Soldier of Truth

Chapters

New World, New War
Royal Introductions
Tugging at the heartstrings of Royalty
Jace gets to know the Mane 6
The Diablo Strikes
Intermission 1: Interview with DanteRaijin
Jace's dreamscape/Hospital Meetings
United we stand

New World, New War

A beautiful night had enveloped the world of Raximus Omega. A lone Soldier looked into the sky from the top of a cliff, and smiled underneath his helmet. "Things always seem much more peaceful at night." The soldier thought out loud, looking up at the moon and removing his helmet. This soldiers name was Jace Veritas, the Leader of a Super Soldier unit known as the Diablos. Jace had Navy colored hair and Crimson colored eyes. The eyes put off many people. It didn't help that he had a thick scar straight down over his right eye. When he was in his civilian clothes, he always wore a pair of pitch black shades so he wouldn't scare peoples kids. His armor had been customized to his specification. Navy and Crimson in color and and a mix of Ancient Samurai and Wolfish Features. Jace stood there for what seemed like hours, just watching the moon. Suddenly, the stars changed their positions in the sky. Jace stood there, looking around, not really seeing anything out of the ordinary, until a black shape lept forward with a shimmering blade and tried to stab him.

Reacting faster than the human eye could follow, Jace drew his own blade and parried the attack. He sliced at his attacker and was surprised to find his blade blocked. The Creature snarled at him and tried to force him back, but Jace refused to budge. He pushed the creature back, causing it to stumble. Jace quickly put on his helmet and readied himself and struck at the creature. He felt the blade impact the creatures body and just keep going. A dark Liquid hit the optic-visor of his helmet and the creature fell to the ground. Jace looked around for more of the creatures and, finding none, began to examine the creature. It was black with sickly green hair. The Creature had holes in its arms and legs and a rather curious misshapen horn on its head. He had never seen anything like this before.

As Jace was studying the creature, he began to hear the faint, yet easily recognizable, sounds of a battle. "So I stare at the moon, get dragged into an unknown place, and land in a warzone? Just my luck." He said aloud to himself, with a smirk on his face. "If it's a battle between these creatures and some other race, I better not let myself be seen, at least not until I gather more information." Standing up, Jace started running towards the sounds of the battle. He smiled as he got closer. He was a Super Soldier, trained for battle from the age of six, with augmentations to his body and mind, making him faster, Stronger, and smarter than ordinary soldiers. He knew he shouldn't smile about the sounds of conflict, but he couldn't help it. After gathering intel on the races in the battle, he would probably join the side opposing the black creatures. He wasn't smiling because he knew he would be fighting soon, No, Jace was smiling because he was going to be helping others. He Was ready to do anything he had to to help others.

Soon, Jace came to a cliff and he stopped. Layed out in front of him was an absolutely enormous battle. The Black creatures army was fighting what looked to be multicolored, Equi-sapian creatures. It was obvious that the Equi-Sapians were losing, though. Many were being carried from the battlefield, surrounded by what looked like energy shielding. Jace had never been more captivated by a scene of battle as he was just then. He watched as the Equi-sapians quickly removed their wounded from the battlefield and back to where the shielding was, while the black creatures either completely ignored or swiftly killed their own without mercy.

Jace was revolted by what he saw. Did these creatures have no sympathy for their own fallen comrades? Why didn't they try to help the wounded? He was soon broken out of his revolted stupor by a frightened scream coming from below his position. Looking over the edge of the cliff, he saw the one that had screamed. It was obviously a female Equi-Sapian and she was being cornered by several of the black creatures. Suddenly the Black Creatures changed into more of the Equi-Sapians, but they kept advancing on the female. They drew their blades and laughed at the Equi-Sapians fear. They slowly raised their swords in preparation to attack.

Jace decided that he had seen enough to know the Black Creatures were evil and that he should help the Equi-Sapians win the battle. Standing up, He took a couple steps back and then ran towards the edge of the cliff. At the edge, he jumped straight up and drew his blade. at the apex of his jump he flipped and headed towards the ground head first. When he was 10 feet from the ground, he flipped again and landed on his feet. He bent at the knees to help absorb the impact and launched himself at the creatures in front of him, knowing they were to enemy he would be facing now. Jace ran at them, using his augmented speed to close the distance and get under their defenses. He slashed and sliced at the creatures striking them down with his blade. One after another the creatures fell to his sword until only he and the female Equi-Sapian were left standing.

Turning to the Equi-Sapian, Jace took of his helmet and opened his mouth to ask if she was hurt, only to get blasted off his feet by a powerful burst of light. "Was that a grenade? Is this what it feels like to die?" Jace thought as he lay there on his back. He could hear the voice of the Equi-Sapian calling to him, so he decided that he was still alive. He opended his eyes to find her looking down at him and apologizing. He stared at her, taking in her looks. She had Purple fur and a streaked mane. Jace shoke his head to clear his vision completely and then realized that he could actually understand her.

"I'm sorry about that, but I had to make sure you weren't a changeling in disguise," She said earnestly. Jace figured she must be talking about the Black Creatures.

"It's fine, I've had worse happen to me. I'll be fine." He said waving off her apology.

"I really am sorry about that. My name is Twilight Sparkle.." she began.

"Ok, stop right there. Twilight Sparkle? What kind of name is that for an Equi-Sapian?" Jace Asked.

Twilight stared at him with a look of confusion on her face. He looked at her with a questioning look in return. He didn't understand why she was so confused by his questions. Finally, Twilight broke the silence.

"Actually, we prefer the word Pony. What's your name then?" She asked.

"Jace Veritas. I'm a human" He answered. He really was starting to wonder whether he should leave the fight to the ponies and just find a way back home. Twilight looked at him with renewed interest. She had never seen an actual human, though she had heard about them from her friend Lyra.

"Come with me. The princesses will want to talk to you." She said.
Jace looked at her and slowly nodded. He was finally going to get some answers from a higher authority. He followed as Twilight turned and walked into the darkness of the trees and thought "If this turns out to be trap, I'll be ready."

Author's Note

Yes, It's an ANTHRO and HIE Story. Jace is A Character that a friend of mine created as part of a short story. I asked if I could use Jace for mine and my friend said yes.

Royal Introductions

Jace walked through the woods with Twilight Sparkle. She had said she was leading him to the leaders of her kind. He had chosen to trust her, though not completely. He was ready the draw his blade at the slightest hint of betrayal. "I really don't want to have to hurt her." He thought to himself. He had just saved her from the Changelings, after all. She seemed nice enough, even after she had blasted him off his feet. She had been telling him about her world, Equestria; not something she would do if she thought of him as an enemy. He shook his doubts from his mind; if she was going to seriously hurt him, she could have done it at anytime. His grip on his blade lessened as they drew closer to what sounded like a village.

Emerging from the darkness of the woods, Jace saw a most astonishing sight. What he thought might be a simple little village was, in fact, a large town. He could see a couple farms, some shops, and a park. What really caught his eye though, was the large military force gathered around what he assumed was a town hall. He could see two rather tall ponies, one white, the other Navy, both with long billowing manes, standing in front of the gathered force. "Those must be the Princesses Miss Sparkle told me about." Jace thought. His signature smirk appeared on his face as he stopped walking. Twilight Sparkle turned around and gave him a questioning look. He just looked back at her and pressed a series of buttons on his gauntlet. His armor folded itself into his belt, leaving only the sword, sheath, his shades, and a circlet on his head behind. Luckily for both of them, he had been wearing pants underneath his armor. His torso, however, was bare. He wasn't even slightly concerned about this though. He wasn't ashamed of his body, which years of military training, war fighting, and sparing had left lean yet muscular.

Twilight's mouth was gaping at the sight of Jace without his armor. She had never expected him to take off his armor. He looked smaller without it on, more regal, yet somehow more dangerous. She stared at him for several minutes, before remembering that she was taking him to the princesses. "Um, excuse me, Mister Veritas, but do you have a shirt you could put on, before you meet the princesses?" She asked.

Jace had noticed how Twilight had stared at him. His smirk returned and he shook his head at her question. "I didn't have time to get the rest of my gear before I was brought to your world" he replied, "Besides, How I look won't matter. I need to let my armor cool down anyway." He chuckled to himself. He didn't actually need to let his armor cool down, since it had a built in heat sync. He loved the look on her face though. It reminded him of two of the female Diablos; Pikushi and Artemis. They had always been sneaking looks at him when they thought he wouldn't notice. They sometimes argued about which one of them he liked more. He shook his head to clear his mind. "Lead on, Miss Sparkle."

Jace was Growing impatient with the slow walk towards the Princesses, but knew it had to be that way. He didn't want to have to fight off an entire army, Like he had back in his world during the war. It wouldn't bring much confidence to the Princesses if they saw their army decimated by one man. Besides, He wanted everyone to see him as he walked up to the princesses. Soon, they made it to the crowd and a message was sent up through the ranks. The army parted, leaving a wide path to the princesses and five other ponies. These five ponies rushed forward when Jace and Twilight were halfway up the path to hug Twilight and glare at Jace. Jace didn't look at them though. Instead he looked at the princesses. They were both quite regal, though they both looked incredibly tired. They looked back at him with questions in their eyes. He just smiled and shrugged.

Jace had never been one for words. Why should he be? Actions spoke louder and clearer. Thinking about this, he took his sword off his belt and held it out in front of him, flat in the palms of his hands. He knew they would know that he meant them no harm by doing this. He put the sword on the ground in front of him, then stood up straight. The princesses looked shocked by his willingness to give up his weapon. He stood still and allowed the entire army to get a good view of him. Jace wasn't scared in the slightest. He had stared down death more times than he could count.

The white Pony stepped forward. She looked at Jace quizically, as if trying to understand why he would lay down his weapon. He just smiled and showed her his empty hand so she would know he wasn't going to even try to hurt her. She smiled at this. "My name is Princess Celestia, and this is my sister, Princess Luna" She said in a loud voice "We rule Equestria together. I raise the sun in the morning and Luna raises the moon to begin the night. What is your name creature?

Jace took a step forward and suddenly found twenty or so blades being pointed at him. He smiled as if nothing had happened, though. "My name Is Jace Veritas" he replied "please call off your soldiers, I really don't like being threatened. Especially since, not long ago, I saved one of your subjects from a group of Changelings."

At this, Twilight and Celestia looked at each other. Twilight nodded and Celestia gave the stand down order. Jace looked at Celestia and said "Thank you".

Celestia looked at Jace with a great deal of curiousity in her eyes. "come with me" she told Jace "It seems we have much to discuss." Jace walked forward and followed Celestia and Luna into the town hall, thinking all the while "Man, these ponies are way too high strung to be real warriors."

Tugging at the heartstrings of Royalty

As Jace followed Celestia and Luna into the town hall, he couldn't help but chuckle. Never in all his life, had he thought he would be talking to Ponies. The sheer hilarity of the situation made him tear up a bit. Soon enough, they walked into a room that Jace took to be a dining hall. Jace Watched as both Celestia and Luna sat at the large table in the center of the room. The five mares that had greeted Twilight, and Twiight herself, soon came in and sat at the table as well, all of them looking Jace over. He would be lying if he said that he wasn't surprised by the looks a few of them were giving him, most of which were very flattering. He blushed slightly and took the only open seat, which happened to be to one farthest from the door. He slowly settled into his chair and looked around at the gathered Ponies. All of them looked at him with a mixture of curiosity and apprehension. He gave them all a calm smile to reassure them. He didn't want any of them freaking out like Twilight had. He wondered whether he should break the silence when Celestia finally spoke up.

"What are you, Mister Veritas? We have never seen anything like you. Are you some new renegade form of changeling?" The Sun Princess asked.

Jace sighed and closed his eyes as he took off his glasses. "It's always better to be able to see anothers eyes while talking," He said, knowing they would all be wondering about his eyes "they are the gateway to the soul, afterall." Jace opened his eyes and got the exact reaction he was used to; shock. He knew what they saw in his eyes. They saw war and fire. They saw age beyond his own and wisdom that he should not have. But most of all, they saw a sadness that they could not understand. He simply smiled at them reassuringly and waited for a moment so they could adjust. He noticed that the princesses had looks of worry on their faces.

"I know my eyes are a bit unsettling, but please don't stare at them. As for you questions, Princess, No I am not a new form of Changeling, I am what's known as a Human, but I'm also more than human." He finally said after a few silent, yet tense moment.

"What do you mean, you are human yet you are more than human?" Luna asked quizically.

Jace smiled at Luna as she had finally asked a good question. No doubt she was the more curious out of the two princesses.
"Now that's a good question, you majesty," Jace answered respecfully "I would be glad to explain that statement. You see, I was taken into the military at a young age, around five years old, along with Seventy-eight other kids, including my twin brother. We were trained to become the best warriors in the military. We were trained to become Diablos. We slowly became a family, Brothers and sisters in arms. We were needed because a terrible war was being waged. At the age of ten, we were given a serious of augmentations to our bodies and minds. These augmentations would allow us to be faster, stronger and smarter than ordinary soldiers. Unfortunately, not everyone made it through the process. Only myself and twelve others survived unscathed. My twin was one of those twelve. The rest either died during the process or were injured so badly that they couldn't return to their original posts and had to be reassigned to desk jobs. The rest of us became known as The Diablos, a group of super soldiers undefeatable in battle. The war lasted for fifteen years after that. We won, eventually, but at the cost of thirty billion human lives."

The gathered ponies listened with looks of sadness and horror on their faces as Jace recounted stories of the war and the things he had seen. Tears slowly slid down their cheeks. They were all thinking the same thing as Jace fell silent and a single tear ran down his cheek. They were thinking, "The poor man. He has been through so much in his life and he is only twenty-five, still just a young colt." One of the mares, a yellow Pegasus with Pink hair, got up and walked over to Jace and pulled him into a hug. "It's all ok, Mister Veritas. All of that is over now." She said quietly, as tears of her own slid down her cheeks.

Jace looked at the Mare hugging him and slowly shook his head. He gently returned the hug. "You're right, ma'am. That war is over. I need to let go of the past, but it defines who I am and I will never be able to forget it." Jace stood up and stretched, Allowing them to see the scars on his torso clearly for the first time. Their eyes widened with shock as they saw the scars. These were marks of hard fought battles and narrow misses by his enemies and there must have been a hundred small scars. The scars on his body were matched by the single Scar running Straight down through his right eye.

Celestia and Luna wiped the tears from their eyes and looked at Jace with a newfound respect. Here before them was someone that, while still considered a colt in equestria, had been through things that would scare even the royal guards. Yet, he was strong despite all that he had been through. Celestia gathered herself and asked her final Question.
"Why, if your war is over, do you still carry your blade?" She asked while trying to sound as if she wasn't about to cry again.

Jace looked over at Celestia and read her emotions in her eyes. "She really wishes to know this." He thought to himself before answering. "I carry my blade with me because it is a reminder of a past I cannot change. It is part of my Pride as a warrior. It also serves as a symbol for a future I can shape, not only for myself, but for those I fight alongside. My blade houses part of my warrior Spirit, and that is something I cannot and will not let go of. In a way, my blade is me and I am my blade."

Celestia nodded and then whispered to Twilight. Twilight nodded and looked at Jace with a sad look in her eyes. Celestia and Luna made their way out of the dining hall, while Jace was left wondering "What happens now?"

Author's Note

Let's hear it for warrior Pride, People!

Jace gets to know the Mane 6

Jace looked around at the ponies that had remained in the town hall with him. He had never before seen pity in the eyes of any but Doctor Delia, the woman in charge of the entire Diablo program. She had been the mastermind that had allowed them to win the war and finally bring about peace. Yet, here these mares were, looking at him with nothing but pity in their eyes. It confounded him. How could they, who had only known him for a couple of hours, truly pity him? His confusion must have shown on his face, because Twilight spoke up.

"Mr. Veritas? You ok?" She asked, noting how confused and uncomfortable he was with all the attention on him. hmmm. He must not be used to having everypony looking to him anymore. Maybe I should get the girls to introduce themselves.

Jace looked up at twilight and nodded. "I'm alright, Twilight," he responded. I shouldn't tell her what's on my mind. It'd probably upset her and her friends. "So...You all know about me, but I don't really know anything about all of you, except Twilight, and even I only really know her name. Oh, and please, just call me Jace."

"Oh, how silly of us. We never properly introduced ourselves," The white unicorn said, with a subtle glance at his body. "Well, allow me to start, darling. My name is Rarity. I'm more of a dress and clothes maker than a warrior, i'm afraid, but I've jumped in with both hooves to protect my little sister, Sweetie Belle, and my friends. I'm also the Element of Generosity."

"Howdy, Partner," Said the orange earth pony mare in a southern drawl, tipping her rather impressive stetson. "The name's Applejack. Ah'm an apple farmer and a rodeo mare. If'n It wasn't fer the war Me and Mah Brother, Big Macintosh, would be harvestin' the orchard now. But we do what we can while protectin' our family and friends, especially our little sister, Applebloom. Ah'm the Element of Honesty."

"Hi, I'm Pinkie Pie," said the energetic, pink earth pony, sporting what could only be described as cotton candy hair. "I'm the element of Laughter! My hobbies include throwing parties, making everypony smile and baking. OH! I should totally throw you a party! I'll need balloons, streamers, and pin the tail on the pony and cake and candy and punch! It's gonna be so much fun!"

"Oh man! I still can't believe what you've been through," said the rainbow-maned pegasus. "You're just a little colt. Anyway, I'm Rainbow Dash, fastest flier in Equestria and the most awesome mare you'll ever know. I like to nap and do stunts. Other than that, there isn't much to say, other than I'm a huge fan of the Wonderbolts and Daring Doo, and I'm the element of Loyalty."

The yellow pegasus shuffled awkwardly. "M-my name is F-fluttershy," She stated quietly, her earlier courage gone after hugging Jace, though he had no problem hearing her. "I take care of the animals around ponyville and I don't really like all the fighting...it's really scary. B-but I try to help however I can.I even help at the medical outposts every now and then. Oh and I'm the element of Kindness."

Jace smiled at Fluttershy warmly. "I can understand how a rather timid pegasus like you wouldn't like all the fighting and violence," He said calmly and soothingly, patting her hand gently, though he was rather confused at all this talk of them being elements. "No one truly enjoys war, unless they are insane. I'll do my best to protect you and your animal friends, as well as all your pony friends, I promise. You have no need to be afraid of me."

Twilight looked on as Jace, this seemingly unstoppable juggernaut of a warrior (judging from his tales from earlier), showed them all an extremely sensitive side they would not have expected. At that moment, it was almost as if he wasn't a warrior at all, but rather a physical embodiment of peace and serenity. It was lie seeing a different person than the man she had met earlier in the Everfree forest. That man, in his armor, had been like a God of Battle and slaughter, shining with a fire none could hope to put out. Never had she seen such skill and swift determination to destroy an opponent before. Twilight smiled to herself as she thought about everything she had learned about this one man. She also notice the look of confusion on his face and realized they hadn't told him about the elements of harmony. It was then that she decided to finally speak up.

"So Mr.Veritas...Jace, you've learned a bit about my closest friends, guess it's time you learned a bit about me too," She said, still smiling. "As you already know, my name is Twilight Sparkle. I'm the personal student of Princess Celestia and have always had a studious nature, bordering on unsociable before I moved to Ponyville. I'm the element of Magic. By combining my element with the others, we make what are known as the elements of harmony, an ancient magic with great power to purge the evil within somepony or to trap the disharmonious in stone."

Jace stared at Twilight, smiling his soothing smile and nodded. "thank you for explaining that, miss Twilight. I was going to ask about what they all meant by being elements, but you have already answered," He stated as he stood from the table. "now I must ask you all something. Do any of you have a place I could use as a temporary living quarters? Preferably with a shower or bath?"

Rarity perked up at this, sensing her chance to take him home and get his measurements for clothes, and, If she were truly honest with herself, try and get to know him better. "Oh, you simply must stay with me, Darling," She said rather enthusiastically. "I have all the things you'll need. A bathroom, spare bedroom, and a fully stocked kitchen."

Pinkie smiled. "OH OH! You could stay with me! That way we can become bestest buddies in the whole wide world and I can Throw a "Jace is staying with Pinkie" Party too! It'll be awesome! plus I have all the stuff you need too! and even more sweets!!"

Applejack smiled at her friends enthusiasm. "well pardner, Y'all could always stay with me and mah family out at Sweet Apple Acres, so long as ya don't mind helping out around the place." The farm mare offered.

"i'd invite you to stay with me," Rainbow Dash said with a shrug. "But I'm not sure a cloud house would be a good place for you to crash."

Fluttershy blushed and hid behind her mane. "W-well you could stay with me," She whispered. "that is if it's alright with you. I have all the stuff you need as well."

Twilight looked around at her friends, smiling at them. "well Jace," she stated, with a somewhat knowing look in her eyes. "I have everything you'd need too. As well as a library, should you wish to study up on Equestria as a whole. But ultimately, the choice of where to stay is up to you."

Jace stood quietly for a few moments, thinking about what he should do. He was having a difficult time deciding where to stay. Soon, however, He smiled and stretched. "If it's alright with all of you, I think I'll bunk at Twilight's home tonight and tomorrow so I can study the geography and history of Equestria."

The mares all nodded, though Rarity was slightly disappointed that such a dashing warrior had decided to go with her bookworm friend. They all knew that he would probably choose Twilight's so he could study, but the were at least hoping it wouldn't be for long, as they all wanted to get to know him more as a friend. Thus, their meeting over and that old devil named sleep nipping at their hooves/heels, they all went their separate ways, save for Twilight and Jace, as they were going to the same place. All the hile Jace was thinking: I wonder what surprises this world has in store for me next.

Author's Note

This is going to be the start of some of the next few days in the story. I know there wasn't a battle or anything but I'm hoping for some good inspiration before I really start on the bigger stuff. Hope you enjoyed the chapter!

The Diablo Strikes

Jace gawked at the massive tree in front of him, completely unable to truly take in the fact that it seemed to be Twilights destination. What had him so transfixed was not the size, for he had long ago seen much larger trees. No, the sight amazed him only because of the windows and door that were clearly seen on the tree.

"Wait," He said in an awestruck tone, chuckling the whole time. "You're telling me that tree, that tree right there, is not only your house, but a library as well?" Jace had never heard of anything so...Ironic seemed to be the best term to us, before in his life. All of that paper inside of a tree. just...wow that is funny and yet so flipping cool.

Twilight looked at him, unable to understand what he was chuckling about. "Yes I am," She said nervously. "I-is that too weird? Do you think I'm weird for living in a house in a tree?" She was honestly scared that her potential new friend thought she was too weird and her brain, like usual, was starting to skip ahead to the worst conclusion as she started to overreact. If he thinks I'm weird, he'll leave and he'll talk about how weird I am and he'll never talk to me again cause I'm a weirdo! we'll never be friends and he'll leave us to fight the changelings all by ourselves!

Jace noticed Twilight had stopped and was starting to freak out. He turned to her, laid a gentle hand on her shoulder and smiled. "Relax, Twilight," He said in the same soothing tone that he had used with Fluttershy earlier. "I actually think it's the coolest thing I have ever heard of. I mean, it's a little Ironic, all that paper inside a house made out of a tree, but it's funny that way. I think you are actually a very nice mare, not weird at all."

Twilight stopped freaking out at the sound of his calm, soothing tone. How is he able to do that? It's like he knows just what to say at the right times and how to say them...is it from his time as a military leader? Is that why he's able to soothe the worried and scared with just a few words? She smiled a bit. "Thank you, Jace," She said, with just the slightest hint of a blush on her face out of embarrassment. "I'm sorry for freaking out..again. I'm still really sorry about what happened in the forest too."

"it's not a problem Twilight. I don't like seeing people, or ponies, sad or to see them freak out over things, so I just try to help anyway I can," Jace explained, smiling warmly at her. "I guess it's just in my nature. As for what happened in the forest, we humans have a saying: "No blood, No foul". it means that as long as I'm not injured in any way, I won't hold it against you. Besides, I understand; you were scared out of your mind after being chased by changelings and then seeing me take them out."

Jace stiffened up, Hearing a faint buzzing above them. He kept smiling just so Twilight wouldn't get worried and freak out again. He knew he had to handle this with subtlety and yet deal with it quickly as well. He ran through a mental checklist, long embedded into him by his years of service in his own universes war. Ok. 1) get all civilians in area to safety. 2) engage armor for protection. 3) Scan area for cause of threat. 4) asses threat and move into defensive position if needed, if not, attack.

"Hey, Twilight," He said, maintaining his calm demeanor as he spoke so he wouldn't spook her. "You go on ahead inside. I'll be just a minute. I have to take care of something."

Twilight, being the quick witted mare she was, quickly understood what he meant and nodded. "Alright," She said, he eyes darting around. "But please be careful. I'll go make some tea."

Jace chuckled at that. "Alright, peppermint tea for me please," He said, still smiling and chuckling. "If you have it."

Twilight nodded and walked to the library as calmly as she could and closed the door behind her as Jace activated his armor. He smiled and turned around to see a single Changeling standing there, weapon drawn. "alright," He said, feeling just a bit cocky as he drew his own blade and his helmet engulfed his head. "Before we begin, do you wish to back down?"

The changeling didn't answer with words, instead choosing to charge at Jace, trying to overwhelm him with the first attack. Jace smirked under his helmet and block it's blade with practiced ease, sending it stumbling back. He charged at his opponent and began a quick duel, using the fact that the changeling was off bounce to quickly gain the upper hand. He doged the changelings blade as if it were moving in slow motion and sliced off it's insect like wings, earning a pained yell from the changeling as it spun around and attempted to take his head off with a vicious swing. Jace, however was too fast and flexible, even in his armor, and simply bent backwards, like a reed in a storm. He watched as the blade went right where his neck had been just a moment ago.

Hmm. the speed of this changeling is quite similar to that of a Silvanin. I'll have to be on my toes with this one. Jace thought as he flipped backwards, kicking the changeling in the chin and stunning it long enough for him to regain his footing a few feet away. Jace smiled and stood straight.

"Where I am from," he said as he put in the code to let his helmet return to it's circlet form, determined to look his enemy in the eye. "It is considered polite to name oneself during a duel to the death, so that you're opponent has the opportunity to know who they have slain or were slain by. It gives the duel a sense of honor."

The changeling smirked and nodded. "As it is amongst the changelings," He responded. "Very good. I am known as Razor Death, Commander of Hive Platoon #30 and am a bringer of death! Undefeated in battle, I have bested manticores, dragons and ponies alike! My blade now thirsts for new blood! Who stands before me?"

Jace smirked. "I am Named Jace Veritas, The Soldier of Truth. Finest warrior of the Raximus Omega Military and Leader of the Diablo Super soldiers! My blade serves as a Shining light of salvation! I have bested the universes greatest militaries once before and I can do so again! I have never lost and I shall not be defeated here! Now come! My blade hungers for peace and justice!!"

With that, both opponent charged and began a titanic clash, slicing, slashing, dodging and blocking at inhuman speeds. Neither was able to gain the upper hand, finding themselves easily matched by the other. Their blades struck like lightning bolts and the clash of the two was like thunder. Never before had Razor Death met such an opponent, one capable of matching him blow for blow. Truly this was a match to the death and both combatants were enjoying it. This was more than a simple battle, it was a dance, poetry in motion. Both combatants smiled as the other showed their skills. Had any ponies witnessed this struggle, they would have believed a battle of not mortals, but gods, were taking place.

Locking blades once more, the two warriors found themselves at a stalemate. Inches away from each other, struggling to overcome the other, they both began to laugh. This was not a laugh at something amusing, but rather a laugh at the sheer thrill of fighting someone of their own caliber. They pushed back sending each other a few yards away, still laughing.

Razor Death was the first to recover from his laughing fit. "Truly you are a worthy opponent," He stated respectfully, acknowledging Jace's power. "But I'm afraid this ends now. I will ensure that you are remembered forever, having fought me at your finest and fullest power. Farewell, Jace Veritas of the Diablos."

Jace's laughter had turned from one of respect to one of mirth. Razor Death could not understand why, though. He had given him his last words and here this Man was...Mocking him! This insult would be his last! Razor Death charged swinging with all him might at the Diablo standing before him, but something happened that he did not expect; His blade was stopped between two fingers. He looked at Jace and saw that He had finally stopped laughing and looked deadly serious.

Jace smirked, knowing that Razor Death was caught off guard by this sudden turn of events. Razors Death had been to cocky and that would be his downfall this day.

Jace leaned forward and whispered into Razor's ear "you think you have seen my full strength? Ha. I'm not even using a tenth of what I have. but to give you an honorable demise, I will show you my true power." Jace snapped the sword he was holding between his fingers at the same time he pushed Razor back. A fire had re-ignited inside him and he rushed forward at the speed nothing could ever match and sliced through the changeling, landing behind him.

Jace looked over his shoulder at the changeling. He smiled and began to sheathe his blade. Razor was feeling his body, finding nothing. He laughed and yelled, "You missed you fool!". Jace just kept smiling and clicked his blade fully into place in it's sheathe. No sooner had he done it, than Razor fell to the ground on his back, sliced clean in half. Jace walked over to his fallen enemy and knelt down. He closed the fallen changelings eyelids and said a quick prayer for the warrior. Standing, He turned back towards the library and began walking to it. At the threshold, Jace turned back once more, to look at his fallen foe.

"Bi aig fois ann an sith, Razor Death." he said as rain began to fall, nature itself seeming to mourn the loss of such a fine warrior. Jace turned his back on the scene and entered the library, lowering his armor and sitting down on a bench as Twilight brought him his tea allwoing him to drink it slowly before showing him to the spare room. "Thank you, Twilight. it is most appreciated" were the last words he spoke as he slipped into the bed and fell into a deep sleep, not to be woken until the morning.

Twilight smiled at the sleeping man, Knowing what he had done to protect her. "Sleep well, Jace," She whispered as she left the room and closed the door. "You may be our last hope of winning and you have certainly earned the rest."

Author's Note

Awesome! My first real drawn out fight scene in this story! Hope you all enjoyed it! and that you opened the music in a new tab.

I figured now is the time to put a good word in for DanteRaijin on Deviant art! I was looking through his stuff for ideas on character development (after all Jace is his character) and I came across a fan group for his stuff. WOW! that's awesome. I'll be posting a conversation I had with DanteRaijin in my next Blog post, as well as doing an open Q&A for a little intermission in the story. I'll happily answer any and all questions with the obvious exception of ones I deem inappropriate.

As a side note, Jace needs a theme song. I'll leave it up to you, the readers, to drop suggestions or even make your own. Thanks!

WOW two chapters within a week! it's exciting for me!

Bi aig fois ann an sith.: Scottish Gaelic for "rest in peace". Jace is multilingual.

Intermission 1: Interview with DanteRaijin

Author's Note

Blue text: DanteRaijin
Red text: Myself

Alright. So I finally found a day where I could get an interview done with DanteRaijin, Creator of the Character Jace and all the other Diablo Super Soldiers. we had a nice little talk and he was kind enough to answer some questions about Jace and his story. Enjoy our interview! (sorry about no audio or video, my camera and mic was down and my computer was on the fritz too, so we had to interview through texts.)

I realize I said it would be posted as a blog, but I decided to make it an intermission chapter instead

Intermission 1: Interview with DanteRaijin

Hello, Dante. Thanks for taking time out of your day to do this. I am a big fan of your art and side stories

Thanks, Crimson. I'm happy to do this. I've read the story and I must say, I have not been disappointed.

Thank you. That means alot coming from the Creator of the character. Anyway, a few readers and I were wondering if you would answer a few questions about Jace and the other Super Soldiers?

Sure. Wow, this is sudden. I've never been interviewed before. Fire away.

Alright. Question one. What can you tell us about Jace and his back story that we don't already know? People want to know more about him and his past.

Wow, straight to a tough one. Not too much really. it's still a work in progess. Jace and his twin brother, Ryuk were both orphaned at the age of 2. they were staying with their abusive aunt and uncle before the military doctor, Docter Ellen Delia, found them and took them away for the Diablo Project. During training, the two brothers met the other diablos, Artemis, Hawk, Pablo, Pikushi, Heavy, Helios, Umi, Viper, Angel, Darius, and Red. They all started out as rivals, but quickly became fast friends over the course of their training.

Woah. I never would have thought he and his brother had been abused. That's pretty dark. Ok, Question two. How is Jace so good with a sword when he's a trained sniper in the future?

*laughs* Oh, I've had that one asked a couple times and my answer hasn't changed. Jace views swordsmanship as an art of discipline and extreme focus, just like his job as a sniper. A swordsman must be disciplined to know when to strike at the right time and not back down, and focused enough to see weaknesses in and opponents guard and take advantage of them, but not to the point of tuning out the environment around himself. It's kind of like being a sniper but in closer quarters.

Really? That's an interesting take on it. Question three. So does Jace actually have a love interest?

Yes, he does, actually. He and Artemis, Diablo-003, are married in my story, but that hapens about 20 years after the war ends, where as yours happens roughly 2 years after.

That's actually what I was going for too. So onto the next question. Question four. What was, or rather who were, the inspiration for the diablos?

The people that inspired the Diablo super soldiers in my story were actually my group of close friends and my girlfriend. They all loved the Idea and started giving suggestions and helping me make the unique characters with their own twists on the one they felt represented them. I never would have come up with some of them on my own

They sound like great people. Question five. Going back to Artemis, what is she like and what does she look like?

Artemis, was a rather shy girl in training that had to find the strength and courage to keep on going. She found her courage and strength when Ryuk and Jace were both injured on a training mission gone wrong. She had to patch them up while under fire from the enemy. She was made the Units medic and given all the necessary training for it. Since then, Artemis has made a name for herself as a fighting medic, though she is always kind to her allies. As for her looks, she has a slender, yet muscular build, but not overly muscular. Her eyes are emerald green and she has long golden blonde hair that she keeps in a ponytail when not wearing her armor. She does actually have curves as well. all in all, she would be rather beautiful

Dang, sounds like my kind of woman. Alright, I only have one more question, and boy is it a doozy. Question six. Jace is a trained soldier and has seen a lot of traumatic things during his war.. how is he able to show such kindness and compassion?

That is a great question, Crimson. War changes a person. but if they are able to accept the change and not let it overwhelm them, they can do great things. Whether it's as simple as showing kindness and compassion, or something as difficult as making headway in new scientific advances, people, whether they are normal, handicapped, or traumatized, can all try and work towards a brighter and more peaceful future. Who knows, maybe in time the world will realize that killing each other is just plain dumb and that if we work together, anything is possible. Nothing is impossible and Impossible is nothing.

Wow. that is extremely deep. I'll be sure to reflect on those words. Anyways, Thanks for your time, Dante. We should do this again sometime.

No problem. I had a lot of fun with this. We definitely need to do this again sometime. well I have to go. work to be done and all.

Alright. thanks again, Dante

Hope you enjoyed my little interview with the Creator of Jace Veritas and the diablo super soldiers. Till next time loyal readers!

Jace's dreamscape/Hospital Meetings

Opening his eyes, the first thing Jace saw was a vast, seemingly endless, void directly above him. He knew he had pushed himself well past his limits, even with his armors augmenting his strength and speed. His body could only handle so much even if he was a super soldier. Sure that he was in Purgatory, he sat up, only to wince in pain. It was then that he knew he was still alive. After all, death wasn't painful, or so he had read. Standing up and shaking off the pain, Jace looked around and found something odder than the void above him. All around him were images, more like videos than anything, that showed his past all the way up to the last thing he remembered seeing, twilight's ceiling. Walking up to one such video, this particular one showing a time of celebration with his friends, the other Diablos, as they celebrated both his and his younger twins, Ryuk, birthday.

What is this place? All of these images...they show me the memories of my life and yet I feel at ease. I have never felt so at peace, even after the war. I was always on edge, waiting for a final, desperate retaliation that, in the back of my mind, I knew would never come. How is it that I can be at peace in this place? Why am I here?

"Perhaps I could help answer a few of your question." A familiar female voice came from behind him.

Turning quickly, Jace found himself face to muzzle with the princess of the night. Not expecting her to be there, he quickly jumped back before calming his nerves and bowing politely.

"Princess Luna," he said respectfully, not wishing to offend the lunar princess. "it is a pleasure and an honor to see you again. But if I may ask, How and why are you here?"

"It is part of my role as ruler of the night to watch over the dreams of my little ponies," Luna explained with a soft smile. "To ensure they have someone to help them through nightmares and to regulate their dreamscapes, which is where you are now. this is your own dreamscape, though nopony has ever seen it's true form besides me. perhaps your difference in species and own unique skills are allowing you to see it this way."

"My Dreamscape?" Jace muttered softly as he looked around himself again. "I didn't even realize I could still dream."

"What do you mean, Sir Veritas?" Luna inquired, seemingly perplexed by his statement.

"First," Jace said with a small smile and began walking down the path of memories. "It's not "Sir Veritas", as I have never been formally knighted, either here nor in my own universe. Secondly, the last time I ever had a dream, I was in basic training and was 10 years old."

Luna giggled slightly at that. "Forgive me. it's easy to forget that you aren't a knight, especially when you act like one." Luna paused and frowned "Has it really been so long since you had a dream?"

Jace nodded and the two slipped into a comfortable silence. As they walked, Jace cast a sideways glance at Luna. He had to admit, she was beautiful, even if they were't the same species. Luna's long legs were muscular but not overly so and the led up to a waist that couldn't be called anything but statuesque. Luna's rear was just big enough to bounce a little as she walked, slightly swinging her hips, and her bust was definitely noticeable, even from a distance. She definitely had an hourglass figure. Her teal eyes shone like pools of freshwater in the light of the stars. Anyone, or anypony, could tell, this mare was an absolute bombshell.

what am I thinking? she's A completely different species! not to mention a princess! I need to stop thinking like this, it's unprofessional. Besides, it's not like she would take an interest in someone like me anyways, not to mention she probably already has a special someone...somepony?...in her life. Anyway's Artemis and Pikushi would have a fit if they knew about her. The last time that happened, I had to pay to rebuild the whole freaking hotel!

*meanwhile, back in Jace's universe*

Artemis and Pikushi suddenly stood up, grabbed their chairs and threw them through the cafe's windows. The two female super soldiers then looked at each other, completely confused.

"Huh? I wonder why we did that." Pikushi wondered aloud.

"Maybe Jace is thinking about someone else." Artemis replied.

"Na, can't be. He remembers last time." Pikushi joked. "Come on, let's pay for the damages"

*back to the dreamscape*

Luna turned towards a different memory, this one of Jace and his comrades celebrating what looked like Hearths Warming, and watched the events unfold. She marveled at how they could smile and laugh while a war was happening. Even though her subjects still celebrated the holiday, they didn't laugh as much, nor as heartily, as these super soldiers.

"How is it that your kind can celebrate Hearths Warming in such a manner during a war?" She asked. "Even the Element of Laughter, Pinkie Pie, is less jolly during this conflict."

Jace walked over to stand beside her, smiling as he watched the memory play out in a never ending loop. He missed the days like this one in the war, where everyone was together and not spread apart by missions.

"Hearths Warming, huh? To my kind, it's known as Christmas," he answered. "Christmas has long been a time for peace for human-kind. Even in days long since past, opposing armies would call ceasefires for this one solitary day, celebrating it together, sometimes even meeting in the no mans lands to have music, dancing and even feasts with each other. It just goes to show that even the worst of enemies can put their differences aside, even if it is only for a single day in the long year."

Luna looked at Jace, seeing his smile and smiling herself, as they continued down the path of his memories together. While she would never admit it to her sister, or anyone else for that matter, Luna had taken a liking to the young super soldier. The air of confidence and strength he exuded made her feel safer than her own bodyguards could. She admired how he remained calm in spite of being thrown, unprepared, into a whole new world. It was a soothing effect that had been felt not only by her, but by everypony he came to know. Jace had shown her that even a mighty warrior could be as gentle as a breeze softly whispering through the leaves of a forest. She herself had seen it firsthoof, back at town hall, where he had spoken softly and soothingly to Fluttershy, to put her at ease.

Jace smiled wider as he and Luna stopped at each memory and he told her everything about them, even the bad stuff. It felt great letting all of his memories float by and talking to someone that didn't run away from the horrible ones. Luna was a great listener and would laugh with Jace anytime they came across a memory of some prank or funny moment that had been witnessed by him, or done to him. Seeing her smile and hearing her laugh fueled his own smile and laughter. thus, they passed the night in each others company, watching his memories like a movie as they strolled down the path.

***********************************************************************************************************************

Jace awoke to find himself in a hospital bed and surrounded by fifteen ponies, a dragon and a zebra, all looking down at him with worried expressions. He smiled and sat up to get into a more comfortable position.

Luna stepped forward and put a hand on his shoulder, smiling.

"It's good to see you awake and healed, Jace," She said as the rest nodded and smiled. "There are some here that would like to meet you."

The pink one stepped forward, carrying herself like a princess. "greetings," She said, with a soft smile. "I am Mi Amore Cadenza, Princess of love and wife to Shining Armor, but you may call me Cadence"

Next came the blue haired one. "Hello sir," The stallion greeted. "I am Prince Shining Armor, Captain of the royal guard, Twilight's big brother best friend forever, and Husband to Cadence. It is an honor to meet you."

After Shining armor, came the zebra. "It is good to see you awake," She said. "For a while i thought I made a mistake. I am Zecora, and I behold a mysterious aura. You have much power, with it you could tear down the mightiest tower."

Once Zecora had stepped away, the small, yellow Earth pony. "Howdy! Ah'm Applebloom, Applejack and Big Macintosh's sister and one of the founding members of the Cutie Mark Crusaders!" (for some reason that title gave Jace a sense of unease)

Once Applebloom moved over to AJ, the big red stallion came forward. "Howdy, Ah'm Big Macintosh, AJ and Applebloom's older brother. But everypony jus' calls me Big Mac."

Big Mac stepped back just in time for the small white Unicorn to push past him. "Hi! I'm Sweetie Belle. I'm Rarity's little sister and one of the founding members of the Cutie Mark Crusaders!" (there was that sense of unease again)

Sweetie Belle walked over to Rarity just as the small orange Pegasus zoomed up. "Hi! i'm Scootaloo, president of the Rainbow Dash fan club, honorary little sister to Rainbow Dash, and final founding member of the Cutie Mark Crusaders!" (once again with the unease)

Next, the purple dragon walked over. "Hey. My name's Spike. I'm Twilight's number one assistant and honorary little brother. Yes I am a dragon."

Finally, a little, black alicorn filly shuffled over. "H-hi. I'm Nyx. I'm Twilight's daughter and a member of the Cutie Mark Crusaders." (why does that strike fear into Jace's heart?)

Jace shook each of their hands in order, smiling the whole time. "Greetings all. My Name is Jace Veritas, leader of the Diablo super soldiers. It's very nice to meet you all."

Everypony spent the rest of the day in Jace's room, which was huge. They chatted about what had happened the day before and about their many interests. Then the young fillies asked Jace to tell them a story and the room went so silent you could hear a pen being dropped down the hall. Jace looked around to find everyones eyes on him as the group sat down in chairs, on the floor and even on pillows. Smiling, Jace sat up and began telling them all the exciting, fun, and amazing stories he had from his past. He didn't go into extreme detail about the many things he had to defeat, but he was still able to make them all gasp, daww, laugh, and cheer with the stories. Thus, another day and night passed in the land of Equestria.

Author's Note

Finally! The CrimsonEyedPrince has come back to writing! Sorry for the extended wait but I have been so busy working (having 3 jobs takes up a lot of time) and helping out with some community renovation projects, that I haven't really had time to write. any free time I have had was used to catch up on story updates and holiday shopping/decorating. ((further details will be shared in a separate ranting blog post)) Anyways, here's the new chapter! enjoy!!

Nyx Belongs to: Pen Stroke

As a side note: There will not be a lot of Zecora speaking parts in this story. I find it hard to write for her.

Also, for those that haven't figured it out yet; This takes place after and alternate season 2 ending where the wedding goes off without the invasion and they encounter the changelings on a trip through the badlands. The events of seasons 3 and 4 will not hapen.

United we stand

Jace awakens to find his hospital room still packed with his visitors from last night. Smiling to himself, he sit up and looks around at their still slumbering faces. Applejack is in one corner of the room softly snoring while Applebloom uses her belly as a pillow. Big Mac is sleeping by them, a content smile on his face, unknowingly cuddling with Zecora, who, despite being asleep, has a blush on her face. Shining Armor and Cadence are snuggled peacefully under a blanket near the window. Rarity and Sweetie Belle are sleeping in a spare hospital bed. Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo are resting on a cloud that Dash had brought in last night. Twilight, Spike, and Nyx are all huddled together, keeping warm thanks to the little dragons inner fire. Pinkie Pie is passed out on a bean bag chair.

The only two who aren't asleep other than Jace, are Celestia and Luna, as it was time to lower the moon and raise the sun. Jace watched as the sisters horns lit up with their magics and the process took place. It was a masterpiece to see the sunrise, as if it was a painting in motion. Once the process was complete, Celestia and Luna shared a smile before noticing Jace watching them.

"Ah, Jace, you've awoken with my sisters sun." Luna remarked with a smile.

Jace smirked playfully back. "I've had more than enough sleep, Princess Luna. I need to get back in the fight."

Celestia stepped forward and laid a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Not until the doctors clear you for duty. Whatever you did to land yourself here has taken an immense toll on your body."

Jace looked at her calmly. "I knew it would before I did it, Princess. The flash movement mode built into my armor is meant to be a last resort, since it strains the body so much."

Luna gasped softly at hearing this. "then why would you do it?"

Jace looked into Luna's eyes with a serious expression on his face. "Because if I hadn't, I'd be dead and mostly Twilight, Spike, and Nyx would be too."

Luna looked at him in surprise, while Celestia's eyes widened. Celestia was the first to regain her voice.

"Was your foe truly that powerful?" She asked hesitantly.

Jace nodded slightly. "Razor Death was stronger than any opponent I have ever faced before. I feared that if I didn't use F.M. mode, more would die. So I made a judgement call, one that I do not regret making."

Luna stepped forward slightly as the others started waking up. "Jace, you have to promise us that you won't use it again unless you have no other choice, no other options left."

Jace looked into her eyes and saw the worry and sadness in them. Such lovely eyes shouldn't hold that much worry. He thought.

Jace smiled and nodded. "I promise. I give my word that I will try to avoid using F.M. again."

Celestia smiled wryly. "Pinkie Pie Promise?"

Jace looked at her, confused. "What is that?"

Pinkie Pie giggled and hopped up from her bean bag chair and walked over. "A Pinkie Pie promise is a promise that can never be broken, cause breaking a promise is the quickest way to lose a friends trust FOOOREEEVVERRRRR! but anyways, it goes like this; cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye."

Jace leaned back, smiling at the pink ponies antics. "Very well. Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye. I Pinkie Pie promise."

By this point everypony had woken and smiled as they heard the Pinkie promise being made. Spike and the little fillies gathered around Jaces bed and smiled brightly at him.

"Mister Veritas?" piped up Nyx.

"Yes Nyx? What can I do for you?" The soldier replied with a smile.

"Could you please tell us another story? or maybe about your friends?" The little alicorn pleaded, giving Jace her best puppy dog eyes.

Jace looked around at the adults in the room and they all gave him a nod. Apparently, they all wanted to hear more after last nights stories. Seeing how hopeful the children were and how attentive the adults were, Jace nodded. This earned a cheer from the Crusaders and Spike.

"Alright, settle down now," Said the Diablo. "Before we start, I could use something to eat."

"Okie dokie, I'll go get us some muffins!" Said Pinkie pie before running off.

Either she has a lot of energy or she somehow got her hands on a lot of crack. Doesn't really matter, but hell, no one should be that bubbly in the morning. Even I'm not that energetic and I'm used to waking up at the crack of dawn

Pinkie Pie came back after 30 minutes, carrying three trays of freshly baked muffins and oatmeal. With the meal she brought twenty-four gallons of fresh apple cider. Applejack gave Pinkie a knowing look but didn't say anything to here about the cider. With the food finally having arrived, everyone settled in and shared a hearty breakfast.

After their breakfast, everyone gathered around Jaces bed and got comfortable, so they could hear his next story. They were all wondering what he was going to tell them. Would it be one of his many adventures? Or would he perhaps tell them about his life after his war?

Jace smiled at his audience. He knew exactly what he would tell them. He was going to tell them all about his team, right down to the last detail.

All italics are Jaces voice. open links in new tab

"Alright everyone, listen up. I'm going to tell you all about my team today."

Spike and the fillies shook with excitement and the adults smiled. They were hoping to hear about them sometime.

"You already know about me from last night. So I'll start with my second in command; My younger twin, Ryuk Veritas. Ryuk looks almost exactly like me with a couple of slight differences. His hair is The same color as my eyes while his eyes are the same color as my hair. He has a scar over his left eye, mirroring my own. Other than that we are basically the same, though I always joke that I'm the better looking twin. He has a preference for heavy weaponry."

The mares in the room chuckled at this, though a few gave him some winks. Jace used one of his gauntlets to project a hologram of each Diablo as he describes them.

"Ryuk and I grew up on the streets together until we were taken in by the military for the Diablo project. We've always had each others backs because we are the last of our blood related family. I miss him very much, though he tends to talk way too much sometimes."

Celestia wiped a small tear from her eye as she listened intently.

"Next up we have Artemis."

Jace paused as Artemis's hologram came up. The mares noted her slim yet alluring figure and some got a bit jealous.

"Artemis has emerald colored eyes and long, golden blonde hair. But don't let that fool you. She's a natural at hacking into systems. Never met a system she couldn't get into. Whiles She may look weaker than most of the others, she's definitely more creative. She's always told me that art is one of her hobbies and I have seen her work on a few paintings, pastel portraits, and other forms of the visual arts. Sh'es quite good at it, too. I kinda have a crush on her. No telling though."

Next up was a man with an angular face and lean muscles.

"This is Hawk. He's our aerial recon/air support. He's got Chestnut brown hair and hazel eyes. Hawk is kinda the comedian of our group, always quick with a joke ore a wisecrack. He's definitely an asset for team moral, since he can find the silver lining in any situation and can use his armor to give us air superiority."

Next a hologram of a slender male came up.

"This is Pablo, our stealth and infiltration specialist. He has black hair and dark grey eyes. Pablo doesn't really speak much, but when he does, it's usually something wise or uplifting. I always had the feeling that he really just didn't need to talk for us to understand him. His eyes and his body language would always tell us what he wanted to say."

The next hologram was of a shorter female Diablo, only a few inches shorter than Artemis, but still enough to notice the difference in height.

"This is Pikushi. She is our teams Medic. She has long, multicolored hair and her eyes change color depending on her mood. She's always patching us up after a tough mission and never complains about not getting frontline duties. We'd be dead a hundred time over if it weren't for her. She's a gentle soul usually, but when she gets angry it's extremely scary, since she knows anatomy like no one else."

The next hologram to appear was a tall, muscular, African American male.

"Here we have Heavy. Despite his name, he favors mid-range weapons, including a hi-tech bow with multiple arrow types and semi-auto assault rifles. He has short black hair and light brown eyes. Heavy is a serious person. He takes his missions one step at a time and knows the value of patience. He's kept us all in check at least ten times each when we were chomping at the bit on missions. He's one of my favorite sparring partners because he is a methodical fighter."

The next hologram popped up, this one being a man with a long fire tattoo going all the way up his left arm.

"That is Helios. He has short onyx hair and green eyes. Out of all of us, I'd say he's probably the craziest. His weapons of choice are explosives and fire. Needless to say, he has a rather volatile temper, so the rest of us actively avoid making him angry. He has the ability to look at the stranger angles none of us notice. For instance, he can set up an ambush using his explosives and incendiary grenades, placed in unusual spots, such as the ceiling or even behind the enemy. Despite his eccentric personality, he is still one of my best friends."

A new hologram appeared in place of helios, this one being a woman of average build.

"Here we have Umi. She's our aquatic warfare specialist as well as a fully automatic weapon user. You'd be hard pressed to find anyone on land that can compare to her knowledge of the water. She has Medium length brown hair and pale blue eyes. She grew up in a small fishing village before being brought in for the Diablo project. At least, that's what she's told us. She is a valuable asset to the team, as her knowledge of aquatic warfare is helpful on many different missions. I consider her one of the most intelligent I've had the pleasure of knowing and I have a great deal of respect for her."

The next hologram was of a man with a lithe build.

"This guy is Viper. No one knows very much about him. I know he has orange eyes with slit pupils and midnight black hair. He prefers bladed weapons and poisons. Other than that, he's an enigma. He never talks to anyone, preferring to be by himself. Out of all the Diablos, he is the one that frightens enemies the most."

Another hologram came up. This one was of a full bodied woman with a scowl on her face.

"This mean looking woman is Angel. She has medium length black hair and Violet eyes. Angel preference in weaponry is shotguns, shotguns, and more shotguns. She never goes anywhere without at least one. She has a mean streak a mile wide. She's almost always angry about something and seems to take delight in battle. The only time I've ever seen her be sweet and kind is when Ryuk was badly injured after a mission and she was taking care of him. I always suspected her of having a crush on him. Over the years she's slightly mellowed out, but she still has a long way to go with anger management."

Next up was a rather muscular man.

"This guy is Darius. He has close shaven, light brown hair and grey eyes. Darius is like a human wrecking ball. The guy is the strongest of the Diablos and prefers hand to hand combat. Since he loves fighting hand to hand, he trained exclusively in martial arts and has mastered every art. He's my favorite sparring partner since he will switch between styles without warning, making him unpredictable. With his armor on he can plow through solid steel walls like they weren't even there. in his downtime he teaches his martial arts to others."

A new hologram appeared, showing a short male.

"This is Red. He has spiky red hair and blue eyes. Red is kinda the jack-of-all trades in the Diablos though he prefers close range weaponry. He's the shortest of the Diablos but he has the most heart. Red will usually analyze the situation before acting and he always tries to keep our spirits up. He likes to make and listen to music in his free time. Red is kind of like the kid brother a lot of the Diablos never got to have."

Jace smiled and brought up a group hologram of his whole team.

"Together, we stand against the odds. We are united in our goal and have become family through the bonds of battle. The Diablos are the greatest fighting force in the universe, and it saddens me that they are not here with me. Regardless of that, I will fight to protect this land as if it were my own."

The group looked at Jace, wide eyed and smiling. The way he spoke about his team made them realize that he cared for each one of them. He spoke passionately and without bias on each of them. None of them had seen Jace as happy as he was right now, talking about his team...no, talking about his family.

Luna smiled brightly at Jace. "Hopefully we will be able to meet them someday, Jace. Should that day come your family will meet your new friends and we shall celebrate."

Jace smiled and nodded. "I'm positive that you'll get to meet them someday. I'm sure they would love it here in a time of peace."

Thus passed another day for Jace and his new found friends. Little did they know, they were being observed from the shadows by a pair of green eyes with slit pupils. As the eyes faded away, none heard the shadows soft laughter.

Author's Note

I've finally figured out where to go with this chapter. Yay! I'm so happy I have some time to write now. It's been way too long since the last chapter. On a partially related side note; I shall be adding a lot more music to the story.

Hope you enjoyed the latest chapter. :twilightsmile:

P.S.- As always, I look forward to hearing what you, the readers, think. If you have any Ideas on how I can make the story better, music suggestions, or you'd like to see a chapter surrounding a certain character (whether a pony, changeling, or member of the Diablos) Please feel free to comment or pm. ((I will happily use OC's, as long as I am provided a detailed description of them including their Mane and tail color, fur color, eye color, cutie mark, any accents, and mannerisms. So if you wanna see your OC in the story please pm me with all the details of the character.))

P.P.S- Nyx belongs to Pen Stroke

P.P.P.S- All the Diablo super soldiers belong to DanteRaijin