I sat in the train carriage with my arms folded. Trixie and Sky sat next to me conversing about things they have missed since their last meeting. I look to Solar Flare at the far end of the carriage and he gives me a little nod, I return it and look to the others. Midnight and Clear Strider sat in the other corners of the carriage, if anyone attacks the train there would be at least one set of eyes spotting them.

I feel a hoof on my arm and look down to find Trixie looking at me. “Are you OK?”

I smile and touch her hoof. “I'm fine, I just have a feeling something bad is going to happen.”

Trixie smiles. “Then I'm glad we have four strong stallions watching over us mares.”

I chuckle. “Good try, I have a marefriend.” I lean down until I'm almost nose to nose with Trixie. “But then again she is in Ponyville and I haven't finalised payment yet.” I smirk when Trixie blushes heavily. It was me that got shocked though when Sky nudged Trixie out the way and gave me a very passionate kiss on the lips. “OK, I wasn't expecting that.” I pull back and I noticed Sky was giving me a large grin.

“Sorry, Trixie was taking so long to give you a proper thank you I just had to do something.” Sky states leaning back in the seat. I also realise the way she was leaning made two things of hers visible. “You know if you keep staring I might get the wrong idea.”

I quickly cough and face to stare out the window. “I'll just keep an eye out in this direction...yeah.”

I had moved to a carriage that had an open area to watch the scenery. I left Solar in charge and decided to check the rest of the train. I lent on the metal railing and sighed. I looked up when the scenery suddenly changed and row upon row of trees passed by. My eyes went wide as I realised something, the train passed through a section of the Everfree Forest. I ran back inside but was stopped when a pony stood in my way.

“I'm sorry commander, I can't let you get back.”

I just stared at the pony trying to comprehend if he had a death wish or was just completely ignorant of who I was?

“And just how are you going to stop me?”

The pony smiled and removed the cloak he was wearing, several knives were strapped to his body with a longer short sword strapped to his back.

“I think one of these will put you down.”

I lower my head and laugh. “Oh but you have made one mistake. Let's see if your butter knives can get through my armour.” I press my ring and my armour flashes around my body. I had left Moonlight back at the carriage so I flick out my right arm and it morphs into a green blade. I grin devilishly when the stallion goes into a state of panic. “I guess they never told you about this little ability of mine?” I flick my left arm turning it into a green blade also. “I guess your chances have just gone non existent.”

“This! This cannot be! How!? How can you do that!?”

I laugh. “In the words of a very evil and powerful man from my world, 'fuck you that's how!'” I laugh again as the pony takes a few steps backwards.

I go to walk towards him when the windows of the train suddenly shatter and the train breaks hard, screeching as it tries to stop. I morph back my right arm and grab hold of a seat in the carriage before I was thrown flat on my face. The stallion was not faring any better as he stumbled into a nearby seat himself.

The train manages to come to a halt and I let go of the seat, the stallion from before had gotten up before me and was running out the far door towards my friends carriage. I keep my left arm morphed and head after him. I get to the door and stop as a knife buries it into the wood just next to my head. I turn and spot two unicorn stallions wearing masks and holding knifes in their magic.

“Before we do this,” I say holding up my right hand. “I just want to ask one thing?”

“What is it?” One of the unicorns grumbles out.

I grin. “Which one of you wants to die first?”

The stallions both look to each other before they let fly with their knives. I hold up my right and create a shield in front of me as I charge the unicorns. I get close enough to blast back one with my own magic before spinning and running the other unicorn through with my magical blade. The first stallion stares at his dead friend still impaled by my arm as I turn my gaze toward him.

“Guess he was first.” I casually say as I remove my blade form the dead unicorn. I flick the blood off my blade and slowly walk towards the other pony. I notice the stallion doesn't move and just stares at his dead companion, I guess he must be new and hasn't seen a dead body yet. I deactivate my blade and reach down grabbing the unicorn by the neck. I lift him up and slam him into the nearest wall of the carriage. “How many of you are there!?” When the stallion doesn't respond I slam him again and repeat my question.

“T-Ten!”

“What kind?”

“One more unicorn! Four more Earth ponies the rest are Pegasi!” The stallion cries out.

“Good, shouldn't be too hard.” I say giving the stallion one last look. “Sorry my friend but first days can be a bitch.” I watch as the stallions face turns into horror as I snap his neck and drop his limp body to the floor. I quickly turn and head for my friends.

I reach the carriage and find two earth ponies a mare and stallion lying dead next to the carriage door. I look in through the door and find my friends in a fight for their lives. Strider was fighting a earth pony stallion and Midnight was fighting a Pegasus mare. I find Solar Flare was creating a shield around him Trixie and Sky with Trixie helping to bolster it's power. Sky seemed to be out cold and sporting a bleeding wound to the head.

I step back from the door and with one kick I break the door off it's hinges sending it flying into the carriage and hitting the mare fighting Midnight. The mare stumbles from the hit giving Midnight the chance he needed. Midnight shouldered the mare to the carriage floor and then drove his short sword down into her chest. The mare makes a gasping sound before she drops limp and Midnight pulls his sword out. I see Midnight then go after the last of the ponies attacking Solars shield.

I turn my gaze to the pony attacking Strider and lift my hand up trapping the pony in a bubble of magic I then pull the stallion to me and drive my arm through his body. The stallion coughs up blood and I drop his corpse to the floor.

“Thanks John, buckers came in through the windows.” Strider states stumbling over to me.

“Take care of the last of them then make sure the train driver and conductor are OK.” I say.

“You got it.” Strider replies walking back through the door I just came from.

I walk over to the others as Midnight and Solar manage to capture two of the attackers. One of the attackers was a mare and the other was a stallion. The mare was easy on the eyes if she wasn't wearing a mask and her mane wasn't cut short. The stallion was the one from earlier and his eyes were wide as saucers when I approached and knelt down.

“I going to ask once and I want a straight answer. Who sent you and where can I find them?”

The mare glares daggers at me and the stallion just looks stunned. I stand up and with a flick of my hand I take the mare in my magic and hold her up. The mare starts to kick in my hold as I turn her upside down so her intimate parts where on show to everypony in the carriage.

“What are you doing?” The mare asks in panic.

“I'm showing everypony here what you have to offer before I make an example of you.”

“Why not just kill me?”

I lean forward and grin. “Where's the fun in that?” I chuckle when the mare swallows hard. “Now because I'm a generous person I'm giving both of you one last chance to tell me what I want to know. Who sent you and where can I find them?” I look over to a nearby seat and spot what looks like a baseball bat but shorter. I smile and with my free hand I bring it over and press the tip against the mares folds. The mare squirms and cries out as the tip starts to enter her, I spot when the stallion shouts at me.

“Stop! Don't hurt her! I'll tell you, just don't hurt her please!”

I pull back the bat and drop the mare by Midnight so he could subdue her again.

“Then carry on I'm listening.” I say.

“The one we work for is called Scarlett Eye, she took over our gang when she killed our old leader. Scarlett is the one the unicorn owes money too, she's the one you have to see to stop the attacks.”

I nod. “Where can I find her?”

“Our base is located in an old office block on the outskirts of Fillydelphia!”

“Address?”

“You can't miss it! It's covered in markings!”

I look to my friends. “Knock them out.” I watch as Midnight and Solar knock out the mare and stallion then proceed to tie them up. “At least we know where their base is now.”

“You going after them?” Midnight asks.

I shake my head. “Not yet, Sky is the objective here.” I give Midnight a smile. “Though it doesn't mean I can't get them later.” Midnight nods as I head for Trixie who was all this time patching up her sister. “How is she?” I say kneeling down.

“She's going to be fine, the injury is from when she fell forward when the train was braking.”

I put my hand on Trixie's shoulder. “You did great Trixie.”

Trixie sighed. “I just did it on reflex, I'm not a good combatant but I do know magic.”

I smile and scratch Trixie's ear. “When we get back to Ponyville she will be much safer, I can ask the princesses to help too.”

Trixie looks to me. “You would do that?”

“Of course! You're my friend Trixie and your sister is in dire need of protection.” I reply. “I like you Trixie and I would like to count you as one of my friends.”

Trixie gives me a smile. “I would like that too.” Trixie turns and gives me a hug.

“Give...her..a...kiss...”

Trixie and I look down to see Sky half lidded looking up at us.

“How you feeling?” I ask.

“Pain, everywhere.” Sky replies as Trixie helps her up. “Ow, never thought they would go that far.” Sky sways a little.

“You didn't?” I question.

“No, I didn't think they had the guts to attack the train with you onboard.” Sky looks to the two ponies being watch over by Midnight and Solar. “Guess I was wrong.”

I follow Sky's gaze. “You know them?”

Sky nods. “I know one, the mare. She's called Rocky Road.”

I give Sky a deadpan look. “Seriously? She's named after a ice cream flavour?”

Sky laughs slightly. “Guess her parents had a funny side.”

I chuckle. “I'm glad you're OK, just take it easy from now on.”

Sky gives me a smile. “Yeah, my heads still hurts a little.”

I stand up and place my hand on Sky's head. I give her left ear a scratch before I turn away and head towards Solar and Midnight.

“Find anything?” I ask when I see Midnight searching through the stallions outfit.

Midnight looks up and shakes his head. “Nothing. He had some nice knives but that's it.”

I sit on a nearby seat and put my head in my hands. I feel a hoof on my leg and look up to see Solar smiling down at me.

“You OK?” Solar asks.

I sigh. “This is twice now Solar, twice I have been attacked with my friends near me and twice I have almost failed in protecting them. I need to get better Solar, I need to get my shit together or I'm going to lose somepony.”

“I know you think it's going to be hard John but you will make a great leader. I also know that I'm going to be proud to serve under you.”

“You got that right!” Midnight says.

I give my two friends a smile before laughing. “I guess I have work to do when we get home.” I stand up and head for the carriage exit. “I'm heading up front, you two keep them guarded and keep them safe.”

“Sir!” Midnight and Solar say both together.

I smile and leave by the carriage door. I walk through the adjacent carriage and had many thoughts on how my future was going to progress.