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!!!