You have GOT to be kidding me... Jason thought to himself as he looked over the Guards before him.

They stood beside the dirt road which would take them to Saddle Arabia. The sun was just beginning to peek over the horizon, the early morning rays warmly illuminating the landscape around them. The carriage team stood before their vehicle, stretching in preparation for the long journey ahead of them. Jason had been impressed at the appearance of the team, they looked to be some of the most athletic earth ponies he had ever seen.

The guards, on the other hand, were a different story.

There were only seven of them. The rest of his unit was still being assembled, so for this mission only the few who were ready would be going.

The dossier the Princesses had given him had looked promising, but the stallions standing before him did not match what he had read.

It didn't take him long to figure out what had happened. The Captains had been given personal discretion on who they would give up for Jason's unit, meaning they could give him whoever they wanted. Were they going to give up their best stallions for a possible suicide mission? Hell no... They sent him the shitbags, the criminals, the ones they wanted to be rid of. Jason could only hope the rest of his unit would be different.

He paused as he looked at the very end of the line. He easily recognized the stallion at the end. He raised an eyebrow slightly before returning his gaze to the group as a whole.

"Alright, everypony on the carriage. I'll speak to you more once we get moving."

The assembly responded with a chorus of "Yes, Sir." before turning and gathering up their gear.

"Sergeant Blackhoof, come over here." Jason said loudly.

The stallion hoisted his gear onto his back quickly before trotting before the Captain.

"It's Corporal now, Sir. What did you need me for?" The stallion said as he stood at attention.

Jason raised an eyebrow. "What are you doing here?" He said flatly.

"I volunteered, Sir. I heard about the unit that was being put together for you and I wanted to try and make up for... For what happened yesterday. I spoke with Captain Steadfast and he approved of the transfer." Jason saw the stallion's knees quiver a little under the weight of his gear. "I was a little surprised to be honest, Sir. He seemed relieved about sending me over here."

I fucking KNEW it... Jason thought to himself. He let out a quick sigh. "Alright Corporal, go ahead and get loaded up."

Corporal Blackhoof saluted quickly before awkwardly turning and making his way to the carriage.

Jason walked over to where his own equipment lay, bending over to collect the armor and rifle.

He inspected them quickly before throwing them over his shoulder. Damn... He thought to himself. I Really should have thought this through better. I hope I'm not gone too long. He had his armor, his rifle, an ample supply of ammunition, and some food he bought the previous day and a few basic toiletries. That was it, that was the entirety of his inventory. He hadn't thought to bring extra clothes or things to wash the ones he had. It'd been years since he'd had to. It was an oversight that was most definitely going to bite him in the ass.

He sighed before slinging the rifle and throwing the armor over his shoulder. He took one last glance toward Canterlot, his wife and life-partner still sleeping somewhere within the tall stone buildings. His gaze lingered for a few seconds before he finally turned to the carriage, now laden with the stallions and their gear.

"JASON!!!" He wasn't surprised to hear her call. It was an occurrence he had come to expect from the cyan pegasus.

He turned to look toward the source of the voice. It didn't take long for him to find the rainbow contrail that came from his lover. As she approached, Jason noticed she held a pencil in her mouth, and was quickly scribbling something onto a small paper she had in her hoof. She landed a few feet away and quickly folded the note.

She had taken his example and wore her message rings upon the chain hanging around her neck. She hadn't taken the dog tags off since Jason had put them on her, other than to put the rings on it. She lifted the ring with the lavender jewel and blew through it, engulfing the letter in green flame and sending it off to Twilight.

Once the fire receded, Rainbow dropped the ring and looked toward him, an obviously hurt expression playing across her face.

"You were really going to leave without saying goodbye?" She asked quietly.

The words shot icicles through Jason's heart. He tried to play it off by raising a hand and putting it behind his head. He chuckled uneasily.

"I thought I did last night..." Even he didn't believe the words coming from his mouth.

His vision blurred slightly as a bright flash of purple overcame his vision. He blinked a few times to clear the spots from his eyes before he was tackled to the ground, the impact replacing the spots with stars. Even through his daze, he could easily recognize the lavender unicorn now laying upon his chest.

"Urgh... You know, I was kinda hoping to at least get to Saddle Arabia before I was attacked." No one laughed. He hadn't really expected them to.

"Please don't go..." Twilight said softly, her face buried in his chest. She looked up at him, tears forming in her eyes. "We need you back home... Ponyville needs their Captain." Rainbow walked over and stood beside them, looking down at Jason with a sad expression.

Jason smiled weakly before reaching up and cupping her cheek. "Not as much as Equestria does, love." He lifted his thumb and gingerly wiped away a small rivulet that had begun rolling down her cheek. "Ponyville still has you two, and all of your friends defend her. These guards are going into this thing blind... Hell, I am too, but I at least know how to react to an attack."

"I still wish we could go with you..." Rainbow said. She looked at the ground, kicking away a loose pebble.

"I know, Rainbow, I know... But the Princesses were right. Equestria needs you and your friends as well, more so than they need me. Yes I have valuable knowledge, but it's also something that can be easily passed on. The role you fill in this world is much greater than that. You are the element bearers! Your individual personalities combined into such a strong friendship power the greatest magic in the world! It would be foolish to risk that just trying to stop a few rogue ponies. I'll be fine, trust me."

Twilight leaned up and gave him a quick kiss before slipping off and allowing him to sit up. He glanced between the two mares. They obviously understood what he was saying, but that didn't make them like it anymore than they already did.

"Yeah...Yeah we know... We just don't like sending you somewhere so dangerous by yourself..." Twilight said quietly.

"Hey, I'll have other guards with me. They'll keep me safe." Hopefully... He wasn't holding his breath on that last thought.

"You still haven't said why you were leaving without saying goodbye..." Rainbow said. The statement sent his mind stumbling again.

...Why did I?... I don't know... I really don't... He fought for an answer.

"I... Didn't know how to..." He looked between the mares he loved, attempting to form his emotions into words. "I've never really had a family. Whenever I deployed before, my goodbyes were usually a phone call to my dad, but those didn't really mean much. Anyone else I would want to say goodbye to was already there next to me, waiting to get on the plane with me. I've never had to say goodbye before... Not like this. I thought It'd be easier this way..."

"You were wrong..." Rainbow took a few steps toward him, leaning her head down and kissing him. He returned it gratefully, wrapping his arms around her neck. Twilight moved closer to them as they shared their embrace.

"We love you, Jason" Twilight said softly as her herdmates broke their kiss. "We may not be going with you, but... But we'll be damned if we let you go without saying goodbye."

Jason's eyes widened. He had heard Rainbow swear plenty of times, but he had never expected it from Twilight. He turned his gaze toward her. She seemed a little short of breath after using the expletive.

"Oh... So that's why you use those words that much..." It looked like she had gotten a bit of an adrenaline rush from it, like a kid swearing in front of people for the first time.

Jason let a warm smile cross his face. He reached out an arm, gesturing for Twilight to move closer. She took a few steps and he wrapped her in an embrace. She lifted a forehoof and wrapped it around his shoulders. Rainbow moved to the other side, joining in their hug. The three of them stayed like that for several moments, sharing in their mutual love.

"I'm sorry I tried." Jason said as he leaned back from the embrace, looking at both mares in turn. "I hope this was better, but I really need to go, We're on a tight schedule here."

"Almost." Twilight said before leaning forward and kissing him again, deeply and passionately, trying to get as much from it as she could. It didn't last as long as Jason hoped it would, but Twilight eventually broke the contact. "As much as I'd love to keep going, I'm sure your other misses would appreciate a turn."

They both looked toward Rainbow Dash, who blushed slightly at the statement. Jason chuckled lightly before leaning forward and kissing her, sharing the same passion he had attempted to show Twilight.

After a while, they ended their kiss. The mares released their grip on him and let him stand. He scooped up his gear again, looping the rifle over his arm and hanging the armor over his shoulder. "Goodbye, girls... I'll be back soon."

God I hope that's the truth... He thought to himself in silence.

"You better, Jason." Rainbow said, a mocking grin crossing her face. "Or else I'm gonna find you and kick your butt."

Jason chuckled. "Aye aye, misses Rainbow Dash."

Rainbow blushed again.

"We love you, Jason. Always remember that." Twilight said, a familiar tinge of sadness creeping into her voice.

"And I you, my loves. Always have, always will." He said as he turned to the carriage, a few tears threatening to make their way over his eyelids.

Always have...Always will...

The carriage bumped and rattled as it was pulled over the gravel road. Despite how heavily laden the vehicle was, each rut and rock justled the vehicle.

The carriage, while large enough to transport the small team, was extremely cramped. It was designed for ponies, and Jason found himself bent over uncomfortably. He gripped his rifle tightly, trying to suppress his discomfort. He was uncomfortable, nervous, and bearing a heavy heart. He didn't know what was about to happen. Was he going to be alright? would these guards listen to him? He worried at the possibility of him not returning home. He was afraid that he would never see his loved ones again.

He shook his head quickly, attempting to shake his current train of thought. He looked around the cramped vehicle, looking to each guard in turn. They all seemed to be lost in their own thoughts. Some were nervous, some excited and some were indifferent. He let out a sigh before raising his voice to speak to the group as a whole.

"Alright, gents. Before I give you your briefing, I'd like to know a little something about each of you. If I'm going to be leading you, I need to know who I'm going to be working with. Tell me your background. Where you're from, what you're good at, your experiences, anything really. Just let me know who you are. I don't need any of your secrets or anything like that, just give me what you're comfortable with. Who wants to start?"

"I'll start, Sir!" Jason looked to the other side of the carriage and saw Corporal Blackhoof extending his hoof eagerly.

Jason let a small smirk cross his face. The young stallion was doing his best to make up for the poor impression he had given the Captain. Jason was willing to give him a shot.

"Alright Corporal, go ahead."

The white stallion cleared his throat quickly before speaking. "My name is Corporal Blackhoof. I was born and raised in Manehattan, to a family of clockmakers. I was never really able to take up the family craft all that well, so I spent my childhood looking for other things I might be good at." He chuckled lightly. "I was always getting in trouble around town, trying to do some crazy or stupid thing to get my mark. I'm not gonna lie, it wasn't until I was in my upper education before I finally got it. One day, a contingent of Guards came by our school to do some recruiting. They put on this whole event, showing off their marching and giving out demos and little events about what life was like in the Guard. I did all of them. I think it was when I tried on this armor in one of their tents. That's when I got it. It was the weirdest thing, but when I put it on it just felt...right, ya know? When I took it off, there it was. Crossed polearms behind a blue shield. I knew my destiny then... As soon as I was old enough, I signed up. I've been with the guard almost five years now, and I honestly wouldn't trade that time for anything."

Quite the motivator... Jason thought to himself with a grin. Let's just hope he can keep his head out of his ass from now on. "Very good Corporal. Who's next?"

"I'll give it a go." Jason looked to the gray unicorn sitting opposite the Captain. The stallion gave him a smile. Jason was pleasantly surprised. Of the group that had been arranged for him, this stallion seemed to be the most promising.

"Alright Guard, you have the floor."

"My name's Guard First Class Carbon. I was raised in Canterlot." His grin widened a little. "Believe it or not, my parents spent much of their lives as travelling performers, moving from town to town and doin' acrobatics and things like that. The only thing they really passed on to me was throwing stuff with my telekinesis. I got really good at throwing knives. I could hit a bullseye from across the stage. I think it was the first time I hit dead center is when I got my mark. It's this weird circle with little tick marks around it. I'm pretty sure it means accuracy."

Jason raised an eyebrow. "Mind if I see it?"

The stallion was a little hesitant about it, but turned slightly nonetheless, revealing the blue crosshair that adorned his flank.

"That's a crosshair, and accuracy is exactly what it means." Jason said with a touch of finality. "You didn't happen to bring any of your knives with you, did you?"

"I always do. I prefer them over those awkward sticks we get issued." The stallion seemed genuinely excited about Jason's interest in his hobby. "A crosshair, huh? What's that? I've never heard of one before."

"It's something we humans use to aim with. Here." He quickly unscrewed the RCO from his rifle and held it up so Carbon could look through it. "I know it's not exactly like yours, but it's the same idea. The circle represents the edges of the scope and the tack marks are supposed to be full lines. The point where the lines intersect in the middle is where our shot will land."

"Oooohh. That makes a lot of sense." Carbon's expression changed a little, losing himself in thought. "Why would my mark be something from your world, Sir?"

Jason shrugged before screwing the optic back onto his rifle. "Beats me... Maybe It's because you ponies don't really have anything that matches your personality, so the magic that makes your marks looked through the universe to find an alternative. Anyway, why'd you join the guard?"

Carbon shook his head. "Disagreement with my parents, Sir. They wanted to use me for entertainment, but I thought my talents could be better used elsewhere, so here I am."

Why the hell did they send him here? He seems to have his shit together... "So, did you volunteer for this mission, or told to be here by your previous Captain?"

"Eh... Captain Stalwart told me I was coming here yesterday. I think it might have something to do with the fight I got into last week."

"A fight? Over what?" Jason asked.

"Some Sergeant was trying to mess with a couple of Guards under me. He screwed up on something he was tasked with and was trying to pass the blame off on some of the younger colts. I tried to tell him off, but he took a swing at me. He landed a few hits, but I got more in. Wound up in medbay I think." He let out a dry chuckle. "Got me busted down... Was a Corporal until just before the attack."

"That's exactly the kind of stallion I want to work with, Carbon. We'll see if we can't get you your rank back." Jason said with a half grin.

The Guard seemed surprised at that statement. "Uh... Thanks Sir."

Jason chuckled lightly before looking around the carriage again. "Alright, who's next?"

A few more of the stallions raised their hooves, eager to tell their stories.

A few hours passed as the team introduced themselves. Despite Jason's original impressions of the group, they were definitely stallions he could work with. They weren't all stellar soldiers like Carbon seemed to be, however what they lacked in intelligence and physical ability, they made up for with sheer determination and dedication. The attack on Equestria had steeled their resolve, and they all wanted to do what they could for their country.

Once the stallions had finished their introductions, it was Jason's turn. If he expected these Guards to follow him, they needed to understand why they should. He spent nearly an hour detailing his training and experience, much as he had the night he had met the other Captains. The Guards listened intently as he spoke, clinging to every word as he told stories of the battles he had been a part of.

Jason didn't skim over the grim details as he had before. There was a significant chance that these stallions would face death, and they needed to understand that. Jason told them of the friends he had lost, and how he had dealt with their deaths on a personal level. The stallions listened in silence, the mood of the carriage darkening as they grasped at what they were being told. Jason reinforced his position, that no matter what happened, he would do his best to lead them to victory.

The long ride to Saddle Arabia dragged on and on. Jason could see the environment around them changing as they drew closer to their destination.

As the sun began setting, the wagon team pulled the vehicle to the side of the road. They parked next to a swiftly running stream to rest for the night. Jason was still amazed at the dexterity of the team that pulled their carriage. He had come to believe he had the best endurance in Equestria, given his experiences in Ponyville, however these stallions had just put him to shame. There were six of them, each extremely lean and well muscled. Four would pull the carriage while two rode up front. They would rotate every so often, but they had still run all day, with a barely noticeable drop in speed.

Jason stepped from the carriage and stretched, attempting to work the cramps from his stiff extremities. "Alright, everypony out. unpack only what you'll need for the night, I want to be able to move as soon as possible tomorrow morning."

The group began moving quickly as the carriage team released themselves from their harnesses. Jason walked over to the stallions who hopped down from atop the carriage. "Good work today, gentlecolts. I'm both amazed and impressed at your stamina and speed."

One of them eyed him quickly before letting out a low chuckle. "We've got these to thank for that." He said, pointing to a jeweled necklace hanging around his neck. Jason leaned forward to get a better look at it. The jewels glowed with magical energy.

"What are those?" The human asked, curious.

"Gifts from the Princesses themselves." The stallion said with pride. "Normally, we act as personal transports for any foreign dignitaries that may wish to visit Equestria, so we need to be able to travel long distances in a short amount of time. These little beauties are Rejuvenation Stones. Wear them for about an hour and they sap all the tiredness from your body and leave you feeling good as new. We run for a while, and once we start getting tired we rotate. The guys up top take the reigns for a while and the others recover. It's extremely useful, as you could imagine."

"Without a doubt..." Jason said, the versatility of magic once again boggling his mind. He turned and walked away from the team, allowing them to prepare for the night. He walked over to where the stallions had begun setting up some small tents, attempting to get them up before the light of day vanished. Jason nodded in approval at the speed of their work and turned toward the woods, moving off to gather firewood for the night.

Jason scribbled into his notepad. He struggled to see his writing in the flickering firelight that illuminated the dark clearing. Most of the stallions had already gone to bed, while the others talked quietly among themselves on the opposite side of the fire. He shifted from his cross-legged sitting position and extended his legs to the side, propping himself up on his elbow. He read the note to himself quickly.

Twi and Rain,

Set up camp safe. Had time to talk with the other stallions here, and I can assure you I'm in good hooves. I'll write again

once something has happened. Be safe, and take care of yourselves.

Love, Jason.

Satisfied, he folded the note and pulled one of his message rings from his breast pocket. He blew through the ring, engulfing the note in green flame and sending it off to his herd mates. He slipped the ring back into his pocket and cast a quick look around.

On the other side of the fire, he could see Carbon and Blackhoof staring at him. "What?" He asked flatly.

"What was that, Sir? I've never seen anything quite like it." Carbon responded.

Jason chuckled lightly. "Ok, first off, enough with the 'Sir' Shit, at least when we're relaxing like this. We're going to be working together, and as such I want to get used to working on an equal level. Do I expect you to follow my orders? Definitely, but I don't want you feeling like I wouldn't appreciate your input. If there are ever any situations where you feel you might have a better plan, or have any concerns I may not have thought of, feel free to voice them. I may be a higher rank, but we're still serving under the same flag. You can call me Jason" The stallions nodded in understanding. Jason let a grin cross his face. "As for these..." he pulled the rings from his pocket and held them up for the stallions to see. "They're a gift from my wife. It's like an instant mail service. Write a note, and blow on it through this ring, and it will be teleported to it's partner, which is held by her."

The stallions seemed fascinated by the idea, but weren't surprised. "If you don't mind me asking Sir...Er, I mean Jason, who is your wife?" Blackhoof asked.

Jason raised an eyebrow towards him. "What, you didn't see them when we left?"

"Well, yeah but we didn't know who they were."

Jason let out a sigh. "Well I have one wife and one life partner. Their names are Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash respectively..."

"Wait... Aren't they bearers of the Elements of Harmony?" Carbon interrupted, suddenly much more interested.

"Yes...Yes they are." Jason responded, slightly surprised at the stallion's sudden attentiveness.

"Wow... That's amazing! How did you manage to land not one, but two Element bearers?" Blachoof seemed amazed at the humans achievement.

"First off, I didn't land anypony..." Jason responded tersely. He spent the next several minutes telling them of his courtships. How he met Twilight, how she had taught him the ropes of pony society, how their relationship blossomed as they shared stories and knowledge.

He told them of how she had brought him to Equestria, and how the revelation had shocked her so deeply. He then told them of how Rainbow worked so desperately to help Jason and Twilight resolve the issue. He described how the devotion and loyalty she displayed had started another fire in his heart. He told a few stories of the experiences they shared over the years, and how their feelings had cemented themselves into a monument of love within his heart. He showed them the wedding ring he wore to show his bond with the unicorn. Finally, he reached over to his flak and pulled the feather from the MOLLE webbing on the back of his flak.

"Rain gave me this the day before we left." He let out a small chuckle at the memory, still so vivid in his mind. "She's never been good with timing, but I think she wanted to do it before I left." His tone became a little sad. "You know, in case I don't come back."

The stallions sat there respectfully for a moment before Blackhoof spoke up. "So why wear it on your back like that? It's obvious it means a lot to you, so why leave it so exposed?"

Jason chuckled again, attempting to lighten the mood as he slipped the feather back onto his flak. "I guess it's a little dumb, but I like the symbolism." He lifted up the hand, showing the ring again. "Having this around my finger shows that Twilight's love will always surround me. And having the feather there shows that Rainbow will always have my back, no matter what."

The stallions looked at him, each bearing a raised eyebrow. they looked at each other quickly before bursting into laughter.

"That's the cheesiest thing I've ever heard!" Carbon said between bouts of laughter.

"Eh, fuck you..." Jason said, despite the grin forming on his face. He let their laughter fade before asking his next question. "What about you guys? Got any girls back home?"

"Yeah, I got one back in Canterlot." Blackhoof responded. "Name's Tulip Petal. Works as a baker in the Canterlot Royal Market. Met her a couple weeks ago. It's nothing serious yet, but she's got a plot like you wouldn't believe." He lifted his forehooves and traced a crude recreation through the air. He shot them a quick grin before continuing. "And she loves to bake fresh cinnamon rolls after a night of good sex. Like's to call them a 'reward'." Jason and Carbon chuckled at the description.

Jason turned to look at Carbon. "What about you?"

Carbon shook his head. "Nah, only really had eyes for one girl. She was a musician who spent a couple years with my family's travelling show." His eyes glazed over slightly as he remembered her. "She was the most beautiful mare I've ever met. She would sit in the wagon at night, practicing her music for hours and perfecting every aspect of her performance." He let out a sigh, a touch of sadness creeping into his voice. "Never really got a chance to pursue anything with her, though. She had a chance to audition with the Canterlot Grand Symphony and she snagged it. I haven't seen her since." He shook his head slowly, mulling over missed opportunities. "I'm always wondering how she's doing, but I have no idea how to get in touch with her."

"Damn... Sorry man. What was her name?" Jason asked apologetically.

"Octavia... Octavia Melody..."

Jason blinked. "Octavia?...No shit..." He let out a chuckle.

Carbon looked at him, his eyebrow raised in confusion. "Why? What's so funny about that?"

Jason looked him square in the face, a wide grin present on his own. "I'm the answer to your prayers, my friend. Octavia was one of the first mares I met when I got out of the hospital."

"What?" Carbon was genuinely shocked at this revelation. "Do you know where she is? How is she? Is she doing alright?" The flurry of questions didn't really surprise the human.

"Easy there, killer. She's doing fine. She's living in Ponyville, sharing a house with the DJ Vinyl Scratch. We've been friends for years." Jason's grin widened as he watched relief flow over the stallion. "Tell ya what. Why don't you take some leave when we get back and come with me to Ponyville. I'm sure she'd love to see you again, and you might get a chance to make up for some lost time."

"Yeah...Yeah that'd be awesome!" Carbon responded.

Jason laughed at the stallion's obvious excitement. He glanced at the fire quickly, noticing it had died down to embers as they spoke. "Alright guys, it's pretty late and we've got a long day ahead of us tomorrow. Go ahead and get some sleep."

The three of them stood together. Jason bent over and grabbed the bucket of water he had collected from the stream and poured it over the nearly-dead fire. Smoke billowed from the pit as the last few motes of light were washed into oblivion. He set the bucket beside the pit and began making his way to the carriage where he would sleep.

He opened the light wooden door before half-turning to look back at the stallions who were making their way back their tents. "G'night, gents." He called after them.

"Good night, Sir." They replied in chorus.

Jason shook his head before stepping into the carriage and securing the door shut behind him.

Jason gazed out over the desert valley, taking in the view briefly as the setting sun burned the sky into a deep orange. He let the beauty of the scenery wash over him briefly before turning his mind to more serious matters. Carbon, Blackhoof and a young earth pony simply named 'Pike' stood beside him, examining the valley that had become known as the Stoneshod Wastes.

Jason hadn't been expecting what he saw, but he was grateful nonetheless. He took time to analyze the area, taking in any easily identifiable features as well as positions that may give them any kind of tactical advantage.

The valley was barren, with little in terms of vegetation. There were one or two small shrubs near the bottom, where any amount of sporadic rainfall may gather.

They had lucked out. They had started making their way past the Wastes at around noon that day, and had followed it on their journey to the northern tip. At it's center, the valley was nearly a half mile wide, with sides so steep it would be impossible to get down without special equipment. However, as they progressed further North the valley narrowed and the sheer sides transformed into more gentle slopes.

Jason attempted to gauge the distance. Using his RCO, he matched up his reticle with a dry stump he had guessed to be about two feet in diameter. Using this rough estimate, he was able to gauge the distance at about three-hundred meters from hilltop to hilltop, an easy range for him to be effective with the rifle. The hills would also provide good concealment for anyone observing.

They spent a few minutes there, finalizing their observations. Once he was satisfied with his knowledge, Jason began attempting to formulate their plan. He turned to the stallions beside him.

"Okay Guards, go ahead and start getting set up for the night. I'm going to finalize the plan for tomorrow. Once you are all finished with setup, have the rest of the team assemble by the fire. I'll give you the full mission brief then."

The Guards responded with a chorus of "yes, Sir!" and snapped to their tasks.

Jason made his way to the wagon. He reached into the cargo hold and pulled out the wrapped package the Princesses had delivered to him before he left. He tore off the paper, revealing a wooden case matching the box that contained the true Ember of Korlah. Hell, it could have been the real box for all that it mattered. He lifted the lid, revealing the magical artifact. He quickly examined the jewel, ensuring the flame was the same he had seen while in Canterlot. Satisfied that it was, in fact, the reproduction, he began closing the lid.

A glint from the corner of the box, slightly hidden beneath the padded interior, caught his eye. Curious, he reopened the box and lifted away the loose fabric. Hidden beneath was another, smaller package, no bigger than a small ring box. A small note was taped to the package. He removed the paper and read it quickly.

Captain Sinder,

Found these after you left the castle and thought you may be able to make use of them. They are a pair of jewels, enchanted for communication. Just slip one into your ear and you will be able to speak and listen to the pony wearing the other.

Best of luck, Princess Luna.

Jason's eyes widened a little. Radios? Hell yeah! This mission just keeps getting better and better! He cracked open the package, revealing the two glittering emeralds it contained. Curious, he attempted to slip one into his ear.

To put it bluntly, it was uncomfortable as fuck. The inside of a pony's ear was no where near the same as Jason's so he had a hell of a time trying to make it fit. He eventually found an orientation that actually stayed put, but he would absolutely hate having to wear it for any period of time. With some relief, he pulled the jewel from his ear and re-wrapped them in the paper.

He slipped the fake Ember and the two communication jewels into his pockets and moved to the fire, where he sat and waited for the rest of the team to finish their tasks. The more he thought of the plan, the more refinements he was able to make, polishing exactly what roles each pony would play and where each element would be during the operation.

As he waited for the stallions, he racked his memory on the terrain of the valley. He picked up a loose twig and began creating a rough map of the valley. Nothing precise, but detailed enough for military work.

One by one the stallions finished and moved to sit by the fire. Not surprisingly, Carbon was the first to finish, followed closely by Blackhoof. Pike and Halberd, another earth pony, came together and sat next to Blackhoof, facing the Captain. Over by the tents, he could see two different colors glowing in the rapidly growing darkness. Jason let out a sigh and stood, making his way over to the commotion.

Jason had to fight to keep a straight face at the sight he beheld. Razor, the team's only pegasus, had somehow managed to get himself helplessly tangled in his own tent lines. Iron and Copper, a pair of unicorn brothers, were attempting to untangle the ropes with their telekinesis.

Jason watched in silent amusement as the trio attempted to work the lines. He watched as a line was pulled the wrong way and unintentionally tightened around the trapped pegasus, adding to his discomfort. Jason finally let out a chuckle, drawing the attention of the three stallions.

"Alright, alright, that's enough of that." Jason said as he unzipped a pouch on the front of his flak. He pulled out a folding knife and stepped toward the ensnared stallion. He knelt down, opened the knife and quickly cut through the ropes surrounding Razor. He didn't really care if that ruined the tent for the pegasus. They weren't going to be here long enough for it to really matter. He'd pay to repair it if he had to.

Razor extended his wings in relief and stood.

"Head over to the fire pit. I'm about to give you your briefing. You can finish setting up after that." Jason said as he closed the blade and slipped it back into the pouch and zipping it closed.

"Yes Sir." The trio responded before making their way to the fire, Jason following close behind.

The stallions rejoined their companions and Jason moved to the opposite side of the fire.

"Ok, now that we're all finally here..." He cast a quick glance at Razor, who flinched a little under his gaze. "I can give you your briefing."

"As you already know, four days ago our Saddle Arabian embassy was attacked by a group of terrorists, known as the 'Guardians of the Sand', resulting in the injury and deaths of many of our comrades and citizens. These terrorists have kidnapped our ambassador, Crimson Starlight, and a few of her assistants." He glanced around the group quickly. They remained patiently silent and waited for him to continue.

"Shortly after the attack, the Princesses received a letter, detailing the Guardians' demands for the return of Miss Starlight. There was only one thing they wanted..." He reached into his cargo pocket quickly and pulled out the box within. "This is the Ember of Korlah. Or rather a perfect recreation of the true item. It's an extremely powerful artifact with the ability to create massive fires. As you can imagine, we would never consider giving up the true artifact, however we have created a much weaker copy. We will be exchanging this copy for the hostages."

"Sir?" Carbon interrupted.

"Yes?"

"Won't the Guardians be mad about this trick? I mean, they've already killed, right? Wouldn't this just make them want to cause more violence?"

"A valid point. Hopefully, by the time they realize they've been had, we'll already have the ambassador and her assistants in our custody. Without the hostages, they don't really have anything to bargain with, and with the units we are sending to reinforce our nations interests, they should think twice about attacking us again. Any more questions on that?"

"No Sir."

Jason looked around the group again before continuing. "Now, in their demands they told us to be in that valley at noon tomorrow." He jerked a thumb towards the Wastes. "Three of you will be meeting with their representative tomorrow."

"Blackhoof, you'll be the representative that'll hand over the artifact and receive the hostages. I don't know what kind of language barrier there might be, but they may attempt to get a rise out of you. Keep your head and just get through the exchange. We want to be gone as soon as possible, so don't drag things out any longer than you need to. Pike, you will be next to him during the exchange. Keep an eye out for anything suspicious.

"Yes Sir." The two earth ponies responded in unison.

"Now, Iron..." He looked toward the unicorn.

"Yes Sir?"

"According to the dossier I was given, you have some medical training?"

The stallion nodded. "Yes Sir, I volunteered for the local hospital for a few years and picked up some basic medical training along the way. Don't expect me to perform transplants or anything like that, but I can give first aid without any problems."

"Perfect. You'll be responsible for checking over the hostages and ensuring their in good enough shape to travel. I want you out of the way until Guardians' representative is gone."

Iron nodded in understanding.

"Razor, I want you on overwatch. Find a cloud overhead and post on it. Keep an eye out for anything out of the ordinary, and if you see anything I want you to fly straight to me and let me know. Stay high enough so you can see, but try not to draw any more attention to yourself than you need to."

The pegasus nodded in understanding. "Yes Sir."

"Copper, Halberd, sorry to do this to you, but I need you on gear watch. Keep an eye on the carriage and the pulling team. I don't want to risk the possibility that they might sneak up while we're distracted and tamper with our stuff. I'd rather not get stranded out here without a way back."

The stallions looked crestfallen, yet responded with understanding. "Yes, Sir..."

"Now, myself and Carbon will be posted here..." Jason bent over and grabbed a twig before pointing toward the crude map he had drawn. He scratched an "X" at the crest of a hill on their side of the valley. "If anything goes down, I want to be in a position where I can provide fire support with my rifle. Carbon, you'll act as my second pair of eyes. Again, keep an eye out for anything out of the ordinary."

The group nodded. Jason doubted they understood what fire support was, and hopefully they wouldn't need to, but they weren't questioning his orders.

"Now, we've been given something a little special for this mission..." He reached into his pocket and pulled out the communication crystals. "These are straight from the Princesses. They let us talk to each other from a distance. Blackhoof, you'll have one and I'll have the other so I can give you orders from my position." He reached out, offering one of the crystals to the stallion, who took it readily. "Let's do a quick comm check, to make sure they work. Just slip it into your ear and say something, I should be able to hear it through mine." Jason said as he slipped the item into it's uncomfortable position. Blackhoof slipped it into his ear much more easily."

Jason turned his head and spoke. "Blackhoof, this is Sinder, Comm check." He looked toward the stallion.

"I didn't hear anything, Sir."

Jason's brow furrowed slightly. He repeated the line again.

"Still nothing."

"Hrmm..." Jason thought for a moment. He looked toward Carbon quickly and an idea popped into his mind. "Carbon, you try. maybe it won't work for me since I'm not a pony." He pulled the the jewel from his ear and offered it to the unicorn, who grabbed it with a little magic and tucked it into his own ear.

"Comm check." Carbon said quickly.

"There, I got him!" Blackhoof said excitedly. "Wow, that's pretty cool!"

"I hear him, too." Carbon said as he pulled out his earpiece.

"Alright..." Jason said. "Carbon, you'll have to act as my comm operator. Tell me what Blackhoof says and relay my orders to him when I give them."

"Understood, Sir."

"Alright, they want us there no later than noon, so I want us all in position and waiting at least an hour beforehand so we'll be ready. We'll be rising with the sun tomorrow so we'll have time to secure all of our gear before the meeting. I want to be on the road home as soon as this is over." He cast another glance over the group. "Any questions?"

He could see in their eyes the nervous excitement they all felt. This was by far the most intense thing any of them had experienced in their career with the Guard. Jason could understand the excitement they felt, hell, his own heart was beating a little faster than normal.

The group remained silent. Evidently, Jason had done a good enough job explaining what was supposed to happen and they couldn't think of anything else.

"No? Alright. Go ahead and get some chow and then hit the hay. It's going to be a busy day and I want you all rested for it."

The group responded with a chorus of "Yes Sir!" and turned to their evening routine.

The midday sun beat down on Jason as he looked over the valley. His rifle sat propped on a small pile of rocks he head assembled as a rest. Through his RCO, he could easily see the stallions waiting at the bottom of the valley. Iron stood apart from Blackhoof and Pike, prepared to assist as necessary.

There was only about a half an hour remaining until the Guardians were supposed to show, and Jason could feel the tension in his body growing as time passed. He wished they would hurry and show up. He didn't know how much more of the suspense he could take.

He turned his head to look at Carbon who lay beside him, observing the valley. "Hey, do another comm check...Just to be sure."

"Really? Another one?" Jason could almost hear the stallion roll his eyes. It was probably the fifth one since they had taken their positions.

"Yes, another one... Just to be safe."

"Alright... Hey Blackhoof, Captain Sinder wants a comm check... Yes another one..." The unicorn chuckled lightly. "Alright I'll tell him... Ok... Ok, keep your eyes open, Carbon out." Carbon looked towards the Captain.

"He says they're still good down there, and that you should relax. Everything'll be fine."

Jason let out a sigh, attempting to relax. "Alright... Keep your eyes peeled, they should be here any minute now."

It was nearly fifteen minutes before Jason saw movement on the other side of the valley. Through his RCO, he saw a single pony, concealed by a brown hooded cloak, step to the top of the rise and pause, casting a gaze over the valley below.

He stood there for nearly a minute, taking in the entire view before slowly beginning to walk down the hill toward the three Guards waiting below. Jason took one last sweeping view of the ridge before returning his reticle to the cloaked Saddle Arabian.

The pony stopped about twenty feet from the Guards. Jason could just barely see their mouth move under the hood, calling out to Blackhoof.

Jason waited patiently. They would relay what was being said to him soon. He saw the pony stop speaking, and soon after Blackhoof spoke into the headset.

"He says they want to see the Ember before he shows the hostages." Carbon said, repeating the words Blackhoof was saying.

"Alright... Go ahead and show them, but keep it until we see the hostages."

Carbon repeated the words and Jason watched as Blackhoof pulled the artifact from the box beside him. He saw the Guardian's head move as he attempted to see it better without having to move closer. Evidently, he was satisfied by what he saw and turned back toward the ridge he had walked down.

Jason heard a piercing whistle echo through the valley, and before long watched as seven figures emerged from the other side of the ridge. Five of them, who he assumed were the hostages, wore extremely ragged cloaks. The hoods they wore obscured their manes, however even at this distance Jason could see their faces. They looked remarkably tired.

Behind them stood two more ponies, wearing the same cloaks as the Guardian still standing in the valley.

The negotiator turned back toward Blackhoof and began speaking again.

"Now he wants to have a unicorn levitate the artifact to them. He said once he has the artifact, he'll leave and release the hostages." Carbon said.

"Oh no... not gonna happen. Have them bring the hostages half way down the hill so they can't slip away with them again. Once They're there, we'll hand off the artifact. After that, I want them to walk back over the hill, leaving the hostages where they are. Once they're gone, have the hostages make their way to you."

Carbon nodded before repeating the words to Blackhoof.

Jason watched through his scope as Blackhoof spoke. He could see a visible pause in the cloaked stallion as he thought. Finally, he saw the ponies mouth move before turning and making his way up the hill.

"He said 'One moment'." Carbon said.

Jason observed as the stallion walked up the hill and made his way to the group standing there. They spoke for a time before turning and urging the hostages forward.

Jason could see the fatigue the ambassador and her assistants moved with. They were exhausted, and probably starving. The human wished they would hurry up a little so they could get them the assistance they needed.

The hostages and the two ponies guarding them stopped at the midway point. The negotiator made his way back to where he was standing before and stopped. He said a few short words.

"He's asking for the artifact, Sir." Carbon said.

"Alright... How good's your telekinesis?"

"It's pretty good, even at this range. I should be able to do it from here."

"Good... Go ahead and pass it off to them."

"Okay sir..." Carbon squinted in concentration as his horn began to glow with grey magic. Jason looked through his RCO and watched as the wooden dowel slowly floated to the cloaked stallion. It stopped about a foot in front of him and slowly sank to the ground. Carbon released his magic.

The hooded pony took a few steps forward and bent his head down to examine the artifact. Evidently satisfied, he picked it up in his mouth and turned toward the hostages. Jason cautiously switched his weapon to semi-automatic, worried at what the stallion was about to do.

The Guardian made his way to his comrades, and together they began walking up the hill, leaving the hostages where they stood. Jason watched closely as the three disappeared over the ridge.

Jason waited a full minute before speaking. "Okay... I think we're clear. Have Blackhoof tell the hostages to begin walking toward them."

Carbon repeated the order into his earpiece.

Before long, the five mares began slowly making their way to the stallions. They were slow, but they were making progress.

Before they had even made it halfway to the Guards, the ambassador's legs buckled beneath her. She fell forward hard, going limp as she collapsed.

The ragged cloak billowed out slightly as she fell, letting Jason catch a glimpse of... something. What it was, he couldn't really tell.

"Sir! Blackhoof, Pike and Iron are running toward the hostages!" Carbon shouted.

"What?!" Jason shifted his sight to see the stallions quickly making their way to the downed mare. "God dammit! They need to stop! Right now!"

"Blackhoof, stop moving! Captain Sinder didn't tell you to move!" Carbon was nearly shouting into the earpiece.

"No... NO! STOP!" Carbon was becoming flustered

Blackhoof continued running.

"What the hell's going on?" Jason asked, his eyes riveted to the running Guards.

"He keeps saying not to worry! They say they've gotta help the ambassador!"

They were only about twenty feet from the group now.

"God DAMMIT Blackhoof! Follow your fucking orders and STOP!" Jason shouted.

Ten feet.

"Blackhoof do not get any closer to those mares. We don't know if it's..." Carbon's words died in his throat.

Jason saw the sand thrown into the air around the group in the valley a fraction of a second before the shock wave rattled the very ground he laid upon. His teeth chattered as his very bones shook with the explosion. His eardrums started ringing at the echoing volume of the blast.

"ARGHH!!" Jason could barely hear the cry of pain from Carbon. The stallion shook his head violently, throwing the jewel from his ear. the emerald was emitting an extremely high-pitched screech that even Jason could hear as it flew through the air before burying itself in the now loosened sand.

Jason laid there frozen, staring through his RCO at the area where, only seconds before, his Guards had been standing. Carbon sat beside him, grasping at his head and grunting in pain.

Jason's mouth ran dry as the smoke and dust slowly cleared. There was nothing left... Only a charred crater.

No... no no no... god dammit... GOD FUCKING DAMMIT NO!

He gritted his teeth in anger.

He tore his gaze away from the smoking hole in the side of the hill and began tracing along the opposite ridge line. Sure enough, the three ponies had returned. They stood there stoically, gazing at the effects of their plans. The one that had taken the Ember stood in the middle. The artifact still glowed with magical energy.

They lit the fuse... THEY LIT THE FUCKING FUSE WITH IT! Jason seethed in his anger

"I hope you're fucking happy... Mother fuckers... This desert is the last fucking thing you are ever going to fucking see. You just dug your own fucking graves." He muttered to himself as he aimed. He centered the three-hundred meter tack mark of his bullet drop compensator on the middle bastard. The one who had just murdered his guards. He placed his finger on the trigger and steadied his breathing.

They just stood there.

Jason barely noticed the recoil of the rifle as he fired. He watched the ponies jump as the round cracked inches away from their bodies. They looked around frantically as they tried to find the source of the noise.

"Fuck." Jason said to himself as he adjusted his aim.

His second round sailed true, flying the three hundred meters in a fraction of a second before burying itself in the chest of the lead pony.

Jason grinned in grim satisfaction as he watched the spray of blood emerge from the pony before he collapsed to the ground.

The other ponies looked to their leader in sheer horror, frozen in terror as his life slipped away. Their frozen state gave Jason enough time to adjust his aim.

The second pony dropped much like the first, the round finding it's home in the stallion's side.

Watching his only remaining companion drop broke the stupor of the remaining Guardian. He turned away from Jason and sprinted with every ounce of speed he could muster. He was gone before Jason had time to adjust his aim.

The human stood quickly, gathering up his rifle and making his way down the hill toward the valley. "Carbon! On me!" He called to the unicorn beside him.

The stallion shook his head quickly before standing and following the human.

Together, they ran down the hill. as they neared the bottom, Jason slowed and looked up.

"RAZOR!" He screamed, hoping he would be loud enough for the pegasus to hear.

He continued moving across the valley, and before long Razor swooped down beside him. The pegasus was still in shock over what he had just witnessed.

"Razor, did you see where the last one went?" Jason picked up his pace again.

"Yes Sir!"

"Good. Go get him and bring him back. I trust you can fly faster than that fucker can run?"

"Yes Sir, easily... But how am I going to get him back here?"

"I DON'T FUCKING CARE! BREAK HIS FUCKING LEGS AND DRAG HIM BACK IF YOU HAVE TO! JUST GET HIM BACK HERE!"

"YES SIR!" Razor flew off over the hill.

"Carbon, stay with me. We need to see if there are any survivors." Jason looked to the unicorn. As they moved, Jason noticed the difficulty the stallion was having with keeping his balance. He stopped and turned his body toward him. "Carbon come here, let me see your ear."

The stallion moved in front of the Captain and turned his head so Jason could better inspect his ear. Jason easily saw the line of blood trickling from his ear.

"You blew an eardrum. It's treatable... Come on." Jason stood again and began running back toward the smoldering crater. As he drew closer, he realized the futility of his haste. There was literally nothing left. The blast had blown apart anything that had once resembled a pony. He glanced around the area quickly.

At the far side of the blast zone, he saw a faint glint of light. he moved over and picked it up. It was a shard of armor, just a small sliver. This one piece of metal was all that remained of the three guards. There wasn't even any trace of the ambassador or her assistants.

They were simply gone.

He turned to look at Carbon. The stallion seemed lost. He didn't know what to do. The loss of his comrades was playing hell in his mind.

Jason remembered a time when he had looked the same way.

"Let's go, Carbon... Let's get a little payback..." His teeth ground together in frustration and anger.

The stallion nodded in silence. Together they made their way up to the top of the hill.

They stood together next to the two downed ponies, awaiting Razor's return. The stallion who had been the leader was dead, of that there was no doubt. Blood continued spilling out through his punctured larynx.

The other stallion, however, was still breathing. The round had pierced his stomach, and blood pooled around him as he raggedly drew breath. It was a fatal wound, however it would be some time before he bled out. Jason and Carbon ignored his haggard breaths.

After a few minutes, they saw Razor flying back. The pegasus had scooped his forehooves under the arms of the final stallion and was struggling to carry the pony back. Jason unslung his rifle and held it before him in a tactical carry.

Before long, Razor deposited the terrified stallion before the human. The moment his hooves touched ground, he attempted to turn and flee again.

Jason fired a single round past the stallion. He froze in place.

"Ah, ah, ah. I don't think so... You and I are gonna have a nice little talk. Get back over here." Jason said, his voice cold.

The stallion turned and walked back to Jason, obvious terror plain on his face.

Jason gave him a wicked grin. "Good afternoon to you, sir! How are you this fine day?"

The stallion remained silent.

"What's the matter? Cat got your tongue? I would think you were having a good day! You know, considering you just MURDERED EIGHT PONIES!" The human took a quick step forward, bringing the stock of his rifle across the face of the stallion, causing him to collapse to the ground.

Jason reached down and grabbed the stallion under the chin and hoisting it up.

"Hey, hey! We're not done here yet!" He gave the stallion a couple of slaps, bringing him back to consciousness.

"Now, I know you're not the leader of this little 'organization' of yours, hell that guy probably wasn't even the leader. Who was that guy anyway? Was he important to you?"

Jason saw a little flash of anger go through the stallions eyes. "He was my brother..."

"Perfect!" Jason said with a small laugh. "You see, that unicorn Guard, you know, the one you killed? He had a brother, too. In fact he's just on the other side of the valley! He probably doesn't even know what's happened yet!"

"Now, I've got a little message for your leaders, and you're going to deliver it for me. That's the only reason you're still breathing. You, and your fucking pathetic club of 'extremists', are going to stop this little game of yours. You see, I'm being nice right now..."

"Where I'm from, this little club of yours wouldn't even register as a threat. If you tried to pull that shit there, you'd be gone within a week. Wiped out of existence. You see, we have a way of dealing with you bitches who like to let little pieces of plastic and a few chemicals do your dirty work for you. It's something we have been doing for a long time, and we have gotten very, very GOOD at it."

"We like to get up close and personal. Take it right into your face. We won't hide behind masks and trickery. We will look for you, and we will kill you. It's that simple. It doesn't bother us. You're a threat to our family. A threat to our friends."

"We fucking hate threats. You wanna see what we do to them? Here, I'll show you." Jason released the pony's chin and stood. He walked over to the still gasping stallion.

Jason took the rifle in one hand and placed the barrel of the on the pony's temple. Holding it in place, Jason turned to face the remaining Guardian. "This is what we like to do to threats."

He pulled the trigger.

The rifle jerked and Jason could feel the blood splatter against his shin as the round turned the stallions brain into nothing but pink mist.

The final Guardian's eyes widened in horror as he watched the last member of his team die.

Jason walked back over to the stallion and stood there, towering above the now cowering pony.

"You are all going to stop this. You have your chance to end this little conflict. Disappear. Put away your explosives and go back to living. If you don't... If you decide to try this again... I will return. Next time, however, I won't stop. I won't stop until every...Single...One of you mother fuckers are dead. And I won't be alone. There will be others, like me, to wipe you and your kind off the face of this planet."

"That is your only warning. Either stop this and go on living, or continue and die. That's what I want you to tell your leaders. Those are their only options. Live... Or die. Can you do that for me? Will you carry that message for me?"

The stallion could only nod in his terror.

"Good!... Good..." Jason turned away from the stallion and took a step.

Before he took another, he wheeled around and kicked, his foot landing on the side of the stallion's head. The pony fell to the ground, unconscious.

Jason looked at the stallions crumpled form for a minute before letting out a sigh.

He looked at Carbon and Razor, who were staring at him in shocked terror.

Jason attempted to calm his reeling mind, trying to release the anger that had balled up inside of him. It worked to a certain degree, however the anger was being replaced by a depressed melancholy. He let his emotions deaden slightly. He'd have time to brood later, for now though he still had a job to do.

"I'm sorry you had to see that, gents. That is a side of me I had never hoped to unleash again. However, fear seems to be the only thing these ponies understand. I had to try and scare them to their senses, and this was the only way I could do that right now."

The stallions remained silent.

Jason let out another sigh. "If you no longer trust me to lead you, I fully understand. After what you witnessed today, I'd be willing to voluntarily dismiss you, either back to your unit or out of the guard entirely. However, that will have to wait until we get back to Canterlot. For now, we still have to get back home."

A deeper sense of sadness crept into his mind.

"I still have to tell Copper his brother is dead..."

Author's Notes:

And with that I break 100k words. As you can tell, the story still has a ways to go, but I feel this is a milestone that I am happy to have crossed.

As some of you may have noticed, I've changed the tags from Slice of Life to Adventure, for obvious reasons. If I could, I would have both since the current majority of the story is still SoL, but alas the system says I can't.

Thanks to everyone who has been with me every step of the way! Let me know what you think of the direction the story is going in the comments! And as always, I appreciate any constructive criticism you may have for me.