... But on the whole, I guess it was kind of fun." Carbon's voice was still a little haggard, but the honey had taken some of the dryness from it.

Jason let a small grin form on his lips. "Good. As they say, you should always enjoy what you do." He watched as Copper passed the bottle to Razor.

"Yeah, it was a good time... But it's gonna be a long three months..." Copper added.

Jason took the bottle as Razor passed it to him. "Don't worry. You guys are still pretty new at this, but you'll eventually fall into a rhythm." He said as he returned the bottle to the drawer. "The first couple of weeks are going to be the hardest. Before long, the recruits are going start getting it, and you won't have to yell about them about every little thing, just the major stuff. Reprimands for when they royally fuck up."

"Can't come soon enough if you ask me..." Razor said as he extended his legs and wings stiffly. "I don't know how much more of this yelling I can take."

"Just fall back to the frog voice when you need to. It's not as loud, but it can be just as intimidating."

"Aye, Sir."

Jason shook his head. He had told all of them to stop calling him Sir when they were relaxing, but he guessed old habits died hard. He glanced at his watch quickly.

"Alright gents, it's twenty-two fifteen. I'll take duty tonight, so you don't need to be here until zero-five. You're on libbo. You can sleep here or head on home, it's up to you."

"I'm rackin' out here..." Razor said as he stood, making his way to the bunk in the corner. "I wanna get as much sleep as possible."

Carbon stood and grabbed his cover, setting it on his head. "I'm headed home, 'Tavi is waitin' for me."

Jason grinned. "Alright. Make sure you get at least some sleep tonight."

Carbon returned the grin. "No promises, Sir."

"Wait up, Carbon. I'll walk with you." Copper said as he stood, snatching up his cover.

"Alright. Make sure to take your weapons and some rounds. It's dangerous on that trail."

"Sure thing, Sir. Have a good night."

"Yeah, you too." The Instructors left, clicking the door behind them.

From the other side of the door, Jason could hear their voices.

"Where the fuck do you think you're going?" He heard Carbon say.

"This recruit was going to the bathroom, Sir!" The shout was muffled.

Copper spoke up. "It's called the fucking head! Hurry the fuck up!"

"Aye Aye, Sir!"

Jason chuckled lightly. Razor had already stripped and was settling into the rack.

Turning, Jason pulled open another drawer and took out a book he had been reading. It was a series of stories about Protectors long past.

He read silently, keeping his ears open for any disturbances from the other side of the door.

Razor's quiet snoring eventually filled the room. Jason leaned back, letting his thoughts wander.

"Not a bad first day." He said quietly to himself. "Not bad at all."

"Let's go, Jet Stream!" Azimuth called to the pegasus. They were weighed down with their combat load. His rifle hovered beside him, suspended in a field of magic. The majority of the formation was beginning to pull away from the pair, while a few stragglers were further behind them on the trail. The pegasus had kept up for a majority of the run, but his strength was fading quickly. If the pegasus had been allowed to fly, he wouldn't have any problem. In the distance, he could could hear Sergeant Copper's shouts of "encouragement" as he motivated the recruits who were falling out to run faster.

"Come on, man. We don't want Sergeant Copper on us. Let's catch up to the platoon."

Jet Stream's response was strained, the words spaced between deep breaths. "I don't... Think... I can... Go any faster... Right now."

Azimuth slowed down slightly to run beside his winded companion. "Just push it out, man. We're almost done." Indeed, before them, he could see the formation slow to a walk and begin moving in a circle. "Look at that, the rest of the formation is already done! Let's finish strong! Come on, push it!"

Jet Stream struggled to get as much speed from his legs as possible. The harness which held his rifle bounced awkwardly on his body. The straps weren't tight enough. In his rush to put the weapon on, he neglected to ensure a tight fit. Before long, the pair of recruits joined the rest of the group in their cool down.

The recruits had fallen into a routine. In the morning, there was PT. That meant a lot of running. More often than not, they wore their combat load while they ran. 'In order to get used to the weight' the instructors had said. After that, they split into their different subspecies to get specialized training in their specific abilities. The unicorns would go with Sergeant Copper and Sergeant Carbon. The pegasi would fly with Sergeant Razor and the earth ponies would go with Captain Sinder.

Azimuth didn't envy the earth ponies. While the unicorns and pegasi had their magic and flight to improve, all the earth ponies had was their strength. Their individual training usually consisted of more PT. Evidently, the earth ponies would be given heavier weapons, such as fully automatic machine guns and rocket launchers. These weapons were going to be heavy, yet they needed to be able to move as if they were regular rifles. In their morning PT with combat load, the earth ponies were required to weigh down their saddlebags with rocks and sand, to simulate the added weight.

In the afternoons, the recruits were taught combat tactics, field survival skills, martial arts, land navigation, basic first aid, pretty much everything they needed to know in a combat zone.

At least, that's how things went in this, their second phase of training. Throughout the first four weeks they spent at Camp Sandblast, they spent countless hours in classrooms. They were taught military rules and regulations, uniform regulations, expectations of them as Protectors, how to act. It was all a lot of stupid common sense shit, but based on the intelligence of the recruits around him, Azimuth agreed that most of them needed the classes.

Now that they had moved to the true combat portion of their training, Azimuth was relishing in the education. He felt at home in the field. The saddlebags he wore felt at home on his back. He soaked up as much knowledge as he could from every lesson they were given. He excelled at nearly every aspect of these kinds of military operations. Especially land navigation. He had completed the entire course in a fraction of the time given, allowing him some much appreciated rest as the rest of the recruits finished.

This week was mostly weapons training. Azimuth had yet to fire his weapon, yet he knew his rifle inside and out. He knew how it functioned, what it was made of, what it's effective range was, how the RCO worked and how to use it. He could hardly wait for the next week to come. He itched to pull that trigger for the first time.

As they walked, Azimuth noticed that the three instructors stood facing away from the recruits. Their eyes were carefully scanning the forest, weapons at the ready with magazines inserted. The recruits were still to early in their training to be trusted with live rounds yet, so it was the instructors' responsibility to keep a lookout while they were on the trails.

Azimuth fought to steady his breath as he heard several hooves approaching the circle of recruits.

Captain Sinder turned and looked toward the stragglers, a frown forming on his face. He turned to the recruits walking behind him. "ALRIGHT. LET'S MEET 'EM AND GUIDE EM HOME!" He began running toward the group who had yet to finish. "LET'S GO!"

The remainder of the platoon shouted a chorus of "AYE AYE, SIR!" And followed the Captain.

"Son of a bitch..." Azimuth heard Jet Stream mutter under his breath. He had only begun to regain his breath, and now they were running again.

A roar unlike anything Azimuth had ever heard erupted from the forest beside them. A majority of the recruits froze in shock, including Azimuth and Jet Stream. In his terror, the magic holding his rifle in place beside him vanished, letting the weapon clatter to the ground.

About fifty meters before them, roughly halfway between the Captain and the stragglers, a huge beast burst from the woods. It was a strange creature, looking like a combination of a lion and scorpion with massive leathery wings. As it landed in the center of the path, it looked toward both groups of recruits. It let out another mighty roar before turning toward the stragglers. It was a much smaller group, and looked to be the weaker and easier prey.

Captain Sinder, Sergeant Carbon and Sergeant Razor all moved into action. The Officer and the unicorn began sprinting forward, weapons at the ready while Sergeant Razor took a wide stance and aimed at the creature.

They opened fire simultaneously, filling the forest air with a loud cacophony of rapid fire shots. Blood blossomed from the creatures back as numerous bullets tore into its flesh.

To Azimuth's horror, the creature didn't fall. Instead it turned around and belted a loud, pained roar toward them.

The instructors continued firing. Massive sections of the creatures face and head were torn asunder as countless rounds found new homes in it's wounded body. From his position at the center of the group, Azimuth could see a few of the rounds exiting from the back of the creature's head, followed by contours of pink mist.

The creature collapsed with a wet thud. It's unmoving form took up a majority of the trail. A thick pool of blood slowly oozed from the dead monster, flowing into the various little cracks and troughs running through the dirt trail.

Slowly, the instructors lowered their weapons. Cautiously, Captain Sinder walked up to the dead beast. With the muzzle of his rifle, he prodded the body to ensure it was no longer a threat. Satisfied it was dead, he walked around the beast and waved the group of stragglers forward. He waited as the recruits, followed by Sergeant Copper, walked past. He turned and followed the recruits back to the main group.

Once all the recruits were gathered together, Captain Sinder removed the magazine from his weapon and inserted a new one, pulled from one of his pockets. The instructors followed suit, filling the trail with a series of metallic clicks as they refreshed their sources of ammunition.

The three pony instructors formed a triangle around the recruits, taking defensive positions and watching the forest carefully. Captain Sinder looked inward toward the recruits.

His eyes fell upon Azimuth, a cold look forming on his face.

"Recruit Azimuth... Where is your weapon?"

Azimuth's eyes widened. He had forgotten he dropped it. He kicked himself as he looked around quickly. He located it on the ground and wrapped it in telekinetic energy. Sheepishly, he pulled the weapon to his side.

"THIS RECRUIT'S WEAPON IS RIGHT HERE SIR!" Azimuth shouted.

"And why the FUCK, was it in the FUCKING DIRT?!"

Azimuth stood at stiff attention. He deserved this ass chewing. "SIR, THIS RECRUIT DROPPED IT WHEN THAT... THING JUMPED OUT!" It was a lame excuse.

"WHY THE FUCK DID YOU DROP IT?!" Captain Sinder roared.

"SIR, THE BEAST MADE THIS RECRUIT LOSE CONCENTRATION AND LOSE CONTROL OF IT'S MAGIC!"

"THAT'S FUCKING UNSAT! WHAT THE FUCK HAVE SERGEANT CARBON AND SERGEANT COPPER BEEN TEACHING YOU?"

"SIR, DRILL INSTRUCTORS SERGEANT CARBON AND SERGEANT COPPER HAVE BEEN TEACHING THIS RECRUIT HOW TO MAINTAIN HIS MAGIC IN COMBAT SITUATIONS!"

"REALLY NOW? I GUESS THEY FUCKING FAILED THEN, DIDN'T THEY? I'LL BE SURE TO HAVE A NICE TALK WITH THEM ABOUT INCREASING THE DIFFICULTY OF YOUR EXERCISES!" The Captain turned his attention to the group as a whole. "PLATOON! I WANT A STAGGERED COLUMN SPLIT ON THE ROAD. FIRST SQUAD UP FRONT. READY, MOVE!"

"AYE AYE, SIR!" The recruits shouted as they quickly moved to their positions in the tactical formation.

"PLATOON, MOVE OUT!"

"AYE AYE, SIR!" The formation began moving slowly down the trail, walking toward the outdoor classrooms they had been using for the past few weeks. As they moved, Captain Sinder pulled out a small gem and placed it into his ear.

"Range control, this is Alpha..." The Captain paused as he awaited a response through the communication gem.

"Be advised: Alpha was attacked by a manticore during our morning run. Threat was eliminated with no friendly casualties. We need somepony to clear the body from the trail. It's a little more than six clicks down the road from camp, along the path going to classroom CS-Thirteen... Copy, Range Control. Alpha out." The Captain pulled the gem from his ear.

While the Captain spoke over the radio, Sergeant Carbon made his way over to Azimuth.

"Gonna drop your fucking rifle, eh?" His voice was low and menacing. "Looks like you want some Incentive Training...With Rifle... Stand the fuck by, numbnuts." The Sergeant moved back to his position between the lines of recruits.

Fuck... Azimuth thought to himself. He hated getting IT'd. It was a five minute slay-fest, consisting of high speed, high energy exercises designed to physically exhaust the recruit. It was a form of punishment used to great effectiveness by the instructors. Azimuth dreaded the thought of doing it while maintaining a hold on his rifle.

He deserved it though. He had no doubt that he did. He walked slowly, resigned to his fate. Behind them, the bloody corpse was already beginning to draw flies from the trees.

"The RCO is designed to require only occasional adjustments. The real beauty of its design is the bullet drop compensator displayed witihin the scope." Captain Sinder pointed to a diagram plastered on a board beside him. Depicted on it was a long line, tipped with a thick, upside down 'V'. Short tack marks intersected the line at various intervals, labeled with numbers.

The Captain pointed to the very tip of the chevron. "The tip of the chevron is what you aim with if the target is within one-hundred meters." He moved his finger down slightly, pointing at the crotch of the chevron. "Here is two-hundred meters." His hand moved again, pointing to the tips of the shape. "This is the three hundred mark. From here, it's pretty straight forward. Moving down this line, you can see the little tack marks. Each tack adds another hundred meters to your range." He turned to look at the recruits. "Any more questions before we move to the firing line?"

Azimuth was impatient. He had been waiting the entirety of second phase for this, the day they finally got to shoot their weapon. His muscles twitched with excitement and he was beginning to grow angry. He wanted to shoot something! And the stupidity of the other recruits was delaying it. The firing line was right there!

However, much to Azimuth's disappointment, the Captain had stopped them under the small, open walled classroom for a final round of questions. They'd been stuck here for what felt like ages. Apparently, not every recruit had been paying attention during the classes, and the Captain was having to re-teach things he had already gone over.

Azimuth had to suppress a groan as yet another recruit raised their hoof. He could have sworn the Captain let out just the hint of growing impatience as he pointed to the recruit.

"Recruit Sky Wraith, what is your question?"

The deep purple pegasus stood. "Good morning Sir!"

"Hurry up, we don't have all fucking day!"

Yep, the Captain was getting pissed.

"Sir, why do we need to change where we aim? This recruit thought bullets flew straight."

The Captain fixed the recruit with a steady gaze before bringing his hand up to the bridge of his nose, pinching it lightly while he shook his head.

"It's not a fucking laser. Bullets have weight, and the explosion which propels them have only so much power. Eventually, that energy begins to wear off and gravity starts pulling the round to the ground. That's why you have to aim up as the target gets further away, otherwise your rounds are going to fall short. Does that answer your question?"

"Yes Sir!" The stallion sat quickly.

"Alright, everypony up and file into your fire teams."

The group stood quickly and started splitting into their assigned four stallion groups.

The instructors watched closely. About a week ago, Azimuth had noticed they hadn't been yelling at them quite as much as they used to. Either the recruits weren't fucking up as much anymore, or they thought the training was too important to interfere without good reason. Either way, Azimuth was happy for the reprieve, even if he was starting to get used to the constant shouting.

He stood beside Jet Stream, weapon floating at his side. The pegasus rolled his shoulders quickly, shifting his harness to a more comfortable position.

"FIRE TEAMS, YOU HAVE YOUR TARGET ASSIGNMENT. MOVE UP THIS ROAD AND FILE DOWN THE FIRING LINE. STOP AND FACE DOWNRANGE ONCE YOU FIND YOUR TARGET!" Captain Sinder shouted. It wasn't an angry shout, merely an increase in volume so all the recruits could hear.

Azimuth and Jet Stream were on target seven, along with Wind Shear and Birch Bark. an orange pegasus and white earth pony respectively. They had been together as a fire team for the entirety of their training. Birch Bark and Jet Stream had been fairly passive throughout most of the training, seemingly satisfied at just doing what they were told. Wind Shear, on the other hand, was constantly butting heads with Azimuth. Each of them wanted to be fire team leader, and they constantly competed for that cherished spot at the top of their short chain of command.

Unfortunately, they were roughly equal in terms of military skill. Neither had any background in martial arts, so all they knew was what the instructors had taught them. Azimuth was good at land nav, Wind Shear was good at observation and intelligence gathering. Azimuth was an expert in the workings of his rifle, Wind Shear could maneuver the weapons in ways the unicorn had never thought possible.

They were equals, which made their competition that much more fierce. Whenever one of them managed to get hold of the position, they only held it for a few days before the Drill Instructors would find some reason to switch them. Azimuth swore they were just doing it to mess with them.

Together with his fire team, Azimuth moved to target seven and formed a line facing down range. A ways away, he could see their targets, large white squares of paper with black circles placed dead in the center. All Azimuth wanted to do was start putting holes in it. He chewed on his tongue with anticipation.

They stood there for a short while. From the corner of his eye, Azimuth saw a small building on wheels being rolled into place. It stopped rolling and the recruits who pulled it locked the wheels before collecting their rifles and joining their fire teams. After a couple more minutes, Captain Sinder's voice boomed from the speakers mounted around the trailer.

"GOOOOOOD MORNING ALPHA COMPANY!"

"GOOD MORNING SIR!" The recruits called in response.

"BULLSHIT I CAN"T HEAR YOU! I SAID GOOOOOOOOOOOOD MORNING ALPHA COMPANY!"

"GOOD MORNING SIR!" Azimuth was already growing irritated. Stupid procedure and it's slowing of the range...

"AS YOU KNOW, I AM CAPTAIN SINDER AND I WILL BE ACTING AS THE RANGE SAFETY OFFICER. FIRST OFF WE WILL RECITE THE WEAPON SAFETY RULES. I WILL SAY THEM FIRST, THEN YOU WILL REPEAT THEM LOOOUD AND MOTIVATED!"

"AYE AYE, SIR!"

"SAFETY RULE NUMBER ONE: TREAT EVERY WEAPON AS IF IT WERE LOADED!"

"TREAT EVERY WEAPON AS IF IT WERE LOADED!"

That's how the first half hour was spent. The Captain would reiterate safety rules that everypony should already know and the recruits would repeat it. He went through the procedure of the range, their course of fire, what to do in case of emergency, how to get a Drill Instructor's attention on the range. It was all stupid stuff that Azimuth half payed attention to. Eventually, the fire teams were split in half. Two of the recruits filed off and went down range, disappearing into a ditch beneath the line of targets. They would mark the shots and change the targets while the other two shot. As the current fire team leader, Azimuth chose Wind Shear and Birch Bark and sent them to the pit. Like hell he was going to wait any longer than he needed to to finally shoot.

While the pit recruits walked to the targets, ammunition was distributed to the shooters. Azimuth collected his rounds and sat at his target point, awaiting further instruction. He ached to begin loading the ammunition into his magazines, but he learned fairly early in his training that doing something he wasn't told to do was a sure way to receive an ass chewing.

"YOUR FIRST COURSE OF FIRE WILL BE THE TWO-HUNDRED METER SLOW FIRE. LOAD THREE MAGAZINES OF FIVE ROUNDS EACH."

"AYE AYE SIR!" Quickly, Azimuth began placing the rounds into the metal containers. He was quivering in anticipation.

"RECRUITS! YOUR FIRST MAGAZINE WILL BE FIRED FROM THE PRONE POSITION! FOR YOUR SECOND MAGAZINE, UNICORNS WILL PROCEED TO THE SITTING POSITION, WHILE EARTH PONIES AND PEGASI WILL FIRE FROM THE STANDING. UNICORNS AND EARTH PONIES WILL FIRE THEIR THIRD MAGAZINES FROM THE STANDING POSITION WHILE PEGASI WILL TAKE TO THE AIR! FIRST RELAY, TAKE YOUR POSITIONS BEHIND THE RED LINE!"

Azimuth stowed his magazines into his combat load and moved to the red line behind his target point.

"SHOOTERS, TAKE YOUR POSITIONS!"

The unicorn moved to the rubberized pad.

"AT THIS TIME, ASSUME THE PRONE SHOOTING POSITION!"

Azimuth laid down, his body weight slightly sinking into the pad. He pulled his rifle to his side, looking through the combat optic exactly the way he had been taught. He adjusted himself slightly in order to get a perfect sight picture.

"WITH A MAGAZINE OF FIVE ROUNDS! LOOOAD, MAKE READY!"

He pulled a magazine from his combat rig and slid it into his rifle. He shivered in excitement as the ammunition clicked into place. His determination was reinforced as he telekinetically pulled the charging handle to the rear and released it, letting the weapon chamber a round. He canted the weapon slightly and looked at the ejection port. Gingerly, he pulled the charging handle halfway, ensuring a round had fed properly. Satisfied, he let the bolt slide home once more and aimed down the sight. His mouth felt dry.

"SHOOTERS, YOU MAY COMMENCE FIRING WHEN YOUR TAAAAAARGETS APPEAR!"

As the words boomed over the range, the targets slid up and out of the pits. Azimuth felt his breathing steady. His rifle was held in a rock solid grip, unmoving and centered perfectly on the target. He exhaled, waiting for his natural respiratory pause, the small gap of time between exhale and inhale. His body steadied as his lungs emptied. He squeezed the trigger slowly.

*KRA-KCOW!*

"So, how do you think they did today?" Jason asked. His blouse hung loosely off an open cupboard and he relaxed in his customary chair in the duty hut.

Razor and Carbon laid sprawled on the two mattresses while Copper was showering. Jason could smell himself. While the heat of summer had passed about a month ago, spending an entire day in what was essentially a rolling oven had taken its toll. He didn't look forward to the rest of the week, but he was resigned to it.

Razor exhaled deeply before responding. "The unicorns did extremely well, as expected, but the pegasi and earth ponies are going to need some serious work."

Jason leaned back and looked up toward the ceiling. "That's what I figured. Those harnesses are awkward as shit."

Razor let out a chuckle. "That's an understatement, but we don't really have any alternative. Unless we wanna find some way to hold the weapons in our teeth."

Jason shot him a mock-abashed look. "Oh god no. I don't really wanna lose a third of our recruits to dental after our first day of shooting." He held his charade a moment before letting out a chuckle of his own. "I'm not all that worried about it. The recruits all did decently well. I'm sure they'll get used to their harnesses pretty quick. Hell, you seem to be doing a perfectly good job, and we all no how terrible a shot you are!"

All three instructors laughed quickly before Razor responded with "Eh, fuck you."

Jason went stone face and shot Razor a look. "Pardon?"

Razor raised an eyebrow, a smirk still on his face. "Oh. Right. Fuck you, Sir."

"Better." Jason said as the grin returned to his face. "So, we got any standouts? Whether good or bad."

Carbon rolled over to face Jason. "Well, there's Gold Eyes, who can't seem to figure out which way the rounds go in the magazine. Then there were at least three recruits who were shooting at the wrong target. Thankfully, I only had to IT two safety violators..."

"Weren't there any good shots?" Jason interrupted.

Carbon chuckled lightly. "There's actually quite a few. Midnight Blue was shooting in the black all fucking day. Then there's Azimuth's fire team. They all seem to have their shit together."

Jason's grin widened with a combination of relief and amusement. "So Azimuth's in charge again? What'd Wind Shear do to lose it this time?"

The door to the head opened and Copper stepped out, a towel draped around his shoulders. "Missed a button on his blouse. I think he had command for about nine hours this time."

Jason laughed as he stood, snatching a towel from the desk behind him. "Running out of stuff to hit 'em on, eh? At this rate, I'm kinda curious which one of 'em is gonna have it on graduation day."

"Honestly, I kinda want both of 'em to get it. They've been working their asses off and they both deserve it." Razor said.

Jason thought for a moment. "Well, let's keep 'em together a bit longer. That contest between 'em is good motivation. It'll push them to make themselves that much better, if only to spite the other. After that, we'll restructure the fire teams a bit. They'll get what they deserve."

"Good to go, Sir."

Jason stepped into the head, fully prepared for the shower that awaited him. He shut the door behind him.

Azimuth hit the wall next to the door hard. He let the solidity of the building absorb the impact as it halted his sprint. His shoulder ached slightly from the impact, but that was a good thing. He hadn't been spotted or shot at. Jet Stream hit the wall behind him, his harness clattering against the concrete of the building. Midnight Blue and Morning Mist followed the pegasus closely, forming a stack against the wall. Each recruit looked in a different direction, covering every avenue of approach around the fire team.

This was it. Thirteen weeks of training led to this culmination of their countless lessons. This was the final exercise. It was a fifty-two hour combat simulation. On top of their combat load, each recruit wore a vest of enchanted crystals. Attached to the end of their rifles was a small barrel plug with another enchanted gem. Their magazines were loaded with blanks and every time they fired, the plug would send a magical signal in a straight line from the end of their weapons' barrel. If that signal hit one of the vests, the crystals in it would light up and mark the target as a casualty.

If anypony became a casualty, it was up to the remaining recruits to carry the wounded back to a "medical station" where they had to wait while technicians turned off the crystals. It was time consuming and tiring, and not something anypony wanted to do, which made them increase the caution with which they operated.

The squads split into four groups of three fire teams each. Each group was led by one of the instructors, Sergeant Carbon being in charge of Azimuth's group.

They were in the last few hours of the exercise and sleep deprivation was beginning to set in. Azimuth's fire team had been kept busy with objective after objective, whether it be collect a flag from this point, eliminate this target, "destroy" an enemy piece of equipment, base defense and so on.

Azimuth didn't want to brag, but he believed his fire team was by far the most effective under Sergeant Carbon's command. They had completed the most objectives and had only had to return to the medical station twice.

They rested for a short time against the wall. It had been a harrowing sprint into the enemy compound.

This was the final objective. Sergeant Carbon had given it to them nearly three hours ago and it had taken them this long to get this close. Most of that time had been spent observing the compound, watching the rotation of the guards, probing for weaknesses and determining the best avenue of approach.

Their goal was to capture, or if all else fails eliminate Captain Sinder. The Captain was working as the commanding officer of an enemy squad, and was a very major target. Unfortunately, that meant Sergeant Carbon was also a target. Azimuth didn't want to risk taking too many recruits with him to accomplish their objective, lest it mean they fail in the defense of their own CO. He had convinced Sergeant Carbon that his fire team was sufficient to accomplish the mission, and left the other two teams to defense.

Ironically, it had been Wind Shear who led them to their objective. Jet Stream had spotted the enemy pegasus as he flew recon. Azimuth's team followed the pegasus closely, staying out of sight and carefully avoiding detection. Sure enough, the enemy had led them straight to their compound.

The fire team steadied their breathing and silently moved below a window in the side of the small building. The compound was made up of several of these shacks. Captain Sinder could be in any one of them, so they had to check and clear each one before moving to the next building. Azimuth hoped against hope that the Captain was actually in this building they now leaned against. He didn't look forward to the firefight that was sure to result the second one of them fired their weapon.

With a hoof, Azimuth silently pointed to Jet Stream before motioning toward the window. The pegasus nodded and quietly began to hover, moving up to take a peek inside. He landed softly and began drawing in the sand.

Three recruits. No Captain. Two of them were asleep. The other was not paying attention.

Beautiful... Azimuth motioned for the other recruits to follow him to the door. As quietly as he could, he whispered "set."

A half-second later, he felt Jet Stream nudge his leg. He wrapped the door handle with magic and swung it open. As soon as it was open, the fire team flowed into the room. The recruit who was awake swung around. His mouth dropped open as realization entered his mind. He was a unicorn, and his rifle laid idly against a wall. Before he had a chance to respond, Azimuth swept forward and tapped the small button on the back of the unicorn's vest. Immediately, the vest lit up, marking the recruit as 'dead'. The members of his fire team mirrored his action on the two sleeping recruits before they had a chance to wake up.

The unicorn hung his head in a mixture of defeat and relief. He had been awake just as long as everypony else, yet the only people who knew he was dead were either dead themselves or the enemy. There was no way he was getting back to a med station, which meant he finally got a chance to rest. He flopped to the ground in exhaustion. The recruits who were asleep shifted slightly, but did not awaken.

Azimuth pointed to Midnight Blue and then to the door. The unicorn nodded and took position guarding the door. Azimuth moved to a window opposite from the one Jet Stream had looked through, giving him a better view of the compound. There were at most two more fire teams within the compound. Azimuth saw one of them patrolling the base, walking slowly and keeping their eyes peeled.

Azimuth pondered this for a short time. If they were quick enough, they would be able to slip through the watch to the next building. Glancing around, he counted four of the shacks. One of them was larger than the others, looking to be a two-room construction.

Azimuth would have bet money that Captain Sinder was in that building. Unfortunately, it was on the opposite side of the compound. This was going to take perfect timing and precision...

He heard the door behind him creak open, followed by two rapid fire shots. Azimuth whipped around, weapon at the ready. Standing in the doorway was the last member of the fire team they had eliminated. His eyes were wide with shock and his vest glowed. Midnight Blue stood there frozen.

"Fuck..." Azimuth muttered as he turned back toward the window and peeked through.

Sure enough, the patrol had heard the shots. They were moving cautiously toward the building, weapons pointing straight at him. Azimuth backed up a little and raised his weapon to firing position. He centered the leading recruit in his optic and squeezed the trigger. With a pop, his rifle sent a magical laser into the vest of the recruit, causing it to light up instantly.

Azimuth shifted his aim. The three remaining enemies dove to the side. Two of them disappeared from the unicorn's vision. The third was not so lucky. Azimuth sent three rounds his way. The first two missed. The third hit it's mark, eliminating one more threat.

He heard several pops from the other side of the wall and shrank away from the window. Turning around quickly, he motioned for the rest of his fire team to move out of the building. Once outside, he began giving them directions.

"Midnight Blue, Morning Mist. I want you posted on the corners of this building to provide cover fire. Jet Stream, I need you to take to the sky and see if you can strafe these fuckers. Fly out and up. Try to flank 'em. We'll keep em busy enough not to notice you. Good to go?"

"Reh." They responded in unison.

"Good, get there now. We don't have time to hang around." The two unicorns moved to their assigned corners while Azimuth moved back into the building, posting once again in the window. As soon as he peeked around the window frame, he saw an enemy. He was less than twenty meters away and half hidden behind a piece of cover.

Azimuth pulled his head back just before the enemy fired. He moved his rifle into the window and fired blindly toward where the enemy was. After five rounds, Azimuth peeked again. The recruit had ducked behind the cover, giving Azimuth a chance to properly aim at his target.

Cautiously, the enemy recruit peeked around his cover and was greeted by a magical beam straight to the band around his head. His crystals lit up brilliantly.

Azimuth heard several rapid fire pops and looked toward the sky just in time to see Jet Stream laying fire down on the remaining enemy. The pegasus circled around quickly before flying back to the building.

"Clear!" he called. Quickly, Azimuth moved out of the building.

"Regroup on Jet Stream!"

The fire team converged on the pegasus, and together began rapidly moving toward the double-building.

The stallions all looked in different directions, keeping careful eyes on the buildings around them.

The building they approached had two doors, one leading into each room. They stacked up between the doors.

Using the same tactic as before, Azimuth had Jet Stream peek into the rooms through the elevated window further up the wall. He peeked into the one on the left, and quickly recoiled as several pops echoed from inside the building. The pegasus lowered to the ground.

"Three ponies in the left room. No Captain." He said quietly.

"Good." With a little magic, Azimuth opened a pouch on his combat load and removed their last remaining simmu-nade. It was a large crystal, enchanted to simulate a grenade. "Good thing we saved this one, huh?"

"Most deffinitely..." Midnight Blue said with slight relief.

They had already used four of the gems on the missions where they needed to destroy something. They had decided to save this last one. Just in case.

Azimuth floated the crystal to the high window. He activated it, waited a second, then dropped it through the window.

"OH FUCK!"

The yell echoed through the window. Azimuth heard a few thuds as a unicorn on the other side of the wall attempted to throw the crystal back through the window. In his panic, the unicorn was missing his throws.

*WHUMP*

The muffled concussion shook the house. While they weren't real grenades, they did a very good job simulating them.

"Check it. Tell me what you see in there." Azimuth told Jet Stream.

"Reh." The pegasus flew up and looked through the window again. He stayed up a little longer than he did last time. Eventually, he returned to the ground.

"Three down. No Wind Shear. He's probably in the room with the Captain." Jet Stream whispered.

"Roger. Alright, stack up outside the other door. Midnight, I want you up front. I'll be right behind you with Jet Stream and Morning Mist behind me. We shouldn't need to worry about anypony else sneaking up on us, but keep your eyes open. Let's go."

"Reh." the other recruits said quietly. Quickly, they moved against the wall.

"Set." Midnight Blue said quickly, already wrapping the doorknob with magic.

"Set. Remember to pie the doorway carefully and don't just rush in. We don't want any surprises." Azimuth said calmly.

"Roger. Breaching."

The unicorn pulled open the door, slowly moving to the side and rotating his rifle to cover the room. He stepped into the door and was met by two muffled pops. His vest lit up immediately.

With a shoulder, Azimuth pushed the stallion into the building, using the already wounded unicorn as a shield to protect him from incoming fire.

Azimuth saw Wind Shear first, his confident smirk showing over a tipped table.

Unfortunately for him, Azimuth's cover was far more substantial. He was unable to get a hit before the unicorn was able to light up the pegasus' headband.

With the threat eliminated, Azimuth pushed further into the building. From the corner of his eye, he saw the Captain leveling his rifle directly toward him.

His telekinesis disappeared from around his own rifle as he transferred his focus to the barrel of the Captain's. Using every bit of strength he had, he wrenched the barrel upward, causing the Captain's shot to hit harmlessly against the ceiling.

With the initial threat eliminated, the unicorn focused on wrapping the rest of the Captain's rifle in magical energy. He rotated the weapon in the Captain's hands, causing the creature to lose his grip on the weapon. He pulled the officer's weapon to his side, leveling it toward him.

Azimuth stepped further into the building, allowing Jet Stream and Morning Mist to move into the room. They aimed their weapons toward the Captain as well.

"Objective secured. Come on, we need to get him back to base as quickly as possible. You two, take control of the prisoner and escort him back. Keep close eyes on him. If he tries to run or attack us, I want his vest lit up. Morning Mist, take his rifle. I'll carry Midnight. Let's go." Azimuth said quickly, passing the oddly shaped rifle toward the mint green unicorn as he collected his own.

Moving around the Captain, Jet Stream urged the Captain out the door. Morning Mist followed them closely.

Slipping his own rifle into the harness on his side, Azimuth wrapped Midnight Blue in magic and lifted him into the air. Azimuth still couldn't do much more than levitation magic, but his training had made him very good at it. He cast one last look toward Wind Shear, who glowered at him angrily.

"Better luck next time." Azimuth said snidely.

The pegasus' scowl deepened. "That was cold. Using your own stallion as a shield like that."

Azimuth's eyes hardened. "It worked, didn't it? Mission accomplishment has to be our primary focus. If we have to lose a few Protectors to do so, then so be it."

Wind Shear shook his head. "If that's how you treat your Protectors, I hope I never have to be under your command."

Azimuth blinked a couple of times. Silently he turned, leaving the wounded pegasus behind as he trotted to catch up to the rest of his fire team and their alien captive.

"That was absolutely fantastic!" Jason said as he sat against a wall in Sergeant Carbon's command post. "I didn't expect to be captured, especially not by a single fire team! They wiped out my entire squad! On top of that they only took a single casualty! Absolutely amazing!"

There was only a little more than an hour left. Jason was alone with Carbon in the center of the base. Azimuth's fire team had been sent to the perimeter to reinforce the defenses Carbon had set up.

"That's Azimuth for you. They've been knocking out objectives the entire exercise. Hell, most of the time I just send them out, with the occasional reinforcements. I tell ya, that stallion really knows his shit." Carbon looked down toward a map that was spread across a table. Casually, he removed the small labels that marked Jason's old base.

Jason stood and moved to the stallions side, looking down toward the map.

"There's one thing they forgot." He said casually.

"Hm? What's that?" Carbon asked nonchalantly.

"VIP defense."

With a hand, Jason reached over and casually flipped the switch on the back of Carbon's vest, causing it to light up instantly and mark him as a casualty.

Carbon reeled back in shock. He was dead. He had failed. He looked to Jason in confusion.

Jason gave the stallion a mischievous grin and held up his hands. "They didn't bind me, and they left me alone with you. You decided you didn't need watch me, and now your dead, and I get to try and escape." He tipped his cover toward the silent unicorn. "Don't shout. Remember, dead men tell no tales."

With that, he slipped out the door. Carefully, he bounced from cover to cover, avoiding the roving sentries that wandered around the base. With not so much as a peep from the sentries, he slipped into the woods and vanished.

Azimuth stood at stiff attention on the large concrete parade deck. He had been promoted to squad leader of first squad, which meant he was at the front corner of the formation. His dress uniform itched. He thought the utilities were uncomfortable, but this was a whole other level of unpleasant. He just wanted the ceremony to be over, if only so he could get out of this fucking uniform.

In the stands before him, it looked like the entirety of Ponyville had made the trek out to Camp Sandblast for this ceremony. Captain Sinder stood in front of the block of recruits, facing toward the large gathering.

The civilians chatted among themselves quietly. Azimuth couldn't keep his eyes from drifting to the mares in the crowd. It had been more than three months since he had even seen a female, and each one he saw was more beautiful than the last. As his eyes wandered, they fell upon his parents.

His heart stopped. He hadn't realized how much he missed them. His mind had been so wrapped up in the training, he had little time to think of anything else. Now, as he saw them, three months of loneliness came flowing back. Tears of happiness began forming in the corners of his eyes. They were looking straight at him, his mother waving toward him. They both wore smiles of immense pride and joy.

"Welcome distinguished guest and families!" Boomed a voice he didn't recognize. He didn't know where the voice came from, but it sounded larger than life, and if he had to put a word to it, he would have said regal.

None other than Princess Celestia herself walked in front of the formation.

How the fuck did I not see her?! Azimuth thought to himself quickly. He kicked himself mentally for his inattentiveness.

The crowd was instantly silent, bearing their full attention to the Princess.

"Standing before you today is the beginning of a new breed. They are not only unicorns, earth ponies and pegasi. Above all, they are Protectors. Over the past three months, they have undergone the most rigorous of training regimens. Embedded in them are the skills of war, on so fundamental a level that it is how they now live. They have sacrificed so much for you. They took the oath of the Protector in order to defend all of you from the threats that may befall us." Her voice was somber, trying best to reflect what exactly it meant for these stallions to receive this title.

"They will do something that even I am incapable of. They are fighters. They are warriors. They are our Protectors." The Princess turned to Captain Sinder. Azimuth swore the human grew an inch as his form stiffened.

"Captain Sinder, you have done a great service to our country by passing your knowledge to these recruits. In doing so, you have saved the countless lives which would have been wasted attempting to quell the attacks on our home. With these Protectors, I trust you to eliminate any threats with great haste and efficiency, and do so with minimal loss of life. Because of this, you have my eternal respect and gratitude."

And then, to Azimuth's amazement, the Princess bowed her head. Not just to Captain Sinder, but to the formation as a whole.

The entire formation stiffened.

Quickly, Captain Sinder raised a hand in salute.

"You owe us nothing, your Majesty. It is with honor and dedication that we accept this title. We swear to you that we will do everything in our power to honor you, and Equestria as a whole."

The Princess raised her head, a warm smile crossing her lips.

"I hold you to that, Captain Sinder. Please, turn to your recruits, and present them their emblems."

The Captain saluted again, holding his hand in place this time. "Aye aye, Your Majesty." He said quickly. The Princess nodded and he cut his salute.

With a twist of his legs, Captain Sinder executed an about-face and turned his head to the instructors to Azimuth's right.

"INSTRUCTORS! TURN TO YOUR PLATOON AND MAKE! THEM! PROTECTORS!"

The instructors raised a hoof in salute. "AYE AYE, SIR!" They shouted in unison.

Captain Sinder returned their salute before stepping quickly to Azimuth, the squad leader of first squad. Behind him, Azimuth heard the instructors step before the other squad leaders.

Captain Sinder stopped directly in front of Azimuth, and, for the first time in the entirety of his stay in Camp Sandblast, He turned his head up, looking the human directly in the eyes.

Captain Sinder looked down on him, a warm smile on his face. Pride shone from his eyes.

It was too much for Azimuth. The last three months of hell had led up to this. Tears of prideful joy began flowing uncontrollably from his eyes. This was it. This was what he had been working so hard for.

The Captain held a wooden box in his hands. Azimuth couldn't see the top, but he knew it was emblazoned with the Protectors' emblem. The human opened the box and pulled out a single metal emblem. With great care, he gently pinned the piece of metal to Azimuth's collar.

"Congratulations, Protector."

"Thank you, Sir." Was all Azimuth was able to choke out. His emotions were overflowing. He could barely contain his joyful sobs.

With that, the Captain right-faced and stepped to Jet Stream, the next recruit in line. As soon as the space in front of him was empty, Azimuth stepped forward and about-faced. Captain Sinder handed him the box, which he wrapped in telekinetic energy and held tight. He opened the lid, allowing the human to remove another emblem.

"Congratulations, Protector." Captain Sinder repeated as he pinned the emblem to Jet Stream's collar.

Again, the human right-faced, this time with Azimuth matching his action, and stepped to the next recruit in line.

Azimuth stood directly in front of Jet Stream. Together, they shared grin.

They made it. They were among the only Protectors in the entire world. Nopony else had the right to bear this title. They were few, and they were proud.

"Congratulations, Protector."

Author's Note

And here it is! I know it's been a long time guys, and I apologize for that. Hopefully, the length and quality of this chapter make up for the wait. This is, so far, the best chapter I've written, at least in my own personal opinion.

Also, for those who are interested, I have begun recording an audiobook for the popular 'Fallout: Equestria'.

If you are interested, you can find it here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Q2jYcEBa-s&index=2&list=PLS4AWsCIQF8DwcpjcnoFee7hK1dAcSIV0

The Heat of the Moment

Jason stood on the sun-warmed concrete of the parade deck, watching as the newly titled Protectors met with their families and friends.

He let a small grin form on his face. He remembered his own graduation. He could still feel the chill of December on his skin from that day so many years ago.

Nine years... Has it really been that long?

"Well, it certainly seems that something has taken your focus elsewhere."

Jason turned to the Princess before coming to attention and rendering his salute. She nodded in response.

"At ease, Jason." Her mouth turned to a warm grin. "This is as much your day as it is theirs." She stood beside him and they both turned to watch as the Protectors felt the first love they had known since arriving at Camp Sandblast. Jason could have sworn he saw tears in some of their eyes as they embraced their parents, siblings, significant others and friends who had taken the journey to watch the ceremony.

"Do you think fifteen days is enough time?" The Princess asked, her thoughts turning to the small amount of leave each stallion was afforded after graduating before having to report to their assigned unit.

"It's more than I got after boot camp, but it'll be plenty. Any more than that and we risk them getting lazy." Jason began walking towards the crowd. He expected parents to want to speak with him, so he should at least make himself available. Princess Celestia walked with him.

"Is Captain Steadfast ready to receive the new Protectors? I won't lie, I'd be pretty upset if they went all the way to Saddle Arabia and not have a place to stay." Jason asked, curious.

"Yes, everything has already been arranged. I was surprised when you said you wouldn't be joining them right away."

Jason was still amazed at the amount of pull he had with this new branch of the military. He understood that he was definitely responsible for training and essentially creating the war fighters, but he was still under the command of the Princesses themselves. He couldn't believe they trusted him enough to let him essentially do whatever he wanted.

He let out a sigh before commenting. "There aren't enough of us yet. I want to train at least one more cycle before joining in with the rest of them. By that time, we will have more instructors and I won't be needed here any more. I hate not being able to take the fight to the Guardians immediately, but we need to be fully prepared to do so. Splitting up the Protectors to supplement the Guard ranks is the best we can do right now. They'll give some much needed firepower."

"I trust your judgement, Captain Sinder. I only wish it didn't take so long to train them. More Guards are dying every day." Celestia said sadly. "We need to end this war as quickly as possible."

Jason gritted his teeth. God dammit... I fucking hate this shit... "How many casualties have we taken?"

"Thirty have died, another sixty-three have been wounded by their explosives."

Jason shook his head. "I promise, Your Highness. As soon as we are ready, we will obliterate these terrorists." He turned and looked the Princess in the eyes. "You have my word on that."

She nodded slowly. "I believe you. It is why you are in charge in the first place." She looked to the crowd who had begun moving toward them. "I will take my leave and let you get back to your celebrations. Congratulations, Captain Sinder."

"Thank you, Your Highness." He came to attention and saluted. The Princess nodded before turning and walking away.

Jason turned back to the crowd to see a line had formed. He smiled as Jet Stream, family in tow, walked up to him.

"Good morning, Sir. I'd like you to meet my family." The young stallion said as he gestured to the group of ponies behind him. An older couple looked up at him, their gazes showed a mixture of gratefulness and admiration. Between them, a young colt looked up at him. Pure awe graced his young features as he looked upon the human.

Jason smiled as he squatted down, looking the colt in the eyes. "Well good morning to you! And what might your name be?"

"I... I'm Cumulus..." The colt said quietly, obviously nervous.

That's how much of the morning went. The Protectors who hadn't immediately left brought forward their families and Jason would exchange pleasantries with them, talking about how each Protector was a stellar recruit and was going to be a true asset to the Corps. Occasionally, he would share some of the stories he had of their son's time at Camp Sandblast.

It was almost an hour before all of the families had finally left, leaving the instructors and their loved ones on the Parade deck. Jason could see Twilight, Rainbow and all of their friends, including Octavia and a few other ponies he didn't recognize. He assumed they were the instructors' families.

Carbon, Copper and Razor all made their way to Jason, looking more relaxed than they had for the entirety of the past three months.

"Anything else you need from us, Sir?" Carbon asked. "Or can we head on out?" He looked eager to leave. Jason Didn't have to guess why, knowing Octavia was waiting for the black unicorn.

"Yes, I wanted to talk to you before you left." Jason said. "Now, Carbon and Copper, you two will be accompanying the Protectors to Saddle Arabia to ensure they don't do anything stupid. And Razor, you'll be staying here with me to train the next instructors and one more cycle." Jason looked between the Protectors. They remained silent, waiting for him to finish.

"You already know all of this. What you probably don't know is what you will be receiving before we move on with our careers." Jason gestured to Twilight, who walked to him with a wooden box floating beside her. The instructors looked at the box with curiosity. They all recognized it. The box had once held the emblems that now adorned their campaign covers. The emblems that made them Protectors. They looked back to their Captain, obvious confusion on their faces.

"The Princesses have given me permission to, if you choose to accept, offer you a commission into the ranks of Officers within the Guard force." Twilight moved next to him, levitating the box into his hands before turning and walking a few steps away. The other spectators had followed her over, and now stood slightly away from the Protectors.

Jason continued, turning back to the Protectors, box in hand. "We are few, but our numbers are growing. We need leaders. Stallions who show utmost dedication to our Corps. You have shown that you are capable, and I trust you to uphold our core values."

"Of course, you will receive a generous increase in your pay, and you will be entered into the Hall of the Guard in Canterlot. Be aware, however, that you will need to hold yourselves to a higher standard. Even more so than the expectations I have of you as Protectors. You will be accountable for all of the Protectors under your charge. They will be a reflection of you, and their misdeeds will be your misdeeds. I want you to understand that before making your decision." Jason paused giving the instructors time to think. They looked to each other quickly before looking back to their Captain. Razor let a grin form on his face.

"Come on, Sir. You should know us better than that by now." The pegasus said, confidence shining in his voice.

Jason let a grin of his own show on his face. "I take it you all accept, then?"

They all nodded quickly. "Of course." Copper said quickly before Carbon added. "You can count on us, Sir."

"I know I can." Jason said before opening the box in his hand. He pulled the silver bars from within, each adorned with a miniature version of the Protectors' emblem. Walking to each stallion, he pulled off their Sergeant's rank insignia and replaced it with the bars of a Lieutenant.

"With these bars, I hereby commission you as Lieutenants within the Corps of Protectors. From this day forth, you will exemplify our Core Values. You are the epitome of duty, and will lead the Protectors under you with honor, courage, loyalty and commitment. May you take these words into your very being. With the citizens of Equestria as my witness, I say congratulations my brothers."

Copper shuddered a little when Jason said that last bit. The loss of Iron was still at the forefront of his mind. Jason saw the unicorn steel himself, his chest puffing out slightly. He knew the unicorn wouldn't let any more of his brothers fall. Not while he had anything to do about it.

The civilians erupted into applause, encouraging the newly appointed Officers.

"You are now dismissed. Enjoy your time off. You stallions have certainly earned it." Jason said with a smile. He came to attention, bringing his hand up in salute. The first the new Officers had ever received. They stiffened before returning the salute. Jason let his hand fall before stepping forward. He shook each stallions hand, accompanying the gesture with a hearty slap on the shoulder. Together, they turned to the civilians who were still clopping their hooves in celebration.

The Protectors joined their families and friends, relieved to finally have time to spend with them.

A short while later, Jason was walking with his family and friends down the long gravel road that took them back to Ponyville. They chatted amongst themselves, laughing and telling stories of the past months. The training had taken up all of Jason's time. He hadn't had an opportunity to sit and talk with his friends for almost the entire cycle. Even his spouses had seen very little of him, and the few times he had returned home mostly consisted of him passing out on the bed.

"So..." Jason finally said. "What plans have you got for the rest of the day?"

Rarity looked at him with a slight confusion. "Plans? Dear, you've been gone for three months! We will do whatever you want. You've certainly earned that!"

Jason chuckled lightly. "That's right, I have been gone. But, that's only because of my job. It's my fault that you have all been robbed of my wonderful company for all this time. It's only fair that I be on your beck and call. at least for today."

Rarity looked abashed "Surely you can't be serious!" She shook her head quickly. "You've been doing Equestria a great service! It wouldn't be right to yank you around doing only what we want to do!"

"But that is what I want!" Jason said with great mirth. "Trust me, you wouldn't believe how refreshing the company would be after spending so much time with a buncha boots."

"It just so happens," Twilight interrupted "that we happen to have some special reservations tonight."

Jason looked to Twilight, a hint of eager anticipation making its way to his face.

"Does that mean...?" Jason asked, hope creeping into his voice.

"Heck yeah it does!" Rainbow Dash interjected. "We got reservations for Elda's!" She flapped her wings, taking off into a hover and moving in front of the human.

He reached out quickly, grabbing the pegasus in an embrace. He moved her around, holding her under one arm while bending over and scooping Twilight up with the other. She let out a soft eep as she was lifted off the ground and carried under one of his powerful arms.

"I love you girls. Have I ever told you that?" He squeezed them lightly in his arms. "You wouldn't believe how much I've missed you."

"Alright, alright, you love us. We know. We love you too. Now put me down! This is NOT comfortable!" Twilight protested, wriggling in his grip. Jason chuckled before lowering his spouse to the ground.

"Aw man..." He heard Spike say quietly behind him. "I wanted to make his first meal!"

Jason turned around and scooped the little dragon into his arms, hoisting him into the air and sitting him on his shoulders.

"Hey, cheer up there little guy! I'll be around for a while. You can cook for me all you want!" Jason said, trying to encourage his step-son. The dragon let out a huff. He still wasn't all that happy about it.

"Maybe if you're a good little dragon, I'll let you try your first bite of meat!"

Spike stiffened. "R-Really?" There was a touch of excitement in his voice.

"We'll see..." Twilight said, a little concern creeping into her voice. "I'll have to talk to your father first."

"Oh come on! A little bit couldn't hurt!" Jason pleaded with his spouse. She shook her head, a smile growing on her face.

Jason let out a sigh. "Well, either way, I could go for a good steak!"

Jason awoke slowly. For once, the sun shone from the other side of the window. It had been a long time since Celestia's magic had risen before he had. He took notice of the slight soreness in his muscles. After their meal last night, they had returned home. Spike had been exhausted, the single bite of meat seemed to sap his energy for some reason, and he had quickly fallen asleep after being put to bed. After that, the house had been theirs. Rainbow Dash and Twilight had been rather eager in their reunion with their husband. Not that he complained of course.

Jason looked about the large bed, the covers in a wrecked state. Twilight hadn't moved, but he was disappointed to find Rainbow missing. She had a special task that needed attending to in Cloudsdayle, but would be back in a couple of days. He was kind of surprised that she had actually woken up on time.

He rolled over, throwing an arm over his lavender mare. He pulled her into a loving embrace. He had missed this. The warmth of her body next to his. The softness of her coat brushing against his skin.

She moved slightly, waking up slowly. Her eyes opened sleepily, widening more quickly as she saw her husband. She smiled at him.

His heart soared. Even in her disheveled state, her beauty shook his heart. She lifted her head and kissed him.

It was not, however, the little peck he had been expecting. She kissed him deeply, with more eagerness than she had shown the night before.

Much to his surprise, she rolled him onto his back and laid atop of him. Her kisses came fast. This was...Unusual for the normally reserved unicorn. Jason had no complaints. At least not until her kisses became voracious.

Finally, he pushed lightly on her chest, attempting to separate her from his mouth. She didn't budge, her lips locked to his. Something wasn't quite right. She was never like this. Not unless she... Unless she was.

Aw man...

He pushed her harder, physically forcing their separation. She looked down on him with a hunger. If he hadn't been holding her away, she would have immediately continued her affections.

"Twi... You okay?" Jason asked, a slight concern in his voice.

"Of course I am! Why wouldn't I be?" She said quickly, struggling against his arm.

"You seem a little more... Voracious... Than usual."

"Not at all! I just want to show you how much I love you!" Her cheeks were burning with a hot blush as she continued her futile struggle.

Jason kept his arm locked. He raised an eyebrow towards her, giving her a little time to think. Time to realize exactly what was going on with her body.

She blinked a few times before her eyes finally widened in realization.

"Oh... OH!" She said quickly. She rolled off of him, sitting on the bed in thought.

"It's... It's that time..." Her eyes widened. "Oh no! Rainbow's not here!" She looked a little flustered. "I hope she'll be able to concentrate while she's in Cloudsdayle!" She shook her head quickly. "What timing!"

Jason sat up. Twilight and Rainbow Dash's heat cycles had finally synced up about a year ago. He was wary of this time of year. While fun for the first day or so, the week long cycle quickly turned into a test of endurance. Jason did all he could to satisfy their frustration, but he was only human. Luckily, the mares were able to... entertain themselves while their husband recovered. Without the pegasus here, this was going to turn into a very long day.

"How bad is it?" The human asked, a little worried. If he had known this was going to happen, he wouldn't have been so enthusiastic the previous night.

"Bad..." Twilight said helplessly. She turned to look at her husband. He could see her struggling in her flustered heat. "Worse than before..."

Jason let out a sigh. "Probably because I've been gone so long." He looked into her eyes, a gentle smile gracing his features before he let out a small laugh. "At least you waited until now. This would have been an issue if I were still in the training cycle." His eyes turned sensual. "Now, let's see if I cant help you out a little bit."

He leaned forward, letting his lips meet hers. She returned the kiss eagerly, turning her body to face his. He wrapped his arms around her as she lifted her hooves to place them on his shoulders.

Their kiss lasted only a few short moments before Twilight's hunger became too much for her. She pulled her head back, looking into his eyes with desperation. "Hurry up..." She said, her voice heavy. "I don't think I can take this anymore!"

Jason grinned. "Aye aye, Ma'am!" He gingerly rolled her onto her back, his hand finding it's way to every erogenous zone he knew. Twilight gasped at his ministrations. He teased her ruthlessly. In her current state, she was like putty in his hands.

"C-Come on! Stop teasing me!" She managed to say through deep gasps.

Jason slid down her body, gently kissing her body as he moved. Her body shivered as he hesitated at her nipples before continuing down. He had gotten much, much better at this.

He continued shifting, wrapping his arms around her haunches in the way she had grown to love. The wetness of her arousal had already begun to flow, the fluid dripping into the bed sheets.

He had teased her enough. He knew how much this state pained her, but he still enjoyed playing with her a little bit. He blew gently onto her marehood. Twilight shuddered in ecstasy.

"I... I s-said enough te...Teasing." She said with a demanding urgency in her voice. "I can't take it anymore!"

With a hoof, she reached down and pushed his face into her, burying him in the wetness between her legs.

He couldn't help but laugh. He began his work dutifully, his tongue dancing out from between his lips and driving into her marehood. She let out a cry of pure pleasure as he explored her depths, carefully ensuring he left no surface untouched within her.

Her hoof continued to hold his head in place, her body rocking against his face. She convulsed in pure pleasure as his tongue brushed gingerly against her clitoris.

Her heightened sensitivity was making Jason's task an easy one. He loved this, the pure pleasure and joy he brought his wife. He was happy he could oblige her in this time of need.

Her shudders intensified as he carefully slipped a couple of fingers into her, allowing him to stimulate further the depths of her.

Without warning, a cry of pure ecstasy burst from her lips as her vaginal muscles contracted around his fingers. He continued to move them, ensuring that she got as much pleasure as possible from her orgasm.

As her convulsions subsided, Twilight released his head from her grasp. Jason sat up, wiping the traces of his lover from his chin as he looked down upon her.

"Feel better?" He asked.

"A little." She managed to gasp out. "But... You've still got a lot of work to do there, mister." She looked at him haughtily.

Jason raised an eyebrow towards her. She rolled onto her chest, her forehooves extending above her head. She laid her head sideways on the mattress before extending her hind legs, lifting her haunches into the air. She presented herself to him fully, the juices of her orgasm still dripping from her skin.

"I want the real thing. I want you, Jason!" She looked back towards him. "Please! Don't make me beg!"

He smiled at her before carefully getting to his feet, balancing on the soft mattress. He absolutely hated this position. The length of her legs made it extremely awkward. She was too tall for him to stay on his knees, but too short for him to be able to stand fully. He had to squat slightly in order to get the right height. He was willing, of course. Considering the circumstances. But he hoped that her heightened sensitivity meant he wouldn't have to stay in it for too long.

He bent at the knees, lowering himself to the proper height.

Gently, he rubbed the head of his member against her marehood. He could feel her shudder at his touch. She attempted to lean her hips backwards, forcing him into her. He followed her movement, preventing her from succeeding. She whimpered at him desperately. If he was going to have to perform this position, he was going to at least have a little fun with it. She whimpered as her attempts proved futile.

"Come on, Jason!" She whimpered as she tried again, only to be met with another failure. "Please!"

That's what he was waiting for. "Well, since you asked so nicely..."

He pushed himself into her. It felt absolutely amazing as her insides wrapped him completely. He started off slowly, gingerly sliding his member all the way in before slowly removing it. Twilight cried out in joy as her muscles tightened around him. She was in heaven, her euphoria drowning any conscious thought she might have had.

Jason gradually increased his speed, his legs beginning to burn as his thrusts strengthened. Before long, Twilight was matching his movements with her own, rocking against him as he moved.

Jason watched as her tongue lolled slightly out of her mouth and her eyes started rolling up, the pure pleasure making his wife lose herself. Sparks flew from her horn as the uncontrolled magic coursed over her magical appendage.

She began crying out with each thrust, her volume increasing as she approached her climax. It hadn't taken long, thankfully. Jason's legs were burning from pure fatigue. Luckily, Twilight's state meant that she was on a hair trigger.

"JASON!" She let out a full throated scream as the orgasm rocked her body. Her legs quivered as her muscles spasmed.

With a slight relief, Jason slipped from her, extending his legs and stretching them slightly to fight off the cramps which were on the verge of crippling him.

"Oh no... You're still not done." Twilight said as she shakily got to her hooves. She reached up and shoved the human onto his back on the mattress. His eyes widened as he looked at her. She laid on top of him, her legs straddling his form.

"You don't get a break until after you pop." She looked down at him with a mischievously sensual grin. "Lucky for you, I have a spell that just might make that a little better."

Her horn glowed purple. He couldn't see what she was doing because of how she was laying, but he could fell a tingle in his testicles as his wife worked her magic. The glow ebbed and died and she looked at him with a grin. "There! That should do it!"

Jason's brow furrowed. He didn't feel any different, but he trusted his wife enough to trust in her judgement.

"Now, without further ado..." She said as she slid down his body, leaving a trail of arousal down his belly.

He slid into her easily, her arousal removing any resistance to the action. She ground her hips against his, riding him vigorously.

Jason reached up and pulled her head to his, planting a deep kiss upon her lips as he wrapped his arms around her. He began moving his hips, following her lead and matching her rhythm. He could feel every inch of her. Her smooth coat brushed against his belly. Her long, straight hair falling against his face and chest. Her marehood pulsed around his member, stimulating every inch of his length as she gradually increased her tempo.

Before long, her breathing became too hard to continue their kiss. She propped herself up, her hooves on his chest. He moved his hands to her hips, using the grip to help strengthen his thrusts into her.

He was getting close. He clenched his abdominal muscles to fight off the first waves of his orgasm, attempting to reach climax at the same time as Twilight.

She looked to the ceiling, her pleasure eliciting euphoric moans as they made love.

Eventually, it became too much for him. Twilight's quick movements and voracious enthusiasm drawing him to the pinnacle of his endurance.

"Twilight!... I'm... I'm gonna-"

"Just a little more! I'm almost there!"

"I... I can-"

His muscles convulsed. He could feel his seed making it's way through his member. "TWILIGHT!"

As soon as his first spurt entered into her womb, she joined him in his orgasm.

"JASON!"

They shook together, each enjoying the pure euphoria of their love. Convulsion after convulsion rocked their bodies as the efforts of their love making came to its peak.

Twilight collapsed onto his chest, breathing heavily. Jason wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head. She looked up and kissed him deeply before relaxing again, resting her head under his chin.

"Wow Twi, that was... Wow..." Was all he could say.

She giggled lightly. "I'm glad you enjoyed it as much as I did." She looked up at him again. "How'd the spell work out?"

Jason frowned. Honestly, he had forgotten she had cast it. The whole experience was absolutely incredible, but he hadn't really felt all that much different.

He said as much.

Twilight frowned. "Huh... I was sure it would have done something else..."

Jason raised an eyebrow. "Something else? What do you mean?"

She snuggled into his neck. "Oh, nothing... Don't worry about it."

They lay together like that for a minute or so before Twilight picked her head up again. "So... Ready to go again?" She asked haughtily. She had begun blushing again, her arousal returning at an unreasonable rate.

"After that? Come on! I need at least a little rest!"

She huffed in frustration and glanced to the clock on the end table. "Alright... I'll give you five minutes. But I want at least four next time!"

"FOUR!?" He looked at her in shock for a moment before chuckling helplessly. He shook his head.

"I swear, you ponies are going to be the death of me!"

Author's Note

Hey there guys!

I know, I know, it's been forever since I last updated. Sorry about that. With my audiobook project and other military training, I haven't had nearly as much time to write. I'll do what I can to update faster, but I can't make any promises. Sorry.

In other news, I will be attending Trotcon next month in Columbus, OH! If anyone who is attending wants to meet me, I'll be the 6'1" Marine looking mother fucker wandering around. I have plans to attend the military panels and the improv sessions if the description isn't enough. Come by and say hi! I'd love to meet any of my readers!

Here's a link to the con website if there's anyone interested.

http://trotcon.net/

Thanks again everybody! And as always, any constructive criticism you guys have would be greatly appreciated!

The Sand Gets Everywhere

PART THREE
Collateral

"Hey man, wake up! Captain Steadfast is about to start his brief!" Jet Stream said, nudging Azimuth out of his dreamless sleep.

It was late. Too late. The Protectors had spent the last five days in cramped, uncomfortable carriages as they were pulled over rough and uneven ground. Saddle Arabia had been about what he expected, for what little he had seen of it. It was hot. It was dirty. And it smelled like they didn't have a single working toilet in the whole country.

They had barely seen the sun since the moment they had entered the desert country. The windows had been closed as soon as they crossed the border. "For their protection," they had been told. It was bullshit. If they were attacked, Azimuth wanted to at least be able to shoot back, not just locked up in some stupid fucking wooden box. What kind of protection would this fucking thing provide anyway? They might as well be riding in a tissue box, considering the kind of explosives they were going up against.

"Wake me up when we can leave..." Azimuth grumbled, fighting to return to the snooze he had been enjoying.

Jet Stream hit him, leaving a bit of a bruise on his shoulder. "Come on, man! This shit could be important!"

"Hey, fuck you man!" Azimuth rubbed his bruised shoulder. He wasn't sleepy any more. "Luna dammit... Fine, I'll listen to the fucking brief. But now I owe you one for that. That shit hurt!"

"Yeah yeah, quit your bitchin'. The Captain's about to talk." The pegasus said, turning his attention back to the platform in front of the group.

The Protectors sat in a large semi-circle around the wooden platform, their weapons held close. For the first time, Azimuth could actually see the point of the desert cammies they wore. He was surprised at how well they blended in with the environment.

Captain Steadfast, on the other hand, looked completely ridiculous in his shining armor, gilded with red trim and golden filigree. He looked out of place. Azimuth doubted he had ever left the camp, considering the fact that the armor would make him a massive target.

The Captain cleared his throat and the group around him fell into silence.

"Good Evening Protectors, and welcome to Camp Hope."

Camp Hope? What the fuck... Azimuth thought to himself, stifling a chuckle at the stupidity of the name.

The Captain continued. "As you know, the primary Guard forces have been stationed here for roughly nine months now, doing our best to keep the peace and bring the wayward Saddle Arabians back over to the side of peace..." He paused, looking over the group.

"We have been failing. The Saddle Arabians don't seem to want what we have to offer. We've been patient with them, and we've tried to help get them what they need, but they just want them gone. Unfortunately, we can not oblige them in that desire." The Captain began pacing on the platform, his armor reflecting the flickering light from the lanterns placed around the tent.

"As time has passed, the locals have gotten more... Aggressive... Towards the Guards we send out for equetarian aid. It's not safe for us out there anymore, so lately we've merely been providing security for the coal mine at the center of Camp Hope.

"The Guardians of the Sand have blocked off every other major coal vein in the country, meaning that the only coal Equestria is getting is from this single mine right here. We can't let them have it. They've tried to take it. Believe me, they've tried. We have lost many Guards to their explosive attacks. Luckily, we have been able to keep them from doing any serious damage to our operations within the camp. However, they are right at our doorstep, and we don't have the knowledge or the equipment to get them out of there.

"That, is where you come in. The training you've received is supposed to have made you fighters. That's exactly what we need. According to the orders from Captain Sinder, you are to simply supplement our defenses until he arrives with the next batch from Camp Sandblast."

Captain Steadfast's face hardened, with just the hint of a smirk tugging at his lips.

"Fortunately, Captain Sinder isn't here. Beginning as soon as possible, you Protectors will begin performing patrols out into the villages surrounding Camp Hope. Your job is to root out any pockets of Guardians you find, and get rid of them. I don't care how you do it. I don't care how many buildings have to come down. Just make them gone. I will not lose any more Guards to their violence, do you understand? They've already taken too many lives. It's time for us to return the favor."

The protectors let out a hearty 'EHREH!' Azimuth's heart was pounding. Now here's a Captain he could get behind! Honestly, the unicorn hadn't been looking forward to being a glorified hall monitor. He was getting a chance to do what he was trained for!

He was a little pissed at how Captain Steadfast was so quick to disregard Captain Sinder's orders. Captain Sinder knew what he was doing, and this Guard was refusing to take the humans advice.

Captain Steadfast continued. "I'll now turn you over to your officers to begin getting you settled in. Don't get too comfortable. You are going to be going out sooner than you may realize. Lieutenant Copper?"

"Aye, Sir." The unicorn responded, quickly making his way onto the platform. Captain Steadfast stepped down, making his way through the group towards the exit behind them.

As he walked, Azimuth saw Lieutenant Carbon make his way over to the Captain. Thankfully, Azimuth was right at the edge of the aisle, meaning he was able to hear their conversation, despite their whispers.

"Sir..." Lieutenant Carbon said. "With all due respect, we don't have the numbers here to actually hold any kind of combat action. We can hold and defend an area, sure. But we just don't have the stallionpower to take the fight to them yet! That's why we've been ordered to wait. We don't even have any medical..."

"I don't care, Lieutenant..." Captain Steadfast snapped back. "Until Captain Sinder gets here, you are under my command. And you WILL follow my orders! The government has spent a lot of money training you so called Protectors. It's about time you got around to doing some protecting. You will take out as many of those bastards as you can, even if it means losing a couple of your stallions. As long as my Guards are safe, I'll be happy. Do I make myself clear, Lieutenant?"

Azimuth saw Lieutenant Carbon's jaw clench quickly before he relaxed slightly and let out a strained "Yes, Sir."

"Good!" The Captain said loudly. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to get out of this armor. I swear to Celestia, the sand is just attracted to this plate."

Azimuth leaned over to Jet Stream. "Yo man, did you hear all that?" He whispered.

Jet Stream whispered back. "Yeah... I get the feeling that the Cap doesn't think to highly of us."

"Yeah, no shit." Azimuth frowned. "I've got a real bad feeling about this man..."

"Man... This shit fucking sucks..." Azimuth grumbled under his breath.

They had only been on patrol for a little more than twenty minutes, and already his cammies were soaked with sweat. The desert sun was merciless as it beat down on the thirteen Protectors. They moved in a staggered column down the road. Two fire teams on the left, and two on the right while Lieutenant Copper moved down the center.

Saddle Arabia was... depressing... to say the least. It was obvious how poverty stricken the nation had become. Trash littered the streets, setting off every mental alarm Azimuth had hard wired into his brain. All throughout their counter-IED training, they had been told to avoid piles of refuse, since they could be easily used to hide the explosives.

That advice was essentially useless. From Azimuth's perspective, he could see more trash than road in the cluttered street. It was impossible to patrol along the roads without encountering a different pile of refuse every few steps.

What made the mission even more disconcerting was the absence of any of the local populace. Occasionally, He would see a young colt or filly peeking around a corner at them, but they were quickly pulled back by an unseen force.

This didn't feel right. With each step, Azimuth's apprehension grew. Everypony else could feel it, too. Their movements were jerky, their attention drawn to any noise that felt out of the ordinary, which in this situation could be a piece of trash blowing in the wind. Everypony was on edge, and absolutely silent.

The squad came to an intersection. According to their mission brief, they were supposed to turn left here and loop back to Camp Hope.

"Squad!" Lieutenant Copper called out. "Form a defensive perimeter around the intersection. Fire team leaders, on me!" He moved to a building adjacent to the road, taking some shelter behind one of the mud walls which made up most of the town.

Azimuth positioned his Protectors, having them take up defensive positions watching the road they had just come down before moving to the Lieutenant.

"What's up, Sir?" Wind Shear asked quietly. "Get word from command?"

The unicorn shook his head. "No... Something just doesn't feel right. There should be more ponies out and about. This is a pretty major town. Ponies ought to be working or trading, but the place feels like a ghost town."

"I hear ya, Sir." Azimuth whispered. "So what should we do? It's not like they've really done anything to stop our mission."

"True..." Lieutenant Copper let out a sigh. "I don't like it... Something's off but I don't know what. We continue with our mission, but keep your eyes peeled. If any of you see anything out of the ordinary, I want to hear about it."

The fire team leaders responded with a chorus of quiet "Yes, Sir"s.

"Get back in formation... Let's get moving."

Before long, the squad was moving again. The Lieutenant's words most certainly did not breed confidence. Azimuth was more jumpy now. He had to fight to keep his magic from wrapping the trigger out of pure paranoia.

Another hour passed. If Azimuth thought he had been damp with sweat before, he was absolutely drenched now. The combat load he wore was not designed to breathe very well, meaning most of his body heat was being trapped by the light armor. That, added with the weight of the rounds he carried, made it difficult to move properly. At this point, he just wanted to be back at Camp Hope so he could take the damn thing off.

Movement caught his eye. He looked up to a balcony on the opposite side of the road.

A single pony watched them from behind a thin rail. He was standing in a way that prevented the Protectors on that side of the road from spotting him. If he hadn't moved, Azimuth probably would have missed him too.

"There's somepony watching us. Second floor balcony at three o'clock." Azimuth said aloud, alerting the rest of the squad to the strange observer. Several of the Protectors stopped and attempted to get a better look.

"Keep moving!" Lieutenant Copper shouted. "This is their town. He has as much a right to be there as anypony else."

The squad continued walking. Azimuth continued glancing toward the enigma of a bystander. Slowly, Azimuth raised a hoof and waved towards the Saddle Arabian.

The pony just stared back, not responding to the greeting in any way, shape or form.

This ain't right... Azimuth thought to himself. Unconsciously, he wrapped his trigger with magic, scanning along the other buildings for anypony else suspicious. He wished he could go up and detain the stallion watching. He was obviously up to something, but until he did the unicorn's hooves were tied. Fuck these rules of engagement...

The squad kept patrolling. As they made their way along the trash-strewn streets, more and more observers appeared. These Saddle Arabians didn't seem nervous or scared... They looked pissed. Just another observation that drove home Azimuth's nerves.

They made the final turn of their established patrol route. They could see the checkpoint into Camp Hope, little more than a quarter of a mile away. Other than the observers along the route, the Protectors hadn't run into anything alarming. The city was a ghost town, but that could just mean that they were nervous about the new unit wandering around their town.

Azimuth felt the rumble in his hooves before his world was torn asunder. The concussion knocked the air from his lungs and sent him sprawling. Out of pure instinct and as a result of his training, he maintained the levitation field around his rifle. It remained in place over the road as it's protector was thrown into an empty market stall.

Azimuth struggled to pull himself from tangled rugs and smashed wood, shaking his head in an attempt to regain his bearings. His ears rung and every other noise around him was little more than muffled shouts and pops.

He looked around slowly as he pulled his rifle to his side. He was still disoriented, but his mind was beginning to put the pieces together.

They'd been hit. By what and from where, he still had no idea. Fire team one was down. Directly in front of him, Crimson Starlight had been blasted into the wall of a mud building. A splatter of blood marked where his head had smashed into the wall. His body lay in an unmoving crumple, his rifle rig smashed to pieces. A few of the metal riggings had snapped and were driven into his body by the force of the blast.

Azimuth struggled to his feet, attempting to walk to the downed pegasus. He could still be alive. He needed help. Azimuth took a step before his left foreleg gave and he once again found himself on the ground. He looked to his leg in confusion. Why did it give like that?

His breath caught as he saw the six inch shard of lumber jutting out of his leg, just below the joint.

It doesn't hurt... Why doesn't it hurt? It should hurt, shouldn't it? He continued staring at his leg.

Jet Stream landed next to him, shouting something into his ear before turning and taking cover behind the destroyed stall.

Azimuth slowly turned to look at him. What did he say? Fuck it... it's probably not that important... The wounded unicorn looked around at the rest of the squad. Most of them were taking cover, occasionally popping out to shoot at... Something. Azimuth couldn't tell what they were firing at.

The Protectors who weren't taking cover were either wounded or helping the wounded. Lieutenant Copper had moved to the opposite side of the road, taking cover around the corner of a building. He was shouting orders as he occasionally popped out to fire a few rounds. Blood was running down the side of the officer's head. Azimuth couldn't hear his shouts. He couldn't hear much of anything.

He felt himself being lifted from the ground, a pair of hooves under his back. Jet stream had picked him up and was flying towards Camp Hope.

"Stop... You need to help... Crimson..." Azimuth managed to force out.

"After I get you safe..." He heard the pegasus say through a haze. Azimuth wasn't coherent enough to argue.

It was less than a minute before Azimuth was plopped into a gurney in Camp Hope's medical tent. As soon as he saw his friend was safe, Jet Stream took off again, flying back toward the rest of the squad. More pegasi arrived, dropping off wounded Prtotectors before returning to the squad.

It was only a few more minutes before Azimuth's adrenaline wore off and he regained feeling in his body. He let out several pained groans as the medics began to quickly work on him. As more seriously wounded Protectors were brought in, a few of the medics stepped away and set to work on them, leaving only a couple to fix his leg.

The medic didn't have time to waste. He had multiple wounded in his tent already, and time was of the essence. Azimuth screamed when they cut his flesh to pull free the jagged piece of wood. With amazing speed, the unicorn doctor sealed the wound and wrapped the leg in bandages. As soon as he was done, the medic moved to another Protector. The nurse gave Azimuth some anesthetic before leaving to join the medic.

Azimuth slipped from consciousness as the pain killers took their effect.

Carbon set his rifle against the wall of the command post. He panted with fatigue as he sat beside his weapon. He had gathered together any Protectors he could and went to assist Copper's squad as quickly as he could. Copper walked into the tent, using his telekinesis to throw his kevlar across the room in frustration.

Three Protectors were dead. Seven were wounded, two of them critically. They didn't know how many Saddle Arabians were dead. The Protectors had opened fire on any Saddle Arabians that had made the mistake of looking at the chaos after the bomb went off. They didn't know if any of them were hostile. They responded by instinct, letting muscle memory take over in the heat of the moment.

"FUCK!" Copper screamed as he dropped his rifle on the table. This was a disaster. Any chance at winning over the Saddle Arabians had just been destroyed. At this point, Carbon doubted any of the Protectors cared. They'd only been in country for three days, and they'd already taken too many casualties.

"Those motherfuckers... They're fuckin' dead! All of 'em!" Copper pulled open one of the ammunition boxes in the corner and began loading more rounds into the magazines he had expended.

"Copper, what are you doing?" Carbon asked, weariness in his voice.

"I'm going back out there!" Copper was shaking. Blood still flowed from the gash in his head. Another round found it's way into a magazine.

"Copper, no. You're not." Carbon stood, using his own magic to close the ammo can.

"FUCK YOU I"M NOT!" Copper shouted, telekinetically hurling the magazine at Carbon. The black unicorn caught it with his own magic, setting it aside on the table. He walked toward Copper slowly, attempting to calm the furious stallion.

"Copper, you need to calm down."

"How the fuck am I supposed to do that!?" Copper stormed toward Carbon, getting right into his face. "First they kill my brother, now they kill my Protectors... I've had enough waiting around. They are all going to die. They have to die! How else are we supposed to stop this?"

"So, what, you're just going to go out there and kill every Saddle Arabian you see? They aren't all responsible for this. We need to find out who exactly we're supposed to be fighting. Not every citizen is involved in this."

"Yes, they are. They're just standing around, letting the fucking 'Guardians' plant their little fucking bombs around their homes. They aren't doing anything to stop them, meaning they are supporting them!"

"You don't really believe that, do you?" Carbon asked quietly.

"YES!" Copper shouted. "There isn't any other explanation."

Carbon shook his head. "They're scared. War has materialized in their home, and they don't know what to do. We've invaded their towns, destroyed their lives, and now we've even killed some of them. I'm sure they don't want anything to do with this war. The Guardians are probably threatening them into silence." Carbon's voice was calm, his demeanor non-threatening as he attempted to calm the other officer.

"We're predictable. We wear uniforms. We follow strict guidelines on how we operate. The Guardians don't. They aren't restricted on what they do to the locals. We need to do whatever we can to get the locals on our side, to have them help us fight the real enemy." Carbon shook his head. "Which is going to be a whole lot harder now."

Copper continued steaming. "And how the hell are we supposed to do that?"

"I don't know. It's going to take time. And we're definitely not going to win if we just go out and start killing ponies."

Copper stared at Carbon for a few moments before his legs wobbled.

"Copper?" Carbon asked. The rust colored stallion's eyes lost focus. He almost fell over before Carbon caught him.

"Copper! Come on... We need to get you to medical. You probably have a concussion." The stallion didn't respond, but let the black unicorn steer him out of their command post and toward the medics.

Author's Note

Hey guys. I know it's been a long time, and the length of this chapter isn't really enough to make up for it. I've been extremely busy getting ready for MARSOC A&S, so that has taken up a lot of my free time, as well as the other projects I've been working on.

I want to get at least one more chapter posted, but come August I will be forced to put the story on hiatus until my screening is complete. This chapter is meant to set up the theme of the future operations in Saddle Arabia. I promise to get it posted within the next few weeks.

Had an awesome time at TrotCon. Met a lot of cool people, heard a lot of amazing music and saw some fantastic art. I hope some of you maybe had the opportunity to enjoy it as well.

SHAMELESS PLUG SECTION:

My Fallout Equestria Audiobook is coming along well. Chapter 12 was just posted. You can find the playlist here
Fallout Equestria Audiobook read by Hironoto

Also, I've tried my hand at making some music! It's electronic, so if you like that kind of thing, you can find it here.
Music By Hironoto

Natural Habitat

"Fuck, man... Why'd they have to make this shit so heavy?" Jet Stream said aloud as he hovered overhead, keeping an eye on the balconies along the main road. His wings were beginning to strain after such a long patrol.

Azimuth sighed, rolling his shoulders in an attempt to shift the heavy armor he wore into a more comfortable position. "Eh, quit yer' bitchin'. I'd rather deal with a little extra weight than another fucking two by four through my fucking leg."

Jet Stream snorted. "Two by four? Mother fucker, that little piece of wood was nothing more than a piece of plywood!"

Azimuth shot his friend a look. "Whatever. It still knocked me out of action for a fucking month! I'll deal with the weight so long as it keeps me in the fight. Celestia knows what would have happened if it was something bigger."

"Yeah, well it didn't, and here you are. Fuckin' blowing in doors like it's nothing. Was boring as shit not havin' you around though. I kinda missed my little shrapnel sponge."

"Man will you cut that shit out? I've been back in the suck for over a month now and everyday it's the same bullshit from you."

Jet Stream shrugged as he glanced over another balcony. "Doesn't make it any less true, Az."

Azimuth shook his head quickly before continuing his scanning.

Three months... Azimuth thought to himself. Only Three months in this fucking desert, and we're already down nine Protectors. Burgundy and Horizons are dead... All the others get to go home.

It was a familiar melancholy. He'd been in and out of it the entire time he was recovering from his wound. The number of casualties had dropped dramatically since those first couple of weeks, the Protectors got smarter and more cautious with every attack. Still, even one casualty was to many.

While Azimuth was out of action, the rest of the Protectors had gone on fairly regular patrols. At least two a week.

From what Azimuth heard, Captain Steadfast wasn't happy about the amount of time between each patrol, but there really wasn't much they could do. Lieutenants Carbon and Copper had conceded their stance and allowed them to go on combat patrols, in spite of Captain Sinder's orders, but they didn't have the stallionpower to have them out everyday.

According to command, the next group of Protectors would be joining them within a week. Azimuth didn't know whether to be relieved or depressed about that. On one hoof, there would be more Protectors to spread the workload. On the other hoof, he'd have to deal with a bunch of fucking boots, and it would take quite a bit of time to get them up to speed on how things are done around here.

The patrols, as infrequent as they were, seemed to be enough. The attacks on Camp Hope had dropped in frequency, averaging maybe once a week. Instead, they seemed to be focusing on the patrols. The Protectors were becoming very good at spotting IEDs. After all, they were getting a lot of practice, finding at least three each time they went out.

Thank Celestia for the unicorns more gifted than he. Some of them happened to have some kind of detection spell that let them sense the mass of metal underground. It took time to disarm the explosives, but they could get them taken care of. It just meant another hour in the city.

Help from the locals was almost non-existent. There were a couple Saddle Arabians who saw our training and equipment, and assumed that we'd be the best bet in ending the conflict quickly. They were invaluable in terms of weeding out Guardian nests.

The sand continued to crunch under their hooves as they neared the end of their eight-hour patrol. It had been a slow patrol, with only minor problems along the way. Azimuth was surprised at the lack of explosives along their route. They'd only found one small bomb at the very beginning of their route, and it was disposed of quickly. Other than that, things had been quiet. The Saddle Arabians seemed almost friendly... Well, not exactly friendly... More accepting of the Protector's presence than usual.

It sent shivers down Azimuth's spine. This was too easy. Something wasn't quite right and it set the unicorn on edge.

"I'd wish they'd fuckin' do something already... This tension is making me twitchy." Azimuth said with a sideways glance toward Jet Stream.

"No kidding... Something ain't right here." The pegasus responded.

Camp hope came into view as they rounded the final corner and the patrol stopped dead.

Lining both sides of the road were dozens upon dozens of Saddle Arabians. They all looked upon the Protectors with serious faces, but made no move toward them.

Lieutenant Copper cast a searching gaze over the crowd before motioning for the patrol to continue. Azimuth clicked his weapon to semi-automatic before looking over the group around them and stepping forward. He looked at the sheer number of ponies around him before clicking the safety once more into fully-automatic. This could turn into a shit-show really, really quickly.

As they neared the very end of the road next to the checkpoint into camp, a pair of elderly Saddle Arabians stepped into the middle of the road, blocking the patrol's progress. Lieutenant Copper halted the patrol and looked around quickly. It was obvious that the elders wished to speak to him, so he motioned for the patrol to set up quick defensive positions. Unfortunately, due to the proximity of the civilians, that mostly meant form a circle and point your rifles out. Once they were in position, the Lieutenant stepped to the elders.

They didn't talk long, and unfortunately Azimuth was too far from them to hear what they were saying. After maybe five minutes, the elders cleared the road and the remaining citizens began dispersing into their homes and shops.

Azimuth couldn't help but notice the look on Lieutenant Copper's face. He looked pissed of course, but that was normal. What threw Azimuth was how shaken the officer looked. He didn't say anything as he took his position at the center of the patrol and motioned for them to continue into the camp.

"The fuck do you think that was about?" Jet Stream asked under his breath as they walked through the checkpoint.

"I don't know, but it really fucked with the Louie. That can't be anything good." Azimuth responded.

"No shit..." The pegasus let out a quick chuckle. "Welp, knowing our luck it means more patrols..."

Azimuth groaned. "You better find some wood to knock on. That's how you fucking curse us."

Jet Stream grinned. "Now where am I gonna find any wood? They already took the chunk out of your leg."

Azimuth rolled his eyes. "Ugh... Fuck you man."

"I don't like this, Carbon. They were being serious out there." Copper said as he hung his weapon from a hook in the officers' tent.

"What do you think it means? I know the Guardians don't make empty threats, but what do they have to make one of this scale?" The black unicorn asked.

"Fuck if I know..." Copper grunted. "Maybe they have the mother of all bombs planted somewhere. All I know is I don't like it." The unicorn sighed in relief as he shed the heavy armor he wore, setting it aside with his telekinesis and relieving the pressure in his neck with a loud crack.

Carbon sighed in thought. "it won't matter... Captain Weakass is gonna keep sending us out there anyway. That sorry sack of shit has been stuck here for so long, and he hasn't even looked outside of the wire. Now that we Protectors are here, he's got bodies to throw at the fucking problem without having to put his own Guards in danger."

"Eh, to be fair that's kind of our job." Copper said as he sat down with a bottle of water.

"No, our job is to defend Equestria and her interests. Not die for no reason. The only thing that's changed in the last three months is that instead of attacking Camp Hope, now they're attacking our patrols. We still don't know where the Guardians are. The locals fucking hate us, and the Guards are just sitting around getting bored and fat." Carbon said angrily. "I'm fucking sick of it. I can't fucking wait for Jase to finally get here. we need some guidance on how to get shit done. Sure, we can fight but we have no idea how to go about making this situation better."

Copper nodded in agreement. "Shit... I just can't wait to see how Jason handles Captain Weakass. That's a shitshow just waiting to happen. It's gonna be fuckin' awesome"

"Sirs?" Both officers turned their attention to the entrance flap of their tent. a nervous looking Guard had stuck in his head and looked to the two Lieutenants.

"What, Guard!" Copper spat, more as a command than a question.

The Guard shrank back, his ears laying flat against his head in submission. "Excuse me gentlecolts, Captain Steadfast was asking for you."

Copper let out a frustrated sigh. "Fine. We'll be there in a minute."

"Yes Sir. I'll let the Captain know." The Guard said quickly before pulling his head from the tent and beating a hasty retreat.

Carbon shook his head as he stood. "You know, it's not the Guards' fault. They're doing everything they can. Captain Weakass is the one holding them back."

Copper sighed. "I know... Still pisses me off to no end though that they just sit behind the wire all the time and leave us to do all the work."

"Hey, at least they provide security around the base. Without 'em, we'd have to pull watch and patrol. Tha shit would suck."

"True..." Copper conceded as he stood. "Come on, let's see what dumbass wants."

"Gentlemen! Good to see you! Come in, come in. Sit." Captain Steadfast said, spreading his hooves in welcome. "I wanted to debrief you on the patrol today!"

"Sir?" Carbon asked, somewhat confused. "Normally Lieutenant Briar debriefs us." This was strange. Normally, the Captain didn't give a shit about the patrols.

"I've received word from the Guards I've had posted that there was quite the commotion outside the gate earlier." The Captain said, turning serious. "The village elders spoke with you. I want to know exactly what they said."

Copper let out a sigh before speaking. "It was a threat, Sir. They said that if the patrols didn't stop and we don't leave, they would, and I quote, 'hit us with more power than Celestia herself could bring upon the entirety of Equus.'"

Captain Steadfast's face went blank. For a moment anyway, before he let out a small snicker, which evolved to a chuckle and finally built to full guffaws of laughter. Carbon and Copper shared a glance of angry disapproval and waited for the Captain to collect himself.

"Ah ha ha... HA! Oh that's rich! Ha ha! More power than Celestia! HA!" Steadfast crowed, wiping a tear from his eye. After several moments, he was finally able to contain himself. "Ah, thank you for the joke, I needed that. Seriously though, what did they say?"

The Protectors looked to one another again, then stared at the Captain. Copper raised an eyebrow.

The Captain's eye twitched and a corner of his mouth was pulled upwards. "Wait, you're being serious, aren't you?" Steadfast said, a touch of laughter in his voice.

The Captain stood and walked to a chest in the corner of his room. "The Guardians are getting bold, which means you are failing gentlemen." He opened the chest, pulled out a bottle made of dark glass and poured himself a glass of amber colored liquid.

"With all due respect Sir, There's not much more we can do. We don't have the supplies or stallionpower to make equetarian aid a viable option. We don't have the stallionpower to provide real security to the innocent civilians. We don't have the stallionpower to do more than the occasional patrol. If you would allow yours Gaurds to go outsi..."

"See, I'm going to have to stop you riiiight there, Lieutenant Copper." Steadfast said before taking a pull from his whiskey. "I can't let my Guards outside the wire. That's what you and your Protectors are here for. To go into danger so we don't have to and all that." Steadfast said while swirling his alcohol in it's glass.

Carbon's eye twitched. "Sir, we're called Protectors for a reason! Let us protect the Guards while they try and help the locals in any way they can. The sooner we can get the Saddle Arabians on our side, the sooner they'll help us root out the Guardians!"

"No!" Captain Steadfast shouted. "We will continue as planned. You will continue your patrols and maintain our presence here." He took another drink.

"Sir, what about the threat?" Carbon said, his eye spasming once again.

"What about it?" The Captain responded, irritation growing in his voice.

"We can't just ignore it! he Guardians never make hollow threats."

"Pfft, please. The most the Guardians can do is plant another one of their little bombs, which we can detect before they detonate. They don't have anything we can't handle." Steadfast said dismissively.

"We don't know that! We don't know ANYTHING about the Guardians! We know that they are violent. We know they blend in to the local populace, and we know that they use explosives. That's it. That's all we know. We don't know what they're capable of!" Carbon nearly shouted.

"KNOW YOUR PLACE, LIEUTENANT!" Captain Steadfast did shout. "You will continue your patrols! In fact, you will be going out tomorrow. You will demonstrate that we are not afraid of their threats. But, since you seem so concerned, Lieutenant Copper will be going with you with one of his squads. You will take the long route through the town."The Captain turned away from them and looked at a map tacked to his wall, lifting his drink to his lips. "Dismissed"

Carbon's eye twitch evolved into a full body shudder, a result of the infuriating stupidity that had been manifested into the pony standing before him.

"Sir, we-"

"DISMISSED!" Steadfast shouted.

The two Protectors' jaws clenched. "Aye,Sir." Carbon hissed before turning and leaving the squat building, Copper close behind him.

The rapidly cooling desert evening greeted them as they began walking back toward their tent.

Carbon was seething, the usually level-headed one of the two officers finally pushed over the edge by the pure incompetence of their commanding officer. Copper walked behind him, doing only slightly better than his companion. This was mostly in part to the exhaustion he was feeling after the nine-hour patrol which ended less than an hour ago.

Needing some form of release, Carbon looked around and snatched the first thing he saw in his telekinesis. The forty pound sandbag flew threw the air in a random direction while Carbon let out a guttural roar of pure hatred and frustration.

Copper stepped forward and placed a hoof on Carbon's shoulder, trying to calm the black unicorn.

"Come on, Carbon. Nothing we can do about it now. He'll get his soon enough. Remember, Jason is gonna be here in a few days. We just need to stick it out until then." Copper said calmly.

"I'm so sick of him..." Carbon said with shuddering breaths. "I swear to Celestia, that son of a bitch is going to get all of us killed."

"Come on, none of that." Copper said. Looking around, he noticed a few Guards and Protectors looking at them. Some shook their heads, others looked on, eyes wide with concern. "Let's go. The stallions are staring. we can't let them see us weak."

"Yeah..." Carbon said quietly before shaking his head and standing up straight. "Let's go. We need to put the orders together for tomorrow's patrols."

Copper's eyes widened. "Aw FUCK! I forgot about those! Luna dammit, I'm not gonna get any fucking sleep tonight!"

"Yo, I'm telling you man! She's fuckin' dead!" Jet stream said excitedly from his rack, where he sat cleaning his rifle.

"There's no fuckin' way!" Azimuth responded. Several bullets floated around him as he disassembled and inspected his magazines.

"Listen, bro. I was talkin to some of the POPs over at the chow hall and-"

"The fuck is a POP?" Azimuth interrupted.

Jet Stream rolled his eyes. "Ponies Other than Protectors. Come on bro, you weren't gone that long."

"Whatever..." Azimuth said as he began to reassemble his magazine.

"Anyway..." Jet Stream continued. "I was talkin' to some of the POPs at the chow hall and apparently one of them got a article or some shit in the mail. I'm telling you, Sapphire Shores is fuckin' dead!"

"Dude, I trust POPs as far as I can throw em. Which is normally pretty fuckin' far, but these Guards are getting so damn fat I don't know anymore."

"Fuck dude, we're so cut off here, I'll take any news I can fucking ge-"

"Yo, you guys aren't going to believe this!" Sky Wraith shouted as he walked excitedly into the crowded tent.

"Nobody cares, Sky Wraith!" Wind Shear shouted from his rack, where he was trying to sleep.

"I'm serious! Some POP almost got killed! He's in the med tent with a busted shoulder!" The pegasus shouted defensively.

"Wait, seriously? The fuck happened?" Birch Bark asked, standing up and walking over to the excited pegasus.

" Yo, it was fuckin' crazy! I was walkin' back from the showers when all of a sudden this fuckin' sand bag just flies in outta fuckin' nowhere! it almost took my damn head off! It flew right in front of me and smashed into one of the Guards' tents! It didn't hit anypony, but it knocked the main support of the tent down and smashed into somepony who was sleeping. Fucked him up bad." Sky Wraith explained.

"Yo... Lieutenant Carbon chucked that sandbag!" Midnight Blue said, his eyes widening.

"Woah! No shit?" Jet Stream asked.

"Yeah, I watched him do it! He'd just come out of Captain Weakass' hut and looked mighty pissed off. Just picked up a sandbag and chucked the bitch before yellin' something fierce."

"Shit... If I had to actually talk to that sack of shit, I'd probably throw a bitch fit too." Azimuth said bitterly.

"Yeah, no shit. That pony is a special kind of retard." Jet Stream agreed.

"Who's a special kind of retard?"

The tent went dead silent. You could hear the necks creaking as everypony turned to look at the source of the voice.

Lieutenant Carbon stood at the entrance of their tent, a slightly bemused, but mostly pissed off look on his face.

"Captain Weakass, Sir." Jet Stream said bravely.

Carbon stared daggers at him, before quickly breaking eye contact and letting out a sigh.

"If you have nicknames or issues with our command, I don't want to hear them. We only have a few more days of this. If you have a problem, the chow hall has straws."

There were several looks of confusion directed towards him.

"Straws, Sir?" Azimuth asked.

"Yes, straws." Carbon said before a small smirk formed on his lips. "So you can suck it the fuck up."

There were chuckles around the tent as Carbon tried to lighten the mood before passing what he had to pass.

"Gents, we've got a mission." Carbon said, his face serious.

The chuckles were replaced with groans.

"Fuck, already?"

"What the fuck, we just had a patrol today!"

"Luna fucking dammit."

"Alright, alright, quit yer bitchin." Carbon said quickly and the complaints died down to a low rumble.

"Despite Lieutenant Copper and my own recommendations, Captain Steadfast has decided to ignore the Guardian's threat. Instead, tomorrow we will be going on a patrol. We will be double stallioned, since Copper's squad is being mobilized alongside my own. And, we are taking the long route. More information will be passed tomorrow once we get everything set up, we'll let you know what exactly is going on. Don't expect to leave before oh-nine hundred, I just wanted to make sure you weren't taken by surprise by this." Carbon looked around at the combination of disappointed and pissed off faces around him. "That's it for now. Check your gear and make sure you get some sleep for tomorrow. There's a chance that shit might go down tomorrow, so be ready."

"Aye, Sir." The Protectors responded in chorus.

Carbon nodded. "Carry on." He said as he turned to leave the tent.

"Sir?" A voice asked, causing Carbon to turn toward the emerald pegasus who made his way to the Lieutenant.

"Yes PFC Jet Stream?"

"Do you have any word on-"

"No. I haven't gotten any word on when Captain Sinder and the rest are specifically going to get here." Carbon said with a sigh.

"Actually Sir, I was gonna ask about Sapphire Shores." Jet Stream said, his voice almost a whisper.

"What about Sapphire Shores?"

"You know..." Jet Stream leaned in toward the Lieutenant. "About her dying?"

Carbon raised an eyebrow. "No... I have not heard anything about Sapphire Shores dying. If anything like that happens, I'll be sure to let you know."

Jet Stream's ears drooped in disappointment. "Aye Sir."

"Anything else?" Carbon asked, looking around quickly. The remaining Protectors were silent. "Alright." He turned and left the tent.

"Wait, Sapphire Shores is dead?" Midnight Blue asked.

Jet Stream shrugged. "That's the word I got."

"Fuck, man..." Birch Bark said with a sigh. "I Can't believe she's fuckin' dead..."

"Fuck... This is some fucking bullshit. Luna fucking damit... FUCK!!" Azimuth grumbled to himself, cursing everything about life.

"Will you shut the fuck up, you're crying like a fucking foal! We're here suffering too..." Jet Stream said, bouncing slightly to adjust his armor.

"This is still some bullshit." Azimuth growled.

"And I'm agreeing with you. Now get your eyes open and keep lookin' around. We still don't know what the Guardians are planning but they could hit us at any second." Jet Stream sighed and looked at the buildings around him.

"Putting me on a fucking the day after I was just on one... Fucking bullshit..." Azimuth continued grumbling under his breath, but picked his head up and resumed scanning the area.

Up ahead, Lieutenant Carbon stood in the middle of the road, his fire teams split up on each side of the road. His nerves were beginning to be a problem as they marched further and further along into their patrol. They were just over halfway done with their patrol, and so far everything had been quiet. They hadn't seen anything all day, which bothered Carbon the most about this whole situation.

Normally, they would see the occasional civilian. Whether they be a child looking at them through a window or a merchant trying to sell their wares to anypony passing by. They hadn't seen anypony today. It was like the entire town had been deserted. Carbon could have sworn he had even seen a tumbleweed roll across the street.

The complete lack of any civilian activity made the city eerily quiet, The only sounds being the winds blowing between the buildings and the crunching of their hooves as they walked.

"Gold Eyes! Any sign of any IED's up there?" Carbon shouted to the unicorn acting as pointstallion.

"Not a Luna damned thing, Sir. All good up here." The unicorn replied.

Carbon let out a sigh. What thee fuck is going on? He thought to himself.

"Sir!" A voice called from his back left side, and Carbon turned to look. Midnight Blue was looking down an alley way on the left side of the patrol. "We've got movement! one of the locals is lookin' at me! It looks like he's wearing some-"

The loud report of a rifle echoed through the air, a puff of blood materializing on the back of the unicorn's neck as the round tore through his windpipe.

The Protectors stood frozen, watching as yet another round punched into Midnight Blue's armor, not penetrating but knocking the Protector to the ground. By the third round, everypony was moving. They hit the walls of the buildings next to the alley. A protector on each side popped around the corner, firing round after round towards the assailant while another unicorn pulled Midnight Blue to them with his telekinesis.

The unicorn began first aid while the rest of the patrol slammed into the walls directly adjacent to the alley, wary of any incoming fire.

The Protectors continued pouring on the fire. Their original assailant had been killed in the first volley, but several more had appeared, each attempting to get to the downed Guardian and claim his rifle.

"Where the fuck did they get a fucking rifle?!?" Wind Shear cried as he moved over to Midnight Blue and his would-be rescuer, ready to evac the wounded unicorn back to base.

The unicorn shook his head as Wind Shear approached. "He's already dead. Nothing we can do for him nUGH!"

He was interrupted by a round slamming into his armored side, knocking the wind out of him and throwing him to the ground. Wind Shear's eyes shot across the street to the balcony on the building across the street. There were at least four Guardians standing there, each with a rifle at their side and spraying randomly into the Protectors clustered against the wall.

The world was chaos. All around, Protectors were dropping. It took the patrol several agonizing seconds before they began returning fire on the Guardians, causing them to duck behind the mud wall of the balcony.

"Get out of the street! Suppressing fire on that balcony and get to cover! FUCKING MOVE!" Carbon shouted as he began laying down his own fire into the balcony, giving his Protectors time to get to safety.

"Fuck!" Azimuth shouted as he ran to cover. Alpha was pinned down, stuck dead center in an ambush. Bravo seemed to have lucked out, being outside the ambush zone. The Guardians apparently hadn't planned on the double-sized patrol today, and hadn't prepared for it. He looked over the short wall he was ducking behind.

There were at least seven Protectors on the ground, either dead or wounded. The rest were attempting to get out of the kill zone. Azimuthe raised his rifle and took a couple pot shots toward the balcony the Guardians were hiding on.

"Azimuth!" He heard Lieutenant Copper call from across the street. He ducked behind his cover and turned to look at the officer.

"Take your fire team and go around to the back of that house! Weapons free! Kill every mother fucker you see in that building! I Want it done fucking yesterday! Let's save Alpha!"

"Yes Sir! Fire team, on me!" Azimuth called, moving toward another alley that would take them to their objective. Jet Stream, Morning Mist and Birch Bark all moved to follow their fire team leader.

Together, the four of them made their way down the back alleys, moving at a smooth glide that gave them both caution and speed and maintained weapon stability. A single Guardian stood outside their objective, looking down another alley towards Alpha. He was dropped by a pair of rounds from Azimuth's PCR before he had even noticed the Protectors approaching.

They stepped over the body and made their way to the building's back door, forming two pony stacks on each side of the door.

Once, they were set, Azimuth gave a quick countdown.

"Three... Two... One... BREACHING BREACHING!" Azimuth shouted as he focused his magic.

A massive telekinetic blast smashed into the door, blowing the wood clean off it's hinges and throwing it into the room beyond. Splinters were still flying as the Protectors slid into the room. Three Guardians were put down as the Protectors entered, clearing the room just as they had practiced so many times.

"Room clear!" Morning Mist called as he settled into his position.

"Moving to the next room!" Azimuth said as he moved to another door. The stack was formed once more. Instead of blowing open the door, Azimuth instead grabbed the handle and opened it quietly.

The air filled with a guttural scream as a Guardian rushed at the door, a wooden club in his teeth. He expected the Protectors to flow through the door like they usually did and had prepared as such. He ran straight through the door, expecting to run into somepony. He tripped and fell face first onto the body of one of his companions. He groaned in pain and rolled over and looked toward the door he came through.

Four rifle barrels stared back at him. He was dead before he heard the shots.

"Room clear!" Morning Mist said after the four had moved into the next room.

"First floor clear!" Azimuth said quickly. There were no more doors, only a set of stairs leading up.

"Stairs... I fucking hate stairs. Can't clear em with these fucking PCR rigs." Jet Stream grumbled.

"I'll lead. Everypony on me." Azimuth said. He aimed up toward the top of the stairs and began slowly making his way to the second floor.

"Clear!" Azimuth said as he made it to the top of the stairs. The room was empty, meaning they only had to worry about the Guardians on the balcony. Rifles were still being fired outside. They needed to end this quickly.

Stacking up on the door, Azimuth once again waited for the rest of his team to get set.

Satisfied, he began his countdown.

"Three... Two... One..."

A sudden cacophony of PCR fire filled the air, causing Carbon to look over his small bit of cover at the balcony that had given them hell.

He let out a sigh of relief as clouds of pink mist sprayed out over the edges of the balcony wall.

Almost as quickly as it had started, the rifle fire ended. Carbon watched as Azimuth peeked over the wall of the balcony and gave a wave. The remaining Guardians had retreated.

Carbon stood and began surveying the scene. The air was loud, filled with the screams of the wounded.

Carbon was numb as he looked at his squad. He had come out with twelve Protectors. Eight of them were now lying on the ground. Only a couple of those were still moving.

Before he knew it, he was surrounded by members of Bravo. Copper's squad. The uninjured Protectors moved to begin triaging the wounded, seeing what needed to be done for who. The pegasi began removing their transport slings from their packs, preparing to transport the wounded back to Camp Hope.

Carbon just stood there, still in too much shock to think straight.

"YO! HEEELLLOOO??!?! EQUUS TO CARBON!" Copper shouted into Carbon's ear.

Carbon blinked and then shook himself, trying to regain at least some control. "I'm here." He said quietly.

"Good... Good." Copper said as he grit his teeth and looked around. "We need to get moving. This patrol is fucked. As soon as we can move the wounded, we need to airlift them back to base. We're down to just over fifty percent of our stallionpower, which means we need to get our asses back to base before that number shrinks any more."

"Agreed." Carbon was still numb, but he began moving to assist with the wounded.

The Protectors sat together in the chow hall of Camp Hope, waiting for the docs to finish doing what they could for the wounded. Every Protector was there, comforting one another in by far the hardest time they've had since arriving in Saddle Arabia.

Four had already died. Midnight Blue, Evening Wind, Jade, and Rising Flame. Four more were in critical condition and were still in surgery.

Nopony was eating. All of them felt the pain of todays losses. They lost brothers on this day.

"Ahem..." The Protectors turned their heads. Standing at the entrance of the chow hall was Captain Steadfast, all dressed up in his fancy armor.

"Carbon, Copper... I would like to address your Protectors." The Captain said.

"You're the OIC. We wouldn't be able to stop you anyway." Carbon said gravely before turning his attention back to the table he was sitting at. Copper stared daggers at Steadfast. Nopony was ready for his shit.

The Captain puffed out his chest and made his way to the front of the tent where the group of Protectors sat.

Steadfast cleared his throat before speaking. "Getnlecolts, gentlecolts. Quite the day today. I just wanted to say that in spite of your failure today, I am proud of what you have accomplished."

The silence was deafening.

"We now know what the Guardians are willing to do. Thanks to your sacrifices today, we know more about how to handle them in the future. And we know for sure that the Guardians do not make idle threats."

"Sir?" Wind Shear, one of the last members of Alpha, spoke up. "What do you mean 'idle threats'?"

"Oh... You remember when the patrol was stopped yesterday? Yeah, they told us that they were going to do something big today if we sent out a patrol. Guess we know what they meant now."

"You're telling me... You knew they were going to attack... And you just sent us out here anyway? Without any intel or reconnaissance? Without any kind of field support? Just us and our rifles." Wind Shear was seething.

"Yes... Yes I did." Captain Steadfast growled. "If you think I'm sending out my Guards as support, you're sorely mistaken. I can't risk our medics. and our recon Guards are too valuable to send out for something as trivial as this. You did your job of being bullet sponges just fine."

"YOU SON OF A BITCH!" Wind Shear screamed as he lunged through the air, making a bee line straight at the Captain.

Before he could make it to the officer, an emerald blur shot out and intercepted the raging pegasus and slamming him to the ground.

"Easy, brother. He's not fuckin' worth it." Jet Stream said calmly as he held Wind Shear to the ground.

"LET ME GO! I'LL RIP HIS FUCKING HEAD OFF!" Wind Shear screamed.

"Quick thinking, Prot." Steadfast quipped, still wide eyed and slightly panicked.

"DON'T YOU FUCKING THINK FOR A SECOND THAT I DID THIS FOR YOU!" Jet Stream shouted. "This stallion is too good a soldier to be kicked out for murdering an officer. If I thought he could get away with it, i'd let him have you."

Every Protector in the tent cheered in agreement.

"Wha... But... I..." Steadfast stammered. "This insubordination will not be tolerated! Lieutenant Carbon! Lieutenant Copper! I demand that every one of these Protectors be punished!"

"You dug your own fucking grave!" Copper shouted over the yelling around him. "Now dig yourself out!"

"I... I can't believe this." Steadfast nervously looked around the tent, his eyes moving rapidly. Sweat was running over his face from under his helmet.

Suddenly, his gaze was drawn to the center aisle of the tent, and impossibly his eyes grew wider. His mouth moved, though nopony heard what he said.

"AT EASE!"

The silence came instantly.

The voice came from the back of the chow hall. A familiar voice. One that still struck fear into each and every one of the enlisted Protectors, and hope into the officers.

Every single eye turned to the source of the voice. Captain Sinder was moving at a brisk walk. He had already made it halfway to the front. His movements were tense, his fingers were clenched into tight fists, and his face was a mask that, if a recruit had ever seen it, knew it meant only one thing.

Jason was FUCKING PISSED!

"C-C... Captain Sinder!" Steadfast sputtered. "I demand that you reign in your Protectors AT ONCE! They are out of line!"

Jason remained silent as he stormed up to Captain Steadfast. Without any warning, Jason reached out and ripped the helmet from Steadfast's head.

"What in Tartarus do you think yo-" Steadfast began.

Before he had a chance to finish, a single human fist smashed into his face, directly above his eye. The force of the blow nearly crushing the Guard into the ground.

Steadfast groaned from his place on the ground. The Protectors stared on in silence as their Captain stared down on the pathetic creature in front of him.

"Twenty minutes..." Jason said quietly. " I have been here for twenty minutes, and already I hear about the pure depth of your incompetence. Over a period of almost four months, we have taken nine casualties. In one day... ONE FUCKING DAY... You have doubled that number. Your stupidity has hurt our cause here in more ways than you can possibly know, and you... You sorry sack of shit... You're too fucking stupid to even know you're doing something fucking wrong. You have failed. Both as a Guard, and as a pony!"

Steadfast stared up at the human who towered over him. His eye was already beginning to swell shut. "I... But I-"

"YOU STAND RELIEVED! I will be taking full authority over Equestria's operations in Saddle Arabia, including command of the Protectors as well as the Guard. You are to return to Equestria, where the Princesses will determine your punishment."

Captain Steadfast swallowed quickly. "Under whose authority do you take command? You can't tell me what to do! WE'RE THE SAME RANK!"

The kick could be felt by the sentry at the gate.

"LOOK AGAIN WORM! LAST I CHECKED, AN OAK LEAF OUTRANKS A SHIELD!"

"Y-y-you...." Steadfast attempted before groaning in pain.

"I swear to fucking Luna, if the next words out of your mouth are anything but 'Aye Aye, Major', you're going to be going to the Princesses with more tubes coming out of you than you have legs."

"I...I..." Steadfast looked at Jason pleadingly. The cold he received in return broke his resolve quickly.

"Aye Aye, Sir."

"Good!" Jason turned to the end of the chow hall. "GUARDS!" He shouted.

Three Guards, wearing full armor, filed in within just a couple of seconds and made their way to Major Sinder. They came to attention before him and saluted.

Returning the salute quickly, Jason put them both at ease. "Good evening gents. I need you to escort the good Captain here to the carriage bound for Equestria. He is taking it back."

The Guard nodded. "Aye Aye, Sir! It will be done.

"Ah," Jason added. "Don't mind his injuries, he tripped over a chair on the way in."

The Guard smirked. "I wasn't even going to ask, Sir. Welcome to Camp Hope. Maybe now we can live up to the name."

Jason nodded quickly and dismissed the Guards. After a quick exchange of salutes, he watched as Captain Steadfast was dragged from the chow hall and into the night.

Letting out a quick sigh, Jason finally turned his attention to his Protectors.

"Good evening, gents... Did you miss me?"

The response from his stallions could be heard all the way back in Ponyville.

Author's Note

Oh My GOD! I'M STILL ALIVE!

Alright, first thing's first. No, I did not get selected for MARSOC. I tried my damndest, I promise you that. But the competition was unbelievable and I just wasn't good enough.

On top of that, I have been having some medical issues lately in regards to my leg. It's been two and a half months and I am still suffering from constant pain. Physical therapy has done nothing, meds have done nothing, and we still don't even know exactly what's wrong. This of course has put any attempts at joining the special forces on hold, and has even put my future in the Marines in question.

As you can imagine, i've been a little stressed out and unmotivated.

I was able to push through a bit and get this chapter done. (FINALLY!) I apologize in advance for any typos or grammar issues. If you see any, please feel free to point them out.

Thank you to everyone who has stuck with me! You guys are awesome!