Squad up!

Chapters

In a New World with New Bodies (Edited)
A Good View and Decisions
Meeting a Diarchy and Watching a Wedding
Engage the Wedding!!!
Questions, and Answers
The Guard in the Hall
Heated Metal and Black Snow
The Struggling Purple, The Dripping Red, and The Calming Green ( pt.1 )
The Struggling Purple, The Dripping Red, and The Calming Green ( pt.2 )
Patched up, but not Fully Healed
Trains and Talks
Newcomers
Late Nights and Bright Lights don't Mix (Edited)

In a New World with New Bodies (Edited)

Within the darkness, a dull pain hit Kevin's body. It caused him to wince as he grunted. his face contorted into pain as he shifted. Where was he? On the floor of his room? No, it did not feel like that. He felt his mind and body swirl like he was trapped in a storm. It had started to die down as his senses returned. He shifted a little in the darkness, and felt that he was laying on some kind of surface. His hands softly brushed against the uneven ground, little parts of whatever he was laying on broke away as he dragged his fingers. It felt like dirt to him, as his eyes slowly began to open. The blurred vision of his clouded his mind, before it started to become clear. He laid on his back, as he stared up at the night sky. There seemed to be trees where he was, as they blocked some of the moonlight and glittering stars. His body felt quite odd. For one, he could easily tell that his clothes had been changed. Without seeing, he could feel that his attire was definitely different than what he was wearing before he blacked out. His eyes also seemed to be behind something, which made him question if he was wearing a mask of some sorts.

He looked at his right hand as it was brought up into his vision. His eyes widened a little, as the glove that covered his hand he easily recognized. The glove seemed to be made of leather, as he looked over his hand, he noticed his knuckles also seemed to be padded. - This looks like, military? What? -. His mind started to race again as he swiftly sat up, the vertigo feeling caused him to sway a little before he looked down at his legs. Under the surprisingly bright moonlight, Kevin saw that his pants had changed. They seemed to have a sort of camo design and kneepads, along with what appeared to be leather boots as well. - I don't even know how to tie these. What are they, Combat boots? -. He grunted as he shifted, the full weight of what he was wearing now had impacted him. He looked over his chest, and noticed he was wearing Kevlar, and what appeared to be small packs that carried magazines on his chest. He rose to a knee as he grunted, his hand shook before he pushed himself off the ground. Something swung against his left side that felt heavy, which made him look down. He noticed slung around him was what appeared to be a rifle. His eyes widened when he recognized it easily as a Scar-H. He yelped a little as he tried to step back, as if the movement would put distance between him and his rifle. His back hit a tree which caused him to grunt slightly, as he noticed that his body had changed as well. Now he wasn't out of shape by any means, in fact he would say that his body would be around the slightly soft type, but he could feel that his body felt, stronger. As his back was against the tree he felt his waist and noticed a holster on the right side, his mind confirming that it seemed to be a handgun of sorts. He could tell his body was definitely more toned out, his body fit perfectly to carry the gear he was holding. His breathing had quickened as he felt confusion and fear, before something moved off to the side. His head snapped in the right as he saw some bushes being moved. His panic set in as Kevin fumbled, before his hands shakily found the rifle. He had shot a few times in his life, given his rural environment, but everything was happening too fast for him at the moment. With a slightly shaky aim, he rose the rifle and waited for whatever was behind the bushes to reveal itself. To his surprise, what appeared to be a man stumbled out of the brush, a hand clutched his head. The reason as to why Kevin was surprised however, was that he recognized the outfit of the stranger.

" Who are you!? What am I doing here!?" Kevin demanded, anger slowly rising as he wanted answers, and wanted them now. The man groaned before shaking his head, trying to bring himself back. He stared at Kevin, his body trying to process what was happening, before his eyes widened and he gasped in surprise. He quickly raised his arms above his head, trying to make himself look harmless.

" Whoa whoa hey don't shoot!" The stranger exclaimed as he stepped back, his body jumped as he felt a tree hit connect with his back. He stopped as he stared at Kevin who held his rifle, the stranger's eyes showed fear and confusion. Kevin however felt his anger turn into surprise. he was surprised because he soon recognized the stranger under the gentle moonlight, and due to his voice, the pieces were slowly coming together. - Wait a minute, is that... This doesn't make any sense, what the hell is going on? -.

" Alex is that you?" Kevin asked, his rifle lowered softly as he looked at his friend. The stranger froze for a second as his eyes widened a little more. He tilted his head as his hands lowered slightly.

" W-wait, Kevin? Kevin what the hell?" Alex asked. As Kevin lowered his weapon, he wasn't only just surprised by his friends new outfit, but how his physical body had changed. As they walked up to each other, Kevin noticed that they were the same height, which did not make sense to him due to the fact that before this whole mess, Kevin was a head taller than him.

" Why do you look like that? Why do II look like this?" Alex gestured to himself, as he started to notice his own body. Alex looked at his gloves and softly pulled down his neck gaitor as his breathing became heavy. Just like Kevin he had woken up alone, confused and afraid in the dark woods. He felt the weight of his rifle slung against him, as his hand softly brushed the side of the handguard, as he rested against the tree. He used to sharpshoot with his father, the thought clouded his mind with questions about his family, and if they were safe. Kevin brought a hand to his head as he felt a small headache growing, and closed his eyes as he tried to think of something, the silence in the woods being broken only by the soft wind.

" I, I don't know Alex. I honestly don't remember anything after that burning white light. I guess the same thing happened to you?" He asked, to which Alex nodded in response. Kevin sighed before he looked around their environment, the visibility of the forest was surprisingly bright under the light blue moonlight. " Okay, okay we need to find the others. I say others because I assume, if you and I got trapped here, that they should be around here somewhere. So let's find-" Kevin's sentence was cut off however as something slammed

" Wait that's Zack? Then where's-" Alex's sentence was cut short as someone else came from the same bush, panting as he was holding what appeared to be a PKP Pecheneg LMG. The man was in the Support class attire. It started to click for Zack as well. " no way... no there's no way this is possible!" He yelled, shaking his head as he refused to believe it. Zack started to get up, shaking his head as he did.

" Ow... what the hell did I hit?" He asked, when he re adjusted his sunglasses, he looked up to see Kevin standing there, holding out his hand. Zack hesitated a little before taking his hand, an eyebrow raised as he spoke. " Please don't tell me that's you Kev?" Zack asked.

" Yeah it's me dude. I wish I could tell you how it happened but-" He was interrupted again by the Support, who cleared his throat in an irritated tone.

" Can we talk later!? There's a reason why we were running!" Cody yelled, turning around and aiming his LMG into the woods. Kevin looked at Alex, who simply nodded as he pulled out his DMR, checking the mag before cocking it back. Zack pulled out his JS2 sub machine gun, aiming down the holographic sight as he gripped the handle tightly. Kevin inhaled, calming his nerves as he set up his Scar-H, shouldering the rifle as he stood firm, aiming at the direction that they came from. Within a few seconds, the bush burst open, and the four teens were now staring at the strangest things Kevin, and probably everyone else, has ever seen. These creatures seemed to be wolves, but what they were made of astonished the group.

" Guys Diamond formation now!" Kevin said, making the teens nod to each other before getting back to back, watching as the wooden wolves seemed to circle them carefully, trying to find an opening in the group. Kevin kept his sight on one of the wolves, who seemed to be slightly bigger than the others, a scar running from its lifeless left eye to its snout. " Anyone wanna shoot first?" Kevin asked, quickly glancing at his friends who seemed to stay as still as statues, not having their eyes leave the scopes.

" If we shoot all hell will break loose, we need to pick targets." Zack said, quickly re aiming at a wolf that was getting too close. It growled as it began to step back again. Seeing that they could see them talking, and seeing how they get distracted while talking, Kevin and his friends needed to make their move and now. With a sigh, and saying fuck it in his head, he aimed at the one with the Scar, and blasted three holes into the wolves head.

" Oh fuck me here we go!" Cody said, cocking his gun back, before filling the woods with the sound of thunder as he burst fired at the wolves, causing some to scatter, while the ones that didn't think fast enough were met with a terrible fate, becoming nothing but splinters as they fell. Zack and Alex soon joined in, trying to keep the wolves back as they picked them off here and there. Kevin switched from the body of the dead alpha to one of the wolves that was charging, its mouth open and ready to rip out his throat. Quickly aiming, he shot off two more shots, both hitting it between the eyes, its body falling in an instant, its corpse skidding to a halt. He turned to aim again, but was pounced by a lucky wolf. He fell to the ground, the wolf knocking the wind out of his lungs as it was now on top of him. It opened its maw and was aiming for the neck, to which Kevin quickly countered. Pulling up his rifle, the wolf bit down on the gun rather than his neck, as it tried to crush his windpipe. Quickly realizing that it did not have its prey in its mouth, the wolf shook its head violently back and fourth, trying to get Kevin to lose the rifle so it could tear him apart. Quickly shifting his leg, he pushed the wolf off, before grabbing his side arm. Aiming his M1911, he yelled as the clip of 8 .45 rounds were sent into the chest of the wolf, causing wood to spray, as well as getting the wolf off. It quickly retreated, trying to get some distance between Kevin.

Zack quickly reloaded, dropping the second mag he had, and began to shoot again, two wolves dropping as they tried to peel to his left. Seeing one charge after Alex who had his back exposed, Zack quickly ran up, drop kicking the wolf in the side of its head. Alex turned around, nodding in thanks to Zack, but quickly shot over Zack, causing a wolf that was about to pounce him explode from the shot.

" Shit thanks man!" Zack said, emptying his G18 mag into the head of the wolf that he had just kicked. " But still, how many of these things are there!?" he asked, getting back up and shooting at two more wolves with is sub machine gun, making them step back from them and back into the woods. Cody reloaded his LMG, taking his time as he did so. The wolves saw this as an opportunity, and two charged forward while the other three were busy trying to keep others back. Cody dropped his LMG and pulled out his improvised knife, getting into a defensive stance as soon as one of them leaped for him. He ducked, quickly stabbing the second wolf in the neck, making it yelp as he forced it to the ground. Now on top of it, Cody pulled out his 44.Magnum and aimed into the mouth of the downed wolf. Without hesitation, he pulled the trigger, the head no longer existed as wood sprayed in all directions. Turning around, he saw the last one that tried to attack him seemed to show fear, as it was starting to re consider attacking again. Finally, another loud shot brought everyone's attention onto Kevin, as he kicked down another wooden wolf before spraying the 21 rounds he had into its chest, making it collapse in on itself. Now there only stood five wolves left, out of the twenty they had killed. Seeing their comrades dead, they growled before running back into the bush. Cody slumped over, his adrenaline finally going as he panted. Kevin ran over and helped him up, while Alex kept a sharp eye on the woods, making sure none came back for round two. Zack picked up Cody's LMG and ran over as well, placing down next to him.

" Thanks man, I need this thing." Cody said, smiling as he grabbed the LMG, and placed next to him. Zack chuckled

" You went batshit crazy with that thing when it had ammo." Causing Cody to chuckle as well, earning a smile from Alex and Kevin. Kevin took off his helmet and balaclava, his hazel eyes staring at the night sky through a small patch in the woods. So many stars... He could feel the calming effect from them as he stared, his mind starting to relax, and the smile returning to his face. His trance was interrupted as someone shook his shoulder, making him come back down to Earth, or where ever they are. Alex was the first to speak up.

" I think there needs to be some explaining to do." He simply stated, everyone else looking at each other before nodding their heads in agreement. Cody spoke up next.

" I came to with Zack, and it seems we've been turned into our classes we played as." Zack nodded, showing that Cody's theory was pretty explanatory. Kevin shook his head.

" How can that be? First of all, I don't remember going to the gym and lifting weights then fighting a bear. I've never been in this shape, and neither have any of you." He said. Everyone gave him a hurt look.

" Are you saying I'm fat?" Zack said, pretending to tear up. Cody joined in, patting him on the back for comfort. Alex shook his head from their antics.

" Well as much as I don't want to say it, Cody seems to be right Kev. But there is another thing that I would like to try though." Alex said. Zack and Cody stopped, while Kevin raised a brow.

" Oh, and what's that?" Cody asked.

" I wanna see if you can deploy ammo." Alex asked. Cody's eyes widened as he heard the request. A part of him wanted to laugh at Alex for his stupidity, but another half was arguing that Alex's theory may be true. Can I deploy ammo? Cody stood up, feeling a little nervous as everyone's eyes were on him.

" Ahem... uhhhh... come get your ammo?" he said, trying to motion with his hands dropping the ammo bag. He felt so embarrassed when nothing happened, but when he looked up his friends weren't laughing, instead they seemed to be in deep thought. Cody tried another tactic, searching his body for anything that he could throw. The other three watched as he found a small pack near the left side of his belt, the tiny words Ammo sewn into the bag. He took it off and pulled it in front of him. Immediately, the small bag turned into the big ammo bag that was easily recognized.

" Holy shit dude it actually works." Kevin said, everyone wide eyed. Cody threw down the ammo bag, to which it seemed to stick to the ground. Zack walked up, and the sound of ammo re supplying could be heard. Kicking it slightly, the ammo bag didn't budge. Raising an eyebrow, Zack kicked it harder, and winced as the box didn't move, but the pain in his foot spiked. This time Kevin walked up, taking out his survival knife and cutting the box slightly, scraping away some paint. The box exploded into sparks, the sudden light making everyone jump back in surprise. After it settled down, the box was nowhere to be seen. Cody looked to his side, and saw that the small ammo box was still there, as if he never took it off in the first place.

" Wow O.K. that's a bunch of bullshit! How the fuck does that even work!?" Alex asked, Kevin putting his knife back as he tried to think.

" I think maybe the rules of the game apply right now." He said. Cody lifted up his LMG and started to play with the bi-pod. It wouldn't budge, making him grunt as he tried to pull it open. Zack rolled his eyes as he saw where this was going. Cody lowered himself to the ground, now lying down in the grass as he tried to open the bi-pod again. This time it opened with ease, and when he put it on the ground, it fit nice and snug.

" So they really do apply huh?" Zack said, a smile coming onto his face. Reaching for his belt, he felt the repair tool and pulled it out, smiling as it seemed to work. Getting a better idea, he reached for his back, making Kevin and Alex's eyes go wide.

" There's no fucking way..." Kevin said. Zack reached behind him, and felt his hands grasp something the others couldn't see. Quickly, he yanked and placed it on his shoulder. The thing was now visible, and the two friends were staring at Zack holding a SMAW.

" I say, if it really works like the game, then that should explain how all of that shooting a while ago didn't make us land on our asses, and the fact that we barely felt the recoil. I guess that means Zack over there has probably 6 rockets on him somehow." Alex said, pulling out the thermal binoculars he had on his backpack, then pulling out a claymore from his back. Kevin decided to try it, remembering what he had for his class. He reached for his right hip, imagining he was holding his M320 smoke. he then yanked forward, and what do you know, he was holding the single shot grenade launcher. He then put it back and saw as it seemed to disappear into nothingness, he didn't even feel it strap back on or give him more weight. He decided to try another thing. He reached for his left hip, trying to mimic Cody's moves when he reached for the ammo bag. Immediately he felt something invisible, and his body knew what to do. Pulling it up to himself, he saw the Medical bag that was now in his hands. Throwing it down, he quickly pulled out his knife and did the same thing he did to the ammo bag. It had the same reaction, surprising the three others.

" Jesus Kev maybe a warning next time please?" Cody said, rubbing his left eye as it took some time for his eyes to re adjust. Kevin smiled sheepishly as he nodded.

" So we have the build, weapons, and powers of what are classes were back in the game." Alex concluded. Everyone looked at each other, double checking to see if this was real. As much as Kevin hated it, wanting to rather be back in his bed, to back into his normal life, it just couldn't happen. He was here now, and this was happening. Kevin sighed, putting his helmet and balaclava and helmet back on.

" Alright, I suggest we find a cave somewhere and see if we can solve this in the morning." Everyone wasn't sure, but decided to follow Kevin's judgement. The four teens trudged through the forest, hoping to end the very long, and tiring night.

Author's Note

And so the Adventure Begins! Next chapter will be coming soon... or so I hope.
Anyways let me know if you like the story so far and please feel free to comment.
Keep writing and Keep Reading Folks!

A Good View and Decisions

Kevin sighed as he stared out the cave entrance, the wind slowly blowing through his dark brown hair as he stared above the trees. The cave that the four had found took a climb to get to, but they were able to avoid the dangers of the forest. Now there cave had a view over the trees, the green ocean spread as far as the eye can see, and above him to his right from the entrance, they discovered a city. Apparently, physics seemed to be not doing its job, as the city was hanging off the side of a steep cliff, water falling from the base of the city, spreading into the forest as the sunlight made the white kingdom shine proudly. Kevin wanted to figure out just who lived in that beautiful utopia, but decided to discuss it with the his friends rather then make rash decisions by himself. As he was enjoying the view and the peace the weather brought, Kevin heard the sound of footsteps approaching behind him.

" Hey Zack, how's the others?" He asked.

" Cody is still asleep and Alex is just stretching. It's pretty dark in there so I'm pretty sure Cody isn't getting up soon." Zack replied, leaning on the other side of the cave wall as he looked at Kevin, a small smirk on his face. Kevin smiled.

" Well he doesn't need to be up until around ten. He has at least an hour left." Kevin said, shaking his head as he remembered how much his friend loved to sleep. He couldn't argue with sleep, but someone who sleeps in past noon is either lucky or cursed.

" Nice view right?" Zack said, gesturing to the trees as they swayed peacefully from the breeze. Kevin sighed, shaking his head.

" It's a great view. I've never seen a place so... well, colorful on Earth before." Zack's smile seemed to fade, a look of worry on his face.

" Actually, about that, what you said... what if, what if we aren't on Earth?" Kevin was about to reply, saying how stupid that sounded, how he didn't want to believe what Zack had said, but the questioned hit him harder than he thought. Could they really be on a different planet? If so how could they breath? How is he and his friends alive? Well, they did encounter those wooden wolves, but maybe those are a species no one has seen on Earth? No that can't be, they seemed to be made of wood, no organs at all, so how did they move? These questions circled through Kevin's head, as he also began to remember those who he may have left behind. His sister, his parents...

" Hey Kev, come back to me dude." Zack said, a worried look on his face as he stood in front of him, shaking him slightly with his hand on Kevin's shoulder. Kevin's distance expression left him as he shook his head, looking up at Zack with an apologetic look.

" Sorry Zack. Just zoned out a little. Yeah, I don't know. First thing we're playing battlefield then the next we are a part of battlefield, in a place that we've never seen or heard of before. Ugh, I miss everyone.Don't get me wrong, I'm glad you guys are here with me but, I can't help but wonder what my family is doing right now." Zack nodded his head, showing Kevin that he felt the same way.

" I understand. But we need to face this problem together. It's in front of us and we need to face it." Zack hesitated, allowing the words to sink in.

" Listen, I want to talk about something, but you all need to be there. Let's meet out here and I'll tell you what I'm thinking." Zack said, Kevin looking at the ground in thought before a brief nod. Zack smiled, patting Kevin on the shoulder before returning to the cave, leaving Kevin and his thoughts, along with the view. Just where are we?

A couple of struggling minutes of getting Cody up later, the group were sitting, or leaning on a wall, near the entrance, their gear on the side as they were about to leave. Zack looked at them all, his eyes serious, as he was ready to explain to them what he had in mind.

" Alright guys, as you can tell, we've reached a predicament in our lives, and the fact that we don't know anything about how it came to be, we need to think through this situation very carefully." Kevin nodded in agreement, his back resting against one of the walls as he crossed his arms. Cody shrugged, just going along with it while Alex waited for Zack to finish.

" I believe that the necessary action is to have someone who could think better than us, someone who watches out for us. We need a mother figure, or in other words... A leader." Cody raised a brow, while Alex frowned, showing hos unsure he was at this conversation. Kevin on the other hand looked surprised.

" Why would we need a leader Zack?" Cody asked.

" Because we need someone to keep order around us. Imagine if we continued like this? Eventually, as we explore this new world someone is gonna get antsy or trigger fingered." Everyone looked at Cody as Zack said this, making the former groan in response.

" Okay, so what if we had a leader? Who is it going to be?" Alex asked, gesturing to him and the others. Zack simply pointed to the one who sat. Kevin's eyes widened.

" Wha- me?" Zack nodded.

" Wait why me?" Kevin said, hoping to at least hear what Zack had to say.

" Not only are you the medic of the group, but you've always been there to help us out." Zack said.

" I remember how well you would place us when we're defending. Not just in the game world but in the real one as well. Remember how you got me out of that jam with the cops? How you helped me explain that I wasn't a suspect for a mugging or something. You told me specifically to follow your lead and I did so. Look where it got me, I'm still here." Zack said, a smile on his face. Cody chuckled, before he began to tell a tale of his own.

" Remember how you and me got lost in that small town somewhere in Chicago? Yeah I was about to freak out since it was winter, and you just managed to keep your cool. You told me to look for a map or a bus station while you could check and see if we could get a signal to the police." Alex nodded in agreement, remembering another thing Kevin did.

" Not to mention you have a good heart. I mean helping me move into my own house was pretty nice dude, even when these two assholes declined with excuses." Alex gestured to Zack and Cody, who glared at him before they all started to laugh. Kevin smiled, surprised that his friends saw him as an actual friend, and that they cared for each other.

" Wow guys, I never thought you guys would see me that way." Kevin said, his friends smiling as they waited for him to continue. " If you guys really see me this way, then there would be no objections to me being the leader? The one who makes the decisions for us all?" They shook their heads, making Kevin reach his conclusion. Standing up and stretching, Kevin smiled. " Alright guys, first rule of order is to get ready to move. I wanna see what is on top of this hill and find some civilization in the city." They all nodded, quickly grabbing their gear as Kevin did the same, their journey was about to begin.

**********

The four men trucked up the hill, the climb about at least a good twenty five degrees. Kevin and the others figured out more of the game's logic seemed to apply to them as well. It turns out they could not get tired from running or anything that involved physical movement. Cody got hurt on the way up, tripping and bashing his nose, making it bleed. Seeing this as the perfect opportunity, Kevin deployed his med-pack to see if it would work. Surprisingly, Cody's nose began to heal, as well as the blood began to disappear. Knowing now that not only the ammo crate seemed to work, but the medical bag seemed to have the same result. Knowing this, Kevin marked the fact that they could potentially have unlimited ammo, as well as being able to recover from life threatening injuries. As well as probably having some huge firepower, giving the fact that Zack has a bazooka and Cody has an XM25. Taking in these factors, Kevin lead the group as they walked.

" Uhhh, was that there when we weren't looking?" Zack asked. Kevin stopped, as did the other two and looked to the city, only for their eyes to widen. The white city seemed to be covered in some form of pink sphere, shining from the sunlight as it contacted the reflective surface. Cody was the first to speak.

" Looks like the city seems to be protected." Zack nodded at this.

" Let's get up this freaking hill and find some solid ground to camp and watch." Kevin thought about it before nodding in agreement.

" Alight guys let's move." He said, the trio of friends following in tow, sprinting up the hill like it was nothing. After a couple more steps of trekking the hill, they finally reached the top, now at level with the great city. The top of the hill had a good flat view point, a tree and a few bushes giving them perfect cover. As they reached the top, Kevin raised his goggles, sighing as they made the ten minute trip, his friends gazing at the city with wonder and amazement.

" Wow. Now that's some good architecture. What do want us to do Kevin?" Cody said, walking towards the tree and placing his LMG down, the bi-pod allowing it to rest near the tree. Alex crouched, pulling out his binoculars and trying to read the thermal signatures of the populace. Zack simply stared as Alex tried to scan. After a couple of seconds, Alex grunted in annoyance before shaking his head, putting back his binoculars.

" I can't see jack shit past the dome. Apparently it's somehow blocking any thermal readings from my binoculars." Kevin sighed at this, resting against a rock as he put his rifle down.

" Well, let's just stay up here and see what happens. Who knows maybe we'll see something come up." Cody looked to Zack before shrugging. Zack did the same, lying on the ground, his hands behind his head as his cap blocked the sunlight, making him sigh in relaxation. Alex continued to scan the city, as well as their area to make sure the three could relax in peace. Kevin sighed, his mind thinking about how long they were going to be up here. Thinking that there was nothing to do besides get some shut eye, Kevin shrugged to himself before grabbing his helmet and placing it over his eyes, closing them as he began to nap.

" We got contact." Kevin moved a little, his slumber being disturbed by Alex's voice. Kevin moves his helmet, as his mind tried to process what Alex was talking about. He saw Cody, lying down near the tree as he looked up to the sky, his black balaclava hiding his expression as he stared. Zack was aiming in the sky as well, his brow furrowed behind the sunglasses. Alex was aiming as well, his eyes darting around as if he was trying to pick a target. Kevin quickly looked up, his eyes going wide at what he saw. Above him he saw hundreds upon hundreds of what appeared to be insects. But the way they were formed was the confusing part. The insects seemed to be shaped like small horses or, ponies was the right terminology. However, these ponies were something Kevin had never seen before. They were coated in a black exoskeleton, holes within their legs that seemed to go through all the way, as their Transparent wings buzzed, the sound totally blocking out any sound that could have been heard. Their eyes, nothing but green or turquoise orbs stared straight, fixated on the main target. The white city. Kevin and the others watched as they began to float around the orb, spreading out as they seemed to take spots to hover. Kevin ran up to Alex, which got the other two's attention as the four grouped up and stared.

" What the hell are those?" Cody asked, the confusion from his voice seemed to seep from his mouth. Zack shook his head.

" As much as I would say I'm seeing things, those look too real for me." Kevin's brow furrowed, as he waited for the insect pony things make a move. After a couple of seconds of which appeared to be them waiting for something, the bugs began to smash their bodies into the shield, making it spark from each impact, as well as a few chuckles could be heard. Kevin turned from confusion to worry.

" Guys, we may have potential hostiles." He said. Alex looked onward to see more of the action while Cody looked to Kevin.

" What makes you say that?"

" Well for one why are they attacking the shield? Why did the city put up a shield in the first place?" Kevin replied.

" Well we might have to answer those questions later cause that shield seems to be breaking." Alex said, making Kevin and Cody whip their heads to the city, only to watch as the last crack was made, before the shield broke like glass. Shards of what was the shield sprinkled to the ground, as the shattered dome caused a minor shock wave of force, making the four friends look at each other with confusion. As soon as it did, the bugs began to invade the city, green light emitting from their horns as they seemed to dive bomb the city. As soon as they heard the screams, Kevin's mind clicked.

" We're moving in. NOW." Zack looked at Kevin in surprise as he stood up, checking his rifle before adjusting his goggles, a look of pure determination and anger on his face.

" You sure you wanna go down there? I mean we don't even know what to do." Alex said.

" Yes we do. Shoot those things and save anyone who's in there. We need to do something and now let's go!" Kevin said, his voice stern as he looked to the city, his legs begging for him to move. Zack was about to retort but remembered to put his trust into Kevin. It's alright, we can trust him, he knows what he is doing.

" Alright on you." Zack said, cocking back the slide on his JS2. Alex sighed.

" Alright, someone's gotta watch your back." He said, adjusting his sight as he checked the mag of his rifle as well. Cody cocked back his slide, the sound of the belt rattling in the large mag made everyone look to him. He smiled.

" Fuck it, I'm down." He said, making the others smile. Kevin nodded, as he looked to the city. Some bugs still hovered but most were now attacking the city. Taking the first step, Kevin and the others began to sprint towards the city. Kevin yelled to them his one command, the one that got everyone to realize that this was no longer a game, and that they needed to focus.

" MOVE OUT!"

**********

As they got closer, Kevin could hear the chaos that was ensuing in the city. Screams of civilians could be heard as they ran, and the sounds of explosions followed by the green flames indicated that another bug had bombed the city. They came to the front of the city, seeing some of the horse bugs attacking what appeared to be the city's authority.

" Watch out they're fighting with the locals, me and Alex will handle this you guys watch our backs." Zack and Cody nodded, as Alex got low to the ground, the bi-pod deploying as he lay prone. Kevin crouched as he set his rifle to semi-auto, aiming as he readied himself to pull the trigger. He noticed that the bugs seemed to have won, dragging the authority into the city and probably to where they had other people being held. Kevin pulled the trigger, his Scar-H rocking back a little as the used brass fell to the ground, as well as the bug pony he was aiming at. The shot hit the creature right in the left side of its head, making it fall to the ground almost instantly. The other one looked confused before it met the same fate, Alex taking his shot as well, as the rifle rattled the very air around them as it hit its target. The four others saw their comrades fall and began to frantically search for the cause of their deaths, only for the sound of thunder and the small flash of fire as a result. Kevin and Alex opened fire, the four pony bugs dropping to the ground with multiple bullet holes in their chests and heads. Kevin motioned for them to move forward, the three following his order swiftly. The four humans moved up to the big doors, taking a better look at the insect ponies. They looked fascinating to say in the least, but the four saw them as a threat. Kevin motioned for them to continue down the main road, as more of the fighting seemed to be in the more into the city.

As they walked, Kevin noticed that some of the houses seemed to be a little smaller than them. He would have to at least duck a good foot to not hit his head. As they continued to walk, three more of the bug things seemed to crash in front of them, hissing as they glared at the group. Cody didn't even hesitate, the PKP shredding through the ground and the creatures that stood on it. Cody stopped when the three were nothing but a pile of holes, and they continued.

" These streets are fucking abandoned. There's no activity here." Alex said, checking another alley as they walked past it, heading into the deeper parts of the city.

" I don't like this. It's too quiet where we are right now." Zack said, checking the windows of the house on the right. Kevin was in the front of the diamond formation, checking the street as well as marking the areas Zack, Alex, or Cody need to search. Kevin noticed another set of big golden doors, to which they seemed to be the entrance to a castle, which was taking the whole force of the assault.

" Alright let's pick up the pace guys." Kevin said, making them lightly jog as they checked their surroundings. The group was at the last set of houses in front of the gates when they heard what sounded like a whimper. Kevin raised his hand, motioning for them to stop.

" Did you guys hear that?" Zack asked. Cody and Alex nodded, checking the area with their eyes behind the scopes.

" I don't know. Where do you think it is?" Kevin asked, looking around as well. They heard it again, this time it sounded close. Everyone turned to the last house, the one that was twenty feet away from the wall of the castle. The second floor seemed to have taken a pony bug to it, because half of the roof was caved in. That's when Kevin noticed movement within the rubble.

" Someone's in there." Kevin said. Their eyes widened when they heard the whimpering again, as it sounded like there was more than one person trapped.

" Well let's go!" Cody said, breaking the formation as he rushed to the house. Kevin nor did the other two complain, as they ran forward as well. The heavy footsteps caused the whimpering to stop, as the four men ran up to the front of the house.

" Hello!? Is anypony there!? Please help us!" A feminine voice called out. Kevin mentally questioned why she phrased it like that, but he had to focus on getting them out.

" Don't worry ma'am we'll get you out! Zack, Alex cover our flanks while we get her out! Cody I need you." Cody nodded, setting down his LMG as Kevin did the same with his rifle. Zack and Alex scanned the neighboring houses as well as the sky, seeing as the bug ponies could fly. As they did this, Kevin and Cody ran up to the door, trying to open it by pushing then pulling. Seeing as they couldn't open it, Cody stepped back before kicking the door down. There was a small yelp from the sudden noise, probably the mother's child being startled. As they entered the house, the first floor was relatively decent, a balanced environment of relaxation and family feeling. The two guys rushed up the stairs, making them creak as their heavy boots and gear gave away their presence. As they got up to the second floor, they didn't even get halfway through the hallway before they could see the outside. It seemed the main bedroom was completely destroyed, as well as a part of the kids room.

" Ma'am, where are you?" Kevin asked.

" Here! In here!" She yelled. Kevin saw slight movement within the rubble, as it seemed the mother and her child was stuck under two wooden pillars and stray wood. Rushing up quickly, Kevin grabbed a couple pieces of wood and began to throw them aside. With the final piece thrown out of the way, Kevin was able to get a good look at who lived here. And boy was it a surprise. Finally, he could have all of his questions answered, he would finally be able to figure out where he was. All of these hopes flew out the window when he was face to face, with non-other than... a pony.

" Ahhhhh!!!" Kevin recoiled slightly, as the pony screamed in surprise. She stared at him in fear, her eyes wide and her pupils like pinpricks. Kevin looked to her side and saw that her wing was draped over something. A filly! Kevin kneel back down, but the movement made the mother come back to her senses, as she pulled the filly closer, her feathers becoming more disheveled. Kevin could see that she was close to breaking.

" St-st-stay away!" She pleaded. Kevin wanted to get them out, as well as get some answers from this place on how a navy blue pony with wings, as well as a light camel colored mane could talk. But the first priority is to help someone in need, no matter who they are. He inhaled, prepping his nerves for the conversation.

" Miss we just want to help, me and my friend here can get you out." Kevin said, his hand reaching for the wooden pillars, but the mother seemed to take it as a threat as she tried to move, only for her to wince and whimper in pain. Kevin stooped, taking his goggles off to look the pony in the eye.

" Hey hey hey it's alright, I won't hurt you but you need to hold still." The pony looked up, her eyes watering as a few stray tears left her eyes. She looked at him, her eyes trying to read his emotions to see if he was telling the truth. Before she could say anything, Kevin moved forward again, this time she held back her prey instinct and tried not to move.

" Cody gonna need your help with this!" Kevin said, lifting the wooden pillar as it groaned in protest. Seeing Cody as he walked in, the mare had to really suppress her urge to just fly out of there.

" Mommy I'm sc-scared." The little filly whimpered, her eyes slightly red and her cheeks matted as she tried to curl up next to her mother.

" it's O.K. sweety these ponies are gonna help us." She said, looking to her daughter with a smile, as she tried to show her that is was going to be alright. But in truth, she was just as scared as her daughter. Another groan from the pillar signaled the duo had pushed the first one off. Now Kevin could see the mare and her daughter, as the mare's legs seemed to be stuck under the second one. Cody pushed the pillar to the side, making it hit against the wall. Suddenly, the four of them heard the house creak, as the floor began to show a few new cracks. The mare's eyes widen.

" Oh Celestia... Please get us out of here!" She cried, her eyes dripping tears as she stared at the two creatures. These things were her only chance of getting out of here alive. But what about her daughter?

" Cody get the filly I'll handle the mare." Kevin said, swiftly coming up to them again and grabbing the pillar. Cody nodded, reaching under the mare's wing and grabbing the filly, making her yelp in surprise. The mother looked at Cody, her eyes pleading him not to take her.

" No! Please give her back!"

" Ma'am relax both of you are gonna be O.K." She glanced to her left, Kevin raising the pillar as she began to feel the pressure on her legs loosen their death grip. She tried to get up when Kevin held the pillar, only for her to wince in pain.

" My leg... it hurts." She said, feeling hope leave her. Kevin reached out, his hand grasping her hoof, taking her by surprise.

" Here, t-t-try and stand!" Kevin said, his one arm shaking as he tried to keep the pillar up. Nodding, she stood up, placing most of her wait in his grasp as she limped to him. Kevin noticed how her head almost reached his waist. She was shaking slightly, given the fact that she didn't even make it past his elbows.

" Wh-wh-what are y-you?" She asked. Kevin was about to answer but the floor cracked again, signaling to him that it was time to go. Quickly pushing the pillar aside, and feeling confident that Cody got out safely, he reached for the mare, making her look at him in surprise. She was about to scream until Kevin wrapped his arms around her, cradling the mare and trying to be careful of not to touch her bad leg.

" WE GOT COMPANY!" Zack said, a good ten bug ponies charging at them as they hissed. Alex took the first shot, the closest enemy getting his head blwon off while Zack sprayed into two others. Seeing this, the bug ponies took cover behind rock and homes, As Alex and Zack waited for them to make a move.

" Coming out!" Kevin said. The floor began to creak, and it suddenly began to collapse. Having no other option, as the hallway was soon blocked by what was left of the roof, Kevin jumped, the mare screaming all the while. Landing on his feet, Kevin winced as he heard something sprain in his ankle.

" Augh, fuck." He swore, carefully putting down the mare.

" Mommy!" the filly ran up to her mom, tears streaming down her face as they embraced. Before Kevin could smile at the rescue, Cody got in front of him, spraying with his LMG into the crowd of oncoming enemies.

" Kev we got a lot!" He yelled, the constant gun fire ruining the moment, as the mother and daughter looked to the four beings in fear. The mare looked up to Kevin, trying to see what he was going to do. Quickly, he picked up his rifle, running to the two.

" You need to get somewhere safe! We'll keep them distracted while you two find a place to hide!" Kevin reached for his medical bag, throwing it down in front of the mare. She took a tiny step back, not sure what he was doing. Soon, she began to feel her leg heal. After a couple of seconds, her leg and feathers were good as new.

" Wha... I-how did you-" Before she could finish, Kevin was already with the others, the shooting was getting more attention from the bugs, as they tried to swarm the four.

" GO!" He yelled. The mare nodded, mouthing ' thank you' before taking off into a nearby alleyway.

" Zack behind you!" Cody yelled, shooting a few bug ponies behind his friend. Zack nodded in thanks, before focusing on the bugs that now began to swarm the four friends. The four stood in front of the recent collapsed house, their backs to it as they continued to pick off any bug ponies that got too close. So far twenty have been taken out, but the swarm continued to come. As Cody was reloading, one of the bugs got lucky and tackled him, making him grunt in surprise and minor pain. It hissed and was about to bite, only to get a 44 magnum barrel to the roof of its mouth. Cody pulled the trigger, the gun being slightly suppressed in the creatures mouth, the back of its head exploding in gore. Cody cursed as he felt some of the green blood get on him, but quickly pushed that complaint down his throat, as he got up and began to reload his gun. Kevin dropped a mag and reached for his left side, feeling another mag on his belt as it came into existence. Grabbing it quickly, he loaded it and cocked the slide back, continuing the blood shed.

" Cody throw down ammo bag now!" Alex requested, flipping to his M9 and single shooting any bug pony that got too close. Cody nodded, placing down the ammo bag, as the sound of refilling ammo could be heard. Alex nodded at this, shooting one last bug pony in the head before grabbing his rifle, reloading it, and began to dish out more heavier shots. The four continued this for a good five minutes, the piles of bodies starting to stack as a less and less bug ponies attacked. Finally, they began to retreat, trying to regroup and find a new tactic to attack the newcomers. Kevin sighed, loosening his grip slightly. Just as the bug ponies were about to attack with a second wave, a thundering explosion was heard, and the four, as well as the rest of the enemies looked onto the castle. A shock wave rocked the city, as a pink shield began to inflate as the group continued to stare. Cody was the first to react.

" Oh son of a -" He never got to finish, as the shield passed over the group, pushing the bug ponies out of the city, but the shield brought a warm sensation to the four. Kevin looked over himself, his body glowing slightly as he felt the warmth. The four felt relaxed, like they were comforted, like they were back at home. That is, until the shield dispersed. As the light seemed to disappear, the city seemed to be silent, the screaming and sounds of battle were non-existent. As the air stood still, Kevin heard the sound of footsteps or, a better way to put it was hoof steps coming from behind the gates.

" Guys on me!" Kevin said, getting the trio's attention. He ran up to the gates, ready for whatever may be past it. Standing in front of the gates, Kevin waited for them to open. Zack stood on his right, while Cody and Alex stood on his left, as the four readied themselves to see the populace.

" Open the gates." Someone said behind them. On command, the gates creaked in reply, the gears and sounds of pistons began to work. Suddenly, the twin gates swung open, and the rest of the city could be seen. Kevin's eyes widened as he saw the towering buildings, as well as the castle. This place is huge!

" What the-!?" Kevin shook himself out of his trance, looking onto the streets of the city. Ponies stood in place as they stared at the four men, as well as a couple what appeared to be armored ponies. Their golden armor glistened in the sunlight, as their white coats seemed to soak in the solar energy. As both sides stared at each other, one of the guards was able to kick into action.

" Halt! Surrender NOW!" He yelled, the crest of his helmet red rather than the other ones who were blue. Fifteen guards ran up to the four of them, their spears ready. Cody was about to pull up his gun, but Kevin quickly grabbed it, shaking his head.

" They just fought somebody, don't give us, a bad impression." Cody nodded. As they finished that, Kevin turned to the guards, only for his eyes to widen. Two spears were pointing to his neck, as well as to his friends. Kevin quickly raised his hands, showing that he had nothing as he tried to explain.

" Whoa whoa whoa! Calm down we don't want to hurt any of you!" Kevin said, looking to the civilians rather the guards. The one with the head crest grunted, glaring daggers at Kevin.

" The surrender to us so we can bring you to the princesses!" He commanded, trying to make the four friends shake in fear. The only thing he got was a curt nod from Kevin.

" Alright sir we understand, we're gonna go nice and slow here." Kevin looked to his friends, who simply decided to follow his lead. Nodding again, Kevin began to kneel down, his hands still up. Some of the guards stepped back to give the humans room as well as have better aim with the spears. Kevin got on his knees, then placed his hands behind his head, his friends doing the same. The guard grunted in approval.

" Secure their weapons!" He said, the group nodding as they swiftly grabbed their rifles. Cody grunted in annoyance.

" Fucking great now what?" He asked Kevin.

" We let them take us to their princess, or what I heard there are two, let this all get sorted out, and get our weapons back. They don't seem to be as aggressive just scared, I mean come on wouldn't you be pretty sketch of more newcomers after your town was attacked?" Cody was about to argue, but decided with his better judgement that Kevin was right. Alex sighed.

" Well at least we still have our secondaries so we'll be fine if these... horses try anything." Kevin realized that the ponies didn't take their sidearms, probably thinking it was a part of their armor. feeling relieved that he had at least one piece of defense on his body, the guards and searching didn't feel as stressful.

" They were only carrying these sir, so far everything else on them just looks like complicated armor." The sergeant looked over the four rifles, a brow raised on how such mechanisms were made, let alone used.

" I've never seen anything like this. Private, have you and those three take these with us to the princess, maybe she'll know what these things are." The sergeant said, pointing to the rifles and to the four friends.

" Yes sir."

" Good... Alright stand!" The Sergeant commanded, the four doing so as chains were cuffed onto their hands, as well as around their neck. Four guards got behind the humans, holding their neck chain like a leash, while their horns glowed.

" Alright let's move." The sergeant bellowed, and the group began to march further into the castle.

Author's Note

Well that's chapter three done! Let me know what you think, and finally ponies. Gonna work on chapter 4 in about two weeks from now since I'm studying for finals but... Yeah hope you enjoyed,
Keep on writing and keep on reading!

Meeting a Diarchy and Watching a Wedding

Kevin watched as they entered through the castle walls, the group gaining the attention of more ponies, as they stared, mixed emotions of fear and curiosity on their faces. Some civilians got too close, having some of the guards on the side lightly push them back. Kevin could hear the whispers and comments from the ponies, their eyes looking over the four like hawks.

" What are those things?"

" What do you think they are?"

" Those beasts! Glad the guard got a hold of them."

" Mommy, why do they walk on two legs."

" So much clothing. Why so much?"

" Are those weapons?" Kevin looked to the side, making most of the ponies look away. he sighed.

" Well, what the hell do we do now?" Cody asked, nudging Kevin slightly to get his attention. Kevin shook his head, the group moving past more guards as they reached what appeared to be twin black garden gates, two sentries standing still as statues. The sergeant looked to the group, raising his hoof, making them stop. The four ponies behind the group tugged the chains, making the four friends grunt in pain and confusion.

" Whoa take it easy dude." Alex said, glaring at the pony behind him. The guard glared back, tightening his grip around the chain. Kevin wanted to say something, to try and keep the peace between them and the ones that have them in custody, but his attention was more focused on the architecture. The cylindrical towers, the glistening white stone, the flags above, looked like one of the castles from a fairy tail. Unlike the ancient runes from where he lived, being dull and abandoned, this castle shined brightly and proud, full of life. Noticing the sergeant walking up to one of the guards, he could somewhat hear the conversation between the two.

" Sir." The sergeant said, exchanging salutes with the two guards. The guard in front of him began to talk.

" What have you brought hear sergeant?" The pony asked.

" Identify yourself." The sergeant sighed, taking out a small metal badge, the princesses' symbol carved into it.

" Sergeant red Shield sir. I wish to take these creatures to the princess in order to identify them. I have not seen anything like this, and I doubt any common pony has as well. Their weapons and identities may only be recognized by the princess herself. Now if you will, the doors." Red Shield asked, ruffling his wings slightly, wanting to put the creatures in the princesses' care instead of dealing with them himself. The guard looked behind him, getting another good look at the four friends, before nodding to the other sentry. Stepping aside, both of their horns lit up, the doors being encased by the same glowing aura. The teal color pushed the doors inward, allowing entry to the group. Some of the civilians were still following the group, to which the sentries pushed them back, earning a loud ' awwwww!' from the group, as they began to disperse. The group walked up to two sets of stairs, shaped as a half circle to which it led into the castle. Guards were seen on the walls, as some continued to run around, making sure they could get to their posts in case of another bug pony attack. As they walked up, the group entered the castle, the hallway being longer than anything the group had seen.

" So, do you think she'll be pretty?" Zack asked, earning more than a few growls and glares from the guards. Cody face palmed, while Alex shook his head.

" Zack I swear, the guards look like they are about to eat you alive." Cody said, refusing to meet his friends gaze.

" Do you think she will be another horse thing?" This earned a nudge from Alex, and the sergeant huffing in annoyance.

" You will show respect to the princess, for if you don't, the punishment will be dire." Red Shield said, staring into Zack's eyes through the shades. Zack shrugged, a small smile still on his face.

" Yeah sure." He said nonchalantly.

" Zack, if you get us killed before we meet the princess I will personally strangle you in the afterlife." Cody warned. Zack chuckled, before nodding. The group continued to walk for a little more, the guards taking their glares off Zack as they focused on making it to the throne room. As they walked, the four of them looked around, noticing how clean the castle was surprisingly after the fact that they were attacked a few minutes ago. Sure a few glass windows were broken, and a nurse would be helping a guard on the side, but the hall still had it's beauty. The soft purple carpet muffled the hoof steps, as well as the soft thumping of the four friend's boots. The white marble floor glistened in the sunlight, as the group continued to walk. They came to an intersection, the three different corridors leading forward, left or right. The group took a left, where after a couple more feet they saw two golden doors, guards standing at attention as well. Red Shield walked up to them, explaining the same thing he did to the other sentries. The guards nod, their horns glowing as the doors opened, revealing to what appeared to be the throne room.

" The princess will decide what your fate is creatures, so you will show respect." Red Shield commanded. Kevin simply nodded, while Cody seemed to be getting irritated by the way Red Shield treated them. As soon as the doors fully opened, the four looked up, only for their eyes to widen at the sight they see.

" Ho-ly shit." Alex said, which was fitting for the other three, as there was no words to describe the beauty of the place. The stained glass windows colored the throne room in beautiful light. The carpet now red as it led up what appeared to be a small set of stairs. Upon those stairs, there is what appeared to be a golden throne. The room was beautiful enough, almost beautiful enough that Kevin didn't notice the pony sitting on the throne. As the group got closer, Kevin was too busy admiring the windows, seeing what appeared to be six ponies, having what appeared to be blast coming from their foreheads as they landed on another, bigger pony. It seemed to have a horn and wings, the body a dark blue as the beams seemed to engulf the pony. Kevin only assumed that they must have defeated someone. His mind was pulled back to reality as a subtle clearing of the throat caught his attention.

*Ahem*

" Wha-what?" Kevin dumbly said, as he tried to find out who talked. He noticed the guards looking up to the throne, to which he followed. His eyes widened at what he saw. Sitting on the golden throne, the whiteness of the mare's fur made her glisten as pure light itself. her form stood proud, her wings tucked comfortably at her sides, as they showed softness and a perfect preening. Kevin glanced to her hooves, and noticed that she was wearing golden shoes, with small carvings in them, He looked up, noticing her mane, as it seemed to flow on its own. It glittered, the light shining off it giving her power. The mix of Pink, Jade, what appeared to be petrol blue, and the final calming color, a light turquoise. Noticing golden chest piece as well, Kevin could only stare as it held snug around her neck, the carvings showing age, as there were very few scratches, that were hardly noticeable. Then, here eyes. Those magenta orbs seemed to radiate knowledge and compassion, making the feeling of dread for meeting such royalty leave him. They shined with power as well, letting Kevin know full reason why she was in charge. She was about to clear her throat again, but he quickly stopped her, shaking his head slightly before speaking.

" I-uh, forgive me. You must be the princess?" Kevin asked, trying to get the conversation started. The pony nodded, the smile lightly dwindling as she observed them.

" Indeed I am. I believe introductions are in order." The Princess said, as she stood up, and began to gracefully walk down the golden steps. When she finally reached the bottom the guards bowed, and Kevin was able to see her full height. The top of her head, excluding her horn, was about under the base of his nose, the ten inch horn however made her look slightly taller. As she got closer, the guards in front stood aside, but most of them had a worried expression, not feeling comfortable with their leader so close to unknown beings. Celestia reached up with her hoof, waiting for Kevin to shake. He quickly did so, gently grasping her golden horseshoe as he gently shook the appendage.

" My name is Princess Celestia, co ruler of Equestria."

" The name is Kevin, my friends Cody, Alex, and Zack." Kevin gestured to his friends, as they did their own form of greeting. Zack smiled as he waved. Alex nodded slightly while Cody raised his hand and waved. Celestia saw the cuffs, her smile disappearing almost instantly. Her horn lit up, as well as the neck chains and cuffs. The four looked at each other before giving Celestia a confused look.

" I apologize for you to be treated this way. What is your purpose hear? How can I trust you?" Celestia wanted to take off the chains, but the creatures must answer the questions truthfully.

" Your highness we wish to know where we are, and the reason why we were here in the first place was because we saw it under attack, so we simply assisted." Cody said, trying not to sound agitated from being questioned. Celestia looked at the other three, who simply nodded, backing up Cody's word. After careful scrutinizing, Celestia sighed before the small smile came back, and the cuffs were gone, and the neck chains removed. The guards stepped back, their bodies tensing as the creatures rubbed their necks and wrists. Celestia walked up to Kevin as he was rubbing his left wrist.

" Perhaps we should talk elsewhere. I have somewhere to be very shortly so we might as well walk and talk." She said, as she began to walk past the group. Kevin was about to follow, but realized that the guards had something that him and his friends need. He coughed lightly, making her turn around with a raised eyebrow.

" Yes?"

" Um, sorry your highness but, is it O.K. if we bring out weapons? I'm sorry it's just that I don't feel so comfortable with your guards holding things they do not know how to use, no offense." Kevin quickly gestured to one of the guards, who glared at him, wondering if it was a joke or not. Celestia looked to the four guards who were holding the weapons, and nodded. The guards looked at each other before walking over to the four men and giving them their rifles back.

" you may have your weapons, but please disable them in the castle." She insisted, to which Kevin nodded.

" You heard the princess guys." Celestia giggled.

" Please, Celestia is fine." This reply Made Red Shield go slack jawed. He had worked under the solar guard for fifteen years! And these creatures just walk in and now they can call her Celestia without her title? The only progress he got when he was close to the princess was a small smile or a thank you! Kevin and the others walked to the guards who gave them their weapons, as they readied to bring up their own if the four beings tried anything. Kevin dropped the mag to his rifle, putting back in one of the pouches, Zack, Cody, and Alex doing the same. Celestia watched as the four began to cock back a handle on the side, realising what appeared to be different sizes of golden cylinders. Stuffing them into their pockets as well, Kevin nodded, allowing Celestia to lead the way. She nodded, turning to the guards and dismissing them. Red Shield was about to object, but decided better against it, knowing that the princess would surely beat the creatures in less than five seconds. The group split into two, the guards heading back to their barracks or to help their fellow colts, while Celestia and the four creatures walked behind her. The Twilight side of Celestia began to show, as she observed the four beings as they scanned the halls some more, their eyes taking all the detail.

" You find my castle very fascinating don't you?" She asked. Kevin nodded, a small smile under his mask.

" Yeah, most of the castles where I come from are in ruins." Celestia looked shocked at this.

" You mean to tell me that your greatest kingdoms have fallen? What happened?" Kevin looked at her, a small smile coming to his lips as he tried not to laugh.

" Oh no, no it's not that. It's just that they have been in ruins for almost three centuries now. Our civilization has advanced more than just rock and stone. Our ancestors left those kingdoms in hopes we would find them again, that's what I meant. I have always wondered though what a full castle would look like, and now I have." Celestia smiled, as the group continued to walk down the hall.

After a couple more turns, the group came to a single door, to which Celestia opened, her horn glowing a warming shade of yellow as well as the doorknob. The room was what appeared to be a single lounge area, complete with a couch and a couple of cushions on the side. The room was cylindrical, the window showing the city. Kevin looked through, seeing the window look over the castle walls and even out into the forest. Placing their weapons down, the four walked over to the middle of the room, where Celestia had already gather enough cushions to support herself. Cody and Zack took the couch while Kevin and Alex took the cushions. As Celestia shifted, she watched as Kevin whispered something, to which the other three nodded. Kevin being the first, he took off his helmet and goggles, the sudden action making Celestia's eyes widen. When Kevin took off his goggles, hazel eyes looked into magenta, as he began to take off his helmet. Placing on the side with his goggles, Kevin took off the balaclava, as Celestia's eyes took in his appearance. For a species she's never seen before, he was quite handsome. His skin was a light beige, his hair was a dark brown and was cut to be short casual. Next was Zack, as he took off his sunglasses, folding them and tucking them into the collar of his shirt. Celestia was amazed to see two bright blue eyes staring back, his skin the same as Kevin but a tiny difference being Zack was lighter. His dirty blonde hair a little unkempt, but it seemed to fit him. He smiled at the princess, to which she returned the feeling. He reminded her of one of Twilight's friends. Cody was next, his helmet thumping to the ground as he lazily dropped it. Taking the balaclava off, Celestia could see his brown eyes, as they showed strength and determination, as well as a hint of anger. he was the tank of the group, his skin a dark beige and his black hair slicked back as he sighed. Celestia looked to Alex, his green eyes throwing her off for a slightest moment. His skin was white and his brown hair was crew cut, completing his cold calculating look. His eyes showed perception and were keen to detail. Celestia decided to start the conversation with a simple question.

" Now, why don't we begin?" Kevin nodded in agreement.

" Alright, shoot." Celestia decided not to question what that meant, but rather kept the task on figuring out what they were.

" What exactly are you four?" She asked.

" We're humans, or if you're looking for the scientific term, homosapien." Cody answered. Kevin nodded, showing Celestia that what he said was true.

" I must say I have never seen a human before." Celestia said. Her face turned from one of wonder to worry when she saw the four of them look at each other, their faces filled with dread.

" Um, Celestia, do you mind if we ask where we are?" Zack said.

" You are in Canterlot Castle. The country of Equestria." This made the four look even worse.

" I-I-I've never heard of this place before. Do you have a map or something?" Celestia shook her head, worry creeping onto her as well.

" Not with me at the moment. Why?" Kevin rubbed the back of his head.

" We woke up in the forest with all of this stuff and we have no idea where we are." Kevin began to explain to Celestia the events that took place before they came to Canterlot. He explained the wooden wolves, which he figured out were called timber wolves. He then told her when they decided to intervene, which she thanked them for doing. After the whole wrap up of the story, Kevin repeated Zack's question. Celestia sighed, refusing to look them in the eye.

" This is not the place you call Earth I'm afraid. This is the planet Equis." Cody stood up, a look of horror on his face.

" BULLSHIT!!!"

" Cody enough!" Kevin said, standing up as well, placing a hand on his shoulder. Cody glared at Kevin.

" How can this be possible!? There is no way any of this could happen! This has got to be something else!" He tried to reason. Kevin wanted to believe him, he really did. But... everything felt too real. He needed to think about it later. right now I need to calm you down Cody.

" Cody relax. We need to stay focused if we're gonna get to the bottom of this. Let me do the talking, and when we have everything then we can let loose. Please you must understand." Kevin reached up with his left arm and placed it on Cody's right shoulder, making eye contact with him. The two friends stared at each other for what felt like forever, Cody's panting from the freak out the only noise in the room. Finally, after one long sigh, Cody nodded, as he began to sit back down.

" I'm sorry princess, that was uncalled for." Cody said, looking ashamed. Celestia shook her head, giving Cody a look of understanding.

" There is no need to apologize, I understand how you may feel. How all of you may feel. I have not been ripped from my world, but somepony close to me has experienced leaving home before." Celestia sighed, a look of sadness on her face. She quickly pushed it under her poker face, as she got ready to stand. " I must attend to something important. I wish we had more time to talk but there is an important event I cannot miss. I will have one of the maids escort you four to one of the guest suites. I bid farewell for now." Celestia smiled, the door opening as the group began to leave.

" Wait wait, what is the important event if you don't mind me asking?" Zack said.

" It is a wedding of my niece and the captain of the royal guard. You should formally introduce yourself to them someday, after you get more comfortable." Celestia noticed a maid in the hall, waving her over as the four waited. When the maid arrived, she nodded as Celestia smiled.

" Tonight may be a little loud, but I do hope you get some sleep. I wish for you to answer more questions tomorrow if you can, but please know that this place is my home, and you should feel safe." Celestia said, noticing how the four seemed to be a little jumpy in the halls with the guards and other servants who just so happen to walk by. Celestia bowed her head slightly before walking down a different corridor. the four looked at the maid, her mane a light orange and her fur a sun yellow. She was nervous obviously, still staring at the four unsure of what to do.

" U-um, right this way please." She said, swiftly turning around and walked down the hall, the four friends in tow. As the group walked, the awkward silence was almost unbearable. Luckily for them, the room was less than five minutes away.

" H-here you are. There are four beds in the room, a bathroom with a shower and a balcony look over." The mare sputtered, shifting her weight from one hoof to the other. Kevin could see that she wanted to leave which he understood.

" Thanks miss." Kevin said, nodding to her. The mare did the same, some of her nervousness leaving her body. As she walked off, the four entered the room. She was right, there were four beds against the wall, all twin XL. Zack ran over to one closest to the balcony.

" window bed called it!" He yelled, jumping into the bed with all of his equipment, making the bed creak and the well kept sheets utterly destroyed. Kevin shook his head, as he took the bed closest to the door. Alex took the one next to him and Cody took the other. From the balcony to the door of the room, Zack was sitting in his bed, playing with his cap as he twirled it in his hand. Cody was next, trying to get his boots off, the first one coming off easily, but he seemed to struggle with the second. Next was Alex who simply laid down, his fisherman cap over his eyes. Finally Kevin sat in his bed, simply thinking over what they had all gotten into. Suddenly, a loud sound like an explosion could be heard, making the four jump up, and Zack to yelp. Quickly, the four raced to the balcony, and upon opening the door, saw for the first time the sonic rainboom.

" What the fuck was that!?" Cody asked.

" I wish I could tell you. But I guess that means they're married." Kevin said.

" How do you know?" Alex asked, leaning against the railing.

" Well something that loud and big and flashy isn't just for when the rings are presented. Well I wish congratulations." Kevin said, smiling as the rainbow spread over the entire castle, cheering and the sounds of music could be heard.

" I can't believe it. An hour or so ago they were just attacked and now they act like it never happened." Alex said, chuckling as he did.

" Maybe this place isn't as bad as we thought right?" Zack said, a smile on his face. Cody sighed, before nodding.

" Yeah I'll agree with you there Zack. Sure it was sketchy at first but..." Cody sighed, a smile appearing on his face as well. " I'm starting to like it." Kevin looked to his friends, seeing them smile for the first time in awhile made Kevin heavily sigh, a smile on his as well. Of all the people who could get lost in a brightly colored intelligent pony place with me. Kevin looked into the rainbow, a feeling of happiness and hope sweeping over his being. I couldn't have picked anyone better.

Author's Note

Finally another chapter! Sorry for the delay folks but like I said, ass got kicked in finals, but now my sore ass and crippled brain are free!!!
Going to start making another chapter soon! I have a basic premise of where this story is going, but I'm just going over it again and again just in case. Anyways this took longer than it should have, here it is,
Hope you enjoyed,
Keep on writing and keep on reading!

Engage the Wedding!!!

Night had risen, and boy was that princess right. Cheering and music could be heard, as the four friends tossed and turned. Zack grunted, his eyes forced shut as he turned to the window. Cody pressed his head deeper into the pillow, while Alex stared up at the roof, his eyes showing no sign of life.

" Three hours. Three fucking hours." Kevin voiced everyone's complaint, Zack grunting again as he sat up.

" What is this and Indian wedding?" Zack sitting up with a scowl on his face.

" Whoa dude not cool." Cody said, sitting up as well.

" Actually and Indian wedding is supposed to last three days." Alex said, his arms spread as he continued to stare. Cody and Zack looked at each other before Cody decided better and fell back down into his bed. Zack got up, walking over to the balcony and opening the door. Kevin sighed sitting up and turning on the lamp on his nightstand. The four friends had all of their gear off, only their military pants white short sleeve shirts, each of their pistols on their own nightstands. Seeing Kevin get up as well for the fifth time, Alex grunted, knowing full well he wasn't going to get any sleep. Getting up as well signaled Cody to grunt in annoyance before he did the same. Cody went to the bathroom while Alex went over to his gear, Kevin joining Zack on the balcony. The calm wind blew through his hair as Kevin leaned against the railing.

" Sounds like their having a blast." Zack said.

" Yeah they sure are. I wonder how they got that techno music though." Kevin said. He remembered they heard an orchestra first, but it then suddenly ended and they heard the start up of the techno music as what appeared to be a feminine voice singing as well. Alex joined them as well, his brow furrowed.

" Alright that's it, I'm gonna see what they are doing." Alex walked up, pulling out his PLD as he began to try and get an angle. Kevin raised an eyebrow.

" Dude what are doing?"

" Trying to see just what the hell is going on down there." He said, pushing past Kevin and Zack as he tried a different angle on the balcony. Zack chuckled as Kevin sighed, shaking his head.

" Dude just leave it alone I'm sure the party is almost over."

" It better be or I will have a talk with the princess." Alex said, making Kevin laugh.

" How? This place is huge, not to mention your probably going to get lost two minutes after you leave this room." Alex grunted.

" I wonder if infinite parachutes work here as well." He said, making Zack shake his head.

" Dude that experiment will be another day where we won't die. Kev doesn't have defibrillators."

" Another reason why I question you Kev." Alex said.

" Hey I used to revive but after seeing people die three seconds after was a waste of time. Instead I focus on taking out the enemy so other people can revive the ones who were down." Kevin reasoned, making Alex roll his eyes. As he continued to try and see what was happening, something shot into the air. The three focused on what it was, Alex zooming in with his PLD. The thing seemed to be a small ball of light, to Zack and Kevin it was a pink color, while to Alex it was a bright yellow outlined in orange. Suddenly the orb burst into a magnificent firework, making Zack and Kevin's eyes widen in amazement. Alex's eyes screwed shut as he fell back.

" Agh! Goddammit why!? FUCK!" Zack turned around, before breaking down in laughter as more fireworks were launched in the air. The sounds of the fireworks drowned out Alex, as he rolled on the ground, Zack joining him soon as he could no longer hold in his laughter. Kevin simply leaned against the rails as he did the same, laughing his head off.

" Oh my god I'm gonna d-d-die!" Zack said, pounding his arm against the ground, while Alex simply sat there covering his eyes, his body shaking every so slightly.

" Jesus it was hard to look at bright things when it was in the game but n-now... m-my eyes. My eyes." He kept repeating, just lying there as the fireworks continued. Kevin shook his head, being the first one to recover from the laughing fit. Walking back inside, Kevin reached for his gear near his bed, pulling out a med kit. Walking over to Alex, he simply threw it next to him, the siring pain in Alex's eyes rapidly healing. Alex rubbed his eyes carefully, before taking his hands off and blinking rapidly. Finally, he sighed before getting up, Zack wiping a tear from his eye as he did the same. Cody came out of the bathroom just to see the spectacular, only for his brow to raise before shaking his head, thinking it was best not to question the insanity.

" Now their launching fireworks? Jesus This is gonna be forever." Cody said, as Kevin sat on Zack's bed, watching the show. Alex watched from the carpet while Zack was outside, the lights dancing the shadows and brightening the night. Cody leaned against a wall, his eyes closed as he listened to the cheering. Reminds me of home kind of, whenever there was a birthday or some huge celebration.

" I suggest we join in!" Zack said, turning around and walking back in. Kevin raised a brow.

" I think we shouldn't do that."

" Yeah I'm with Kevin on that one Zack." Cody said.

" Oh come on guys, look we're not gonna sleep anyways so why not go introduce ourselves? It would be a good step up, and show those civvies that saw us at the gate that they have nothing to fear." Zack reasoned. Kevin placed a hand under his chin thought while Alex simply sighed, laying down and spread out on the ground. Cody shook his head as he sighed, not agreeing with Zack's choice. He could be right. I mean I guess it wouldn't hurt. Kevin thought. Standing up, he smiled as he walked over to his stuff.

" Celestia wanted us to feel safe and comfortable here, so we might as well get comfortable. I agree with Zack, we shouldn't be afraid to meet the others and we shouldn't have to fear this place. Seeing as Celestia is in charge, I'm pretty sure she will be there to make sure everything is fine." After saying this, Kevin stood up, his boots on as well as his holstered side arm. Zack and Cody looked at each other, Cody's brow furrowed as he looked at the ground.

" Ugh, fine I guess. I'm just not sure we should be walking around like this in such a new place." Cody reasoned as he got over to his stuff, Alex getting up and doing the same while Zack started to put on his boots as well.

" I understand your concern Cody, I'm a little jumpy as well. All of this is new to me and I'm not sure if I've gone insane or this is really happening. But I think is also an opportunity that we all can't miss. Listen, if you want to stay here no one is stopping you, but I would like to at least meet the newlyweds, as well as anyone else." Cody looked to Kevin, then looking at Alex and Zack, both of whom were ready as well. A small smile came to Cody's lips. It's O.K. man, they're here with you.

" Alright then. Let's go." He said, walking over to his equipment as he grabbed his 44. and holstered it to his side. The three nodded as Kevin opened the door, revealing two guards and a maid that was about to knock. She had what appeared to be a tray on her back with what appeared to be a tea kettle with some tea cups. Kevin was the first to react.

" Oh sorry miss, we're just leaving at the moment."

" O-oh! I see." She said. shifting her weight from hoof to hoof.

" Well I'll just be going then."

" Wait a minute." He called, making her stop and the two guards look up.

" We've been wondering how to get to the wedding. We wish to talk to Celestia about some important matters." Kevin hated lying to others, but seeing as it was the only way she would be willing to give them directions, he couldn't see any other way around.

" Yes of course. Just down this hallway and then take two lefts then a right. You'll then come across the gardens and that is where they should be. A good 5 minute walk from here." She said, smiling in her cute pony manner. Kevin nodded, and began to walk with his friends in tow.

" Thanks miss!" He said over his shoulder, waving to her as she went into their room to place the tea somewhere inside.

**********

Kevin and his friends continued to walk among the halls, listening to the mare's directions, they soon were able to find the gardens, as the music was as well getting more and more loud. Zack was lightly bobbing his head to the beat as the female vocalist continued to sing about ' love being in bloom'.

" Whoever that singer is she's really good." Zack commented, earning a nod from Kevin.

" Ah jeez, I just hope we find Celestia first so we can have her help us introduce ourselves to the public." Alex said, a worried look on his face as he scratched the back of his head. Cody agreed to this, nodding his head as the music finally reached its peak, and the four could literally feel the vibrations in the ground. As they looked, they could see confetti and streamers everywhere. There were many ponies in all shapes and sizes, as well as colors. Kevin could make out the DJ booth, with what appeared to be a pink pony and a pony with a blue mane and white fur, as well as some cool shades on. They seemed to be the ones leading the party, as the white one was seen scratching the disc on the turn table. Kevin looked to the side of the party, not paying attention to the crowd clumped in the middle, but rather on the sides. Knowing that Celestia was taller than any other pony, he was sure he could find her. And he did. With five others as well.

" There she is, left side!" Kevin said, pointing to her so the others could see. Celestia was lightly dancing, while the other ponies were fully dancing, losing themselves in the party. Kevin and the others looked at each other before Kevin simply shrugged, and the four began to move around the party. Some ponies on the side would glance to the humans, but the party would bring their attention back to the crowd. Eventually, the group reached the area on the side of the clustered crowd, where Celestia and five other ponies were dancing. Kevin held his hand back, telling the three to wait.

" I'll talk to her first okay!? Wait here!" Kevin said over the music, the three nodding as they stood on the side. Kevin walked up to Celestia, her head bobbing slightly as her eyes were closed, and a cute smile on her face. As she moved, Kevin gathered up his courage, and simply reached over and tapped her shoulder. She stopped, her smile gone, much to Kevin's dismay, and looked to her side, only for her eyes to go wide when she had to look up at the figure.

" K-Kevin!? What are you doing out here!?" Celestia said, the music making it hard to have the conversation.

" Well it's not like we're gonna get any sleep in the first place! So we decided to introduce ourselves to the populace, or at least the newlyweds, just to be polite you know!?" He said, gesturing to the others who waved. Celestia looked between Kevin and his friends, her mind trying to contemplate what they did was a good idea. Eventually, the music began to die down, and the sound of what appeared to be slow music returned. Some ponies left the dance floor, and noticed the four humans, making them go wide eyed. Celestia saw this, as a small crowd began to form, as ponies stared at the four. Celestia gestured to the grass and a tree, a good twenty feet away from the party. Kevin nodded as him and his friends quickly walked over, leaving some of the ponies staring and multiple questions in their head. The group walked over to the side, Celestia sighing as they were in the clear.

"I understand that you wish to see them, and that you are just being friendly, but I don't think my ponies are ready yet for something so new to come into their lives. They can be... pretty skittish when it comes to new things." Celestia said, not making eye contact with Kevin.

" I know they can be. I remember me and my friends saved a mare that was stuck under two wooden pillars, and she wouldn't even let us come close until we answered some questions. Heck she would even risk losing her wings rather than to get near us." Kevin said, remembering when she tried to move out from the pillars, causing her wings to rub against the wood. Celestia didn't notice this before, but nodded as thanks for saving one of her ponies.

" Well, since you already made your way here, I guess introductions with others is necessary." Kevin smiled to Celestia as she began to walk away.

" Now I will be introducing you to my student and her friends, as well as the newlyweds. Try to stay here please, and I'll also be bringing my sister."

" Alright, we'll stay here." Kevin said, as Celestia walked away.

" Dude it's still kind of hard to see a pony that big and talking, as well as looking slightly animated." Alex said, Zack nodding.

" Yeah, but hey I don't mind, think my little sister would be all over this place." Zack replied, making Cody chuckle.

" dude I remember I bought a barbie play house for her she threatened that I would be her new big brother."

" And if that happened you wouldn't be standing here." Zack glared jokingly, making Alex and Kevin laugh. Cody shook his head with a smile on his face, leaning back against the tree.

" Whatever man just to let you know I don't work well with kids. She would drain me in less than two minutes." Zack nodded at this, as the group began to go silent again, letting the slow music take them into their own thoughts.

Kevin saw Celestia, with what appeared to be nine other ponies. The one standing next to her was a lavender unicorn, wearing a pink dress with a star holding it firm on the base of her neck. Her mane was a dark purple with a light pink strand, as well as a light purple strand in her mane as well. Her eyes were lavender as well, and she seemed to be talking to Celestia rather than focusing on the humans. Right next to her was what appeared to be a white unicorn, and an orange mare that did not have a horn or wings. The white one had a purple mane, curled to perfection as her blue eyes shined like diamonds. She had a wavy dress with a mix of ocean light blue and pink with white stars spread over the garment. The orange one had a stetson and a dress, with a mix of red, green, and brown. Her mane was a golden blond, tied into a pony tail, her green eyes were accompanied by freckles on her orange cheeks. Next to the orange one seemed to be the Pink pony they saw at the DJ booth. On the other side of the princess, there was a cyan Pegasus that was flying low next to the princess, giving Kevin the death glare. She had a rainbow dress, which matched her hair, her eyes the same as Celestia's, only slightly darker. Kevin didn't notice it at first, but he saw what appeared to be a yellow pony standing behind the orange one, her pink mane blocking her eyes as she seemed to be... trembling?

" Kevin, I would like to introduce you to my student and her friends. They are better known through our land as the elements of harmony." Celestia said, making the lavender one stop talking and look to the four newcomers. Her eyes widened as she observed their figures, taking in the fur less skin, except for the small patch on their heads. Kevin saw that they weren't going to start the conversation, so might as well. He cleared his throat, making sure that he got the pony out of her trance.

" H-Hello there, my name is Kevin, and these are my friends. It is a pleasure to meet you six." Kevin said, reaching out with his hand as he bent down slightly. The lavender unicorn backpedaled, not sure how to take his actions. She studied him, as one would study a predator. Celestia walked up to Kevin, grabbing his hand in a shake. This made the other ponies gasp.

" Relax Twilight, he is not going to hurt you." Celestia said. This made the unicorn talk.

" F-Forgive me Princess Celestia, but what in the hay are those things!?" She said, pointing a hoof at the four. Celestia frowned on the inside, not really liking how her student was treating the new guests.

" Well we're called humans. I'm Zack." Zack spoke up, placing a hand on Celestia's shoulder as Kevin put his hand back down, watching along. Zack walked over to the group, his arm continued to rest on her shoulder.

" Your princess here has really helped us, and we are glad that we got to help in return. She is a good leader, letting us speak before anything else." Celestia lightly blushed at that, her white coat making it barely visible.

" Why thank you Zack." He smiled at that, taking his hand off her.

" I'm guessing that since she is such a good ruler that you trust her, right?" All Twilight did was nod.

" Then trust her. Look we don't plan on hurting anyone, we didn't have that plan in the first place. Just four lost friends who are willing to make more on this crazy adventure. So let's start again." Zack walked back, allowing Kevin to take the reigns. He nodded in thanks, before standing in front of Twilight again.

" I guess your name is Twilight. A pleasure to meet you." He reached out. Twilight lifted a hoof, and hesitantly, put it in the palm of his hand. She watched in amazement as the five appendages grasped around her hoof, shaking her hoof lightly as he smiled.

" A-A pleasure to meet you too. I must say, you four are pretty interesting."

" You like?" Zack said, flexing as he did so. Twilight tilted her head for only a second, before a blush hit her like a freight train. Zack laughed at this, as Kevin lightly chuckled.

" Oh come on now." Alex said, nudging Zack. Zack nodded, calming down his laughter as he just stood there smiling. Twilight backed up, letting who ever go next. The rainbow one got in front of the four, a determined look on her face.

" The name's Rainbow Dash. Faster flier in all of Equestria." Kevin smiled.

" It is a pleasure to meet you miss Dash. I understand if you do not trust us just yet. I mean we are something I'm pretty sure this world has never seen before." Rainbow Dash sighed.

" I will admit, you four are pretty mysterious, but you don't seem to be so bad." She studied him some more, noticing that they all had something wrapped around their hips, but decided better not to ask.

" So is that a pass?" Cody asked, crossing his arms. Rainbow shrugged.

" Yeah I guess." Nodding, Rainbow flew back as the Pink one came up. Before Kevin could say anything, the pink pony bounced around the four, the friends barely seeing her as she sputtered nonsense and bounced all the while.

"Hi my name is Pinkie Pie! Best party planner in all of Equestria and best baker! What do you like!? Are you aliens!? When's your birthday!? What's you favorite cupcake!? What about cakes you like cakes!? Wow your tall! Hey is that a 44!? Why hasn't the author stopped me yet!?" Kevin caught her, his eyes wide as she was being held in his hands, a huge smile on her face, as he could literally feel the adrenaline leaking out of her.

" O.K. I know who the fuck I'm staying away from." Cody said, backing up slightly. Kevin sighed, placing the mare down as she seemed to be calm.

" I only got that you are a party planner named Pinkie Pie. I gotta say, you got a lot of energy, probably more than Zack's or my younger sister." Pinkie smiled at this, but suddenly gasped like she had realized something.

" I totally forgot about a ' Welcome to Eqeustria!' and ' Welcome to Ponyville!' party! I have to plan it now!" She was about to bolt, but Rainbow Dashed in front of her, sighing as she did.

" Pinkie, I'm sure it can wait." Pinkie was about to argue, but decided it would be better.

" Oh alright Dashie, but only because the author says so." Kevin looked to his friends, who in turn just shrugged.

" Hello dear, my name is Rarity. I am in charge of the Carousel Boutique within Ponyville." Kevin motioned for his friends, Alex being the first. Rarity held out her hoof, expecting the creature to do the same and shake. Much to her surprise, and delight, Alex bent down, held the hoof gently in his palm before kissing it. Rarity blushed, sure she had other colt's do the same, but from a different creature entirely, the feeling of his lips were different, not the ruff fur, but soft and smooth skin.

" greeting Rarity, the name is Alex, the pleasure is all mine." He said, smiling as he got up, Rarity taking a step back. Next was the orange mare, making the yellow one quickly dive behind Rarity.

" Name's Applejack. Nice to meet ya'll." She said, Cody taking her hoof in a handshake. He could feel her muscles, and boy was she strong. Cody wide eyed slightly, it felt like shaking hands/hooves with Mister T.

" Name's Cody. Nice to meet you too. Love the hat." He said, making Applejack take it off and cover her face, her eyes the only thing showing.

" Oh u-uh, th-thank you kindly." Cody smiled as he got up. Everypony seemed to be acquainted, except a special yellow pegasus. Rarity nudged the cute thing forward, making her quietly yelp. She sat curled between the humans and her friends, looking at them with frightful eyes. Kevin noticed this, looking to his friends with concern.

" here give us some space O.K.?" They nodded, backing up. Kevin smiled, turning to the pegasus. She seemed to shrink under his gaze. He could only see one blue eye, since the left one was covered by her mane. She whimpered, which made Kevin's heart ache. He knelt down, sitting crisscross, making Twilight gasp as she tried to find something to record her notes. The yellow pegasus tried to crawl away, her body shivering all the while.

" Hey don't leave." Kevin cooed, making the Pegasus stop. She looked at him, as he lowered his head, placing his hands down on the grass.

" Hey it's O.K., I'm not gonna hurt you alright? Come on don't leave." He said, making himself meet at eye level with the curled up ball. her shaking ceased, as she looked at the ground, as if trying to contemplate it was a good idea or not. Finally, she looked up, scooting close to the human. Everyone watched in awe, not sure if what Kevin was doing would work. She was within arms reach now, Kevin reaching up to her slowly. She watched the appendage, ready to bolt, her prey instincts trying to take over.

" Shhhhhh. Shhhhhh. It's O.K. relax." Kevin was able to get under her chin, gently messaging her fur. He brought the hand up to her right cheek, making her shake even more as she closed her eyes. Kevin smiled, gently rubbing her cheek with his thumb.

" Your O.K. we aren't gonna hurt you. See?" The timid pegasus opened her eyes, focused on Kevin's hazel ones as she felt his hand. The calming feeling finally began to take over, her shivering had stopped, and she looked rather hypnotized. Kevin reached for the back of her ear, and began to pet her there. The pegasus blushed very hard, looking at the ground as she shifted her weight.

" What's your name? I'm Kevin." She glanced up at him before looking back down.

" I-I'm, Fluttershy." Kevin raised a brow, getting closer to the pegasus.

" I'm sorry, could you repeat that please?" He asked, making the pegasus look at him, gathering the courage to speak up.

" I-I-It's Fl-Fluttershy." She said, looking at the ground. This time, Kevin heard her.

" Fluttershy. That is a cute name." Kevin said, rubbing her ear again as she blushed.

" Th-thank you." She said, a small smile on her lips.

" I believe I must say, I have never seen anypony help Fluttershy out of her shell that fast before." Twilight said, making Kevin smile.

" She just seemed paranoid is all. I must say, you ponies are small and very cute." Kevin said, patting Fluttershy on the head, making her give a small 'eep'. Standing up, Kevin let Fluttershy walk back to her friends, as the groups got back into their regular spots.

"We must say, for creatures of a different world, you are quite appealing to the eyes." Another voice said, making the four friends look around, confused expressions on their faces. Softly, the sister of Celestia landed. Kevin would describe the solar diarch as one of radiating beauty. However, her sister was the type of calming beauty that seemed to grasp at your heart. Her dark blue mane flowed gently like the night sky, filled with the glittering stars of the galaxy. Her blue fur was as calming as the moon's light, not to mentions she had a moon for the mark on her flank. her deep blue eyes showed knowledge and experience as well as, something that made Kevin feel concerned. Sorrow. The regal night princess walked up to the four humans, their eyes wide as they observed her, as she did the same in kind. Walking up to Kevin, her head reaching the center of his rib cage, her horn making her reach his collar bone, the night princess placed a hoof on his chest, closing her eyes as she hummed.

" Such strength, probably can outlast a Minotaur. I must say you four are fine specimens." Luna said, her eyes starting to become sultry. Kevin lightly blushed, Cody and Alex doing the same. Zack simply flexed again.

" yeah I gotta say, these bodies do require the proper workouts to keep princess." The three couldn't hear it, but Kevin heard something that made his heart skip a beat, as he heavily swallowed. Luna purred lightly, watching as Zack flexed. Kevin decided to end this, as he could see two more ponies coming towards them. Taking the princess's hoof, he lightly shook it, before letting go, much to Luna's dismay.

" It is a pleasure to meet you Luna. I assume you are the sister of Celestia?" The lunar princess nodded.

" Indeed we are. We are in control when the night comes, but our sister controls the day." Kevin nodded, smiling as he glanced up.

" Well I must say this night is very beautiful. I could see why you would be a part of it." Luna blushed. Looking away.

" W-we thank thee for th-thine compliment. We-we a-are glad that y-you see-"

" Luna, you're slipping into it again." Celestia said, making Luna's eyes widen. Shaking her head slightly, before looking up at Kevin.

" I apologize. But I must say, thank you for the compliment, there are so little who appreciate the night without the safety of a candle." She said, a sad smile on her face. Cody decided to step up.

" Well congratulations, you can tell others that four new creatures of great power approve of your nights." He said, making Zack grin devilishly and Alex look at him confused. Kevin smiled, nodding in agreement. This seemed to end the conversation, as the two new ponies approached. The first one was a colt, his blue hair a mix of light and dark, and his fur a snow white. His eyes were a navy blue, and he was wearing a red military attire from the looks of it. The other was a light pink mare, with a majestic white wedding dress, her mane the colors of bright yellow, dark pink and purple. Her eyes were a moderate purple, as she seemed to be the most happiest pony alive.

" Auntie, I am so glad that today turned out to b the best day of my li-" She stopped, noticing the four humans as they stood still, not sure how to react to the couple. The colt got in front of the mare, a defensive look in his eyes.

" Princess what are these things?"

" Shining! That's rude!" Twilight protested.

" Relax sir. My name is Kevin, and these three are my friends Cody, Zack, and Alex. We don't mean any harm and we're rather lost. Far away from our home. We just came by to congratulate you two is all." Zack was about to say more about how they couldn't get any sleep, but Cody nudged him as he could see that he was about to make a move.The pink mare smiled at this, stepping in front of her husband, as he stood shocked. Happily walking up to Kevin, she stuck out her hoof, which Kevin knelt down, holding the hoof as he bowed his head.

" A pleasure to meet you Mrs..." Kevin said, looking up to her with a smile.

" Cadence, Princess Cadence. I must say you four are interesting, but you seem to be good." Kevin nodded at this, standing up as he turned to the colt.

" The name is Shining armor, Captain of the Royal Guard." Shining said, holding out his hoof for a shake. Everypony's eyes widened when the four saluted Shining.

" A pleasure to meet you sir." They all said in unison. Kevin chuckled.

" Sorry about that. My family and Zack's have a huge military past, and kind of drilled it into the other's minds." He said, sheepishly smiling. Shining shook his head, a smile of his own on his face.

" No problem Kevin. I'm actually glad there is somepony out there who is not of the Royal Guard I can talk to about military." Kevin nodded.

" I can understand, our's is pretty advanced." Kevin said. Shining was about to say more, but Cadence nudged him.

" Sweetie, I think you could talk about this later. Don't you forget we have thirty minutes before we head off. Let's enjoy the party before it's too late!" Cadence said, bringing the six Elements back, as they walked off, saying their goodbyes to the humans. They waved back in turn, Celestia walking up to the four.

" I told them to have their questions ready by tomorrow if they wish, and you could ask things as well if you have any. We will help you, and you can feel safe within my country from now on. I am glad that I have been able to make friends with four beings of a different world, let alone a different universe."

" Glad things are going smoothly. I must say you have some pretty lively ponies here Celestia. Can't wait to talk to them more." Before they could finish their talk, Kevin saw Zack walking into the party, with Cadence and Shining following as well. Wide eyed, Kevin quickly ran over to him.

" Zack what are you doing!?"

" Well like I said we are not going to get any sleep anyways, so why not just go along with it? I mean this is a wedding party, and it is a beautiful night to do this as well." Zack reasoned. Kevin was about to object, but felt a wing on his shoulder.

" I believe your friends are right, you should enjoy the party. No need to be so uncertain about this place, it is completely safe." Kevin wanted to bring up the bug ponies, but decided not to, hoping not to get on her bad side already. Sighing, he looked Alex and Cody.

" I guess we can stay for a while. I could eat." Cody said, Alex shrugging as well.

" I don't feel like heading back. Besides, it has been a while since we have been to a party, let alone a wedding." Kevin looked to Celestia, she smiled as she lightly nodded her head. Sighing, Kevin smiled, reaching up to pet Celestia behind her ear. Noticing this, Celestia's eyes widened slightly as she watched the appendage reach behind her ear. Scratching it, She cooed softly, wondering how in the world could Kevin do this.

" Thank you Celestia. Alright guys lets do this!" Kevin said, marching into the party ready to get turnt up as fuck.

Author's Note

Sorry this took so long for those who are impatient! :fluttercry:
But anyways here we are, gonna add more in the next chapter, get some questions answered have the plot rolling yadda yadda and scene. Anyways hope you enjoyed!
Keep on reading and Keep on writing!

Questions, and Answers

The first thing Kevin felt was a mild headache. His body began to slowly come back, the nerves in his system aching as he did so. Opening his eyes, he saw he was resting in his room. The curtains were pulled over, keeping the light out, and giving the room a dull purple hue. Sighing as he lay there, Kevin decided to sit up, adjusting the pillow behind his head. The bed creaked softly as he sat up, noticing that he still had his cloths on. Looking to his left, he noticed his gun was on the nightstand, and his gear was still in tact. Sighing in relief, he turned to his right, to see that Cody and Zack were still asleep, but Alex's bed was vacant. Surprisingly, Alex's bed was neatly made, his M9 resting on the nightstand, meaning that he hasn't left the room. The door opened to the bathroom, Alex walking out with a towel around his waist and another in his hands as he was rubbing his hair. Shaking his head to get more water out, Alex opened his eyes to see Kevin. Smiling he continued to walk over to his stuff as he dried.

" Morning Kevin. Just finished up it's all yours now." He whispered, gathering his clothing as he waited for Kevin to go into the shower himself or turn around. Yawning quietly as he stretched, Kevin nodded, before using his groaning muscles to get up. Walking over to the bathroom, Kevin tried to remember what the hell happened the night before. Stepping into the room and turning on the water, Kevin continued to ponder on the party. I remember dancing to the beat... ugh, there was a few ponies that seemed to warm up to me. Laughing with Celestia and my friends. Ummm... Ah I remember getting in some fight with a blonde pompous ass, but before I could do anything... The memories began to come back, as Kevin remembered. He originally got in a fight near the end of the party, with what appeared to be a white unicorn colt with a blonde mane. He was asking for the guards to escort Kevin and his friends out, calling them hairless barbaric monkeys. Kevin corrected him and they both got into a fight, but before it got physical Kevin's friends dragged him back to the room. Sighing, he closed his eyes, letting the warm shower water hit his back, the droplets coming off his lashes as he thought.

Coming to this world, meeting the locals, let alone having these powers... Ugh it's just too much. My friends, me, these... ponies. As much as this place and it's new discoveries tempt me, I must find a way to get us back. Well, to get them back at least. Kevin chuckled to himself, a smile of bitterness on his face.

" I wonder what Zack's little sister is doing. I hope she isn't too freaked out about her brother suddenly disappearing." He said, rubbing his hair as the shampoo did its work. Finishing up the last touches, Kevin turned off the water, the cool air taking control as he lightly shivered. Stepping out and drying himself off, Kevin opened the door to see Zack shifting uncomfortably, Alex dressed in his sniper attire while Cody tossed and turned, his eyes slowly opened as he groaned.

" Ah thank god, dude move I gotta use it." Zack said, rushing past Kevin and shut the door. Shaking his head, Kevin walked over to his bed, looking to Alex and nodding, to which he did the same and turned around. As Kevin began to put on his clothes, Alex began the conversation.

" So, what are our plans for today? I don't know about you but I would like to explore this place." Alex said, a hand under his chin as he stared out the window. Kevin sighed, adjusting his pants as he got on his belt. Sighing, Kevin shrugged, reaching for his white t-shirt.

" I didn't really have anything planned. We can let Cody sleep in, but I'm gonna go explore, we could go together I guess." Alex nodded, agreeing with Kevin's choice. Finishing his attire, Kevin sighed, grabbing his sidearm, as well as Alex doing the same. Zack came out of the bathroom, sighing with a satisfied smile. Zack soon raised a brow as he saw Alex and Kevin getting ready to leave.

" Wait where are you going?" He asked.

" We're just gonna go out, roam around the castle and whatnot. You can stay if you wish." Zack scratched his head, before shrugging.

" Yeah I'm just gonna crash, maybe soak in some sunlight. See you guys around." With that, Alex and Kevin decided to head out, closing the door behind them. Outside, there were two guards standing at their door, whom looked to the two humans with a brow raised. Kevin cleared his throat.

" We're just gonna go explore the castle for a little while, I hope you fine gentleme- uh, colts don't mind would you?" He said. The first guard looked to his companion, who just shrugged.

" Alright. But we shall accompany you two." He said sternly. Alex nodding, seeming O.K. with the idea. Kevin and Alex started to walk, the two guards behind them following in tow. The halls glistened, some of the glass windows still broken from the recent attack. Alex frowned.

" Hey I noticed some of your guys were hurt in the hall, heck I even saw ones with bandages. What happened here anyways?" He asked. The guard on the right looked at the ground. Sighing, the gruff stallion began to speak.

"The last couple of days, the Captain of the royal guard Shining Armor was to marry Princess Mi Amore Cadenza. However, the rumor of the wedding seemed to have drawn the attention of changelings."

" Changelings? What's that?" Kevin asked, deciding to get in on the conversation.

" Changelings are creatures like us, but they have a dark hide and closely resemble a bug of sorts. They are parasites, feeding of of positive emotions from animals and ponies, love being the strongest and the most craved emotion to their species." The guard furrowed his brow, the memories of the recent attack making him sick. Kevin frowned slightly, hoping the guard would be O.K. Luckily, the guard inhaled and exhaled in a calming manner, closing his eyes.

" We were warned of a possible infiltration of security, as Changelings are known to change shape."

" Wait so they are shape shifters? How good?" Alex asked.

" They are capable of looking exactly like the pony they see. However it does take more energy when they are shape shifting into a different species. Ponies are easier because of how close our anatomy is." The guard looked sad after saying that. " One of them just so happened to replace Princess Mi Amore Cadenza. That one just so happened to be their queen." He said. Alex and Kevin looked at each other, this information to them was quite intriguing. Well now I know we helped the right side Kevin said to himself.

" She fooled everypony. But luckily one of the Elements of Harmony figured out the queen, and exposed her by finding the real Princess. The queen by the name of Chrysalis, was going to have her children invade Canterlot, and feed on all the love they desired." Kevin decided to cut in.

" And that is when we came in. I remember we just saw the dome break when we decided to run here and help." The guard looked at the human in surprise.

" How long were you watching?" Kevin sighed, hoping that they didn't think of them as a threat still.

" We sat on a small hill, a good mile away. We sat up there and tried to see if we could find out who lived in the dome. I took a nap which probably lasted a good hour or so, when my friend here Alex called out the bugs. We watched as they swarmed the dome and began to break it. After a few minutes we decided to come in, kill a few, save a pony and her filly, then next thing we know a huge blast erupted from the castle and they were gone. Now we're here." He summed up. The guard nodded in understanding.

" That is quite a story. I must say I have never seen anything like you four before in my life. What do you four go by?" He asked.

" Humans. And we're not really from here." Kevin said as the group took a right to what appeared to be an exit to outside. Raising a brow, Alex and Kevin continued to walk until the sunlight shined down on them. After their eyes seemed to adjust, they saw what appeared to be a garden. Their eyes widened at how beautiful it was. The grass was the perfect shade of dark green, as flowers of various colors scattered above the bushes, as the trees gave calming shade to those who wished to rest under the gentle giants. There was what appeared to be a maze to the right, as well as a fountain, with a marble carving of a pony with a flag, standing proud on its hind legs as it overlooked the garden with a flag.

" Wow, this place is beautiful. It's almost too perfect man." Kevin said, as Alex nodded in agreement. The guards stood to the side of the entrance as the two walked around. The air smelled great, as Kevin greatly inhaled to take in the fresh air. Alex sighed as he walked over to a tree and rested under its branches, as they granted him calming shade. The relaxation of the day was amazing, as the place just leaked peace. Until, Kevin saw a strange looking statue. Raising a brow, Kevin walked up to it, observing the creature's strange appearance.

" Hey Alex, check this out." Kevin said, making Alex grunt in confusion before standing up and walking next to Kevin. As the two looked up to the statue, Kevin felt an eerie presence from the thing. It had a lion paw, as well as what appeared to be a claw of a bird for the other hand. It's face was closely related to a goat, but the mismatched horns didn't help Kevin know for sure. It's lizard like tail supported its body as its two feet seemed to look like the creature was in mid back peddle. One foot appeared to be a dragon foot and a cloven hoof. His face was a permanent scream, as it showed shock and fear. Kevin tilted his head slightly, frowning as he did.

" What do you think it is?" He asked.

" I don't know Kev, but it is definitely something I have never seen before in my life." Alex replied, as he got closer, observing the eyes. Alex watched, as the creature seemed to stare into the void with the same terrified face that stuck to its stone like appearance. Alex swore he heard a dark laugh, as it was barely audible in his mind, but quickly shook the thought, a frown on his face.

" Come on Kev, let's get out of here. Remember we have to answer a few questions from the Elements." Alex walked back to the exit, stopping slightly as he turned to look over his shoulder.

" Plus, I really don't like the vibe that statue is giving off." Kevin wide eyed, thinking he was the only one who could feel it. The statue seemed to draw his attention, as he felt something trying to get inside his mind. Walking up to Alex, Kevin nodded as they started to walk away.

" I couldn't agree with you more." He said.

**********

Cody and Zack were finally getting ready, as the day was now starting to move, as Canterlot began to come alive. Zack finished putting on his cap as he looked outside, the curtains giving way to the bright sunlight. Zack could see ponies on the streets walking around or just chilling with a cup of tea or coffee in front of the cafes. Sighing, Zack turned to Cody, as he was waiting near the door.

" You ready?" He asked. Zack nodded.

" Kev and Alex haven't come back yet, so we might as well just explore ourselves." Zack reasoned. Cody shook his head.

" I just want to find a way out of here." Cody grunted, as they opened the door. Seeing the guards that were supposed to be in front of the door were gone, that meant that Kevin and Alex were still walking around. Cody and Zack looked at each other, before shrugging and decided to head down the left hall. The two humans lost track of time as they continued to walk in the maze known as the castle, looking out the windows or just looking down the hall. They conversed absentmindedly, laughing as they told jokes or talked about Equestria.

" I gotta say, your little sister and Kev's are nothing but little she devils. I still don't trust them you know that."

" Oh come on Cody it was just a little prank!" Zack begged, a smile on his face as Cody grunted.

" Do you know how emotionally that hurt me!?"

" Just because they were raisins and not chocolate chips doesn't mean who had to chase them screaming bloody murder! I mean they enjoyed that since they thought you were playing but seriously dude, you need to know when to take a joke." Cody sighed, pinching the base of his nose as he sighed in frustration.

" Whatever man just tell her that she better not do it again." Zack stopped, his smile rapidly fleeing his face. Cody stopped and turned to him, only for his mind to click.

" We're gonna get back man. Don't worry I'm sure of it." Zack didn't smile, but Cody could tell that his words helped him, even just by a little.

" Yeah, we gotta get back." Cody smiled, placing a hand on his shoulder before continuing to walk. They turned to walk down the left corridor, only for their eyes to widen in surprise. The throne doors were in front of them, the two guards looking toward the humans with raised brows. Cody simply waved and was about to turn away, but stopped as he thought. If we need a way back, then surely the leader of this country must know something. Ha, like she would tell me everything, it's probably some ancient highly classified magic. Cody looked to Zack, who stared at the guards with a blank expression. Cody winced slightly, seeing as the last conversation still bothered his friend. Ugh, I should never had said those things. Damn way to go man. Cody looked to the door, sighing as he furrowed his brow in determination. I still have to try. She may not tell me everything, but there must be another way. Cody walked over to Zack, tapping him on the shoulder.

" I have an idea." Zack tilted his head slightly, as Cody continued. " Let's go and try to talk to the princess, see if there is a way to get back O.K.?" Zack wide eyed, looking to the door before looking back.

" You sure? I mean is it really alright for us to even ask about that?"

" Well she did understand how it feels to leave your home and loved ones behind, or she said someone close to her experienced it. But that doesn't matter, we came here without a choice and she should at least be kind enough to give us some lead." Cody walked up to the doors, the guards tensing slightly. Cody felt nervous, wondering if this would really work. Dammit, where the hell is Kevin for these negotiating things when you need him?

" Um, we just want to talk to the princess about how to get back to our world. I hope you don't mind use entering the throne room?" Cody asked, a nervous smile on his face as Zack came up behind him. The guards looked to each other, before the one on the right spoke up.

" If you will wait here, the Princess is having a small audience with one of the nobles at the time being." Cody nodded.

" Then we will simply wait here. We have nothing better to do so might as well." Zack shrugged, walking up to the left wall and sliding down it as he pulled his cap down over his eyes. Cody walked next to him, leaning against the wall as he stood in thought. Let's hope this wait is worth it.

**********

Kevin and Alex walked up to the exit of the castle, the draw bridge down as the six ponies were getting ready to head to the train. Twilight checks her bags before looking up, her eyes widening as she saw the two. Kevin smiles as he waves at them, Alex lazily saluting as they walk up. It still took time for the six ponies to get used to the four creatures that they have never heard of before. Their height was intimidating, and the fact that they could stand on two legs without the support of a tail of falling as they moved so fluently amazed the purple unicorn. On the other hoof, the gear they brought also seemed to amaze her. Maybe she could have a look at it with their permission?

" There you girls are. Let me guess you're gonna head out?" Kevin's questioned knocked Twilight out of her trance. She smiled.

" Yep. Now that the wedding is over and our duties are complete, we'll be heading back to Ponyville. But before we do, can you answer a few of our questions?" She asked.

" Well that is the reason why we are here. Zack and Cody were asleep so we decided not to bother them. So in the mean time both me and Alex could try and answer your questions to the best of our abilities." Alex nodded as the two humans and the six ponies walked to the side of the road, sitting down on a few benches. Twilight sighed, a smile on her face as she pulled out a notebook and what appeared to be a quill and an ink pot. Clearing her throat, Twilight decided to start.

" Alright, first question. How can you stand on two legs so well?" Kevin looked at her with a raised brow, Alex having to answer.

" We originally evolved from primates, much more hairy versions of us who used to walk on all fours." Alex got down on all fours to show how their ancient ancestors used to walk, and slowly began to stand up while he walked in place.

" Over time, our species began to evolve both physically and mentally, leading to what me and Kevin are now." Twilight scribbled down her notes. As she was busy doing that, Rainbow Dash hovered in front of Kevin.

" Oh Oh my turn!" She said, a look of excitement on her face.

" What is it Rainbow Dash?" Kevin asked. Rainbow simply pointed a hoof to Kevin's side, making him look and give Rainbow a worried look.

" Yeah what about it?" He asked, his muscles tensing as he already knew the answer had to do something with his side arm.

" Can I see it! Oh is it a ray gun? You are aliens so it is isn't it!?" Twilight gave her a worried look.

" Rainbow Dash we shouldn't be messing with their equipment like that!" Rainbow rolled her eyes.

" But you wanted to study their stuff and them since we first met at the party." Twilight smiled sheepishly as she rubbed the back of her head.

" O.K. I may have wanted to see their stuff but they barely even know us and we don't know what that stuff does! For all we know it could be dangerous." Kevin decided to intervene. Looking to Rainbow, he gave her a stern look.

" Rainbow Dash, I will show you my pistol, but this is a weapon and is very dangerous. You will not hold it, you will not touch it. I will not shoot it and risk hurting one of you and you will never fire this. These tools we have are meant to kill do I make myself clear?" Kevin said. Everypony was silent seeing how serious the human was. Rainbow had stopped flying, and was looking at the ground rather than Kevin. She rubbed her shoulder with her hoof as she grew more and more nervous, wondering if she had upset the human. Nodding, she exhaled.

" C-crystal." Nodding, Kevin reached for his side arm, the ponies leaning in closely to see the piece. The pistol slid out, as Kevin aimed it upwards. Carefully, Kevin released the clip, placing it on the bench, as well as cocking back the slide, the chambered round popping out. Catching it, Kevin placed it next to the mag as he sighed. Holding the pistol with both of his hands, he showed it to the ponies like it was a piece behind a glass container.

" This weapon is known as an M1911 colt, which was made on the year 1911. It was used in the first World War but gained its popularity through the second World War." Kevin looked to the ponies, to see their faces with a mix of fear and uneasiness. Raising a brow, Kevin looked to Twilight, who looked a little sick.

" What is it? Was it something I said?" he asked. Twilight cleared her throat.

" Y-you had t-two World Wars?" She asked, her voice pleading that it wasn't true. Those pleas were crushed when Kevin nodded.

" Yeah, the first one was caused by the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the second one was caused by a little man known as Adolf Hitler who invaded Poland on September 1st, 1939." He replied, the calmness in his voice did not help the ponies ease their minds. Twilight shook her head in disapproval, her eyes never leaving Kevin's.

" Wh-why? Why did you all fight?" Kevin shrugged.

" I don't know much about the first one but the second one was either wait for Germany to swallow all of the East coast and commit mass genocide, or bring down the Socialist, or Fascist which ever you prefer, government and put an end to the bloodshed."

" By adding more on top of that?" Twilight questioned.

" Hey not every battle can be won by just sitting down and talking to your opponent. Not every stranger you meet is a new friend you can make." Kevin's words sunk in, as Twilight remembered the recent battle they had. They could have tried to reason with Chrysalis, but she felt deep down inside that something like talking wouldn't really get her anywhere with the queen. Sighing, she looked up as Kevin tried to get back on track.

" Anyways, this thing shoots lead aerodynamic bullets that can travel up to a velocity of 825 feet per second. It holds seven rounds plus one in the chamber, a .45 caliber." Kevin cocked the gun back to show how it worked. Twilight continued to write down notes, but she seemed to be writing a lot slower with less enthusiasm than she started off with. The group continued to ask questions, more on a different topic rather than their weapons and the wars. Twilight focused on the history of the humans, Kevin telling her the parts that didn't involve fighting, and more on a positive side. Pinkie Pie would most likely ask about the types of sugary sweets they had back on earth. This continued on for a few more minutes before Twilight yelped in panic, seeing the time. Quickly saying their goodbyes, Twilight and her friends quickly rushed past the bridge, Kevin and Alex waving bye to them as they did. Finally, when the ponies were out of view, Kevin sighed with a smile on his face.

" Well I'm not gonna lie, those girls really ask a lot of questions." Alex nodded.

" I agree with you Kev. It was like telling a kid our whole history." Alex said.

" I just wish that the battles don't mentally scar them." Kevin said, a worried look crossing his features.

" I'm sure they'll be fine. I mean they just had a first look at conflict when we got here, so a battle shouldn't be too bad." Kevin shook his head.

" It still doesn't matter. They don't have a violent world like ours, games or not we have seen enough to know just how dangerous and violent a world can get if it is pushed in the wrong direction." Alex looked to Kevin, seeing as he was deep in thought. Sighing, Alex placed a hand on Kevin's shoulder.

" Let's head back. It's gonna be lunch soon and I don't know about you but all of that attention and talking is making me hungry." Smiling Kevin nodded in agreement, the two friends sharing a small laugh as they started to head back in the castle, hoping that Cody and Zack weren't doing anything stupid.

**********

The two humans stood in the throne room, Celestia smiling to them as they stood there. Cody cleared his throat, deciding to get the conversation over with. Seeing the nervousness in Cody's eyes, Celestia gave him a worried looked.

" Princess, we would like to ask a few questions." Cody said. Making her nod in understanding.

" Of course Cody, please do tell me what is on your mind." She said, her voice as soft as a mothers. Cody sighed, lowering his head as he thought of a way to ease into it and not sound so demanding. As much as he found the place astonishing, knowing that there is another world out there, and spending it with three of his closest friends, he wanted out. He wanted to go back to his family, his school, his little brother. As much as he found some interest in this world, he wanted to go back.

" The thing is Princess, we've been thinking of ways to go back to our world." Celestia's eyes widened slightly, but she remained silent, urging Cody to continue.

" A-and, well, we were wondering if you know anyways for dimensional travel." Cody said, stuttering slightly as he was never as smooth as Kevin when it came to talking, especially to those of high authority. Surprisingly, Celestia did not seem mad at all.

" I have heard of the possibility of dimensional travel, but I can't remember anything specific off the top of my head. I do know it takes a huge amount of magic to complete such a task." Celestia said. Cody looked to Zack with a worried look.

" Is there any research on the topic?" Zack asked, stepping up next to Cody. Celestia nodded.

" I do believe so yes, in the Canterlot Archives. But it may take a while to find it in there." Cody sighed.

" It will be fine, as long as there is a way to get back."

" Ah well yes, um, about that." Celestia said, her face showing worry and sorrow. Cody's eyes widened, fear starting to creep up.

" What? What is it?" He asked, his voice almost above a whisper.

" Well you see Cody, the chances of a successful dimensional trip is lower than sixty-five percent." The room was silent, Cody and Zack saying nothing as the silence continued.

" Your kidding... come one it's got to be a joke." Zack's voice was nothing but a small whisper, as he looked at the ground in disbelief. Cody's distance stare stabbed ice into Celestia's heart, as she looked at the ground. How, out of all the dimensions, universes, stars, hell even planets, how could we find our very one solar system, Let alone our GODDAMN PLANET!? Cody clenched his fist as he looked to the floor, his brow furrowed. Sixty-fucking-five! No... no, don't think of it like that. Cody shook his head, a determined look on his face as he looked up to Celestia.

" It is still a chance Princess, one I am willing to take." Celestia gave Cody a sorrow look.

" I understand your eagerness to return to your world, but please be careful in doing so." She said. Cody nodded, looking over to Zack to see him looking back with a nervous look.

" It's less than a sixty-five chance Cody."

" That is still a chance! There is still a way!" Cody countered. Zack looked at the ground, not sure whose words to believe. Whatever man just tell her that she better not do it again. Zack couldn't shake his sister out of his mind. Her worrying where her brother went, crying with his parents, these thoughts shrouded Zack's mind, the thoughts breaking his heart. Zack felt a hand squeeze gently on his shoulder, making him look up to see Cody.

" Hey. I promise, we're gonna get through this alright? I'm gonna, we, are gonna find a way back, and all of us will go back to our normal lives." Zack smiled on the inside. He's right. Just hold on a little longer lil sis, big bro's coming home, no matter what. The smile spread to his face, as he nodded.

" Yeah, I'm sure we can find something." Cody chuckled, as Zack rolled his shoulders, getting his mindset back. No time to get all depressed. We still have a chance. Zack waved by to the Princess, adding a wink as well, making her stop her wave slightly, blushing before she continued, her eyes more focused on Cody instead. Zack chuckled as they left, the doors closing behind them as they walked back to their room. Besides, my friends are here with me. We can do this!

" I believe we need to keep this to ourselves Zack." Cody said, making Zack's train of thought come to a grinding halt.

" What? Why?" Cody stopped at their door, sighing as he looked Zack in the eye.

" I would rather not have an argument with the two and instead focusing on trying to get back home. Once we find a way we'll tell them and we'll get out of this place." Zack looked at his friend, not really following his train of thought.

" Like I said, why not just tell them now?"

" There you guys are!" Zack looked up to see Alex and Kevin walking towards them from the right hallway, waving to them as they did. Cody waved back, a smile on his face.

" Where did you guys go?" He asked.

" Oh we just met up with Twilight and her friends, answered a few questions and so fourth. What about you guys?" Kevin asked. Zack was about to answer, but Cody beat him to it.

" Oh we just went and walked around, this place is pretty big." Cody said. Kevin nodded.

" I agree, I hope we can look at this place more as well as what else in this Equestria." Cody's brow furrowed slightly.

" Yeah, that would be pretty nice." Cody muttered. No one took notice, Alex stepping into the conversation.

" Well we came here to see if you guys were awake and what do you know you are. So how about some food I'm starving." He said.

" Sure I can go for something to eat." Zack said.

" Might as well." Kevin replied. Cody simply nodded, opening the door as the four walked in, either to use the bathroom or to wait for those who were gonna use it. The four friends, with the answers they held today, were suddenly divided in two.

Author's Note

Welp here is the next chapter!
I would like to apologize as something major came up in my family which I would prefer not to talk about...
Still, gotta look to the future and continue onwards!
Hope you enjoy this chapter!
Keep on Writing and Keep on reading!

The Guard in the Hall

The first four days after Twilight and her friends left had been calm, the four humans doing nothing really besides talking among themselves, or talking to the staff. As Kevin and one of the maids, Feather Duster walked through the hall to the others, the two conversed over Equestrian history, such as the Nightmare Moon incident and how Twilight and her friends defeated her when she returned. Sighing Kevin thought about just how important the six of them must have been to Equestria, the stories surprised him, as when he thought of heroes he thought of someone getting their hands dirty, having to kill, and usually having scars to represent their adventures. But the girls, they were innocent. They would laugh and play, they looked like they haven't even seen someone die. He remembered how they reacted to his retail on the history of the two World Wars. Like a kid who had never heard of such a terrible thing before. With that evidence, Kevin found it hard to believe that the six of them held the whole country in their hooves.

" Wow, I don't know what to say. Honestly I just thought they were six normal ponies who knew Princess Celestia well. I'm honestly amazed." Kevin said, as the two took a right turn down another hallway. At the end there was a wooden door. As the two walked up to it, Kevin opened it, allowing Feather Duster to walk in first before walking in himself. Inside was a lounge room, the glass window giving brilliant sunlight as it shined. The three humans sat on the couch, one seemed to be napping, while the other two were discussing among themselves. Feather Duster walked off to the side, bringing out a feather duster as she began to clean. Kevin walked over to Zack and Cody, as they talked.

" Hey guys."

" Huh? Oh hey Kevin. Where were you?" Cody asked. Kevin sighed.

" Was trying to find Celestia and see if I could persuade her to walk around more." Cody nodded in understanding, sighing as he leaned back and stared at the ceiling.

" It's just so boring here. We've already explored the gardens, the halls, and other balconies. Plus I think the only ponies who are up here are guards and maids." Cody said, gesturing his head to Feather Duster as she cleaned. Kevin leaned against the wall. I wish we could walk around more. Maybe after her little tea break I can ask if we can explore the city. I mean we did aid in defending it after all. Kevin sighed, looking to his friends with a smile.

" You guys remember Twilight and her friends right?" The two nodded while Alex simply shifted in his sleep.

" Yeah what about them?" Zack asked.

" Would you believe me if I told you they are some of the most important ponies in this world?" Zack simply shrugged while Cody looked at Kevin confused.

" Well there are these six artifacts apparently, called the Elements of Harmony. Apparently those six wields these magic gems and they've saved Equestria twice from evil beings." Kevin stated. Zack looked naturally curious, but Cody seemed a little skeptical.

" Are you sure that sounds right Kevin? I mean they just seemed normal to me."

" Well the six Elements were Honesty, Laughter, Generosity, Kindness, Loyalty, and Magic." Kevin said.

" And the six girls are supposed to represent those Elements, bringing the magic..." Kevin stopped, trying his best not to cringe at what he was about to say next. " O-of, Fr-Friendship." He stuttered. feeling the blood rush up to his face. Cody wide eyed, before bursting into a fit of laughter while Zack smiled and just shook his head. Alex woke up from the sudden noise, wiping the exhaustion from his eyes.

" Really? That's the name? Give me a fucking break." Cody said, shaking his head as he let out a few more chuckles. Kevin simply shrugged.

" Hey it's their world and they can call whatever they want to call a magical laser beam." Zack was still laughing, as Alex looked at them with a raised brow.

" You know what, I don't even want to know." Alex stated, sighing as he stood up and began to stretch.

" Kev it's soooo boring just sitting here. I mean we could practice shooting but where are we gonna do that? Also not to mention the limited space we have." Alex gestured around him, but everyone knew he was talking about the castle. Kevin nodded, showing Alex that he fully understood.

" Look I've been trying to find the princess but she can't be found anywhere at the moment. Maybe she has some political stuff to do or whatever a princess does around the castle." Cody grunted as he stood up as well.

" Still I don't like the fact that we are trapped in here. We've been almost everywhere and so far the only places we haven't been are different halls." Plus I can't read jack shit from these books and scrolls in their library.

" I hate to agree but we need some outside activity. For these past days I've been losing my mind in here." Zack said, rubbing the back of his head with a worried expression. Kevin sighed.

" Look since we're all on an agreement here let's try to find where the princess is alright? I already checked the dining, the garden, and even just looked down the halls. Let's go to the throne room and see if we can find anything alright?" The three friends look at each other before nodding, Kevin leading the charge into the hallway as they did so. After saying goodbye to Feather Duster, the four walked down the hall, coming up to a guard as they did.

" Excuse me, do you know where the throne room is?" Kevin asked politely, trying to show respect and not overstep his boundary. The guard looked at Kevin, but immediately noticed them as Celesta's guests, stopping himself from badmouthing anypony who would bluntly ask to see the princess in such a way.

" Down the hall to the left. After that another left and the throne doors are right there." He said, before going back into his statue form. Kevin nodded in approval, as the four friends started to walk down the hall. The castle seemed to be recovering, the windows replaced, lack of bloody rags and downed soldiers, it's as if the attack never happened in the first place. Kevin wondered just what ties the Princess had with those Changelings. Axis or Allies, either way they have some ties with each other. Maybe Celestia has fought them before? She's at least seen them that's for sure. Ugh just forget it Kevin, invading someone's private matters never helped anyone. Kevin and his friends turned to their left and continued to walk. That is, until they heard a pair of hooves running behind them. Raising a brow, Kevin, as well as his friends turned around, only for a guard to almost run into the four friends. With a sharp yelp, Kevin stepped to the wall, while the guard rushed past the four. Cody furrowed his brow.

" hey watch it!" he yelled. Kevin tilted his head as he watched the guard go in the direction of the throne room. He seemed to be moving pretty fast. I wonder... Kevin looked to his friends, who seemed to show their own ways of expressing confusion.

" What the hell was wrong with him? He could have said something to warn us." Alex said.

" I think he should lose his guarding privileges." Zack said.

" let's follow him guys." Kevin said, as he began to speed walk to the throne. Seeing as how the guard's face was one of stress, and the fact that he was so focused on running that he didn't even say anything to the four, meant that he was obviously focused on something of great importance. Turning the corner, he quickly sidestepped as three guards left the room, a look of panic on their faces. Raising a brow, Kevin quickly ran into the throne room, the doors were remained open from the guards running out.

" -must come to Canterlot at once." Celestia said, before the note flashed from existence. Kevin noticed the princess was too distraught to see him enter, as she looked at the ground, her face one of worry.

" uh, Princess?" Kevin said, making her go wide eyed as she jolted up. Seeing the alarmed look she gave him, he smiled calmly as he raised a hand and waved lightly. " It's just me Celestia." Celestia smiled at this, a sigh of relief escaping her.

" I apologize for being so alarmed Kevin. Just have had a lot on my mind is all." She reasoned. Kevin was not convinced, as the smile she was giving him was not real. A simple mask, and Kevin hated masks. ' Everything is fine sweety, daddy is coming home for sure.' Kevin shook his head, getting rid of the thoughts.

" Are you sure Celestia, because I was almost trampled by three guards, and you just sent a message to someone. Seems like there is a breach in security or something." Celestia lowered her head in defeat, getting up from her throne as she walked over to one of the painted windows. Kevin gave her a look of worry, even though she couldn't see it. He walked up next to her, leaning against the wall as he waited. He heard footsteps, turning his head slightly to see the three of his friends appear before him.

" Hey dude, what's going on?" Zack asked.

" I'm afraid an ancient evil has returned." Celestia said, answering Zack's question, not like Kevin could in the first place.

" What do you mean by that?" Kevin asked. Celestia sighed as she looked to the four, Kevin straightening up as he was ready to hear.

" One thousand years ago, a unicorn by the name of Sombra took over the Crystal Empire North of here." The four nodded in understanding, waiting for her to continue.

" His dark magic plagued the Empire, as he turned the populace into slaves, to build his reign, giving him more power." The four humans frowned at the thought of slavery. As sad as it was back on Earth, given the fact that it was pretty common, on Equestria, seeing one of the brightly colored ponies that smiled and laughed, trapped by the cold steel of chains brought a sour taste to all of their mouths.

" I'm already starting to not like him." Zack said, crossing his arms. Alex nodded in agreement, before Kevin gestured for Celestia to continue. She nodded as she readied herself.

" He was immediately overthrown, and was banished into the arctic north, has been trapped in that icy prison up to this day. But I'm afraid-"

" That he has now returned, right?" Cody finished for her. Celestia nodded, making Cody grunt in agitation. Kevin lifted a hand and rubbed his chin, looking over the conversation in his mind.

" Sounds like one bad son of a bitch if you ask me. Reminds me of a little someone from Germany." Alex said. Celestia raised a brow.

" Jur-many? I'm sorry I do not know what you are talking about." She said. Alex shook his head a little.

" Sorry. He was a man who created his private military, called the SS, and convinced the German army to fight along with them. They committed mass genocide across the Eastern Continent, killing more than six million people, just because they were a different look, and religion than his people." Celestia looked horrified, the thought of somepony doing such a thing just because people looked different from them was barbaric, and just downright wrong.

" Th-that's horrible! What happened to him?" She asked, her mind more focused on this mystery man of jurmany that Alex spoke of. Alex smiled.

" That bastard has been dead for... seventy one years now Princess. Committed suicide before the Americans, British, and Russians got into his bunker. Killed himself, so did his wife, and basically anyone else in the wretched bunker." Celestia seemed a little relieved that such a monster was dead, but suicide was rare for her to even hear about. She hates to admit it, but there are a handful of cases in her time that were suicide related, and she felt pity and sorrow for those who took their own life, wishing somepony could help them in the afterlife.

" If this bastard is anything related to Hitler, then I can mark pumping him full of led off my bucket list." Cody said.

" Do you even have a bucket list in the first place?" Zack asked. Cody nodded.

" First wish is to get a notepad to write my bucket list on." Zack chuckled lightly as he shook his head.

" Listen Princess, this thing sounds bad. What would happen if he were to return?" Kevin asked. Celestia looked out to the beautiful sky, but her face showed one of worry.

" Equestria would be at war with the Crystal Empire, and the magic within it would make Sombra powerful enough to rival me and my sister, maybe even the Elements of Harmony."

" Alright so world goes down the shitter if he wins got it." Cody said, Kevin glaring at him to keep him quiet. Looking back to the princess, he walked up to her, looking out to the sky as well.

" Who can stop him. Besides what can he do?" Kevin asked.

" He is the living embodiment of dark magic, a spirit given physical form. Dark magic is incredibly hard to master, being able to control it without it fully corrupting your soul. Sombra has been able to do such a thing, mend with it to the point he thrives in it. The darkness and him have become one. But with the power of the Crystal Empire, and the Elements of Harmony, we should have a chance to end him." She said with determination. But Kevin looked at her with worry.

" But aren't Twilight and her friends connected to the Elements? Wouldn't that mean sending her and her friends into the front lines?" Celestia's determined gaze broke away, a look of worry and sadness replacing the mask.

" Yes, but I believe she will be able to accomplish this task. Her brother and Cadence will be there to help her as well."

" Why don't you just go out there and face him before he gets so overpowered?" Kevin suggested.

" Me and Luna have to keep the peace here instead. Guards and ponies are gonna get curious when they realize that the Captain of the royal guard and a princess of Equestria is missing."

" Why not just say they are on vacation or a honeymoon?" Zack recommended.

" Right after they just got married? Sorry dude I don't think that would work, some ponies would still have suspicion." Kevin said to Zack, who simply shrugged. Turning to Celestia, he gave her a worried look.

" And you want to have everypony be oblivious to this oncoming threat, don't you?" She nodded again.

" Which is why me and Luna will remain and keep the ponies distracted, while Twilight and her friends as well as Cadence and Shining Armor defeat the Dark King." She said. Kevin shook his head.

" That still doesn't solve the fact that Twilight and her friends are risking their lives, and are basically being put on the front lines." Celestia grunted in frustration, knowing that they were going in circles. Looking to Kevin with tears brimming on the end of her eyes, she struggled to hold her voice.

" Then what shall I do Kevin? I-I- know Twilight is in danger, but what choice can I possibly have? I and my sister have to keep the peace here, Cadence and Shining Armor have to protect the Crystal Empire, and Twilight along with her friends have to find a way to defeat Sombra, all the while he is coming and attacking the Crystal Empire, and there is no way we can stop it. I know you are talking about a buff between Twilight and Sombra, but who could do that?" She begged. Kevin looked to his friends, as they looked back at him for ans answer. He sighed, knowing that his friends were gonna disapprove. We need Twilight and her friends to possibly get back. I don't like this either, but this is to make sure they stay safe, and none of them perish.

" Let us be that buffer." He said, making her eyes go wide.

" Okay hang on, What the fuck dude!?" Cody said, walking up to Kevin.

" Hearing about a crazy Dark King who could possibly rival Sauron in power is one thing, but going against him is just a fucking death wish!!!" He yelled, Zack and Alex to stunned to say anything.

" I know that okay! But Twilight and her friends are very important to the country!" Kevin argued.

" So who gives a shit!? Why does that have to concern us!?"

" Did you hear what she said was the consequences if he wins!? Do you want that!?"

" Fuck no! And that is why we should leave!" Cody yelled back, Kevin stepped closer, getting between Celestia and Cody, so she wouldn't have to see this display.

" We can't just abandon the ones that helped us! They gave us food and shelter we should repay them!"

" May I remind you that they also threatened us, taking away our weapons and holding us at spear point while we were in chains!"

" Just a simple misunderstanding Cody! They haven't repeated it after that and they now have been nothing but kind to us!" Kevin said. Cody grunted is annoyance, seeing that Kevin had him in a corner. Knowing he won the argument, Cody sighed in defeat, sagging his shoulders as his arms rested at his sides. But there was one thing he did not answer.

" That still does not explain why you want to go out there, let alone protect the ones that this Sombra dude will most likely go after." Kevin sighed, leaning against the wall.

" I asked Twilight to send me what she found in books back at her library. I told her to find out anything she knew about dimensional travel. As much of a long shot as that was, she accepted. Over the past few days, she had been sending me notes, which I asked one of the guards by our doors in the night to translate for me. Apparently it requires massive amounts of magic, The Elements, Celestia, or Luna for example. They all contain powerful magic, but Twilight still doesn't know how to use that magic to our advantage, and turn it into advanced teleportation." Kevin finished, as he looked up to Cody, who had his brow furrowed, taking in the information.

" Wait a minute all of that was kept from us? When did you and Twilight plan that?" Zack asked.

" When we were answering questions."

" I don't think so, I should have heard you two." Alex said.

" Remember when you got into that fight on what was the fasting thing in the world with Rainbow Dash?" Kevin said, Alex nodding.

" Yeah, that's when I asked her, your bickering must have got in the way." Alex stopped after that. Kevin looking to Cody.

" Anyways, yes Zack I have kept it as a secret and I'm sorry. I didn't want this burden to weigh down on any of you." Zack rubbed the back of his head, a sheepish smile on his face.

" Actually, here is the funny thing, me and Cody have been trying to find a way back as well." Kevin's eyes widen as he looked at Cody, waiting to see if what Zack said was true. Cody sighed in irritation, hoping to keep a secret for a little while longer until he got enough information.

" Yeah. I had a talk with Princess Celestia about getting back. She says there is a possibility, but that possibility is a sixty five percent chance." Kevin looked at the ground, placing a hand under his chin.

" Well now that we know that Twilight and her friends have a chance to help us, I believe that chance has increased." He said, a hopeful smile on his face. Cody sighed.

" And you think we should defend Twilight and her friends, so we can use them for later use on getting us back?" Cody said.

" As much as that sounds selfish, yes. If we can defend them against this Sombra, then there will be a less of a chance of risk for the girls." Kevin smiled as he looked to Celestia, who had her mouth open in surprise. " besides, this would be a good way to repay our hosts for their generosity right?" Celestia's mouth moved up and down, her voice trying and failing to work. A few tears began to go down her cheeks, as she looked at the four humans. The four friends who were willing to risk their lives so Twilight and her friends can end the King. The four saviors in her time of need. Kevin smiled at her, as well as Zack and Alex. Cody sighed, before giving her a smirk of his own.

" Yeah! I'm in!" Zack said, pumping his fist in his air. Alex nodded.

" Celestia, you can count on me to make sure of Twilight and her friend's safety." He said, his words sounding true. Cody sighed.

" Fuck it. If you guys are set on it, then so am I." Kevin nodded to Cody, before looking back at Celestia.

" We're ready Celestia, we'll defend her and her friends up there. That Sombra will not get within a twenty meter radius of-" Kevin was about to finish his sentence, only for his vision to be filled with white, the feeling of fur clear.

" Agh! Let go let go!" He heard Cody. Pulling his head back, Kevin looked up to see Celestia, hugging the four humans. She held Kevin in her hooves, her wings holding the other three as she tightened her grip, the tears falling off her chin as she smiled.

" Th-thank you K-Kevin. Thank y-you so much." She said. Knowing that her whole country basically depended on these ponies and them, Kevin understood why it was such a big deal. Nodding, he returned the hug, Zack joining in soon after. Alex patted Celestia on the back, as Cody awkwardly rubbed her wing, his eyes drifting around, as he found the room they were in very interesting. They stayed like this for a little while, the only noise was Celestia sobbing of happiness, and the four aliens that within a few days, were the closest friends Celestia had ever met.

Sighing, Celestia stepped back, wiping a last tear from her eyes as she smiled. Kevin and his friends smiled back, as they waited for Celestia's orders.

" Twilight and her friends will be arriving on the train in a few minutes. Knowing that you are about to face this threat, I suggest you gather your things and meet back here. You and the Elements will leave on the train to the Crystal Empire. There Shining Armor will escort you into the castle." Kevin looked to his friends, who all nodded in agreement. Kevin looked to Celestia, determination clear on his face.

" We got it. We won't fail you Celestia." Celestia nodded, the feeling of hope rising in her chest. Kevin turned around, walking past his friends.
" Let's go guys! Gather your gear and let's suit up!" The three friends looked at each other, smiles of determination before walking out with him.

" Wait, Kevin!" Kevin turned around to Celestia, as she smiled warmly at him.

" Again, thank you. Really." Kevin nodded, giving her a toothy grin.

" No problem, always glad to help." Walking out, him and his friends made their way to the room, ready for the great battle that would occur.We got this! We can do this!!!

Author's Note

Welp hope you enjoy. I'm honestly not gonna promise release dates anymore. More to myself than you guys. Anyways, Sombra is now on the stage! Do you think bullets will suffice in the end of the evil king, or will their efforts be proven futile to defend the kingdom? All of this will be discovered in the next two chapters!
Still do not know how long I'm gonna make this story but I say...

FUCK IT!!! :pinkiecrazy:

Heated Metal and Black Snow

Kevin checked the sight of his gun, sighing as he did. Luna had joined them in the throne room, as Celestia and her conversed, staring at one of the windows, Kevin and his friends sat on the ground, right side of the throne as they checked their gear. Cody was practicing how to reload, as it appeared that any dropped boxes would simply disappear, and Cody described that he could feel a full box on his side. Zack was testing how fast he could pull out his SMAW, and was also seeing if he had enough RGO impact grenades. Alex was checking his MK11, while laying out his three flash bangs and Kevlar. Kevin loaded his SCAR before turning on the safety, checking the aim one more time. Placing his rifle down, Kevin looked to the sisters, as they still continued to talk. He overheard a moment ago that Luna wanted to go as well, as she was afraid that Sombra was going to take over the Empire. After hearing that the humans would be going, Luna only gave her sister wide eyes before the conversation eventually got her to calm down. With all of their gear in check, Kevin looked to his friends.

" Are you sure you guys are O.K.? No need for me to teach you how to sprint?" Kevin asked jokingly. Alex shook his head as Zack gave him a deadpan look. Cody laughed heartily as he cocked back his LMG, the sound of the metal echoing through the chamber.

" Yeah I'm good dude. Locked and loaded." He said, confidence clear in his voice. Kevin nodded, the sound of the doors opening making everyone turn their heads. Twilight cleared her throat as she stared into the room before smiling awkwardly, Luna looking at her sister in worry. Celestia whispered something to Luna, her wing covering her mouth as Luna began to walk past Twilight.

" You wanted to see me? To give me a test?" She said. She looked to Kevin and his friends, raising a brow as she wondered why they were there, let alone checking their gear. Giving her a quick wave, Twilight returned the gesture before her eyes widened at the fact that Celestia was there.

" I brought my own quills, and plenty of paper to show my work." She said, as she placed her bags full of books and writing utensils down. However, she may have done it a bit too hard, as a huge roll of blank paper rolled down the carpet, all the way to Celestia, as she stood at the foot of the throne. Twilight heard Zack snicker, as he held the laughter in him, making her face go slightly red in embarrassment. " Sorry sorry!" She said, as she tried to roll up the paper with her muzzle, her mind to distraught to use magic. Alex nudged Zack to get him back to being serious, as the four began to out on all of their gear.

" This is a different kind of test." Celestia said, as she levitated all of Twilight's stuff back into her bags. Twilight watched as the four humans got up from their positions, as they began to walk up to Celestia. Seeing the four in all of their attire, Twilight felt a tinge of fear, as well as feeling intimidated, as she could barely see their faces, besides Zack.

" The Crystal Empire has returned." Twilight's eyes widened as she looked to Celestia with fear.

" T-The Crystal Empire? I'm sorry I thought I studied, Oh I don't think there's anything in any of my books that-"

" There wouldn't be." Celestia said, cutting Twilight off. As Celestia began to talk to Twilight about the past of the Crystal Empire, the four humans stood to the side, watching as the crystal landed.

" Ooooooh, Star wars hologram!!!" Zack said, making Kevin chuckle and Cody giving him a deadpan expression. Twilight looked to the humans, confused at what Zack had said. Celestia cleared her throat, as she began to tell Twilight what she had told Kevin and his friends. Upon seeing King Sombra in the hologram, Kevin could agree that this fella was full blown evil. The crystal was lifted into the air, as Celestia smiled.

" If the Empire is filled with hope and love, those things are reflected all across Equestria." The room shined in a rainbow of light as she said this, making some of the humans squint there eyes, but the feeling of warmness brought a small smirk to their face. But that moment was short lived, as Celestia closed her eyes, her smile disappearing. " If hatred and fear talk hold." Re opening her eyes, the sound of her magic, as well as Zack screaming " Holy shit!" echoed through the throne. The crystal turned a darker shade, as its shadow grew out to the front of Twilight, before black crystals sprouted out. Celestia quickly used her magic to cast away the crystals, bits and pieces being disintegrated by her magic.

" Well that was dramatic." Cody said, earning a nod from Alex in agreement.

" Which is why I need your help finding a way to protect it." Twilight looked down at the floor, trying to process the weight of the situation.

" You want me to help protect and entire empire?" She asked, disbelieving Celestia as she placed the crystal back.

" It is, as I said, a different kind of test, but one I am certain you will pass." Twilight looked up to Celestia with confidence, as Kevin gestured to the throne doors, the sound of guns clicking and boots hitting marble present as they made their way to the exit.

" How do I begin?" They heard. Hoof steps were heard as well, as Celestia started to follow the humans.

" By joining Princess Cadence and Shining Armor in the crystal Empire."

" My brother is there?" She asked, the excitement in her voice clear. Running up to Celestia with a smile on her face, the four friends split to the side and let the ponies pass, before following close behind.

" He is, and your Ponyville friends will be joining you there as well." Celestia looked back to Kevin with a smile, which he returned, but she couldn't see through his balaclava. " Kevin and his friends will be with you as well." Twilight looked back to Kevin.

" Now that you mention it, I was wondering why they were dressed like that, is this what you guys wear?" She asked.

" Yep, we're ready for war." Cody said, hefting up his LMG as he said that. Twilight gave him a fearful look as Kevin sighed.

" Don't worry Twilight. We requested to Celestia that we should protect from this Sombra character, while you do your work and try and find a way to seal him for good. Think of us as the front line." She looked at the ground, before looking back up at the four.

" Which one of you is which by the way?" She said. Kevin took off his goggles, while Alex pulled down his bandanna.

" I'm Kevin, that's Alex, Zack the one with the sunglasses, and Cody is him." Kevin finished, Twilight giving him an 'oh' before nodding in understanding. Celestia smiled.

" I still want you to know how much this means to me, as well as Equestria. I do hope you keep Twilight safe." She said, as they stopped at the door. Resting her head on Kevin's shoulder made the guards outside go wide eyed, as Kevin wrapped his arms around her in a hug.

" We'll be sure to keep our word and protect her, no matter what." He said with a smile, Celestia returning it. Twilight was dumbfounded to say in the least, nopony being that close with Celestia besides herself. After the hug, Kevin and his friends began to walk to the exit, giving Luna a smile as they did.

" Art thou ready to head to the Crystal Empire? Thou do know what lies there?" Luna questioned.

" Yep, and we're willing to fight it. Sure Sombra may have magic, dark magic being that. But we have something that our ancestors have mastered for generations." Kevin reasoned, as the four began to walk away.

" Oh, and what pray tell may that be?" Luna asked quizzically. Kevin smirked under his mask as he turned to her.

" Firepower." Kevin said, gesturing to his rifle before they left, walking down the steps. As the four humans did, Twilight eventually caught up with them, but the look she had was one of uncertainty. As they reached the final step, Kevin raised a brow as he saw what appeared to be a small lizard, the purple scales mixed with its green spikes only raised more questions in Kevin's mind. The creature turned around to the sound of hoof steps and footsteps, but its eyes widened in confusion as it saw the four humans. Twilight quickly interjected before the creature could freak out.

" Wait wait wait! Spike these are the four I was talking about when we were in Ponyville!" She said. Spike stopped mid fire breath inhale, looking at the four humans, before giving Twilight a confused glance.

" You never told me they would look like this. I thought they were just four new ponies." He said.

" Yeah sorry, I forgot to tell you that they're actually humans. Kevin, why don't you introduce yourself." Kevin tapped two of his index fingers together in a shy manner.

" I don't know. I'm shy Twilight." Twilight rolled her eyes as she nudged him, making him chuckle before walking up to Spike. Spike had to crane his neck pretty far back to look at Kevin, but the stress on his neck was reduced when Kevin knelt down.

" Nice to meet you little guy. Name's Kevin." He said, reaching his hand out. Spike took the gesture, a smile on his face.

" I'm Spike and I'm a dragon, as well as twilight's number one assistant." He said, puffin his chest out slightly.

" Wait a minute, you're a dragon? As in those big fire breathing monsters that could level a city?" Cody asked, disbelief clear in his voice.

" Actually, I'm just a baby dragon, as embarrassing as it is to say it like that." Spike said, a frown on his face. Cody nodded in understanding.

" Well I'm Cody. This here is Zack." Zack took off his sunglasses and gave him a wink with a small salute. " And this here is Alex, the sharpshooter of the group." Alex pulled down his bandanna and smiled at Spike.

" Hey kid." He said. Spike waved back, before turning to Twilight.

" Hey Twilight, we're gonna go to the train station, you coming?" Kevin said. But it seemed his words weren't getting through to her, as she seemed to have her head hanging, a sour look on her face. Spike looked to four, and ushered them to leave.

" Just give her some time okay?" He said. They nodded before walking away. As they walked through the streets to the train station, they were given strange looks by the populace, some even angry.

" You ever think the populace is gonna get used to us?" Alex asked, Cody simply shrugged.

" I don't know dude. From what I heard by one of the guards, some of the people are still uneasy with the fact that four creatures of a new species is living in the same city. But not all of it is bad." Just as Zack said that, a filly walked up to the four, making them look at each other in confusion, that is until Kevin's eyes widened. The filly had a navy blue coat, as well as a light blue mane. Her face seemed flushed as she hid her eyes behind her mane. Kevin knelt down and took off his goggles, as well as lifting his balaclava off his mouth.

" Hey, aren't you the filly of the mare we saved?" He asked. To answer his question, he looked a bit ahead, and noticed the mother trotting up to them.

" Oh sweetie there you are I-" Her eyes widened when she noticed the four humans, but she smiled more when she saw her daughter.

" Do you have something to say to these creatures sweetie?" The filly nodded her head as she looked to her mother. Her mom gestured to the four, making her turn back around. She began to stutter, her voice barely above a whisper as she tried to say something.

" U-um, c-c-could you u-um... Th-Thank you!" She quickly said, using her wings to lift her up slightly as she hugged Kevin's neck, before quickly running up to her mother, hiding behind one of her legs. She only chuckled at her daughter's antics.

" I'm sorry she tends to be shy."

" It's Okay, she said she wanted me to do something, mind asking her what that was?" Kevin asked. She looked to her daughter, as she whispered something in her ear. Her eyes widened slightly, before a small blush appeared on her face.

" W-well, she was wondering if y-you could... pick her up?" She said, her daughter hiding her face more at the way it sounded. The four humans gave off the same reaction, their eyes widening slightly, a small amount of blood rushing to their cheeks. The filly let out a small whimper, bringing Kevin back. He smiled, chuckling a little to himself.

" You want to see how high you can go?" Kevin asked. The mare's eyes widened, and the filly poked her head out. Reaching out to the little filly, Kevin smiled as he waited for her. She looked up to her mother, who nodded with a smile. The filly quickly walked up to Kevin, raising her two front hooves in the most cutest was possible. Kevin gently picked her up, making her eyes go wide at the feeling of the gloves. Kevin raised her up above hie head, looking at her as she observed the streets from her new perch. She smiled, looking down at Kevin, who got an idea. Bringing her at chest level, Kevin shot his hands up, making her yelp as he laughed, giving her air before catching her in his hands. The mare's eyes were wide at the sudden movement, as she looked at Kevin, hoping he wouldn't drop her. He did it again, this time the filly giggling while he did.

" Look at me mommy look!" She said. Her mom smiled at the antics, looking to the other three,

" I just want to say thank you, so much for saving our lives. If it hadn't been for you four." She smiled bitterly, as she did not need to finish the sentence. Kevin set the filly down, giving her a small hug before doing so.

" It's okay, just be glad that you have your life, and will spend it until death do you part." Alex said, the mare smiling more happily at that.

" I see you four are leaving, where to?" She asked. Kevin mentally slapped himself, remembering the schedule.

" Oh you just reminded me, we have a train to catch! Sorry." He said, gesturing for his friends to jog. The mare nodded a smile on her face.

" Well it was great seeing you again, and thank you...?"

" Kevin, Zack, Cody and Alex." He quickly said, as she nodded. With their goodbyes, and the filly still giggling and telling her mother how high she went, they set off to the train station.

**********

Kevin and his friends continued walking, turning their final left in order to get to the train. As they were walking, Kevin saw Twilight out of the corner of his eye, and turned to see if it was really her.

" Will I fail, or will I pass I can't be sure~

" She can't be sure~. Kevin raised a brow, as to wondering why she was singing.

" Do you hear the music?" Cody asked. Everyone nodded.

" Look we don't have time for this. We have six ponies to protect remember? Common on the double!" He said, the sound of their singing disappearing into the background as they moved to the train station.

**********

Kevin was lightly sweating, as him and his friends panted. The train station was a couple feet in front of them, as they used the shade of a building to catch their breath. Sighing, Kevin straightened himself up.

" Alright, let's go guys." He said, the four of them moving up to the platform. As they made it, Kevin saw the other five ponies, as they either idly chatted with each other or they just waited. Seeing the four humans, their eyes widened, and their lips curling up into a smile.

" Whoa, you guys sure look different, what is with all of the clothing?" Rainbow Dash asked, as she floated next to Alex as she observed their equipment.

" Oh, well we decided to tag along. By the way, where is-"

" Twilight!" Kevin heard Applejack, as she trotted up to Twilight, bringing her into a quick hug before everypony else gathered around her, eager to hear the news. Kevin raised a brow, as to wondering why they were so happy. Maybe they weren't told? " So uh, did ya pass?" Applejack asked. Twilight and the others turned around to see Pinkie Pie walking out of the train, with what appeared to be a blue cannon. Kevin and his friend's eyes widened as they saw the thing, just wondering what she could be doing with something like that.

" Are we gonna celebrate your awesomeness with Princess Celestia!?" She said, confetti and streamers shooting out of the cannon as she jumped in the air. She floated there for a few more seconds, baffling the four humans.

" How the fuck-"

" Not quite." Twilight said, breaking Cody's sentence. " We're going to the Crystal Empire." She said, the others giving her looks of confusion. Kevin sighed.

" Guess they weren't told. Hey Twilight let's get on the train, we'll explain it to them on the way." He said, as she nodded in understanding.

The train left a few minutes after the group had got on. For the first ten minutes Twilight explained how important the mission was, Kevin joining in as he told them of how him and his friend's were there to protect them.

" Oh I can take care of myself easily dude! No biggy!" Rainbow Dash said, leaning back as she hovered.

" Oh don't get me wrong, I believe you ladies can handle yourselves easily. But with the princesses permission, we will be defending you from any harm that comes from the King, while you and the others find a way to seal him again. Think of us as the buffer that buys you time." He said.

" Like bait." Zack said, Kevin rolling his eyes.

" It won't come to that. We're gonna hold this thing off while they deliver the finishing blow." Kevin said, making the girls smile.

" I'm glad that you are putting your trust into us, but what if we can't?" Rarity said, Kevin shrugging.

" Then we'll by you more time until you do. We most likely have an infinite amount of ammo, as long as we stay with Cody here." Cody nodded in agreement, checking the small bag on his belt. Rarity gave Kevin a worried look, as the feeling of doubt began to creap into not only her, but the others as well. Kevin noticed and sighed, sitting down as he looked at the ponies.

" Look, I'm a little nervous too. Heck I don't even know how powerful this guy is, but hearing that he had just woken up, I doubt he is at full power. Besides, I heard Twilight's brother and Princess Cadence are there as well. With all of us here, I'm sure we can do this!" He said, clenching a fist with a determined look on his face. The others seemed to be lifted by this, as they all nodded or smiled in agreement.

" Thanks Kevin. He's right, we can do this!" Twilight said, the train bumping slightly as it sped through the snow, and straight to the isolated castle.

**********

The train came to a hissing stop, as the metal gears slowed its movement. Kevin straightened himself, stretching his neck as he earned a few cracks.

" Alright, we'll be the first to exit, then when I give the signal you may, got it?" He said, Twilight looking worried, but nodded nonetheless. Smiling under his balaclava, Kevin turned to the doors and opened them, the wind howling as the cold invaded the cabin in mere seconds.

" Go go!" Kevin said, the four quickly exiting the train and scanned the frozen wasteland.

" I-I-It's fucking cold man!!!" Zack yelled over the roaring storm. Kevin wiped his goggles with a hand as he carefully gazed out to the snow. Backing up so Cody could take his spot, he looked to the train exit.

" It's clear, alright everypony common." Kevin ushered. The pony looked outside, looks of worry and shock as they did. Rarity smiled, a scarf on her neck as it widely danced in the wind.

" Ha, and you all made fun of me for bringing so many scarves!" She said, Spike behind her carrying her luggage as she walked forward.

" I didn't say a word." He said, before tripping and the suitcase will all of the scarves bursting open.

" Hey come back here-" Spike ran off, trying to catch the scarves.

" Alright, we need to move, I heard that Shining Armor is supposed to-" Alex said, but was soon answered by the stallion himself.

" Twilight!" He yelled through the snow. Kevin walked up to Twilight, pointing to Zack and Cody.

" You two, I want you guys to lead our group, keep a good ten feet away from us and scan in front. Me and Alex will hold the party got it?" Zack and Cody nodded, before peeling away from the platform. Shining armor appeared, as Zack and Cody rushed past him.

" Wait, what are you guys doing here?" He asked, as he lowered his scarf and pulled up his goggles, a confused expression on his face.

" They're hear for extra protection Shining, it's alright." Twilight said, hugging her brother as she did. Shining's smile quickly dropped, as a look of worry on his face was clear.

" We better get moving, there are things out here we really don't want to run into after dark." He said, making Kevin tighten his grip on his rifle. Looking over his body, he found nothing to communicate with his friends, that is until he felt his helmet. Realizing that he had what appeared to be a headset built into his helmet, he felt the right side until it came over a button.

" Alex, Cody, Zack do you copy?" He tested. As the group began to move to the castle, a small static came over Kevin's headset, as it rang slightly in his helmet.

" Finally. Hey Kev I found it, a small talkie on my right shoulder. Anyways yeah what is it?" Alex said, another static coming in.

" There we go. Hey I heard you man." Cody said, , adjusting his mic so it was close to his mouth. Zack adjusted his headset as well, making it fit nice and snug on his head.

" Hey guys! Sweet we got our little group chat!" Zack said, making Cody shake his head with a smile.

" Eyes front guys, your making sure we don't get eaten alive. Now that we know that these are working let us know when you see the Empire."

" Got it."

" I hear ya." They replied. Kevin taking his hand off his helmet. Turning around, Kevin noticed that Shining was looking back as well, talking to Twilight and her friends about something. Alex was with them too, staying close behind the six mares.

" Alex you got anything?" He asked.

" Nope, they're talking about something trying to get into the castle, most likely Sombra." Kevin nodded, thanking Alex as they continued to walk. Cody came over the radio next.

" Hey Kev I see the castle, it's got a dome around it though." He said, uncertainty in his voice.

" It's fine, probably keeping Sombra at bay. Keep moving." Kevin said. He was about to cut out the radio when someone else came in.

" Hey hey Kev yo I got some movement back here, South west." Kevin's eyes widened slightly, looking behind him. His brow furrowed, not liking the fact that they were being followed. Griping his rifle, he reached for his mic.

" Cody Zack get tighter in here we need you." Just as he said that, the sound of a low roar, akin to a whale echoed through the frozen wasteland. The whole group turned around to see a huge cloud of black mass, towering over the humans and ponies. Everyone looked up in fear, as two green eyes with red irises, and purple magic leaking from them stared down at them with hunger. That is, until the sound of rifle shots tore through the smoke easily, misshaping the eyes and general body.

" GO GO GO!!!" Kevin said, joining the fight with Alex. Kevin sprayed into the base of the fog tower, the holes making it hard to keep form. The smoke growled as Kevin and Alex turn and ran, trying to make sure that it doesn't get too close to the ponies.

" Alex Kev what the fuck is that thing!?" They heard Cody's voice, as well as his LMG in front of them as it ripped through the smoke, making it get low to the ground and give chase.

" It doesn't matter what the fuck that thing is just keep running and keep your distance! Make sure it doesn't get to the girls!" Kevin said, skidding to a stop as the ponies ran past him. Alex kept to the back, stopping as the ponies ran past, taking position with Kevin. " When the girls are close enough to the castle, get back here and we'll fall back got it!?" Kevin said.

" Got it!" He heard both Cody and Zack say. The black mass looked down at the humans, its eyes study them, before glaring with a low growl. Alex shot first, the bullet passing through, but making a hole nonetheless. The mass lunged forward, making the two split as they rolled out of the way. Kevin turned, his SCAR ripping through the smoke, making it hard to keep its form. Growling, its eyes glowed brighter, and soon Kevin found himself ten feet of the ground.

" Argh!" Kevin landed on his side, dropping his rifle in the process. Alex ducked under what had hit Kevin, which was a black crystal that shot out of the ground. Running to Kevin's side, Alex chucked an RGO impact grenade. The sphere touched the ground near the black mass, exploding seconds after it did. The thing seemed to be shocked by the explosion, realising a small yelp of pain. Kevin got up, grabbing his rifle as he reloaded. Suddenly, a lavender laser beam pierced the head of the smoke monster, making it disappear and reappear next to wear it was recently shot, the eyes glowing with hatred. Looking to his left, Kevin saw Shining Armor, as he glared at the creature with the same intensity. Getting ready, Shining shot another beam, but the creature dodged the beam, roaring as it descended on Shining. His horn glowed, as Kevin rushed to him, trying to get him out of the way. Kevin saw Cody and Zack appearing behind Shining.

" Shining dude get out of the fucking way-" Cody never finished, the black smoke crashing down. The shock wave sent the humans back, Kevin grunting as he landed. Cody and Zack fell back, coughing as the smoke flew over them. Alex fell back into a small snow pile, grunting in pain as he landed on something. Cody coughed as he began to stand up, Zack taking a knee as he checked his sub-machine gun. Cody groaned in pain as he hip fired into the smoke, making it dissipate quickly. Growling, the smoke cleared away, as it seemed to disappear. Cody looked around, seeing Shining as he got up.

" hey you okay!?" Cody yelled, running over to him. Shining shakily stood up, as he seemed to be fine, but he was missing his scarf and goggles. Cody kneeled next to him, aiming out into the wasteland, as he waited for the smoke to return. Shining grunted.

" I'm fine... for now. We have to get to the Crystal Empire, now." He urged. Cody nodded.

" Hey Kev, Alex you guys good, I can barley see you!" He said over the mic, the blizzard seemed to be getting worse. Kevin groaned as he got up, some snow falling off as he did.

" Yeah I'm good. Alex you alright?" Kevin asked over the mic. He waited for a response, but none came. Eyes widening in fear, Kevin quickly asked again. " Dude seriously talk! Are you okay!?" Having no immediate response, Kevin lightly shook his head, as he ran to Alex's position. Seeing where he fell, he could see Alex's silhouette, as he seemed to be sitting down, looking at something. Upon reaching Alex, his back was facing him as he appeared to be not moving. Grabbing and shaking Alex's shoulder, Kevin kneeled down next to him. " Dude what the fuck!?" Kevin asked, Alex quickly shaking himself out of his trance. Looking to Kevin, he sighed.

" Dude, look at what I landed on." Alex's voice was filled with disbelief, his eyes wide as he simply pointed to what was in front of him. Kevin raised a brow, following his finger until he saw something laying in the snow, most of it was covered, but Kevin could make out the shape. The object was longer than any of their weapons, its stainless steel glistening beautifully as the snow seemed to not affect it. The front was like a cannon, as it screamed power. The two knew what it was, but their minds seemed to not believe it was in their presence. Kevin carefully reached down, feeling the metal as he carefully lifted the object out of the snow.

" Kev, we need to bring this with us, right now." Alex said, getting up as he looked around them, remembering they still had a threat to worry about.

" Alex... how did you find this?" Kevin asked in disbelief.

" Like I said, I landed on it, but that is not important right now! We need yo lea-" Alex was cut off, as another roar came from the snowy fields. Kevin stood up, pressing his mic.

" Cody, get Shining and Zack into the shield we're right behind you!" He said, handing the object to Alex. Alex huffed slightly, the weight of it throwing him off for a second before he followed Kevin. They ran for the castle, the sound of the monster growing as it began to take its full form again. Quickly catching up with Cody and his group, Kevin turned around to see the mass, much bigger now as it seemed to block out anything behind them, as it seemed to be growing. Kevin picked a grenade off him, dropping it in the snow as they ran. The explosion after five seconds rivaled the cry of pain that followed. They were just a few feet away from the shield, diving into it as the mass charged. Screaming from the sheer adrenaline, Kevin dived into the shield, fazing through it, as he seemed to land of clean grass.

" Oh my gosh, Kevin!" a feminine voice called out. Kevin felt something soft grab his shoulder, as it tried to pull him up. Grunting, Kevin placed his hand on the ground as he helped himself to a knee. Looking up, he saw Fluttershy with a worried look on her face. " Are you okay? Did that thing get you? Where are you hurt? Can you see me? How many hooves am I-" Kevin raised a hand, silencing her as he smiled. Taking off his helmet, he began to take off the rest of his head gear, staring into her eyes.

" I'm fine Fluttershy, thank you. Just a little ruffed up here and there." He said. She smiled, a few tears at the end of her eyes as she quickly hugged him, her hooves wrapping around his neck. Sighing, Kevin shook his head at how affectionate the ponies could be, before returning the gesture, holding her as she sighed.

" You guys alright?" Rainbow Dash said, hovering near Alex as he stretched his back.

" Agh! That felt good." Alex said, a few snapping could be heard as he stretched.

" Anyone know what the hell that thing was?" Cody asked, Zack shaking his head, as Kevin ended his hug.

" No idea dude. But hey, at least we got out of there alive." He said, Cody nodding.

" Amen to that." Zack said, as Cody threw down an ammo bag, the four sitting around it as they began to replenish their ammo. Zack stood up, walking over to Twilight and Shining as he tried to use his magic.

" What's wrong with his horn?" He asked.

" It seems that these crystals are a type of dark magic, they seem to nullify my brother's and I can't seem to pry it off." She said, a saddened look on her face.

" Well shit that doesn't sound good." Zack said, Twilight nodding in agreement.

" We can solve this later, right now we need to get to Cadence." Kevin said, his grenade being replenished as he stood up, Alex joining as the sound of his RGO respawing was slightly heard. Cody knifed the bag as it exploded, earning a few yelps from the ponies.

" Alex, where and how did you get that?" Zack said, Cody nodded as he noticed the fact that Alex was holding something different. Alex adjusted his MK11 on his back as he held the new object.

" How is that here?" Cody asked. Alex shrugged.

" When we were engaging that thing and it crashed into you and Shining Armor over there I fell on it. It seems it was buried in the snow." He said, checking the scope as he did. Cody rested his hands on his LMG as he sighed, Kevin rubbing the bottom of his chin in thought.

" It looks like it doesn't seem to work, did you try anything?" Zack asked, the ponies seemed to be drawn by the new discovery. Alex twisted and turned the object, seeing if it had a power button.

" Ah! Got it!" Alex said, pressing a button on its side. A sound like electricity flowing through the object was heard, as it began to start up. A blue laser shot out from under the scope, as Alex aimed down, smiling like a mad man, as his friends did the same.

" Oh yeah, it works."

Author's Note

Another chapter done! The reason why I'm trying to pop these out is because it is a crucial climax to the story, and I'm getting the story rush. Anyways it is 3:41 in the fucking morning, I'm probably gonna die of sleep deprivation, hope you enjoy this chapter and I'll seeya in the morning.

Keep on writing and keep on reading

The Struggling Purple, The Dripping Red, and The Calming Green ( pt.1 )

The doors to the throne room opened, Cadence opening her eyes from the ten second nap she was taking. Having to keep up the shield for hours on end was tough for her, as she could feel Sombra's cold embrace trying to encompass her very being, let alone trying to break or corrupt the shield. Using magic is like extending your nervous system and brain. If something is powerful enough to break the shield or smash into it hard enough, its like someone digging a needle into your head. She sat straight up, her body running on fumes as she looked at the new ponies in the room. She smiled as she saw Twilight, as well as her husband. But her smile soon dropped when she saw that his horn was corrupted by Sombra's magic.

" Cadence!" Twilight called out, a smile on her face as she rushed up to her. Cadence did the same, stepping off the throne as they met halfway.

" Sunshine sunshine ladybugs awake! Clap your hooves and do a little shake!" They both said, making Cody's brain go dead and every other human raise a brow. The two laughed together, Kevin still trying to process what they did.

" Is that how they greet each other?" He asked, to which the others just shrugged. Suddenly Cadence winced in pain, her horn, as well as the shield outside, flicking to stay alive. She exhaled heavily, her eyes showing exhaustion before smiling to Twilight.

" One of these days we need to get together when the fate of Equestria isn't hanging in the balance." She sighed again, her face showing one of pain. Twilight gave her a worried look.

" Are you okay?" She asked. Shining stepped up to his wife, while Kevin and his friends took a few steps to the right of the group, as they surveyed the windows. Kevin glanced to the group, as Shining began to talk to Twilight. Looking back out, Kevin could see through the shield, even if barely. The blowing winds, the cold grasp of death within the snow, and that... thing. Shaking his head, he walked up to Alex, placing a hand on his shoulder to get his attention.

" Keep an eye out alright? I want you to stay in this room and survey the surroundings." Alex nodded, before going back to scanning the city, but with much more focus than last time. Kevin came up to the group, twilight seemed to have a smile on her face as she was mumbling to herself.

" - and deliver it to you! This is great! I love research papers!" Twilight said, as she trotted back to her friends. Rainbow gave Pinkie a teasing smile.

" Yeah, who doesn't?" She said sarcastically, but apparently Pinkie didn't take the sarcasm into account.

" Oh oh oh let me guess! Is it Spike? No no Fluttershy? Rarity?" Everyone just rolled their eyes at her antics, Twilight coming up next to her brother.

" Don't worry brother I am really good at this sort of thing." She said. Cody felt a hoof bring him down into crouching, as Pinkie continued.

" What about Cody?" Zack chuckled lightly, as he tried to get out of her death grip. Kevin walked up to Twilight, kneeling down so the four could talk.

" Twilight, since we are here to protect you and your friends, I'll be splitting us up. You can cover more ground with a rationed out protection." She put a hoof under her chin in thought, before nodding .

" I believe that would be the best course of action Kevin, good thinking." Kevin nodded as he returned the smile, before standing up.

" Alright, Alex and Cody, I want you both up here and keep over watch of the city, Cody you are covering fire if things get iffy. Call out anything you see as a threat, but you must be one hundred percent sure. Zack since you have the most explosive power I'm keeping you with the girls, those explosives will keep the thing at bay. I'm with you Twilight, just in case if you stray too far to the barrier, let alone traps." Everyone/pony looked at each other after hearing Kevin's orders, before they all gave him their own versions of agreement. Nodding in self satisfaction, Kevin checked his rifle before walking up to Twilight. " On you." He said, as Twilight began to walk out the throne room, the other girls, as well as her two human companions following in tow.

**********

Twilight looked worried as the door closed, Spike grunting in annoyance.

" Ugh, well that was a total bust." He said, as Twilight walked down the steps, where Kevin was waiting. He looked at her and with a shake of her head, he sighed, straightening up as they continued to walk.

" Hey Kev, the girls are starting to split up what should I do?" Zack asked worryingly. Kevin reached up, raising a hand for Twilight to stop.

" Just stay in the middle, that is where everyone is Rendezvousing."

" Roger that." Zack said, before the connection went silent again. Above all of them, Alex and Cody watched, as they circled the throne room, checking through the windows on the crystal city. Alec glanced over to Cadence, who had her eyes closed and a pained look on her face. The bags under her eyes showed she was barely getting any sleep, and that she was beyond exhausted. As Alex was about to switch windows, he saw Cadence as she began to falter. Quickly rushing over, he caught her before she fell off the side of the throne, grunting slightly as he did. Her eyes shot open as she looked at Alex, who calmly smiled as her helped her up.

" I-I'm sorry Alex, You shouldn't have-" Cadence winced as her horn flickered, Alex sighing as he carried her up the throne, making her lightly blush. Even though she knew she had a husband, Cadence still had a hard time being bridal carried, since Shining never did that. Gently placing her down on the seat, Alec checked her over in case of injury before gently scratching behind her ear, making her sigh in relaxation.

" It's fine miss Cadenza. I don't know how much energy this magic taking from you, but please, you need to relax, and try to put the rest of your energy into stay awake." Alex said, Cadence nodding as she laid down on the throne, getting into a more relaxed position. He smiled, before going back to watching the city. As Alex scanned, Cody sighed as he took off his helmet, as well as the rest of his headgear. Placing it on the ground near the throne, he continued to scan the surroundings. He felt hot, as small beads of sweat were visible on his face. Wiping the beads with his forearm, he shook his head before re focusing. ~yesssssss~

**********

" Huh?" Zack said, as Pinkie took off her Fluttershy costume, before zipping away. As the group met up, they all had looks of disappointment. Applejack came up, sighing as she walked up.

" Sorry Twilight, these crystal ponies seem ta have some kind of collective amnesia er somethin. Only thing I was able to get out of them was somethin 'bout a library." At the word library, Kevin could see Twilight light up, as her eyes grew wide with excitement.

" The library... well why didn't you say so!?" She said, getting into Applejack's face with a smile. Applejack smiled back, with a brow raised.

" uh, I thought I just did." She said, which actually earned a small chuckle from Zack. Kevin nodded, raising his hand to his headset.

" Alex, Cody, listen, we found a lead and are heading to a library. Ask Cadence or Shining Armor where it is in the city and I want Alex to keep over watch in that location." Above them, Alex sighed as he nodded his head.

" Got Kev. I'll see what she knows about it."

" Excellent. Kevin out." As Kevin took his hand away, and began to walk with the group, Alex was above looking down, before looking to Cody.

" Hey Cody keep a lookout, I'm gonna ask Cadence really quickly." Alex was about to walk up, but turned to Cody, a brow raised as he wondered why he was being so silent. His eyes widened when he saw Cody. Cody was lightly sweating, his eyes slightly squinted as he shook his head.

" Hey Cody. You alright?" Alex asked, stepping over to him.

" What's wrong?" Cadence asked, as she shakily stood up, giving Alex a worried look. Alex shrugged, walking up to Cody as he placed a hand on his shoulder. Cody tensed, his back hitting the wall as he started to pant. He stared at the ground, using his knees for support as his hands seemed to tremble. Alex knelt down, looking up at Cody in panic.

" Hey! Cody what's wrong!? Can you hear me!?" Alex stared into Cody's eyes, something seemed off.

" Alex, I... I do...don't know what to do. I-I-I can't see." He said, rubbing his eyes with his forearm, catching some of the sweat. Alex looked at him in horror.

" Wh-what? Bu-but you can hear me yeah?" Alex said, Cody nodding, making Alex sigh. He looked to Cadence, worry on his face.

" What's hapenning to him!? He can't just go blind like that, there has to be something behind it!" Alex said, Cadence nodding as she carefully stepped down from the throne. Once on even ground, Cadence rushed to the two humans. Quickly reaching Cody, she raised a hoof to the side of Cody's face, checking his face as she stared closely. After a few seconds, Cadence gasped, as she stepped back with a look of fear clear on her face. Alex walked up to Cadence, a look of confused worry on his.

" Cadence, what is it?" He asked. Cadence furrowed her brow.

" He has dark magic." Just as she said that, Cody grunted in pain, making Alex turn to him. Cody got onto his knees, his hands clutching his head, as a very faint trail of what appeared to be purple mist on the sides of his eyes.

" What!? H-how!?" Alex asked, stepping back as panic began to fill his mind. Cadence did the same, but a look of worry was still present.

" Sombra must have infected him. But how?" Cadence asked. This time, Cody grunted louder, shaking his head slightly.

" Agh! What the hell? Get out!" He cried, his eyes clenched shut as the purple mist began to seep out with more vigor. The two could only watch, as Sombra's magic continued to grow inside one of Alex's closest friends.

**********

Kevin pushed open the doors, revealing what was one of the biggest libraries he had ever seen. His eyes widened at the amount of books that were on the shelf, as Twilight did the same.

" I just... I don't even know what ta... there are no words." She said, the glistening in her eyes showed visibly as she stared.

" Ahem... may I help you?" Everypony turned to see an old mare, with reading glasses and a scroll for a cutie mark. Kevin and Zack backed off to the side, as they continued to observe the library.

" Yes. We're looking for a book." Twilight said, a smile on her face. The mare simply gestured to the library.

" We have plenty of those." She replied.

" You do, you really do." Twilight said, the glisten returning to her eyes as she circled the place continuously, taking in all of the details. Kevin simply smirked, shaking his head on how Twilight was so attracted to books. Applejack stepped up, the mare's focus on her now.

" We're lookin' for a history book. Somethin' that might tell us how the Empire might have protected itself from danger back in the day." She said. The mare was in deep thought, rubbing her chin.

" Yes, of course. History, history... Ah yes!" The mare said, making all of the ponies smile. That is, until the silence in the room became awkward, Twilight sheepishly smiling as she rubbed the back of her head.

" Which is where, exactly." She asked. The old mare looked around, her face one of concern.

" I... I can't seem to remember. I'm not sure if I even work here." Everypony deflated at that, Rainbow's face hoof echoed through the library. Kevin sighed, feeling bad for the old mare as he waited for Twilight's orders.

" We'll just take a look around. I'm sure we'll find it on our own." She said, Kevin straightening up as they began to descend down the stairs to the first floor. Zack followed behind, as the old mare stood still.

" Let me know when you find anything." She said, before leaving the group to do their search.

" Well this is just great, just where are we gonna start?" Kevin asked, Twilight just sighing in disappointment.

" I guess we'll just have to sweep this floor by floor." She said, making the others groan as well. Kevin stretched a little, as the group began to split up and search the bookshelves.

" Hey Zack, let's look over here alright? Twilight, we're going this way." He said, as she nodded in response. Kevin and Zack walked off to the side, as they began to search the library.

" Ah shit... Totally forgot we can't read squat." Kevin said. He turned around, a sour taste in his mouth as he felt useless. Sighing, he started to move to the center, where he saw a small table with a chair.

" Mystical monsters of the arctic. Crystal Sprites and snowy goblins" Kevin stopped in his tracks, a brow raised as he turned around. Zack stood in front of the bookshelf, reading off the titles. Kevin was stunned to put it lightly.

" Zack, how the hell can you read?" He asked, Zack seemed to be entranced in the books before shaking his head, re opening his eyes. Looking from the shelf to Kevin, he had a look of worried confusion on his face.

" I, I-I don't know. I felt, distant." Zack said, as he scratched the back of his head. Kevin simply stared, his mind trying to process what Zack was saying. He tilted his head in confusion.

" What do you mean Zack? Distant?" Zack nodded his head.

" Yeah, I felt like-" Zack's eyes widened, as he wobbled slightly. Kevin looked at him with worry, which then turned to panic as Zack stumbled back, hitting the bookshelf hard as he slid down. Kevin ran up to him, kneeling down as he grabbed Zack's shoulder.

" Hey! Zack? Zack!? Hey can you hear me?" Kevin asked, shaking his friends lightly, as Zack's eyes were staring off into the distance, a hint of green began to haze over, his iris becoming a darkened red. Kevin looked at him in horror, before standing up and running over to the girls. When he arrived, Twilight and the others were looking at one book, with a rust colored cover, with what appeared to be crystals and writing above them. " Twilight! Hey!" Kevin ran up, startling the ponies as he skidded to a stop.

" Whoa there Kevin, relax will ya? What happened?" Applejack asked, concern on her face.

" It's Zack! Something isn't right!" Kevin could only say those few words before the screaming of pain echoed throughout the library. Wide eyed in horror, Kevin quickly rushed back to Zack, fear pumping his body. Upon reaching Zack, he could see him, hands grasping at his head, the hat and communicative headset removed as he gripped his head, like it would make the pain go away. The ponies gasped, when Zack looked up, his eyes devoid of life, the iris red. The whites of his eyes were green, as purple magic seeped from the corner of his eyes. The girls stepped back, while Twilight seemed to stand there, the shock stuck like stone on her face. Kevin looked to her, then to Zack, motioning with his hands for her to do something. Twilight quickly trotted up, staring into Zack's eyes.

" H-his eyes aren't focused. It seems he can't see us. This is dark magic but, how did he get it? There is no way he had it in his body the whole time, we would have felt it a long time ago." She said, looking up at Kevin in concern. Kevin bit lightly on the joint of his index finger, his thumb under his chin as he desperately tried to remember anything that could have affected Zack in this way.

" The smoke..." Kevin said, his eyes widening at the realization, Twilight looked at him expectantly, waiting to hear what he came up with. " When we were attacked by that thing, it impacted Shining armor, disabling his horn. Cody and Zack must have accidentally inhaled the dark magic." Kevin said, worry clear on his face. Twilight looked down at Zack, he stopped screaming, as he was as still as a statue, his eyes with the same distant stare, his breaths still labored as he held his head.

" And now, it's eating away at him from the inside." Twilight said, her friends looking to Kevin, his headgear hiding the heartbroken expression on his face.

**********

" Cody! Cody common man stay with me!" Alex said, Cody's only response was clutching his head tighter, un aware that it was one of his closest friends that was trying to keep him sane.

" Cody! Cody! Co~dy... Cody" Cody stood in the dark void, the voice that was once Alex had now changed. It wasn't one of hard gravel or of monotone evil. It was a voice, as smooth as silk. Cody looked around, but only found darkness, as he was as blind as a bat. Continuing to search, the voice called out to him, trying to lead him somewhere. Cody took his first step forward in the darkness, and as he did, he smacked into something hard, something, wooden. With a raised brow, Cody felt the surface, feeling a doorknob as his fingers ran across it. Quickly, he grabbed the handle and twisted, pushing the door open as light filled his vision. His eyes were closed for a brief second, before he hesitantly re opened them. Then, his jaw hung open in shock. He was inside a living room, as simple as it may be he remembered it all too vividly. The red couch, the coffee table with a coffee stain on the side when he forgot a holster. The flat screen for the whole family. The smooth white carpet, and the lamp in the corner, that would never work. He couldn't believe it.

Am... am I r-really? Kevin took another tentative step inside, the floor creaking under his military boot as he stepped forward. Taking another step, with much less hesitation this time, he felt the floor, as well as the sunlight that shined through the window. Cody smiled, the feeling of complete happiness, as well as feeling like a huge weight had been taken off his shoulders. Quickly putting his brain back in focus, Cody walked into the hallway of his home, checking both sides. To his left was their front door, so he turned to the right, heading into the kitchen.

" Mom!? Dad!? " Cody called out, as he raised a brow, but his smile was still holding strong. he turned the corner, entering the kitchen, as he saw his mother, her long brown hair that went down to her waist, her blue sweater that she wore brought more happiness into Cody's heart. He took a step forward and was about to say something until~

" Sweetie the police are trying. I'm sure he is just fine." Cody turned to his right, seeing his father walk in, his mom began to sob silently as she grabbed onto him, her legs giving out as he held her.

" I can't! I don't know if I can take this anymore! I miss him, I miss him so much" His mother said, Cody's face turned into one of worry instead.

" I miss him too sweetie. He's our child and I would do anything for him, but you have to understand, we can't do anything. We have to let the police do their job at finding our son."

" Mom, mom I'm right here!" Cody said, trying to get there attention as he got closer. His father looked up, the phone ringing behind Cody. Cody smiled, hoping his father would see him. His eyes were instead staring at the phone, rather than into Cody's. Cody raised a brow, surprised that his brown eyes past through him as he stood. Cody's father sighed as he walked up to Cody. Cody's eyes widened as his father passed through him.

Wha-what? How? Cody turned around, seeing his father pick up the phone.

" Yes? Uh-huh. I understand. Okay" His father placed down the phone, his face one of defeat and lost of hope. Suddenly, hi father screamed, throwing the phone on the ground. Cody stepped back, fear on his face as he could only stare. His father was heaving, his shaky breath the only thing that could be heard before he sighed in frustration.

" It was the police... There is no trail, they decided to put the case on hold for now." Cody shook his head, wanting this whole scene to just end. He could hear his mother crying behind him, as his father slumped to the ground with his back resting on the wall. He heard his mother stand up, as she quickly embraced his father, as he could only watch his parents become a broken heap. Cody shook his head.

" No! NO! Mom dad please you have to see me! I'm right here please! No this can't be happening." Cody tried to walk over to his parents. His first step changed the scenery in the blink of an eye. He was still in the kitchen, but what he saw he screamed in pure terror. In front of him was his parents, but they were long gone, nothing but bones as his house was old and destroyed. Cody looked out the window, the same gray atmosphere doing nothing but bring tears to his eyes. Cody fell to his knees, his eyes only staring at his parent's skeletons. A ear ran down his cheek.

" I want to go home. Please, just make this stop..."

" Oh sweetie~" Cody turned around, only for his fear to grow. It was his mother, as she knelt down and held his face in her palms, her hands gently holding his chin. But her eyes were one of the void, pure black holes, her skin a dark grey as her body looked withered.

" You came back... Welcome back~" Cody screamed for all he was worth, closing his eyes as he pushed her away, only to feel air.

" You will NEVER come back." The voice said in it's harsh tone, that and being his mother brought Cody screaming again. Suddenly, his world turned black, and he was no more.

**********

Zack had a worried expression, as he walked down the street of his neighborhood, the one he shared with Alex. They were just about to go into college before all of this happened, now he can continue.

Why am I here? Di-did I find my way back home? Zack continued to walk, the streets as dead and night, No house had it's lights, no noise in them or out, just Zack, as he walked though the void of night.

Just a few more blocks and there should be my house. Zack thought to his family. His mom, his dad, as well as his sister. Zack smiled as he remembered her, his pace quickening as he did. Her sweet deep blue eyes, her shoulder high golden hair, her soft peach skin. And her smile. Zack's smile widened, hoping to see her again as he walked. Zack looked around, the night not really giving him much view as he surveyed the area. He raised a brow slightly as he looked at the street lamps, noticing that they were not on. Zack shook his head.

Boris needs to remember to fix these things. After all it is his job, silly old geezer. Zack looked up and noticed his house on the left side, five houses down. Smiling, Zack started a light jog as he drew closer. He was past the second house when he saw the door open. He slowed down as he raised a brow, but his eyes soon widened in surprise. His sister Emily laughed and screamed, as she was followed by two of her friends, as they ran out into the yard. She wore a white wife beater and had jean shorts on, as he could only stare, A feeling of complete happiness filling his heart. She giggled and laughed, as her friends threw a ball at each other, practicing catching and honing in their throws.

" Your almost there sis." Zack said, knowing how his sister had always wanted to be on her favorite team. Zack continued to jog up, the feeling of reuniting with her painful as he was so happy. However, time seemed to slow, as the ball rolled.

"I'll get it!!!" Emily seemed to say, her eyes completely unaware of the two headlights that were now piercing the night. Her face was still one of happiness, as she reached down. Zack screamed something incoherent, his eyes brimmed with horror, as he mad dashed to her.

NO NO NO! Emily sweetie get out of the way!!! He could only stare, as she turned to the lights, her face one of confusion before it happened. The horn of the car, how the metal seemed to bend from the impact, how the car swerved to the side and stopped, how Zack screamed. His world shattered, as his sister lay there, unmoving. Zack stared with horror, tears brimming as he hoped she was okay. However, he knew that this tiny spark of hope, would be doused in a sea od despair. Something lightly hit Zack's foot, as he shakily looked down. It was the ball, a small drop of blood stained the side he was staring at. Quickly, Zack dashed forward, his face dripping with tears now, as he could see a small growing puddle of blood, that tried to swallow his sister. He heard his parents come outside from the door, his mother screaming as his father asked her friends what happened, as they seemed to only cry. Zack couldn't stop himself, he was moving to fast. Sliding on his knees, he grabbed his sister, holding her as he stared. A huge gash showed on her chest, blood coming out of her mouth as her eyes gave him a distant stare. And of course, the whimpering... Zack couldn't take it, sobbing as he held her, staring back into her eyes as his tears fell onto her face. He held his sobs as he saw one of her hands, rising to meet his cheek. She felt so real, her skin was as smooth as silk, Zack closing his eyes as he cried even harder.

" You're gonna be okay Emily! Please stay with me!" Zack pleaded, but she only stared, as she tried to say something.

" B-big br-bro-ther... i-i-t... it H-hu-hurts~... Zack opened his eyes, his sister, his life, gone in his hands.

" EMILY!!!" Zack wailed, rocking lightly as he held her close to his chest. " no no no please... don't leave, please don't leave me, please..." Zack's sobbing was the only thing that could be heard, the night was first one of calmness, but it now brought despair, and death.

**********

Twilight's magic dwindle away as she sighed, a worried look on her face as she stared at the two humans. After Zack has passed out in the library, Twilight found the book and returned to the castle, Kevin holding Zack as they did. When they arrived in the throne room, the same thing was happening to Cody, much to the group's dismay. Placing the two together, Twilight cast her magic on them, nullifying the dark magic that lingered within their system. Turning to Kevin and Alex, Alex continued to survey, but at a much slower pace, while Kevin simply sat on one of the steps of the throne, a solemn expression on his face.

" Are you alright Kevin?" She asked, slowly approaching him. He blinked a few times, before looking up at her, those eyes seemed to lighten up a little, but the dull feeling remained.

" Oh, hey Twilight." He said, before looking back at the ground, a hand under his chin as his rifle rested against his chest. Twilight walked up to him, sitting down next to the human as she looked to his friends, before looking back.

" I'm sorry Kevin. Really I am." She said, resting her head against his shoulder. Kevin sighed, taking off his helmet as he continued to stare.

" It's not your fault Twilight. We engaged him without knowing the consequences."

" But how can you know how to fight Sombra? I haven't heard of him since recently either." She said, lightly rubbing his shoulder in hopes that Kevin could see the brighter side of things. But then again, what was the bright side? Kevin chuckled lightly.

" Yeah, I guess. Are they gonna be okay?" Kevin asked. Twilight leaned in, looking Kevin in the eye.

" They're going to be fine Kevin. Sombra's dark magic seems to be showing them their worst fears rather than trying to ki-kill-"

" Kill them, thanks." Kevin said, finishing her sentence. Twilight winced as a sign of saying sorry, before walking back to her friends.

" Kevin, I know me saying sorry isn't enough for what has happened, but please know that I wish I could do more." She said.

" I know Twilight. It's just you and your friends mean so much more to us than you know." Twilight stopped in her tracks, looking back at Kevin, her eyes wide.

" What? What do you mean?" Kevin looked up at her, a small smile on his face, but his eyes were still focused on the status of his friends.

" You mean the whole world to us Twilight, we came here to make sure you and your friends won't even breath the same air as Sombra." Twilight lightly blushed, wondering what Kevin meant, and why they were so important.

" Because...?" Twilight urged on, Kevin leaning back as he looked to the ceiling.

" Because you and your friends may be our only way out of this place." He said, Twilight gasping as he did.

" Wait what? How?" Kevin looked to her, his face showing hope.

" with the powerful magic in the Elements of Harmony, as well as the three princesses', the combination of great magic should be enough to connect our waves back to the familiar waves of our Earth. It may require more than that, but I believe it should be enough. Remember when I asked you to tell me what you found in the books back in Ponyville, and sending me your reports on your discovery?" Twilight nodded. " It turns out, Cody and Zack were researching and asking questions behind me and Alex's back, but that sounds wrong. They wanted to keep our minds at ease, making it their burden to bear. We all had a conversation before we deployed with you. When we went into our room, we all agreed on this theory about you and the princesses. Knowing that this was the best lead we have, we swore to protect you, in hopes you can grant us a way back." Twilight was speechless, her mind taking in all that Kevin had said, the truth of his motive seemed to hit her hard. He saw her shocked expression, standing up and putting his helmet back on. He sighed. " Don't worry Twilight. I'm not using you. I'm asking you, one friend to another, to help us return home." She continued to stare, before lightly smiling. The word friend relaxed her more than she thought, knowing that Kevin was still a friendly soul.

" I promise Kevin, we'll make sure that you can return to your family." Kevin smiled, before the doors opened, revealing Shining Armor and Cadence, as she needed to walk around in order to not fall asleep.

" Shining! We found something that could help you!" Twilight said, Spike holding the book with a smile. Shining smiled as he helped Cadence to the thrown, Kevin standing on her other side, placing a hand on her back, making sure she didn't fall over.

" Thanks." Shining said, Kevin nodding as he sat back down on the edge. Alex walked over, before giving a worried glance to his two unconscious friends. Twilight looked at the book, Spike opening it to the page he saved, as she began to read.

**********

Alex grunted in frustration, turning off the blue laser as he placed the gun down.

" Alex, is something wrong?" Shining asked, to which Alex just exhaled, slowly as he tried to calm himself.

" Sorry man, it's just that I hate waiting and just looking through these stupid windows, over and over and over again." Alex looked to his two friends, Zack had tear stained cheeks, a look of discomfort on his face as the magic continued to seep from his eyes. Cody wasn't fairing any better, a look of anger on his face as he tossed and turned, grunting as a stray tear escaped his eye.

" I'm gonna kill this motherfucker for doing this... make sure it's far more painful than what they are going through." Alex said, cracking his knuckles in one hand as he snarled. Shining looked to his friends, then to Alex.

" We will end Sombra, for good. I promise that." Shining said. Alex smiled, one of malice than happiness.

" Make sure you save a few hits for me alright?" Shining was a little freaked out by the humans mad demeanor, but nodded his head none the less. Under the castle, Twilight and her friends, as well as Kevin stood at the carnival, crystal ponies changing here and there as the place was filled with joyous laughter and ponies talking. Kevin walked with Twilight, noticing that a few of the ponies were giving him odd looks, but shrugging it off along the way.

" So this is how the mighty Sombra is gonna fall? Ponies becoming happy without a care in the world?" Kevin asked, Twilight nodding.

" I believe so, with the power of love and unity, I'm sure the ponies can defeat Sombra. Remember, he is not as powerful as he was before, so trying to fight would ultimately end in him losing." Twilight said. Kevin raising a brow.

" I thought you said you never heard of him until now? I could you know how powerful he was before?" Twilight shook her head.

" When we were running from him in the snow, I felt his magical presence. It was like his magic reserves were running on fumes. Like how a cup is supposed to be full, but Sombra was nothing but a few drops. I just hope that he doesn't get too strong in this short time to cause any serious danger." Kevin nodded, quickly glancing above him and remembering what that fraction of power did to his two friends. They stopped in the middle, next to the crudely cut out piece of art that Twilight made, but Kevin neglected to say that to her. He sighed, looking down at her as she continued to read the book.

" That still doesn't mean we should take him lightly. As the saying goes ' Always overestimate your enemies' we have to prepared for anything that King Sombra can do." Twilight nodded, looking up from her book to Kevin and smiled.

" That is true, anything can happen." Just as Twilight had finished her sentence, Kevin heard the sound of what appeared to be a jet, as Rainbow flew over, placing a flag over the crystal heart with a panicked expression on her face.

" Guys! We have a problem!" Twilight giving her a confused look while Kevin's brow furrowed.

" What happened?" Kevin asked, bending over a little so he could talk, as well as Dash not being able to strain her neck too bad. She gulped.

" The crystal heart, it's not a fair piece, it's supposed to be powered by the ponies to help defend the empire!" She said, Twilight giving her a shocked expression, as Kevin thought about the words.

" Like a magical relic!?" Twilight asked, her tone one of worry.

" Something like that yeah!" Rainbow said, Twilight looking over to Kevin with a worried face as he mirrored her. Twilight quickly looked over to Applejack.

" Applejack! Guard the heart right now! Rainbow, Kevin throne room now!" Twilight ordered, Kevin nodding as he followed Twilight, Rainbow flying over their heads and into the castle as the two ran up the stairs, hoping to tell Shining and Cadence in time. Above, Cadence's left hoof couldn't hold her, as she leaned against Shining for support. He gave her a worried look. Alex stopped watching from the balcony and looked over, a worried expression on his face.

" How long has it been?" Alex asked.

" She's been holding out for the whole day. Sombra's been constantly attacking the shield, which is putting a lot of exhaustion on her magic." Shining looked to Cadence, his worry growing.

" As well as her mind." Cadence's face scrunched up, her horn fazing slightly before the shield did the same. Alex gave him a worried look.

" She's on her last ropes, we need to find a better way." Alex brought a hand to his chin, hoping if there was some way they could delay this Sombra any further. Suddenly, the doors burst open, Kevin and Twilight, as well as Rainbow Dash running in. They skidded to a stop, Kevin rushing over to Alex.

" We have a problem Alex. The heart, it's supposed to be a -"

" I didn't know it was an actual relic!" Twilight said, flipping though the book with a worried expression. Alex's eyes widening at the sign of more trouble. Kevin looked to Twilight as she continued to scan the book faster than any human reader Kevin had ever seen.

" The book didn't mention anything about the crystal ponies powering the heart!" She said, flipping to the last page. Well, it was the last page, except for the one that was ripped out.

" There was a page missing, how did I not notice?" Twilight said, raising a hoof to her forehead as she began to panic. Cadence swayed slightly, Kevin noticing it from the corner of his eye.

" It-it's alright, Twilight." Suddenly, Cadence fell over, Shining went wide eyed, but Alex quickly reacted, grabbing her as Shining ran dashed up, holding his wife's head as her horn flickered, before dying out.

" Oh fuck that is not good."

" Twily..." Shining said, a look of horror on his face. The roar echoed through the kingdom, the dome beginning to flicker, before completely disappearing. Everyone looked to their horror, seeing Sombra's eyes as his face morphed in the fog.

" Agh! Motherfucker!" Everyone turned to the voice, which came from the throne room. Another noise was heard, something akin to gagging, as the sound of something wet hitting the ground was heard. Kevin as well as Twilight and Dash ran inside, the ponies gasping, and Kevin going wide eyed at what they saw. Cody was resting his back on the throne step, one hand clasping his head as he grimaced, his eyes were slightly bloodshot, but the magic was gone. Zack was on his knees, his hands shakily holding him up, a small puddle of his stomach contents was on the ground as he breathed heavily, his chest heaving as the three could see a few tears dripping into the substance.

" Cody! Zack you alright!?" Kevin ran up, grabbing Zack's shoulders as he helped him into a sitting position, Zack having his eyes closed quietly sobbed. Cody snarled at the noises Zack made, his hand clenched into a fist as it shook.

" Kevin... that motherfucker... it was him." He said.

" I know Cody. When you two engaged him, you inhaled some of his magic. I'm sorry I should have been more careful with you guys." Kevin said, but Cody shook his head.

" I don't care about that Kevin, I could honestly not give a damn. We knew what we were doing... But this bastard... He's gonna fucking pay..." Cody stood up, walking over to his LMG as well as his helmet. Grabbing his LMG in his left hand, it shook violently, the bullets rattling in the box magazine, as Cody growled. He turned, the ponies could feel the hate seeping from his eyes, the rage of a wild beast. Kevin had seen him made before, especially when the person had done something unforgivable to him or anybody else he cared for. His teeth clenched tight enough to draw a small amount of blood from his gum, as he looked to the group.

" THIS SON OF A BITCH IS GONNA DIE FOR WHAT HE DID TO ME!!! FOR WHAT HE DID TO ZACK!!!"

Author's Note

Aaaaaaaaaand... scene.
Sorry about the cliffhanger, just don't want to make this chapter too long. Sorry about not publishing this sooner, just didn't get into the mood of writing as much this month. But I'm getting back into it!!!
Hope you enjoy the chapter, part 2 is gonna have a lot of action, as well as anger...
Anyways, if you need me I'll be writing the next chapter in the other room,

KEEP ON WRITING AND KEEP ON READING!!! :pinkiehappy:

The Struggling Purple, The Dripping Red, and The Calming Green ( pt.2 )

The group stared out into the darkness, as it started to close in on the kingdom. Shining turned to the ponies, a look of horror on his face. Cadence tried to sand, but fell to her side, breathing heavily as she did. Alex quickly rushed up, letting her lean on his chest as she got up. She looked up at him, smiling as she nodded. Standing up on her own, she straightened her back, her eyes glaring at the oncoming cloud of raw magic, her horn sparking to life as she brought up her head. The sudden light exploded, making everyone wince as they covered their eyes. Kevin could see it from the corner of his vision, the shield returning as it blocked the smoke. Everypony gasped as the humans watched with wide eyes, gripping their guns as Sombra rushed forward, his head smashing into the shield as his horn split by the magic. Cadence wobbled slightly, before leaning against Shining, as he glared out at the shield.

" I have to find the crystal heart-"

" No, you stay here with Cadence." Twilight said, Kevin looking to Cadence as she rested against her husband. Can't believe a few days ago we were having a wedding party. " She needs you Shining Armor." Twilight looked up to Kevin, nodding to him to which he mirrored in reply.

" I'll retrieve the heart."

" Cody Alex I want you guys up here, the plan does not change. Zack stick with the girls alright." Kevin looked to his friends, two of them were not as focused. Zack lightly shook, Kevin could see it under the clothing and armor. He seemed to be sweating even if by a little, but it was enough to show that something was not right. Cody grunted in annoyance, wanting to go down there and rip Sombra's throat out.

" Ugh... Fine" Cody said, grabbing his LMG with force as he walked back into the throne room with Alex. Kevin looked to Zack.

" You gonna be alright? I'm not forcing anything, but I need you to focus." Zack nodded.

" I'll be fine, as long as the girls don't do anything too drastic. Ju-just need some time to c-cool down is all." He said. Kevin frowned under his mask. That dark magic must have done something to you Zack. Walking over, he hugged him, Zack returning the gesture, a small smile on his face. Releasing him, he rested his hand on Zack's shoulder, staring into his eyes with a smirk. Zack nodded, his smile widening as his demeanor seemed to straighten. Kevin looked to Twilight and Rainbow.

" Ready." He said, the four running out of the castle as Twilight set out to find the Crystal Heart.

**********

Alex continued his routine, after Kevin had gone with Twilight while Zack stayed with the girls near the heart. He looked over to Cody, as the young adult paced the room, his eyes focused on the ground as he clenched his fists. Alex continued to watch Cody, as he mumbled under his breath, his angry expression soon turning into one neutral, then to worry. Alex looked out the window again, The ponies still enjoying the festival, while the dome lightly fizzled. Alex could see that the situation was growing worse. From his place, he could see the shield flickering, the struggle of keeping something up like that for a day or more twenty-four seven, would cause anyone to pass out. He heard a low growl behind him, making him turn again. Cody sat at the foot of the throne, tapping his foot against the ground, a constant rhythm that reminded Alex of Cody's heart. Fast, anxious, and most of all... scared.

" Cody, what's wrong man?" He asked. Cody slowed his tapping, sighing as he looked up.

" I-I'm sorry Alex... I just." He sighed again, trying to relax himself. " Just need some time to think about this bastard." Alex walked over, placing down the Rorsch as he sat next to his friend. He could see it, in his eyes, even though so much of his face was covered by his gear, those brown eyes showed all of his emotions.

" What... did Sombra do to you? I've never seen you this shaken up in my life." Alex said, Cody's breaths were raged as he tried to concentrate.

" When I slipped into unconsciousness, I saw something... Something that was beyond my nightmares." He said, Alex could tell that he was being sincere, let alone honest. He continued to listen, knowing Cody needed this more than him. " I was home Alex. Home." A lump caught in Cody's throat, the whites of his eyes slowly becoming a crimson red. " I... I saw my living room. The windows. The, the-the T.V." Alex heard Cody sniff, putting his hand on his shoulder. Alex was about to tell him to stop, but Cody cut him off, wanting to finish it. " I saw my mom man... I-I-I saw my motherfucking mom." Cody clenched his hands into fists, his teeth doing the same as he lowered his head even more.

" It's okay Cody I'm here. It's okay..." Alex said, placing his hand on his back as he lightly stroked it. Cody sighed, holding it in as he raised his head a little.

" The next thing I knew, I was staring at their corpses, nothing but dried bones. An abomination that looked like my mom kept whispering, no matter how hard I tried to get it out of my head." Cody reached up to his eyes with a hand, covering them as he continued his raged breaths, trying to calm himself. He always was one to not show emotions that made him weak, Alex saw that as never a good thing. Cody looked up to the ceiling, a single tear falling from his right eye as it stained the black cloth, the saturation deepening. " It said, you will NEVER, come back." Alex was about to say something, but the sound akin to a soft thud could be heard, making the two look back to the throne.

" Cadence! You alright!?" Shining said, holding her as she tried to stand. Alex quickly jumped up, Cody following suit as they walked up. Alex crouched as he looked to Shining.

" Hey is she alright?"He asked, but he obviously knows the answer to his own question. Shining shook his head.

" Her magic is running out. She can't hold this anymore, we need the Crystal Heart NOW." Shining urged, looking to Alex with worry.

" Is there a way to give her any magic? A way to give her more power?" Alex desperately asked. As much as he wanted to make Sombra suffer for what he did to his friends, he wanted them to find the Crystal Heart more, knowing that they had the trump card would give him more confidence. Shining looked deep in thought, before nodding.

" Cadence's magic is based off of love and light, positive energy throughout the world. If she were to gain some of that energy, it may raise her magic ability." Alex looked to her, before looking up to Shining, their eyes meeting as he sighed.

" Is it possible for her to gain magic from me?" Shining's mouth gaped, while Cadence lightly gasped.

" N-no... Alex listen, I can read y-your mana. Y-you and your friends are all the s-same." She said, as she tried to stand, only for her to lean on Shining. " If I were to gain your happiness, it would affect your life force." Alex raised a brow at that. She sighed. " Basically, I would be gaining power from y-your life Alex... I can't do that." Alex's eyes widened, as he put two and two together. He looked at the ground, his mind thinking if there was another way or if... Should I still do it?

" How much would you be taking?" Alex asked. Only for her to shake her head.

" It would be half of your original strength, meaning that you would feel incredibly weak. Over time you may heal, but that depends on how you take care of yourself." Alex sighed in relief, confusing his friend and the two ponies. Well, it's not permanent. Alex looked to Cadence, his face contorted into one of seriousness. Cadence's eyes widened slightly, surprised to see his facial features change so drastically. If this can buy us some more time, then we have a chance.

" Cadence, I need you to take some of my energy. We need to have more time if they are gonna find this thing, and we need to give them that time. I'm asking you as not a princess, but as a friend, to worry about the safety of everyone within this dome, rather than just one. I wish that you should not worry about me." Alex said, smiling as he looked to her husband and Cody. " Besides, if I get in a pickle, I have friends like you three, and the others outside, willing to fight on my behalf." Cadence became teary eyed, not wanting to see the aftermath of taking Alex's magic, which was basically taking his life. However, the sudden throbbing pain and the sparking of her horn reminded her how desperate times were. She sighed, looking up to Alex as she concentrated.

" Please forgive me for this." She said, Alex lowering his head as he took of his hat, her horn tapping his forehead lightly as they stayed that way.

" No need to apologize." Alex said, until his entire world was one of exhaustion. Like he had been running for seven hours straight. He could feel his muscles becoming tired, as they ached and burned. He felt his body quickly starting to sweat, as it tried to counter the heat building up in his system. He could hear his heart, beating its please for the process to stop already. Finally, after what felt like forever, the pain ceased, and Alex collapsed to the ground, painting as he tried to keep his eyes open. Cadence, now looking a little better, stood up, sitting next to his head as she supported it.

" Alex!? Can you hear me!?" She said, Cody kneeling down and looking at him as well, worry clearly shown. Alex smiled, raising a shaky hand as he gave her a thumbs up.

" N-ne... never better." He said, making Cody chuckle as he helped him up. Shining walked over.

" Let's return outside, I think you two should come along in case if you see anything dangerous." He said, Cody looking to Alex as he tiredly returned the gesture. Slowly walking over to his Rorsch, Alex picked it up, his hand shaking slightly as he did. Everyone could hear his light pants as he remained still, before turning to them with a smirk.

" I'm ready." They nodded, as the four set out to keep an eye on the Empire.

**********

Kevin and Twilight, as well as Spike ran around the castle, passing the balcony every once in a while for Kevin to tell Cody what has happened, and Cody explaining the situation on their side for Kevin, as well as Zack as he listened on the radio. He decided to stop running around, standing instead in the main hall as it seemed to connect the rooms. Twilight rushed to and fro, her eyes frantically searching the castle for any place that could give a clue as to where the heart was. Kevin sighed, as he looked to the throne, admiring how well placed the crystals were, and how the room wasn't as elongated as Celestia's, rather more roomy for good company to enter. As he was lost in thought, Twilight was running around, too focused on finding the Crystal Heart that she bumped into Kevin, making her yelp and him lightly grunt, raising a brow under his goggles as he looked down. Twilight blushed lightly as she rubbed the back of her head, sheepishly smiling.

" Hehe, sorry about that." She said, getting up as she tried to calm her nerves. Kevin smiled, shaking his head lightly as he continued to stare into space.

" No problem Twilight." Twilight followed Kevin's eyes, as he looked at the throne. She raised a brow.

" Wait a minute... the throne."

" Yeah I know. I'm surprised it's made up of crystal too. I mean back where I'm from, most crystals were in caves, but this place still astonishes me with the fact that everything is made of crystal. It is quite a sight to behold-" Kevin just finished his sentence as Twilight ran up to the throne, examining what appeared to be the top piece before smiling, lighting up her horn. Kevin walked over to her, as she seemed to be heavily concentrating. He was about to ask what she was doing, but his words caught in his throat. Her eyes started to bleed the purple, like how his friends did, her face contorting into one of pain. He reached for her, ready to break her trance, but the sudden black laser beam that shot from her horn made him stop. Hitting the main crystal, shadows danced on the floor, revealing a spiral staircase, descending into what appeared to be darkness, the void itself, as Kevin felt the chill of nightmares crawl up his back.

" Whoa, when did you learn to do that?" Spike asked, as he looked down into the abyss. Twilight smiled, pointing down the spiral.

" That was a little trick Celestia taught me." She said, Kevin shaking his head lightly.

" I'm not to sure about these tricks." He mumbled, the sound of the shield flickering bringing his attention back to the outside. Kevin watched as the shield seemed to hold, but Cadence wasn't going to last. Kevin looked to Twilight, and asked himself one of the hardest questions. What do I do?

" You stay up here Spike, same with you Kevin." Twilight said, her horn lighting up as she descended down the stairs. As she did, Kevin continued to think. If I stay, she will be protected, but that could allow Sombra to get close. Kevin looked outside, the shield flicking again, and Kevin got a glimpse of the low hanging black smoke, as it circled the shield and waited. He knew once this blue haven would shatter, the darkness would encompass it like hungry rats. Kevin looked to Spike, as he paced back and fourth, holding his claws under his armpits as he looked to the ground, worry on his face.

" Spike." Kevin said, making the little Drake stop and turn to him, a brow raised.

" Yeah? What is it Kevin?" He asked. Kevin knelt down, placing a hand on Spike's shoulder. Even as he knelt, Spike still had to crane his neck slightly in order to look into Kevin's eyes.

" I'm leaving Twilight's safety to you."

" What!?" Spike said, taking a step back with a look of shock.

" What do you mean?" He asked. Kevin stood up, pointing out the window.

" Cadence isn't going to last much longer. Seeing as what is outside, if that thing gets into the Empire, let alone the castle, it can hurt you, Twilight, her friends, Shining and Cadence. If that happens we lost. If me and my friends can draw his attention, while you focus on finding the heart, you will have loads more time then us just standing here and doing nothing." Kevin furrowed his brow, knowing just what he is going to get himself into. Spike looked at him, uncertainty in his eyes as he looked to the staircase then back to Kevin. he sighed in defeat, nodding to Kevin.

" Fine. I'll make sure nothing harms her Kevin." Spike said, saluting the soldier as he did. Kevin smiled, giving Spike the thumbs up before running out of the room.

" Kevin!" Spike called out, making him stop and turn.

" Come back dude. You're pretty cool and, well... Twilight liked the chats you two had through scrolls." Kevin smiled, nodding, before running out. The only sounds in the throne room were the echoes of the oncoming storm.

As Kevin ran, he reached up to his mic, pressing the button.

" Alright guys, time to do something for once. Alex and Cody, continue to stay on the balcony. When that bastard shows I want you two to lay down fire on him, while me and Zack get up close and personnel. Alex, if you can count the bullets of the Rorsch and I'll tell you when to use it." Kevin smiled under his mask, the adrenaline building up as he opened the doors, leading to the outside. Twilight's friends surrounded the fake Crystal Heart, trying to keep the citizens away from it, their gloomy looks returning as they noticed something wasn't right.

" Kevin!? What in the hay are you doin' here!?" Applejack asked, confused as to why he wasn't protecting Twilight.

" Change of plans. Sombra's coming." Some of the citizens gasped as they overheard the conversation, but Kevin continued, not really caring what they thought. Zack ran up from the right, Kevin smiling as they met up. " Me and my friends are gonna buy you guys some time. I want you five to get up there on the balcony and make sure to protect Cadence and Shining. Cody and Alex will be there to assist but they will the be the first line of keeping him back." Kevin looked to Zack, as he cocked back the handle, Kevin turning off the safety on his rifle as well.

" This is Alex, me and Cody are ready. The Rorsch has eleven rounds in total." Alex said, Kevin thanking him through the radio before turning to the girls.

" Should Cody and Alex fail, I am trusting you to not only take care of them, but to keep Sombra back. Don't get injured too severely and on no account, die." The girls flinched a little at the word, but understood what he meant. The shield flickered again, bringing everyone back to their senses. The ponies began to panic, some running back into their homes while others held each other in pure terror.

" Alright everyone! I want you to go into your homes and stay there! Do not come out! If your home is too far then get in the castle or bunk up with others NOW!" Zack yelled at the crowd, the ponies surprisingly obeying him as they orderly evacuated. Zack looked to Kevin, a smirk on his face.

" Let's do this." He said, Kevin nodding in agreement. Just as he said this, the shield faded, Alex coming over the radio.

" Cadence is down! She's on the line now! Are guys ready!?" He said, his tone worried as the shield died, the black smoke already starting to move in on the brightened Empire.

" Yeah we're good! Alright everyone go go go! Come one double time! Girls get up there!" Kevin barked, everypony quickly dispersing, the center being cleared in a matter of seconds.

" Be careful darlings. Come back safe please." Rarity said, her voice pleading to them.

" We're countin' on ya. Don't let Twilight er any of us down Kevin." Applejack said, her face was one of worry.

" Be safe." Fluttershy muttered, giving Kevin a quick hug before following her friends.

" Make sure to teach that meanie a lesson you hear me!? Then we can celebrate with a massive Crystal Party!!!" Pinkie boasted, before hopping along.

" Be sure by the time your done fighting, the only thing Sombra is gonna see is stars!" Rainbow said, smashing her hooves together, before zooming off to the balcony. Kevin and Zack looked to each other, both of them smiling at the same thing. They're are friends. And we are glad that they are.

**********

Kevin lightly panted as he rushed forward, stopping in one of the many streets. he turned to look at the Castle, Alex and Cody looking like ants on the balcony as they watched. He turned back, only for his eyes to widen. The smoke was only ten feet away now, but that wasn't what got him. Those eyes. The green eyes stared into Kevin's, a mouth forming into a blackened smile as it laughed. Kevin raised his gun, aiming for the middle as he shot. The bullet ran through, the smoke dispersing from the impact, but it quickly morphed back. Kevin frowned at this, as he back tracked.

" Zack, on my mark. Same with you Cody." He said, Sombra's face coming through the smoke as he darkly chuckled.

" And what are you, then?" Sombra asked, his voice lightly shook the ground, the deepness vibrating the very air.

" You bastard. You hurt my friends." Kevin said, as he continued to step back. He was getting closer to the opened courtyard. To the ambush. Sombra chuckled under his breath.

" Ah, you mean the two that were so stupid enough to inhale my essence." He said, Kevin only nodding.

" How did it feel? Watching them suffer? Watching as my magic tore their soul apart?" He questioned, his smile growing as he inched closer and closer, the smoke doing the same as his serpent head stuck out. Kevin was about to say something, but Sombra's movement changed. Sombra stretched farther from the fog, his eyes closed as he cackled. His body morphed, a red furred cape flowing in the wind as a mane of shadow was formed. Silver armor adorned his new form, his dark grey fur covering him. The finishing touch, was the crown. Kevin smiled. He had read about Sombra with Celestia before this. And he knew just what to do.

" I am willing to forgive such an ignorant creature such as yourself. I can tell that you are frightened by my appearance and you should be. I will make you and these wretched ponies bow before me." He said, staring into Kevin's eyes as his horn slowly began to glow. Kevin stopped, as they now stood in the courtyard, the sky becoming a orange red, thunder echoing in the background.

" Well, you could try." Kevin said, raising his right hand and snapping his fingers. Before Sombra could even raise a brow. A blast was heard from his left. Turning to see what it was, he barely had enough time to raise his crystals before a massive explosion erupted, obliterating the shield and sending him flying. Sombra grunted in pain, as he hit the wall of a nearby house. He quickly got up, igniting his horn as he stood on a crystal pillar. Another blast was heard, and Sombra saw it this time. He dodged to the side, the rocket flying by and into the distance. He followed the smoke trail, leading to a second creature, as he hid within an alleyway, stepping out with a smirk. Sombra growled, before using his magic, commanding the crystals to move him forward. Like a platform, Sombra shot forward, Kevin jumping out of the way as Zack slid to the side. Kevin aimed his rifle, Shooting at Sombra, the bullets puncturing the shield that he had lifted up. Zack came up on Sombra's left, throwing an RGO towards the king. Sombra roared, raising another shield on his side. The grenade impacted the crystals, shattering them as it exploded. Debris and fire made Sombra grunt, cuts and singed fur now adorned his left side. Sombra raised a hoof.

" You vile creatures!!! You dare attack ME-" Before Sombra could even finish his sentence, a sound was heard. The pulling force of the air, as well the vibrations in the air went through the three on the battlefield. A thunderous roar echoed through the Empire, as Sombra's hoof exploded, bits and pieces of bone and muscle spraying into the air, each bloody piece sprayed back. Sombra's body was jerked back by the force, shattering his focus as he staggered back. He knelt with his remaining forehoof, pain overwhelming his senses. he looked up to the two humans, as they stared down at him as if he was a lowly insect.

" Well would you look at that. Who's kneeling now?" Kevin said. Sombra could see something from the balcony. A small, blue, light. With his horn glowing, her transformed into mist, before backing off, Kevin and Zack shooting into the clouds as he did. Kevin dropped a mag, before reloading, a smirk on his face. He turned to the balcony, reaching for his mic.

" Nice shooting. I think we won the first match." Kevin said. On the balcony, everypony had covered their ears, their faces one of pain as they rubbed their heads. Alex sighed, cocking back the bolt as he opened the chamber.

" I must say, this thing does pack a punch. As well as being loud." He said, letting the used copper dance on the ground as it fell. he reached into one of the ammo bags on his body, grabbing another Sabot round as he carefully loaded it into the chamber. The rails were singed by the fire, some electricity still sparking against the teeth of the barrel. Alex was smiling like a madman now, cocking the bolt back as he planted the rifle down, the metal ringing the rails.

" Why doesn't this bastard try again? Come on, Mr. Rorsch want's to see that pretty face of yours." Alex looked to the left, on one of the streets. Sombra's smoke form snaked through it, a permanent look of hatred clear on it as it slithered back into the courtyard. " Kevin he's coming to you man, left side!" He called, Kevin and Zack turning to him as he turned back into his pony form, his leg was as good as new. Sombra smiled.

" I had expected much much less of you heathens. But, after seeing that example of power, I'm afraid I may have to push a little harder." Sombra's horn glistened, black crystals shooting out from the ground. Kevin jumped to the side, avoiding a sharp crystal that could have easily pierced his armor. Looking forward, he quickly shot his right leg forward, stopping himself on a black crystal protruding out of the ground. Zack sidestepped, jumping back as another crystal shot up. He quickly began to spray, bullets chipping off pieces of crystal, as well as scrapping Sombra, making him grunt in annoyance. His horn glowed brighter, more magical energy pouring into it, as he timed the growth of the dark crystals. He could feel his dark magic absorbing the kingdom. Either he kills them now or they evade until the end it wouldn't matter. He would win. Sombra smiled, opening his eyes as he focused on Kevin. Kevin was jumping back and fourth, unable to stay in one spot for more than four seconds. He stepped back, only for a black crystal to shoot into his leg. Kevin screamed in pain, Zack's eyes widening in shock. Quickly rolling out of the way from a black crystal, Zack quickly reached for his rocket, aiming it with precision. A second after, the SMAW roared, the rocket sailing towards Sombra. His horn ignited, a visible spark as a rusted red shield encased him. The explosion engulfed Sombra, smoke and fire covering the courtyard as Zack ran to Kevin.

" Hey you okay-" Zack barely had time to finish, a sharp piece of blackened crystal shooting past his head, cutting his cheek. He hissed in pain, stopping as he turned to the smoke cloud where Sombra was. He knew that shield protected him, which made Zack even more pissed. Spraying into the smoke, the velocity of the bullets made the cloud brake, Sombra raising another crystal to block the shots. Zack continued to shoot, reaching for an RGO with his left hand, pulling the pin and chucking the explosive. Quickly running to Kevin, Zack heard the explosion, which accompanied the pained scream of the fallen king. Kevin grunted as his leg came off the sharp mineral, a huge gash in his calf. Throwing down a medic bag, The wound began to heal in seconds, Kevin hissing as the feeling of skin and muscle being put back together, as well as growing back at such a rate was uncomfortable. Zack turned to Sombra, pulling out his SMAW again.

" He's not done yet Kevin!" He said, making his friend turn around. Sombra launched a barrage of his power, black electricity dancing through the air. Zack fired his SMAW again, the rocket passing the electricity. Sombra lit up his horn again, blood from his forehead covering his left eye. As he started to raise his shield, his eyes widened at the drop of the projectile. Before he could growl in anger, the rocket exploded, shrapnel and heat washing over his body as he was sent careening to the other side of the battlefield. At the same time, Zack yelled in pain as electricity surged through his very being. He jerked violently on the ground, Kevin running up to him as he quickly threw down his med kit. Taking his SCAR-H, Kevin aimed towards Sombra, who raised himself on a crystal pillar. Kevin burst fired, bullets bouncing off his crystal shields, as they floated around him. Kevin ran to the right, getting under the balcony, spraying with his rifle into the King. Sombra smiled, seeing as the creature's weapon was useless.

" Alex you have a shot take it!" He yelled into his mic. Alex nodded, the beeping of the rifle counting down Sombra's doom. Sombra squinted his eyes, the sudden brightness stunning him for a second. He looked up to the balcony, only for his eyes to widen. He had totally forgot about the threat above. His horn quickly glowed, his shield rising. Before it could fully dome over him, thunder shook the earth again, his shield shattering like a vase, the air pressure as well as the pain sending Sombra back by meters. He fell from his column, skidding against the ground so hard he made a ditch. His chest was ripped open, blood and magic seeping from his wound. His right fore hoof hung by nothing but a strand of meat, and his body was shaking from the adrenaline. Quickly, he turned back into his smoke form, before a barrage of bullets rained down on his location, as well as another rocket. He disappeared into the dark mist, as he began to quickly lick his wounds. Sombra was getting aggravated.

**********

Kevin sighed, dropping his empty mag as he reached into another ammo pouch. He looked up, pressing the mic.

" Hey can you throw down some ammo Cody?" Kevin said, as he waited for a reply. Cody's radio sparked to life, only for Kevin to wince in pain.

" CAN YA AT LEAST WARN EVERYPONY BEFORE YOU FIRE THE DARN THING YOU MOTHER BUCK-" Cody's mic cut out, before returning seconds later, the yelling inaudible while also sounding distant.

" Yeah hang on." Kevin waited with Zack, who lightly smiled, sweat clear on his face from the fight.

" I guess the rifle must be pretty loud huh?" He asked, which made Kevin shake his head with a smirk. Kevin and Zack looked up, a bag with ammo falling from the balcony. It landed five feet away, the two quickly walking up to it as the sound of ammo refilling could be heard. They scanned the dark smoke, rifles ready as they waited. Sombra was out there, but within the confines of the smoke, he was practically invisible, as well as safe. The zone basically healed the damn king. This battle completely depended on who couldn't recover first.

" I'm full, you?" Zack asked.

" Good." Kevin replied. They walked away from the bag, stepping back into the middle of the courtyard. " Alex watch out, I have a feeling he may try to go for you guys."

" Got it man thanks." Alex said, loading another Sabot shell as the second case fell. Everypony stared at him, with mixed looks of horror, and amazement. Cody loaded another case into his LMG, cocking the slide as he waited. Shining was the first to speak, asking what was probably on everpony's mind.

" How is it that you have such a weapon? I've never seen that in any nation's history, let alone Equestria's history." He said, seeing how the front seemed to turn red, steam coming from it's barrel as it cooled.

" Well, given the fact that we aren't exactly from around here, our technology is vastly different from yours. Ours is also more well built for." Alex lightly cringed, sighing as he readied himself. " Killing. We have built and tested these weapons in order to create the perfect killing machines. Next thing I know they're creating robots." Alex said the last part under his breath, returning his focus the his scope, scanning the smoke with his left hand ready to call Sombra out. Shining was about to say more, but the sudden change in the air made him lose his words. Back on the ground, Kevin and Zack readied themselves, aiming their weapons into void. Suddenly, a huge crystalline pillar shot forward, hitting Kevin in the chest as he was shot back. he winced as he grunted in pain, the feeling of broken ribs did not bode well for him. He skidded across the ground, his rifle sliding away. Zack aimed into the smog, burst firing into it. Another crystal shot out, barely hitting Zack as he ducked. He chucked another RGO into the smoke, the explosion piercing the darkness with the bright orange and a fiery red. Kevin got up, throwing down his med kit as he stood. He reached for his mic, about to call Alex again.

" Not this time I'm afraid." Kevin's eyes widened as he turned around, rolling to his side as he drew his pistol. Sombra raised a shield, summoning up black shards of sharp crystal as they floated in the air. Kevin shot three times, each pistol round cracking the shield, but doing nothing but scratch it. He jumped to the left as a piece was sent sailing towards him. He stood up, only for another piece to pierce his shoulder. He screamed in pain, clutching his left shoulder in pain. Sombra stepped back, the sound of bullet fire echoing behind Kevin as Zack ran up.

" Kevin get back!" He yelled, chucking another grenade as he pulled out his SMAW. Sombra growled, seeing the accursed tube that the creature shouldered. Five pillars of sharpened crystal shot up, making Zack dodge as he misfired. The rocket peeled to the right, exploding after impacting a nearby house. Cody watched, growling in anger as he aimed at the king.

" Go to hell you piece of shit!" He yelled, his LMG spilling cases as the bullets sped towards their target. Sombra yelled in pain as five shots entered his chest, blackened crystals pushing him back as he tried to move out of Cody's spray. Cody yelled in primal rage, his finger gripping the trigger with great force. Bullets kicked up the ground around Sombra, as well as penetrating his body. A bullet grazed his left eye, blood spurting out as he grunted. Sombra raised a crystal shield to stop the oncoming lead rain, his horn casting a healing spell. With his eye fixed, he was about to focus on his chest when his world became nothing but fire. His crystal wall was shattered, Zack putting away his SMAW as he pulled out his PDW, aiming for Sombra's head. The king roared, eyes turning green as more purple mist leaked from his eyes. His fur turned jet black, his horn bubbling with dark energy. Kevin ran forward, grabbing his rifle before sliding to his knees. Aiming down sight, Kevin fired three shots, all landing in between Sombra's eyes. His head shot back, blood spraying into the sky. Kevin smiled, before chucking a grenade towards the stunned king.

" ENOUGH!" Sombra's head shot forward, crystals piercing the grenade, destroying the explosive before it could even make a spark. Kevin and Zack stepped back, Kevin reaching to his mic.

" Alex now-"

" I don't think so!" Sombra bellowed, a crystal pillar the size of a plane shooting towards the balcony. Alex's eyes widened, as he turned to the ponies.

" MOVE NOW!" He yelled, pushing Cadence as Shining inside, before the balcony was completely obliterated, nothing but dust and the pillar. The ponies gasped, seeing as how Cody and Alex were not present.

" Alex!? Cody!? Are you okay!? Answer me!" Cadence yelled through the wall. There was only silence, each pony holding their breath. A pained grunt could be heard from the other side.

" I'm good Cadence. Just not used to this." He said. Alex layed in the crystals, his left forearm had been pierced through, his clothing, as well as his skin torn by the sharp crystalline surface. He heard a cough to his right, turning to his friend.

" Cody you good!?" Alex asked. Cody was encased in the crystal, his top half the only thing visible as he grunted in pain.

" Ugh, I'm pinned. Dammit Alex take the shot!" Cody said. Alex turned back to the battlefield. Kevin continued to dodge, but he had to abandon his rifle in order to increase his movement. Zack moved from cover to cover, using timing to his advantage as the two avoided the enraged king's attacks. Alex looked around, his eyes widening at the realization that the Rorsch was missing. He looked to his right, seeing nothing but the glistening surface of the mineral. He turned to his left, his eyes landing on the rifle as it lay within arms reach. He grunted in pain, as he struggled to reach for the weapon.

" Almost, got it..." Alex said.

" Well hurry! They need you now!" Cody begged, as he tried to reach for his LMG as well. As the two continued to struggle for their weapons, Kevin tripped over a crystal, causing a flying piece to graze his side, blood spurting from him as his clothes were torn. He rolled, hissing in pain as he did. Lying on the ground, Kevin quickly aimed with his sidearm, firing four shots into Sombra, who simply raised his red shield.

" Hate that you keep doing that motherfucker." Kevin mumbled, shakily getting up as he placed down another pack. His body began to heal, but before the gash could be fully closed, Sombra launched his attack. Blackened crystals shot up from the ground at random heights, as well as random areas, Kevin trying his best to dodge each sharpened rock. His legs began to become cut, a piece grazing his cheek, blood leaking down his face. Kevin pulled out his grenade launcher, shooting smoke at the ground. Sombra simply smiled.

" Pathetic. Such simple tricks will not help you. It will only delay the inevitable." He said, licking his lips. Kevin jumped back, using the smoke as a wall. He placed a med kit down, panting as he did. Sombra turned his attention to Zack, as he launched another rocket. Sombra stepped to the side, three pillars launching towards the boy.

" Don't you ever run out of those?" Sombra questioned, a bored look on his face. Zack ducked under the first, the second hitting him in the left side, before the third delivered the finishing blow, knocking him against the wall. Zack gasped for air, his ribs cracking as his lungs emptied. Lying on the ground, Zack lightly shook in pain, as he tried to stand. He quickly looked up, rolling to the side as a piece came shooting forward, cracking the wall behind him. Zack pulled out his glock, spraying into the unicorn. Sombra raised his shield, only for his eyes to widen in horror. Sombra's forehoof joint was kicked, making him fall. A hand grabbed his right shoulder, pulling him back to look up at the sky. His vision was soon encased by the mask of Kevin, as he raised his knife, the blade glistening in the sky. It came crashing down, blood spurting from Sombra's neck as he could feel his pipes filling with blood. Kevin twisted the knife horizontal, before forcefully ripping it out, making sure the teeth ripped any flesh it could grab onto. Sombra's throat was now a gaping hole, as if he had a smoke hole. Sombra fell to the ground, his vision becoming blurry as he tried to stay conscious. Sombra fell on his left side, his body becoming weak from the injury. He tried to stand, only to get kicked in the side. He was facing the sky again, but this time Zack stood over him. With primal rage, and an incoherent scream, Zack jumped on top of Sombra, plunging his blade into his heart, as he continued to stab over and over and over again. Each hit was in a different spot, but they still clustered on top of his important organ. Sombra growled. I will not die here! Not to these things! His horn glowed, rage filling his being. Kevin saw that their blades only weakened him for a short while, grabbing a grenade on his belt.

" Step back Zack! He's not done!" Zack jumped back, aiming his glock at the downed unicorn. Kevin chucked his grenade, the sphere landing on his chest. The two watched as the explosion swallowed the king, the sound of bones and meat being shredded echoed with the roar of the fire and smoke.

" FUCK YEAH BITCH!!!" Zack yelled, pumping his fist in the air. Kevin released a ragged breath, looking for his rifle as he relaxed some. Seeing his SCAR-H a few meters away, Kevin jogged for it. upon reaching his rifle, Kevin picked it up, cocking back the slide as he checked the mag. Seeing the mag being full, he sighed, turning around to Zack as he cheered to himself. Kevin was about to do the same, but stopped. He looked around, the environment nor fitting what they had just did. Why is the smog still here? Shouldn't it be... Kevin's eyes widened, as he turned to Zack, fear on his face.

" Get the fuck away from there!" he yelled. Zack looked to him, confused, before his eyes widened. Zack dove to the side, a huge mouth of gnashing teeth barely missing him. He rolled to the side, pulling out his PDW, shooting the monster as it roared. The smoke dived down, crashing into the ground before charging for the human. Zack realized his bullets were simply passing through, diving to the side as it passed. He stood up, turning to shoot the thing.

" Gotcha." Zack's world blackened, as he was swept off his feet. Kevin watched in horror, Zack being thrown back by a sharpened pillar. Zack smashed into the castle wall, Sombra's crystal holding him there. He grunted, his body becoming numb as he fought to stay conscious, the g-force throwing him off. He looked up, his peripheral vision becoming dark. He watched, as Kevin dodged Sombra, ducking and diving as he went from columns of black crystal to another. But he noticed something. Kevin continued to stare at him in horror. What are you looking- Zack's cheeks puffed out slightly, before he coughed violently, something wet splattering against the black crystal that held him to the wall. I can't touch the ground. Zack said, opening his eyes. He soon regretted it, seeing what he had coughed up. Blood. Lots and lots of blood. Zack screamed, the pain finally coming to him. His lowly hung against the wall, blood dripping down the spike, as it softly hit the ground. His stomach was pierced, the feeling wasn't like anything Zack had felt. Tears struggled on the ends of his eyes, as he fought to stay awake. Kevin could hear Zack's screams, as he tried to get close enough to help. he glared at Sombra, only to barely dodge a barrage of shards. Sombra smiled, diving down, giving Kevin a buck in the chest. Kevin staggered back, only for his leg to be encompassed by a crystal trap.

" FUCK!" He yelled, looking at his right leg. Up to his shin was simple black crystal, as if the ground had morphed itself around his leg. He looked up, only for his vision to be filled with darkness. The crystals broke, Kevin unconsciously falling to the ground, a black pillar had hit him in the side of the head. Sombra cackled, as he looked to Zack. He was shaking, his skin getting deathly white, as he coughed up more blood, his hands grabbing viciously at the spike. He looked up, glaring at the king as he reached his side.

" F-f-f-fu-u-uck... y-yo-you." He said, his voice barely above a whisper. I'm losing too much blood. Was the last thing he thought, his gun slipping from his grip as his head fell. Sombra simply shook his head, his smile growing.

" What a weak creature."

**********

Cody grunted in annoyance, as he tried to reach for his LMG. Alex in the same predicament, his arm still bleeding. He was starting to feel more light headed, the blood loss as well as the magic loss was not the best combo right now.

" Son of a bitch, what happened? It sounds like the fighting's over-"

" It's over for all of you." Sombra said, as he stood on their crystal pillar. Cody glared, quickly trying to reach for his weapon with much more vigor. Sombra shook his head, a crystal shard floating next to him as he lazily spun in the air. Suddenly, it crashed down, stabbing into Cody's shoulder. Cody screamed in anger and pain, grabbing the crystal as he glared. Alex was about to reach for his side arm, but was struck against the head, making him jerk back. Sombra grabbed Alex again, his collar in his hoof as he raised his other. Alex shook his head, only for another blow to cause his senses to dull. The another. Then another.

" MOTHERFUCKER!!! STOP! STOOOP!" Cody begged, Sombra continuing to hit Alex in the face, his forehead bleeding as his eye started to turn black. His cheek, then his lip, his face starting to bleed as Sombra kept a steady pace. Alex was numbed to the bone, he could no longer focus. Cody grabbed the shard in his shoulder, ripping it out as held it in his right hand. With primal force, Cody plunged the shard into Sombra's side, making him yell in pain. Sombra glared at Cody, bucking him in the side of the head, the helmet protecting him from the worst of the blow. Sombra walked up, charging his horn. Cody yelled, grabbing Sombra's forehoof as he pulled. Before Sombra could react, Cody punched him, the blow sending Sombra rolling down the pillar. The king caught himself, feeling his jaw as he stood there. His lower jaw was broken, his upper cracked. Sombra sighed in exhaustion, his magic healing him as he stood there. He could feel the hate pouring out of that creature, giving him the advantage. Sombra smiled as he walked back up, standing in front of Cody.

" So much hate insect. I find this extremely beneficial." Sombra said, his horn lighting up as he began to take Cody's magic. Cody screamed, his body thriving to break free.

" Hey! Up here!" Sombra stopped his spell, looking up to the top of the castle. His eyes widened in shock. A tiny dragon was carrying the Crystal Heart, showing ponies that watched from the windows. " I got the Crystal Heart!" Sombra growled, his horn glowing as he was ready to shoot the little Drake down. Cadence looked to her left, only for her eyes to widen in horror.

" He's here! Quick Spike!" She yelled. Sombra hissed.

" That is mine!" He summoned more crystals, his sight set on grabbing the heart.

" NOT THIS TIME!!!" Cody yelled, grabbing onto Sombra's leg. Cody used his full strength, blood dripping from his nails as he dug his fingers in Sombra's skin, Sombra yelled, kicking Cody in the face. Cody continued to hold him, a smile appearing on his face.

" Hey you bastard." Sombra turned to face the voice, only for his eyes to widen in shock. Sombra stared down the Rorsch, the barrel merely twelve inches away from his face. Alex held his left arm under the Rorsch with his mouth, his leg bleeding as well. His eye twitched from the soreness, the blood covering it as well from his forehead. Alex pulled the trigger, the countdown making itself known. Sombra could only stare, electricity bouncing to and fro within the gun, heat building up as the air pressure rose. " Eat this." Those final words were best described as perfect, the sabot hitting Sombra directly in the face. His body shot back, completely sailing off of the pillar. His skull burst like a melon, blood and bone spraying through the back, his lower jaw was the only thing somewhat intact. As Sombra fell, he cursed like a sailor, time slowing down as he began to regenerate. He watched as the dragon jumped, landing on the princess' back, the heart replenishing the alicorn as she flew down. She passed Sombra's falling corpse, landing on the ground where the ponies exited their houses. She cast a worried glance to Kevin, as he lay there, cut and bruised. Here eyes widened in horror as Zack hung there, showing no signs of life.

" Hurry! The Crystal Heart has returned! Use the light and unity within it so King Sombra does not!" She yelled, throwing the heart in the center as the ponies lit up. Sombra hit the ground, dust kicking up from the impact. Ponies did not pay him any heed, as his body quickly tried to re-assemble itself. Hurry!!! Sombra yelled, his head forming back as his body tried to stand. Sombra watched as the princess stared at him. The heart glowed behind her, the streets doing the same as Sombra could feel the power of the Empire. She glared at him, Sombra's eyes stared back. His head was still regenerating, the smoke dancing across his features as his eyes met hers. The first wave of magic pulsed, cracking the black crystals as it passed them. Sombra felt his body ache, the pain was far more excruciating than what those creatures used, his connection to magic becoming unbalanced. HE continued to stare at her, her glare keeping his gaze as another pulse shook his being. His body began to crack, the dark magic crystals closest to the heart already dissipating into dust. Sombra raised a hoof, a look of pure anger as he watched his hoof disappeared. He looked back up at her, mustering enough energy is his being to furrow his brow. His body was falling apart, the damage that those creatures had done prevented any regeneration. he did not have enough time to take the power of the heart if they were to use it. He cursed under his breath, watching as another pulse wave washed over him, warming everpony, but stung like ice within his very being, his magic becoming more unbalanced, like his body was going to malfunction. The heart began to spin at a much faster rate now, power charging as it planned to finish the King once and for all. He sighed, he did not feel anger nor fear. Just acceptance. Sombra looked to the ground, seeing as it lit up, rejecting his body as his hooves stung from it's power. He looked up, Cadence glaring at him with all her hate. The final pulse hit, shaking the ground with tremendous force as it rushed over the Empire. The final thing Sombra felt, was the taste, and power behind Cadence's eyes. Her hate. It was delicious.

**********

Cody was helped up by Applejack and Pinkie, both of them lightly panting from their tired muscles. After the crystals had dissipated, Cody and Alex were about to be in free fall. That is until Cody caught on the edge and Alex was caught by Rarity's magic, as well as Shining's. They leaned against the wall, their bodies ached as they bled.

" We need to get help, you're injuries aren't fully healed." Cadence said, helping Cody stand. He grunted, shaking his head.

" No... we need to see Kevin and Zack. NOW." He started to walk, a visible limp as his right side bled, his left leg clearly fractured. Alex got up as well, catching up to Cody. Cody wrapped an arm around Alex as he helped him walk down the steps. Cody looked to the ponies. A look of irritation clear on his face. " Well don't just stand there help! We're not gonna get there in time to fucking check!" The ponies quickly followed, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy flying out of the broken entrance to the nonexistent balcony, while the others ran down the steps. On the ground, Cadence held Kevin, examining his head as she healed him with her magic. Murmurs among the crowd spread as they wondered just what these creatures did in the courtyard, craters and shrapnel everywhere.

" No no no no." Cadence turned to the voice, a very shocked and fearful Fluttershy as she quickly moved to Zack, his body laying in a pool of his own blood. The ponies gave her space, her eyes filled with tears, not even paying attention to the blood as she knelt down, holding Zack's head in her hooves as she observed his body. He still had a hole in his chest, the blood showing no signs of stopping. Panicked, she tried to find something to stop it, anything to put pressure. Zack looked long gone, his skin a pale white, his body getting colder and colder.

" Zack... Zack!" Cody yelled, Fluttershy turned to see him and the rest of her friends, standing there in disbelief and horror. Cody went into hysterics, limping up to him, falling halfway. Cody crawled up to his friend, Fluttershy stepping aside as she cried into her hooves. Cody held Zack in his hands, trying to find any signs of life. " Zack hey man come on come back man..." Cody held his head, tears leaking from his eyes as he rocked Zack. " Please... please don't do this please." Alex only watched, his eyes dull as tears flowed down. Cody chocked, his words dying in his mouth as he sobbed. The girls could only watch as Cody pressed his head into Zack's neck, his muffled screams of agony the only noise in the courtyard. Alex turned to Kevin, an idea quickly popping into his head. Alex dropped his gun, focusing on nothing but rushing to his friend. Upon reaching him, Alex searched his body, Cadence giving him a confused look as she wiped her tears. Alex tried to pry off the small bag, but it wouldn't move. Growling in anger and frustration, Alex dragged Kevin towards Zack, Cody too busy crying into his friends neck to focus on the world. Alex lazily placed Kevin next to Zack, then proceeded to use Kevin's arms.

" Wh-what are y-y-you doing?" Cadence asked, nuzzling up to her husband as he held a stoic mask, trying his best not to weep for the human, for he had known how it felt to lose such a close comrade. Alex didn't say anything, only using his hands to make Kevin grab the small bag. Everypony's eyes widened, as Alex used Kevin to rip the bag from his belt, and made him chuck it between the two. The med kit appeared, making a soft splash in the puddle. Cody looked up slightly, as he lightly rocked Zack in his arms. Seeing the bag, his eyes widened in shock.

" Dear Celestia..." Cadence said, the hole in Zack's chest slowly started to close up. Realizing what was going on, Cody wailed into the sky, but it was not one of agony and pain. It was one of joy, a smile on his face as he stared into the heavens, thanking the universe for such a miracle. Alex cried into his hands, the feeling of relief was beyond words. The two looked at each other, before Cody used his left hand, grabbing the back of Alex's head. They pressed their foreheads together, laughing as tears of joy mixed with the puddle. But they did not care. Zack was going to live, and they were going to go home. That day, they were not friends, nor were they best friends.

Those four,

Were brothers.

Author's Note

Wooo!!! Finally Jesus H. Christ!!! Hope you enjoyed this chapter I really worked hard on this! And I just want to say thank you! Thank you for continuing to follow this story! I know it has been going pretty slow, and you're all probably sick of this concept, but you have no idea what it means to me, to be able to write for the enjoyment of others, as well as meeting you people, you amazing people in this community. Like I said, the feeling is indescribable, and I just want to say thank you!

I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I hope you continue to follow this! As I usually say........

Keep on Writing! And Keep on Reading!

Patched up, but not Fully Healed

The wind was soft as the ponies walked around the Crystal Empire, smiles clear on their faces as they continued their lives. Sombra has fallen, and the Crystal Empire is brought to peace once again after a millennium. In the center, the battle scared castle stood, the balcony no longer existing, and pieces of the tower cracked from the impact of the previous fight. Within the castle, our heroes rested, the throne room as silent as the night. Twilight sat with her friends on the left side of the throne, as they rested or just sat in silence. On the throne was Cadence, her mane a little disheveled, but her coat and power had improved greatly. She no longer had the bags under her eyes, nor that pained look she held when the shield was up. Her coat shone bright as she smiled, her husband, Shining Armor holding her as they melting in each other's embrace. On the right side of the throne, the four humans layed. Cody rested on the steps, as he stared up at the ceiling. Alex sat next to him, his eyes were focused on something else. Zack, and Kevin. They rested next to each other on the floor, their headgear stripped off as well a few pieces of their armor, in hopes to create somewhat comfortable pillows. Kevin turned to the side, his eyes slowly fluttering open as he croaked a groan. Alex's eyes widened as he quickly got next to his friend, putting his hand on Kevin's shoulder.

" Easy there Kev. Take it slow." Alex said, Kevin opened his eyes as they adjusted to the light.

" Ugh, Jesus Christ what the hell?" Kevin groaned, rubbing his face as he tried to block out the light. Alex laughed, helping his friend up into a sitting position.

" How do you feel?" Alex asked. Kevin's voice was devoid of emotion as he rubbed his head.

" Like my head got rammed by a fucking train." He replied. Alex smirked. " What happened? Where am I?" He asked again. Alex looked up to Cody as he walked up, kneeling down next to his friend.

" We beat him, Kevin. We beat the King of all evil. The kingdom is safe, thanks to us." Alex said. he looked over to the girls, who were too busy checking each other to not really notice. " And most importantly them. We bought them enough time." He said. Kevin looked over to the girls, Twilight being checked on by Fluttershy, and Applejack and Rarity conversed, Pinkie and Rainbow doing their own thing. Kevin noticed someone lying next to him. Looking down, his eyes widened as he straightened up.

" Zack? I... I thought-" Kevin didn't finish his sentence. He looked up to Alex, a look of worry crossing his features. Alex sighed as he leaned back, switching from his kneeling position, and now sitting criss-cross.

" When we found you two, you were knocked out and lying on the ground. When we found Zack we..." Alex looked to Zack, the feeling of disbelief still rushing through his thoughts. " Well, let's just say that he's healed, and we're hoping he can come back from this." He said. Kevin looked at Zack as well, Cody standing up to stretch as he let him process the information, he was never really one for drama shit like this anyways. Kevin grunted as he bent his legs, resting his elbows on them as he continued to stare.

" How long have we been out?" He asked. Alex looked up at Cody, who was too busy checking his weapon as well as the kingdom.

" For about thirty minutes. With you waking up, maybe Zack isn't that very far." He said. Kevin was about to reply, but the sound of hoof steps echoed through the throne room. Kevin looked to where the girls were, only to see six pairs of eyes staring at him with worry.

" Kevin!!! Oh thank Celestia!!!" Fluttershy sobbed, crying into Kevin's shoulder as she hugged him as tight as her fragile body could. Kevin was still shocked from them running up, so he just sat there, watching each of their expressions. Rainbow still hovered in the air, her eyes showing uncertainty and a small hint of worry. Applejack was under her, holding her hat against her chest as she smiled with content. Pinkie smiled widely as she bounced in place. Rarity was trying to hold in her tears, sniffling as she held a hoof under her eye. he wrapped his arms around Fluttershy to return the hug, a sigh escaping him. Fluttershy released her grip as she retreated to her friends. He looked back up to the last pony. Twilight. She stood there, tears rolling down her cheeks as she hiccuped, wiping away the tears was a futile attempt to cover up. Kevin gave her a worried look as he scooted forward.

" Twilight... I... I'm sor-" Kevin was cut off, Twilight hugging him as well. She buried her head into the side of his neck as she sobbed. Kevin gently hugged her in return, looking up at the girls for some explanation. Out of them all, one caught his eye. His scaly green fins sticking out as he stared back. Spike smiled, giving him a thumbs up.

" She was worried that you wouldn't make it. I said she missed talking to you." Spike said, as he shrugged. Kevin chuckled lightly, before hugging with a little more force, gently cradling the pony. Twilight continued to sob as she held on.

" I-I-I thought you h-had... h-had." Twilight didn't finish her sentence as she pressed her head against his chest, being careful to not hurt him with her horn. " I was so worried. This is my fault, you and your fr-friends got h-hurt because of me." She said. The two other humans in the room walked up behind Kevin, Alex smiling as Cody shook his head with a smirk.

" It wasn't your fault Twilight, you have nothing to blame yourself for." Alex said, kneeling down on Kevin's left side. Twilight raised her head to Alex, tear stained cheeks and puffy eyes greeted him. The girls behind her moved up as well, giving her comfort.

" Yeah. If you want to blame anybody then blame this asshole, he's the one who recommended we get involved in the first place." Cody said, gesturing to Kevin, who shot him a glare.

" You and I both know how important they are to us Cody. They could be our chance, I couldn't risk it!" Kevin said. Alex chuckled patting him on the back.

" Still Kevin, next time maybe a better plan where we aren't so close to death?" He said. Kevin inhaled deeply, a small smile slowly appearing on his face.

" Alright. I'll take blame and improve next time. Maybe you should be leader." Kevin said.

" Huh yeah I'll think - nope, too much responsibility." Alex said, standing up and walking over to where Zack rested.

" Everything is alright Twilight. We are glad to have helped and we are glad that young your friends are unharmed, and that you have stopped Sombra." Kevin said, wiping a tear of Twilight's cheek, making her sigh as she lightly giggled.

" I will admit, you gave us quite the scare darling." Rarity said, walking up to Kevin as he leaned back with his hands on the ground, Twilight letting go of his shoulder, but promptly decided to stay in her seat. " Especially with, your friend over there." Rarity gestured to Zack as he lay there, the image of the massive pool of blood staining the pure crystal grounds, and his pale white skin replayed in her mind. Kevin looked back to Zack, his smile wading slightly.

" Yeah. But I believe he is gonna be fine." Kevin said. Applejack walked up, placing her hat back on her head.

" I gotta say partner, what you did out there, that saved a lot more lives than ya'll can imagine. This was a team effort, and you deserve some of the credit for doin' your part as well." She said. Kevin chuckled as he shook his head.

" Oh no please, helping you six after all you have given us is enough for me, I do not wish an audience with the whole kingdom." He said.

" Poor boy gets stage fright! Especially with a new species!" Cody said, as he was leaning on a window sill, watching the Empire. Kevin grunted in annoyance.

" that was at PAX! And the microphone wasn't working for the announcement so screw you!" He replied. The girls snickered while Cody laughed. Kevin stretched his arms as he was about to get up, but there was a problem. " Um Twilight?" Kevin said. Twilight looked up at Kevin, an innocent smile on her face.

" Yeah?" She asked, completely oblivious to what she was doing. Kevin cleared his throat.

" Can you um, you know." Kevin said, gesturing with his thumb as jabbed right. Twilight raised a brow, wondering what the hand motion meant and what he wanted her to do. He sighed as he gave her a deadpan stare.

" can you please get off my lap? My leg is starting to fall asleep." Kevin's eyes met hers, as he could see the gears turning. Then faster, then even more faster. Her eyes shot wide open, a bright pink blush appearing on her face, even through her fur, as she gasped.

" Oh! Uh right right! Sorry about that!" She said, quickly scrambling off. As she did, Twilight looked at the ground, too embarrassed to look up at Kevin as he stretched and groaned in satisfaction. Rolling his shoulders, Kevin stood in place, waiting for his body to get used to the situation. Sighing, he walked over to Zack and his gear, the girls and Twilight going back to their conversation while Cody joined Kevin. Kevin knelt down as he checked his armor. The padding was scratched in the chest area, a few scratches on the right side of his helmet. Where the crystal had hit him in the battle. As Kevin began to place his armor on, Cody stood next to him as he looked down at Zack.

" I'm glad both of you are alright." He said. Kevin finished pulling his equipment over his head, the armor fitting snug on his torso as he checked the pads. He noticed the medic bag was still on his belt, making him sigh as his muscles relaxed.

" We have you two to thank. I'm not sure what you two did that helped the kingdom, but I'm glad you two were there to finish the job." Kevin said, giving Cody a smile. Cody sighs, shaking his head before he rested a hand on Kevin's shoulder. Kevin raised a brow, but something in Cody's eyes made him worry.

" We need to have a talk when we get back. You understand?" Cody said. Kevin felt something in the pit of his stomach. His voice. Cody wasn't being friendly. He was demanding. Kevin had heard when Cody wanted something, his voice serious and no hint of joking was present. Most of the time he would use it to coax people into fearing him. Not like his physique wasn't enough already to intimidate people. Kevin slowed down his movement of putting on his equipment.

" Um... su-sure Cody. Yeah if you wan't to talk then yeah we will." Kevin said.He was about to resume but he didn't feel his grip loosen. Kevin looked back at Cody, and saw a glimpse of something. Anger. Not the friendly anger when one is pranked by their friends, a fake irritation before you laugh it off. No, this was something else. Like Kevin was a complete stranger.

" Just you Kevin. That's all." Cody's voice was quiet, but it was as loud as church bells ringing in Kevin's ears. No words left his mouth, for he could only nod in agreement. Cody released his grip, and from it, Kevin could feel himself come back to the world. The girl's conversation came back, replacing the subtle ringing in his ears, as well as his heartbeat.

" Kevin! Kevin!" Alex's voice shouted. Speeding back into the world, Kevin spun around to Alex as he knelt down next to Zack. Kevin's eyes widened, as Zack began to cough hysterically, bringing a hand up to his mouth. The girl's conversations died as they quickly looked to the noise with wide eyes. Cadence tried to get a better from her position on the throne, holding onto Shining Armor as he too observed Zack's actions. Zack coughed as he shifted to his side. His coughing subsided as he began to groan. His eyes fluttered open as he fought to stay up. Alex smiled as he helped his friend up. Zack groaned in annoyance as he rubbed his eyes with his arm, his mind in a total daze. The girls smiled, relieved that he was okay.

" Zack, are you okay? What do you see? How many feathers is raised?" Fluttershy said, raising her wing, bending some feathers so the ones that stood up were visible. Zack shook his head lightly, before observing the room with half lidded blue spheres.

" Ugh... Wha... What happened? Where am I?" Zack said. His mind began to process he was being held up, and his face seemed to show surprise. His eyes widened as he looked to his right, staring Kevin in the eyes. He quickly looked in front of him to find the girls, Cody standing next to them as he maintained his posture, but the red building up in his eyes was making it hard. Wiping his eyes, Cody chuckled.

" H-hey man. It's good to see you up and ki-kicking." Cody said. Zack looked confused at first, but his brain and body suddenly kicked into gear. He remembered where he was, what had happened in the fight. He quickly grabbed his chest, feeling around for his wound as he started to panic. Alex comforted his friend as he held him in a sitting position, Kevin kneeling down next to him.

" Hey hey relax it's okay, there's nothing." Kevin said, placing a hand on Zack's shoulder as he began to realize there was no puncture wound. He looked at his chest.

" B-but, I was stabbed, by a fucking crystal may I remind you! H-How?" He asked. Kevin looked up to Alex with a smile.

" When I was unconscious, Alex used my medic bag to quickly heal your wound, and you survived. The blood later went back into your body and your system began to work. I don't know how any of it works I know, but that's not the point. The point is, is that you're alive, and we're all grateful for it." Kevin said, his eyes getting a little blurry. Cody took the time to embrace Zack in a hug, to which his friend grunted in surprise. After a few seconds, Cody released, Zack smiling as he looked to Alex.

" I... I can't thank you enough man. I mean it." Zack struggled, his own eyes getting teary. Alex sighed, giving Zack a smirk.

" Hey man, we all got each other's backs, and we're going home in one piece, that includes you." He said. Zack chuckled, before looking back at his chest,

" You sure it's fully healed?' He asked. Kevin nodded in response.

" if it works like the ones in the game then yeah, you should be good to go." Kevin said. He stood up and was about to tell Zack to get his stuff on, but he stopped. He watched as Zack, with uncertainty in his eyes, slowly lifted up his shirt. The ponies gasped, some having blushes on their faces, but they all had wide eyes. Kevin did the same. Zack's chest showed clear signs of muscle, a perfect build for the ideal man. But that wasn't it. What Kevin saw, raised more questions, and alarms. Where the crystal had pierced his best friend's chest, there was a vertical scar, the pink stretched skin not as visible one would think, but with a keen eye, you could see the pierce. The scar went from two inches under his bellybutton up over it by four inches. The thing would have practically gutted him.

" I thought so. My chest felt weird." Zack said, tracing a finger across the scar. A blushing Twilight stepped up to Kevin, giving him a confused look as she tried to focus on the matter at hand/hoof.

" Wait, I thought you said it would fully heal him?" She said. Kevin looked to her, then back to the scar on his chest, before Zack pulled his shirt back on.

" That's just it. It should have fully healed him. When the person is fully healed there should be no problems for the personnel and they can continue combat." Kevin reasoned. Something clicked for Cody, ending the turmoil.

" It never said what would the physical healing would look like. Sure the person may be ready for combat, but it never says what the wound looks like." He said. Kevin realized what Cody was getting at. Of course they couldn't see what the damage would look like, they were in first person on a character they played in a game. Of course you're not gonna be able to see a bullet wound.

" Well if doesn't fully heal them, then what does it do?" Alex asked. Everyone began to think, Kevin throwing the medic bag down as he looked at it. Twilight walked up, her horn lighting up as she scanned the bag. After a few seconds of this, her horn blinked as it dissipated, and the glow seemed to gloss over her eyes for a brief second, before she gasped in shock.

" but that magic is only accessible by the highest tier mages in Equestria!" She said aloud. Kevin and his friends all raised a brow at this.

" Uh? A little insight Twilight? Please?" Alex asked. She cleared her throat, preparing herself for the impact.

" The magic that is harbored in this ' medic bag' you describe it as, has layers upon layers of healing magic, creating a healing tier magic that only trained mages under the training of Celestia's highest magic casters can create. The magic allows the process of cell division to increase drastically. You can practically regrow a hoof in a matter of seconds. But magic like these incredible healing spells upon spells can have complications. The magic stops when it believes the healer has been restored to full working order. I guess it must've stopped too early." She said. Everyone in the room was silent, Zack walking up to the bag as he stood next to it. Lifting up his shirt, he noticed that the scar wasn't healing, and that made him worry.

" So it thinks I'm fully healed?" He asked. All Twilight did was nod. Zack raised an eyebrow, before an idea popped in his head. He pulled out his knife, making the ponies and his friends go wide eyed. Taking off his glove, he placed the blade on the tip of his thumb. he gently glided the blade across his skin, the first sign of blood appearing. Pulling the blade back, he walked up to the bag. After getting up to a meter to the bag, the skin began to quickly retract back, like the cut had been reversed. The blood even began to go back into his body like Kevin said. The thumb fully healed, and it wasn't even four seconds. He lifted his shirt, but to his dismay, the scar was still there. Twilight gave him a worried look, but gave him a sheepish smile.

" I'm sorry Zack, but don't feel too bad! Scar's show your bravery at facing against the odds and coming out on top!" She said with enthusiasm. Everyone/pony looked at her, their eyes showing her that they completely did not buy it. She gave them a pout. " Well at least i'm trying to make him feel better!" She argued. Kevin shook his head before looking back to Zack.

" You okay man?" He asked.

...

....

.....

" Ugh. When I get back my mom is gonna fucking kill me."

Author's Note

Holy Hell it is Good to be Back!!!

Finally I have some breathing room to write and continue, and boy does it feel good to breath!!! Thank you all for being so patient, or maybe that's just you forgetting about this story ( lol ) but anyways, here is the new chapter and the plot shall thicken and continue. I can't thank you guys enough for the support and I do hope you all have had a good new year so far and be sure to take it easy and now what a wonderful community you have around you!!! Not gonna be spewing these babies out for the whole week, bu the waiting period I'm definitely gonna shorten. Well I'll see you all in the next chapter! AAAAAAaaaaand as always...

KEEP ON WRITING AND KEEP ON READING!!! :pinkiehappy:

Trains and Talks

The four humans and the ponies walked through the snow, the bright sun shining down upon the group as they walked. The soft snow crunched under the hooves and boots of the group, the four humans leading the way to the train platform. Although the sky shone brightly, and the atmosphere was peaceful, no wind was present, the group's air was tense. The ponies whispered with each other, conversing about what to do when they get back to Canterlot. Cadence and Shining trailed behind, watching the groups with worry. The ponies continued to converse, but the humans were the most unnerving. The four stood in a diamond shape, but they were not talking at all. Kevin lead the group with Alex in the back, Cody on his left while Zack walked on the right. Cody seemed to be staring straight, refusing to look at anyone as they walked. Zack was dragging his feet. Alex and Kevin seemed to be the only ones that were keeping their composure.

" Do you think they're okay?" Rainbow asked her friends, everypony shrugging in response.

" It seems like something happened between them." Applejack said. Rarity raised a brow.

" Are you telling me there is tension between them? But why?" She said, looking to Twilight.

" I don't know, maybe they're just a little on edge from the fight with Sombra. Especially with what happened to Kevin and... Zack." Twilight thought of the scene. The amount of blood that leaked onto the crystal floor. So, much, blood.

" Alright, let's get back to Canterlot everyone. Shining, Cadence, may we meet on less dire terms someday." Kevin said, making everypony look up at the humans. Zack, Cody and Alex entered the train cart as Kevin waited for the rest of the group. Twilight turned around to give her brother a quick hug, doing the same to Cadence with a smile.

" Take care Twily, we love you." Shining said, Twilight giggling.

" Love you too B.B.B.F.F." Twilight said, before walking back to her friends as they boarded the train. Kevin waved goodbye to the couple before stepping in, the train doors closing behind him. The loud whistle could be heard from the inside of the train as the group took their seats, as the gears of the wheels began to turn. Kevin took a seat on the far side of the cart, resting his gun against the cushioned seat as he sighed. Kevin removed his helmet, placing it next to him as he looked out the window. The grinding of the wheels brought a peaceful white noise to his ears, and for the first time in a while in this universe, he was tired. So, very, tired. Kevin didn't fight it anymore, completely welcoming the darkness as the wheels echoed in his mind.

**********

" Kevin... Hey, Kevin...?" Something lightly nudged the man's shoulder, his eyes slowly opening to the sound of the person's voice. Kevin groaned as he looked up, Cody standing in front of him. Cody had his armor off, the only sign of a weapon was the magnum that was snug at his side. Kevin sat up, raising a brow as he brought down the bandana covering his mouth.

" Cody? Hey uh... what is it?" Kevin asked, noticing the cart was unusually dark. He looked around, his eyes finally adjusting. The calming blue hue filling the cart through the windows. The light would shimmer from a tree or another object as the train sped on by. Kevin yawned, before looking back at Cody, who continued to stand in place. " Um... Where is everybody?"

" The girls went to the sleeping carts, you seemed comfortable enough that no one decided to disturb you." He replied. Kevin nodded his head, getting up from his seat as he grabbed his equipment. He gave Cody a smile.

" Well, then I guess I better join them." He said, as he began to walk down the cart.

" I don't think so Kevin." Cody said, Kevin stopping in his retreat. Kevin sighed, looking towards the ground of the cart.

" Guess he just couldn't wait until we arrived huh?" Kevin said to himself, before putting his stuff down. He turned around to face his friend, taking a seat on one of the cushions. Cody prompted to lean against the wall, the sound of the trains wheels the only noise that filled the air. Kevin rested his elbows on his knees as he interlocked his fingers. Leaning forward, he looked up to Cody with a neutral mask. " You said we needed to talk. It seems like you need to say it now." Kevin hesitated, trying to choose his words carefully. " Well then, what is it that has you troubled Cody?" Kevin asked. Cody's eyes seemed to intensify under the gentle hue of the night. His reply made Kevin's hair raise.

" You." Cody said, before breaking eye contact, and instead focused on the passing landscape. Kevin took his que to say something.

" Me? Why me?" Kevin said.

" Because you don't seem to understand what type of situation we're in, do you?" He said. Kevin exhaled, looking up to Cody.

" Of course I do. We need to get home and we're gonna do that. I know the risk that we have to take in order to get there, and sometimes we have to take risks." Kevin said. Cody turned to him, now glaring into Kevin's eyes.

" Does that include almost getting us killed?" His words stabbed through Kevin's defense like paper. Kevin opened his mouth, but found his words to be stuck in his mouth. " Do you remember what happened in the fucking square? Do you know what happened when we found you? Found... Zack." Cody stepped closer, making Kevin sit up straight as he did. He was about to say, but he remembered. He was knocked out from the fight.

" No. I was knocked out from the fight." He said.

" Zack was laying on the ground in his own blood, half dead from the injuries that were given to him when you both fought Sombra." He said. Kevin's eyes widened at this news.

" And then you guys saved him. By using my medical supplies." Kevin said, Cody nodding.

" Let's get back to you. What would have happened had you said no?" Cody's voice rang in Kevin's ears. " What would have happened if you instead decided to stay and focus on a way of getting home, rather than helping these ponies with what has happened in their Empire? Do you think maybe then Zack wouldn't have been so close to..." Cody sighed, raising a hand to his face as he pinched the bridge of his nose. " Kevin, you're one of my best friends, ever since preschool. We've known each other for a while, and you know that no matter what we say to each other, we're still friends." Cody said, Kevin simply nodding in understanding.

" Th-that's right. We're still friends." Kevin repeated.

" We chose you to make the group decisions, mostly because, well, you keep us together." Cody started off, his face showing a small smirk. That faint smirk quickly vanished into a frown. " But that does not mean we will blindly follow rash decisions. I'm not afraid to be in charge if I have to." Cody said. Kevin's mind was processing his friends words.

" I understand why you are upset Cody. I chose for us to go because..." Kevin sighed. " We need those girls Cody. We need them to get home. We need them to make sure that our families see us again. That we see our world together again." Kevin said, Cody looking at the ground as he listened intently. Kevin continued. " From your perspective I can see my mistake. Zack almost... died. It hurts to say that I was the one responsible for such a risk but I am. We... no I was too reckless to jump to the conclusion that we can help this world. When we, you Zack Alex, me, need far more help than them." Kevin said, closing his eyes as he clenched his hands. Kevin got up, staring Cody in the eyes with a worried look.

" I should have been more careful Cody. We don't belong in this world, and I should have focused more on the safety of us, before the safety of them." Kevin finished, looking at the green carpet, the trains wheels the only noise. Cody walked past Kevin, to the sleeping carts.

" I'm glad you understand Kevin. I knew you would. Just, try not to get us in any situation that would potentially lead to death." Cody said, opening the door as he waited. Kevin smirked, looking up to Cody who smiled, before grabbing his equipment as walking past his friend.

" Sure." He said, Cody closing the door to the cart.

**********

The train hissed to a stop at the Canterlot station, ponies on the platform waiting to head home or to leave. The doors to the passenger cars opened, ponies on the platform waiting for the ponies to leave. What they didn't expect, was a creature as tall as Celestia, covered in clothing and carrying something in its claws, to emerge from the cart, groaning as it stretched its back.

" Ugh! God I did not sleep well in that damn thing. How did you three manage?" It asked, turning to three others that quickly exited the train.

" Just curl up dude. I take lessons from my cat whenever she sleeps." The one with the boonie hat said, slinging what appeared to be a long metal club over its back, the front of it looked like it had teeth. Six ponies stepped out from behind them, the purple one walking up to the first creature. By now ponies have either left the platform in terror or continued to stare.

" Let's head to castle and tell the princesses of the news. I'm sure they'll be glad to know what happened." Twilight said, Kevin nodding in agreement as they started to move.

Through the streets of Canterlot, Kevin watched as some of the ponies were still not used to him or his friends since their arrival, when the changeling invasion happened. Most of the ones that didn't approve of their presence were usually ones that seemed to wear a lot of expensive clothing. Kevin watched, most ponies stopped and stared, neutral looks on their faces as Kevin could only guess what they were thinking. As they continued, Kevin eventually saw the twin doors under the half crest of the steps. Sighing, he turned to Twilight.

" Well, here we are. You go in first, figuring you would like some alone time with the princess." Kevin said. Twilight smiled as she nodded.

" I'll tell her what's happened. I'll also need to make sure that I passed the test or not." She said, sounding worried near the end of her sentence. Kevin raised a brow under his goggles.

" What do you mean? What test?" He asked. Twilight started walking up to the doors, opening one of them. She turned to Kevin, a small smile on her face.

" One of my friends should be able to tell you Kev. Excuse me." She said, walking inside. Kevin sighed, turning to her friends, but noticed them eyeing him with looks he couldn't read.

" What? What is it girls?" He asked. rarity cleared her throat.

" Did you not just see what happened darling? Twilight just pet named you." She said. Kevin replayed the recent event in his head. She did call him Kev before entering the building. Um... okay. Kevin shrugged.

" Your point?" He asked. The girls looked at him in shock.

" What do you mean 'your point'? I've never heard her use it before." Rarity said.

" I'm with Rares on this one. She ain't never pet named anyone 'cept for her brother." Applejack said. Kevin didn't understand what they were so freaked out about, looking to his friends with a raised hand, a gesture known as 'wtf are they talking about?'.

" Don't look at me man I don't know why their all surprised. Maybe she's comfortable enough to become friends with us? I mean we call you by that all the time." Alex reasoned, Cody stepping in as well.

" not to mention it's kinda hard to get adjusted in this society." He said. Kevin looked back to the girls.

" Cody is right, I mean it's been kinda hard for us. Maybe she is trying to make us feel more comfortable." He said. " Wait, I don't even know why were even going into depth about this, it's not a big deal." Kevin reasoned. Rarity gasped, raising a hoof to her head. She was about to say something but Applejack beat her to it.

" Aw shucks, maybe he's right. Sorry fer making it a huge deal Kevin. just we ain't never heard her use a nickname at all except for her brother like I said. Maybe she just feels more comfortable around you I guess." She said, before walking back to her friends as they conversed, waiting for Twilight to finish her talk with Celestia. Rarity decided to join Applejack, whispering in her ear with a furrowed brow. Kevin walked over to his friends, as they began to sit down on the grass, Cody taking his helmet off as Zack tucked his glasses onto the collar of his shirt.

" What do you think is gonna happen?" Zack asked.

" I don't know. I don't even know what this 'test' was that Twilight was talking about." He said. Alex sighed as he fell back, resting his head on his arms behind his back as he stared into the blue sky.

" Well, whatever happens, I hope we don't have to fight something menacing anytime soon." He said, quickly covering a yawn with his hand.

" You look tired man." Zack said, earning a chuckle from Alex.

" Fucking feel tired. I AM tired. Still shit faced from the fight." He said. Kevin's mood darkened, the discussion on the train coming back to him. He couldn't see it, but he knew Cody glanced at him, the same thing coming into his mind. Kevin quickly dispersed those thoughts. No, we're here now, be glad about that. Kevin smiled to Alex.

" I'm sure we'll be able to get enough rest when the Twilight finishes her conversation with the Princess." As Kevin said this, the doors opened for the second time, Twilight walking out with her bangs covering her eyes. Kevin watched as her friends crowded her, looks of worry on their faces.

" I... passed!" She screamed with joy, her friends hugging her in celebration. Kevin smiled, his friends getting up from their positions as they walked up to her as well.

" Congratulations Twilight for... whatever the hell you did." Zack said, smiling as knelt down to her level. Twilight smiled to Zack, raising her hoof. Zack fist bumped it, Alex walking up to her as well.

" I don't know what she said you passed on, but seeing how stressed you were, I'm glad she gave you a pass. Congrats Twilight." Alex said, Kevin walking up. Twilight smiled as she looked up at him. Kevin chuckled as he knelt down.

" Good job Twilight. Haven't seen you that happy at all. Whatever it was, I'm sure it was a huge wait that was lifted off your chest." He said. Twilight smiled as she placed a hoof on his knee. He looked at the hoof before looking back up at her. She gave him a smirk.

" I requested to Celestia that she talks to you and your friends about your living arrangements." She said. Kevin raised a brow.

" Wait, what do you mean? Like where we get to sleep and everything? Don't we-" He was cut off by Twilight, who shook her head.

" Nope, those are the guest rooms, and sadly aren't a permanent living space. I gave her a suggestion that you and your friends may like, but that's for her to say not me." She giggled, before she started to walk away. Kevin smiled, surprised that she and her friends have still shown so much hospitality to him and his friends. He placed a hand on her withers, making her stop in place. She turned to Kevin, her eyes a little wide, her mouth slightly open in stunned silence. He turned to her, his hidden smile growing under his mask.

" Thanks Twilight. I mean it. You and your friends, as well as the princesses have done so much for us, and we honestly couldn't thank you more for being so generous. We'll find a way to repay you somehow, but in the meantime, the only thing I... we can say, is thank you." Kevin said, raising his hand to her head. With a quick back and forth motion, Kevin ruffled her mane in a playful manner. He didn't see it, but Twilight's face flushed a barely visible pink, lowering her head as sputtered under her breath. Her friends smiled, Rainbow snickering as they watched their friend. Kevin released his hold, Twilight back stepping to her friends. She continued to look at the ground, her mouth trying to form words.

" I-um-well-that's." Twilight's mind was working overtime. She'd been pet before, her family did it to her when she was still a foal. But those fingers... hooves were nothing compared to those. Spike's claws were sharp, good for precise scratching, but the dull fingers these humans had, were a firm but smooth to the touch.

" Aw shucks Kevin it was nothin'. Glad we were able to help you through such a hard time." Applejack said with a smile, covering for Twilight. Kevin sighed, standing back up.

" Well, we better get going then. We'll see you girls some other time 'kay?" He said, the groups departing in different directions with the sounds of farewells.

**********

Kevin and his friends stood in front of Celestia, the doors closing behind them as Celestia descended her throne. Celestia looked out one of the massive windows, the lights from the Crystal Empire still shining brightly. She looked back to the four humans, a smile and a few drops of water near the edge of her eyes.

" It's beautiful." She started. " I can't thank you enough for assisting in the help of bringing the Crystal Empire back. I am truly grateful." Celestia said with a bow of her head. Kevin took that as the sign to kneel, his friends joining soon after.

" It was the least we could do, after you and your friends went out of their way to make sure we were comfortable in this world." He said.

" Twilight did raise my attention to where you four are gonna live, since those guest rooms are gonna be used by others such as ambassadors or high class nobles from across the sea." She said. Kevin and his friends stood up as Celestia walked up to him. " While I did find this a little troubling, Twilight brought up an idea that just might work for you and your friends." She said. Kevin smiled, his friends doing the same as they looked to one another.

" And the idea is? I'm interested in hearing what it is." Alex said. Kevin nodded in agreement. Celestia's smile, as well as her features seemed to brighten.

" Twilight suggested that you go with her and her friends, and live with them in Ponyville." She said. Kevin raised a brow.

" Ponyville? Where is that?" He asked.

" Ponyville is at the bottom of the hill, near the Everfree forest, where I believe you said you came from, and decided to climb the hill." She replied. Kevin raised a hand to his chin, nodding as he processed the information. Celestia continued. " She said that you and her have been sending letters to each other. Spike sending you hers and you having one of my guards do the same. She said you and her talked a lot about trying to find ways of making it back home, as well as different types of magic and the culture of us ponies." She said.

" Yeah that's right. I wanted to know about all the possibilities of magic as well as what do to around you ponies, since we are probably gonna be her for a while. The past days have proved that." Kevin said. Celestia nodded.

" True. But seeing as that you want to get home, and that Ponyville is very lacking in the... defense department. You will have a place to stay, while also being able to gain currency. Unless you would want to rely on others to buy things for you." Celestia said with a giggle. Kevin didn't want to have ponies buying him things all the time, it would be a major hit to his pride as well as being a burden to others.

" So we go to Ponyville, live there, help keep it safe since it's right next to the forest that we came out of, and we get paid for protecting it?" Kevin summed up, Celestia nodding. He looked to his friends, each of them giving him their own gestures of ' its your choice'. He looked back to Celestia, the words of Cody's warning on the train lingered. He looked up to Celestia, sighing.

" Your choice?" Celestia said.

" We'll go to Ponyville with the girls, and make sure nothing too bad happens. Or nothing bad at all." He said.

" Excellent." Celestia said, walking over to the throne doors as they opened for her and the four humans. " Now we'll need to get the job descriptions, a couple of bits for each of you, train tickets and you'll be on your way." She said. As they walked, Kevin decided to ask the question anyways.

" Where are we gonna live in the town?" He asked.

" I have assigned you four to be in one of the Element's houses. Zack will be staying with Applejack. Alex I will have you staying with Rarity. Cody you'll be bunking with Pinkie Pie and Kevin-" Celestia opened the twin doors, the sunshine flooding in as they walked outside. Celestia turned around to face Kevin, giggling a little under her breath. " You will be staying with Twilight."

Author's Note

DONE! Hope you all enjoy this chapter! Our four friends have now been officially moved to the one place were everything goes to hell in a hand basket EVERY TIME! Here's to hoping they don't get too much trouble. And can they... WILL they... find a way to return home? Who knows.

Next time on Squad Up: " Welp here we are"- " That's a lot of books"-" What did you say!?"- " Um, hi?"-" Talk about the locals"
" SURPRISE!!!"
Chapter: Newcomers.

Keep on Writing and Keep on Reading!!! :pinkiehappy:

Newcomers

Kevin looked over the balcony, the cold breeze passing as he sighed. Today is the day. Through his goggles, he could see the bright blue sky, guard patrols flying here and there, while local ponies trotted in the streets. Gonna miss this view.

" Hey Kev, you ready to go?" Alex said, Kevin turned around, getting off the railing as he walked in. Everyone had their tickets in hand as they waited near the door. Adjusting his rifle, he nodded, as the four left the room, their heavy boots echoing in the hallways as they walked. Kevin took his last looks at the beautiful painted glass windows, surprised on the craftsmanship. They made a left turn, heading for the twin doors that lead to the outside. As they walked, the guards on each end saluted them, Kevin decided to do the same, a sign of mutual respect before they opened the doors. Celestia's sun shined, the warmth of the sunshine encompassing the four as they continued to walk, Kevin sighing in relaxation. This sun is way better than the one back on Earth.

" You guys ready?" Kevin asked, turning his head to the three behind him. Cody shrugged, Zack nodded with a smile on his face.

" I don't know Kevin, you wonder what it will be like there?" Alex asked, adjusting his rifle on his back as they walked. Kevin pondered on the thought, raising a hand to his chin as he hummed.

" I don't know. Before I could ask the girls about the town they had already left on the train. So I guess we'll see it when we get there." He said, Alex nodding his head to the fair answer.

The walk was silent for most of the way, passing through the streets as they looked around the city. Their boots thumping against the colored brick seemed to match the clopping of the local's hooves. Ponies watched as they walked, most giving them smiles as a way of thanking them. Some, the ones mostly wearing clothes, held their heads high, and chose to pass them without even acknowledging their existence. The rumor of these four helping a Canterlot citizen, as well as defending the city from the changelings left a lot on the ponies minds. For most, they viewed them as heroes up there with the Elements. Others, preferred them gone, wanting nothing to do with them. The four friends couldn't care less, a more positive view on leaving Canterlot filling their minds. Upon arriving at the train station, the cart doors were open as ponies got on. Not wasting anytime, the group quickly got on. After a few minutes, the whistle of the train rattled the skies as the gears started to move. Kevin sighed as he slumped in his seat.

" Wonder if they're going to meet us at the station?" Alex said. Zack shrugged as he leaned against the wall.

" The princess said that Twilight would introduce us to the town, maybe give us a brief tour." He brought his arms behind his head as he stretched his legs. Cody looked out one of the windows, hoping to see the town as they descended the mountain. Kevin checked his rifle, taking out the mag as he cocked it back, catching the bullet. Safety first.

**********

The train eventually came to a stop, the hissing of the gears hummed in the cabin as they looked to each other. With the doors opening, the group stepped out as they stepped onto the wooden platform. the wood creaked under their boots as the clopping of hooves could be heard as well. Ponies got of the train, most giving the group raised brows of confusion as they stood there. Kevin searched for Twilight, scanning the platform. He then spotted her, a purple horn above the tiny crowd as she walked up to them, smiling.

" There you guys are! How was the ride?" She asked. Kevin smiling as he shook her hoof.

" It was nice, nothing too bumpy or loud. How have you been?" He asked.

" I've been good. Again, thank you for helping us up at the Empire, it means a lot." She turned around, motioning for them to follow as she started to walk. The four readied their stuff, and began to follow behind, as they walked down the dirt road. Kevin was surprised to see ponies conversing and walking around, more lively than Canterlot. As they walked, twilight noticed they were receiving attention from others. Most just wide eyes and raised brows, but there were some who looked scared, while others started to whisper to their neighbor. Twilight turned to them as she kept her pace.

" My house is just down the road. We'll head there and talk about living arrangements. Sorry if everyone's been giving you strange looks. A uh, lot of stuff has happened here." She sheepishly smiled as she eyed the others, some of the ponies walking away while others continued to stare. Kevin waved his hand to the ponies in a friendly manner, the movement flying over their heads, some even titling their heads in confusion.

" It's okay Twilight. I'm sure this is the first time they've seen anything like us." He said, as they continued their walk. Eventually, they reached her house, and to say that they were shocked was an understatement.

" Your house is a freaking tree? But how? Is it fake?" Zack asked as he stepped up to the trunk, gently rubbing his hand against the wood. Twilight shook her head as she opened the door.

" Nope. This is a real life tree. The Golden Oaks Library." She said with pride, Kevin stepping in behind her as he observed the inside. Alex and Cody joined him, Zack checking the trunk one more time, before stepping in as well. They all looked around, their eyes wide with curiosity. It felt like a library all right, but there was a since of, home in it as well. Twilight walked off into the kitchen, as some of the boys checked out the shelves, hands gently skimming over the titles, picking anything that drew their eyes. Twilight came back with five cups of tea, Kevin sitting down on one of the couches as he waited. Cody eventually joined him, Alex busy trying to make heads or tails of what he was reading. Zack took one of the books, the title reading " Daring-Do and the Quest for the Sapphire Stone ". He smiled as he came towards the couch, sitting on the edge as he tried to read.

" Jasmine tea, anyone?" Twilight offered, Kevin taking his helmet off as he sighed in thanks. As he began to drink his tea, Twilight cleared her throat as Alex placed the book back in its spot. " Okay, now I'm sure that Princess Celestia has told you all where you will be staying correct?" She asked. Kevin finished his drink, placing the tea cup down as he leaned back into the couch.

" Yes that is true. Celestia has us split between four of your friend's residents." He said, Twilight nodding in agreement.

" That's correct. Your friends will be staying at the houses that are big enough to hold them. Alex here will be staying with Rarity, the mare with the purple mane." She said, Alex nodding in understanding. " Zack, you'll be staying with Applejack in Sweet Apple Acres. I'm sure you can even gain a weekly currency from helping them on the farm." Twilight smiled, Zack returning the expression as he thought of the idea.

" That does sound pretty good. Sure that's solid." He gave her a thumbs up. She nodded as she continued.

" Cody, you'll be staying with Pinkie Pie. It was her request." Twilight sheepishly smiled. Cody's eyes through his balaclava showed a glazed stare. That pink pony. That one pony that he wished he could avoid. She requested to the princesses that he becomes her bunk buddy...

" Well, I'm sure that he's just excited is all." Alex jokingly added. Twilight giggled slightly as she continued. Her expression turned to one of uneasiness, as she rubbed her forehoof while looking away.

" S-so, Princess Celestia told you where you would be staying, Kevin?" Twilight said, Kevin nodded as he smiled.

" Yeah, Said I was going to stay with you. But, where exactly am I staying?" He asked, wondering just what she had for him. Twilight thought about the plan. There was too much equipment and stuff cramped into the basement. He couldn't sleep on the main floor. Twilight cleared her throat as she tried to speak. A very tiny blush hid under her fur as she spoke.

" Well, seeing as the basement is full, and this floor will be for customers. I guess I can have you, sleep upstairs, with me." She said with a small smile. Everyone did a double take, Cody shaking himself out of his stare as his eyes widened. Alex smirked as he chuckled, his eyes staring at Kevin mischievously. Zack's mouth hung open slightly with a raised brow, and Kevin's eyes widened slightly, as they all tried to process what she was saying. Twilight wondered why they were staring at her like that, but eventually her mind caught up. A blush rose up her neck and to her cheeks, as she quickly tried to correct herself.

" Wait! I didn't mean it like that! I m-meant that you're going to have to sleep upstairs!" She said, her hooves outstretched as she explained. The four humans took time to understand, Kevin sighing in relief, as Cody leaned back. Alec still held his look, but dropped it later. Zack rubbed the back of his head as he sheepishly smiled, his mind shunning him for thinking something like, that.

" So, do you have anything that I could potentially sleep on or, in?" Kevin asked. Twilight's blush began to fade as she smiled.

" Yes. A guest bed stored in the basement. It's a twin xl mattress, but it's for ponies. However, I'm sure I can grow the mattress with a spell, so it's comfy for you." Twilight said. Kevin smiled at that idea. The bed would be the perfect size for him.

" Sure that works, so I guess my set up is done. I'm sure everyone else has a spare room or bed?" Kevin asked, Twilight nodding. The boys looked at each other with excitement in their eyes. Cody looked like his world had just crumbled up and died.

" Well then it looks like we're good. Now then, how about a tour of this place? I would like to see where my friends will be staying just in case if any of us run into emergencies." Kevin asked. With a stretch, Twilight stood up, motioning for the boys to follow. Kevin picked up his helmet, as Alex popped his back, the group on the move again.

**********

Twilight led the humans to each of the residence that they would be living in. First was Zack, who decided to stay behind and get to know the Apple family better. Cody was next, though Pinkie Pie was nowhere to be found. Sighing, Cody decided to converse with the two ponies in charge of the store. This left Alex and Kevin, as they arrived at the Carousel Boutique. When they got their, Kevin gave a small whistle at how clean the building looked. Well, at least I don't have to worry about finding Alex if I need him.

" So this is where Rarity lives as well?" Alex asked.

" Yes. She's inside if you want to say hi?" Twilight offered, to which Alex accepted, nodding as they walked up to the door. Opening the door, and the two humans dipping their heads as they entered, a bell chimed from the action. It rang through the clothing shop, to which a sing song reply was heard.

" Coming!" She said, the sound of her hooves clopping against the tiles echoed as she came around the corner. Rarity smiled as she realized who it was.

" Ah, Twilight! And is that, Kevin and Alex?" She said. Rarity still wasn't used to their names as much as Twilight. The two nodded as they were correctly addressed, a small wave of relief washing over her.

" That is correct. Twilight was giving us a tour of the town, and I wanted to see the house I would be staying in." Alex said with joy, as he looked around, admiring how fancy and beautiful the dresses looked. Rarity cleared her throat as she walked up behind the man, noticing how interested he seemed in the dresses. She smiled as she spoke.

" You seem to be quite interested, do you like them?" She asked. Alex smiled as he nodded, observing a certain yellow dress that fit snug around one of the mannequins.

" Yeah. My mom was a tailor. She made clothes for everyone in our neighborhood, as well as a starting business in downtown." Alex said, Kevin noticing Rarity's eyes light up like stars. The world of these humans clothes. Her brain just couldn't wrap around it. Rarity giggled to herself as she clopped her hooves together.

" Well why don't you tell me all about your mother and her expertise in clothing? I'm sure we'll have much to talk about." Rarity said, as she walked over to Alex, who was close to the far end of the room, looking at the machinery. Kevin turned to Twilight with a smile as he chuckled.

" Alex, we're gonna head back. You going to be okay?" He asked. Alex turned to Kevin, giving him a thumbs up, as Rarity pulled up her drama couch, smiling as she patted the seat next to her, hoping to hear more about his mom. The door closed as they began to talk. Twilight and Kevin started to walk back to the library.

********

The door opened, Twilight stepping in as Kevin did the same. He stretched his back as he placed his rifle against the wall. Sitting down on the couch, he slumped in it as he sighed.

“ Well, here we are. Living in Ponyville. What a quaint little town it is. So, now what?" He asked, Twilight pulling out a book as she was about to step up the stairs. She stopped, her mind thinking as she turned to look at him.

" Well, our plan was to show you around town, but we already did that. But we do need to find you a bed, and the one down in the basement doesn't seem too fitting for you... How about after I finish my notes here, we can head to the Quill's and Sofas store, and see if we can find you a bed?" She asked, Kevin looking up as he thought, he smiled, nodding his head.

" Sure, I can do that. But, seeing as how small you ponies are, is there even a bed that can fit me?" He asked, his hands gesturing to his body. Twilight raised a hoof to her chin, before she brightened up, a small smirk on her face.

" Don't worry Kevin, there's a spell in one of these books about growth, size modification. I should be able to use it to make the bed bigger for your liking." She said. Kevin liked the idea, deciding to roll with it, he nodded in agreement, as he plopped down onto the couch, sighing as she walked up the steps. Looking at one of the shelves closest to him, he lazily reached out, pulling a random book. He noticed that it was a language he had never seen before. Closing the book, he placed it back, as he looked down to his rifle. Might as well see if he could take it apart. Sitting up, he grabbed the rifle, hoping dismantling it would pass the time.

**********

It took Twilight an hour and a half until she was done. Turns out, the rifle couldn't be dismantled no matter how hard Kevin tried. He had to explain to her what that metallic banging was, how he slammed it against the ground in a last attempt to crack open the damn thing. As they walked outside, Kevin decided to leave most of his equipment back in the library. Deciding that it would be best, and less intimidating to walk around with a rifle strapped onto him, he decided to use his free hands to wave at a few of the locals. Some would wave back, but their smiles were obviously forced. They arrived at the store, Twilight and Kevin walking through the entrance as the tiny bell atop the door chimed.

" Hello there Miss Sparkle! Welcome to Quills and Sofas! How can I help you?" The stallion asked, as he stepped out from the back. He saw Kevin, but unlike some of the locals, he didn't really seem to mind the tall creature.

" Nice to see new faces around here, welcome to my store." The stallion tipped his head in respect, Kevin doing the same.

" Nice to meet you too." He replied. Twilight cleared her throat as she got the stallion's attention.

" We're looking for a mattress that my friend here would find comfortable. Now don't worry about the size, I can fix it, we're just hoping to find a mattress of good price and comfy." She said. The stallion brought a hoof to his chin as he thought, suddenly perking up with a smile.

" Well, let's see what his personal preference is. Come on then, why not try a few of them?" The stallion asked. Kevin brought a hand to his chin as he thought. Well, this was how he tested beds back in his world. Nodding, he shrugged after.

" I don't see why not. Sure let's give them a try." He said. Following the stallion, he led them to far corner of the store, a mattress with a bed frame, dark blue paint freshly coating the wood. He gingerly placed his hand on top of the mattress, the springs gently bending below the patting. Taking another risk, he decided to try and sit on the mattress. The springs creaked in protest, but did not give. Kevin had placed his full weight on it, and was surprised on how sturdy it was. He was also surprised on how soft the mattress was. It felt as though the springs were non existent.

" This mattress is nice, but let's keep looking if you don't mind." Kevin said, carefully getting off of the bed, as they began to try another one.

**********

Zack wiped the sweat off his brow, before he continued to pull the rope, bringing the hay stack to the attic of the barn. Applejack waved her hoof, gesturing for Zack to raise it higher. Finding a good stopping point, Applejack stuck her hoof out, grasping the hay stack, as she pulled it in. Zack sighed as he rolled his shoulders. That was the fifth haystack he had to pile, wrap up, and raise. Looking to the sunset, he smiled at how beautiful it was. He remembered back on Earth how when the sun set, it would be blocked by clouds, some made by Earth while most were, made by the factories. How the buildings towered over its light, blocking its wonder. But now, the sky was clear, the orange setting relaxing his exhausted body.

" Good job there Zack. We'll have a little down time before dinner." Applejack said, as he exited the barn. She noticed him looking out to the sun, smiling as she walked up to him. " Mighty pretty ain't it?" She asked, Zack nodding as he spoke.

" Beautiful. How can your sky be so... clear?" He asked, his eyes glued to the landscape. Applejack chuckled a little under her breath.

" The Pegasus keep control of the clouds, today is supposed to be a no sky day." She said, making Zack raise a brow as he turned to her.

" Control the clouds? What do you mean by that?" He asked. Applejack gave him a surprised look, but continued to explain.

" The Pegasi are the one's that control the weather here. They move the clouds with their hooves as well as create them using a factory in Cloudsdale." Applejack said, Zack looked at her with widened eyes.

" Wait, so the weather here, pretty much bends to your will doesn't it?" Zack asked, to which Applejack nodded. He looked back to the landscape, taking in the cloudless sky with this new found information. He was surprised, and quite frankly, a little envious. If humans could move the weather on the planet, then things would be a little less challenging. He looked to the Everfree forest's edge, seeing the clouds above it swirl and drag. he saw that it looked more like a blanket of fog rather than the puffy clouds he'd seen in the sky previously to the day.

" Soooo, is it their job as well to make the forest look creepy or?" Zack asked, waiting for Applejack's response as she turned to the Everfree. She shook her head, as she replied.

" Nope. The Everfree is home to untamed magic, and wild dangerous animals. That there weather ain't controlled by anypony, just moves by itself." She said, Zack looking back at the forest as he hummed in thought, giving her a small smirk.

" Hm, reminds me of home. No one back on Earth controlled the weather." Zack said, Applejack's eyes widened a little, as she began to walk back to the house. Zack realized that the sun was almost gone now, the moon was already rising. Zack stretched his back as he walked beside her, Applejack deciding to speak up about their recent topic.

" So yer tellin' me that back on yer planet, that nopony controls the weather? How do ya'll survive if you don't mind me asking?" Applejack asked, Zack simply shrugged as he replied.

" We've been doing pretty well. The world kind of, has it's own 'harmony' I guess. Storms clear crops, fires destroy trees and homes, animals die and then the cycle repeats. Plants regrow, homes, rebuilt, new animals, born. Circle of life we call it." Zack said, Applejack brought a hoof up to her chin in thought. They came to the door, Zack opened it for Applejack as she stepped inside. As she walked into the kitchen, her grandmother shouting something about setting up dinner, Zack decided to help, seeing as they were having him as their guest, the least he could do was put the plates around the dinner table.

" Five plates? Are we having someone over?" Zack asked, placing the last plate in front of one of the seats. Applejack perked up a little, as if she had just remembered something important. Applejack shook her head as she smiled.

" Oh that's right! No Zack, that there plate is for mah little sister Applebloom! She's hangin' out with her friends at Rarity's place. Rares will be bringing her back here in a bit, till then, let's make sure this table is ready and them pies are toasty warm when she gets here." Applejack said, Zack nodding in agreement as he grabbed a few napkins, as well as silverware.

Closer in the small town, the Carousel Boutique shined gently in the coming night, the lights inside pierced the cold air. Inside, three fillies giggled and laughed, conversing as well as trying to do each other's manes. One of the fillies, an orange coat and purple mane, was standing to the side, constantly being dragged into the fray, as she complained about it being 'too girly' or 'not cool'. As they did this, an older unicorn sighed to herself, as she had just finished putting her last dress on one of the mannequins.

" Sweetie Belle, please clean up and put away those brushes. It's time to take Applebloom back home." Rarity said, earning a disappointed 'awww' from the three foals.

" But sis, we were having so much fun. Come on just five more minutes?" Sweetie Belle pleaded, but her words fell on deaf ears. Rarity shook her head, a small smile on her lips.

" I'm sure you can play with your friends tomorrow Sweetie. But don't forget you still have some homework before you go back to school." Rarity said, her sister sighing in exhaustion at the mention of homework. As the girls got ready, cleaning up their things in the living room, they ran downstairs to the door. As they did, Rarity out some finishing touches on her dress, boots thumped gently behind her as she heard a sigh.

" Wow, I can hear them through the walls. Guess children are crazy in both worlds." Alex said, most of his gear was off and in the guest room, his rifle rested on his back from the strap. Rarity turned to look at Alex, her eyes showing mild exhaustion.

" It's taken me years not to get a headache. Now I just get ridiculously sleepy. But, maybe tonight may wake me from such drowsiness." She said, Alex raising a brow.

" Hm? What do you mean?" He asked. Rarity walked past him, motioning for him to follow.

" Well, we're going to be heading to Applejack's place, drop off Applebloom, and then we're heading to Sugar Cube Corner." She said, raising a few more questions in his mind, as he followed her downstairs.

" Why at this time? Isn't everyone sleeping right now?" He said. Rarity seemed to be a little nervous, but she barely showed it. Clearing her throat, she looked to him as she spoke, her words making Alex even more awkward.

" You know it is uncouth to ask a lady so many questions. Just go with the night Alex dear." She said. Alex held a small blush, but dumbly nodded, his brain seemed to stop from her words. Instead more questions came up in his head, but he refused to vocalize them. Instead, he kept quiet as he finally came downstairs. Rarity raised a hoof, stopping Alex. She turned the corner to the three fillies who were waiting by the door.

" Okay, are you three ready to go?" Rarity asked. They all nodded, but Applebloom had a confused expression on her face.

" Hey Rarity, I've been meanin' to ask ya, but did you have a stallion over recently?" She asked. Rarity's eyes widened as a small blush pierced her white coat. Alex's eyes did the same, as he intently listened.

" Wh-wh-what makes you say that App-Applebloom?" She asked.

" Well, there was some kind of smell upstairs, a mix actually. We didn't recognize it, and it didn't smell like one of yer perfumes. But, the closest thing we could draw from it was that it somewhat resembles a stallions sent. So I was just erm, curious?" Applebloom said. Alex thought about the situation, he could see why they would smell something different. A guy in what was clearly a very girly environment. Not to mention they are animals, so it's obvious that their sense of smell is stronger then that of humans.

Rarity wasn't really sure how to respond. Sweetie Belle looked a little confused as well, Scootaloo's interest had peaked too. She wasn't sure how long she could keep Alex a secret from the girls, but then again,should she? She couldn't bring herself to lie to her sister, and Rarity is certain that all of Canterlot already knows about these four. It wouldn't hurt if just a few kids knew about them... right? Rarity sighed, as she steeled her nerves.

" Alright girls. Yes there was... is a stallion here, and he's going to be... staying, here." She said, their eyes widened in shock. Sweetie Belle's blush was more visible through her coat than the others, but they didn't say anything, as they could see Rarity had more to say. " But, he's not necessarily a... pony. He's here right now girls, and he's not the only one. You see, they're, not from around here and well, they look different." She said. Alex had to hold in a chuckle. Different was an understatement, might as well go with alien.

" What are you saying sis? Do you mean, he's listening to this right now?" Sweetie Belle asked, the three looking at her with wide eyes as they waited. Rarity nodded, and they all gave each other cautious looks. Sweetie Belle wasn't sure how to react to somepony living with her and her sister. What if he's mean? What if he's scary? Her mind began to go to all of the bad scenarios that played in her head. These thoughts were interrupted however, as her sister's voice replayed in her ears.

" Um... A-Alex, you can, come out now..." Rarity said, Sweetie Belle looking up and past her sister to the stairs. Scootaloo and Applebloom did the same, and to say they were surprised would be a severe understatement. Alex took in a breath as he turned the corner, a little surprised on how low his eyes had to go. The three subconsciously took a few steps back, taking in his entire form. Alex still had all of his equipment on, but his scarf rested on his shoulders, as his hat was left in the room, along with the railgun. There was only silence between Alex and the three fillies, as they both were too busy observing each other. Alex kept his stoic mask, but found it hard when he saw the cautious expressions on their faces. Deciding the be the first one to make the move, Alex gently knelt down, making them step farther back. Rarity gave Alex a worried expression as he sat with his legs crossed. Without making any subtle movements, he spoke up, giving them a small smirk as his mask was lifted.

" Um, h-hey, you three. I'm Alex. A-and you are?" He asked, gesturing to them as he waited for someone to speak up. The three girls remained silent, and after a while, it seemed that they were in no mood to talk to the man just yet. Rarity decided to step in, clearing her throat as she got their attention.

" Well, I believe it is time we head on the Applejack's farm and drop off Applebloom. Um, Alex dear, do you have everything?" Rarity asked, Alex standing up as he checked himself.

" Everything's clipped on and good. I'll follow you I guess." Alex said, as he waited on the side for Rarity and the three fillies to walk out. As they did, they couldn't shake their eyes off of Alex as they walked out, Rarity right behind them, followed by the man himself. As they walked through the calm night, Rarity noticed that the three still gave cautionary glances behind, Rarity turning her head to see Alex as he casually strolled behind them, looking more up at the stars rather than where they were going.

" Girls, it's very rude to stare. What's the matter? I told you he's not a pony." Rarity reasoned. This seemed to perk them up, as Scootaloo turned to her, the other two fillies standing by Rarity's sides.

" Yeah we know, but just, WHAT, is he? I've never seen anything like him before." Scootaloo whispered, as she kept sneaking glances his way to make sure he wasn't listening in.

" I'm with Scoots here, ain't never seen a critter such as him, how does he walk like that?" Applebloom asked, as she watched his legs stride casually. The movements were, alien to her, to say the least.

" Sis, why is something so tall and scary living with you? With US?" Sweetie Belle emphasized, giving her sister a worried look. Rarity was about to scold her sister for calling Alex an 'it', but held her tongue. She noticed how unnerved the three kids were, and it was understandable. Rarity remembered the first time she came into contact with these four beings. To say they were strange would be an understatement. Rarity sighed as she spoke in a low, but comforting tone.

" Sweetie Belle, I know my friend Alex here may seem a little odd, but trust me, he and the others are very friendly once you get to know them." Rarity piped up. Sweetie Belle's eyes widened as Scootaloo turned around with the same shocked expression.

" You're saying there's more than one-" Her voice was cut off, Applebloom grabbing their attention to their surroundings.

" We're here." She said, Rarity looking up, seeing the door to the home not that far up the hill. Applebloom quickened her pace a little, as well as the other fillies. Rarity turned around to see Alex, waving to her with a small smile as he followed. She thanked him inwardly for understanding their discomfort, and keeping a good distance behind. She turned to the door, only for her eyes to widen. The three fillies were pressed against the white guard rails on the front porch, as they all stared at the figure standing in the doorway. Zack smiled as he saw the three, turning around to the inside of the house.

" Applejack! We've got some surprise guests!" He said, before turning back to the fillies, who stared up at him in shock and growing fear. " Okay so! Which one of you is Applebloom?" He asked. Even through fear, Applebloom raised her hoof shakily, catching Zack's attention. He still wore his cap, but his weapons were gone, his vest and clothing still on his person. With his blue eyes staring into Apple Bloom's green, he spoke up, smiling as he did. " Hey kid. Wow, you are THE most cutest thing I think I've ever laid my eyes on. Come on in, your sister is waiting for you, not to mention the food is ready." He said, as he got and walked back inside, leaving the door open. The three fillies stood there, Rarity and Alex finally catching up.

" What happened to those three?" Alex asked, raising a brow as he looked down at the three. Rarity just shook her head as she sighed.

" I honestly don't know dear. Come on girls. Applebloom, go join your family. Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, say your goodbyes, we need to tuck you in Sweetie, and bring Scootaloo back home." She said, Alex seeing the girls being brought back to the world. Apple Bloom rubbed one of her legs with her hoof as she looked around awkwardly.

" G-guess I'll see ya'll tomorrow then." She said, Scootaloo hugging her friend as Sweetie Belle joined in.

" Geez, you both got those weird creatures in your houses. Let me know if they give any trouble, I'll have Rainbow Dash pummel them." Scootaloo whispered, giving them a confident smirk. Those words gave some to very little comfort to the other two, both returning the small smirk as they broke away. Alex stepped in the house a little, seeing Zack.

" Hey man, so how's the whole settling in thing for you going?" He asked. Zack rolling his shoulder as he walked over to Alex.

" Eh, been pretty good. Family here is nice, Applejack's a hard working girl, she means well. Her sister is straight up adorable, kind of reminds me of my own." He said, Alex placing a hand on his shoulder as he gave him a comforting squeeze.

" More fuel to the fire Zack. We're going to get home. Now that we have a general sense on where we are and how things work, we can dig a little deeper here. Who knows we may find a way back tomorrow." Alex said hopefully, Zack giving him a chuckle.

" I sure hope you're right about that." He said. The two ended their quick meet up, as Alex, Rarity, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo left, leaving the Apple family's farm. Arriving back at the Carousel Boutique, Rarity told Alex she was going to tuck Sweetie Belle in as he and Scootaloo waited downstairs. As Alex leaned against a wall, he waited as Scootaloo kept looking at him from the other side of the room. With his arms crossed and eyes closed, he wandered his mind, as Scootaloo lightly shook in her seat. She wanted to be brave, but his height alone was making it hard. She wondered if he was any taller than the princess.

" I-If you hurt any of my friends, Y-you're going to be sorry you hear me?" She said, her voice was barely above a whisper. a small part of her wishes that he wouldn't hear, but life had other plans. Alex raised his head as well as a brow. He looked Scootaloo in the eyes, making her turn away. His eyes were calming as he spoke.

" Um, Scootaloo, was it? There's no need to worry. You're friends are quite adorable, and I wouldn't want to harm them for the world. You're all nice people, and if you're nice to me, to us, then we'll repay tenfold." Alex said. Scootaloo took in his words, but her body beat her brain.

" What about me!?" She said, her eyes widening as her brain finally caught up. Alex was a little surprised by the outburst, but raised a hand as he chuckled.

" Don't worry Scootaloo you're plenty cute yourself. Like the colors." He said. Scootaloo's cheeks flushed, as she covered her mouth, her tail wrapping around her as she buried her head in her hooves. Alex raised a brow at her reaction, not expecting it, but didn't have time to dwell, as Rarity came back downstairs, grabbing their attention.

" Sweetie Belle is asleep, now it's your turn Scootaloo, come on." Rarity said, as they walked back out the door and into the night. By the looks of it the night has just started, Alex smiling a little as he saw Scootaloo sleeping on Rarity's back. He looked up, seeing a pretty nice two story house. It seemed, surprisingly original, given the other places he had seen. As they walked up to the door, Alex turned to see Kevin and Twilight walking down the road. His eyes widened In surprise as he turned to the pair, Kevin smiling as he gave a quick wave to Alex.

" Geez what's with everyone being up right now?" Alex asked, as the two stopped in front of him.

" I honestly don't know, Twilight said we were heading to the place Sugar Cube Corner. Apparently there's something there she wanted to show me. Or, actually, you said all of us, didn't you?" Kevin said, as he turned to Twilight, who looked up and nodded.

" Huh, well then who knows, maybe we'll see Zack somewhere around. Rarity's and I were just bringing a filly home for the night." Alex said, as he turned to see Rarity walking up to them, a smile on her face as the four were together. " Oh, well, guess that's done. So, what now?" He asked, Twilight deciding to speak up.

" We'll meet with Applejack and Zack in front of Sugar Cube Corner after they finish. Well, let's go." Twilight said, the three following close behind her as they walked through the brisk night air.

**********

The three humans and ponies finally arrived at the building, the moon had rose a little higher in the sky. As the each party greeted each other, Kevin sighed as he looked around, raising a brow as he asked.

" Hey Zack, Alex, see Cody anywhere?" He said, the two turning to him, Alex started to observe the group as Zack replied.

" No not really. I mean he is staying here so maybe he's with Pinkie Pie?" He suggested, Kevin shrugging as he decided to put the question away for later. Twilight walked up to them as she motioned for them to follow.

" Why don't we head inside shall we? Pinkie wanted to show you all something." She said, the three humans following behind her as Twilight opened the door. To their surprise, it was dark, barely no light touched the shop. As they obliviously walked in, Kevin felt the itch to reach for his firearm, but kept his nerves calm. As the three ponies came in behind them, the door shut, encompassing them in complete darkness. Kevin's eyes widened as her turned to where he though Twilight was, and voiced his complaint.

" Whoa whoa whoa Twilight? Hey, anybody? Come on is this a prank or something what are you doing?-" He stopped, feeling a finger tap his shoulder. Alex cleared his throat as he spoke to Kevin.

" Hey dude, I think there are, ponies hiding here." He said. Zack and Kevin turned to Alex, seeing the dim green light coming from his PLD. Before they could really say anything, what happened next, was a cacophony of screaming, as well as bright lights. The room that was dark suddenly lit up, like a sun had suddenly been born. Kevin and Zack recoiled in surprise, Alex, screaming a very "manly" scream, as he clutched his eyes. The ponies of Ponyville jumped up, their smiles as wide as they could ever be, as they shouted in one big crowd.

" SURPRISE!!!"

**********

It took the humans some time to recover from the sudden light and volume change. Zack and Kevin still had their arms held up, but their eyes were able to adjust. Alex screamed as he dropped the PLD, stumbling back.

" AGH! GODDAMMIT A SECOND FUCKING TIME!? REALLY!? WHY!?" He stumbled back, as he rested against the wall, sliding down it as his head pressed into the ground, his hands still on his eyes. Kevin looking down at his friend, he simple chucked a medic bag at him, as it landed gently next to Alex. He turned to look at the crowd that now was in front of him, Twilight, Rarity, Applejack, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and lastly, Pinkie Pie, were all there among the ponies. Pinkie spoke up first, her smile greater than any other pony's in the room.

" Surprise! We wanted to throw you a 'thank you for helping fight the changelings and saving Equestria and welcome to Ponyville' party, but what's better than a party? a SURPRISE party!" Pinkie said, giggling all the while. Kevin was the first to recover, noticing all the snacks and drinks, even a DJ in the back. He smiled, honestly surprised by how well they put this party together. He saw Cody in the back, the man looked tired as hell, but still held a strong posture as he smirked.

" You did this for us? All of you? I, I really don't know what to say. Um, Thank you, all of you, really." Kevin said. He didn't think the ponies could get even happier, but they proved him wrong. With a giggle, Pinkie was the one to initiate the official party, as ponies finally began to dance, as well as converse. With Alex healing in the corner, Kevin looked to Zack, who simply shrugged in response.

" Eh, I'm sure he's gonna be fine. Come on why don't we enjoy ourselves like the wedding? Except, you know, not pass out with our memories jumbled." Zack said, earning a chuckle from Kevin.

" Agreed, let's have some fun." He said. Alex simply flipped them off, not really caring if they saw or not, as he just lay there on the side. Zack began to converse with a few ponies, one having a yellow mane and grey fur. Zack seemed to take more of a shine to her, their dancing eventually leading to them just talking on the side. Kevin walked up to Cody, who simply clashed arms together as they bumped.

" You seem tired Cody." Kevin said, Cody shaking his head.

" That pink nightmare wouldn't stop questioning me about what I like to eat or what we like in parties. Just told her we like what they like to end it all." He said, taking another quick sip from the glass in his hand. Kevin watched the party as well, smiling as he did. Eventually, Alex came back, glaring at Pinkie as he began to scold her, but the music was too loud for anypony to hear anything. Kevin was about to step in when he saw Alex chasing Pinkie, but relief swept over him when he saw the playful grin on the man's face. Sighing, he turned to Cody, placing a hand on his shoulder.

" Even if we've been here for only a few weeks... I'm gonna miss a community as bright as this one." he said. Cody was hesitant at first, but smiled as he placed a hand on Kevin's shoulder, patting him as he spoke.

" As much as I want to go home. I can't believe that these ponies, were able to grow on me." He said, as they watched the ponies dance, the night losing its slumber, as it found new energy, and excitement.

Author's Note

Life is hard. There are things we cannot control, and it hinders the way we want to live. I'm sorry, I don't deserve you wonderful readers, and it really means a lot to me that you've stuck with me through my life's crap. It really means a lot, I can't say it enough. Anyways, that's the chapter, I'll continue onto the next. Remember my fellow members.

Keep on Writing, and Keep on Reading. :twilightsmile:

Late Nights and Bright Lights don't Mix (Edited)

12:00 am
Operation Locker
Us v Ru
130 v 97 Tickets

The high security prison within the Kunlun Mountains of Western China has become a snowy grave, as the sounds of battle echoed through the prison's cells and halls. It was a close match, as the Russians seemed to have control of the center of the map, and held it with an iron fist. The Americans had the upper hand at first, but were thrown for a surprise when the lack of soldiers on the hill outside of the prison allowed for the Russian's to flank. Now they were fighting for their lives, trying to hold the B point as more Russians poured in. An American soldier, who's class was a field medic, peeked the corner, and shot his rifle, a Scar-H, into the hallway as the metal detectors beeped, which signaled the existence of more enemies. A bullet grazed the soldiers leg, making his health drop from 75 to 23, his vision becoming bloody as he got back into cover. Kevin grunted in annoyance as he threw down a small aid pack.

" Fuck me! Guys I can really use your help here!" He pleaded, the sounds of gunfire making it hard for him to hear his friend's reply. Kevin cracked his knuckles quickly, then placed his hands back onto the keypad and mouse, getting back in the game. So far the match was close, but their window of victory seemed to be closing rapidly. He waited for his squad mates to spawn, as he saw another skull appear on the mini map, which indicated the unfortunate fate of another team member.

" Hold on dude I just spawned! Cody how is the hill doing?" Zack asked through the chat. Kevin smiled on the inside when Zack joined him, his friend shot through the hall , the result being two more kills added to the server feed. " Kev we need more guys to push and spread out! We're getting picked off like flies!"

" I know I know, but half of our team is retarded! I already told people in the chat to do so but noooo! I guess we can't have nice things!" Kevin peaked again and fired off rounds blindly into the group down the hall. The glare of the flashlights and laser sights made him feel uneasy, no matter how many times he played the game. Kevin was about to reload his weapon, but movement of an enemy soldier pushing their position caused his mind to panic. " Oh shit no!" He yelled, his finger swiftly moved to press the key on his keyboard, which made his character switch to his sidearm, a classic M1911, and emptied the firearm in seconds. Luckily the shots had landed, as the soldier screamed out and died. Kevin sighed in relief as he returned to his cover. As he took this time to reload, Zack passed Kevin and pushed into the hall.

" Guys the hill isn't going so well, I can see them pushing up but there isn't enough people out here to hold them off!" Cody said, as the sounds of snaps and cracks whizzed by him. Cody held his position with thirteen other members of his team, but they were at the breaking point. The young man had his character laying down, his weapon of choice was an American M240B Machine Gun. The weapon was serving him well as he held his position, that is until the dreadful click was heard, which signified an empty box magazine. Cody cursed as he tried to quickly get his character to reload, but it seemed the enemy had also discovered he was out of ammo as well. Seeing a soldier come over the crest, Cody watched as the man raised his rifle, ready to fire upon him. However, The soldier's chest burst with blood, as the man fell back, the sound of two or three cracks was heard behind Cody, farther back than the men on the hill.

" Dude start moving back, I can see a lot of them coming from back here!" Alex warned. The young man had his character laying in the snow, as he held a view point that overlooked the entire hill that Cody held. Alex peered through his acog scoped M39 EMR, as he noticed the enemy soldier's were making a full push over the hill. As Alex cursed under his breath, he fired more rounds at the enemy soldiers, hoping it would discourage their push. He was able to successfully kill two of the enemies that had crossed the hill, but four more had easily arrived, and flooded the snow covered hill like ants. Alex heard the click of his rifle, and cursed as he began to reload.

" You better cover me Alex I'm moving! Zack, Kev and you need to fall back as well you only have five allies with you they're gonna roll over you guys!" Cody said, as he ran as fast as he could down the hill, bullets flew passed him as some rounds picked up dirt and a hit a few unfortunate American soldier's trying to retreat with him.

" Yeah I hear ya Cody. Let's go Zack, I am not wasting my time holding this stupid hallway!" Kevin said, as he quickly tossed a grenade behind them in hopes of getting one of the enemies. As they ran down the hall passed the prison's cafeteria, Kevin's character reloaded as the young man checked the small map on the bottom left of his screen, and noticed the rest of the team were doing their best to fortify the remaining territory they had.

" Cody I'm trying but you got a lot of guys on your ass!" Alex said, as he took a few more shots, before closing the bipod under his rifle, and rose to a crouched position, as he was getting ready to run back to a better position for the new defense line.

" Yeah I can see that on the map!" Cody replied, as some of the men that were with him turned around and returned fire at the Russian soldier's who were not very far behind them. As the two friends retreated from the outside, the other two made it to their last objective inside.

" Alright you two, Kev and I are in position with some teammates inside, the opening on the right of this objective is where you two will defend, don't let them push you guys back, or we'll be flanked on the right." Zack said, as he swiftly got his character behind a few boxes, other allies were all getting ready with their own squads, as medics threw down healing packs, and supports threw down their ammo packs as the whole team fortified their final position.

The four men, as well as the twenty eight other team mates waited for the onslaught of the enemy team to descend upon them. As they did, they were greeted with something that was rare on this game, especially on the map they were on. Silence filled the halls, as they waited. It was rare due to how the map was designed, made with the intention to encourage pushes by both teams, and close quarter combat. The silence however would not last. The seconds that felt like minutes came to an end, as Kevin and the rest of his allies saw what appeared to be smoke grenade canisters roll out into the open. They all popped as the hallways were filled with smoke clouds, the soldiers readied themselves. The four friends weren't sure who started it, but a round was heard being shot off, before the music of war returned. All allies opened fire as rounds pierced the smoke, as bullets shot out of the smoke back at Kevin and the team. Kevin could see the Russian's laser sights pierce the veil of smoke, as they moved like phantoms. The battle continued as the Americans fought their hardest for their final objective, in hopes of turning this battle around.

Kevin waited before his character re-spawned after he was blown to bits by a grenade, as he made his way to the now Russian captured objective. Their score was down to just eight spawns left for their team, and the number had quickly decreased.

" Man fuck this! We lost!" Cody said as his hands lazily dropped onto his desk, his hands no longer on the keyboard or his mouse anymore. Zack sighed as he leaned back in his chair and watched his screen's killcam as he waited to spawn.

" Yeah, well at least we fought till the end!" Zack exclaimed, as he tried to cheer up the solemn young man. Kevin ran forward and killed two enemy soldiers before a third one surprised him and ended his streak, and brought him back to the death screen. As he watched the killcam, Kevin exhaled deeply, as he lowered his head and rested his chin on his crossed arms. He watched the score go down to 2, as the fatigue started to make itself known.

" Well guys I think this is a wrap. No one else is gonna fight, and I'm out of energy to even be mad. Might as well get some rest now that we have the chance." Kevin said, as he stretched his arms back, which earned him a few pops of his tired joints. A relaxed sigh escaped Kevin as he laid back on his desk and watched the monitor.

" I need to practice shooting moving targets... I'm so rusty man ." Alex said, his eyes scanned the screen as he watched the stats he got appear on his monitor. Cody simply groaned in defeated annoyance as he rested his head on his desk, not even looking at his screen. Kevin cleared his throat as he spoke up.

" Well guys, I think this is the perfect time for us to get some sleep. I know I gotta." He said, as he leaned back and prepared to pack up for the night. He looked to his clock and noticed the time, two fifty seven in the morning.

" All of that work and energy and we still lost. Good god why? Four guys who are past their gaming pre teen prime can't fucking carry everyone." He said in a frustrated tone, his friends chuckled in response as Kevin shook his head. It was a bit ridiculous, and games now for him had always felt like the system was against him. Bad teammates, bad connection, whatever obstacle the game could throw at him it always managed. He was about to close the game on his computer but noticed that nothing happened after he tried to close it. The screen seemed to freeze as the background sound also seemed to stop, which made Kevin roll his eyes.

" Aaaaaand there it goes. Guys my game just froze." He said, as his brow furrowed as he stared at the screen. Kevin clicked the close option again, and raised a brow in confusion as he tried to figure out how to force the game to close. Alex hummed in thought before he spoke up.

" Wait, yours did too?" Alex asked, as he looked over his monitor unsure as to why his game had also froze.

" Are we like all experiencing this? What is it a server crash?" Cody asked, as he tried to type his keyboard and click his mouse in hopes that something, anything might work.

" Yeah what's going on guys?" Zack asked as he noticed his screen had started to change from being frozen to static. Zack scooted back in his chair as the screen flickered and continued to static. The four friends all experienced the strange phenomenon, as their screens continued to brighten, each of their rooms being lit up by the blinding light. Kevin winced in pain as he covered his eyes, and the static sound began to increase in volume, almost deafening as he tried to speak to his friends.

" Argh fuck my eyes! What the fuck!? Guys!? GUYS!?" No reply, as the sound increased in his headphones. He quickly threw them off, and noticed that the sound was also coming from his monitor. He covered his ears as he felt the sound vibrate through his body, the ringing in his ears deafened his cries of pain, as he shut his eyes tight, the light burned through his eyelids even. Eventually it was all too much. Kevin didn't know when or how, but he soon found himself in darkness, as he passed out and the world faded into silence.

Author's Note

Welp, that's the first Chapter, as well as my first story! This is just the intro, and I'm still thinking about where this is gonna go. Within the next chapter you shall see how they cope with the surprise, as well as what Kevin will decide for them.
Kevin: Assault class/ Medic
Zack: Engineer/ Mechanic
Cody: Support/ Ammo
Alex: Recon/ Marksman

Hope you enjoyed and I would really appreciate it if you spread word of this story! Keep on writing and keep on reading!