To be Awakened

"Let her go!" Red demanded, lifting her head to see her sister restrained by two of her father's minions. “Let her go, now! I will kill you; let her go!!”

"Sir, they have been secured. Two miles from the base," reported one of the minions.

Chrysalis, struggling to focus, saw doubles of the armored creature holding down her sister. "One of them seems to have entered," mentioned the creature. He was wearing body armor, or rather, tactical gear, as their father had informed them.

The thought began to slip away as if a whip had struck her brain, interrupting her concentration. "Yes, 38971139 has received multiple injuries from an unknown source—one of the new abominations from this place," the creature continued. Chrysalis struggled to grasp the name of this mysterious creature, feeling its existence slip into secrecy.

"We have administered the drugs," she heard, still able to witness her sister's restrained struggle. Handcuffs and leg cuffs secured her, along with a device on her horn preventing the use of magic—a universal energy disperser, as their father had described.

Father... maybe... Chrysalis closed her eyes, only to wake up moments later, greeted by dark hazel eyes and a smile. "Father," she uttered, turning towards the light illuminating the cave they had fallen into. A significant pond and a large tree surrounded them. Red, her sister, seemed more composed.

"I'm sorry, but we'll have to leave you here for a while. You've sustained too much damage, but you'll be asleep, and your wounds will heal," a soft voice assured her, accompanied by a gentle touch.

Her sister, Red, seemed hesitant to speak, and Chrysalis whispered, "I... I... Lo..."

BANG!!!

"I love you!"

Daring Do leapt from her chair, soaring high, almost reaching the tent's peak before assuming a combat stance.

As the adrenaline rush subsided, she realized she was in the middle of a tent, having dozed off during the two-hour heated debate amidst knights, merchants, and princesses. All eyes turned to her—expressions ranging from irritation and confusion to concern, except for the griffin, who continued to drink, undisturbed.

Lowering herself back to the ground, Daring Do rubbed her head awkwardly.

"It's about time you admitted the truth,” interjected Caballeron. “I always knew you loved me."

His remark left her cheeks flushed with embarrassment, but she quickly regained her composure, her ears flicking back. "Not the time for jokes," she retorted, using her hoof to push the chair away from under Caballeron. He deftly dodged it, offering her a warm smile.

"You don't have to be nervous. I know exactly why you've fallen for me—my beauty, charisma, and my sizeable–"

"Arrogance," the unicorn interrupted.

A moment of quiet followed, lasting until Princess Cadance unleashed an unprincess-like laugh, which soon infected Shining Armor, Zecora, and most of the other guests, breaking the tension over the incident.

Abrafo maintained his stoic expression, observing everyone before returning to his seat.

Cadence took a few moments, allowing the room to settle before exhaling. "You're right; it's already pretty late, and I don't think this discussion will be resolved tonight." A hint of steel entered her voice as she continued, "But what I said stands. You shall be sharing tents together—all of you. That part is non-negotiable. If that arrangement doesn't work for you, I'll personally send you packing."

She surveyed the room, her gaze daring anyone to question her orders. It appeared to be a bluff, or even if she did follow through, she would likely receive angry letters from their respective leaders or diplomats. However, no one dared to challenge her command, perhaps deeming it a minor punishment compared to potential repercussions.

"The meeting is now adjourned," Cadence declared.

Shining Armor smiled at his wife's assertiveness, savoring the moment before adopting his customary military demeanor. "Soldier," he addressed a guard.

The guard promptly responded with a crisp "Yes, sir?"

"Set up a tent for these new roomies," Shining Armor ordered.

The Saddle Arabian chortled. "No need; my tent should be enough for all of us. I even have space for separate rooms." At Shining’s puzzled reaction, she added, "Do you think you're the only one with a tent made by an alicorn? My father granted me one of his treasures bestowed upon our family by one such alicorn."

The venom in her words was audible to Shining Armor, but Cadence sensed an underlying tone, perhaps not love, but at least respect.

"Celestia and Luna?" Shining Armor couldn't help but ask.

Amira chuckled in response. "Neither. If the story is correct, it was a male alicorn before the Silent Era and the Exodus; long before for you ponies even thought about coming together as one tribe.”

Shining Armor had a grasp of basic Equestrian history, but hadn't delved into the more scholarly research of his homeland's past, knowing just enough to pass his history classes.

"I see. It seems like Celestia is not the only one keeping great records,” Cadance scoffed. “The Saddle Arabians have been keeping an eye on the alicorns, as well."

The princess giggled, "Yes, when a whole race of creatures disappears, it tends to raise eyebrows. But don't tell anyone—secret knowledge."

“Worry not, tall pony,” grinned Max, rubbing his paws together. “Information is safe with us.”

“Indeed so,” grinned Caballeron, likewise rubbing his hooves. “You have my word that this information will not fall into the wrong hooves for a fair price.”

Amira nonchalantly shrugged, acknowledging the rarity of the information, yet hinting that even the most minor research would unveil this simple truth.

“This conversation is interesting, princess, but I should probably see my guests to their rooms. If you should ever find yourself with some free time, I can make you some of my homeland’s special spiced tea and we might even enjoy a bottle of my spiced wine, as well.” Amira gave Cadance a curtsy before making her way out of the tent. The other creatures forced to bunk together followed, a myriad of grunts and moans seeming to follow them.

Out of the corner of Cadence's eye, she noticed Dr. Caballeron grabbing Daring Do by the shoulder, and they moved away from the group to one side of the tent. Unable to resist, Cadence moved closer, but opted to look busy, so she could overhear their conversation.

"What's going on?" Daring questioned as she shrugged Caballeron off. "What are you talking about?"

Caballeron stared her down. "You know what I'm talking about. This is the second time you've been talking about Chrysalis or whatever number you called her."

Daring looked confused, wondering how he knew about her dream about Chrysalis. "How do you–?"

Caballeron's eyebrows rose. "You were talking in your sleep. You've done it since college."

Daring scowled defiantly. "I do not talk in my sleep."

Caballeron gave her a blank look. "Yes, you do. How do you think I passed Calculus without studying? You were reciting the answers. Now, stop trying to change the subject. What's going on? You only talk in your sleep when you're concerned or worried about something."

Daring grumbled out a few choice curses. "I don't know. I've been having dreams, visions, whatever, about Chrysalis and other odd things."

Caballeron raised an eyebrow, then scoffed. "That’s convenient. I didn't realize you’d become a seer. How long did we spend with that tribe? A week at most?"

Daring put on a smile, reminiscing about one of her first spiritual adventures where she witnessed things most ponies never did. "Be serious. We smoked a pound of whatever that green stuff was. We were most likely hallucinating." She sighed. "But whatever this is, it seems too real to be a dream, and the creatures I see... I tried to tell myself it's just some crazy dream, but I feel like I'm seeing something I'm not supposed to."

Caballeron traced her face silently for a moment. He knew she wasn’t lying; not about this. "Why don't we tell Luna? She would be able to—"

“No!” interrupted Daring in a shout-whisper before clearing her throat. "No, the princesses would pull me off this project if they knew I was having visions. You know how valuable seers are!"

"Don’t be so dramatic. We haven't had a conscription since Starswirl the Bearded. Plus, Oracles live comfortable lives on the princesses' dime."

Daring Do scoffed at Caballeron. "Yes, and they also have mandatory guards or S.M.I.L.E.s watching over them,"

Caballeron hurriedly shoved his hoof over her mouth. "Don't talk about S.M.I.L.E!” he shout-whispered. “Ponies aren't supposed to even know about that!"

Daring looked even more surprised as Caballeron removed his hoof. "How do you know about it?"

Caballeron appeared mildly outraged. "You don't deal with magical items and shady creatures without learning about some of the government's dirty little secrets. Most people think ponies being spies is a myth or a joke, but they're quite good at their job. Annoyingly good."

Daring rolled her eyes. "You couldn't be any more scummy if you tried, could you?"

Caballeron threw up his hoof. "Stop trying to pull us off track. You need to tell someone."

Daring smiled, patting Caballeron on the back. "I told you. Job done."

Caballeron glared at her, annoyed. "You didn’t tell me jack shit. I had to drag it out of you. And while I might know a lot about magical items and some lost history, I don't know enough to help you if something goes wrong with this."

Daring scoffed. "What could go wrong? I randomly see glimpses into the future or past. I sometimes receive visions. I occasionally have a headache. It just so happens that all of those things are happening right now, and I’m looking into fixing that once this inane conversation is over."

Caballeron looked at her as if she were being naive and sighed. "You're not the average pony. You've picked up a history book. You know better than anypony that this particular field of magic has been severely under-researched. Bad things have happened to seers who didn’t go through the proper training. You could go into a coma. You could wake up one of these days and just walk in some random direction until you disappear forever. You could have some unknown power outside of seeing the future. You could go crazy!” He rubbed his face, frustrated. “All the stories we've read on the subject… You of all ponies shou– You did your college thesis on this! You know the risks! The only known Oracle that's still alive is Celestia, as far as we know!"

Daring knew of two other oracles, but was sworn to secrecy. Even if she wasn’t, she was not the type of pony to disclose that information and endanger them.

"So yes, all that's true. Yes, I did my paper on it, so I’m aware of the risks. And yes, I'm a member of that organization, so trust me when I say I can handle this."

Caballeron was about to retort, but thought better of it. "All right,” he sighed. “I can take a hint. But I am not going to pull your flank out of the fire if this goes belly up."

Daring smiled. "Ha! Like I'm not the one pulling you out of the fire most of the time…"

“I wish I hadn’t heard that,” muttered Caballeron under his breath as he followed a few lengths behind Daring as they raced to catch up with the others, now well ahead of them.

Cadence's horn stopped its glow, and Shining Armor joined at her side. "Is there something wrong?"

Cadence groaned, walking to her desk and immediately grabbing a piece of paper and a pen. "No, it's a good day, sweetie. All in all, I’m happy with the way most things worked out. I’m just upset that we might lose a good archaeologist."

Shining Armor raised an eyebrow. "Caballeron? I knew he was a fishy one, but–"

Cadence let out a breath. "No, no, darling, Daring Do. She may be a seer."

Shining Armor turned towards the door, ready to issue a command, but he was stopped by pink magic covering his whole body, plugging his mouth and throat with a long, slender tube of invisible force that bulged out his throat a bit. "Shiny, I'm going to ask you to do me a favor and not tell anypony."

Shining's eyes widened as he was released from his wife's magic. "Dear, I–"

"I'm going to tell Celestia,” she interrupted. “I’m not a fool. If we try to force this, Ms. Do will fight us. For now, I think the best way to handle this is a watch-from-afar approach."

Shining Armor wanted to say something, but after a moment of thought, he remembered that Daring seemed resistant to the few restrictions she already had. He assumed she would not be very happy about the heavy-hoofed response all oracles were forced to deal with.

He let out his breath. “Okay, dear… But I’m telling her bodyguard. Sergeant Shadow needs to know.”

Cadence walked over to him, leaving a small kiss on his cheek. “Thank you, Shiny.”

He nuzzled her back. “Hopefully this doesn't blow up in our face…”

"I'm not sharing a room with you again. You drool and snore," declared Gilda. These were the first words Daring Do and Caballeron overheard as they caught up with the group.

"Like I want to share a tent with you,” snorted Max. “Last time, you nearly tore me to ribbons with your wild sleep movements. I had to put a shield in front of you or end up a stain on the dirt!"

Amira rolled her eyes. "Look, I only have three bedrooms, and that’s after converting my study and billiards room into bedrooms. Now, Cadance ordered tha–"

“Princess Cadance,” snapped Flash Bang.

“She ordered us to cohabitate, and she’s the one who picked who was sleeping where. I offered my tent only because the rooms are big enough to keep you separated.”

"As long as I’m a good twenty feet away from the griffin when she sleeps, I'll be fine. Last time, you threw one of your knives at me."

Gilda let out a small squawk. "It happened one time, and it was dark!"

Max blew a raspberry. "Don't play that card; Griffins have some of the best night vision of any race. Even we diamond dogs don't have better eyesight than you."

Gilda rolled her eyes. "You diamond dogs couldn't see in front of you if you had one of Celestia's golden apples in your face."

"No, but we can smell you chickens from a mile away.”

Flash Bang and Abrafo scouted out the rest of the encampment as they walked. Both were keeping separate watches, but keeping their heads on a swivel, ready to deal with any unseen enemies, just as soon as they made themselves seen. Abrafo was staying on the left side of the group, while Flash Bang seemed to be staying on the right.

"Do you guys ever turn off that attitude?" Daring asked as they caught up with the group, with Caballeron right behind.

"No," Abrafo answered immediately.

"Not in these parts," Flash Bang replied, not as fast but just as direct. They kept their eyes on everything and everyone, emitting an intense aura that deterred creatures from coming too close. "Are we almost there?"

"Yes, the dignitary setup was closer to the inside of the camp, so we're not too far," explained Amira as they walked past more tents, most of them seemingly extravagant and larger than necessary, adorned with enchanted charms.

Flash Bang looked at these tents with a slight amount of disdain. "Opulence for no reason," he snorted.

Abrafo grunted, for once in agreement with him.

Amira rebuffed the two. "True, they’re posturing, but for a good reason. Showing off your country's wealth and skill is a good way to earn connections. Just look at where the scientists sleep. They’re pretty well-off, themselves. Or that magic infuser I saw on my way in."

"As long as the jewels flow, it doesn't matter how opulent the ponies, zebras, or the other creatures want to be,” sneered Max. “We diamond dogs are here to dig holes and be paid a good bit for it."

Gilda rolled her eyes. "You're a merchant. Don't pretend like you're actually going to be digging…"

"I'll be supplying my people with what they need and making a quick buck on the side if I can. Isn't that right, Caballeron?" Max turned and smirked at Caballeron, who’d only been halfway paying attention as he glanced at the tents around him and their opulent designs. Surely, they wouldn’t be shocked if a few gemstones were to… fall off?

As the question was posed at him, he chuckled, redirecting his gaze to the group. "You know it."

Daring Do glared at Caballeron with an exasperated sigh. "You really want to end up in the Canterlot dungeon, don’t you?"

Max, in an effort to take some eyes off of himself, couldn't help but push the limits. "Oh, I see you finally found a mare to put a collar around you. I thought you'd die alone, buried in your treasure."

Caballeron, taking the bait, couldn't help but let out a dramatic sigh. "Yes, you’ve found my weakness. My sweet love. She has finally captured my heart," Caballeron declared, wrapping a hoof around her shoulder and pulling her close, rubbing his cheek against hers. “Oh, the many horrid nights we spent apart cannot be undone, but now that we’re going to be sleeping in the same bed–”

“Same room,” clarified Amira. “Separate beds.”

“Finally, we can make up for the lost ages. Kiss me, my dear!”

Daring pulled out of his grasp and slapped him hard across the cheek. Despite the fact that she was making a face like she wanted to vomit at the notion, there was a very tiny blush on her face that lasted only a moment. "Don't make me sick. I'd sooner have this greaseball be my special somepony," she retorted, pointing at Flash Bang.

“Gee, thanks,” he sneered. “Glad to know I’m only slightly preferable to vomiting.”

“Always good to know your worth,” snarked Abrafo.

Amira couldn't help but chuckle. "I've read your books before. I think you two would make a cute couple," she teased.

Gilda let out a squawk and punted a pail across the path into one of the tents, knocking over one of the supports. "Oh, gods-squawking damn it! I owe Dash twenty bits. She told me you were a real pony, and I didn't believe her. She even said you went on some big adventure with her."

“Seriously?” scoffed Daring. “She was on the cover of “Daring Do and the Ring of Destiny.” She was in the book. I gave her a signed copy. And I’ve long since dropped the charade.”

"I could have sworn you guys were together. Your descriptions were so detailed," Gilda remarked.

Amira stopped in front of a tent. "Well, I guess this is going to be your home for now."

All the ponies gazed at a seemingly ordinary tent with a few designs on the top and a picture of Amira's family crest – a scimitar stabbed into the ground in the middle of a field or desert area. The diamond dog, rejoining the group, burst into laughter, Gilda rolled her eyes, more annoyed than amused, Flash and Abrafo stayed quiet, while Daring Do seemed surprised and Caballeron was stunned into silence.

"This thing’s going to house all of us?" Gilda inquired, observing the tent.

"Are you crazy?" Max agreed. “This thing’s tiny!”

Daring turned to the Diamond Dog, giving him a look of disbelief. "Have you learned nothing? We just came from Princess Cadance’s yurt, which was six times as big on the inside as it was on the outside. Clearly, we have been working on saving space," Daring explained. “Although, even if we were to expand this to seven times its size, I wonder if it would still be too cozy for our liking…”

Amira chuckled. "It's a replica of an ancient artifact. The original is on my family's estate," she clarified as she walked into the small tent. "Oh, you all can come in."

Everyone walked in and their eyes went wide. The grand entrance unfolded into an opulent foyer adorned with intricate mosaic tiles that depicted scenes from Amira's family history. Elaborate archways led to various wings of the mansion, each decorated with filigree patterns and carved wooden panels, showcasing the mastery of various artisans. Plush Persian rugs adorned the marble floors, contributing a touch of luxury to the surroundings.

The main sitting area, just off the foyer, featured plush cushions and intricately carved wooden furniture with jewel-studded upholstery. Silk curtains billowed gently, revealing glimpses of the enchanting courtyard garden beyond. Portraits of ancestors, along with Amira’s family crest, adorned the walls, echoing the regality and wisdom passed down through generations.

The main hallway within the mansion held six ornately carved doors, each leading to a different area of the estate, where devoted spectral servants moved gracefully in the magical space, attending to their duties. Adorned with more family crests, portraits, and chambers filled with artifacts, carvings, and cherished relics, the mansion stood as a living testament to the fusion of cultures, the richness of heritage, and the magic weaving through generations in an intricate tapestry of life and legacy.

Amira was already comfortably seated in one of her plush chairs, leaning over to observe the others. "I have already arranged your rooms according to Princess Cadance’s orders." A servant approached, placing a strange-looking drink in front of her. It was yellow on top and red on the bottom, with two skewered cherries and a sliced blood orange sitting on the rim. "There aren't many rules. All I ask is that you do not go into the room with the star over the door. Other than that, feel free to take as much food as you want, drink as much as you want, and enjoy yourself."

Daring found herself having to eat her words. She’d heard that the Saddle Arabians were working on spatial relations, but this was leaps and bounds ahead of what Equestria had come up with.

Gilda smiled before swiftly running up the stairs to claim her room. “Multiple floors!”

Max eyed Amira with suspicion. "What's the catch? You wouldn't offer us free rein like that if there wasn't something you wanted."

Amira laughed, "We've already discussed it with the princess. She wanted everypony to stay together, and I agreed to let you stay here. I might as well be courteous." Amira gestured to one of the servants. "But you might be a little curious about why I would offer something so generous."

"They're constructs,” Abrafo interrupted, looking over the staff members. “They're not real creatures"

"This is similar to the princess's tent but on a larger scale," Flash Bang added.

Amira couldn't help but chuckle. "I see you guys are the astute ones," she said as she took a sip of her tequila sunset.

Daring eyed up the decorations. "This can’t be a recent development. Some of this moulding structure has to be more than two to three thousand years old. Definitely before the lost era."

Amira let out a chuckle. "Yes, the original is probably that old, but like I said, this is a copy."

Caballeron scanned his eyes around the artistry. "Yeah, I remember you saying something about that earlier, but do you mean to tell me that this is a replica?"

Abrafo walked around and took a seat in a bean bag-like chair, slightly more relaxed but still wary. Flash Bang sat across from him, finally taking off his helmet. It had been issued with a common illusion to make all of the guards look alike, but now that it was off, it revealed him to be a white pony with a blonde mane. He also had complete heterochromia; his left eye was red, but his right was green. It was a far cry from how he had looked before, with both eyes being turquoise. He placed his helmet on the table nearby.

Amira carefully looked at both of them before responding to the question. "I'm surprised a stallion in your business has not heard."

Caballeron let out a small scoff before taking his own seat, close to a portrait of a stallion carrying a large, bent sword. "I've been busy. When I received the princesses' letter, I cut off a job already in progress to immediately make my way back to Equestria. It's hard to keep your ear to the ground when destiny calls."

The remaining few that had stayed in the sitting room, all but Gilda and Max, chuckled before taking seats on either side of him.

"Or the chance to be pardoned." Flash Bang raised his eyebrows, thinking only a couple of hours ago that these two ponies were only made-up characters.

"Yes, yes, this project has kept us all busy,” calmed Amira. “But my second sister has finally cracked the code to replicate several ancient artifacts. They're not as powerful as the original, but with her process, she can now take an extremely powerful magic item and make a lesser magical item with roughly the same effect. Even with that, she's still the second princess." Amira seemed to let out an annoying chuckle.

Caballeron's eyes widened. "That must be the reason..." The stallion let out a small, upset grumble.

Daring called over one of the spectral servants and ordered a salad with a glass of red wine. "That's going to be a pain; there'll probably be a slew of amateurs attempting to find artifacts now." She turned around. "A problem with more competition."

"No colt or filly has the skills to outdo me,” scoffed Caballeron. “But you're laughing. That means more creatures to deal with in your precious moral rule set. How many magic items are you hoarding now?"

Daring flipped him the bird using her wings, but she realized he was correct. There would now be more either foolhardy ponies or creatures, or hopeless fools, looking for a quick bit.

"Yes, there will probably be an uptake in adventurers looking for valuable artifacts,” admitted Amira. “On top of that, my family is in talks to marry off my sister to somepony in the royal family. Good luck with that one.” She shook her head. “Whoever they choose for her better have a strong will. My sister is a mad mare."

Flash Bang cut back into the conversation. "With that, I assume you are going to attempt to hustle in on Equestria's magic monopoly?" The stallion slowly leaned against the side of the chair.

“I doubt that both of our kingdoms have very good trading relations with each other,” sneered Abrafo. “If Celestia was smart, she would just work with the prince and build a stronger relationship, as you ponies love to do. Twilight has already pushed pussy goodwill all across Equestria. She is close to becoming the most beloved princess.”

Flash Bang scoffed. “She is a very talented and accomplished princess, but I will admit that she hasn't really faced anything that would push her to her edge.”

Abrafo nods his head in slight respect. “A pony saying something wise… Never thought I’d see that.”

Before anyone else had a chance to say anything, the diamond dog walked back in with a large plate of food, with different kinds of meats, cheeses and other random items he seemed to scrounge from the kitchen. “Little pony princess is good at making friends; convincing people of working together, but never dealt with the dirty end of the stick. Sun princess babies her.” Max took a seat on a larger chair, dropping his plate of food on the mini table right next to it.

“Princess Twilight is young and has plenty of time to learn. She has also proven herself to be capable in an emergency.” Gilda came stomping down with a big smile on her beaky face. "Overheard your conversation. Those losers can handle themselves. Plus, Twilight has five other ponies and a shrimpy dragon that all have her back. One is my best friend."

Daring pondered which one of the elements could be this griffin's friend. Only one possibility popped up in her head. Admittedly, she wasn’t intimately familiar with most of Twilight’s friend group, but if she had to guess, it would be the one she had mentioned owing money to not even twenty minutes ago. "Rainbow Dash. Surprising that you two are friends."

Gilda's sharp eyes turned to the pony. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Daring shrugged. "You two seem to have completely different personalities. She’s very loyal, dependable, hard-working. And you…” She shrugged again. “But as I think about it, maybe you two would settle up better than I initially thought."

Gilda couldn't help but let out a laugh. "If I was younger, that probably would have earned you a black eye and a fat lip. But I was toughened up by the power of friendship. So now I'm a nicer chick." Gilda immediately jumped on top of her seat, spotting an ottoman and placing her claws on it, being careful enough not to tear it apart.

Max chuckled. "Ha! I can't imagine you much worse than how you are now. If you weren't so skilled, I would have probably tried to sell you off."

Gilda quickly slid a knife out of her side pocket and tossed it to the diamond dog, hitting the side of the wall. Max simply grabbed the knife off the floor and used it as a toothpick before tossing it back.

"You wouldn't even live to regret it," Max continued, sticking out his tongue. "That means I'm probably going to live a very long time, because I wouldn't have regretted it."

Caballeron was handed his glass of whiskey by one of the servants and raised it up. "You can say that again. This guy tried to sell me off because I took a larger cut."

Max growled at him, letting food fly out of his mouth.

Amira rolled her eyes and looked disgusted. "It seems like the diamond dogs' practices are still just as disgusting as ever." She then turned to Gilda. “And please don’t throw knives in my tent.”

The diamond dog pointed a finger towards the two. "You were not trying to take a small amount; you were trying to steal the whole thing! And I don't want to hear about slavery from a race who treat their poor worse than we treat our slaves! How are those large-scale ghettos working out for you? Last time I heard, you were putting down another rebellion."

Amira raised her nose up at him. “We were not putting down the rebellion. A small amount of citizens were unsatisfied with the sultan. Right after a quick investigation, it was quickly dealt with.”

Daring remembered hearing that a large-scale fire broke out, killing the sultan and the royal family. They had to intervene, spreading out his family's riches to the lower class to stop the rebellion. There were also plenty of unfounded reports about it being an inside job.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. And the large-scale weapons for this were a misunderstanding,” Amira said, raising an eyebrow. “How did you know there were weapons found?”

Max bore a devious smile, showing off his white teeth and fangs. “Where did you think the weapons came from?”

Amira's eye started to twitch as she reached for her blade. “Calm your tits, dog! I might have heard of the delivery, but I had nothing to do with it! Plus, arms are not what I deal in. If there was a magic item there, you probably could try to blame me, but I have plenty of witnesses saying I was far, far away.” Amira took a deep breath, seemingly letting the subject drop for now.

Daring quickly tried to change the subject before this ended up in another fight. “Abrafo… You know Zecora?”

The zebra slowly turned towards Daring and let out a puff of annoyance. “Yes, I do…”

They all waited a few minutes for him to continue the conversation, but when it was obvious he was not, Daring tried again. “So, how long have you guys known each other? I’ve been able to meet her a couple of times and ask her questions.”

The zebra continued to act like a stony gate, but after a minute of silence, he answered. “Yes, I know.“

Gilda could not help but to respond with a nervous silence.

“Wow! You must be great at parties!” Flash Bang let out a small chuckle.

Abrafo only continued to frown. “At least one of you understands my humor.” He slowly leaned forward. “This is because I have to live with you now. It does not mean I need to like any of you. I prefer keeping my personal life personal and treat this like business. I personally don't like dealing with creatures who are on the watch list for our border control. Unlike Equestria, we take trespassing seriously.”

Both Max and Caballeron pulled out their scarves and wrapped them around their necks. “Your border control is slightly better than the ponies. The only thing you guys are good at when dealing with the border is keeping the hyenas out of the rest of the world.”

Abrafo, for a second, looked enraged. It was only for probably a fraction of a second, but Flash Bang caught it and decided to ignore it for now. Abrafo simply stared at the two. "Maybe if you ponies wouldn't break into our land and steal our artifacts," he said as he looked at Daring and Caballeron.

Daring had the decency to look slightly embarrassed, but Caballeron remained nonchalant.

"And if your wise princesses would actually act like allies and help us deal with the hyenas once and for all, we could ask them to do something about the border."

Flash Bang was swift to respond. "Celestia will not have us being part of eliminating another sentient species."

Abrafo let out a small, mirthless laugh. "Ha. Even if those animals were sentient, they would be the lowest level of it. And I think you would be singing a different tune if they were in your borders, rather than ours. I know that Equestria has been at peace for over a thousand years, but other creatures don't have the power of two god-like beings to protect them, and things like war, famine, and bloodshed are another part of life."

Flash Bang could understand that, but he could see the hate in the zebra's heart. "Yes, those are true, but they also teach us forgiveness and giving creatures another chance. Your kind have become the eternal jailers of the hyenas, making sure you'll always be enemies."

Gilda, who seemed to be paying little attention, turned to Amira. "So, in your experience, which creature has the biggest cock around here?"

Max spat out some of his food in laughter. "That's why I like you, griffin! Always straight to the point! Simple, like a diamond dog!"

Gilda rolled her eyes. "I don't know if that was a compliment or an insult…"

Caballeron was likewise surprised by the question, almost spitting out his expensive whiskey. Daring's face turned red, and Abrafo and Flash Bang turned towards the griffin with looks of confusion and slight surprise.

Amira turned to the griffin after a few seconds before starting to giggle. "What would make you think that I would know that?" she said in a playful way.

Gilda smiled back. "I might have only been here for a couple of weeks, but the rumors about you are quite explicit. I heard you have the guards waggling their tails for you."

Flash Bang remembered some of his fellow soldiers talking about a certain mare. "A lady never kisses and tells."

Gilda rolled her eyes and let out a sound that sounded like a squawk and an annoyed moan. "But hypothetically, there is a certain white soldier who has a certain pair of crossed green diamonds on his rear that knows how to hit the right spots." Gilda let out a small chuckle. "I prefer chicks, but I can always go for a stallion with a talent."

Amira laughed. "Who said it wasn't one?" Gilda smiled at that.

"Her brother is better," Flash Bang responded.

Both Amira and Gilda stared at Flash Bang, dumbfounded.

Max finished eating his food. "Diamond dogs are the best lovers."

Caballeron had to recover from his laughing fit before he could speak. "You guys are way too rough. Plus, you leave too many scratch marks and drool."

Daring raised an eyebrow.

"Experimentation." The diamond dog smiled. "No bits. Don't know why you didn't marry one of the princesses' daughters; you would have been set for life."

Daring Do threw up her hoof. "Of course! What would you not do for a... knot?"

Caballeron looked at both of them with an annoyed face. "Like I had a choice. It was either be with that beast, or spend a year of my life in the mine."

The diamond dog let out a chuckle. "I told you, you couldn't steal the jewel."

Caballeron let out a humorless chuckle. "No, what you said was that the jewel had very low protection. I don't call a teleport spell “low protection.””

“You know, she might even come here, so you might be able to reacquaint yourself," Max mused.

Caballeron drank the rest of his scotch in one go. "Let's hope not; that walking disaster is the last thing this camp needs."

The room fell silent once more, and Daring was practically itching to hear the story. She hadn’t ever heard Caballeron talk about the night he’d spent with a futa diamond dog princess.

Amira simply whinnied. "Daring Do, let's not pretend like you don’t have some interesting rumors around you as to who you keep in your bed," she said in a devious voice. "Other than the rumors about you and Caballeron, there is a pretty spicy rumor that you have been close to a dragon. It even gave you a magic gift. Did it also give you something else?"

Daring rolled her eyes. "I don't know why everyone assumes that about me and Knickerbocker. Plus, he has a mate and a couple of hatchlings."

Amira leaned to her side and put a hoof on her chin, looking like a model from a Playcolt. "What a shame. I have tasted plenty of fruits from foreign lands, but I have never tasted a dragon's."

Max put down his third plate and used a bone to pick his teeth. "And I thought diamond dog bitches were insatiable."

Abrafo, growing bored of the conversation, stood up and started walking up the stairs. "I’m booby trapping my room, so if you don't want to be paralyzed for the night, either knock or disarm the trap."

As the zebra walked up the stairs, Flash Bang joined with a yawn. "It's pretty late," he breathed as he went up the stairs himself.

Gilda waited until they were both gone. "Who wants to bet they're going to end up–"

"I'll put twenty bits on three weeks," Amira interrupted, smiling.

Max grinned. "Four rubies, four days."

Gilda smiled at both of them. "Big spender. I’ll match that bet. I'll give it two weeks."

Caballeron stood up from his seat. "On that note, I'm going to bed, as well. The real work is going to start tom–"

Caballeron stopped in the middle of his sentence, distracted by a buzzing sound. Max started to twitch, as well. They both moved their heads towards the west of the tent, quickly running outside to see what it was. Daring, Amira and Gilda looked at each other, confused, but quickly followed after them.

Leaving the tent, they saw what had caught the other two's attention. As soon as they walked outside, they found multiple creatures looking up into the sky with either confusion, amazement, or fear. Even the guards seemed stunned as there appeared to be a large, on-fire machine in the sky, apparently made from some kind of metal, crashing and lighting up the skyline with its yellow-red glow. As it sailed past the camp, Gilda simply threw her claws up in the air.

"I'm going to bed…"