Jason sat heavily on the scaffolding in the corner of the unfinished room. He sighed as he loosened the straps around his calves, removing the stilts from his feet and leaning them against the metal framework he sat upon.

It had taken Jason a while to actually make a pair that were properly balanced and sturdy enough to hold his weight. He got inspiration from the countless hours he had spent carrying around ladders and moving scaffolding when installing ceilings into the houses and buildings they constructed.

After they were done, and he gained enough confidence in their use, they proved to be yet another valuable tool in the speeding of their construction.

He let out a sigh, grabbing a bottle of water and taking a few swigs before casting a look around the flat pieces of drywall he had installed on the ceiling. He liked drywall. It was simple, just put the panels on the jack, lift them up and screw it into the ceiling joists. Once they were all in place, a crew would come in and spray on the stucco that would finish up the ceiling.

Jason hopped off the scaffolding and made his way to the small, temporary shed the crew kept all their supplies in to grab some putty and a drywall knife. As he made his way through the house, he noticed something a little off.

The building was quiet.

Normally, this wouldn't concern him, but there was still a lot of work to do, and he couldn't find a single pony in the building. In fact, other than him, the house was completely empty.

Confused, Jason left the building and took a look around. The whole build site was deserted.

In the distance, he heard more than a few shouts and a general ruckus coming from further in town.

Jason let his curiosity get the better of him. He snagged his blouse and cover from the shed and began walking toward the source of the noise, slipping the clothes on as he moved.

The din of the crowd grew louder as he approached the town square.

What the hell is going on? He thought to himself.

An orange unicorn mare nearly knocked him over as she ran toward the town square. Jason recovered quickly and called after her.

"Hey! What the heck is going on?"

The unicorn didn't break her stride, or even acknowledge him as she continued to run.

Growing more concerned, Jason picked up his pace and began running in the same direction as the unicorn.

Before long, Jason found himself at the edge of a huge crowd, all of them grumbling in concern and fear.

He tapped the shoulder of a charcoal earth pony at the edge of the crowd. The mare jumped and looked at Jason in anger, which quickly changed to relief as she recognized the human.

"Captain Sinder! Do you know what's going on? Everypony in town just started running to the town square! I just got here, but I've never seen anypony this upset!"

A few of the ponies nearby heard the mare and turned their attentions to the human, each of them voicing much the same question.

"Captain Sinder! Can you do anything about this?"

"Captain Sinder, What's going on?"

Jason held up his hands, trying to show his ignorance.

"Hey, hey I know about as much as you do! Let me through so I can figure out what's happening."

The ponies began separating a little, giving Jason just enough space to squeeze through the sea of citizens.

As he made his way to the focus of the group, he noticed that their demeanor was changing. They were no longer confused...Now...Now they were angry.

"You better do something about this, Jason!"

"They can't get away with this!"

"We'll have their heads!"

Wait, WHAT? What the fuck happened!? What the hell has them so upset?

Before long, Jason could see the town hall. Behind the podium stood the Mayor, who was doing her best to manage the crowd from her vantage point.

It didn't take long for her to see Jason's tall figure making his way through the crowd toward her. She waved at him, beckoning him to her before bending over and speaking into the microphone.

"Clear a path! Let Captain Sinder through!"

The crowd instantly turned their attention to him, the volume of their voices increasing as they all tried to talk to him at once.

"You have to do something, Captain!"

"Take it to them!"

"They have to pay!"

Despite their shouts, they made enough of a path for him to make it to the platform where the Mayor stood. He climbed up and made his way to her.

"Thank goodness you're here, Captain! I don't know how much longer I'd be able to keep them passive."

"What the hell happened, Mayor? I don't think I've ever seen anypony this upset before."

"I'll explain in a bit. Can you please talk to them? Maybe your words will carry a little more weight than mine."

"Um...Ok sure."

The Mayor stepped aside from the podium, letting Jason take his position behind the microphone.

"Citizens of Ponyville!" Jason's voice boomed out over the crowd and the gathering grew quiet, giving their full attention to the Captain.

"Please calm down and return to your homes or places of business. There is much I need to discuss with the Mayor, and once I get the full story I will be able to formulate a plan. This is going to take time, and until then you will not get any further information than what the Mayor has already told you."

"That's horse apples!" Came an angry cry from the crowd.

"Yeah! You can't expect us to do nothing about this!"

"That's EXACTLY what I want you to do." Jason said, letting his voice take a hard, commanding edge. The crowd grew silent at the tone of his voice. "You ponies are not trained for this, and you cannot let what has happened drive this town into chaos! Go home! Calm down! Let us do our jobs! Once me and the Mayor have had time to talk and formulate a plan, she will call another meeting and let you know what we've decided. Until then, keep calm. Nothing good comes from panic."

Jason stood to his full height and crossed his arms, letting the crowd know he was done speaking. He heard more than a few angry grumbles, but thankfully the group slowly began dispersing.

Once a majority of the crowd had gone, Jason relaxed and turned his attention to the Mayor who still stood beside him.

"Now then, would you please tell me exactly what the hell that was all about?"

The Mayor let out a sigh. "Inside." She said as she turned toward the doors of the building.

Jason followed the mare through the double doors, letting them close behind him. He followed her into her office.

"Close the door." She said as she walked to her desk.

Jason obliged, clicking the door closed behind him before making his way to the opposite side of her desk.

The Mayor picked up an announcement sheet, not unlike a printed news article, and passed it to the human.

Before the human got a chance to read the article, the Mayor spoke up. "Now, I'm assuming you've heard of the protests that have been going on in Saddle Arabia?"

"Yeah, I thought they were just peaceful picket lines and strikes. Mostly against bad working conditions and inadequate pay, right?"

"Well... Not so peaceful anymore..." The Mayor said quietly.

Jason raised an eyebrow toward her. She responded by simply waving a hoof toward the notice Jason now held. She walked to the window and gazed out, giving him time to read it.

Jason set the letter down on the desk before bringing his thumb and forefinger to the bridge of his nose.

"FUCK!" Jason shouted. The mayor turned her attention to him and spoke.

"Yes...'Fuck' indeed... I'm sure you understand why the town was so upset?"

Jason lowered his hand and looked to the Mayor. "Yes... Yes I do... But the attack isn't what has me worried."

The mayor looked at him with angry surprise. "What!? You mean you're not infuriated by this?"

"I'm upset, yes, but more than that... I'm scared..."

The anger disappeared from the Mayor, yet the surprise in her eyes flared.

"You're scared? Why? Haven't you experienced something like this before? Back on Earth?"

"I have... And that's exactly why I'm scared. You see, I've seen this before... I know how it usually turns out." A hint of sadness crept into his voice. "But you ponies haven't... I'm afraid that this is going to escalate out of control... The anger I saw out there today must be travelling all the way across Equestria, and angry people, or ponies rather, make rash decisions. If we charge blindly into this, more ponies are going to die..."

An edge of seriousness crept into Jason's voice. "This is how wars begin... I need to speak with the Princesses... I need to try and talk them out of making a decision everypony is going to regret."

Jason felt one of his message rings warming against his flesh and quickly pulled them out. Before long, a small, slightly scorched piece of paper materialized before him and he quickly reached out and grabbed it. He read the message quickly.

Jason,

Twilight

"What's that?" The Mayor asked, eyeing the note curiously.

"An answer to my prayers." Jason said as he tucked the note into his pocket. "Excuse me Mayor, the Princesses have sent an urgent letter to my home. Please, do what you can to keep the peace here. I'll talk to the Princesses and see what they have planned."

He glanced down at her desk and picked up the announcement. "Do you mind if I take this? I didn't see Twilight or Rainbow in the crowd, and they need to know what's going on."

"Go ahead, it's going to be posted all over the newspapers soon anyway." The mayor exhaled in an attempt to calm herself. Jason picked up the sheet and folded it into his pocket.

"Good luck, Jason."

"Thanks..." He said as he turned to the exit. "For all of our sakes, I hope we can finish this without more bloodshed..."

Jason walked home in silence. Occasionally, a mare or stallion would attempt to stop him and ask questions. He did his best to calm the ponies before continuing his walk.

Before long, he found himself at home. He entered the building and walked into the living room.

He was surprised to find Applejack and Rarity speaking with his herdmates.

"AJ? Rarity? What are you doing here?" Jason asked.

The group of mares turned their attention to him, looks of obvious worry present on their faces.

"We were in that crowd... We came to tell Twilight and Rainbow what happened." Rarity said. Her voice was by far the most serious he had ever heard.

"Yeah... We were doin' our best, but unfortunately, we couldn' hear the Mayor all that well. You talked to 'er right? What exactly happened?" Applejack seemed hopeful that he could provide more information.

Jason pulled the announcement from his pocket and held it out. "Here, this can explain it better than I can."

Twilight grabbed the paper with her telekenesis.

"Now, you said there was a letter for me?" Jason asked, looking around quickly.

"It's on the end table." Twilight said as she unfolded the announcement and began reading it aloud.

Jason walked over and picked up the message. He broke the wax seal and read the short note quickly.

Captain Sinder,

By now, I'm sure you've heard of the situation in Saddle Arabia. We require your expertise in Canterlot as we plan our next course of action.

Please come as quickly as possible. We don't know how much time we have before they act again.

Princess Celestia

Jason folded the note closed and waited for Twilight to finish reading the article. As she read, Jason could hear her voice quiver in shock.

The room fell into silence when Twilight finally finished reading. It took several moments before the mares were able to overcome their shock and reveal their true emotions.

"Those MOTHER FUCKERS!" Rainbow shouted. Even after all this time, Jason was still surprised to hear the pegasus use his own profanity. She flapped her wings and took to the air, hovering in circles and fuming in pure anger. "If I ever get my hooves on them... I'll make them feel every little bit of pain they caused!"

Applejack appeared to feel much the same way, yet she remained silent. Jason could see her hind legs twitch as she refrained from kicking something.

Rarity and Twilight wore matching expressions of sadness. It looked like the deaths themselves, rather than what caused them, drove their emotions.

Twilight turned to look at him, a look of sad determination crossing her face. "So what happens now?"

Jason lifted up the royal letter. "I have been summoned to Canterlot to discuss just that. I'm leaving immediately. We need to figure out how to take care of this."

"Yeah! We have to make them pay!" Rainbow said, her voice heavy with angry anticipation.

Jason's response was terse. "No...That is the exact opposite of what needs to happen! We have to find out how to resolve this without further bloodshed."

"What?!" Rainbow Dash was shocked at his reply. "You can't seriously be okay with what they've done!"

"That's not what I said." He looked at her flatly. "I'm just as pissed off as you are... Hell, if I was younger I probably would have gone and grabbed my rifle and started putting ponies in the ground. But that can't happen. The only thing violence breeds is more violence."

Rainbow Dash looked at him incredulously. She didn't understand. How could she? These ponies have never experienced anything like this before. They didn't know how to react, and they were scared. Jason could see it. Rainbow Dash and Applejack may be putting on tough airs, but Jason caught the familiar glint in their eyes. They were terrified.

Jason let out a deep sigh. "Look... Just trust me on this one. I've dealt with situations like this before, so let me do my thing. I know you want to take the fight to them, but you should know that they won't stop. They've already killed, and you're mistaken if you think they're done. Now, I know I said I plan to resolve this peacefully..."

He cast a gaze around the room, looking at each mare in turn. "...But I will be dusting off my rifle and gear. There is a storm gathering, ladies. If we can't resolve this peacefully, it'll be time for this Marine to once again do his duty."

Jason lifted his flak and slung it over his shoulder, his kevlar hanging loosely from the vest and secured by the chinstrap running through a strip of MOLLE webbing. His magazine pouches were full to capacity with ammunition.

"You're sure this is how we should go?" Twilight asked. "I know the Princess wanted you there as soon as possible, and it would be faster if I teleported you."

"I'm sure. I'm not really a big fan of teleportation. Besides..." He glanced behind her, looking at the other five mares who were coming with them. "They wanted to come, too. I'm pretty sure you can't take all of us at once."

"I could've taken more than one trip..." Twilight said, kicking at the ground dejectedly.

"And make you that much more tired before meeting with the Princesses? No, the train'll be fast enough, and it gives us time to relax before we arrive."

"Let's go already!" Rainbow said, shoving her way into the train car. She was still obviously pretty heated about the whole situation. Jason understood how she felt, but he needed to calm her down before they got to Canterlot.

Jason picked up his rifle and followed the pegasus onto the train, the other mares following close behind.

The train was surprisingly empty. Evidently, the attack had driven nearly everyone to stay where they were, out of fear of the confined space of a train.

Jason took a seat next to a window, setting his flak against the wall between the seats. He placed the rifle between his feet and held the barrel. Twilight sat next to him after stowing her bag. Before long, Rainbow finally set down accross from him.

"You know, I'm still not sure why you decided to come with me. The Princess summoned me, not you."

Rainbow looked at him incredulously. "You're kidding right? We're the Element Bearers! We have a duty just as much as you do."

The tone of her voice stung. This pure hatred the pegasus was emitting was something Jason hadn't experienced since he'd been in the 'Stan. He didn't like it. His herdmate was lashing out in distress, but he had no idea how to handle it.

He opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted before he could utter a word.

"Rainbow Dash... What is wrong? I've never seen you this angry before... I mean... Really, what's wrong?"

Fluttershy made her way into the final unoccupied seat beside them, looking toward Rainbow with concern.

"What's wrong? WHAT'S WRONG?!? YOU KNOW WHAT'S WRONG!!!"

Fluttershy recoiled at Rainbow's outrage, and shrank into the corner of her seat.

"RAINBOW DASH!" Jason shouted. This had gone on long enough. He was content with letting her brood to herself, but if she was going to start taking it out on her friends, Jason was going to step in.

She turned her anger toward him. "What?"

"That. Is. Enough... You need to calm down. I know you're pissed off, but yelling at your friends isn't going to make it any better. Fluttershy is just trying to help, and look at what you've done."

Rainbow looked at him for a few more moments before looking toward Fluttershy, who still sought shelter in the cushions of the seat. She looked at her for a few seconds before crossing her arms in a huff.

"Sorry, Fluttershy... You didn't deserve that." She said, her tone not quite as tense.

"Rain, do you need to vent?" Twilight asked, concern in her voice.

"Let me, Twi." Jason said. "I think I know how to handle this. Rainbow come with me." Jason said as he stood, setting his rifle against his flak. Rainbow followed him as he moved into the empty train car adjacent to theirs.

Jason stepped aside as they entered the car, allowing Rainbow to hover past him before he slid the door closed behind her.

"Ok, now... What the hell has you on edge?" Jason asked, his voice even.

"IT'S DRIVING ME CRAZY! THESE...PONIES...HAVE COMMITTED MURDER! THEY HAVE TO PAY! AND YOU JUST WANT TO DO NOTHING?!? I THOUGHT THAT WAS YOUR GOAL IN LIFE! TO PROTECT THE INNOCENT!" She was furious, to say the least.

"It is. Always has been, always will."

"Then what the fuck are you doing?! Ponies are DEAD Jason! We have to make sure they won't do anything like this again!"

"I agree completely... But you're right, ponies are dead. I need to do whatever I can to ensure that number doesn't grow. Rainbow, do you remember how many people died because of the attack that killed my mother?"

Rainbow was quiet. "Somewhere around three thousand right?"

"Exactly... That's no small number. But do you have any idea how many more people have died in the war that single attack spawned?"

Rainbow shook her head.

"On our side alone, we've lost over eight thousand soldiers. That doesn't include the enemy or civilian casualties. You do NOT want to know that number... War is hell on Earth, Rainbow Dash. If there is any chance to resolve this through diplomacy, we need to grasp at it. It's not that I'm doing nothing, I will do everything in my power to keep a war from happening. You need to understand that. I don't want anypony to experience what I have."

The anger flooded out of Rainbow as she listened, pure sadness replacing it as his words found purchase in her head. Jason let her sit there and think for several minutes.

"Jason...I'm...I'm scared..." Rainbows words quivered as she spoke.

Jason took a few steps forward and knelt before her, throwing his arms around her shoulders in an attempt to comfort her.

"I am too, Rainbow Dash... Nobody wants this... Especially not me..." He loosened his grip so they could look at each other. "We're all scared... Whether they realize it or not, everypony is terrified. Back on Earth, we have a name for the people who use fear to accomplish their goals. We call them terrorists, and that's exactly who these so-called 'Guardians of the Sand' are... Nothing but fucking terrorists."

He saw a few tears forming in her eyes and tightened his embrace around her. As she buried her head into his shoulder, he felt her body shudder as she sobbed lightly, the full strength of her fear and sorrow emerging as the anger she had suppressed it with vanished.

Jason donned his body armor before disembarking the train, leaving the helmet hanging from the vest and keeping his eight-point cover on his head. He preferred to wear the armor, since he didn't know how long it would be before he would have a chance to set it down and he wanted full use of his arms. He slung his rifle over his shoulder and stepped onto the platform.

As the group stepped off the train, they were stopped by a detachment of guards. They wore full armor and inexpertly wielded some awkward-looking polearms.

"Halt and identify!" The lead guard shouted. The whole group of guards looked young.

The group stopped and Jason gave him a flat look. "...Seriously?"

"Identify yourselves!" The guard began attempting to point the spear toward him, fumbling as the front heavy weapon began slipping from his grip.

Jason reached out and grabbed the weapon below the blade. He jerked his arm and tore the spear from the guard, easily disarming him. The other guards attempted to level their spears towards him. He planted the haft of the spear in the ground.

"My name is CAPTAIN Jason Sinder. Stand down, Guards." Jason said sternly.

The guards hesitated. They cast glances towards each other. Evidently they'd heard of him, but they weren't entirely convinced. Yeah, he definitely wasn't a pony, but they'd never seen a human before.

Jason sighed and pulled aside his kevlar, revealing the matte-black Captain's insignia pinned to his flak. The group looked at the insignia and nearly fell over themselves as they attempted to come to attention.

"Sir! We apologize! We didn't know who you were!" The now-unarmed guard said.

"Obviously..." Jason said. He handed the weapon back to the guard, who took it cautiously. "How long have you been with the Guard?" He asked the whole group.

One of the guards off to the side spoke up. "Sir! We graduated basic training together about a month ago."

Jason looked at the group incredulously. "Fresh out of boot, and they're tasking you with station security? Right after a terrorist attack? Who is your mentor? Where is he?"

The guards floundered at the onslaught of questions. "Uh... Um our mentor is Sergeant Blackhoof...Sir... He's in the office over there, Sir." The guard who spoke pointed toward a small office to one side of the platform. Jason glanced toward the building before turning to the mares behind him.

"Go ahead and make your way to the palace, I need to take care of something real quick. I'll meet you over there."

The mares said their farewells and made their way out of the train depot. Jason watched them for a moment before turning back to the Guards. He watched as they went back to rigid attention under his gaze. Jason let out a quick sigh.

"At ease, Guards." He said. The group before him hesitantly relaxed slightly. "How long have you been tasked with this duty?"

"We've been on guard since about seven-thirty this morning, Sir."

"And in that time, has Sergeant... Blackhoof was it? Come out to check on you?"

The Guards paused to think for a few moments before responding. "No Sir, he hasn't left the building."

Jason stared at them flatly. "Alright... Back to your posts... I'm going to have a talk with the Sergeant."

"Yes Sir." The guards replied in chorus as they scurried back to their positions.

He shifted the rifle on his shoulder before turning and walking toward the Guard office. The window was dark, reinforcing Jason's suspicions. He opened the door of the guard shack and stepped inside. The room was empty, yet a loud snore made Jason perfectly aware of the Sergeants location.

He opened the side room, where he found Sergeant Blackhoof asleep on a small bed. Must be a sleeping post... makes sense, since it's a busy station. But it's fucking three o'clock in the afternoon. Jason flicked on the light in the room. The Sergeant mumbled something in his sleep and rolled over.

"Oh... I'm going to enjoy this..." Jason said under his breath. Jason examined the bed quickly. It was a cheap build, and he could see the joints straining even under the weight of only one pony.

"Perfect..." Jason inhaled deeply.

With a swift kick, Jason knocked out one of the legs at the head of the bed, causing it to tilt and dumping the Sergeant to the floor.

"Urgh... What the hay!?" The Sergeant shook his head as he untangled himself from the blanket. "Do you have any idea who you're messing with?!?"

"Do you?" Jason's response was quiet.

The stallion's eyes shot open and he looked toward the Captain.

"C-Captain Sinder! I-I had no idea you were coming!" He fumbled over the bed covers as he attempted to come to attention.

"Don't bother, Sergeant. You stand relieved."

The stallion blinked a few times, trying to comprehend what was just said to him. "E-Excuse me, sir?"

"I SAID YOU...STAND...RELIEVED..." Jason was allowing his volume to increase with his anger.''

"For what, Sir?" The stallion looked honestly confused.

"For what? FOR WHAT?!? We are in a state of emergency! Equestrian citizens have been killed, Sergeant. You were charged with guarding the most widely used entrance to our country's capital city, and you were fucking asleep! In the middle of the afternoon! You left the safety of this city to the care of Guards who are so fucking green they still have price tags on their fucking armor! Come with me, Sergeant. We're going to have a talk with Captain Steadfast." Jason stepped aside, motioning for Sergeant Blackhoof to lead the way.

"Sir, I can't leave my post."

"Motherfucker, you being gone won't be any fucking different than when you were asleep. Get the fuck moving."

The Sergeant begrudgingly started moving out of the building. As the pair stepped onto the platform, Jason pointed to the Guard who had stopped him and waved him over. He quickly jogged over to the Captain before matching his brisk pace.

"Yes Sir?"

"You're in charge until a new Sergeant comes down. One who will actually do their fucking job."

"Yes Sir." The Guard turned around and moved back to his position.

"You're fucking pathetic. I'm curious how long they'll still have to call you 'Sergeant'."

The stallion was silent the entire trip. He messed up bad, and he knew it. He seemed resigned to his fate.

Jason let out a sigh. "Sorry about that, ladies. That whole situation at the station needed to be taken care of."

"What the hay was that all about?" Rainbow asked, curious.

"You know how you thought I wasn't going to do anything?"

She nodded.

"I found a Guard who was literally doing nothing. It was a disgrace I needed to remedy."

Twilight spoke up. "Okay, now that we're all here we should head in. The Princesses have waited long enough."

Jason breathed deeply. "You're right. Let's go."

They turned toward the large doors leading to the throne room, Twilight taking the lead with Jason at her side. The mares followed suit as they walked into the massive chamber.

The Princesses stood before a few other stallions. Jason recognized Captain Stalwart and Captain Armor. There were a few other guards present whom Jason didn't recognize. Jason winced a little as the huge doors closed with a boom behind them. The small gathering stopped speaking and looked toward their group.

"Twilie? What are you doing here?" Shining Armor was genuinely surprised to see his sister. Jason watched as his surprise changed into concern.

"Indeed... I did not summon you or your friends, Twilight. You should be in Ponyville where it's safe." Princess Celestia's voice was... different somehow. No less regal, but the usual kindness was missing. She sounded angry.

"Your Highness, I know you did not summon us, but we are the Element Bearers. Surely there is something we can do to help." Twilight's response was even. She had caught the tone of the Princess' voice and recognized something was off.

"What you can do is keep yourself safe. You possess the greatest magic in all of Equestria. We cannot have you going against ponies who are willing to do anything to achieve their goals. We summoned Jason because he has experience with situations like this. You do not. Please, wait outside while I brief the Captains."

"Oh come on, Your Highness! We wanna help too!" Jason should have expected Rainbow's outburst, but he still winced at her statement.

"You will be helping by staying alive..." Princess Celestia's voice was even. "Do not argue with me on this, Miss Dash. Just wait outside."

Jason turned toward the mares. "Go on, I'll talk to you girls about it later."

"We'll hold ya to that, Jason." Applejack said flatly. "We ain't happy about this."

The mares turned and exited the room. Jason watched them leave before turning back to the group. He took up position next to Captain Armor. The other Captains nodded towards him in greeting before turning their attention to the Princesses.

"It is good to have you join us, Captain Sinder. You have met Captain Stalwart and Captain Armor, Next to them are Captain Thunderclap and Captain Phalanx. Like you, they have been in a reserve state for the past several years, however in light of recent events we have decided to activate their units. We will be sending them in to Saddle Arabia to reinforce and defend our interests in that country." Princess Celestia said. Each Captain nodded in turn as they were introduced. Jason returned their nods with one of his own.

"Your Majesty, if I may ask, when are they being deployed?" Jason asked.

"If all things go well here, then they should be leaving before the end of the week." Princess Luna answered.

"Ma'am, before they leave, I would like to brief the Captains in private. There is a lot I need to tell them about occupation so they aren't doing more damage to the indigenous citizens and inadvertently hurting our cause."

"Very well, Captain. I will leave you to brief them as soon as we are done here." Princess Celestia turned her attention to the other Captains. "Gentlemen you have been briefed. Captain Armor and Captain Stalwart, return to your units and begin issuing the new defensive orders we have outlined for you. Captain Thunderclap and Captain Phalanx, please wait outside until we finish briefing Captain Sinder. Dismissed."

The four stallions came to attention and bowed before turning and exiting the throne room.

"Now then, Captain Sinder, we are sure you are curious as to what role you will be playing in all of this." Princess Luna said.

Jason remained silent, waiting for the Princesses to continue.

"We are placing you in charge of a special unit. Your unit will be tasked with handling any and all situations regarding the Guardians of the Sand. Since you have the most knowledge of warfare, and have dealt with situations like this before, you are the most qualified officer we have to take this position. As for your Guards, we have asked each Captain to provide a select few stallions from their units to supplement your own. The Guards have been informed and are currently preparing to transfer to your command." Princess Celestia paced as she spoke.

Jason attempted to sift through everything he had just been told. This was huge. Just yesterday, he had been building a house in Ponyville, thinking of what he should get Rainbow for her birthday next week, and now he was in charge of a special unit, preparing for what could easily turn into a war. It was several moments before he could think of a question.

"Your Majesty, what exactly are you asking me to do?"

"We expect you to do what you were trained for." Princess Luna's voice was cold. "These are enemies of Equestria, a threat to our citizens and criminals of the highest calibre. You are here to... Eliminate that threat."

That's what I thought... Jason thought to himself. I have to try and stop this... I don't want to be leader of a kill squad. We need to end this through diplomacy.

"Your Highnesses, may I speak candidly for a moment?" Jason asked.

"Go ahead, Captain."

"I understand your emotions are running hot right now. Your citizens have died, it would be wrong if you weren't angry. But we need to do whatever we can right now to end this diplomatically. Yes, I have been trained to do what you ask, but I should only be used as a last resort. We need to take any opportunity we have to resolve this peacefully, before Equestria finds itself at war."

Princess Celestia nodded in agreement. "We know that, Captain." She looked at him, her expression serious. "However, there is always the possibility that we simply can't resolve this without further bloodshed. You are our contingency plan, Jason, and you need to be prepared to act as such."

Princess Luna spoke up. "And that brings us to our next point." Her horn glowed as she lifted a torn and dirty sheet of paper from the table at the edge of the room. She levitated the sheet to him. "While you were traveling, we received a message from the Guardians of the Sand." Jason looked through the message while the Princess spoke. "Those, are their demands for the exchange of our ambassador."

The message was short.

Tyrants of Equestria,

In five days time, you will send a representative to the northern tip of the Stoneshod Wastes. This representative will have the Ember of Korlah in their possession. The ambassador and her assistants will only be returned to you once we have the Ember in our possession.

We will meet at noon. For every hour you are late, a hostage will be executed.

This is your only warning.

Guardians of the Sand

"When did you receive this letter?" Jason asked. "And what's the Ember of Korlah?"

"Yesterday..." Princess Celestia said as she walked to one side of the room. She used her magic to pull out a small wooden box. She opened it and pulled out an item. "And this, is the Ember of Korlah." She levitated the item to Jason, who took it and examined it closely.

It was a gorgeous piece of craftsmanship. It was made of a single cherry wood dowel, with intricately carved designs adorning every inch of the rod. The carvings depicted flames. Jason rolled the item in his hand. As he looked it over, he found a single jewel embedded into the wood. A strange glint in the gem caught his eye and he examined it closer. Trapped within the gem was a burning flame.

He looked up and reached out with the item, offering it back to the Princess. She took it and set it back in it's box.

"It's beautiful, but why would the Guardians go through so much trouble to acquire it?" Jason asked.

"The Ember of Korlah is one of the most powerful magical artifacts in Equestria." Princess Luna explained as her sister secured the artifact. "It was made centuries ago by Starswirl the Bearded, one of the greatest magicians in history."

"Yes, Twilight has talked about him a few times, but that doesn't really answer my question. What does it do?"

"Quite simply, it creates fire." Princess Celestia answered as she moved beside her sister. "Starswirl created it in an attempt to woo a glassblower mare he had taken a fancy to. He created the device to assist her in her craft, since she was an earth pony and lacked magic to assist her when heating the glass."

The Princess let out a deep sigh, a touch of sorrow creeping into her demeanor.

"Unfortunately, the Ember was far more powerful than Starswirl had anticipated. He poured his love into the creation, and that, mixed with his natural magical talent, created a force to be reckoned with. The first time she attempted to use the Ember, her place of work was completely engulfed by fire. She died in that fire, marking one of the most tragic accidents in Canterlot history. Because of the Ember's magical nature, it survived the blaze. Starswirl approached me several days later with the Ember in his possession. He gave it to me so that I may protect it and keep it from falling into the wrong hooves."

"Ok, so the Guardians want to set fires?" Jason said. "You surely can't be planning on actually giving them such a powerful artifact!"

"Certainly not." Princess Luna responded. Her horn glowed as she pulled out a wrapped package. "You will be giving them this." She floated the parcel over to him.

He took the package and unwrapped it. What he found was a perfect recreation of the Ember of Korlah. Princess Luna must have painstakingly transmuted the recreation for the exchange. He looked at the crystal. A flame burned within it, though it was much weaker than the real artifact.

"That, is a perfect recreation of the Ember." Princess Luna said, letting a little pride into her voice. "I did have to enchant it with the flame spell to reproduce the effect in the gem, however it is only powerful enough to light tiny fires, no larger than that of a candle."

Jason nodded. It was a good plan, but it was only a temporary solution to their problem. "So, after we get the hostages back, what then? The Guardians of the Sand are not going to be happy about this deception."

"At that point, they will no longer have anything to barter with. We will have our ambassador back, and the units we are sending to reinforce our establishments in Saddle Arabia should act as a major deterrent to future attacks. We will have time to better plan our next course of action to drive them to the negotiation table." Princess Celestia stated.

"Very well Your Highness, it will be done." Jason gave a small bow.

"Good. You will be leaving tomorrow morning. The trip to Stoneshod Wastes takes two full days, meaning you will have a day to prepare for the meeting when you arrive. You will be travelling via private carriage pulled by the best team in Equestria. For this first mission, you will only be taking a small team. Their information is on the table over there." Princess Celestia gestured with her hoof. Jason walked over to the table, picking up the paper and folding it into his pocket.

The Princess let out a sigh. "I'm sorry for this, Captain Sinder. I had hoped to never again stand on the brink of war. I have to say, though, that I am grateful to have someone with your experience here to assist us."

"To be fair Your Majesty, I have done little as of yet."

"True, but should things go poorly, we have somepony who knows what to do." Jason watched a little bit of the tension flow from her. "You are dismissed, Captain. Brief Captain Thunderclap and Captain Phalanx quickly, and spend the rest of the evening with your herd and your friends. You may be used to this, but they are not. Talk to them, be with them and say your goodbyes. I cannot guarantee when you will return, so spend as much time with them as you can."

Jason bowed to the Princesses. "Thank you, Your Highnesses. I will be ready to leave tomorrow morning."

The Princesses nodded in reply and Jason turned and exited the large room.

Jason leaned on the stone railing, looking out over the vast scenery visible from the mountainside city. In the distance, he could see faint lights glowing from far away towns.

I need a fucking cigarette... Jason thought to himself as the warm summer air filled his lungs.

His arrival in Equestria had been quite the effective cessation method, seeing as tobacco was not grown or smoked in this world. Luckily, Jason had been able to distract himself from his cravings. But the stress he was under now brought them to the forefront of his mind.

He looked to his left, watching as one of the city's intricate waterways flowed it's excess over the side, allowing a flowing waterfall to cascade to the ground far below, the liquid glittering in the shining moonlight.

"Jason?" Rainbow's voice was quiet, as though she was afraid to interrupt his meditation.

He was relieved. Hearing the voice of one of the mares he loved pulled him from the melancholy his mind had settled into. He turned to face her, allowing a smile to cross his face.

"Hey Rain, I'm surprised you're still awake."

"I can't sleep. Not now. Not without you." She walked to stand next to him, hopping up and resting her hooves on the railing. He turned to once again gaze over the scenery, stretching out an arm and wrapping it around her shoulders, holding her in a half-embrace. She leaned into him as they looked over the landscape.

"Are you sure you're going to be okay? I don't know what I'd do if something happened to you." She said quietly.

"You'll be alright, Rainbow. You're strong, you can handle just about anything this world throws at you. Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. So long as they honor the exchange, everything should go smoothly." Jason said, squeezing her gently.

They stayed together for several silent minutes, sharing in each others loving company and enjoying the gorgeous scenery expanding infinitely before them.

Rainbow eventually broke the silence, her voice nearly a whisper. "Jason... There's... There's something I've been wanting to tell you for a while now."

Jason looked down at her, his eyebrow raised in curiosity. "What is it, Rainbow? You know you can tell me anything."

"I... I promise. To always be there for you. Anywhere you may settle is where I will call home. I promise to support you in your choices and...And... Aw heck what's the word?" She hopped down and began pacing in thought.

Jason blinked. Wait... Is she doing what I think she is?

"Endeavors! That's it!" She walked to stand in front of him. "I promise to support you in your choices and endeavors. The love I feel for you is greater than anything I've ever felt." She reached her head back to her wings, pulling a loose feather from among her primary flight feathers. She set the feather on the ground before her and stared at it, almost as though she didn't want to look at him. "I offer you this feather as a sign of my devotion and love. With it, I promise to you everything that I am, that I will love and cherish you forever..."

Her voice trailed off as she completed her vow. She continued to stare at the feather as she awaited his response.

Jason let out a soft chuckle. "Rainbow Dash, you certainly have a way with timing, don't you?"

The pegasus winced at his words. They were obviously not what she was wanting to hear.

Jason lowered himself to a knee and picked up the feather. With his other hand, he gently lifted her chin so he could look into her eyes. "I humbly accept this feather, Rainbow Dash. In return, I promise to be your strength. I promise to protect you and your own. I will always be there for you. Maybe not physically, but my heart will accompany you wherever you may go. My home is yours, as much as it is mine."

He reached into his skivvy shirt, pulling free the chain he wore around his neck. He undid the fastener and removed the message rings before securing the chain together again.

"I offer you these, my identification tags, as a sign of my devotion and love. I may not have grown them from my own flesh, but these tags are, in essence, who I am. With them, I cement my relationship to you. I will love, and honor you forever, Rainbow Dash."

Tears were flowing down her cheeks. She dipped her head slightly, allowing him to run the chain over and down her neck, letting them dangle just above her legs. She looked at him for a short time before stepping forward and kissing him.

As they kissed, Jason wrapped his arms around her neck. He clutched the feather tightly in his hand.

After several minutes, the pair finally broke contact. They looked once more into each other's eyes, renewed love flowing between them in the gaze.

"Come on, Jason. We've got one more night together before you leave. I'll be damned if I'm not going to enjoy it. I'm sure Twilight will appreciate it as well." She turned back toward the building, her hips swaying sensually as she walked to the door. Her tail occasionally flipped to the side, giving Jason a preview of things to come.

"Aye aye, Misses Rainbow Dash!" Jason said as he hastily rose and trotted to catch up.

Side by side they walked into the building, Rainbow occasionally swatting him with her tail and Jason gently playing with one of her ears.

Author's Notes:

Hey guys. I've spent the little amount of free time i've had over the past couple weeks to knock this out before I actually make my move. I was hoping to leave you with a better idea of things to come.

Thanks for bearing with me, here. I really appreciate all the support you guys have shown.