City of gold...?

Luna watched the whole fiasco from her balcony overlooking the garden. She had seen the bipeds exchanged for her sister and Chrysalis. She had seen them talk, then capture Twilight after she accidentally stumbled upon them. Shining was currently negotiating with them... She just had to know what they were saying. She lit her horn, amplifying her sense of hearing to make out what the conversation was turning into. "For the love of Celestia, just do it Shining! You don't know what he's capable of!" Then came a long pause.

"...Alright, follow me." Shining was leading them to the castle innards. Unacceptable. The equestrian monarchy didn't negotiate with terrorists. Canceling her hearing spell, her horn alighted up once more, teleporting Luna to the garden's entrance.

Once there, the starry-maned princess confronted the group, earning curious looks from the bipeds, and a tightening grip around Twilight with both cylinders pointed directly at her left temple, earning a squeak from the purple unicorn.

"Hold it right there! What is the meaning of this Shining?" Shining bowed quickly, and looked at his princess with worried eyes.

"These... Things are holding my sister hostage princess, and I've made a deal with the trespasser to escort him and his companion to the outskirts of Canterlot and in turn release Twilight. Please, princess, all they want is to go back where they came from, and we all want Twilight back." He shifted his weight after a few tense moments.

"Tell me your name, biped. Maybe we can work something out." Luna bluffed, not realizing she contradicted what she thought from where she was observing them. Shining looked like he ran a marathon, unaware of what the princess was going to pull.

"No dice princess. We want our freedom, and you want her back. Stick to the plan, and Twilight's brains stay in her skull, or you can have a new garden decoration here." The human refused, gesturing his head to the small patch of white roses to his right." You have ten minutes to comply or we'll fight our way out. That's the original deal, and the only one that I'm going to stick by. Shining, get your ass moving double-time, I'm starting to get into a pissy mood." He looked at some glowing device on his left-front leg. "Nine minutes."

Jack knew he was bluffing, as he knew there was only bean-bag shots in his double-barrel, but they didn't. This whole situation was getting on his nerves, and he was restraining himself from cutting Shining open with a scalpel and watching what comes out. This 'princess' character seemed to have a much higher authority than Shining, and this was definitely going to turn bad if she felt like they were committing a heinous crime or what have you, and this could only possibly get worse if he didn't take action. Jack looked at his pip-boy.

"Five minutes." The princess looked apprehensive. sighing to himself, he knew she wasn't going to budge unless she was taught not to bring a spear to a gunfight. Cocking back the hammer for the left barrel, he aimed it to the bush of petunias left of him and shot off a round. With a loud crack, the petunias were blown back, and the occupants of the area ducked instinctively, save for Diane, who was readying a ten millimeter pistol, and it's sub-machine gun counterpart.

As the crowd rose from their place on the ground, Jack once again took a look at his pip-boy.

"Two minutes, make your move princess." Jack growled, placing the barrels back onto the shuddering Twilight.

"Alright. We as a group will escort you, just please, no more of that awful noise!"

Shining was terrified. It seemed the thing that had his sister could control the elements themselves with that infernal tool. He swallowed hard, hoping this creature was going to be true to it's word, and that his beloved princess wouldn't do anything to mess up this compromise. He trotted with the rest of the guards and the princess, along with the bipeds. They went through marble halls, past beautiful paintings and statues, but he noticed none of this.

"Shining!" Shining blinked, confused.

"Hello?"

"It's Luna. When I tell you to, you will grab your spear and ram it through our guest's neck, while doing a maneuver on the second to subdue the creature. Is that understood?" Shining furrowed his brow, but trusted the princess' judgement. As if he had a choice, anyway...

Dropping to the back of the group, he relayed the message to the rear guards, and they confirmed their orders: Once the first had a spear in it's throat, take down the other with hoof-to-hoof combat and subdue her.

"And if this doesn't work princess?"

"We cannot allow these creatures into the public, let alone Canterlot! There will be citywide panic, and questions! We don't even know if this beast will keep his end of the bargain!" She had a point. But it's his sister! What would happen if he lost her? He would never be able to forgive himself. The element of magic, and his sister. If they screwed this up, so was Equestria if it had to deal with supernatural forces, like Discord, or even Nightmare. He held his spear apprehensively at the thought, aimed directly at his sister's captor.

Jack was getting edgy, as he swore he was in the same hallway for the fifth time. He looked at his pip-boy, and it seemed they were indeed going in circles. He furrowed his brow. They were buying time.

"Oh Jaaaaack~" He heard an all too-familiar voice. It was the voice death gave him after all these years, as he had died and death felt he should have a 'partner' to go ape-shit on anyone or anything he dared to unleash him on. It was the voice that kept reviving him, that kept him alive.

"What is it Jackie?"

"You know they're going to screw you over any minute now, right?" Jack sighed.

"I'm starting to realize that now. What do you say? Chainsaw massacre if things turn to shit?" He heard his alter egos' maniacal laughter.

"Of course!"

"Just keep Twilight, the princess, and Diane alright. Shoot the princess with the remaining shot in the double barrel, it's a beanbag shot and it should immobilize her for a few minutes. I want Twilight for questioning. Cut Shining. He is referring to us as objects and or animals, this is intolerable. We have shown them respect insofar as giving them a chance and trusting their word as royalty. I grow tired of this, and they must be educated properly to respect us." Jackie was listening intently, savoring every word for details on who to spare, and who's intestines to wear as a tie.

"Why are we walking in circles?!" Jack shouted.

"We are going to-" Luna began.

"STOP LYING! I HAVE A MAP TELLING ME WE ARE GOING IN CIRCLES!" Jack cocked the right hammer with a very audible "click", preparing for the plan.

Luna gulped, and prepared for the worst. She raised the mental communication line back to Shining, as he felt the connection again, he motioned for the guards to prepare. She was indeed leading them in a circle, changing their path just a little hoping the biped would not know.

"You never told me your name, biped."

"Yeah. I didn't, nor shall I in the future. Now, please, stop wasting my time. I heard red paint was in fashion nowadays." He replied gruffly. Luna shivered inwardly, trying to not let her emotion show. The time was nearing, and he was NOT getting out of this castle. Such a threat to the populace was too much, and it was Celestia's job to take care of that sort of... Wait. Where is Celestia for that matter?

"Jack, please don't hurt me..." Jack looked to Twilight, who  had tears flowing down her cheeks. He wiped her cheeks with his thumb, in an attempt to comfort her a bit. Besides, he had standards, and this was crossing a boundary he set for himself. She looked both confused and scared. He then proceeded to take his helmet off, showing his scarred face.

"Hush, Twilight. This will be over soon if your princess and Shining keep their word, so you have nothing to worry about. I'm sorry for being so rough with you, but one must understand the current situation. I am not familiar with my surroundings, and I've come in contact with a borderline fictional species. Please try to understand that. We both want our freedom, right?" Jack whispered softly, loosening his grip on her a bit. Twilight nodded, sniffling.

"Okay then. Like I said, this will all be over- *SHLING*

*hurk*

Twilight froze. She dared a look at her captor, and found a spearhead through his mouth, inevitably entering through the back of his throat. She screamed, and heard Diane making unintelligible shouts, and the clanking of armor. The skewered human fell to his knees, letting Twilight out of his grip, and gripping his shotgun in his hand.

"No! No! Luna what have you done?!" Twilight shouted, her voice hoarse.

"We have succeeded in eliminating a threat to Equestria. Why?! What's wrong?"

"He has death on his side! Everyone run!" Twilight galloped away to no place in particular. Luna stood, confused. They had slayed the beast! Why was she running?

--

"You're up Jackie. Remember what I said. Twilight, Luna, and Diane are to be spared. Cut everyone else, especially Shining. Got it?"

"Oh, yes... Now just you wait and see what I'll do... I'm feeling... Creative today..."Jackie cackled, assuming control of the shared vessels' controls.

"O-kay, Jack. Here... We... Go!" Jackie was now in full control. The body was changing, giving it more pronounced carnivore teeth, and giving it glowing red eyes.

"Shining! Is the other in control?!" The demon heard. Luna was to his front right, supposedly a perfect scatter gun shot, especially for the double barrel in his left hand. He popped his eyes open, revealing his glowing eyes. Luna stared in disbelief, mouth agape. He immediately drew his shotgun, and planting the remaining shot square into where Jackie guessed her chest would be, one or two of the soft pieces of shrapnel bouncing off her necklace. The dark princess was knocked back and dazed, but not showing any real type of injury on her. As the shot resonated in the marble hallways, the guards watched as Jackie pulled the spear out of his mouth.

He stood up, intent on torturing and killing each of the present guards.

OHBUCKOHBUCKOHBUCK Shining cringed in horror as the biped pulled his spear out through his mouth, opposite of the entry point. The last of it disappeared from the back of his neck and was currently being held in his long fingers. But it was not the bloody spear that had caught his gaze. It was the fiery eyes of a demon, straight from tartarus itself. All of a sudden, the demon faced him, and dropped the infernal lightning cannon on the floor. Pulling out a menacing looking contraption. It was a big box with handles, and a round, bladed piece of gagged metal that was moving at a menacingly slow pace. He heard the device make a loud whirring noise, and the tiny, teeth-like edges sped up into a blur. He realized now, he should have kept the bipeds' deal.

"Squad, defense formation! Do NOT let the other freak go!" Six armed guards stood in front of him, two was every type of pony. Earth ponies in the middle of the formation, ready to charge at the right time. Earth ponies were notoriously known for being the best at hoof-to-hoof combat, as they were also known for being extremely buff, as the species was in competition with the other two. They do not move very fast, nor can they use or defend against magic, but can definitely take more damage than it's brethren on the specie's tree, so to speak.

Two Pegasus guards were above, hovering, ready to charge just like their brethren on the ground. This certain species was known to be agile, and quick. They were great for take downs, but their frame was still alot more fragile than the other two. Thus making themselves almost useless if their opponent was like it's earth pony brothers in the guard. They could take alot less damage than the other two, and was considered a scout and/or the lightweight division.

The two unicorns were behind the buff earth ponies, charging either attack or a defense spell meant to subdue the subject. They were the medium-set class. They had a civilian build with a little more muscle, as they spent most of their time practicing spells and other magic, and were decent when it came to speed and hoof-to-hoof combat. They mostly utilized spells for using weapons like swords, javelins, or even a shield here and there. And... spears...

The royal guard was heavily reliant on each kind of pony to support the other, covering their weakness and acting as support.

Shining's textbook memory ended there, as he had a feeling that didn't matter at ALL right now. The demon dropped the bloody spear onto the floor, making a metallic clang. He smiled wickedly. Oh, that smile, such a horrifying mental image to those who dared enrage the demon.

"Do not let him through! Subdue him as he will not be killed by normal means, and we must get to princess Luna immediately for medical attention! Someone send for the night guard! We need their support right now! Understood!?" a 'yes sir' was uttered by the guards, but Shining had drowned them out. The whirring got louder.

"Oh goodie... Let's see if you'll at least put some effort onto this. I absolutely LOVE eating canned food, Shiny...." He saw the demon licking his teeth. Oh, Celestia, have mercy on us all...