P.o.W.

It had fallen quite aways. It sorta remind me of arty fire back home. Just watching the smoke trail. For the few seconds it was in the air, and in view, I was reminded of home. Behind the front lines at base, or sometimes in the hellfire. It sorta was a sweet memory, but a memory soon turned sour at remembrance that I came here because of war. The UFO had fallen behind a building, and out of view. No way it had hit anything yet, though. As i'm pretty sure there would be a noise. An explosion or something. But would I hear it? It looks to be miles away.

Probably not.

What was it, though? A meteor?

Whatever it was, it didn't matter. I got more pressing matters on my mind. The alarms continue to toll, and I could hear the guards shouts all across the city. I rested my chin on my hand in thought.

Goddamn, word travels fast in this city.

"Check that alleyway!" I heard not far from where I was.

Efficient. Ill give them that.

I had to think quickly, I had no doubt it was my alleyway they were about to check. They were probably combing every alley and store. Street and dumpster. On one hand, this would be extremely annoying and hinder my plan to hide and wait for this to blow over. On the other, its understandable. This is their capital. Their "Crown" reigns from here. If a.... lets say a monster, was to invade then i'm pretty sure its guard would be fast responding. On the same hand, I doubt I could talk my way out of this. I did kick one in the fast and knock another out. Fucking training....

"Get inside! Martial Law!" I heard once more. Same voice as before. Goddammit. Martial law already? That was fast. Very fast, I haven't even been in the city for thirty minutes... Well, again. They probably have plan set in place should a monster attack.

That will make things that much harder....

Gotta keep moving. Don't stay put. Trust your training, Crouse. Minuette will find you. Just keep calm and clear. Clear and move.

With that thought, I jumped to my feet with my carbine and looked right, then looked left. My eyes down the sights. Nothing. It was clear. I turned and ran once sure and made for the street. Already was it empty, a few golden armored ponies moving off of it. But nonetheless empty. I looked up and down it, scanning for a route to take. A route to keep me off the roads. The streets. I quickly spotted a side street and did a once over to ensure the way was clear. Once assured, I made a run for it. Keeping low and going fast.

As soon as I was clear, I pressed up against the side of the building and scanned the street. Clear. I took a deep breath and exhaled. Realizing I was sweating, I took my hand a wiped off the sweat. Which I found out was immense. I must've been really anxious. I didn't even notice until I took a breather.

The bells continued their toll. My anxiety did not wane. That may have been a good thing however, as it kept me on my toes. I knew I was in danger, and if I felt relaxed I would not be aware of my surroundings or my predicament. I shook my head, trying to summon calm thoughts. Its what I always tried to do in combat. It usually helped combat stress when your out in the field for weeks at time, constantly having RPGs thrown at you, grenades and bullets too. Looking up the street, I checked for tangos. Nothing. Not yet. That's probably for the best, though. I don't want to shoot these things.

I mean, if they have a battle trained Timber Wolf, ill have no problem shooting that. But these cute things? Well, i'm regretting even breaking their jaws.

Maybe I was too hasty in doing that? Perhaps reason would've prevailed like it did with Fluttershy? Damn training.

One foot in front of the other, I proceeded slowly down the small street. My rifle pointed outwards to the opposite end. My vision lined with the sights. When I came to a corner in the buildings, I quickly changed my direction that of what the corner was hiding. When I determined it was clear, I focused back on the street. Occasionally checking my flank, but it was quiet. Figuratively, of course. I could still hear guards all around. As I reached the end of the street, I paused and took a deep breath. Get myself ready to move once more across the streets of this city.

I gave a heavy exhale, and quickly darted into the street, clearing left, and clearing ri-

I froze in my haste to move. Standing in the street across from me was a white coated guard. Staring back at me. Taupe eyes frozen in surprise. My rifle was centered on her, and I was staring at her through said sights. A swords hilt was in her mouth, and her helmet was golden with red plumes. A white stripe decorating the front of it, ending at the bridge of her nose.

What does that mean?

Her eyes went from a befuddled look to a glare. And she stepped forward, slicing the air with her sword in an attempt of intimidation. From right to left it went, and left the blade stayed. Of course, I wasn't afraid. I've killed sword bearers before. To be exact, scimitar-wielding terrorists charging my position when their ammo was depleted and surrender was apparently not an option. Her hilt, from what little I saw of it, had a ruby in its pommel. And the blade looked shiny, as if recently refined, and looked to be a short sword judgin' from its size.

I just now noticed upon further inspection that the sword had an engraving:

"My Honor. My Loyalty. My Life."

Hmph. Sorta reminded me of the SS service dagger, but seemed like something a British Officer would wield. But then again, I don't know if they even have swords still approved for use in battle. I know the Marine Corps has one. The Mameluke sword. I've held on those babies before, and boy was it an amazing looking sword. Wouldn't mind mounting one at home. I also wouldn't mind owning the SS dagger either. A little keepsake of history, you could say. It always did look cool.

What did the engraving on the dagger say? "Mein ehre... Heit? No, heist... something something"? Bah, it doesn't matter.

I was reluctant to shoot the pony, regardless of the danger she posed. As long as my training didn't come into full control, then she'll be somewhat alright. She growled and charged at me, quickly closing the gap between us. Reacting quickly, I aimed to the sky and fired a warning in hopes the noise would scare her. But it didn't, it had no effect at all. With a little panic, I threw down my carbine and backed away quickly as she swung at me. She swung again, and I retreated from its blade. Jumping back another foot. She swung once more, and I immediately retaliated. I kicked at the blade hard, knocking it out of her mouth. I then quickly brought my fist up and swung back at her. I struck her across the muzzle, my fist hitting the side of her helmet. I didn't show the pain that coursed my knuckles and brought the back of my fist once again across the mares muzzle. I was careful not to swing hard enough to break anything, but hard enough to prove a point. The second blow must've hurt though, as she stumbled back before falling over.

The sword, I noticed, slid down over by my rifle. Looked like an interesting thing to keep. But I had more pressing matters than a fucking sword, I quickly grabbed my knife and knelt by the mare. Pointing it at her eye. I could've put it to her throat, but I'd rather her see the death I offered with her own two eyes. I wanted her to be scared. It would convey a message. As I didn't intend to kill her, I wanted her to know not to follow me. Or else. She looked into my eyes, defiance and bravery replaced with fear. Replaced with a flash of her life. But she wasn't going to die. Not unless she forced me to defend myself again.

"Don't get up." I ordered simply. Standing up, I quickly sheathed my knife and grabbed my carbine. I glanced at the sword, but decided it wasn't worth effort. I kicked it further away from me and turned to dash away. I paused to look back at the pony, whom was still lying on the ground. Staring at me. She obviously understood me as she made no move to get up. That fit me just fine, though. I turned and hurried off.

The bells continued their toll, and it was getting annoying.

I kept my time on the streets short and always stayed low to catch a breather. The guard I had threatened earlier had not come back for round two, so I assumed she got the message loud and clear. I didn't want to kill anypony, but I would if it meant preserving my own life. If the first attempt to stop them didn't work, then killing was the last resort. The bells were never ending, and I could hear the warnings all around. I was getting extremely lucky that I only faced one, but my luck would soon run out. I knew that much. But when I could not tell. Minuette still had not found me, and i'm starting to get worried shes not even looking. If she isn't i'm not surprised. Why be out in Martial Law? She could be arrested.

Entering another street, I looked around. I left the mare behind, five streets ago. I wasn't worried of her revenge. But of her comrades I was. But, as long as I kept to empty roads, streets, and alleyways I figured i'd be f-

"There it is!"

"Surround the bastard!"

"Don't let it get away!"

Fuck!

I didn't even turn to look at the source. I knew that, from what I had heard, a whole squad must be behind me. My cautious walk turned into a full out sprint. I gained some ground quickly, but before I could round a corner, a few figures landed in front of me. At first, I was confused. But I soon remembered Fluttershy. Then pegasi all together. I backed up as they unsheathed their weapons. They had shields that resembled Roman scutums (albeit Golden colored with a sun in the middle), and quickly formed a shield wall, advancing towards me. I backed away and turned to look at my pursuers. I counted five.. No, six! Six ponies. All armed with spears. A red plumed stallion in front. An officer. He was armed with a sword, but not like the mare. No, instead he was armed with a broadsword. I looked around quickly for an alley to retreat down. But nothing. No alternate route. I looked back at the shield wall. They were closing in fast. I got my carbine ready in case they try to kill me, but when the footponies got close. They only made a spear wall. None made an attempt to advance further. Which was a good thing on my end, but a good thing short lived with the realization I wasn't going anywhere.

Well fuck... no way outta this. One way I get impaled. Another I get bashed and stabbed. If I did manage to escape, blood loss would finish me off... My mind raced quickly with solutions, but I had none. Self preservation is right now my number one top priority. I could just shoot my way out of this easily. Bullet beats spear, but I couldn't outrun a Pegasus. Nor could I outrun a fireball or a bolt of electricity. Or a orb of cold air. The rifle remained trained on the officer, who was behind the pike wall. He had a glare of defiance beaming right at me, and I could feel it burn through my very soul.

Military Code of Conduct, Article Two states that: "I will never surrender of my own free will.", but that can be interpreted in a few ways. In my case, I could interpret that to "Only surrender if escape is an impossibility..". In this instance, it wouldn't be of my own accord. They have surrounded me, fighting my way out is not worth the bloodshed or effort, as I wouldn't get far. Then I couldn't surrender as they would kill me immediately If I don't do something fast, they will kill me. That's not preferable either.

I glanced around, I saw doors that lead into buildings. Windows that I could easily jump through. Ponies were watching through 'em, some looked lower class. Stubbles, ragged hats and other things that showed they did the manual labor around here. And some ponies looked to be more rich than others. Tuxedos and monocles. They all were watching with interest. Waiting to see what would happen to this "monster.".

I looked at the scutum bearing pegasi, and they had closed in quick. Blocking my escape. I had no where to go, and only one card to play if I was to escape execution...

I threw my carbine over my shoulder, making sure to secure its strap. Then?

"I surrender!" I yelled, putting my hands in the air. "Spare me!"

The ponies backed away at my sudden movement, but looked confused. I saw one open his mouth to say something, but quickly shut it. Unable to articulate a single word. Understandable, but a bit worrying. A few looked to the officer for guidance. He looked confused as well.

"Did you-"

"Yes, I said that I surrender. Now, I want to talk to your boss. Take me to 'em. I got some questions!"

No reply.

"You deaf? Take me to the highest member of your fucking chain of command!" I demanded once more. "If you have any integrity, you will oblige."

"We don't have to oblige the demands of a monster who has harmed our ponies. Even if it can talk, there are no exceptions. You're a monster, and you will die for your transgressions. Guards, take it o-"

"Wait, wait, hold that thought. You see this, right here?" I gestured to my pistol. "Its a weapon my kind uses. It sprays death in any direction I choose. Now, unless you wanna see how many of you I can kill before you manage to incapacitate me, I suggest you do what I ask."

He looked down at my pistol for a moment, studying what little he saw. But he huffed with security and looked back at me. A smug grin grossing his cheeks.

"You're making that up."

I looked over to see a discarded bottle. It was full of water and seemed to have been abandoned when Martial Law was initiated. I smiled, and looked at the officer. Keeping my eyes locked with his, I unholstered the pistol and took aim. And in a second, the silence was broken by a loud crack. The guards quickly backed away as the bottle exploded almost immediately. I heard the shocked screams of the civilians standing in the nearby buildings. Watching. I kept my eyes locked with the officer, giving him an expression that said "Well?". The guards were murmuring amongst themselves.

The officer quickly took charge, recovering from instant surprise.

"Get some hoofcuffs on it."

<><><>

The hoofcuffs were ineffective. They slid off my hands fast and easy. The guards thought I was doing it on purpose, but they were just being dicks. They knew it wasn't going to fit on my arms. So instead, they just put two spears to my back and escorted me. Seconds to arriving at the castle gates, the bells quit their tolling. But I saw no civilian life. Which might, or might not be, a good thing. But I didn't care, I had other shit to worry for. As we moved towards the castle, more and more guards began to flank me. Pegasi soared overhead, armed with crossbows. They watched me, ready to kill should I do anything they don't like.

As we approached the gates, I was in awe. The size of the wall was immense, and the building it guarded even more immense. I saw windows made of stained glass, these windows depicting images that of which I could not detail. They were just so... beautiful. No word could describe their beauty. I saw a giant telescope peeking out the side of the castle, an observatory. Nice. The castle had its own tower on the far left. Looked like a barracks, but doesn't look like it was made for the guards in golden armor... No, no its got a banner depicting the Moon on it.

When we got to the gates, the leading officer turned to face me, with a glare. He opened his mouth to speak, but stopped. As if thinking his next choice of words, but it seemed he couldn't find anything right. Judging from his annoyed grunt. But in reality, he had.

"Make any sudden movements, and you'll be dead before you even move." He threatened. But of course, I felt a like a little smartass. The only thing keeping me from making any remark of that was my life was essentially at his mercy. I wouldn't have enough time to draw before they change the spear tips from grey to red.

"Open the gates! We got it!" He yelled, and barely a second passed before the door began opening. I was amazed, still. The architecture of it all. Amazing. One side of the gate had a sun on it, bright golden like the armor of those around me.

And the other was decorated with the moon. Dark, like the night. But the moon shined through that darkness, and was a white mistress among it. I just now noticed that the sky was a dark orange, and said darkness would be soon setting in. Timely, the day had lasted for far too long.

As the gate opened, I began to get glimpses of its courtyard. Flowers decorated it, along with stone pathways that led to the left and right. And ultimately up to the castle gates. I stared at the sheer size of it. I saw it from afar, but being much closer to it? It towered over the walls!

That would be bad for them were a siege to occur.

The occupants of the courtyard were few, as most of the guard were probably out in the city. Looking for me. But since the bells ended their toll, I imagined they would be back shortly. But, there were some. A few guards in golden armor were waiting behind the gates. Glaring at me with swords at the ready. Near the castle gate, there three guards. But unlike the golden armor most were wearing, they were dark purple armor. The helmets were not unlike, however. Still Spartan-like Were these special forces?

As we approached, one pointed at me and muttered something inaudible, and the one with its back to me turned and looked in my direction. I gasped and stopped in my tracks as I got a better look at her. It was definitely a mare. But was it a pony?

The mare had blueish-purple coat with piss-yellow eyes. Eyes like a snakes eye. Instead of the pupils like all the other ponies, hers was just black slits surrounded by the yellow. Her mane, pushed through the helmet unlike every other guard, was a deep blue. But what truly caught my attention was her wings. Fur-less wings, like a bats wing. It looked like leather, and when looked at me she barred her teeth and looked at me with contempt.

Fangs.. This bitch had fangs!

I felt a jab in my back, and knew I was standing still, fear making its way into my mind. But I mustered my courage and continued behind the officer. Keeping my eyes on the bat-mare as I moved, I kept my cool and pretended everything was fine. The officer, however, noticed my discomfort.

"Hah, wait until she says something to ya." He murmured.

As we approached, she stopped the officer. Chuckling slightly as we approached.

"What's this now?" She said, her voice betraying a raspy Scottish accent. "You fuckin' tellin' me this motherfuckin' cockwobble is why we're up early?" She spoke, eyeing me up and down. I took a slow, deep inhale. Trying not to betray any emotion. She gave a quick huff, and the officer sighed.

"Good evening to you too, Stella. Yep, this is it. This is the ape that's been causing trouble."

"Really? This is the twat what almost broke Captain Shiny's jaw?" She asked. This? This is the monster?" She said, looking up at me. "You don't look so tough to me, what, you think that because stand on two legs and hump animals you get to walk through whenever you want and kick bitches in the face? Well, you got another thing coming, ya gobshite." She rambled, injecting venom into every word.

"What?" I asked, not truly understanding what she was saying.

"Ah, and it talks too! What a fucking surprise." She said. "Why is this goddessdamn thing still breathing?" She asked, looking at the officer.

"Things more dangerous than you realize, Stella. We couldn't explain it, not without you fucking stopping us to say something stupid."

"Aye, shut yer hole, you goddessdamn Solar piss bucket!"

"Right. Well, The short story is we are taking it to the princesses. It, apparently, has questions."

"Ugh, just spear the damn thing already. Its ugly enough as it is. I mean, look! It has no mouth!" She replied. "How the hell does it speak? Out of its arse?!"

"I-I have a mouth!" I stumbled, quickly pulling my face wrap down. "See?"

"Ahh, so ya hide it, huh? Will ya shut the fuck up now?"

"Listen, hurry up and get on your patrol, Stella. Martial Law is over and so is this conversation."

"What the hell are you?!" I asked, suddenly. Ill be honest, this bitch was pissing me off. Reminded me too much of my drill sergeant back at Basic. But she quickly shut her mouth and looked at me, anger replaced by surprise. The officer looked at me, whispering "Oh shit, now you pissed her off." before backing away, some of the soldiers trailing me mocked him. Except one, who kept a spear in my back so I wouldn't go nowhere.

I looked down at her, her eyes glancing back up at me. She probably was thinking about why this monster was talking back, or maybe she feared for her life? I wasn't cuffed, after all...

Her expression once again conveyed anger. But worse than before.

"What the fuck am I?" She asked, fiercely. She began a low chuckle and looked back at the two Lunar guards by the door. "Really? Really. What the fuck am I, mate?" She said, looking at them before turning back to me. "Really?" She said, gaining ground on me till she was barely a few inches away.

"WHAT AM I?!?!" She roared with exponential annoyance and anger. "What the fuck are you, bitch?! You fucking, cocksucking prickarse! Mate, you better be lucky you got a platoon of pansy Solars behind you or i'd pull yer disrespectful tongue through yer fucking throat!"

"I'd like to see you try!" I retorted.

"Yeah, you'd like that, huh?!" She said, circling me. "You'd like a batmare to hoof yer throat, huh?"

What?! What the hell does that mean?!

I looked at her for a second just, trying to take in what she said. And interpret its meaning... but all I could think of was sexual shit and it doesn't sound pleasant.

"What the fucks wrong with you?" I asked as I stepped back. Ignoring the jab of that spear. "You perverted bitch! Seriously, what the fuck?!" The spear on my back encouraged me to advance, it was uncomfortable. But I had a few choice words for this one and it seems like the others weren't going to stop me.

"Listen, bitch! You ain't shit! You better watch who you fucking insult because I can kick your damn teeth in and no one would stop me!" I yelled. "Or I could just shoot you and watch you squirm until you bleed out!"

She stopped and looked up at me, her glare still prevailing over any expression. But her frown turned upside down, into a small smirk. And that smirk into a big smile. Her glare turned wide eyed look. She began to chuckle, however I began to feel confused.

"Haha, you-heh-you know what?" She started, backing away. "You're alright. At least someponies, or in yer case somethings, got the guts to talk back." She said, smiling up at me. But she quickly whipped her view to the officer. Muttering "Pansy.".

"Lieutenant, if yer taking this twat somewhere, then get it there. Now that this whole fucking fiasco is over I can probably squeeze in a few minutes of rest..." She said, turning back to her comrades. "The fuck you two doing? Get back to the barracks."

She turned to leave with her comrades, but she stopped and looked back at me, scanning me up and down. Smirking, she turned and left. Possibly satisfied with what she saw, although I had no idea if it was true. Possibly she just thought I was brave for talking back. I was confused.

"What the hell just happened?" I asked to no one in particular.

I myself looked around to see that these "Solar" guards had backed away a good ways. The only guards to not have done anything A voice caused me to jump and look at its source, the Lieutenant found his way back by my side. But he didn't look angry at me, instead, he just smiled and chuckled.

"Your resilient, ill give you that."

"Who the hell was that?!" I asked.

"Hehehe, your worst nightmare. She's an obnoxious Lunar Guard with a bark worse than her bite..." He said.

"Yeah, obnoxious is the right word to use, huh?" I sarcastically remarked. "She's a fuckin' bitch!"

"Don't take it personally. I hear she's a cool mare to know, fun to drink with. I wouldn't know though as she really dislikes us Solars. She just doesn't like getting up early, especially for an emergency like this. That being said, let that be a lesson to you: Always talk back to Stella. Or you'll have nightmares forever." He said, turning back towards the gate. "Shut that thing already!" He ordered.

"If that's the case, why don't you guys talk back?"

"Didn't you hear me? She hates us Solars. Talking back only makes it worse."

If I ever see that mare again, it will be too soon.

I heard a noise, and both me and the officer looked towards its source. The door to the throne room was opening. And out poked the head of another guard.

"What the hell is going on out here?" He asked. Freezing when he spotted me.

"Just Stella antagonizing everypony and generally being Stella. That....monster requests an audience with Her Majesty." The Lieutenant reported.

"Right, err... right. Well, this thing will have to wait Her Majesty is in a meeting with her generals."

"Well you tell her, Corporal, that this important!"

"Yessir."

<><><>

The throne room was beautiful. Moon and Sun Banners on each side, each depicting their respective insignia and colors. Half the guards that escorted me had broken off and only volunteers stayed to watch me. The Lieutenant was still here, standing at my side. His calmness subsided and his original demeanor of authority and no bullshit has returned. He hasn't said a word to me since the soldier left to fetch the Princess. And so I sat there on the steps that led the thrones, two guards flanking me. Sharing the room with us was the mare I had nearly killed earlier. She had her sword back in its sheath, and she didn't take her eyes off of me. She didn't look angry, though. But I still felt uncomfortable. I think its also worthy noting that when she walked in, the soldiers and the Lieutenant saluted to her.

I can see the bruises where I had hit her earlier. Those won't go away for awhile. Not with how hard I had hit. Speaking of assaults, I'm glad to know I didn't break that one officers jaw. I had kicked harder than I intended to.

Time passed as we sat there, waiting. The best guess I can give for why she was meeting with her high ranks is because of me. I mean, its what I would do. Discuss how to contain and capture or kill it. But now that its all over, now that i'm "captured", they should probably have adjourned it. But I guess not. I began to feel a little drowsy from it all. I had a lot of activity done today, and exhaustion was a terrible mistress.

I looked up at the thrones themselves, and marveled in their own allure. Everything in this castle seemed beautiful. Walls look very well maintained, glass looks tempered, door looked treated, and they even had cool looking paintings here and there. Nothing but the best for the rulers, I guess.

"Your Majesty." I heard, I quickly turned my eyes back to the officer. He had done what looks like a bow. And the....

By God... Your Majesty is goddamn right!

"Lieutenant Rockslide, good evening."

Standing there, towering over her guards by a few feet, was a mare. A... its not a unicorn or a Pegasus. But, this mare, she was... Majestic. Her mane flowed with a magnificent aura of colors in a non-existent breeze. She employed a cautious smile when she gazed at me, and her eyes an awe-inspiring purple that spake "Benevolence". Her coat was a shiny royal white, and her hooves looked like golden sabatons. But, made for horses. I then remembered that all these things have tattoos called "Cutie Marks". My eyes drifted to the visible side of herass, and there it was. The sun itself. While it wasn't glowing like the real thing, it was just as beautiful.

She looked at me, and knew what I was looking at. She caught my gaze and I looked away, blushing slightly.

Was I really staring at a horses ass? Control yourself, Crouse. You aren't an inbred redneck.

"Good evening. I'm sorry to have your meeting interrupted."

"Its not a problem, Rockslide. I'm always glad to make time for my friends...." She said, glancing back at me. "Is this our intruder?" She asked calmly.

"Yes, Your Highness. This is the monster. It called for a parley, and demonstrated its danger to multiple ponies easily. We brought it to you for your judgement."

"It can speak?" She asked.

"Yes, Your Highness. We were surprised as well." He retorted. She exhaled slowly and calmly glanced again in my direction. As if deciding on what to do. As a few moments passed, silence prevailed in the room. But her thoughtful glance turned into a benevolent smile, and her eyes narrowed on me. She took a few steps towards me, but the officer tried to stop her. She ignored him, however and continued towards me. Her eyes fixated.

She stopped when she was close enough to look down on me. But she remained silent, as if waiting for me to say something. But I didn't. I only looked up at her, awed by everything about her. Even sitting near her I felt an aura of happiness radiating from her presence, and the worries of today and anger caused by a certain guard sorta washed away...

"How many of my ponies have you hurt?" She finally asked after a few minutes.

"A recorded number of three, ma'am. He knocked out Private Iron Gut. Nearly broke Captain Shiny's Jaw, and gave Major Sprinkled Summer over there some nasty bruises when she tried to stop him." He said, gesturing to the mare I had beaten down earlier. She just gave a sheepish smile. The Princess, however, sighed and looked back at me.

"Well... That certainly isn't any way to come seek an audience." She said. She then paused, cautiously asking seconds later. "Do you have a name?"

"Just call me Sergeant." I replied.

"Sergeant?" She asked.

"Yes." I confirmed.

"Well, pleasure to meet you, Sergeant. I'm Princess Celestia, I'm sure you know who I am."

"Yes, I had heard about you and your sister." I said with a smile. "Benevolent rulers, from what I have heard."

"We try..."

Seconds passed as we just stare at each other. Neither she nor me had anything to say... I mean, I had questions. But I felt I had no position to be asking anything. There were guards all over the room, archers up high ready to turn me into a porcupine, and the princess even looked ready to fight. I simply was too scared to ask anything. I cleared my throat and looked back around. Studying the glamour that was the throne room.

"You got a beauty of a home." I complimented, scratching the back of my head in a mousy state. She smiled.

"Thank you."

"Your Highness, what are we going to do with him?" Rockslide asked. He looked over at me and frowned, then turned to whisper in her ear. What he said, I had no clue. But I had a feeling it wasn't good. At least not for me. The princess expression changed from caution to surprise. Then from surprise to a thoughtful look.

"No... no. He was scared, we will not punish him in that sense." She muttered back. She paused for a moment, then continued. "But, we will punish him for the assaults."

Uh oh. That didn't sound good.

<><><>

"Tango in the open!"

"I got him!"

A quick crackle of shots and the tango was on the ground, bleeding. His life forfeit.

"Nice shot, Crouse! Move up, move up!"

The sky was dark, and gunfire and muzzle flashes illuminated that dark. Helicopters flew overhead, firing at targets marked by red flares. Tank were rolling through the main streets. But they were taking heavy losses. American Marines and British SAS forces were converging on the town, its name I forgot, but its of important strategic value to the coalition. I didn't ask questions, I just followed orders. Local Afghani police disguised as terrorists infiltrated the town earlier today and evacuated who they could. But many civilians were still inside their homes. Listening to the crescendo of death and war around them. Hoping that no one comes in and shoots them.

Some were tired of living under an iron fist and had taken up arms to fight the insurrectionists alongside us, sort of a partisan movement, I guess. One was with us right now, his name was Alamir jel-Kamadi Bashara. Didn't speak a lick of English. Yeah. But he was an old Afghan soldier, he knew how to fight. I gotta say, I was glad to have him with us. We tried to tell him to go home, but he refused. I, on the other hand, shook his hand and welcomed him to the squad.

The 11th Marines were assaulting the southern and western parts of town while the SAS was airdropping into key sections of the town to eliminate Anti-Armor placements to allow tanks to roll through. An additional regiment of Marines and British infantry was on standby to assault the Eastern parts of town should we take too many casualties. But that seems like an impossibility. We caught the Taliban with their dicks in their hands. They were confused and scattered. Unorganized.

And that's just how we like it.

In the squad were Alamir, Cunningham, Kelley, Ray, me, and our temporary squad leader Staff Sergeant Jacob Miller. He was a good leader, and i'm glad he knew what he was doing. He was leading us through the town, up roads and through alleys. Our squads objective was to reach the town hall, hold it, and wait for reinforcements.

Around us, abandoned cars and buildings was the scenery. You could hear gunfire throughout the town, and yelling. Explosions occasionally. Due to the risk of high civilian casualties, airstrikes and artillery aren't on standby for assistance. Which sucks, but is understandable.

"Hey, what about this alleyway?" Cunningham asked, causing us all to turn around. Alamir only turned when he saw us turn. Miller seemed to like the idea of going down the alley as he looked to me and told me I was point man. A job I didn't enjoy, as it mean't I was the first to get shot.

Alamir was right behind me, Ray behind him, and so on. As we progressed down the alley, I looked back at Miller.

"Does this alley even lead to the town hall?" I asked

"Its just a few streets over, alley looks like it'll allow us to skip a few." He stated before calling to Alamir. He spoke in the language they spoke largely around here, Dari, I think it was. All I understood was the word Alamir. He replied with a short sentence. An agreement, or him saying fuck no?

As we arrived to the end of the alley and into a narrow backstreet, I heard a voice speak a warning at me. It sounded British. I quickly turned to meet the source, and saw a dozen of SAS infantry running over to us. Leaving their own alley.

"Ah, some Yanks. Its about time, we were wondering when-"

And what followed interrupted all thought and conversation. A bright flash ignited underneath the feet of a few of the SAS, and I was blown back. I quickly staggered back up and picked up my rifle. But I couldn't hear anything. Let alone see anything. The flash kicked up a bunch of dust and sand, and even blew a hole in a nearby building. I saw headlights pulling up, but didn't run towards them. Too confused. I looked over and saw a figure run by me, only to fall dead on the ground. Shot to death.

Throughout the confusion, I felt the tracers fly by. Surprisingly, I was unscathed. But the sand that kicked up and all the ringing didn't help any. Out of nowhere, I saw a figure dash towards me. I thought it was a SAS Medic, but I was wrong.

"Allah Akbar!" He yelled. I couldn't get a clear look at him, but I saw a shimmer of light, and knew what he was wielding:

A sword.

He swung at me, but I jumped backwards, falling on my ass but avoiding his swing. It was a short term solution, however. I saw him recover, ready to try again. In my stunned state, I regret that I forgot I had a rifle.

But, as the terrorist raised his sword for a downward thrust, I felt warm trickles of blood run down my forehead. And he fell backwards, landing dead on the ground. And I felt arms grab my shoulders. It solicited a surprised yelp from me, and whoever grabbed me began to drag me through the sand. I tried to struggle, but it was fruitless.

The ringing slowly evaporated, and around me I heard the voices of my comrades. British and American.

"Reloading, cover me!"

"Corpsman!"

"Captain, orders ser?!"

I felt myself coughing, normally I would have my face wrap up during combat. But not this time, too easy to be mistaken in the dark.

I heard a voice directly behind me, a local voice. Local language. At first, I tried to turn and take him out. Grabbing one of his arms and trying to shoot him, but he kept telling at me. It wasn't until I heard him yell, what vaguely sounded like at any rate, Crouse. I then realized it was Alamir, dragging me to safety. I turned my head to get a better look at him, and I actually saw him. He had dragged me out of the dust/sand cloud and behind an allied hummer, he laid me up against the side of it, and began patting me down, checking for wounds.

He must've been satisfied, however, with his finds as he stopped seconds later.

"Crouse! Crouse!" He yelled, pointing at me while looking to a nearby Marine. His accent very thick. The Marine looked at me and then threw me his rifle.

At first, I thought I had mine, but it turns out I dropped it in the struggle.

Alamir patted me on the shoulder, and ran back into the fray. His AK-47 locked and loaded. Perhaps he was going to rescue more Marines or SAS? Or perhaps he wanted to fight in middle of it all? But I didn't try to stop him.

With my mind somewhat calm, I could better hear the chaos around me. And it dawned on me what happened.

Some poor bastard stepped on an IED.

Bullets, tracers, and grenades flee back and forth. Orders were being barked, and taunts were being slung. I looked to the Marine who lent me his rifle, he had his sidearm out. Firing at the enemy. I looked to my left. A Marines corpse in the road, and a Corpsman working on a wounded SAS, who in turn was returning fire.

I peeked over the hummer, and these I saw everything. Marines and SAS hiding behind anything and everything. Cars, alleys, buildings, dumpsters. Some were in lying in the open, bleeding, fighting, or dead. I was one of the lucky ones.

I instantly turned when I heard my name. Alamir was there, a wounded Marine over his shoulder. I knew what he wanted.

"Corpsman!" I yelled, waving over at the Corpsman. He noticed, and quickly ran over. Alamir set him down next to me, and ran back into the fray. To possibly save another one.

I grabbed my rifle and moved to return fire, but something stopped me. Something caught my gaze. I froze with an expressionless stare. I knew not of what to make of it, nor what to think. But it was there.

A horse...no, a Pegasus? Unicorn? But I stared at it, and it me. It was horse-like creature. A very dark blue coat and a mane as dark as midnight. It flowed with nonexistent wind. It sported wings, a horn, and cute looking eyes that blended well with darkness. It was just staring at me, frowning in what looked like pity. It knew that I had spotted it, but it made no attempt to run. I looked to the corpsman.

"You see this shit?!" I asked. He turned to see what I was pointing at, but looked at me like I was crazy.

"The fuck you pointing at, dumbass?!" He asked. "Let me work, this man's gonna die if I can't stop the bleeding!"

I looked back at the creature, and it was gone. I saw the hoofmarks where it had been, but it was gone. I looked around for it, but I saw nothing. It just vanished. Poof. Gone.

What the hell....

"Crouse! Crouse!" My radio chirped. "Get up here! We gotta push forward!"

I look to the corpsman.

"You gonna be alright?"

"Yeah, ill be fine! Get going!"

I looked back at where I saw the creature, but I still saw nothing. I huffed and returned my attention to the gunfight ahead of me. I heard a Scottish voice to my left. It was the wounded SAS.

"Aye, you! We'll go together!" He said, oblivious to the shrapnel that shredded his shoulder. I looked at him, all skeptical. I felt a little concern, but these SAS guys are some bad motherfuckers.

"You sure? Your shoulder looks like shit." I asked. He stood up and tried to fire off a burst at the enemy, but a bullet forces him back down.

"I'll be fine, you wank!" He said. "I've gone through worse."

"Uhh, right!" I said, keeping my stare on his shoulder. Ill take his word for it. "How we gonna do this?" I asked, a tracers ricocheting off the Humvee's side. Grazing my helmet.

"I'll cover you, then you cover me, got it?"

"Got it!"

"Don't be slow, Yankee!" He yelled. I looked back, trying to keep myself as small a target as possible. The cloud was long gone, and I could see the insurgents. They had the buildings, the road, the alleys. Everything. It was theirs. Unfortunately, we were pinned. I saw the blood and guts of those unfortunate enough to be near the IED explosion..

And then there's the bodies of the saps cut down by the bullets...

"Come on, you yobbo!" He yelled. "Move up, I got you!"

"Crouse, where the hell are you? Are you alright?" I heard on my radio.

"I'm fine! Ill be there in second!"

Hopefully...

Counting the seconds to three... I vaulted over the hood of the hummer. Landing on my feet and running at full speed. Tracers flying by, so close I felt the heat radiating off of them. And the SAS guy was covering me, his rifle cracking in bursts, bullets flying at our enemy.

Silently, I cursed my luck. But didn't-

<><><>

"Wake up, dammit!"

I shot up, almost hitting the ceiling. My breathing was heavy, loud. A little wet, and sweat was streaming down my cheeks. Soaking my clothes. My hair was dripping.

"You, uh, need some water?" My jailor asked. "Looks like you're about to have heat stroke."

I felt my cheeks and moved to massage the bridge of my nose. It itched with each droplet that rolled down.

"Yes, water please."

"What was all that about shredded shoulders?" She asked.

"Nothin'. Just sleeptalk." I murmured loud enough for her to hear. I looked towards the guard. But, the darkness of the dungeon concealed most of her image. She had a dim lantern at her hooves, however, so I could see the lower half of her legs. White fur with gold sabatons.

"You've been sleeptalkin' throughout your slumber." She said. "Sorts frightening, some of the things you said." She added. I could hear her rustling with something. Something plastic. As she did, I surveyed my cell. It was small, not lanky though. My only source of light was a dim candle that was on its last legs, and there was a drip somewhere in the cell. Couldn't find out where, though.

It also stank like wet dog in here. But I doubt anyone ever washed their dog here. Weird.

My bed was just an old plank tethered to the wall with a rusty chain. There were no windows, and only stone and an iron bar door. This place makes American cells look like heaven.

Well... I guess i'm not getting raped though.

"Here." She said, reaching into the cell. A bottle of water in her hoof. I, with how thirsty I was, gladly took it. I undid the cap and and took a hearty swig, it was warm. But nonetheless helped. I had a headache, but didn't really know why. It wasn't dehydration, I knew that much.

I muttered a thank you to her. But she didn't leave as I expected her to. She just stood there, watching. Observing. For what purpose, I didn't know. But I was getting curious rather quickly. I looked down at her as a drip of water rolled down my chin. The sweat is still prevalent, and I went to smell myself. It wasn't too bad yet, but I either would need a shower or a beheading to keep it from getting too bad. And she just looked up at me, obviously having something to say.

"Do you... need something?" I asked after a moment or two.

"I just wanted to say thank you."

"For what?" I asked. "I've done nothing but harm today. Don't know why I would I deserve a-"

"You spared me... Remember?" She asked. But I drew a blank. For a few seconds, I sat there, thinking. But I could only draw blanks. She lifted the lantern, and it shone on her face. A dim light shining on a white coat. And then I saw them: Her taupe eyes. I could never forget a face. And with these ponies, the eyes dominate the face. Her name, even though she never told me, was uttered by the Lieutenant earlier. Sprinkled Summer. Major Sprinkled Summer.

"Major?" Is all I said, it was all I had to say. Back home, its how I greeted some people. Just calling them by their ranks. But she seemed glad of my recognition.

"Ah, so you do remember me?" She replied.

"Yeah, I can't forget a face. I'm surprised you even want to see me." I said. "I mean, I could've killed you."

"But you didn't." She countered immediately.

"Yeah, I didn't." I mimicked. She was right, I could've killed her. I had the opportunity. I chose not to. I ignored my instincts and my training and walked away. But I was right to do so.

She looked away, not really sure what to do or say. The moment was awkward for both of us, and I had no idea why she even wanted to say anything to me. Thank you or no, it didn't make any sense to me. I looked down to her, and she looked nervous. I would be too were I talking to a... monster? Is that how they see me?

"Whats wrong?" She asked

"What? What do you mean, nothing's wrong. I'm just a misplaced Marine sitting here in a prison cell, awaiting a sentencing from a displeased monarch that will probably end in a death sentence." I said, with a little more spite than I oughtta have. "Nothings wrong." I added. Her expression turned from one of pity to annoyance, possibly from the spite, and back again to pity.

"Well.... if it makes you feel any better. We don't have a death sentence. It's been outlawed since the end of the War of The Three Races." She reassured. I looked back at her, the word "War" echoing in my mind. It seemed odd that a war would be here, in this colorful land.

Odd indeed.

This War of The Three Races was something that peaked some interest. A war between races? A World War possibly? That's something to read up on. But not now, no books around. In the darkness of the cell, the dripping got heavier. As if it was raining outside and it was seeping in.

We sat in silence for several moments. I really didn't have much to say, and for good reason. My time here has gone from terrible to good to bad then right back to terrible. I had few good things to say. About anything.

"So, you said you're a Marine? Like those dudes who guard ships?" The Major asked, breaking the silence.

"Why are you here? You already said your thanks."

"I'm just trying to be friendly. The princess assigned me to guard you and-"

"Yeah, well let me break my time here down for you: I've been stranded, mauled, taken in and nursed back to health before being subsequently kicked out on my ass, chased through town by guards, insulted by some bitch Lunar, and now I'm in a rank cell awaiting judgement because I'm just trying to survive."

She just looked at me. Confused.

"Whatever you're attempting, you're failing. The only thing you're managing to do is irritate me." I deadpanned, retreating to my bed. The lonely wooden plank. The Major didn't seem insulted, but rather she seemed like she pitied me.

"Oh, I-I... I can see why your unhappy. I'll just... go. I'll be back with your dinner here soon." She said, grabbing the lantern handle with her mouth. Then she turned and walked away, her sabatons clanging in the stone floor with each step she took. I just listened, waiting. Her steps echoed heavily and overshadowed the dripping.

And soon, the echo faded. She was gone and the drip returned...

Plop....Plop

<><><>

"We need air support, now!"

Zzzzcccchtt

"There is no escape! Bastards got the road locked down, we move we die! We need air support!"

"Roger......Mark targets and we'll tear 'em apart."

With that, Miller grabbed a flare off his belt and began to pull at the cap. He looked to me.

"Crouse, as soon as the heli tears 'em up, you advance! Got it?" He ordered.

"Yessir!" I replied, and he smirked.

All of the sudden, the flare went off bright as could be. A blinding red flare, blowing red everywhere. I looked away as fast as I could, closing my eyes and tried to recover from the colors. I still heard all the shooting and the shouting. Some nearby screamed when they saw the flare, thinking that in the confusion a grenade went off, and some poor sap was caught on top of it.

I looked back at Miller, and he himself had recovered from the flash and had stood up, counted to three, and emerged. He tossed the flare as far as he could, and backed up behind the buildings wall once more. Just in time, too. Bullets began to damage the air where he had been. And he exhaled hard, grabbing my shoulder in the process.

"Lucky dumbass." I muttered. Overhead, I could hear the rotors of a helicopter. I mean, you could hear them throughout the city. Providing fire support for various squads in the town. But this one was closing in fast, you could hear it. SAS had their own helos in the air, but there weren't providing fire support, instead they were providing only medevacs and reinforcements. It got closer, and closer. To the point it was visible. This thing was a Black Hawk. And as its name stated, its a black helicopter. Hard to see at night, but then again, it has lights. It was close. Very close. It was a majestic thing, and a majestic sight.

"Preparing to fire, keep away from the target zone."

I stared at the beast, I could see the pilot in the cockpit, and he saw us but he didn't wave or anything. But it was majestic. I never rode in a Black Hawk before, but I wanted to. All I ever ride is Ospreys and while their fun too, I'd rather ride a Black Hawk. I could see his door gunners, and they looked ready to fight.

It began to turn to its side, and then you could see where the bullets were striking. But, lucky, the crew would be alright. It didn't look like the bullets were penetrating anything.

It was then one of their door mounted machine guns let loose the hell each one was capable of unleashing. A cascade of bullets rained down on the bastards ahead. And our own guys slowed to an altogether ceasefire to watch. It was an awesome spectacle.

As the bullets rained down, the return fire began to slow down. Until you could barely tell they were firing back. The sweep of the machine gun continues for almost a full minute, but when the return fire no longer occurred, the gunner stopped firing. The helicopter hovered in place for a minute, checking for anything they missed. Then, after another moment, they broke away.

"This is Champion Three-Two-O'Niner. Seems clear now, good luck."

"Yeah, thanks." Miller replied. He exhaled again and we both looked back. Down the road. Soldiers were still hiding behind vehicles and in alleys, unsure if it was truly safe. I saw the mangled corpses of those unlucky enough to have been caught in the IEDs blast. And I saw the bodies, wounded and dead of those cut down by gunfire. I tried not to focus on the dead much, though. Bad for morale. I saw some of the men cautiously leave their hiding spots, and many ran for the wounded, some for the dead.

Miller nudged me, and I remembered his order. So, without delay and comforted with the fact our guys ain't getting shot at, I stepped out from behind the wall and counted the seconds for when I get shot by the one guy that miraculously survived, like in the movies.

But I was lucky, there was no such guy. Just bodies, bodies and smoke. Blood, too.

"Crouse!" I heard. The voice had an accent, local from the sound of it. But I was still in my combat state, I turned towards the source. Rifle at the ready, but it wasn't a terrorist. It was Alamir, and he had a wounded Marine slung over his shoulder. The poor guy was moaning, bleeding slowly from his leg. But he didn't seemed alarmed and actually looked as if he trusted the Muslim (something to be said, since most the guys I run with don't). The beared Muslim smiled and came closer, handing me his AK-47.

Something told me he is done fighting.

Something caught my eye, though. A figure in the dark, watching me. Its eye continued to convey pity, but also intrigue. Interest. As if it wanted to know more. I kept my eyes on it, but didn't convey my knowledge of its presence. Its figure was dark, and concealed by the night. No one else noticed it, nobody but me.

"Thanks for helping us out, Alamir."

<><><>

I occupied most of my time sleeping. Occasionally probing the door or the stone. Looking for a way out. They weren't asking for any information, so I didn't have to give the standard dialogue, but I still had to find a way to escape if I could. But it was flawless, nothing could get through but hand and keys. It had been a few days since the start of my imprisonment, and it doesn't seem to be ending anytime soon.

Other times I spent eating, thinking, and talking with my guard. She had a lot to say and otherwise informed me on stuff Fluttershy either could not or did not. What piqued my curiosity the most was the "War of The Three Races". She told me too she was very interested in the topic when she was young and even took an Equine History class in High School just to learn about it. From what she told me, it was apparently a conflict that lasted from the beginning of time to the founding of Equestria (which was a long time, according to the Major). It was the first, and last, conflict that involved ponies. It involved the three races: Earth Ponies, Unicorns, and Pegasi. Now, they couldn't get along for shit. Each one required something from the other.

Earth Ponies were adept at farming goods. The Pegasi were a warrior faction, adept at the ways of war and could even control the weather itself. The Unicorns were, wouldn't ya guess it? Adept at magical things. Controlling spirits and whatnot, but were very snobby. Now, as it was stated, each one required something from the other. The Earth Ponies, to grow their food, needed good weather. Sunshine and some rain. Otherwise they could not grow a harvest. Earth Ponies were also set upon the wild forces of Nature. Making farming dangerous work. So, they required protection and good weather service from the Pegasi. But the Pegasi refused this unless they were given a portion of the harvest. So, they had a mutually beneficial deal. Then for the unicorns..

Earth Ponies and Pegasi both required this magical crap from the Unicorns, but the unicorns refused service. Not unless they were given a portion of the harvest, and protection and good weather from the Pegasi. So, they had their deals too. But, according to the Major, history is fuzzy on who broke the deal first. But one race broke the deal, and this began a conflict that lasted almost a thousand years. It was so bad that a long, bad winter set in. And the harsh feelings brought on the haunting of evil spirits known as Windigos. Now, at first, I thought of the North American cannibal. But apparently Wendigo has a different meaning here. Spirits of pure hatred and evil that feed off of harshness. These Windigos brought on a winter than lasted most of the conflict, and it got so bad that the three races set out to colonize a new landmass. But three races met in one location that each wanted, but neither was willing to concede. The Windigos followed. The factions hid in a cave but their differences did not settle. The leaders froze due to their intense hatred, and their stewards huddled together. And as days dragged on, the stewards settled their own differences and became friends. But this friendship was harmful to Windigos. It burnt them.

Once the Windigos were driven away, the ice melted and the leaders thawed. They saw everything, and decided that if their stewards could do it, they could too. They set out and united the colonies each one planted. And they dubbed their new unity and their new home: Equestria.

Some odd years later, the unicorn steward "Clover the Clever" conceived a child from an unknown lover. This child was the future princess Celestia. And not long after her birth, the sister "Luna" was born too. Unfortunately, Clover died in child birth on the second one due to insufficient medical science at the time. Ugh.

No one quiet knew why Clover bore two "Alicorns", but no one rightly questioned it either. These alicorns, once they came into age, brought Equestria into a never-ending age of prosperity and peace.

...

I'd be crazy back home if I said any of this. That or they would say I gots a good imagination. Though, this kind of history intrigued me. And I really wanted to know other things, but Sprinkled only really ever studied that topic. I wasn't interested in the rest she offered.

Major Sprinkled Summer was courteous mare. Bringing me food, water, talking to me and letting me know when it was a new day. She wasn't at all insulted by my behavior at first. She knew where I was coming from. Understood why I was hostile. She still had the bruises from when I had assaulted her, but they didn't bug her. Not one bit. She forgave me, and I felt a little bit better.

She asked me where I came from, but I knew not what to tell her. I mean, how could I tell anybody that I'm from another goddamn dimension or plane of existence or whatthefuck ever. It was easier to say I didn't know anymore. I answered her questions as best I could, though. She asked me if I was a soldier. I said yes. She asked me what kind, I told her bullet-sponge.

She asked me what a bullet was, too.

She asked me if I think i'm going home anytime soon. I told her I don't know. She asked me questions and I responded best I could. Personal information or confidential questions however were avoided. I just simply tried to change the subject. The dripping stopped two days ago, and its been relatively quiet down here. Had a lot of time with my thoughts. Thought about going home. Thought about the dreams I have been having lately. Thought of my friends. Thought of everything. And I've finally come to a conclusion.

Its might be too late to go home. But I do have one last hope. This Celestia, she's a... goddess. All powerful, right? Maybe she can zap me home?

One could hope.

As I sat there, my head buried in my knees, back against the wall, I heard the echo of hoofsteps, metal clanging on stone. Then it started growing closer, and became loud as if Jack the Ripper was stalking you. Then, it stopped. I heard a metal jingle. Then there was a metal creaking. Metal sliding on stone. I lifted my head to look at who was entering. Two guards, both male. They, unlike the others, were wearing full golden plate but retained the Achilles helmet. These soldiers in particular had an odd plume color. It was a bright orange. I surmised they were either special forces or household guards. I would've guessed Royal, but even the guards in the castle wear the same as the town.

"Stand up." One ordered as he entered.

"Right." I complied getting to my feet quickly. The other stayed at the door, watching. Not in contempt, not in anger. He just stood there, observing. Judging. The other approached, cuffs jingling on his side. "You know those things won't work on me, right? My hands are too small." I told him. He stopped and his eyes went wide. He looked down at my hands and scrutinized them. He looked back up seconds later, a bit unhappy.

"So they are." He admitted. "Just come with us. Her Grace is ready for you."

"I've been waiting for about five fucking days. I haven't taken a shower in a long time!" I said.

"This better be worth it."

<><><>

As they escorted me, we passed guards and servants. The guards did not look any different from the regulars, but didn't wear plate, unlike their brothers escorting me. The guards, when I passed by, readied their weapons. Servants backed away or immediately left my presence. I could understand that fully, were I in their shoes I would leave too. It wasn't my place to do or say anything, after all.

I had thought they were escorting me to the gallows, or to the throne room. But we passed by the main gates, and through the throne room. When I questioned where we were going, they simply told me: "Somewhere.". But they didn't relay this with hostility. On the contrary, they smiled when they said it. As if they knew something I did not. I noticed they did not even show stress. Nor did they have their weapons at the ready. They were absolutely calm about this. But I wasn't.

As we passed by windows, I stopped to look outside. It was bright morning, and I could see the city. It was slightly foggy, but I could still see plentiful.

The guards stopped and looked at me.

I could Night guards leaving the walls, including one that looked vaguely like Stella...

If I ever encounter her again...i'll slit my throat.

Day guards were taking the now vacant spots, and the gardens below had insects buzzing around them. Butterflies and bees. Then the city itself past the walls, I saw ponies walking the streets. Morning go-ers from the looks of it. Some were flying in the sky, but most were just walking. But what caught my attention was the view. I saw the a lot. The sun reflecting off a nearby pond in the garden gave a shine that landed on the windows. It made it all the more beautiful. Birds were chirping, some landing on the only open window. Cardinals, from the looks of it. They looked at me, and I swear I saw a smile on one of them.

There was also a breeze. Winter will be here in the coming week, mark my words.

"Nice, isn't it?" One of the guards asked. Coming to my side. "The capitol of Equestria. Canterlot is home to all sorta of ponies, griffons, zebras, and maybe even a yak or two. Or Diamond Dogs."

"Diamond Dogs?" I asked.

"Its hard to explain, ill just say their like any underground thing. Weird an untrustworthy, but a loyal friend should you manage to befriend one. Come on, the Princess is waiting."

Within minutes, after navigating through hallways and a few rooms, we arrived at a set of doors. They told me she was inside. Waiting. My legs were shaking, and I felt sweat rolling down my neck. I was nervous, and I couldn't hide it. I gulped and reached for the handle, but hesitated. What if this was a courtroom? Or a torture chamber?

What if its a room full of Stellas?! Oh god, the thought is unbearable.

With a little courage, I pulled hard on the handle and opened the door. What I saw was different, however. Household Guards lined the walls, at what looked like the pony-version of Attention. There was a feast table in the center of the room, at one end a Princess named Celestia, at the other a vacant seat. The table had various food items on it. Mostly vegetables and fruits. No meat whatsoever. Although there was a cauldron of soup in the middle, but possibly a veggie soup. There was also cake.

The Princess looked at me, with a smile that could calm anybody. Even a terrorist. She looked me up an down for a second and opened her mouth to speak.

"Please, sit. We have much to discuss..."

Author's Note

Special thanks to Flammenwerfer for allowing a Stella cameo in this chapter! Thank you, Flammenwerfer! I tried my best to write her in character. It was originally not mean't to be as long as it was, but it happened. Sorry if I botched anything with it, first time writing a cameo. Hell, for all I know, I fucked the whole thing up.

Angry Stella = Sexy Stella heheh.

Oh, by the way, if you noticed any weird word placements or typos in the Dream sequences in this chapter then let me know. I used an app on my phone to work on my story for a while during the production of this chapter. Auto-Correct was a bitch on the app.