Author's Notes:

Hey, remember when I said Zecora would be in this chapter?
Well......

I Lied

Shining opened the door to the room the armed ponies indicated to him and as soon as he entered his head was snapped back by the force of a punch. His head bounced painfully and comically off some pipes with a clang before he fell to the floor, trying to regain his senses.

“Merry Hearth’s Warming Eve, Shining.” Blackguard said, shaking his hoof to ease the pain.

Shining growled as he got up and had to be restrained by two muscled ponies, which judging by their bandages were the same two from before.

“Ah, Bennett. I thought you were dead.” Shining said.

Blackguard shrugged. “Yeah, I get that sometimes.”

“Nice outfit.” Shining scoffed.

Blackguard looked down at himself. He had traded his coat from before for a chain mail shirt and a belt that held a knife and a pistol. He wore black leather coverings on his forelegs and had put on a short chain necklace.

Blackguard snorted. “My new employment’s dress code is casual.”

“There’s a fine line between casual and what you’re wearing.”

Blackguard rolled his eyes. “I don’t have to take this. All I have to do is explain to you what’s going to happen. You are going to be taken discreetly to the train station where you will board the train with two of our associates. The train will take you to Canterlot where the exact parameters of your mission will be explained.” Blackguard then got right in Shining’s face. “Oh, and if you deviate from the plan, if you try something, if you make my life even the teensiest bit more difficult than it needs to be. I will kill your daughter.”

“She’s not my daughter.” Shining growled. “But even so, if you even go near her, I will gut you like a griffon guts a fish.”

Blackguard back up, looking surprised for a moment, but quickly covered it up. “I count on it, Shining. Just like old times.”

Shining snorted. “Yeah, which reminds me. Why all this? What is Blackguard Bennett doing working for a feather-brained Night-Guard?”

Blackguard smiled in an unpleasant manner. “Honestly Shinny? They found me and they offered a sizable amount of bits for the job. But when I found out it was you, I said I would do it for free.”

Shining smiled grimly. “You sure know how to hold a grudge, Bennett.”

“Yeah, that I do.”

******

Crystal Train Station

6:15 PM

Shining wasn’t happy to be in a bustling train station under normal circumstances. The whole place was a nightmare to control and keep orderly, mainly because there was no order. And the nightmare was ten times worse the day before a major holiday. Just like today.

Maybe that was part of their plan.

“Okay, here’s our train.” a unicorn called Weasel said. He looked his name too, being dust grey and thin with an angular face that you were sure had whiskers at some point. His cutie mark was even a weasel!

Weasel led Shining and one of the burly earth ponies from before onto the train. They moved to an empty compartment and Weasel spoke again.

“Okay, this guy here,” he gestured to the earth pony. “He’s your foal sitter. He looks after you and makes sure you don’t get in any trouble. Now you two play nice whilst I go make a call.” he made to duck out but then pushed his head back in. “Oh, and don’t think I don’t understand your plight. Two sexy mares that only have eyes for each other. I’ve been there, brother.” he chuckled.

Shining smiled at Weasel. “You know Weasel, you’re a funny guy. I think I’ll kill you last.”

Weasel stopped laughing and left the compartment. Shining and his ‘foal sitter’ exchanged glances.

“Don’t try anything.”

Shining smiled good-naturedly. “Like what?”

The train lurched as it pulled out of the station and Shining’s guard was thrown off balance for a moment. That was all the time he needed. Shining leapt forward and drove his hoof straight into the pony’s snout. The head snapped back, but Shining grabbed it and brought it down so that he could drive his knee into it.

The stallion slumped to the ground unconscious.

Frowning, Shining grabbed the stallion’s head and twisted until he heard a wet snap. He didn’t like the idea of killing a pony like that, but the stakes were too high.

Shining popped his head out of the compartment and caught the attention of a passing stewardess.

“Excuse me, may I get a blanket and a pillow please?”

“Of course, sir.”

Shining waited a few tense minutes for the stewardess to return with the blanket and pillow, which he accepted with a smile.

“Thank you. Hey, I was wondering. What’s the approximate time to Canterlot?”

“Four hours sir.”

“Thanks. And if I wanted to make a call, where would I go?”

“The back car sir. The engine interferes with calls. Anything else?”

“Just don’t disturb my friend. He’s dead tired.” Shining smiled at the stewardess, who returned his smile as she walked away.

Shining ducked back in the compartment and quickly set up the dead stallion to appear as though he were simply resting. He searched the pony and came up with a black sort of square shaped hunk of plastic with an antenna. Shrugging, Shining tucked it away

Leaving the compartment, Shining began making his way to the caboose.

******

Crystal Tower

6:20 PM

“You’re underway?” Juno asked.

“Yes, sir.” Weasel’s slightly nasal voice sounded over the crystal ball.

“Good. Keep Captain Armor calm and safe. Call me when you’ve reached Canterlot.”

“Yes, sir.”

Juno tapped the crystal ball and leaned back in the plush chair she had appropriated, sipping some of the watered down champagne she had taken from the party. She could get used to this.

Bennett suddenly entered the room. “Miss Eclipse?”

Juno raised a hoof to silence him as she finished her drink. Placing the glass on the table, she turned her attention to the unicorn. “Yes?”

“The Night-Guards have arrived.”

Juno smiled. “Show time.”

*****

Not-So-Ludicrous-Express, Outskirts of the Capital

6:23 PM

Weasel tapped the crystal ball and moved to put it away when he was tapped on the shoulder. He turned around in time to see Shining’s hoof the instant before it connected with his face.

Weasel stumbled back, tripping over some loose boxes and falling.

“Shining!” Weasel cried in fear.

“Hello, Weasel. Feeling chatty?” Shining growled.

The unicorn scrambled to his hooves, slowly backing away from the advancing Shining.

“Shining! Buddy! W-where’s-?”

“Dead.” Shining said simply. “And unless you feel like joining him, you’re going to talk.”

Weasel scrambled to open the door at the end of the car, but Shining slammed into him before he could open it, sending them both out onto the back of the car, Weasel getting slammed into the railing.

Shining looked out and saw that the train was fast approaching a bridge. “Hey Weasel, you wanted to be a pegasus?” Shining shouted over the wind.

The unicorn looked fearfully between the bridge and Shining and shook his head.

“Then you better talk!” Shining shoved Weasel halfway over the rails.

“Wait! Wait!” Weasel shouted, fore-hooves flailing. “What do you want to know?!”

“The package I’m supposed to deliver, what and where is it?”

“It’s a bomb! It’s supposed to take out the techs in Canterlot! It’s in the car there, box marked for the Night-Guard building!”

“Why?”

“Juno has a tech pony that’s going to hack the server in Canterlot and download a whole bunch of financial data! Empty the coffers, she said!”

The train started over the bridge.

“Why me?” Shining demanded.

“Bennett said you were the best one for the job!”

Shining sighed and glanced to the side. This was just getting better and better. He looked back to Weasel to see the unicorn pulling a pistol from his coat. Shining punched his a few times and the gun fell away. Weasel gasped in pain as blood leaked from his nose.

“Hey Weasel! Remember when I said I’d kill you last?” Shining shouted.

“That’s right, Shining! You did!” the unicorn said as he clutched his nose.

“I lied.”

Shining let go of Weasel and gravity did the rest, dropping the unicorn like a stone into the deep canyon. His scream of terror faded quickly, drown out by the noise of the train. Shining watched him go with a grim look.

Shining went back inside the compartment and began searching for the box Weasel had told him about. He found the box after a little searching and the unwanted discovery of some more… personal items. He picked it up and gently pried it open. Inside he found a little greeting card that just said ‘Message for you, sir!’. Behind the card was a large pack of explosives and more wires than Shining could follow. The whole package smelled strongly of peaches.

Shaking his head, Shining tucked the package under his foreleg and moved out onto the balcony of the caboose again. He hopped a few times on the tips of his hooves before he threw the package and jumped after it. The landing was sharp and hard and sent Shining tumbling down a steep embankment.

When he came to a stop he picked himself up and dusted off the mud and twigs he had picked up. He found the package and turned towards the lights of the not too distant Crystal Capital.

The sun was setting and he had four hours to get back and save his family.

“Merry bucking Hearth’s Warming Eve.” Shining said to the crisp air as he started over the bridge.