The hot, humid air of the Forge was unrelenting. It made my body sweaty and oily. My chest shone like a freshly waxed floor. My hair was patted down from the moisture. Beads of sweat dripped down my face and off my chin with each swing of the hammer in my hand. I had to take off my shirt a few hours in just to keep myself somewhat cool. I decided to Produce this new blade with the folding steel method. Which always took longer to finish and was much more exerting on the body. But considering I still had a while in my three-day timespan before I needed to pass out again. I had all the time in the world. Plus, I wanted to take my time while forging this new blade.

I had taken into account the future though, when deciding whether or not I made another Gladius or a different Blade entirely. Now I know the wasteland is more heavily focused on gunplay, and most times having a blade or close-quarters weapon was more of a 'just in case' tool. But my People and my culture had blades like swords, axes, and such all throughout our history and culture. As we turned the Wheel of progress and developed our technology, we still brought the way of the blade with us. Merged it into our way of life. When guns first came around, it wasn't the question of whether we could pair a sword with a gun. It was the question of whether you could pair a gun with a sword. The answer was yes, obviously, but it took practice and training to perfect such a technique. Something which, as a royal back home, was forced upon us. I didn't mind it, though. I enjoyed a fair bit of swordplay.

My decision in what blade was that I did not wish for another Gladius. Even though it paired well with my hand cannon for close to short-range fighting. I knew that when going to this time Capsule, I would likely find an energy-based weapon to complement my hand cannon. One of its key points was developing and storing Energy based weapons. Combine that with the fact I wanted to move on from swords for a little while. I had made quite an interesting choice that didn't quite fit with the times. A one-handed war axe, specifically a design from the pre-Merlin era of history. It was a hooked axe blade that still sliced and diced. But it could also hook and pull onto limbs and cause some rather violent dismemberment. In this day and age, nothing was too barbaric, plus having a one-handed weapon paired with any firearm was a must. Using a two-handed weapon was just shooting yourself in the foot. Hoof?

This type of axe, regarding its history, was that it wasn't supposed to be used offensively. At least not primarily. It was held in the wielder's less dominant hand and used as a parrying dagger of sorts. But in addition to deflecting attacks by hooking the blade on the opponent's weapon, the axe was effective in removing the opponent of their hands. Least of all things, this axe was a good projectile in the right hands. However, that variable weighed on the material used in construction. This is why Element steel became a quick replacement for most weapon crafting due to its lightweight and durability. But that was in short supply nowadays.

Not to mention molding the metal into a blade or armor took more effort and time than regular steel as well. My current Forge couldn't quite heat it enough to make the hammer fold it as easily. So it was a matter of heating it, pounding it a few times, and heating it again, repeatedly, until you could move on to the more fun phase of forging, which was exhausting.

The Forge itself had quite the arsenal of tools for making armor, weapons, and even bullets, as I had a chem-station and a bullet press. The pool of ash and fire in the stone half-circle sat on a thick layer of tungsten, one of the few metals with a higher melting point than element steel. The stone half-circle sat against the rear wall of the M.O.V while the rest hung off the back on the same tungsten platform. The Forge was relatively roomy, though. There was plenty of space to move without knocking shit over every time I moved from Forge to anvil or grindstone. It didn't really have walls, though. It had arches for windows that formed into a ceiling. Allowing me to look out into the Caravan and the Canteen every now and again. Tables and small half-walls surrounded the Forge, with two small staircase entrances on the sides. Opposite of the Forge was the handle and pommel workbench. An assortment of gems and different leathers lay across the table, along with several drawers holding various items. Along the ceiling, I took an odd approach to lighting. I strung up old pre-war hearths-warming lights. I didn't use them often since the Forge itself threw a lot of light on its own. Occasionally brightened by the sparks of metal that flew off the metal with each swing of the hammer.

I wiped the sweat from my forehead as I returned the slab of metal to the pool of fire, letting the heat turn its dull red glow to a hot orange. "Fucking finally got the folding done!" I looked at a clock that hung off one of the metal beams that held up the ceiling. "By Merlin's Will! It's been six hours already?! Fuck, I must've gotten rusty over the years." I sat down my hammer on a nearby table and rotated my aching shoulder. Massaging it with my hand.

"Ah, Finally finished pounding that metal, eh? Hammering cramps, sir?" I Saw Romulus walking up the left side entrance. He seemed to be in a good mood.

"Yeah, you could say that. Im not quite finished yet, though. I still gotta put the edge on the thing and make the handle." I grabbed a large set of forging tongs and took hold of the red-hot axe head. The shape was still bulky, and the supposed edge was too wide. I moved it to the anvil, grabbed my smaller hammer, and began molding the edge into shape.

"Well, sir, if you don't finish here soon, you won't be able to join the expedition team to the time capsule! Allow me to offer my assistance for the handle of this blade." He walked over to the workbench and began clearing the space. I ceased my hammering to give a quick response.

"That would speed this along since I still need to hit the grindstone after this. There should be a design for an axe handle somewhere on that table. I put it together beforehand."

Romulus shifted through the clutter before he held up a piece of paper. "A-hah! Found it"

I returned to my hammering while he put together the handle. Once finished, I quenched the blade in mineral oil for that extra boost along with a quicker quench. Before taking the white metal to the grindstone, I doubled checked the metal for warps. I sat before the stone wheel, put my foot on the pedal below, and gave it a few good presses. Causing the spin, slowly start spinning and quickly pick up speed. The exposed part of the Wheel became soaked as it passed through the water-filled lower compartment. I slowly pressed the blade of the axe head to the stone and held it steady. I watched as the blade's dull edge became shiny and refined to a sharp edge. I held it up and inspected the blade. I ran my finger along it, and blood came forth in a surprising amount.

"Yup! you're sharp enough." I got up and headed over to Romulus as he was still working on the handle. Which looked like a paperclip a child straightened out in the middle of class because they were bored. It ran straight but slightly curved since you could never bend paper clips straight. I've tried.

Romulus took notice of me as I looked over his shoulder as he worked. Tightly wrapping leather around the metal shaft. "Almost done, sir. Just wrapping the handle."

I was Curious about what kind of leather he was using. It was dark green with faint its of yellow and green. It reminded me of, Oh my Merlin. He isn't. "Are you wrapping that in Deathclaw hide?!"

He turned to look at me. The small shutters that acted as his eyelids showed he was excited. "Suprise, sir! I'd hope you don't mind. I had a little bit extra left over from my last project. Seemed fitting that I would return it to you as such." He took the axe head from my hand and began attaching it to the handle.

"Thanks, Romulus."

"It's my Pleasure, sir! Now while I finish this, you should go freshen up. It's early morning, and you don't wanna be late for your expedition."

I looked at the clock again, six thirty, FUCK, I got only got half an hour now! I hurried out of the Forge only to trip and fall into the dirt. I flipped myself around and saw the M.O.V slowly drive on. Thank god it was a walking hour. I got up and rushed inside. I've never taken a faster shower in my life.

By the time I got to the set of three jeeps, I was late by ten minutes. There were four specters to a Jeep, and they were all standing around waiting for me. Spyglass and Romulus were among them. Fuck I really need to keep better track of time. Romulus noticed my approach and quickly ordered the other specters into the jeeps.

"Here you go, sir." he said, handing me the axe with its completed handle. Perfectly weighted, I thought, putting it in the custom sling on my belt with my gladius sheath used to be. Romulus continued, "Now, Spyglass will be going with you on this expedition. So try not to give him too much of a hard time." We both glanced at the nervous specter as he looked over supplies.

"You ever checked his code recently? Thar new nervousness he has is a little unsettling." I asked.

"I have, actually. My source code just finally evolved in this case. It's a first for me, and im keeping a close eye on it. I actually toned it down a bit after our performance last night." I nodded in approval. That was some good news at least. Means I didn't fuck up coping the code, at least.

Spyglass gave me a thumbs up, and I opened the passenger side door and was about to hop in when Romulus grabbed my shoulder. "Come back safe, sir."

"When have I not?" I chuckled. Causing an eye-roll from the old machine as I climbed into the jeep shutting the door. "Aight, Spyglass, let's roll!" The jeep lurched forward as Spyglass put pressure on the pedal. Hopefully, Romulus was right, and this time capsule just had a sensor malfunction.

"We should be there in roughly six hours, sir." Spyglass stated about an hour into the ride.

"We do not have the time for that! Just go sixty, and we'll be there in three." I pulled the lever on the side of the chair and leaned back. Relaxing the best I could.

"Sir, we're pushing seventy right now."

"Fucks sake, it's that far away?"

"yeah, very inconvenient for us, but it is closer to Shattered Hoof Ridge and Junction R7. You're already getting comfy, so just sit back and relax. It's going to be a long ride." Even though I was already taking his advice before he even said anything, I took it with a grain of salt. I turned on the radio and stared into the grand cloud curtain above as DJpone3's music played over the speakers. After a few minutes of listening, I closed my eyes and let my mind drift as I daydreamed about what life could have been like back home.

"Sir, are you ready?" Romulus's voice pierced the veil of my mind, and I opened my eyes to see the front of the Canterlot Royal Castle. The large arching doors with the two guards in magical power armor standing at the sides was a sight I was all too used to. It was the dead of night, and the moon hung overhead, showering the ground with a faint glow. A brisk, cold night wind filled the air. Romulus stood on my left in a rather dashing suit. He always had a way of looking extra fancy in one.

"No, Not really, Romulus," I sighed with despair. "Considering the last time I saw Luna was at the last peace negotiation meeting, and probably the last one. Considering I had to take a magical blast to the back."

"We can always go home, sir. We don't have to go if you don't want to." Romulus put a hand on my shoulder, trying to be supportive.

"No. Both sides in this pointless war have world-ending super weapons that could rain down at any moment. For all we know tonight could be the last chance to at least try to have the final moments be on good terms." I straightened myself. Adjusting my fur-hooded jacket as I walked forward. "That and I wanna have some good memories with my friends. Before we, ya know."

"Yes sir, I understand" Romulus followed suit.

The two guards moved in front of us as we approached the door. One raising a hoof to halt us. "Invitations, please," A voice emanated from one of the suits of armor. Romulus reached out with two cards between his metallic fingers. The guard took the two cards, looked them over, and then returned them to Romulus. "Alright, you're good." He added as he and the other guard pushed open the massive doors and led us inside.

The guards led us through the castle to the main royal hallway. The stained glass murals along the walls with the two royal thrones at the end of the room. The six ministry mares were standing near the center of the room, talking and getting caught up with each other. It had been a long time since the last one of these 'dinners.' Rarity was the first to see our approach, sending a look of disapproval my way. The others turned to see what Rarity was looking at and gazed at me. They were all dressed in formal dresses that reflected them and their ministries and accompanied by a personal guard. Applejack's guard stood out the most, being a steel ranger in full power armor. I guess Twilight's was a close second because it was Spike. A much older and mature dragon. Who snarled silently at me, only to receive an elbow to the gut from Twilight.

There was a sudden tension in the air thick enough to cut. Ever since I first started my campaign for peace and chose not to actively participate in the war. I've been looked at as a disgrace to Equestria and a coward. Even my six closest friends in front of me didn't seem to want me in their presence. Even though I knew what war would bring. Hell, I lived it. I preached on the radio and in speeches to try and stave off war. But to little effect. Nopony believed me and, as time went on, saw me as a nuisance. The only reason I think ponies even tolerated me was that, before the war, I made sure to declare myself as a separate nation from Equestria. Which was not easy and cost me almost all my money.

We stared for what felt like an eternity. The silence tugged at my soul to say something, but I kept my mouth shut. I felt anything I said could mess things up more. It was only when a set of doors opened down the hall was the silence broken, and the focus was taken off of me. As the Princess of the sun and moon walked in. Princess Luna walked first and was much more dressed up than her sister, who hung back. I still couldn't believe Celestia had stepped down. It honestly made things worse, But I never argued against it. I was already on most of Equestrias's last straw. I didn't need the rulers to be as well.

Luna gazed about the room, taking everyone in as if counting them. I think she was making sure everyone was here. Then her gaze fell upon me and changed to a stern stare. Even with the resentment I had against her since the last time we spoke. The other ponies bowed before the royals as expected. I took my arm and rested it across my chest, my fist clenched with the inner part resting against my opposite shoulder. I dropped to a knee and bowed, feeling a sharp, searing pain in my lower back as I gave my people's royal showing of respect. No matter my feelings, I held tremendous respect for the sisters, and as a former royal, I needed to be better. The other ponies bowed as they always did two the royal sisters/

"Good, now that everypony is here. We can begin." I heard Princess of the moon announce, hearing hoof steps that grew slowly distant. I stood up slowly, only to be halted by the same pain. I took a deep breath and slowly resumed. Romulus helped me to stand and follow the group.

We were escorted by Luna's personal guard down a long hallway toward the main dining room. As we walked, I was paid little attention as the other ponies carried on with their discussions before my arrival. It was understandable as everyone had their 'opinions' on me. Even though it wasn't always like that. It felt like it was only yesterday that I was down at Applejack's farm a few months after getting pulled out of the Everfree forest. Helping out and trying to make a fresh start for myself. Or in Twilight's library in Ponyville, learning about this new world I found myself in. I smiled to myself as I remembered the first time I needed to order custom-made clothes for myself from Rarity. Since human-style clothes weren't very common in a world they didn't exist. God, that was such a long day of measurements and odd conversations about underwear.

Two guards pushed open a door as we approached it, revealing a large dining room. A very extravagant crystal chandelier hung above a long dining table, decorated with all sorts of silverware and fancy candles. The table was long and ended at the opposite end of the room similar to a T in shape. Two oversized chairs sat next to each other across the short end. Across the more extended portion with six chairs, three on each side directly across from the other. And right at the very tip was one chair that was just my size. I was surprised they even planned ahead for me, considering they had to grab a chair from the other room last time. Only further showing the dislike for myself, even among the closest to me.

I took my seat and watched patiently as everyone else took their seats. Ignoring the pain in my lower back as I sat. Some requested seats for their own personal guards, mainly Applejack and Twilight. Romulus didn't really need one. He didn't eat, so he stood behind me a few feet back. Keeping an eye on everyone like most of the other personal guards. After a few minutes, an earth pony waiter came out of a side door to the left of the table and began going around the table, taking orders from the royals first and then working his way to the rest.

He finished with Applejack's order before rounding the table, stopping at me, and asking me what I wanted. "I'll take my usual. Two chicken cor-don bleu's extra crispy."

"And to drink?" the stallion asked. Writing the order on his notepad, using his mouth to write.

"Uh, go ahead and come back to me later. Im not sure right now." I said, handing him a small bag of bits. He nodded and moved on to Pinkie Pie, who was next around the table.

As I waited, I tuned into the current conversation that rainbow dash was leading. If I was gonna be a part of this meeting, I might as well know what everyone was talking about.

"And then, me and my squadron brought down a hail fire on lazers on this encampment of zebras while the Steelrangers kept them distracted. It was AWESOME! They didn't even see us coming!" Rainbow Dash boomed energetically, as always. It didn't take me long to realize she was talking about one of her recent missions, and she was bragging about it. She went and bragged about it being her highest kill mission as well. Which really pissed me off.

I wasn't pissed that she was happy or celebrating the successful mission. I see no issue with that. My problem is bragging about kills like it's points on a scoreboard. Taking a life back home was a BIG deal, so much so that it sometimes caused several-year investigations and court cases into the double digits. The only time it was justified was in self-defense or in war. But we never bragged about it at all during our war. If anyone did, they were immediately discharged and put into Elemental counseling. We took those things very seriously. So hearing such a close friend, or perhaps a former close friend. Just bragging about it was so fucking infuriating. So much so that I had to tune it out before I yelled at her to hold her tongue about such indecencies.

I put my left arm in my left hand on my lap and sneakily opened my wristpad. I looked through some projects that were being worked on back at the Hub and checked the progress reports. Most of them were "just in case" projects Romulus put into production. But before I even opened the file, a plate was sat in front of me with two large chicken breasts. Golden brown and looking delicious.

I felt my stomach rumble as I looked at the food. I grabbed the silverware next to the plate and cut into one of the chicken breasts, seeing melted white cheese pour out with tiny bits of ham. I stabbed the piece onto my fork and shoved it into my mouth. The slight crunch into the chicken mixed with the creamy mozzarella and ham was delicious. I haven't had this in so long. I just wanted to enjoy it for as long as I could. Only for me to hear my name to break me out of my food trance.

"So, Riley, how did the last peace meeting go?" Twilight's voice cut through my mind. She sounded nervous but somehow supportive. I guess she was the only one who didn't "hate" me. But sometimes, it really didn't show. I stopped chewing and looked across the table to see everyone staring at me.

I held up a hand and quickly finished chewing before speaking. "My apologies. I don't like talking with my mouth full." I paused, wiping my mouth with a napkin. I noticed Princess Luna shooting daggers at me from across the table. It screamed, "Watch what you say." But it didn't scare me.

"As for the peace meeting, it was in all technicality, the best one progress-wise so far." Several Eyebrows raised. Most of my reports on these meetings went along the lines of "Yeah. They kinda yelled at each other for twenty minutes, and nothing really happened." But I was speaking the truth. It was the best one so far.

"How so?" Applejack was first to ask, getting serval agreeing responses from the other ponies.

"Well, we got the beginnings of the treaty actually written down on paper. So that's a plus. But it was primarily terms that would broker a temporary end to the fighting while everything else was put into place." Everyone at the table was baffled except for luna, who scoffed. No one seemed to care though. Several small discussions broke out with the ponies at the table. Until Rarity asked the golden question.

"What terms could bring about such a drastic change?"

"Well," I began. "The main thing that was brought about in these terms which would make or break the deal. Was the Royal convergence pact. I had to wrangle this thing a lot during the discussions, but the main point we could all agree to do. It was to have Princesses Celestia and Luna be removed from power entirely and replaced by either the six ministry mares as a form of democratic council similar to the Zebra nation. Or, have one of the Ministry Mares take their place as the new royal dictator."

Everyone was baffled including Celestia, who looked at her sister, shocked. As if she didn't tell her.

"How in all of Equestria, did you manage to pull something like that off? The Zebras barely tolerate Luna's presence, no offense, with your meetings on the terminals. You not only managed to get two of the world's most powerful leaders that hate each other more than anything to sit down in the same room together. But you got them to discuss and start an actual peace treaty?! Im surprised word of this hasn't been announced all over Equestria and beyond!" Twilight seemed overjoyed at the fact there might have been an end to this godforsaken conflict. It broke my heart to tell the unfortunate truth.

"If im going to be perfectly honest, I played the biggest kiss-ass you've ever seen. Once you've been in a room with those individuals as long as I have, you find ways to make them sit down and talk rather than yell. It wasn't fucking easy though. This whole shtick was four years in the making." I paused, giving a deep sigh. "However, I wouldn't get your guy's hopes up. The reasoning behind that act is the main reason why that last meeting truly was the last."

The room got quiet, deathly quiet. "Whys that, darling?" Rarity asked, concerned.

"Well, the original pact was to one, have the princesses step down along with a few members of the high zebra council, mainly the more militaristic ones. And two, dismantle the ministries along with most war-based weaponry to somewhat force peace due to the lack of weapons and militaristic prowess. And further discussions would take place from there. Which I thought was brilliant. I managed to talk the Zebras into conforming the Ministries into a democratic council if that's what the decision with you all boiled down to. But I couldn't convince them to change the rule for the princesses, however. The Zebra councils reasoning for it was as stated. 'Nightmare moon and anyone of blood relation are unfit to rule any form of a country as they have been corrupted by the stars.' This caused a most rather heated discussion, to say the least, between Luna and the Zebra council. So heated, in fact, that in a very short spring of events, I found myself one moment taking notes and writing things down in the treaty. To sprawled out on the table with a four-inch scorch mark on my back, unable to move my legs."

The whole room was in shock. The tension in the air seemed gone and replaced with a sense of dread. Until Rainbow Dash slammed her hooves on the table, flaring her wings as she took off from the ground hovering slightly in the air. "Who shot you, uh? I'll have a strike time on their asses within the next day! No one shoots my friend, no matter our issues!"

The rest of the room favored Rainbow Dashes' response, wanting to take action. It warmed my heart that my close friends still cared despite our hardships. All except Luna, who sat quietly staring at me. But alas, it would be short-lived. I raised my hand and slowly calmed everyone down before speaking.

"I appreciate the support, guys. However." I paused, eating some more of my chicken before continuing. "Luna, you wanna tell them the truth, or shall I?" I spoke loudly to ensure she heard me, Wiping my mouth with a napkin. The room's sets of eyes shifted off me towards our great ruler. Who was shocked and glared at me before looking away and the floor. I guess she never expected me to turn this on her. I didn't care, though. This was happening now.

"Luna, what did you do?" Celestia's voice was stern, taking on her parental side as she spoke to luna. But luna stayed silent, continuing to stare at the floor.

"Luna saw fit to start a heated discussion with the Zebras about their 'opinion' of her and Celestia and was getting extremely upset with the Zebra council. And you all know how 'hot-tempered' she can get. So much so that she snapped from rage and fired a magical laser spell at the Zebra high chairman, Which I jumped in front of to save his life. I had to tell Romulus to get more specters in the room as an all-out battle nearly broke out, and escort the royal leaders back to their kingdoms." Now for once, ponies weren't staring and glaring at me. All of it was now aimed at Luna. Which wasn't my goal, yet here we are.

"LUNA! HOW COULD YOU!" for the first time since arriving in Equestria. This was the first time I saw Celestia this enraged, especially at her younger sister. She was even using the old loud voice they used in their younger days. "Our one chance for peace, the one chance we could have stopped all this death, and you threw it away because all because of what? An insult!?"

Luna stood up to her sister with anger in her eyes as she returned her sister's unkindness. "I took a stand to show that I wasn't the nightmare they all thought I was-"

"And look where that got you!" Celestia cut her off. Her anger shook my soul. The two sisters went back and forth, arguing for elements know how long. The other ponies in the room also had their choice of words. The room was in chaos, ponies at war with themselves. And I wasn't having it.

I pulled out my hand cannon and pointed it upwards, and fired. The concussive bang echoed off the walls of the massive dining room. Amplifying the sound heavily and causing everyone in the room to cover their ears. I had their attention now. I slipped my weapon back into its holster. "It doesn't even matter anymore! It's not like you all can turn over a new leaf for peace! The path of war has already been chosen. Mainly because, from what I can see, pony kind isn't ready for advanced technology yet." Terrible choice of words, Riley.

"What do you mean by 'not ready,' huh?" Applejack said, returning the tension in the room to fall upon me as a few ponies gave me suspicious looks.

"Well, you all as a species have made tremendous bounds in technological development. Faster than some humans back where I come from, that's for sure. And it's something I admire from you guys. It's quite impressive, really.'

"Why do I feel like there's gonna be a big 'BUT' coming up?" Pinikepie cut in.

"BUT, there is a fine line that any and all species have that defines their ability to use and understand that technology responsibly. Yes, you, as a species, have made great bounds in technology and science. No one here doubts that. However, your species... oh, how should I put it. It is like a child who got ahold of a working gun. It knows it goes bang and can kill something. But it isn't responsible enough to know where and when it's right to use it. Or rather if it's right to use it at all."

The speed at which everyone in the room turned their anger from Luna onto me could not be understated. I sat there and took the verbal abuse and insults for a minute until things calmed down. Then spoke again, "See, now that right there is why it's true! There was no reason for that at all. Yet I just took the largest barrage of verbal abuse for a very true statement. As a species, you are very short-tempered and can shift moods on a dime. Which is exactly why having such tremendous bounds in advancement can be deadly for you! You could have one of these temper spikes and do something that you would never do! Let's say, for example, a mega spell?"

"Oh, and you think your kind are better than, hm?! You all can handle your technology just fine, right? It's why you haven't bothered to share any of it with us, isn't it? Cause you think you're SO much better, right?" Rarity laid into me. But I wasn't offended. As a matter of fact, I was happy to hear it.

"Yes, actually. You hit the nail on the head." she was taken aback. as if not expecting that response. "It's not a matter of whether or not I think my people are wiser and more responsible. It's a fact that they ARE wiser and more responsible. We went through 5000 years of uninterrupted peace and were around as a race far longer than that. We chose peace over violence thanks to the guidance and beliefs of the elements that make the world go around. We work in unity to achieve and improve life for the better while also keeping ourselves in check. Making sure every angle is accounted for. Yes, I don't share my technology with you, ANY of you. And I won't for a very long time because you will use it irresponsibly without considering the repercussions. Until I see a worthwhile change in pony outlook on technology rather than a means to an end. Nothing will change." Once again, more verbal abuse.

"Sir, I thought you wanted to end on good terms?" I heard Romulus whisper into my ear.

I pushed a hand back to him. "I did, Romulus, I really did."

"We are in a time of war, sunshine. We don't have the time to look over every possible outcome when we make somthin'. We gotta stay ahead of the enemy no matter what!" Applejack protested.

"Yeah, I understand, but need I remind you that there wouldn't be a war right now if you two as rulers didn't neglect the coal and gem trade dispute between the primary pony and zebra businesses. The whole thing started with those two rich families having a dispute over the trade routes. Which you two ignored because I have the papers that were put on YOUR desk." I snapped my fingers as Romulus stepped forward and opened his chest compartment, reaching inside and pulling out a vanilla folder with Celestia's cutie mark stamped onto one of the corners. I opened it and began reading through it.

"As a quote from this document that you signed, 'Any families as wealthy as these should be more than able to sort out such a petty dispute amongst themselves. Plus, Riley went down to one of the meetings himself to see the issues firsthand. This should be over within the next week.' Signed and stamped by yours truly, Miss Celestia." I tossed the folder to Applejack as I finished. she began reading through it as I continued.

"Now fast forward a few weeks later, and these families are hiring talons and mercenaries to hunt down family members to try and dominate the trade market. Which happened to lead to the ultimate starting point of this petty war, where a mercenary group entered Littlehorn to take out one of the pony family members of the house, Granita Gemina. To keep a long story short, the family member tried to get her daughter out of the school and flee, but the fighting had already started before she could get out. Causing the unfortunate massacre that started this whole thing in the first place." At this point, the file had been passed down to Rarity and Twilight and was just now in the Princess's hooves. Twilight even stated that it was a legitimate document and was, in fact, signed by Celestia herself. Everyone was shocked at my knowledge of the subject.

"How do you know so much about that?" Pinkie pie asked.

"I know a lot of things about this war that most of you don't even know. If you're gonna negotiate for peace, you need to know the facts and the fact that I WAS THERE trying to settle the trade dispute before things got to where they did. But coming back around to things I know, I know that most of you really don't care what happens in your ministry and what kind of atrocities happen behind closed doors. And it sickens me that you all lead these ministries and are allowed such disgusting practices to go unpunished."

"What kind of atrocities are you talking about?!" Rainbow dash asked, hovering above her chair again with vice in her voice.

"Let me get my fucking list for ya!" I said, pointing at Applejack first. "Your ministry is full of the original family that started the fucking dispute in the first place. Whether you believe it or not, they've been selling to both sides in this war and helped make both the gun that punches through your overly fancy and overengineered armor and armor-piercing ammo. Along with Helping get both sides stealth bugs and other such commodities of war." I pointed to Rarity next, leaving Applejack with a dumbfounded expression.

"you got hold of a book of dark magic imbued by part of king Sombras's soul himself. And been tampering with souls and putting them into some of your products. I'll even say you've been using it to keep yourself looking young and fresh, as everyone else here looks like they've aged thirty years. Except you, you look the same, if not better, than before the war." I moved on to Twilight and restrained myself slightly before letting it out. I did not want to let myself lose the best friend I had in this room. I skipped the sisters as they already had a lot shown about them.

"You promoted and still run DNA splicing and enhanced mutation practices on living creatures. Causing grotesque monsters and abominations, and you just shove in the caves under Maripony and label them as 'failed experiments.' Hell, some of them were dead ponies brought back from the battlefield for you to test on. It's horrid and disgusting! And what's even worse about it? It's all to impress Miss mentor of the sun over there because you CRAVE approval!" Twilight looked ashamed and disgusted as her head stared blankly at the floor. I stared at Rainbow Dash as she glared at me.

"You... you treat war like a game. Gloating about every win and every kill on your personal scorecard. WAR is not a game! It's a matter of survival! People go to war, and most expect to die for a cause greater than themselves, leaving their old life behind and embracing it grimly. And you tally each of the ones you kill like it's something to be proud of when it's not. Those ponies had wives, sons and daughters, a family. And you treat them like points on a scoreboard. It's sickening." I put a lot of extra vice into a low, hissing tone for hers. I wanted to make my point clear before moving on to Fluttershy. She seemed scared of whatever I was gonna say. Which wasn't much.

"You know what you did." and lastly, Pinkiepie.

"You are a FUCKING DRUGGIE! There's no other way to put it! You mass produce drugs of almost every kind. You sell it to everyone who can buy it. Even kids are getting a hold of some of the stuff you make. And you're nearly on that crack-ass Mental shit all damn day! You abduct ponies from their home in the middle of the night and put them through all manner of punishment to give up zebra info. I get you to do it to would-be zebra sympathizers or smugglers, but still, it's fucked up." I waved my hand through the air gesturing to everyone at the table. "Every one of your ministries is fucked up in some way or form. I wouldn't bother trying to hide it. I got files on it all inside this tin can right here." I reached my arm around the back of my chair and gave Romulus's metal chest a few good solid knocks before settling back into my chair. Continuing to eat my food.

"GOD, you have all these problems with what we do to try and win the war, yet you don't even help! Maybe if you put more of your energy into helping us rather than getting every bit of dirt you can on us. You wouldn't be looked upon so poorly by the masses." Rarity was coming at me. She clearly took offense to what I said about her. which only further proved some of my theories about her own practices. Still, it surprised me.

"You think I don't have dirt on the Zebras?" I laughed. "Oh boy, you guys really don't know me at all." I reached behind me and felt another vanilla folder fall into my grasp. I threw it lightly like a Frisby across the table, watching it land in the epicenter of the table in a clear spot away from any silverware. "The Zebras, in all honesty, are far worse with that one alone."

Surprisingly, Twilight was the first to pick it up with her magic. I was expecting Rarity to grab it. Floating it over to her and looking at the documents inside. I continued speaking as she read. "When was the last time you all saw a Changeling?" The room was surprised at my somewhat random question.

"Um, Id have to say, since the attack on canterlot during Shinning Armor's wedding. Why? Where ya going with this?" Applejack answered with confusion in her voice.

"Stay with me here. You see, when the war started they couldn't eat the love from ponies anymore since it had all but left with the coming conflict. Replaced by suffering and death, so they saw fit to leave Equestria. They didn't know any of the lands outside of Equestria and ended up in the Zebra homeland. One thing led to another, and some rather unfortunate events happened." I saw the expression on Twilight's face change to horror as she read. Putting a hoof to her mouth. "I believe Twilight has found such unfortunate events."

All eyes at the table were upon her. She gulped and spoke. "The Zebras are hunting the Changelings and using their hides to make the Zebra stealth cloaks." The whole table gasped, and Rarity gaged.

"Yup," I said, eating more of my food. I waved down the butler as the table discussed this newfound discovery. "Can I get a bottle of apple whisky? Not a glass but the whole bottle." I asked him, handing him a handful of bits. He nodded and went disappeared into a side door.

"Sir, I told you to watch your drinking." Romulus's voice was in my ear again, whispering.

"Romulus, cut me some slack, aight? I was already stressed out coming here, and it's only gotten worse with this headache. Just let me have this one." I finished, refocusing my attention on the table. Just in time too.

"How do you do stuff like this? Finding deep secrets amidst all of this chaos. You're a peace negotiator, for Celestia's sake!" Twilight asked. Celestia chuckled at her name being used as a swear.

I leaned forward in my chair, my laidback expression I've had this whole meeting turning stern along with the tone of my voice. "Just because I push for peace doesn't mean I have to be ignorant of the risk of the world around me. Any intelligent third party should be able to learn as much as they can in case of the worst of circumstances WITHOUT being caught. But considering you all and the Zebras don't look at me fondly. Hell, you guys don't even see me as a threat if I was brought into the conflict. That's why it was so easy to learn as much as I had." I leaned back in my chair and returned to my laid-back tone and stance. "No matter what you all think of me, Remember what I did during the Changeling attack so long ago. Im not a pushover. Even the calmest wolf still has fangs."

The room shifted, seeming to see me as someone not to be underestimated. Most of the expressions in the room changed. Fluttershy seemed more scared of me than ever. Before Luna spoke up. "So, now that the Zebra's are no longer seeking peace. What will you do now?"

"Good question!" I started. Adjusting myself in my chair. The room awaited my response anxiously. "I will do... nothing." The room was astonished.

"WHY?! The opportunity for peace has passed, yet you still refuse to fight?" Luna asked, frustrated.

"Your goddamn right!" I stated. "Need I remind you that the reason peace isn't an option anymore is because of YOU! Not to mention this wasn't my war in the first place! Why should I pick up a rifle and fight in a war I had nothing to do with? Why should I face the horrors of battle and the terrors of war for a nation that sees me as a disgrace or a coward?"

Twilight answered me this time. "Because we are your friends. Friends have each other's back through thick and thin. Plus, who knows what will happen to us if we lose this war."

I sat silently in my chair for a few moments, letting her words sink in deep than they should. Godammit, why did Twilight have to say it! I gathered myself and spoke. "Even if I joined the fight, it wouldn't matter at this point. This war has evolved into a ticking timebomb for mutually assured destruction."

"What do you mean?" Celestia asked, knowing the meaning of my words.

"If one side pushes the other to near defeat. The losing side will launch their balefire bombs and mega spells to take out the other as a last-ditch effort to win. But if that happens, the other side will respond in kind with their own mega spells. The world WILL end as soon as one of the missiles goes into the air. No questions asked." I finished with a great sigh.

"But maybe if you helped, maybe we could-" Twilight started to be interrupted by my fist slamming onto the table.

"NO! Thanks to Fluttershy, this war will have no winners! Only losers! Hell, it's more like survivors! My best recommendation is to invest more money into Stable-tech and have as many ponies as possible make it past the end. That way, your kind doesn't die off in the great cataclysm to come!"

"HOW WOULD YOU KNOW!" Luna slammed her hooves on the table, rearing from her chair and staring me down. "All you know is how to talk politics at a table! You wouldn't know anything about how bad war is unless you were down there on the battlefield fighting like the rest of us! Instead, you sit and do nothing like a coward!"

"I'M NO COWARD!" I yelled. Getting furiously angry.

"THEN PICK UP A WEAPON AND FIGHT! She yelled back.

I slammed my hands on the table and rose to my feet. Launching my chair backward as it hit the ground with a loud thud. Plates and silverware rattled across the table. "I REFUSE TO FIGHT IN ANOTHER WAR TO SEE THOSE I LOVE DIE NEEDLESSLY FOR A CONFLICT THAT COULD HAVE BEEN ENDED AT THE TABLE!" The room was silent. I was breathing heavily with anger. Then Applejack spoke.

"What do ya mean by 'another?'"

The word rang in my head, killing my anger instantly as memories from my past flooded my head. I made to sit back down as Romulus put the chair back in place and rested a hand on my shoulder as I slumped back down in my chair. I put my elbows on the table and put my head in my hands. "Fuck, It finally slipped," I mumbled. I heard the clopping of hooves approaching me as the waiter walked over with the bottle of whisky in tow. I took the bottle and tipped him generously. Popping it open and taking a long swig, I stayed silent. Trying to battle the resurfaced demons in my mind back into their cages.

"Roughly three and a half years before I arrived in Equestria, give or take a few years. My people were thrown into the most brutal and chaotic war ever. One that left a lasting impact on our world to the point where we lost our sun due to an eternal storm of pitch-black thunderclouds and red lightning." I paused to take another swig. The hard-hitting boose loosened my tongue even more.

"God, it was for such a stupid reason too. A fucking cultural dispute that started the downfall of everything. I was on the front lines overseeing every battle my people fought. I was our top strategies, planning attacks, and won the majority of battles I led. Compared to the other ten kingdoms. We were doing the best war-wise." I looked around the room at everyone who was listening intently. Then stared down Luna, Which caused her to look away.

"Ultimately, we all died to a superweapon similar to your mega spells. Except for the fact that a cataclysm bomb makes your mega spells look like firecrackers. But still, super weapons of that caliber are one of the few things that genuinely terrify me." I could tell certain ponies in the room were having a hard time believing me. Luna and Rarity scoffed multiple times during my speech, and Applejack seemed like she wanted to believe me but just couldn't. I knew how to prove it, though.

"Romulus, show them for me, please." I said, dropping my head down and waving my hand for him to take over.

"Are you certain, sir?" He asked, making sure that I was alright with it.

"Yes Romulus, im certain. I've had over twenty equestrian years to process my demons. I can watch a few moments of footage." And with a second word. Romulus stepped forward, and his eyes shot light forward like a projector into a floating screen.

The view changed from a light-filled screen into one of chaos and battle. I knew the view was from Romulus. He was my second in command during the war. He was deep in a trench with a DMR in hand. Peeking over the dirt and mud of the top of the trench and taking fire from across the way. Firing back in kind. Missles flew overhead as the audio slowly cut in through his speakers as he got his recording to full strength. Across several parts of the battlefield were enormous two-story mechs crumbled and blown into scrap metal. And a few still walking with guns larger than men in giant robotic hands firing away. Men, women, and specters alike armed with weapons of both blade and gun were scattered across the battlefield fighting for their lives. Romulus, in the recording, was calling out orders and strike maneuvers to many people over the radio. But most of what he said was lost to the sounds of chaotic gunfire and explosions.

In offshoots to the sides, you could see mages flinging large balls of fire from magical runes across the battlefield, which erupted into violent explosions. Another mage called down several lightning bolts from the raging thunderstorm above with another rune as they ripped enemies from trenches and cover. Other mages were shifting the ground with runes to make cover for additional troops to push up to the enemy across the way.

The main two diversity of armor which told apart the two factions at the battle. Were the sleek and robust and much more advanced side of soldiers, which Romulus was on the fortunate side of being on. And the other side who seemed more gladiatorial and brutal with their fighting compared to the other. Which tried to be strategic and work with each other. Their armor was always bloodsoaked and cruder. But most certainly not new as they had seemed to see battle countless times over. Even if the side Romulus was on was more advanced. This enemy had much more prowess in combat. One of them could take down several of the others before perishing. It was horrifying to watch.

In the sky above Romulus, there were large flying metal jets we called jackals. They were more triangular and had two circular support engines, which rotated freely in the wings, with the main propulsion part on the rear part of the chassis. Two large 20mm chainguns were mounted front and center with a secondary 100mm rapid-fire cannon mounted on the underside. These jackals were doing strafe runs on the individuals below. Diving in low, carpeting the ground in glowing yellow shells and blowing the ground apart.

Romulus's vision focused on a giant suit of armor. Bigger than any man by several feet. The armor enclosed the wearer but seemed to move just fine. On his left arm was a giant metal shield that could protect three men behind it. And the wearer was using block rounds and dragging a wounded soldier back to safety. his other arm held a large arm-mounted cannon, of which's barrel had been blown open like a misfired blunderbuss. A bright flash of light erupted into view as the camera grew fussy and distorted as a rocket collided with the suit's shield and drowned the camera in light. Romulius gazed towards another light. As another rocket came into view for a few moments before landing on the ground in front of Romulus and exploding. Cutting the camera feed a second later.

The video ended, and the projected screen disappeared back into Romulus's eyes as he took a step back. Now standing next to me, I leaned over and asked. "Was that the battle of ashrigra?"

"Your memory is impeccable, sir. Indeed it was." He responded.

"Huh, glad you chose one of the worst ones to show. Really sold it, ya know?" I looked back at the ponies around the table, who were all equally shocked. Too shocked to speak even.

"Next time you all second guess my judgment on war. You better think twice before making yourselves look stupid."

Suddenly I felt the whole world shake. The canterlot dining room faded and was replaced with a could-covered sky and a sharp pain in the back of my head. I reflexed and grabbed the back of my head, and sat up. I was in the jeep's passenger seat, and Spyglass was still driving.

"Oh shit, sorry sir! I didn't see that hole until the last second," Spyglass apologized.

I re-adjusted my seat to the upright position. My eyes were crusty and I felt groggy and slow. I was in a hot sweat, my head was pounding, and I didn't know where I was. "Huh, oh, you're fine. It's whatever." I said, rubbing my eyes and looking around. We were still on the road. And the other four jeeps were still in tow behind ours.

"In other news, we were only about half an hour away." Spyglass responded, sounding positive.

I suddenly remembered why we were on the road. "Oh yeah, the time capsule. Any update on its status?"

"No change, sir. Just giving the alert as it was." He looked over the dash through the windshield and at the hood as if looking through it at the engine. "However, we might need to stop sooner than expected because our battery is nearly out. The last thing we need to do is jumpstart this thing in the middle of nowhere."

I agreed. I don't wanna be late when we arrive at junction R7 because we overworked our engines. It would make a businessman such as myself look extremely unprofessional to a very experienced mercenary such as Gawd. Of whom was the only faction leader in that area that I somewhat liked. Once I was done dealing with this time capsule bullshit, we'd be heading toward Junction R7 anyway since Romulus would have hit several other settlements by the time we got there. And Gawd needs to see my face before they can let my Caravan through, not her rule though. At least, that's what she says. I mean, it's not like I can't just blow my way through there and say fuck her rules. But hey, once again, Im have a reputation to uphold as a respectable businessman. So blasting and slaughtering my way through a critical checkpoint on my routes doesn't exactly give the 'respectable' vibe.

Once we were about ten minutes out, I told Spyglass to stop and we would hike it from there. Once we scoped everything out and understood the situation, we would bring the jeeps up and give em a quick charge at the time capsule before sending them back underground. Seemed simple enough, right? Check where the crack is, seal it up, and send it back under until we actually needed it. I was wrong, very wrong indeed.

I was lying down amongst dead bushes and trees as I looked upon the fully emerged time capsule, several specters sneaking by me to my right. The sizeable, cylindrical, building-like structure had ripped and pushed the ground as it had emerged from the ground. It stood nearly a story and a half tall with a large half-circle door at the base capable of fitting a jeep through. The metal along the outside was a brown mud color from the centuries spent underground. It had no significantly distinguishable features on the exterior hull other than its symbol that matched the ones on the jeeps and my helmet. A closed book, tattered and ripped, with a sword as a bookmark. On the cover was a rune that none of the ponies in my Caravan knew the name of except for Romulus and me. The symbol of the Quadrinity.

At the entrance door was a large group of ponies. Roughly eight or so, with several more camped in a few tents nearby. The tents bore Redeyes mark. The ponies at the door had breaching saws and torches, trying to force their way inside. I had Spyglass on the radio, ensuring he was in position with his half of the specter before I gave the order to attack. We had managed to sneak up nice and close to the unsuspecting ponies. I was furious as the presence of these ponies here confirmed my worst suspicions. The other time capsule breaches were most likely due to Redeyes forces. Romulus and I were going to have a very serious talk when I returned to the Caravan. For now, I had my hands full.

"Were in position, sir. What's our plan?" Spyglass whispered over the radio.

"We're going to split their numbers. The space between the ones at the door and the ones at the tents is our main combat area. Your group is going to focus on and clear the tent side while my group-"

"Clears out the ones by the door. Understood." Spyglass finished my sentence. God, he was becoming more like Romulus every day.

"Wait for my signal. You'll know it when you see it" I put down my binoculars and rejoined my group of Specters. Reading their rifles as they await my orders. One handed me a rifle which I took without hesitation. I took a ready position as I looked on at the ponies at the door. Cursing at the durability of the door. I looked back at my squad of eight specters, ready to go. I held up five fingers and counted down without speaking. Once my last finger went down, I jumped up and let the bullets fly. Running towards the ponies, I mowed through several of them myself with the added fire support from the squad. The sudden chaos caused the whole camp to go into a panic. Grabbing whatever available weapons and rushing to aid the ponies under attack. Only to be cut off by the Spyglass's group that emerged from the other side of the encampment.

Per our plan, we grouped together in the space between the tents and the door. There were only about twenty ponies, but we hit them so hard and fast they barely had time to react. I let Spyglass take care of the stragglers as I focused my attention on the Capsule door. The damage from the saws and torches was very apparent as they attempted to cut a pony-sized hole in the middle. Scorch marks showed their path after wiping away some of the ash. They barely got an inch through where they did cut.

"Well, we did build these fuckers to withstand continental shifts. These things are sturdy." I looked around the door for the access panel on the side. I found it smashed and on the ground near the edge of the door. The interior wires pulled out and melted to shit. "They seriously smashed off the panel and tried to hotwire it. God, this is gonna be so much harder now." I inspected the wires hoping that there was at least something fixable.

"Nonsense, sir!" Spyglass announced, walking over to inspect the jumbled mess of wires, only to rip the wires out of the socket. I was stunned at first at his sudden destructiveness and was about to yell at him. Only to remember the admin access port behind the wires. Spyglass's hand morphed and shifted into a sort of access plug as he stuck the whole length of his forearm in the wire port. His obsidian eye's pupil disappeared and was replaced with lines of code.

"It's asking for a security override. Anything for that, sir?" Spyglass asked.

I pondered for a minute, trying to remember a security override code. I knew a few other overrides for some of the gear, such as armor or data access. But now security ones. At least not well, anyway. I then remembered my personal royal override. Something I had since I was born into the royal family back home. I used it to get into all manner of trouble but learned quickly how to be responsible with it.

"Try override code RE-ADR-MAX." I responded. More code flashed across Spyglass's eye. A few moments later, a large green thumbs-up appeared as the door hissed and slowly opened. Spyglass retracted his arm, causing his pupil to return as he stood by my side. I turned to the other specters and gave them the order to stand guard here and not to let anyone inside. The door made a large clunk as the door opened, allowing Spyglass and me to walk inside.

I pulled out a flashlight since it was so dark I couldn't see anything. Spyglass's purple eye lit up like a spotlight as we walked. I coughed as I breathed due to the immense amount of dust in the air. The walls were a dull grey, and there were a few cobwebs in the upper corners here and there. The color of grey seemed to stay consistent throughout the interior. The entrance led down a rather wide and steep ramp-like staircase which ended with a large circular elevator. We stepped onto the round, flat platform, and Spyglass pressed a button on his side which caused a light above us to ignite. Two wired fence doors closed around us as we began our descent. We rode the elevator for a few minutes before it hissed to a stop. The doors opened, and several lights lit up simultaneously. Revealing a long hallway with several windows along the side with a large rectangular door at the end. We walked forward and looked through the windows as we passed.

There were four large windows, two on each side of the hallway. Inside were roughly a dozen specters tucked into the fetal position stored away for activation. one on top of the other sitting against the walls. Pipes on the inside spewed a white cloud of steam that seemed to add a sort of eerie feeling to this whole thing. Most of the specters appeared to be built for more maintenance than combat. As most of them didn't have the extensive armor plating that most of the specters I had did. We continued down to the large rectangular door at the end of the hallway. A handprint scanner panel was on one side of the door, which required an administrative hoofprint or handprint to allow access to the inner chamber. I instinctively pressed my hand to the cold glass screen as it scanned my hand. After a moment, the screen lit up green, and a feminine voice called out over the speakers. "Access granted, welcome young prince."

"Oh god dammit, whoever coded this thing is gonna get beat," I mumbled as the doors cracked open with a hiss and slowly opened the rest of the way.

Inside, several lights were on which made the usage of my flashlight obsolete. The first thing that caught my attention was the massive glass cylindrical pillar in the center of the enormous room. Inside was four orbs of lightning that arced off each other with stray bolts hitting the glass. They were spinning furiously inside the glass chamber, making it hum with a low rumble. The bright lighting inside threw the most light throughout the room.

"Hmm, a fourth-generation reactor. Not bad." Spyglass whistled, walking over to a nearby panel and looking over some data. I silently agreed as I continued exploring the area. Around the reactor were several armory lockers, as well as along most of the interior dull grey walls. My assumption that the color grey was a consistent theme was proving correct. On some of the walls, Specters who looked much more combat-ready than the ones before, were hung on charging cables in sets of two or four. Their arms were stretched like a T, and their heads drooped down toward the floor. As I circled the reactor around its backside opposite where we came in. There was another door with a sign with lit-up white words reading 'workshop.'

I turned my head back to yell for the Spyglass, whose blurred outline I could see through the reactor glass. "Im going in deeper. Start getting some of the combat-ready specters online."

"10-4, sir!" he yelled back.

As I grew closer, the door hissed and opened with a large amount of steam. Startling me slightly, my curiosity compelled me to continue. I looked into the next room and saw a much larger-than-normal specter hooked up to a charging station on the opposite side of the room. As I walked inside, the room was considerably smaller than the last. Well, considering there wasn't a giant ass reactor in the middle definitely helped. Around the room were several tables with tools scattered about in heeps among them. Some are holding unfinished gun-shaped heaps of metal. Others holding parts of specter limbs or the occasional head. I tell you what, whoever was working on these projects left in a hurry if they couldn't clean up at least. One thing I took note of with every one of the unfinished guns on the tables. They all had this glowing blue crystal cartridge among the parts. I pocketed one out of curiosity and kept looking around.

I turned my attention back to the giant specter in the back of the room. I had to take a wild guess. It looked roughly nine feet tall and too bulky to move efficiently. Its chest bulged outward in a type of shark-head fashion that didn't match its rectangular-shaped head. Speaking of the head, it held a sizeable orange lens in its center. Dull but very clearly orange. Its arms were robust, boxed, and shaped into their own segments, except for the elbow servo, which held a circular shape. The same theme stood firm for the legs, bulky but strong. Overall this thing looked like it could take more than a hit, but it couldn't do any kind of fancy movement. I'd take a gander and say even running would be a challenge for this thing. I looked back into its dull orange eye, and a thought popped into my head that I muttered out loud.

"ya know what? You look like Spyglass's steroid-abusing uncle. If he had one. You scream protein shake." The comment made me chuckle to myself. Until a blaring musical tone from my wristpad scared the shit out of me. I furiously checked my wristband what it was, only to read.

'incoming direct transmission from Romulus'

I answered hastily, knowing Romulus would go out of his way to call me like this unless it was serious.

"Romulus, what's going on buddy?" I asked worriedly.

"Sir, we have a problem." His voice echoed through my helmet. The small icon of him appeared on the upper corner of its HUD.

"What's wrong?"

"All the other teams have reported in. All the primary capsules have erupted out of the ground, and they all show signs of tampering. We resealed two of the three. But the third one was breached and looted in its entirety." Romulus explained.

Fear enveloped my mind. The thought of Redeye having breached one of the time capsules horrified me. I had one question on my mind I needed to ask Romulus. "What was supposed to be in the Capsule?"

Romulus took a moment before responding. "According to the records of the capsules on-site log. It held the plans for the Zephyr anti-air defense platform. The Capsule, once fully deployed, would double as a prequel to the platform as a Massive anti-air defense platform. Missles and flak rounds were also stored inside to keep the platform operational for a long while. In short, whoever has these blueprints and the ability to build them. Doesn't have to worry about anything in the sky fucking with them ever again."

"Well, that's just fucking GREAT now, isn't it!" I was so angry I swept the contents of the nearby table across the room. The metal smashing on the floor echoed throughout the room as I sat down on a dust-covered chair. There was silence from Romulus on the radio for a while before he asked,

"How goes things on your end, sir?"

"We engaged an encampment of Redeyes forces attempting to breach the Capsule when we arrived," I mumbled, putting my head in my hands.

"Oh, I see why you're so upset now, sir."

'You think?!" I announced, leaning back in the chair and staring up at the ceiling. "First time we've bothered to check and ensure Project rejuvenation isn't compromised. And lord behold, Redeye's found four of them, broke into one, and now he has one of the most effective pegasus killing platforms at the tip of his hooves. From here on out, if any more of these things pop up with an alert. SEND A TEAM AT ONCE!"

"Understood, sir. And If I may offer you a suggestion. You should see if any of the ponies from Redeyes group has any intel, mission log, or something of that sort, so we know his intentions with project rejuvenation." Romulus's words made sense. If Redeye would send his people this far out from Fillydelphia. He would have sent them with some sort of physical copy of the mission since he mostly hires mercenaries and slavers to do his dirty work. And they can sometimes forget their incentive.

"Understood, Romulus. I'll finish up here and meet you at the junction."

"Sounds good, sir. Travel safe." There was a click over the speakers as Romulus cut the transition. I slapped my knees and got to my feet with a long sigh.

"Today's gonna be a long fuckin day."

Author's Note

Alright, I FINALLY got this chapter out. Now Im going to focus on getting the first two chapters rewritten, and THEN we can continue. I have plans for this story, don't you worry. It's just this one chapter was a little harder, and It's hard to find time to work on it overall with my schedule. Otherwise enjoy.