(Disturbing Themes ahead. Just a little warning.)

I've seen many strange things in my life and have been in stranger situations. What that boy and his sister has seen Azarov and I encountered in the Enigma Forests years earlier made mine look like child's play. Can't believe they've survived and aren't even traumatized, but actually grew stronger from it. I probably would've attempted to shoot myself if I was in their shoes.
-Entry from the Journal of Emperor Maximilian Vorenus VII

1 Day Later

Deep within the Rebel's Tunnel Systems

Mayor Mare

Equestrian Civilian/Politician

*GASP*

Mayor Mare woke up with a gasp. She had a bad dream where some of her childhood monsters chased after her.

She looked around and felt some kind of metal contraption around her head. Mare was sitting on a wooden chair and glanced around the dark room.

The Earth Pony gasped when she saw the naked body of a pegasus royal guard laying not far from her. It was then did she feel cold air throughout the entire body and noticed she was naked as well.

"Hello Mayor Mare."

She heard a distorted voice echo in the room.

"You don't know me but I know you. Here's what happens if you lose. The device you are wearing is hooked into your upper and lower jaw. When the timer in the back goes off, your mouth will be permanently ripped open. Think of it like a reverse bear trap. Here, I'll show-"

Mare heard a heavy metal door click open.

"What are you doing?" The distorted voice said.

"No no no dammit Jigsaw. We need them alive and in one piece." Another voice said, a normal one this time.

A Human stepped out of the darkness, but he didn't look like a normal Rebel. The dark skinned Human wore full black military gear and was smoking a cigar.

She then saw the wall above whatever door he came from light up.

A window? She thought. She could only see a dark figure looking down on them.

"Fine then. Have it your way. Let me know when you want someone in pieces." The figure said before walking away.

The dark skinned Human walked up to her and took out a key.

"Sorry bout that. Jigsaw can get out of hand now and then." He said as he unlocked the device on her head.

Mare got up but stared at the body on the floor.

The Human noticed as well before smiling.

"Ah, don't worry about him. He's alive, just temporarily paralyzed. He'll be okay. Tetrodotoxin is a favorite of Jigsaw's. Keeps his victims from struggling when he feels like not putting them in death traps. I've already called for medics to get him."

Mare covered her breasts and her nether region.

"Ca-can I get some clothes?" She asked.

The Human shook his head.

"Sorry, we can't take any chances. Oh and um, sorry about this too." He said before taking out a burlap sack and covering her head.

She struggled but was held by the Human.

"I'm not going to rape you. Calm down, none of us here are like this." She felt him lead her out the door.

The ground felt like it was made of stone but it was smooth. She has no idea where he was leading her but she felt many voices as they walked.

"Five Credits. Next Super Bowl is Eagles vs Patriots." She heard someone say.

"Yo I want a rematch. Seahawks vs Steelers. Eagles gonna choke and Tom Brady is gonna get hit by the Madden Curse."

She then heard another set of voices.

"Raiden Wins! Fatality!"

"No fuck you. Spamming bitch."

"Hahahahaha, get good noob."

Mare then heard something like radio chatter.

"Alpha 1-2 is not responding. Send someone over to make sure their radios are working. How copy?"

"Solid copy. Sending Vinson and Lambert. Butcher 7 out."

The voices died down before she heard the Human open a door and shoved her in. She heard another group of voices.

"Alright alright alright, settle down. Let Smoke read the cards."

"Here goes. I will construct a great wall and WWWWWWWAAAAAAALLLLLLUUUUUUIIIIIIIIGGGGGGGGIIIIIII will pay for it."

She heard laughter.

"Next one. I will construct a great wall and Kaiba being touched by poor people will pay for it."

"I'll construct that wall as long as you get these poor people away from me." She hard someone said in a weird voice.

Mayor Mare felt the Human pull up the burlap sack before shoving her into a giant cage. Inside the cage were Royal Guards and civilians she recognized from Ponyville. Just like her, they were all stripped of their clothing. All of the unicorns had duct tape around their horns. From the shape of it, it looked like the Humans duct taped Inhibitor Rings to their horns.

She looked around the room to see more cages full of ponies. There were many Humans walking around, chatting, or keeping their eyes on the ponies. Most of them were the usual Rebel Human with the occasional pony with them. However, there were some black uniformed Humans just like the one that escorted her and they would occasionally glare at the ponies who are with the Rebels. There were five of them seated around a table, playing some kind of card game.

On the other side of the room, there was one teaching a Rebel some fighting moves and another seems to be telling a story to a group of Rebels.

"Meet your cellmates. Stay comfortable and try not doing anything stupid Madam Mayor." The dark skinned Human said.

As he started walking to the door, one of the Humans playing the card game called him.

"Wanna join us sir? We've got room for one more."

The Human opened the door. "Nah, lunch is in an hour and I'm gonna rest after. Keep an eye on the prisoners."

"Yes sir, whatever you say." He said before turning back to the card game.

Mayor Mare looked around at her cellmates. Some of them were Royal Guards, but she recognized Cheerilee, Noteworthy, Octavia, Vinyl Scratch, and Nurse Redheart.

"Mayor? Are you alright? They didn't hurt you did they?" Nurse Redheart said.

"I'm...I'm alright. One of the Humans put me in some kind of device in a room but another ordered whoever he or she is to back off. There was a paralyzed Royal Guard in the room with me but that Human said he's alright and their medics will check him."

"I don't trust their medics. As far as I know, they're all amateurs. I saw them carry Bulk Biceps away. Heard he got shot in the throat. Poor guy."

They all perked up to see another black uniformed soldier walk in wearing medical gloves, a balaclava, and black helmet.

"Yo Doc, is that Steroids pony gonna be ok?" A Human playing the card game yelled.

"Yeah, got room for one more? I haven't played in a while." He said as he took a seat. The Human had an old Prench accent.

Nurse Redheart got up to the bars and yelled at the Human Doctor.

"Will Bulk Biceps be okay?"

The Human rose his eyebrow. "Who?"

"The big muscular pegasus." She said.

From behind his mask, Mayor Mare could tell the Doctor was smirking.

"Oh you mean that guy. Yeah he'll live. It's a miracle that none of his arteries were severed and we stopped the bleeding in time. He'll be in bed for a very long time. His Larynx was completely destroyed. Poor guy won't be able to talk ever again."

Redheart muttered to herself before sitting on the floor. Mare could see the nurse started tearing up.

Sergeant Paul "Bishop" McCormick

Motor Pool Entrance

Legionnaires

Bishop checked his DMR-3 while sitting on the hood of a Nomad. Other Legionnaires were checking the vehicles for maintenance or were guarding the room.

"Hey Bishop!" He heard someone yell.

Bishop turned to see Priest walking out of a door between a Crocodile and a Vulcan with a familiar Rebel in tow.

"Aw Christ." He muttered.

"I think you know who Jack is right?" Priest said, pointing at Jack.

"Yeah I do. What's going on?"

"Well Warlord and the other LTs saw how bad the Rebels fought and thought we should train them. Jackie here got permission to be directly trained by you."

Bishop looked at the Oceanian soldier in disbelief.

"Are you fucking serious?"

Priest just smiled. "As serious as I can be. He's all yours Bishop."

"Priest wait!" He yelled but Priest ignored him and just walked away.

The Britannican facepalmed before looking at Jack.

"So um, can you teach me?" Jack said nervously.

Bishop stared at Jack, almost angerly. "Yeah sure. I'm about to go hunting for our cooking staff. Follow me and do whatever I say, got it?"

"Yes sir. Anything you say." Jack said as he brought up his rifle with anticipation. He then took off towards the entrance before stopping, realizing he forgot something. "Um, where exactly are we going?" He said turning around.

Once again, Bishop facepalmed. "This kid's gonna get himself killed." He muttered.

Applejack

Refugee Center, Canterlot, Equestria

Equestrian Civilian/Element of Honesty

Applejack pushed herself through the crowd of ponies from Ponyville. She wanted to see her family, to make sure they're okay and comfort them.

Along the way, she saw many familiar ponies. The Cakes along with Pinkie Pie were trying to calm the Cake twins down, the Flower Trio were still in full panic mode, and Filthy Rich was doing his best to calm down his wife who was complaining about their lost possessions.

All she cared now is for her family. Nothing else mattered to her.

Finally, she found Big Mac laying on the floor and Granny Smith sitting near him, but her heart skipped a beat when she couldn't find Applebloom.

Big Mac was being treated by a nurse for a wound on his shoulder. The big earth pony winced as the nurse bandaged his wound. He turned his head to see Applejack walking up to him.

"Where's Applebloom?" She said.

Granny Smith looked down while Big Mac looked at her sadly.

"I couldn't find her anywhere. We searched but we had to run when the Rebels attacked. I asked some Guards to look around here for her, but they said they couldn't find her. They said she must've been left behind." He said tearing up.

Applejack covered her mouth as tears start streaming from her head. She hugged her brother as she cried, while praying her little sister was alright.

Ponyville, Equestria

Spike

Equestrian Civilian/Assistant to Princess Twilight Sparkle

"Are they all gone?" He heard Scootaloo say.

"Let me check." Spike said. He stood up and opened the hatch to their little hidey hole. All Spike saw was burnt crops and the rubble of Sweet Apple Acres. Not far from them were two bodies of Royal Guards.

"It's all clear, but um, be prepared, it's a little disturbing." He said as he got out of the hole. Spike used to be that one pudgy and small dragon others liked to tease. He took it as a challenge and started working out. Beneath his grey hoodie and black jeans, the dragon was hiding some muscles he developed over the years.

The Cutie Mark Crusaders followed suit and Applebloom gasped as she saw the surroundings. Her friends comforted her as she cried.

The trio grew up from the obnoxious adventurers they used to be. Years of working the farm helped Applebloom develop som muscles while Scootaloo developed her own from working out with Rainbow Dash. Sweetie Belle hardly had any muscles showing, but they all knew she could fight as evident from that one drunk pony that got hospitalized after he got frisky when he approached Sweetie Belle.

Spike grimaced as he watched Applebloom cry.

"Come on, we can't stay here. We need to head to the tunnels in the castle." Spike said.

Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle were still hugging their friend when Scootaloo responded to him.

"You lead the way."

15 Minutes Later

Castle of Friendship, Ponyville, Equestria

The group walked through the ruined halls of the Castle of Friendship. Despite still standing tall, the Castle was completely battered.

Spike was sad, but angry as well. They walked passed many corpses of Royal Guards, many of them in pieces or burned. The rooms they passed were all completely destroyed or ransacked.

The group finally came upon the throne room, its doors blown off.

"Hope the others made it out okay." Spike muttered.

The thrones, while pieces of it were chipped off, was mostly intact. Above them, the flag of Equestria hanged riddled with holes.

Spike walked towards the throne, putting his claw on each of them as he passed them.

"So what now?" Sweetie Belle said.

The Dragon finally came upon his throne, one that is smaller than the rest. He put his claw on the center where a cutie mark would've been. A green glow outlined his claw, before they all heard machinery activate around them.

The CMC huddled close together as the floor around the thrones collapsed into stairs. They peered down, the spiral stairs.

"Why does it have to be stairs?" Scootaloo complained.

Spike merely walked past them. "Tunnels lead straight to Lower Canterlot. Come on, we've got a long journey ahead of us."

Beria Estate, Agartha, United Terran Empire

Deputy Director Antonio Beria

Bethea watched as one of his bodyguards punched a woman on the face in the basement of his mansion. She was caught trying to escape.

"You think you could escape from us? Huh?" He punched her bloody face again. "Did you?"

"Please I just want to go home. I have kids. Please!" The naked woman begged.

Around the basement, there were other people, bare of clothing, imprisoned in cages, even some children.

"Oh we're going after your kids next bitch. I bet your daughter will feel real good during a good fucking." He said as he punched her again.

Many of the imprisoned Humans did no react. Beria made sure many of them were broken.

"Please! She's only seven!" She yelled.

"Oh that's even better." The man said as he punched her again.

Beria decided to step in.

"Alright, that's enough. Customers won't be buying her after that beating." He said as he pulled out his pistol.

The woman begged for mercy. "Wait ple-"

She didn't get to finish that sentence as Beria shot her on the head.

"Bury her body." He said as he left the room.

After climbing up the stairs, he opened the basement door to reveal the inside of a lavish mansion.

Sitting on a sofa and smoking a cigarette while watching a basketball game on Beria's flat screen TV was General Christopher Russell.

Beria chose to sit next to him.

"So how goes everything?" he asked.

"Mostly good." The Britannican General said. "I got pilots who know how to fly Gigants for us, and the 4th Infantry Division has sworn complete loyalty to us. Jammers are in place as well, but I was not able to acquire any heavy armor. Got plenty of anti-air and anti-rockets however."

"More than enough." Beria said. "Just...make sure you don't fuck up like Generals Edgar Ross and Ignacio Sanchez. All the idiots had to do was to throw their rivalry aside and stop terrorizing the civvies. Of course, the imbeciles had to ignore my orders."

Russell chuckled. "Trust me, I'm not an idiot like them. I see the bigger picture."

Upper Canterlot, Equestria

Prince Zaffre Blueblood

Equestrian Civilian/ Noble

"...and furthermore my fellow Nobles. This bill is preposterous! We have seen the destruction the Rebels have inflicted on the military bases in the Everfree and the raid on Ponyville. Creating breeding farms for Humans will only anger them further, making them conduct daring and destructive attacks. Have we not learned from our mistakes? Many of our fellow ponies have suffered because of our ignorance and our refusal to join the rest of the world in giving Humans freedom like any other sentient species. The Crystal Empire have taken steps and look at them now. They have the lowest crime rate, the most educated population, and the happiest population. They have Humans in their police force and even have Humans in Princess Cadence's and Prince Shining Armor's Council. Their court painter is a Human. Their personal chef is a Human. Two members of their Board of Education are Human. We should be following their example. I stand before all of you not as a Noble, but as a decent pony who believes everypony should be treated equally. This bill is an affront to everything Equestria was founded upon. This bill must not pass!"

Blueblood stood before the many members of the Nobility Council.

He said it, he said what he wanted. Granted, he will probably make more enemies, but he smiled when he heard a few claps from some councilmembers.

Thirty Minutes Later

"I must say Blueblood, that was an excellent speech."

"Yeah, but it wasn't enough." Blueblood said disappointingly.

Lord Fancy Pants stopped Blueblood as they walked out of the Council Building.

"Now now, just remember, even the tiniest of sparks can ignite the biggest flames. We still have a chance to turn this country around before it's torn apart both from the inside and the outside." Fancy Pants said.

"I'm just worried our time may be running out. One of these days, a fellow Noble will grow a pair and order a hit on us. Perhaps to even Princess Cadence and Princess Sparkle."

Fancy Pants leaned in to whisper to Blueblood's ear.

"It's your father correct? Shaw already contacted me. He has someone at the ready to do something about your father and he said he has someone ready to protect Princess Sparkle, but he said he lost contact with him a while ago. You think you can find out?"

Blueblood nodded. "Of course, but Shaw has a lot to explain for Ponyville."

"And another thing. He said he was not the one who ordered the attacks. There's been a change of leadership, led by someone they call, "The Warlord". Surrounds himself by a group of "elite" Humans. If you ever come in contact with them, I advise to tread carefully. Shaw said they're hungry for blood."

Blueblood sighed. "Very well. I must head home now to rest. Haven't slept since yesterday."

Fancy Pants smiled. "Alright, but at least tell Annabelle that I said hello."

The Prince smiled. "Of course, until next time." He said as he straightened his tie and walked towards his waiting limousine.

10 Minutes Later

The Blueblood mansion, the lavish home of the famous Prince Blueblood. Made of marble and with gardens surrounding the mansion, it was a beautiful work of art. Blueblood made sure he got the best architects to build his house, all just so he could get away from his insufferable father.

He always had mares coming after him to seduce him, usually the daughters of other Noble families. After all, he was known to be single.

However, only a few people knew his heart belonged to someone else.

"Annabelle I'm home!" Blueblood announced as he walked into his door. There were no servants around as he gave them all a day off twice a week.

On the couch watching a television news network was a woman with tanned skin, brown hair, and a white sundress. She jumped at the sound of his voice and quickly ran up to him to hug him.

"Your speech was amazing Blue!" She said as she kissed him on the cheeks. They married in secret, when they vacationed at one of Fancy Pants' private islands. Only Fancy Pants, Fleur de Lis, and a few select others were there to witness it.

"Yeah, but it was ineffective." He said.

"Aw, don't be so sad. Come on, I learned a new recipe we can make together. I think you'll like it." Annabelle said as she dragged him to the kitchen.

Lieutenant Lee "Wizard" Stanford

Real Name: Data Not Available

Rebel Barracks, Everfree Forest, Equestria

Legionnaire

Wizard sat on a desk writing his journal, alone in the room. There were two empty bunk beds on the other side of the room. His roommates left to explore the tunnel system.

The brown haired man with light skin wore a black t-shirt, black pants, and black combat boots.

His AR-17 sat on the desk along with three 90-round Drum Magazines. A new rifle created by Nikonov Arms, one of the biggest firearms makers in the UTE.

The AR-17 with its Counterbalance Recoil System caught the eye of many Imperial Commanders and even the Emperor himself. There's been talks of using the AR-17 as the main firearm for the Imperial Ground Forces. So far, other arm manufacturers such as Gusenberg & Sons have not made a response to the AR-17.

Wizard liked the AR-17, using it when Legionnaires, Sea Wolves teams, and some Arditis cleared out the Knights of Britannica, an Insurrectionist Group hiding in the Enigma Forest in the Britannican Northwest, massacring six hundred plus Insurrectionists.

He was glad to take part in the operation. The Insurrectionists were too close to his second home, too close to his family.

The Britannican was glued to his journal and every day, he would write something, a habit he picked up when he was younger.

...it was fairly easy. They were not prepared at all for an attack, but the Rebels still blundered. We however, took none. As for the Everfree Forest, it reminds me too much of the Enigma Forest. From what I heard, the Everfree contains many dangerous and magical creatures. Heh, that sounds like paradise. Doesn't feel the same however without my family, my sister, and even my girlfriend. We've been dating for a while now and have known each other for even longer. As soon as I get back, I'm going to propose to her regardless of what her parents say. But still though, I miss home, both my first and second home. Now I gotta think of where I'm going to propose to her. The lake maybe? Pa-

*Knock Knock*

Wizard quickly closed his journal.

"Come in." He said.

He heard the door open and saw Sergeant Amir "Komodo" Wibowo, one of his roommates. The dark skinned, Oceanian Sergeant was wearing black pants, black boots, and a jacket.

"Yo LT, lunch is ready. Wanna come with?"

Wizard shrugged. "Sure, why not."

He put on his baseball cap and walked with the Sergeant down the hallway towards the Mess Hall.

"Hey, I heard Happy's making a mural for the Diamond Dogs." said Komodo.

Wizard raised an eyebrow. "What for?"

"Well, we gotta thank the Diamond Dogs for making all this for us somehow. Mighty generous of them."

Wiz chuckled while shaking his head. "You guys love to joke about the dead huh? Want me to try and contact their spirits to see how they feel?"

"Probably, you are the Paranormal Expert out of all of us anyway."

They came upon the mess hall which was mostly full with a short line.

"I thought we were going to save up on the food supply we brought." Wiz said picking up a tray.

"Eh, Warlord said they will be used only for special occasions and for emergency. From here on out, we'll be surviving off of the wildlife here. He's already sent some guys to hunt for meat." Komodo answered.

Komodo whistled as he saw the food available to them.

"Goddamn we feasting tonight." The Oceanian said.

Wizard said nothing as he loaded a plate of Mac & Cheese, Pasta Alfredo, a Molten Chocolate Lava Cake, and two cans of soda. He saw that Komodo was looking at his food.

"I haven't eaten anything good since Happy's birthday a few days ago."

"Ah that explains it. Oi Chef! You think you can make something for me?" Komodo said as he fist bumped a smiling Chef.

"You got it. Gotta make this moment last eh?"

Wizard didn't hear the rest of their conversation as he walked to a table and sat down.

On the table with him was Private Andre "Rainbow" Orakpo, an Afrikan that earned the nickname from being one of their best basketball players, Private Stephen "Shark" Mako, a Western Britannican who had a passion for biology, Corporal Elizabeth "Kahlo" Hernandez, a Hispanic who had a talent for drawing tattoos, Sergeant Filipov "Bear" Aleskeevich, a Belkan who was born into a mafia family, and Corporal Yi "Cosmo" Bao who's father was a known astronomer.

"So how's everything?" Wiz said as he put a spoonful of Mac & Cheese in his mouth.

Rainbow decided to speak up.

"Eh just some small talk. Sports, future plans, and who we got waiting for us back home. Shark here has a boyfriend waiting for him back home. You never told me Sharky, which one of you likes to take it up the ass?"

"Fuck off, that's private." Shark said.

"Alright alright. Anyways, Kahlo has a boyfriend who's a flyboy, Bear has a wife waiting for him and is expect a child so congrats again big guy."

The Belkan gave him a thumbs up as he chewed on a piece of steak.

"Cosmo here has a girlfriend who's a high school teacher, and my girlfriend just got a job working for EA DICE. So how bout you LT?"

The group stared at Wizard as he drank from a soda can.

"Come on man, don't be shy." Cosmo said.

"Alright fine." Wizard relented. "I do have a girlfriend waiting for me who I want to propose to as soon as I get back."

"Aww that's sweet." said Kahlo.

"Yeah, but her parents don't like the idea of her marrying a commoner." Wizard said.

"Commoner? You mean she's a noble?" Bear asked.

Wizard laughed. "Her parents wished they were nobles. No, they're just rich but act like they're nobles. Bunch of assholes really."

"Ey don't worry. If I learned anything from all those cheesy movies is that love always wins. Think about it. If you marry her, you'll inherit...wait. Is she an only child?" Rainbow asked.

"Eyyup."

"So you'll inherit the fortune then. Simple as that."

"I'm not marrying her for the fortune Rainbow."

"Yeah well it's a just a bonus. You gotta be retarded to turn it down." Rainbow said as he took a bite from his plate of spaghetti. "She must've had an easy life."

"Don't talk with your mouth full." Shark said.

"Well gee, sorry dad."

"Just because she's rich, doesn't mean she had an easy life." Wizard said.

"Oh? Do tell" Cosmo said taking a bite from his salad.

"Her parents, like I said, act like they're nobles. They want her to be just like them. She takes one wrong step, that's a slap to the face. She can't eat fast food like us commoners, she can't hang out with commoners, everything she does must be high class. Pfff, the first time I met her, she was an asshole to me and my sister. Down the road, ehhh my sister and I eventually found out the kind of life she has. Long story short, she needed my help with something, I obliged, and we hit it off from there. Became good friends for a while before we started dating. Her parents of course, didn't approve it, but she's an adult now, what can they do?"

It was at that moment Komodo ran in and sat next to Wizard.

"You didn't get anything?" Wizard asked.

"Nah, just waiting for my order. By the way Sharky, I won the bet. That steroid pony's gonna live. Pay up."

Shark took out a box of cigarettes from his back pocket.

"Smell my ass."

Komodo rubbed his hands together before opening it, but realized they weren't the usual cigarettes.

"Sharky what's this?" He said as he took one out.

"It's a cigarette."

Komodo sniffed it. "This ain't no cigarette. This is cigaweed. Man why the fuck do you have this? I'm dying for a cigarette man."

"Fine you caught me red handed. I'll throw this shit to Canterlot, see if the princess get high so we could win this war faster."

Rainbow took one of the cigarettes and sniffed it. "Man this is some good quality shit right here."

"How can you tell?" Cosmo asked.

"My momma was a drug addict, my daddy was a drug dealer, and two of my older brothers followed his footsteps. Both of my sisters tried it but quit it and my last brother's clean as a whistle. Me, I stopped that shit after high school. Also, we were raised in the hood. N**** what do you expect?"

"Well gee. Didn't think it was a big deal." Cosmo said.

"Yeah well my dad got busted by the cops and one of my two drug dealing brothers went full retard and tried to mess with the Gambetti Crime Family. Just glad that old fool Jon Gravelli spared his dumbass."

"Can we go back to Wiz's girlfriend?" Kahlo pleaded.

Komodo was confused. "What's this about LT's girlfriend?"

They were interrupted by a yell. "One Ketoprak and a slice of Tiramisu for one Oceanian faggot!"

"Fuck you." Komodo yelled at a grinning chef. He turned to the group before walking away. "I'll be right back."

"You didn't even tell us her name Wiz." Kahlo said as she stared into Wiz's eyes. By this time, Wizard has already finished his food and had one can of soda left.

"Her name's Pa-"

"Wizard!" He was interrupted by a yell.

Wizard turned to see Beastmaster, aka Batista, walking towards him.

"Come on, you gotta see this."

Wizard got up, taking his last can of soda, and left the mess hall with Batista.

"Aw, he didn't get to tell us." Kahlo said sadly.

Komodo came back with his food but realized Wizard was gone.

"Um, where's Wiz?"

15 Minutes Later

"It's a cockatrice." Wizard said, arms crossed as he stared at the dead body in the motor pool.

"Yeah we established that, but is it edible?" Batista said.

"Well, I did pick up a biology book about the animals of Equestria, but I haven't read it yet. I'll check on it."

"By the way, did you hear about the zebra Coyote and Smokey found in the rubble in Ponyville?" Batista asked.

Wizard rose an eyebrow. "No, haven't heard of it."

"Yeah well they found a Zebra. She was killed by falling rubble during the bombardment."

"Shit, if the Zebras find out-"

"They won't. We buried the body in the woods."

Wizard pinched his nose. "Things just keep getting weirder."

Imperial Palace, Agartha, United Terran Empire

Emperor Maximilian Vorenus

From the balcony of his bedroom, Vorenus stared at the bustling city of Agartha. It was a magnificent sight indeed, one every Emperor before him wake up to.

Occasionally, Vorenus would take some guards and walk the streets to talk to people. Sometimes, he would stop by some restaurants and stores with his kids. Other times, his wife would go with him and he would stay to do some work.

Vorenus was jealous. He wished to walk among the streets like normal people. No armed guards, no worries of his duties as the Emperor, just a regular guy enjoying his life.

He wondered what he could've been if he wasn't part of the Royal Family. Vorenus loved history, he could be a teacher. His mother encouraged him to learn how to play music so he learned how to play the piano, the Alto and Tenor Saxophones, and the guitar so musician would be an option. What most don't know is that Vorenus loved to cook as well, a skill his mother taught himself and his sister when they were kids.

Sometimes, he would order the cooking staff to not interfere and he would cook his own food. Whenever it was the middle of the night and the cooking staff have already gone home, he would go to the kitchen to make something himself to appease to his late-night cravings.

His sister did the same as well.

A tear formed in his eye.

He missed her. He missed his parents and his sister.

To him, the rest of his family did not matter. They didn't like his parents anyway.

His real family was his parents, his older sister, and their dog. Now, he's the last remaining member.

Vorenus heard the sounds of electricity behind him before it stopped.

"You're late." He said.

"Sorry bout that. I had some errands to run." A voice said behind him.

Vorenus turned around and before him stood an old man wearing a trench coat, a red turtle neck sweater, black pants, boots, and cracked glasses.

"So what do you want Sixer?" He said crossing his arms.

"The vial and the journal."

Vorenus sighed. He took out a vial with green liquid from his pocket and took out a box from a drawer.

"I had to pull some favors to get it." Vorenus said referring to the vial. "It can be duplicated. A man of your talents should have no problem. As for the journal, I was about ready to throw it into the ocean. Azarov and Steiner would kill to get their hands on it."

"Very well. If things go according to plan, we won't have to worry about him anymore."

Vorenus glared at Sixer. "You and I both know nothing ever goes according to plan. You promised to permanently kill him years ago. Now, he's still getting stronger."

"Yeah yeah, I had the same conversation Mr. Methemoglobinemia."

Vorenus raised an eyebrow. "Wow, all these years, you still suck at nicknames. Could at least call him Blue Guy or That One Alien or even Grand Admiral. Better than that nickname you gave him."

"Whatever. One last thing though, can you recall my nephew? I need him to be ready if things go down sooner than expected."

The Emperor shook his head. "Impossible, he's in Equestria."

The Old Man's mouth was wide open.

"What? What the hell is he doing there?"

"Conducting a mission with the Legionnaires."

Sixer raised his index finger but Vorenus stopped him.

"He volunteered. He knows what he's getting into and no matter how much I try to convince him to change his mind, he wanted to go with them."

Sixer glared at him. "Fine, but if he dies, it's on you."

"Oh please, have some faith in him."

"I do, but I still worry about him." Sixer said as he turned around. He took out a device, pushed a button, and a blue portal opened in front of him.

"You let me worry about him, and you keep your promise. My family worked hard to build this Empire and I'll be damned if some Discord wannabe ruins it."

"Yeah yeah whatever. Till next time Max." Sixer said as he stepped into the portal before it disappeared.

Vorenus rubbed his temple. "I'm gonna need something stronger than whiskey."

Author's Note

Bam, I ain't gonna wait months to update this time.

I've already connected this story with The New Mentor so its readers should spot the connection right away.

References, references everywhere. How many can you guys spot?

Btw, I'm sorry if I make any mistakes for military terms, I'm not in the military. Hell, I'm not even sure if I got the picture of the AK-107 with the drum mag right.