Chrysalis was very confused. Yesterday while she spied on Krieg, a group of bandits came and gave him a truck. Then she watched Krieg along with that fool Starlight Glimmer as well as the rest of the elements sans Rarity and Twilight teleport away to who knows where. Leaving the queen without a task for the rest of the day.

When Chrysalis woke up after a night of feeding on clueless victims, she had found Krieg at the market with a large group of ponies gathered around him. He just stood there while the ponies just went over to Big Mac who was behind the stall, and bought one or two apples. She became curious and decided to go in closer to her target. So she transformed into her unicorn disguise and trotted over to the group.

Just as she stood behind them, she noticed Krieg facing her direction. Chrysalis could feel his eye staring intently on her. She smiled awkwardly towards him, and Krieg kept his gaze on her. Seeing that he was always an odd creature, the queen didn't give his strange behavior any mind and focused on why a group of ponies were here to buy some apples.

"Excuse me, miss?" She spoked to the nearest pony, a yellow mare with a red mane and had a strawberry cutie mark on her flank. "Why are there so many ponies gathered here?"

"Oh, you must be new around here, well same goes for Krieg over there. But just to let you know, Krieg isn't a quiet type of guy. And we're worried that he's mad at something."

"So you are all here because this dragon is acting differently than he did before? Then why is everyone buying an apple?"

The pony before Chrysalis frowned. "Well that's because these ponies are scared and they believe buying an apple would keep him away from them. He's only been here for a few days but these hopeless bunch already believes he's all that."

"And why are you here?"

The mare only gritted her teeth and looked away from Chrysalis. The queen glared at the pony, offended by how the mare just looked away from her. She wanted to teach her a lesson as to why you just don't show such rude gesture to the queen of all changelings. But she couldn't do so with the fact that she was undercover, and also the fact that Krieg was looming over her right now. Everyone quickly stepped back and away from her and the giant, watching them both with curiosity and worry.

The mare Chrysalis spoke to had hidden herself behind the crowd trying her best not to be noticed by the psycho. Few whispered to each other, wondering as to why Krieg was interested on a random pony after a whole morning of complete silence from the beast. Even Big Mac had been watching them closely, he was the same as everyone else, he was curious.

Chrysalis stared into his eye, she could see rage boiling inside him. Her eyes goes down to his right hand, both widened when she saw his buzz axe in his fist. The changeling looked back up, the beast started breathing heavily.

"SHEEP IN THE WOLF DEN!" He yelled.

"W-what?" Chrysalis as well as everyone around had said.

"FLY IN THE BLOOD SOUP, THE ODD BALL!" He pressed a finger on her nose, she didn't move due to a strange feeling that started creeping up her spine. "My Pyro senses are tingling." He whispered, but it was loud enough for everyone to hear.

Chrysalis had no idea what he was talking about, she didn't even understand what she was feeling right now. And now the beast was yelling nonsense at her. The ponies around didn't understand what he was even saying.

"Um, excuse me?" She asked with honest confusion.

"You smell different!"

"Oh, well...that's because I'm from out of town." She explained, there is truth in her words because she doesn't even live in Ponyville.

"Green is different." He claimed and pointed his axe towards her.

"Krieg!" A voice called out. Then an orange dragon swooped in from above and pushed Krieg away from Chrysalis. "What the heck are you doing!?"

"The fox wants my hens!"

"You're not making any sense!" The younger dragon shouted before facing Chrysalis with a tired look. "I'm sorry about my brother, he's kinda nuts, but he means well."

"Oh, its fine. Just a bit confused as to why he's acting this way." The disguised pony said.

"I see the lie in your eyes, Johnny Johnny is telling lies!" He screamed out before slamming his axe into the ground.

"Could you be quiet!" Smolder scolded him before turning back to the pony Krieg is trying to scare. "I'm sorry again. Could you just go? He seems a little tense around you."

"I think I will..." She said before running away, not even looking back at them. She didn't even want to do anything with them at all.

"And why is everyone here?" Smolder questioned the crowd that were gathered before she came.

A pony raised their hooves. "Uh, we wanted to know if something's wrong with Krieg."

"We are?" Asked another. "I thought we all just wanted apples."

"I'm actually a frequent buyer, I just love apples and I didn't even notice anything wrong with Krieg."

"You didn't? He was awfully quiet the whole time, right until that newcomer came."

"Yeah, I'm also here because of the same reason. I thought he was mad at something and he might just blow up and start a rampage!"

"And the only way you can avoid it is by buyin' some of mah apples!" A very old mare spoke from Big Mac's side.

"Yeah!" The rest of them agreed.

"Alright, alright!" Smolder yelled out to silence the crowd. "Krieg is just having a bad day, and as much as he appreciates that you all care for him, everything is fine!"

"You sure?" Asked a mare with a strawberry cutiemark.

"Yes I'm sure. Krieg won't go on a random rampage, so you all can just go on with your lives."

The crowd murmured to themselves for a second before starting to disperse, soon the only ones who had the intention to buy apples stayed behind. Smolder sighed as the ponies go on with their day, she then faced towards Krieg who was glaring at the direction that pony left. The one that he claimed was different.

"Krieg!" She called.

The psycho grunted in surprised before looking over to her. "Huh?"

"Is there something wrong? You've been pretty absent minded, and being really quiet."

"No..." He said to her before going over to the stall to stand by it, followed by Smolder.

She eyed him worriedly, she doesn't really know what's going on in his mind. But she does know that after what happened yesterday made him bummed out. Smolder could only imagine what he was going through. The day they met, he had mentioned his friends a few times. And only now that she heard their voices, she could see the pain that Krieg was feeling. Almost a thousand years of imprisonment, and he discovered that his home or what he could call home is gone.

"Uh, hey big guy? You feeling okay?"

"STABBED FROM THE INSIDE, feeling the bad pain!"

"I don't understand... Why are you talking like this? Come on Krieg, can't you open up so we could help? Ocellus is worried about you, and right now she needs your help."

Krieg straightened himself when he heard that there was a problem, especially with Ocellus. "Sweet Bug in trouble?"

"Yeah, she is. Something happened to her back at the Crystal Empire, and its really hitting her hard." She took a second before finishing her explanation. "Krieg, she got the vault madness."

The psycho gasped really loudly. "Sweet Bug!?"

"I'm just telling you now to tell you that you shouldn't worry, she's doing well. But she needs emotional support, especially from you. A friend, both hers and mine."

Krieg stared at her, he thought about how the vault madness could effect Oceluss' life. Hopefully it isn't as bad as Smolder says, maybe just like Tiny Tina. And not like his, being a voice stuck in your own body like Little Man.

"Little Man...?" Krieg called out to him, but there were no answer.

"What? Oh, right, the god of wisdom. Listen Krieg, you don't need to ask your imaginary frie-" A single glare from Krieg silenced Smolder, her claw reactively clamped her own mouth shut when his eye landed on her.

"Little Man is meat man." He growled out.

Smolder only nodded, staring at the bigger dragon with a hint of fear. A feeling she thought she had long discarded. She couldn't really understand what he meant, all she could do was nod. After a few seconds of silence between the two, Krieg returned to watching the ponies that passes by. Smolder waited for a second before speaking, right after she took her claws off her mouth.

"Well that was interesting... Anyways, could you help us out with Ocellus' problem?"

"My axe needs sharpening!"

"We can do that lat-"

"A severed hand for Christmas!"

She slapped her claws on her face. "Just-just come with me. I'm sure Big Mac or Granny Smith wouldn't mind, right?" She asked the two ponies, but the older one is deep in the dream world to even say anything. Big Mac on the other hand was fully awake, and he nodded towards Smolder, telling her that it was okay to take Krieg away.

With that, Smolder took Krieg's hand and dragged him off. The psycho was willing to follow, because he intended to help Ocellus, in any way he can.

"Wait, where's the crusaders?" The saner dragon asked.

To which Krieg only shrugged, he really doesn't know where those cute and adorable fillies are.

"And so, I am going around Equestria to spread my lord's name, and defend those who cannot fight back not only the bandits, but other dangers that resides Equus." Limestone read a letter in her hooves loudly for the two ponies she was currently with. Her sister, and her recently made friend, Flash Sentry.

The stallion still wore his standard Hyperion infantry uniform that was painted purple, sans the helmet. He was currently nursing a bruise on his head after a scuffle with a disgruntled civilian, Flash was really regretting not wearing his helmet. Especially when a pony used a frying pan.

As for Marble, she was just happy that she had found her sister. If she ever find Wilhelm, she would give her thanks for helping her out. Now that she thought about it, Marble had never seen the strange pony again. When she tried asking the soldiers, but all they did was stare at her with confusion. Was it something she said or the lack of thereof? Who knows.

"And so," Limestone continued reading the letter. "my quest begins and I have already successfully recruited three soldiers to fight for my lord. Though they are a bit reluctant as they have known my bandit past, and I can't really blame them. Anyways, I have no idea when this letter gets to you, hopefully you are still in the Crystal Empire. Write to you next time, and tell Flash I said hello."

"Well that was awfully nice of him, I'm wishing him luck on whatever he's doing." Said Flash.

"Hmm?" Asked Marble.

"Yeah, he's a bandit. But he's giving up that life to pursue a religion or something and be a good guy." Explained Limestone.

"I uh...didn't know you can understand your sister. Which is cool actually, its like some kind of secret language." Flash commented.

"Mhmm." Marble agreed. "Hmm?"

"What?"

"She's asking if you know a stallion named Wilhelm." Limestone translated for Marble.

"Colonel Wilhelm? He went out hours ago with a hoof full of soldiers, said he was going to train some snipers."

Marble nodded, she was hoping that she could thank him for protecting her during the attack. Without him, she wouldn't be here right now, talking to her sister's new friend, who was awfully cute in her opinion. But finding out that these two befriended a bandit was quite strange, after she had witnessed how they were merciless, she imagined that a Crystal Soldier would never even reason with bandits, especially when they attack their home. But there he was, being kind and open to someone who wanted redemption, this was really impressive to Marble.

"So, did you guys hear?" Flash began.

"Hmm?"

"Yeah, hear about what?"

"That prince Shining is looking for Vault Hunters, said they'd get paid with a large amount of bits. Before you ask, Vault Hunters is just a name for treasure hunters, that's what prince Shining said. They basically go around Equestria looking for some 'vault artifact'. The prince also said that he plans to go chase after the bandits and bring them to justice."

"And you're telling us why?"

"Well, I just think that maybe I should give it a shot and I'm asking you two for a second opinion."

Limestone thought about for a second, thought they have only recently met, she had already considered him as well as Bad Maw a friend. She knows that the bandits were dangerous and destructive, that means he'll put his own life on the line even more. Limestone saw and heard what those bandits can do, especially those Psychos, a very unpredictable and sadistic type of creatures. She witnessed those freaks ripped a soldier in two, she saw how they tried to drink the blood and that was before she knocked the minotaur's helmet off. So having enough time to think, she decided an answer, but her sister spoke first.

"Hmm!" She 'said' loudly while shaking her head no.

"Oh, you think I shouldn't?" Marble nodded. "I see, guess the regular stuff then."

"Yeah, I agree with Marble here, its better to leave the vault hunting to someone else." Limestone commented.

"So...did Bad Maw ever tell us where we can send our letters back?" He asked, but then he suddenly remembered something, he was told this morning about a project that would be made at the outskirts of the city. "You may wanna cover your ears..."

"Hmm?"

"Huh?"

"Will this work?" Twilight asked her brother as he was supervising a group of freshly trained Crystal Engineers. She and her brother stood in front of a table with a large blueprint laid out. She didn't really understand any of it, all she was told is that it was just a modified Crystal Loader that was given rockets to allow it long distance travels. The six giant cannons also confused her.

"Yeah it will." He assured her without even looking away from the blueprint.

"Are you sure? This looks pretty complicated, and you're not really the smarty type, unlike me."

"Oh don't worry Twily, Jack taught me everything I need to know for this."

"Jack?"

Shining realized that he accidentally slipped Jack's name. "Uh...he's... He's my advisor! Yeah, he was the one that suggested to hire Wilhelm and Nisha!"

"I see, never really met him..."

"Anyways! I suppose you're a little bit curious on why I'm building these." She nodded to him. "Well Twilight, these Loaders aren't for combat, but they're for sending out a message!"

Shining would then motion towards her a piece of paper, she began reading it aloud. "Looking for Vault Hunters, for those who desire treasure, fame, and adventure. Come answer prince Shining Armor's call at the Crystal Empire. Only three spots available."

"So, what do you think? Also, before you ask, Vault Hunters is just a name for treasure hunters."

"What exactly do you need with them? You have an army of advance troops. And why only three?"

"Jack said Vault Hunters always comes in a team of four, I'm already one. And I need the toughest and the most awesome hunters I can get."

"But why? Can't you just bring your army around Equestria?"

"Its because I'm sending them out to defend cities!" He answered truthfully. "The Crystal Soldiers and Loaders are going to be deployed across Equestria to guard all Equestrian settlements, as well as selling out guns to the populace and give them a chance to fight back. Crystal Outposts are going to be built everywhere, and Loader Bots will be kept on reserve for when bandits would attack."

"Sell them guns? Isn't that dangerous!?"

"Twilight, we can't just defend them without any profits out of this. Selling them weapons while telling the buyers the truth would bring in a lot of bits, and we need those to fund the construction of the war factory."

"War factory? Shining, do you have any idea at all of how much damage you'll do on Equestria's image if you built a factory for war!?"

"Yes I do, well maybe after Jack explained... But what I am trying to say is that with the rise of bandits and us declaring war on them. We are the ones who stand in the way of those bandits, and if the other countries knows this, then that would boost the support for our country! Imagine, griffons, sea ponies, and yaks backing us up against the bandit hordes!"

"I...I see... You- I mean- Jack does make a point. This would really strengthen our bonds with neighboring countries, but there's this nagging feeling that this is a pretty bad idea."

"Twilight, you don't have to worry, everything will be fine."

"Ahem, sir?" Both unicorns turned towards the pony who spoke. It was a Crystal Engineer wearing the standard Hyperion exoskeleton but modified to be used by earth ponies. On their backs were two mechanical arms that was linked to their minds to allow them to use said metal appendages. Earth ponies were a perfect choice seeing the fact that they were not only tough and durable, but physically strong as well. But having the arms and exoskeleton made them even tougher than they are, plus they use the arms for heavy lifting which benefited them greatly.

"Sir, we're ready to proceed with phase two, sir!" He saluted.

"At ease, when can we launch?"

"At your command, sir!"

Shining faced his sister one more time before going through with his plan. "Well sis', are you ready?" The mare stared upon the massive cannon, it pointed up in the sky, ready to launch and send out Crystal Loaders. She would then look back at her brother and gave him a nod. "Alright! On my command. One!"

The engineers immediately scrambled to position, any non Crystal Engineers were motioned to stand back from the cannon as to make sure no soldier would be injured if anything goes wrong.

"Two!"

The Loader Bots were placed into the cannons, and the workers quickly closed the hatch and readied the cannons.

"Three!"

Four ponies stood by the control panel, each had prepared the launch and awaited for Shining to give them the command.

"LAUNCH!"

And one by one, the cannons shot out their Bots into different directions, the combined blast from the weapons caused a shockwave of warm wind that nearly threw a few ponies off their hooves especially when they are that close to the cannons. Shining had instinctively stood in front of his sister to shield her from the shockwave while also shielding his eyes with his foreleg. After that, the ponies recovered themselves, they all looked up to the skies to find a trail left by the machines going their separate ways.

Then they all cheered, even though they were hearing a sharp ringing in their ears.

"Yeah! We didn't explode!" Shining said aloud, a few stopped cheering but many others cheered even louder.

"Project is a success, sir!" Said one of the engineers, the ringing was no longer a problem.

"Sir, the Loaders are already miles away from our position, the message will be delivered all across Equestria in a matter of days!" Said another.

"Hear that Twilight? A total success, Jack wouldn't let me down!" Shining smiled.

"W-well, you were planning to put these cannons around the country, right? I think you should ease up the power, because that is a little bit too much."

"I guess you're right. But damn, think of what we can do, I can call robots from all over Equestria!"

"Uh sir? Shall we proceed with phase three?" An engineer asked.

"Wait, phase three?" Twilight asked her brother.

"Yes," He grinned, before motioning a hoof over to the new arrival of another batch of Loader Bots. "we're gonna put up antenna towers everywhere for long distance communication!"

Twilight sighed before casting a spell to protect herself from the loud explosion, she rather not experience it again.

Tempest stared upon the sky, her eyes followed the machine soaring across the heavens, hundreds of pieces of papers were released by it's trail. And one of them were on her hoof, she had read it over and over. She couldn't believe that a large group of bandits just came out of nowhere to threaten Equestria's way of life. This will not stand. Though she is currently going around Equestria to atone her mistakes, she was tempted to answer the call and atone in a much different way. A much violent way. She sighed after making up her mind, she was ready to take up arms and become a Vault Hunter. But there was still one problem though.

"Hey, can you help itch my nose which is on my FACE with your bullets!?"

She sighed a second time.

Author's Note

Just wanted to do this.

Shining Armor
As The Captain

Tempest Shadow
As The Brawler