Evil Break

"Hey, Em. Time to wake up."

"Morning..."

"We got some work to do today."

"What are we doing...?"

"We've sort of been hired as temporary soldiers. I'll explain on the way to Ponyville."

"Ponyville...?"

"The town we were picked up from."

"Oh..."

"Wash your face and get something to eat. We'll be leaving soon."

"Alright..."

Emily yawned, stretching about to console her stiff muscles.

Celestia returned the Duo's weapons near the castle's entrance - two spears with plush dolls attached and a serrated clip point pocket knife to be exact.

"I hope to the highest of heavens you will not have to use these."

"So do I," Maria agreed.

Stepping through the door, Maria and Emily headed for the train platform.

"Our job for the day is to keep the tension between the guards and the townsfolk to a minimum while guarding everyone from monsters like this."

Maria handed Emily a composite sketch.

"What is it?"

"Animated wolf carvings. No one knows exactly how or why they came to life. If we can retrieve a sample, they may be able to find a cause."

"Wolves...?"

"I'll be with you the whole time. Remember what I taught you. Stay calm and focused."

"..."

Maria glanced at the passing scenery. She hated making Emily confront her fear, but until they could get back to Earth, protecting the inhabitants of Equestria was the best alternative.

The conductor spoke over the intercom.

"We are now arriving at platform eight. Next stop: Ponyville. All disembarking passengers, please confirm all belongings are present and accounted for."

"We'll do a sweep through town first, then focus our attention on the forest for the remainder of the day."

The partners traveled down the lively-colored seat decor to the door.

"Hello."

"Who are you guys," Maria inquired.

"I'm Twilight Sparkle. These are my friends, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Applejack, and Fluttershy. This is my assistant, Spike. Spike and I are the ones who recorded the initial findings on Earth and reported them to the princesses. However, while I was there, I was unable to fully ascertain the true extent of human psychology and physical ability."

"I got you. We're about to start our patrol."

"Excellent! The data provided could prove invaluable."

"We'll help where we can."

"Princess Celestia has arranged your accommodations for the evening."

"Good to know."

"Oh! One more thing. I should also inform you my brother is the captain of the royal guard. You are to report to him and the princesses once you're finished."

"How are the reports going to get there before we leave tomorrow?"

"Leave it to Spike. His dragon breath can transport small objects in a matter of seconds."

"Right. Forgot about the magic thing."

"At the very least, you seem to be adapting to our world rather well."

"Believe me, when you've lived the kind of life I have, a happy-go-lucky place like this is a breath of fresh air."

"Yes...I'm afraid I was completely unaware of the existence of psychological trauma in your world. I'm sorry."

"Nobody can expect you to know everything. I honestly feel better knowing it didn't impact you."

Twilight gave Maria a sad smile.

"Well, no point in standing around. Let's do what we've gotta' do."

"Yes. Let's."

It took over two hours for the party to investigate the entire town. Even Pinkie was worn out by the time they were done.

"I can tell your endurance and stamina surpass the average human," Twilight noted, "That walk didn't even faze you, did it?"

"I barely noticed we'd been moving to tell you the truth," Maria answered truthfully.

"Did it have any effect on your mental state?"

"A little. I space out a lot if I'm not actively aware of my surroundings."

"Space out?"

"It's kind of like a dullness of perception. My senses go numb, and it feels like i'm on autopilot."

"Interesting. So you can enter a state of near-zombification when you let your mind wander."

"I think that's a good description, yeah."

"The next phase is combat potential. There's no guarantee we'll be able to gather data for this portion today, but it's possible we can schedule a demonstration should we deem it necessary."

"I'm letting you know right off the bat if we did a demonstration, you wouldn't get accurate results."

"Why not?"

"Our training is expressly self-defense based. Unless we intend to actually cause damage, we can't use our full strength."

"I hadn't considered that. You're right, though. Holding back would definitely manipulate the results."

"We're on our way to the forest now."

"Do you have a plan if something happens?"

"I do, actually. Based on the sketch Celestia gave me, I could use its neck as a weak point. By using its own momentum against it, I could take it to the ground and pin it until we find a way to neutralize it."

"Did you learn that technique through formal martial arts training?"

"No. This is all street fighting stuff we experimented with."

"Self-taught street fighters. That's quite unique. I don't recall ever witnessing a street fight, let alone meeting someone who applied its rules to their day-to-day routine."

"That's the thing. There aren't any rules except survival. What I have planned is only one of many ways it could probably be taken down. The reason I'm doing it my particular way is to expedite the process. For all I know, it's smart enough to find a counter. There's no telling. You can't take every possibility into account because there are infinite potential outcomes."

"One of my faults is my mind tends to think in limited, exact terms. I'm starting to understand trying to collect combat data would be pointless. There are too many variables.

"It could be useful in measuring probability for a fight or two, but that's about it."

"Hm..."

On their way to the forest, the party noticed several guards standing near a storage facility. Their expressions were stern, yet emotionless. Maria walked up to them.

"Maria, don't," Twilight protested.

"It's alright. I've got this."

The mysterious woman then spoke to the soldiers.

"You guys should lighten up a bit. I know from personal experience that protecting others is a serious job, but that's all the more reason to look out for their emotional and psychological well-being. If you won't take it from me, take it from Celestia."

"The princess," one of them asked.

"You get it."

"But...What exactly does that mean?"

"Chat with the folks in town when they come by, play with the kids; do whatever it takes to convince them to trust you. In my experience, a military that operates on trust and respect is far superior to one that relies on intimidation."

"Are you a soldier too?"

"Not in the same sense."

"I see. Thank you for letting us know the princess's orders."

"Don't mention it."

For the remainder of the day, Twilight, Rainbow, Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie, and Fluttershy stayed by Maria and Emily. Most of their time was spent in a silence wrapped around by understanding.

"It's almost dark. You guys should go home," Maria reasoned.

"What about you," Twilight questioned.

"I think we're about to turn in too. We've got an early day tomorrow if we're still here."

"Take care of yourselves."

"You too. Stay safe."

Twilight and the other ponies left the two alone. It wouldn't be long before they followed suit.

"How are you holding up," Maria asked her companion.

"I feel better with them here."

"I hear you. Having backup is a real game-changer. What do you say we get a bit more training in and get some shut-eye?"

Emily nodded.