[Jackie´s POV]

“So that's basically the gist of it, from what Umbra tells me.”

“Interesting,” Ganondorf muttered as he took in Jacqueline’s explanation. It had been a very illuminating experience. “And this token,” he held up Umbra’s pendant for a closer look. “Is capable of pulling someone through dimensions?" Jackie nodded and Ganondorf examined the item more closely.

"There is a strange power inside this object," he muttered more to himself. "Almost as if it's dormant, but of such an arcane branch of magic I have never heard of." He looked to Jackie again. "Do you know why I summoned the two of you here?"

The smaller girl shrugged. "I assume you need help with something or another? Umbra says that's the reason why tokens exist in the first place, for Displaced to help each other defeat a bad guy or whatever." She looked around the longhouse, as if expecting an abomination to pop up at any moment. "You don't have a bad guy here, do you?"

"Not here, in this village. And I don’t have a 'bad guy'. I have over two thousand of them and they are all camped at the base of this mountain." He continued at her questioning gaze. "Since my arrival in this world I have attempted to keep my presence from the ponies as much as possible."

"Can't imagine that's been easy. The whole place is infested with them," Jackie remarked, eliciting a slight smirk from Ganondorf.

"For the past two years, Equestria has been embroiled in a war with a neighboring kingdom far to the north, the Crystal Empire. Despite my best attempts, both parties are now aware of my presence."

Jackie snorted. "And let me guess. They want to either kill you or convince you to join them."
"To put it lightly. A garrison of over two thousand Equestrian forces sit at the base of the mountain this very moment, preparing to take the village by force and kill every living thing in sight."

"Really?" Jackie asked, looking sideways at Ganondorf, a skeptical look etched on her face. "I always took the ponies as gutless little pieces of fluff. Seems way too hardcore for them."

"Perhaps in your universe this is true," Ganondorf continued. "In this world, the Crystal Empire is presided by a king named Sombra. The ponies under his command are brainwashed into his service. They will die and endure the most extreme forms of torture before betraying him. Sleeper agents have delivered devastating strikes against the civilian populations of Equestria, able to pass as one of their fellow citizens without anyone being the wiser. Despite their best efforts, the Equestrians have yet to devise a way to break Sombra's hold over his victims and so any ponies suspected of being under his influence are to be immediately executed."

To Ganondorf's surprise, Jackie erupted in a fit of chuckles. "Oh, man. Ponies must have been really desperate to resort to such extreme measures. God, what I wouldn’t give for the little princess to what's become of her kingdom."

"Princess?"

"I haven't told you, have I? Where I come from, your secretary Sparkle has overcome the limitations of her ilk and was made a princess. Horn, wings and everything. No castle, though. All she had was a weird treebrary on a miserable little mud hovel called Ponyville."

"Interesting," Ganondorf muttered. "How did Twilight become a princess?"

"Friendship lessons."

Ganondorf frowned. "Friendship lessons?"

Jackie held both palms up placatingly. "Hey, that's what I was told. Apparently Twilight had been sent by Celestia to Ponyville to study—ugh, I can't believe I'm saying this—the magic of friendship. Apparently, when Celestia deemed her ready, she gave her a pair of wings, slapped a tiara and a fancy title on her and declared her Princess of Friendship," the very words seemed to sicken Jackie, if the grimace in her face was anything to go by.

Ganondorf considered this for a moment. "I have detected a great power in Twilight. It's untapped and dormant but it's there. I don’t believe she is even aware of it. Could this be related to her being a princess?"

"Meh, I don’t think so. Way I heard it she had more magic than the average pony even way before becoming a princess, all the way to her childhood. I dunno if she was bragging or something but apparently she was able to carry off an Ursa Minor by herself with nothing but her magic. But who knows. She might have been lying."

Ganondorf rubbed his chin, deep in thought. "Perhaps."

"So I've been meaning to ask," Jackie continued, drawing Ganondorf's attention. "How did you come by here, this place? And how do you control these ponies?"

"I awoke in a crystal prison. How I came to be there, trapped and in this world, I do not know. The ponies found me in a research laboratory, hoping to somehow draw from me a way to formulate an advantage over the armies of the empire."

"And I'm guessing that didn't go over too well?"

"It went very well, I'd like to think, for not only do I possess Ganondorf's body, but it seems his mastery of magic has passed on to me as well. I used it and the power granted by the Triforce," he showed the back of his hand to Jackie where indeed, the yellow triangular shape of the Triforce of power brimmed with a yellow glow. "To break out of my prison and conscript the ponies into my service. We made our way out of the research base, but did not go unnoticed for long. Now both Equestria and the Crystal Empire are aware of my presence."

"And you summoned me and Umbra to bail you out, ya?" Jackie asked with a slightly mocking grin.

"Did I choose wrongly?" Ganondorf asked evenly, schooling his features into an unreadable mask.

"Oh, I think we should be able to help... if we wanted to, at least. I'm still not crazy about you ditching the two of us in that town filled with brain controlled ponies," Jackie said, a measure of sharpness in her words. "And you know, with Umbra all banged up, she won't be able to do much."

"Then I am fortunate you came along. I saw what you did to the ponies. Even from here I sense the magic that flows through your veins."

"I'll take that as a compliment," Jackie remarked, inspecting her nails. "But I'm still kinda pissed and not feeling very charitable at the moment. And much as I hate to admit it, I think two thousand ponies are too much for me to take on alone."

"I wouldn't expect you to do so. Their force easily outnumbers mine and capable as you may be, you are right. No, this is not something that will be won by brute strength alone. That is why you will be responsible for infiltrating the Equestrians' war camp and deliver a devastating blow."

"Umbra doesn't want me to kill my way out of things. Says it's unhealthy and... well, she does have a point."

"And she is right," Ganondorf said to Jackie's surprise. "But whether her words are true or not is irrelevant. This is not your world nor mine. Perhaps, if things were different, the ponies and us would be able to live in peace together. But that will not happen. We are very different beings with varied ways of thinking and different ways of looking at the world. You and I will never be able to integrate into their society and if I am correct, this is something you have figured out as well. Am I wrong?" He asked and watched Jackie closely.

The smaller girl frowned. "Well... no," she said quietly. "It's been obvious to me since day one. It's been obvious every day I'm forced to interact with them. But Umbra says I should make an attempt and she's right. I won't be going away any time soon, not back home, I mean. Whether I like it or not, I have to try and make nice with the little beasts."

"To try and coexist with them and to become a part of their world are two different things. No matter your efforts, you will never be seen as one of them, nor should you attempt to do so. Our identity is ours and ours alone. But in essence, she is correct. To try and coexist between them is a worthy goal, but don’t fool yourself into thinking you'll be accepted as one of their own, especially not after what you told me about your world." He stepped forward and looked at Jackie closely, the girl's mouth drawn in a tight line.

"We are killers. You, me, Umbra. We've taken lives because we had to and so long as we remain in this world, we will do so again. It is inevitable. It is a perilous path to take, certainly, but it is only because we've gone to such extremes that we are alive, whole, and have retained a semblance of our freedom. Do you deny it?" Ganondorf could see the emotions flickering behind the girl's eyes, noting it with satisfaction. He found he rather liked her.

She'd told him about her universe, the trials she'd endured and truthfully, she'd been very lucky to have come so far alive and whole. Of course, luck played only a small part in that. Jackie was like him in more ways than she realized. They'd both inexplicably found themselves ripped from their homes and into a strange world and like him, she too had to quickly adapt to this new reality and learn how to survive. She was smart enough as circumstances dictated, a quick learner and could push aside her emotions and do what needed to be done in order to retain her life and freedom. A useful trait to be sure and one that this Umbra had foolishly tried to stamp out of Jackie. Ganondorf watched the girl closely, knowing it best to let her arrive to the only possible conclusion. She didn't disappoint him.

"No. It's true, what you're saying. I knew it to be true but..."

"Umbra's heart is in the right place. She cares for you and it is because of that she would attempt to dissuade you from this line of thinking. But whether her intentions are pure or not, the fact remains her actions are foolish and will very likely put you at risk." He turned his back to Jackie, hands clasped behind him. "There are too few of us and too many of them that we cannot afford to doubt ourselves. Whatever paths our lives may have taken back on our worlds, whatever destinies we were destined to walk, that is all irrelevant now. Now we must survive in a world we do not belong. We've had to make hard choices, you and me. We have done things our families would find repulsive, that some might say would doom us to eternal damnation, and we will do so again. That is the way of our world now and there is nothing that will change it."

"You make it sound so bleak," Jackie murmured.

"Perhaps. But I will tell you this." He turned back to her, holding her gaze. "We have been gifted with unique powers and abilities, attributes normal ponies—normal people—can only dream of. We have a unique opportunity to forge our own path in this world, to breach, to break barriers and achieve new heights we could only dream of in our homes." He now held her complete attention and he strode forward, Jackie's eyes searching his. "So tell me, Jacqueline, will you bend to Umbra's wishes? Will you cease hostilities with the ponies and pursue a peaceful path, knowing all too well such a choice would spell your doom? Or will you forge your own path, rise above your station in life and demonstrate to the creatures of the world what a human being is truly capable of? This is not a choice Umbra nor I can make for you. It is yours and yours alone."

[Umbra´s POV]

Not for the first nor for the last time would I awake in a strange place. My body ached and felt bruised, my back most of all and every twitch of my limbs seemed a battle in itself.

"Oh, you're awake," an oddly familiar voice said. Hooves clopped steadily closer to me and from my vantage point I could barely make out a blurred mess of purple. "Take care not to exert yourself. Your body is recovering but it needs time to heal." the voice said calmly.

"Wa... water," I rasped. I felt the pulse of magic and the sloshing of water before a cup was gently pressed to my face.

"Drink slowly," the mare said and I gratefully did so, sighing as I laid back down. The world came into focus now and Twilight Sparkle's form entered my field of vision. "How are you feeling?"

I merely looked at the pony. She was instantly recognizable as Twilight, yet there was something different about her. The spectacles certainly hadn't been there last time I saw the mare in my own universe, nor was I used to seeing the mare's normally flowing mane in a tight bun, nor a pressed white shirt and lab coat over her body. Not that it did not suit her.

"Like shit..." I groaned and made to sit up against Twilight's protests. "I'm fine, I'm fine," I said impatiently, waving her away. Twilight meekly retreated, giving me some space. Then it clicked. The Twilight I knew was a confident pony, not one to show submission to even the greatest of opponents.

"Please don't exert your body more than necessary. Ganondorf wants me to make sure you don't harm yourself."

"Ganondorf?" I snapped. "Is that who..."

"The one who brought you here? Yes. Your friend is here as well. She and Ganondorf are in the main hall. I'm supposed to let them know when you're awake."
With the speed of a viper, completely ignoring my banged up state, my hands found Twilight´s collar. "Jackie´s alone with Ganondorf? Take me to them Purple Smart and pronto!" I hissed. My body promptly took revenge by sending me into a new set of painful cramps out of protest.

"Ahh, pl-please miss, you need to stay calm. You'll aggravate your injuries and..." Twilight tried but was cut off.

"Calm, my ass!" I wheezed, sitting up "Take me to my friend this instant or Darkness help me!" I glared at the Unicorn, shakily coming to my legs.

Twilight moved quickly, offering her withers for support. She grunted lightly as my weight bore on her but bared it without complaint.

"Where is this place anyway?" I gasped as Twilight led the way out.

"Haven's Peak. A small village secluded in the mountains. Ganondorf and his forces took over a few weeks ago."

"What? What do you mean? How long was I out?"

"A little over a day. You suffered severe concussive force that shattered many of your bones. Your eardrums burst from the sheer intensity of a near point blank exploding Fireball, but we managed to mend them. Your hearing should be dulled for a few days as they fully heal."

"How nice," I muttered. "And you? Why are you here and not Ponyville? Did this Ganon guy kidnap you or something?"

Twilight cocked her head, staring quizzically at me like I sprouted a second head. "Ponyville? That little town at the base of Canterlot?"

"Is there any other?"

Twilight shrugged. "I only went to Ponyville once and that was to explore the ruins of Everfree Castle. Why would I be there?"

I sighed, not liking where this line of thought was heading. Starlight Glimmer had raved about changing timelines or some such, Twilight's name having been thrown in. Just what did I miss?

"Do the names Rarity, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy or Rainbow Dash mean anything to you?" I asked as we stepped foot outside. The crisp mountain air felt refreshing to my lungs, the tang of pine needles a welcome reprieve from the smell of blood and death and the rising sun over the mountain peak lent an air of serenity that did not fit the tense atmosphere of the place. We passed through maintained but worn dirt roads, ponies already out and about doing their daily chores. They quirked a curious eyebrow at the unlikely pair that Twilight and I were but made no comment.

"Hmm," Twilight hummed. "I have heard of Rainbow Dash of course. Almost everypony has. A war hero who joined the Wonderbolts a few years ago. At the battle of Mustangia she and her small platoon of guards held down a fortified position against Sombra's forces until reinforcement arrived. As to the others..." She trailed off in thought. "No. The names are not familiar to me. Should they be?" She asked genuinely.

"Wow, this is the most fucked up Universe I've been summoned in so far," I muttered, hissing at my damn protesting limbs. Then I looked down at Twilight. "Depends if this Universe still has them draw breath and their personalities are mostly the same as in the others. Then yes, they are worth looking into. One can always use a few friends as back up in a fucked up situation. Or in a world like this."

"So it's true then? You're from another world?" She stared at me intently, traces of the inquisitive Twilight I knew shining through.

"Aye, little Unicorn. Umbra the Overlady, Mistress of Minions, Ruler of the Dark Tower, Darkness Incarnate, All the Things Going Bump in the Night, Cheapshot Queen, Fighter, Lover..." The last title, I drawled out purposely low only to cough painfully. "Ouch, my everything... and yes, before you ask, there are many other worlds, Universes, out there. An infinite amount to be exact. One for every 'what if', one for every decision made by mortals and immortals alike. An ever expanding Multiverse."

"I see," Twilight said, though it was clear much of that went over her head. "And you... you came from another Equestria?"

"Correct."

"How is the war going? Did Equestria win?" She asked hopefully.

"Well, I have not started a war yet and when I do, I doubt you Ponies will stand a chance. No offense but you lot rely on Deus Ex Machinas way too much."

"What?" she asked, clearly baffled.

"I said how did this war even start in the first place? Didn't Celestia catch Sombra's return in time? And even more importantly," I peered close at Twilight. "Why weren't you there to stop him together with Spike when the Crystal Empire re-appeared?"

Now Twilight really did shoot me a look that clearly questioned my sanity. Why do people do that all the time? "What? What are you even talking about?" She said with annoyance creeping into her voice. "Why would I stop Sombra? How would I stop him? And what's a Spike?"

"Just to make things clear, you were never Princess Sunbutt's private pupil? Never hatched a dragon egg as an entry test for Celestia's school? Never tasked with learning the magic of friendship? None of that?"

Twilight's visage darkened at the mention of Celestia. "When I was a filly, I applied to take a test and prove I was worthy to become Celestia's pupil." She sighed. "But I failed. I tried everything I could think of, but I could never get that damned egg..." She spat venomously and trailed off. Umbra watched closely. Clearly she'd brought up bad memories. "But no, I didn't become her pupil. I finished school, took a job at the Canterlot library and interned for a research company. When the war broke out I joined a team of scientists to research methods of war. We were tasked with finding new ways to counter the might of Sombra's armies and his war machines. We actually made good headway. We were on the right track to create an instantaneous method of communication when... he came."

"Who?"

"We're here now," Twilight said abruptly. I looked to see in front of us a pretty Viking-ish longhouse, well equipped to host hundreds of bodies. I could not help but to imagine faintly smelling mead. "Ganondorf and your friend are inside. Come, we shouldn't keep the waiting."

I adjusted my grip on Twilight as they climbed the few steps. Twilight used her magic to open the large oaken doors with a groaning of wood. An assortment of long tables were inside. Two stone hearths on each side of the hall, with a big one at the end. I immediately detected Jackie near the end, sitting atop one of the stone protrusions on the hearth, legs swaying as she engaged who could only be Ganondorf in conversation.

The two occupants looked at us. Ganondorf's face remained impassive while Jackie leapt down and hurried to my side. I groaned lightly as the smaller girl threw my arm around her own small shoulder for support. Twilight sighed with relief as I slackened her grip and moved aside.

"What are you doing here? You're supposed to be in bed," she admonished.

"What are you talking about? I'm right as summer rain, can't you tell? Could do leap frogs for hours on end." I groaned sarcastically. I scowled as Ganondorf's heavy footsteps thundered close.

I glared at the towering figure, clad in ornate armor colored a deep blue, nearly black in the dim lighting. An equally large cape flowed behind the massive humanoid and my eyes found his, Ganondorf's visage an impassive emotionless mask framed by light orange hair, a contrast to my seething glare.

"You!" I hissed.

"Me." Ganondorf said simply. "You really should take more care of your body. Any fool can clearly see it is clearly exerting itself."

"What not kills me makes me stronger and what breaks me even more so." I coughed. "And what the hell was that about back there? You murdered Starlight. Chopped off her head like it was nothing."

"Will you deny she deserved it?"
"Yes... No... Grrr! Of course she deserved it! That mindbending shit she pulled back there was even stronger and more cruel than my own, effectively turning Ponies into hollow shells that nothing short of death could stop."

"Starlight was a misguided soul, wishing to atone for crimes known only to her. It did not change the fact she posed a threat to me."

"Then dress her into a red mask and chains, give her a Zweihander and let her find redemption in a death in the front lines. Don't be so fast with a death sentence in the future!" I snarled.

"I will deal with threats to me however I deem it best," he replied. "But that does not matter. Starlight is dead and so this line of talking is pointless. You have been summoned here to help me deal with a threat to me and my ponies."

I grew furious. "And I haven't forgotten about that," she snarled. "What was that shit you pulled, leaving Jackie and me to face a bunch of controlled thralls? We could have died! No really a problem for me, but for Jackie."

"If you were so weak as to fall under spellbound ponies, barely able to function without direction, then you would be useless to me. I had to ensure your mettle and skills proved strong," he said without a hint of regret.

"How about I knock you senseless and leave your ass to some hungry Mole Rats?!? Let´s see how hot you are then, shall we?" I countered venomously.

"You could do that. It doesn't change the fact I am in need of your assistance and if what your friend tells me is true," he looked at Jackie, who seemed to hold none of the contempt or animosity raging through me. "You are to remain here until you've served your purpose."

"Wow, sugar, way to make a lady feel appreciated. Do you think there is even the smallest possibility I will help you after the shit you just pulled?! You know what, I am not nearly stoned enough for this right now!"

"No. In your current state you are useless to me. A well trained pony would make short work of you. She, however," he nodded to Jackie. "Will prove more than adept."

"The fuck SHE will!" I managed to roar, finding enough energy to shove myself between my friend and the Gerudo Lord. "Me? Fine and even if my Minions have to wheel me into battle! Hell, I´d even go so far as giving you temp command of a Minion task force but not Jaqueline! Over my cold body and considering that I have the nasty habit not to stay down, that could take a whi..." My righteous fury was cut short by another spasm and coughing fit that speckled my palms with blood. I then settled for hotly glaring at my massive counterpart, trying to shield Jackie as much from sight as possible.

"I can speak for myself, you know." the smaller girl said with a hint of annoyance.

"Then tell this massive dick he can go shove it where the sun don't shine! No one conscripts my little girl!"

"Right. About that..." she hesitated for a second. "I already... kinda sorta promised I'd help him."

"What?!"

Jackie shrugged. "What? He's a human in a world of ponies in need of help. Isn't that kind of the whole point of us being here?"

"Yes... but..." I sputtered. "Did you forget the part where he set us against a bunch of murdering, brain controlled ponies?"

"Because that's so much different than going against a group of raving cultists," she drawled. "Which by the way, you all but charged into after that little episode of yours. That reckless charge could have gotten us both killed, you know?"

"Argh! I'm trying to make a point here, stop pointing out all of that!" I seethed. "Besides, I am an adult and you're not!"

"So if it comes to putting my life at risk that's okay, but when you don't like it I'm suddenly not an adult?"

"That's the point. You're the kid, I'm the adult and this adult says you are not gonna help this prick one single iota without me giving the A-Okay."

"Then you will both die." Ganondorf said.

I felt myself swelling with fury. "Is that a threat Ganonprick?" I growled.

"It is a fact. Equestrian forces are camped at the base of this mountain as we speak. By this time tomorrow, they will advance and kill every single living thing in this village, you two included."

"Wait one Darkness damned second! I thought Sombra was the enemy?"

"He is enemy to the Equestrians, but my allegiance is to myself. The Equestrians view me in as much a favorable light as you."

"I can get behind that, same here..." I grudgingly admitted. "So the enemy here is the Retard Guard? Those golden plated idiots can normally barley handle themselves against a blind kitten? Or is this the only 'Verse where they are actually competent?" I mused more to myself. "Well, whatever. You can go to hell while Jackie and I slip out the opposite side of this mountain."

"Then their scouts will spot you and you will be faced down with a legion of hardened war veterans."

I pinched the bridge of my nose. "Gah! Fine! I´ll give you a company of Minions but Jackie stays put. She does not even have her axe, not to start with armor. I do not let her walk into a fucking warzone just in her everyday duds!"

"Your Minions will be a welcome addition, but it is Jacqueline who will be the crux in this endeavor. I need her assistance more than yours. There is a skilled enough smith here who will fashion armor for her, and my enchantments will grant her enough protective wards from magical attacks."

"I can do this, Umbra," Jackie affirmed. "It's gonna be cake, like with the cultists and those ponies last night, no biggie."

"I still don’t like it, not one bit!" I grumbled and looked at Ganondorf. "Why Jackie? Why is she so important to this scheme of yours?"

Ganondorf paused, measuring his words. "The ponies of this village are mine and my responsibility. They were peaceful, for the most part and only a select number of them were trained for combat. The army at the mountain's base outnumbers us four to one. If we are to make a stand, then their morale must be raised. Jacqueline will prove instrumental to that. She will infiltrate the Equestrians' camp in the night and tear them apart from the inside. They will suffer a severe blow to their own morale, buying us further time to prepare and hold back their assault."

"Wow wo wow, let me stop you right there! Jackie? Infiltrating? To infiltrate, you need to be cunning, subtle and silent. Jackie is as cunning as a kindergartner, subtle like a sledgehammer to the face and silent like an atom bomb." I looked to Jackie, cracking a small smile "No offense, brat." Then I turned back to Ganondorf. "You´d better have her tear into a portion of the enemy, like a flank maneuver or something. Collateral is more her thing."

The smaller girl rolled her eyes. "Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence." She disentangled from Umbra's grasp and backed a few steps. Her form shimmered and warped, her figure dissolving and turning into a perfect replica of a generic golden armored guard. "Here's the ticket," she said smugly.

I face palmed with a pained groan "Right. Forgot that I taught you that spell for a moment. Brain´s still a bit jumbled." Then I addressed the Gerudo again "Okay, infiltration is a go but I still want a chair overlooking the battlefield and some spy glasses so I can direct my Minions better."

Ganondorf's lip curled into what might have been a smirk. "You won't need that." He looked pointedly at Twilight, who had been watching the proceedings quietly. From her lab coat the pony produced a small, violet crystal in the shape of a rhombus, which floated atop Ganondorf's palm.

"What is that?" I asked.

In response, Twilight gave an identical crystal to Ganondorf's remaining palm. One of the crystals levitated out the window, well out of reach while the remaining one on Ganondorf's palm spun furiously in place and shone with an inner light and from it shined a projection, the village of Haven's Peak in a bird's eye view. The village then grew larger, the image shifted again to the longhouse, the open window and back to the room, where the remaining crystal floated in.

"Huh. Neat." I murmured in spite of myself. These things were kinda handy. Maybe I could get my mitts on a crate full of them?
"So we're agreed then?" Jackie asked. "I sneak in, kick some pony butt and slip away before they know what hit them. Sounds simple enough."

"Don't you jinx it hon! But yes." I deflated with a sigh.

[Jackie´s POV]

"Say that again," Jackie said, her words brimming with poison.

"You committed a great evil yesterday," Twilight responded quietly. "You murdered and took life when you could have easily spared it. Those ponies were innocent, bewitched and commanded by dark magic. They were victims in all this."

"Perhaps you missed the part where they tried to kill me and my friend," the girl retorted bitingly. "And as you said, they were enthralled. Hell, their minds were likely broken by the time we got there. For all you know they would have gone stark raving mad and... I dunno, killed and eaten their own kids and stuff." She sniffed. "Besides, from what I hear we did you guys a favor, and it isn't murder if they have weapons and they're trying to kill you. An egghead pony like yourself should be able to work that out at least."

"They were bewitched," Twilight's words barely held a sense of calm, the anger hidden beneath threatening to spill forth. "I understand you were under a lot of pressure and you needed to ensure your and your friend's survival but..."

"Excellent. So we're in agreement. Stuff tried to kill me and I returned the gesture in kind. Glad we worked that out."

Twilight seethed, but fought to compose herself. Her parents would encourage her to be the larger pony and keep a straight mind, but the human's callous attitude and disregard to the lives she claimed strained her composure to the breaking point.

"Do you regret any of it? Do you feel the smallest sliver of remorse for the things you've done?"

"Remorse..." Jackie looked upwards, pretending to think it over. "Is that the one that makes your pants feel funny?" She snickered at her own joke. "No, princess. Fat lot of good that would do me now. I dunno if you were paying attention but I gotta go down there in a few hours and kick some pony flank. Or is it plot? Whatever," she shrugged. "These things happen." she said simply.

"Eighteen." Twilight whispered.

"What's that now?"

"That's the number of foals you tore apart. When it was over, we took the wounded here, to be healed. I supervised the aftermath of the attack myself. I saw the broken bodies of your victims. You didn't kill them. You slaughtered them like animals."

"So, what, you gonna give me a time out?"

Twilight halted in her tracks and for a split second, her composure broke, glaring at the human with absolute disgust. Jackie met Twilight's burning gaze, surprised at seeing such loathing and contempt. But It was over quickly. Twilight averted her head and looked to the ground. Her voice shook with anger and pain.

"Let's just go. I don't want to talk to you anymore."

Jacqueline frowned, eyeing the pony who went on ahead with an odd expression. For a fleeting moment, her features softened by the slightest margin, and the echo of an ache manifested in her chest, but it was brutally shoved aside. There was a job to be done and hesitation at this point would only hinder her.

Her life, Umbra's life as well, hinged on a successful raid tonight. Twilight was soft, weak. The pony had lived in a land of sunshine and rainbows for most of her life and still clung to her childish, idealistic doctrine that all life was sacred. Perhaps, by some farce, that might have even been true, but these creatures were foreign to Jackie.

Umbra tried to instill in her a sense of respect for these odd little beasts, and though she did acknowledge them to a degree, she would lie if she said she held their life in as high a regard as a human's. But this wasn't Jackie's world. It lay far away, out of reach and for the moment she would have to contend herself in a land where she did not belong nor cared for.

She had found a friend in Umbra and some much needed respite. Their brief, burgeoning friendship boded well for her state of mind and she treasured it above the meaningless lives of these curious, bizarre little ponies. And if keeping Umbra alive and well meant shoving aside what reservations she may have had and claim the lives of the ponies plotting against them at the base of Haven's Peak, she would not hesitate to do what needed to be done.

[…]

“Alright, strip.” Twilight looked on expectantly at the human, who returned the pony's gaze with her own flat one.

“Excuse me, princess?”

Twilight looked up at Jackie with a frown. “We need to take your measurements in order for Hammer ‘n Anvil to craft some armor pieces for you. Now take off your clothes.” Jackie didn't move. Twilight sighed. “I don't like it any more than you do, believe me, so we might as well get it over with. Or would you prefer going in to battle with nothing but those flimsy clothes?”

Sneering, Jackie did as Twilight bid, undressing down to her underwear. It was a battle to keep embarrassment from creeping into her features, but she'd be damned if she gave Twilight the satisfaction. The mare produced a roll of tape from her lab coat and proceeded to go about her job, the air in the small room thick with tension and hostility as neither said a word to each other. When Twilight finished, she put back the tape and left without another word. Clearly the little mare still held a measure of anger towards Jackie, not that the girl would trouble herself by it.

As she dressed and stepped out of the small room, she came face to face with Ganondorf, who’d been waiting patiently outside.

“Come with me,” he said and turned. Jackie blinked but followed quickly enough. “For this operation to achieve its maximum effect, you will hit the Equestrians and hit them hard. You must be swift and efficient. Strike when their guard is down and leave before they can organize an assault. For that, I will give you weapons suitable for this endeavor.”

“Now we're talking,” Jackie remarked. “But I'm still not clear how you expect me to… well, do any of this.”

“Tell me, how trained are you in the use of magic?”

“Magic? Not very much. You saw me do that stuff the other night but besides that…”

“Do you have a good measure of control?” She didn't answer immediately. “That's perfectly fine. As a practitioner of the arcane arts, I am knowledgeable on controlling the flow of power within my body. You are not, but this is good. In order for this mission to succeed, we will need to play to your strengths.”

“My strengths?"

"Yes. I saw what you did last night. How you manifested the magic within you to kill your opponents. A good start, but now, you must harness that very same power and use it on a far larger scale." Jackie remained silent and Ganondorf looked over, seeing doubt in her features. "Is there a problem?"

"That... what I did last night... I'm still not very good at all this stuff. It took me a week to be able to do it and even then, I can barely pull it off."

"That won’t be a problem. I will help you where that's concerned but for now, let us go." The Gerudo lord led Jackie past the perimeter of the village, to a dark opening on the side of the mountain.

"Before we came here, the ponies of this village carved a series of mining tunnels in the mountain. After my forces and I took over the village, I had sections of the mine converted to research departments."

"I have noticed this world seems a lot more technologically advanced than either mine or Umbra's," Jackie commented as she followed Ganondorf. The tunnels were a moist place, cooler than the outside and lit by lightbulbs scattered every few feet, the wiring system in plain view.

"A necessity in this world. The Crystal Empire is mainly populated by Earth Ponies. Without the magic of the unicorns or the pegasi's ability to manipulate the weather, the ponies who settled the empire had to rely on their own inventiveness to build and settle a city in the frozen north. Sombra was smart enough to see that very same inventiveness and ingenuity could be used to build war machines unlike anything the Equestrians had seen before. The Equestrians' losses were heavy during the first months of the war. To counter this, they too had to embark on a technological revolution if they wanted to stand a chance of countering the empire's armies."

"I'd say it's worked out well enough. They haven't by any chance invented handhelds, have they? Games, I mean."

Ganondorf halted, looking at Jackie with a strange expression. "No," he said slowly. "They already had those, from what I hear."

"How about AC? Do they have that?"

"Yes."

"Then your world is already ten times better than the crappy two I've been before this."

"Indeed," Ganondorf said dryly. "Let's move on." They entered a room guarded by a heavy steel door. It had no handle or discernible hinges, none that Jackie could see, at least. Ganondorf placed a hand atop a circular pad carved into the door. The flat of his palm glowed a soft blue as he channeled his own brand of magic and the door dissolved, its composition resembling that of molten slag.

"Neat," Jackie commented as she followed Ganondorf inside. The room was a stark contrast to the dirt tunnel outside. The walls and floors were cement and polished steel and where the tunnels smelled musty and earthy, a clinical sort of odor now permeated the room, along with what might have been oil of some sort. Four long, rectangular steel tables dominated the room, their legs melded to the floor beneath and atop them lay a variety of materials.

Some were weapons, not too impressive. Swords, maces, axes, spears, a couple of morning stars and meteor hammers. However, there were also curious little contraptions. Some more of the little crystals Ganondorf had demonstrated earlier, what might have been a radio at some point, and even items one might have found in an apothecary. Powders of varied colors, stones either roughly cut or finely hewn, armor pieces, both for ponies, and some clearly meant to fit Ganondorf's bulk.

"This is one of the chambers I had retrofitted into a lab. A sort of research and development."

"Developing what?"

"Weapons, of course. You might have noticed that in spite of the higher level of technology in this, or your world, firearms are curiously absent in the ponies' arsenal." He went over and picked up what looked to be a crossbow with a cylindrical container attached to the bottom, itself full of steel headed bolts. "This is the closest they've been able to achieve with firing weapons. Effective, but primitive."

"Can I...?" Jackie asked, her hands twitching.

Ganondorf handed her the contraption, watching as Jackie fiddled around with the instrument. "So how does this work, you just..." A bolt suddenly went flying as the weapon fired, ricocheting against the steel wall with a loud clang and made a beeline for Ganondorf's face. With reflexes that belied the Gerudo lord's bulk, Ganondorf's hand shot out, grasping the steel bolt inches from his face. He looked down at Jackie with a flat stare.

"Heh. Sorry," she mumbled and handed him back the weapon.

"As I was saying," he continued. "This design is primitive. Neither of the warring factions has developed a more... advanced design of ranged weaponry."

"And you have?"

"Of course. Ballistics as we know it have not yet been invented. Cannons exist, true enough, but the closest the creatures of this world have gotten to developing firearms as you know it are the minotaurs, who have managed to craft hand cannons?"

"Hand cannons?"

"It is exactly what it sounds like. Miniature cannons. They are clumsy, unwieldy designs. That is why my ponies and I have been trying to come up with new ways to expand on ranged weaponry."

"Any luck?"

"Yes." Ganondorf went over to a workbench and from it, retrieving a prototype. Its shape resembled a firearm, but like none Jackie had ever seen. At least none that she recognized from her modern era. The entirety of the firearm seemed to be composed of one single material, in this case or at least something that looked like steel. The general shape resembled a pistol insofar that it had a slightly curved grip and a quite long barrel. It reminded her of the firearms she'd seen in movies and documentaries during the time of the Revolutionary War. Some other material was set into the side of the handle, looking like leather or rubber or something like that, maybe to improve the hold the wearer would have on this strange weapon. There were a line of weird looking runes etched into the side of the barrel, covering the whole length and Jackie could have sworn she could see them faintly pulse whenever she had them in the corner of her eyes. On the back of the weapon, where a similar gun might have the hammer, sat a quite sizable gemstone that was shining with latent power from within.

"There's no trigger." Jackie said after running her eyes through the curious contraption.

"It doesn't need one. Triggers on the firearms you're familiar with are used to ignite a chemical inside the usual cartridges via a hammer creating a spark, but this method of ignition always carries the risk of the trigger getting pulled by accident, resulting in often fatal accidents. This weapon must be triggered by a miniscule but well measured spark of magic since it utilizes a permanently enchanted gemstone as ammunition.
Once the spark is induced, the spell matrices will activate and channel the spell into the rune-enforced barrel. In this case, a plasma spell which is essentially a fire spell of the highest order," Ganon explained to the wide eyed girl before him. "It is quite amusing to think that the ponies only used this spell to cut and weld metal until I repurposed it to a far better goal. Another boon of the missing trigger is, aside from the higher security for the carrier, that only beings capable of actively channeling their magic are able to use these weapons, and even if they would manage to get ahold of one of them, they still need to know just how much magic there is needed to activate the spell matrices. A weak charge would result in the weapon not firing at all, a charge too strong and the runes set in the barrel would cause the weapon to melt and warp, rendering it useless for my enemies."

"Me, I would have settled for the thing exploding in their faces," Jackie remarked, inspecting the weapon more closely. Ganondorf considered this. It wasn't a bad idea, all things considered. "So a plasma pistol, huh? A freaking, honest to goodness plasma pistol."

"I take it you approve?"

"Approve?" Jackie's eyes now positively shined, eyeing the deceptively looking weapon with greed. "It's fucking awesome! Uh, can I...?" she asked, her hands twitching once again, eager to try the pistol for herself.

"Not here," Ganondorf said firmly. "Come with me." He led her to another room at the back of the workshop, of a Spartan build, with training dummies stacked at one end and several more propped up on poles. Said dummies were rather crudely build of hay, burlap sacks and odd bits of metal, resembling ponies, griffins, dragons and manticores.

"This room will be more suitable. Here," He handed Jackie the pistol. "For now, I've deactivated the runes to protect this from unwanted users. To activate the pistol, simply channel a portion of your magic through your arm and into your hand. The amount of plasma that will fire depends on how much power you channel through. But be warned, too much at once may cause the pistol to explode in your face and douse you with lethal amounts of plasma."

"So no pressure, then," Jackie muttered. She took the weapon, feeling its weight under her hands and gripped it with both hands, aiming at a distant pony dummy. Like Ganondorf said, she channeled a modest surge of magic and the runes on the pistol glowed, a shrill whine emerged from the weapon's barrel as it glowed a bright, neon orange and sure enough, a torrent of searing plasma exploded forth like water off a pressure hose, dousing the dummy, which immediately caught fire.

"Sweet!" Jackie gushed as she gawked in wonder at the sheer destructive power of the weapon.

"Now you see. With this in hand, your task shouldn't prove too hard."

"I'll say."

"Now," Ganondorf took the weapon and a different set of runes in the back glowed softly. "The security measures are back in place. It won't explode or anything of the like, but it will not work unless you channel the correct amount of magic through."

Jackie nodded and tried to shoot another random dummy, only for the pistol to sputter weakly.

"Focus. Concentrate," Ganondorf said patiently. Jackie tried again, getting the same result. From behind her, Ganondorf sighed, a sound that if one listened closely, might have been misconstrued as annoyed.

[3rd Person POV]

"Ah, Captain Shining Armor. Welcome."

"And you as well, Valiant Charge," Shining Armor said politely as he shook off his snow covered cloak. He entered the spacious tent from where in the middle, a pleasantly warm fire burned, smoke drifting its way up the opening in the top.

"Please, sit. I'll have refreshments brought in." Shining armor made his way to the sturdy round table in the middle of the room, taking a seat on a slightly shabby chair. "I trust your journey here was not too tiring?"

"Somewhat," Shining Armor replied as a pony trotted in, bringing two plates of hearty warm stew and a slice of bread, placing them in front of the stallions. "But that doesn't matter. What can you tell me about this... rebel we're after. Have there been any new developments?"

Valiant Charge chewed slowly, weighing his words. "Not many, thank Celestia. My scouts have engaged with a few skirmishes with his forces, which left with more casualties than I'd have imagined. Whatever foul sorceries this being has employed gifted the ponies under his thrall with an unnatural amount of endurance and strength. Since discovering this troubling fact we have made our best efforts to avoid engaging in fights with his ponies. It is a shame, but even with forces numbering over two thousand at my command, our losses would be catastrophic should we try to take their outpost by force."

Shining Armor nodded. The news was as he'd heard from passing travelers. "And the leader? What can you tell me about him?"

"As far as we know he is not a pony. Nor does he belong to any of the neighboring races. A bipedal creature, male. Definitely not a Minotaur and at least as tall. He has been seen employing the use of vile magics to dominate and convert those ponies who would resist him, and from the accounts of my soldiers who survived, a very capable combatant, able to employ the use of weapons and magic simultaneously. He wields a strange weapon similar to a crossbow but more compact and able to fire off volleys of continuous exploding blasts of energy. It is a wonder my ponies even managed to survive."

Shining Armor frowned. This weapon of his sounded a lot like the hand cannons employed by the distant tribes of minotaurs. The Royal Guard held a number of the centuries old weapons inside their caches, but had never been able to replicate the fabled black powder that powered them.

"And these ponies that the being has taken under his thrall. Is there no hope of breaking his hold over them?"

"No, from our observations so far. In our initial skirmishes we have captured at least a good dozen of the cursed ponies, but our examinations have yielded no results, save for one. As far as we can determine their bodies are in perfect health, strengthened even by quite a bit. We have, however, managed to procure a clue that might explain their devotion to him." Shining Armor looked on expectantly. "In our initial raid against their settlement we captured a pony, but she died of her wounds soon after. We had our medics perform an autopsy on her body and he found something of particular interest in the brain."

Valiant charge licked his lips and took a breath. "Apparently the part of the brain that deals in pleasure had been overstimulated on this particular individual. The presiding pony's theory is that by some means, this creature is able to stimulate the pleasure centers of the brain, releasing a dose of dopamine every time he orders his thralls to commit acts in his stead, essentially making them addicted to him and his service, literally conditioning them like Pawlov´s famous dog."

"This... this is very troubling news," Shining Armor commented. "In all my years I have never heard of such a manner of mind control. Have you?"

"No, and that troubles me greatly. Whatever this being's intentions are, he has proven himself hostile against Equestria. As far as we can tell, he and Sombra are not in allegiance to each other but this threat must be stamped out before it becomes something of significance. Already the war with the Crystal Empire has stretched our forces thin and the last thing we need is this upstart making more trouble as it is."

"I have reviewed one of the maps of the area. What is the plan of attack?"

Valiant Charge produced a map, setting aside their food and laying over the table.

"The rebels have spend the last few weeks collapsing paths, goat trails and alternate routes, blockading them or destroying them entirely via landslides. The only path left to navigate an army is through the main road." He pointed it out on the map, a narrow strip of land. "The inclination is too steep for our soldiers to build any momentum. The march will be slow and laborious. We'll need shields at the front to block spells and arrows. Even with our more sizable horde, taking the mountain will be a battle."

Shining Armor nodded and carefully studied the map. Sure enough, the rebel pegasi and unicorns had been hard at work the past few weeks, inciting landslides and avalanches to make the already narrow trail up the mountain even more constricted.

"I find it curious that this rebel leader picked such a remote village as his base of operations. There are other such small settlements close to here, with warm, temperate climate and fertile soil. That he chose this isolated location, situated in a very defensible site, tells me much about his motives. I fear that this is no group of peasants and farmers led by a simple warlord, but could very well prove to be a cunning, dangerous adversary. This will be no ordinary siege."

The two stared grimly at each other, lost in their thoughts.

[Jackie´s POV]

Jackie was by no means inexperienced in the high art of sneaking around. True, she did spend more than a night in the sleepy town of Ponyville prowling through the streets, but this was not Ponyville. This was a war camp and even in the dead of night there were sentries patrolling about. With her normal human looks, she would be hopeless at blending in with the ponies but her current visage of a golden armored guard made the whole ordeal infinitely easier.

The reckless and foul mouthed human might not be a highly trained spy but she wasn't so ignorant that she would do anything to give herself away. She trotted confidently, not missing a step and nodding curtly to any guards who caught her eye. It had worked so far and as she made her way to the heart of the encampment, she could see how utterly screwed Ganondorf and his forces would be should the ponies march at their full might. Only the strategic position of Haven's Peak afforded them the time to come up with a suitable method of counterattack.

She was tasked with changing the terms of battle, bring the fight to the enemy and ram a sixty foot pole up their ass before they knew what hit them. That being said, she couldn't help but wonder what schemes Ganondorf had in mind to pull her out of the fire. Perhaps if...

"Oof!"

Jackie blinked. She'd been so lost in her own thoughts she didn't notice the pony in her way. Now obviously, she could not not notice the equine obstacle. It was a Pegasus of the male variety if Jackie where to venture a guess. He wore the same stupid looking golden armor that crumpled like tinfoil under pressure but curiously enough, he had an orange coat and a blue mane, differencing him from his brethren. Maybe he was something special?

"… said are you alright soldier? That was quite a nasty bump."

It finally dawned the disguised girl that she was being talked to. "Uh? Didn´t I kill you already?" These words left Jackie´s mouth only seconds before their meaning could be processed by her brain. Instantly, her heart began to hammer and she could feel her body release adrenaline, reading herself to pounce the strangely familiar pony and pound him into pastel colored paste.

"Hum? What was that? Sorry, did not catch that, my helmet got knocked over my ears," the oblivious Pegasus chatted, rightening his head gear so that his ears once again poked out of their holes.

With discipline like steel, Jackie forced herself to smile as amicably as she could(though it came out more crooked than anything) as she sighed internally that fate had thrown her a bone here.

"Sorry, was nothing really. You just look familiar and I guess I was just surprised, is all... ehrm, Sir?" Jackie pressed out, adding even one of this stupid little giggles at the end.

"Oh, I´m no Sir, not yet. Just a patriotic Pegasus, serving Equestria against her foes." The pony extended a hoof which Jackie eyed with barely hidden distaste. "My name is Flash Sentry, Private from the third Royal Pegasus Wing. Who are you? I thought we got our last batch of new soldiers one week ago?"

"Ehrm, I am... my name is..." Jackie pranced a little on the spot. This had not been part of the briefing! How should she answer this without blowing her cover? As much as she hated to admit it, she would have given her left arm to have Umbra here in this situation. She seemed to be quite an expert when it came to interacting with the little beasts and would probably be able to rattle of a whole cover story for both of them and...

"P-pretty Prancer..."

"Sorry, come again?"

"I said my name is Pretty P-prancer you dolt!" Jackie hissed, feeling her cheeks burn with the intensity of a magnesium flare.

"Pretty Prancer, eh? It suits you." Flash Sentry said with a bright white smile.

"What?"

"Pretty Prancer. You sure look the part." he added with a wink.

Jackie's eye twitched in a most horrendous fashion. "Move!" she said, her voice so thick it was hard to make the words out.

"What?" Flash Sentry blinked obliviously.

"I said get out of my way before I strangle you with your own intestines." The disguised girl rudely shoved him aside as she moved past him and as she put distance between her and Flash Sentry, she swore she heard the word 'monthlies' thrown, adding to her already foul mood.

Gnashing her teeth, Jackie reached what she imagined to be the center of the war camp and slipped inside a random tent, immediately dropping her disguise as she confirmed the two occupants to be sleeping. She stretched her limbs and cracked her knuckles, breath slightly rushed as she prepared to carry out Ganondorf's plan.

She unsheathed the short blade provided to her and knelt down by the sleeping ponies. She placed a hand at the mouth of a sleeping guard and plunged the steel into his neck, severing the spinal cord. The guard's eyes shot open for an instance and his body went rigid, spasming weakly and when it stilled, Jackie removed the blade and dispatched the remaining stallion.

Now for the crux of the operation.

Jackie bent down on one knee and plunged both hands underneath the black soil. She prepared and braced herself for the sheer strain her body would endure. Her breaths started deep and measured and the human called on her reserves of magic, manipulating them all to flow. From her legs, to her torso, to her arms and lastly her palms. Greenish light poured from the soil covering her hands as Jackie strained for control, directing the energies within her to those two points.

It built to such an extent that her body itself glowed softly, highlighting the veins and arteries on her visible patches of skin. She groaned in pain at the sheer amount of power pooling in her palms, far larger than anything she was accustomed to. Her body burned and blood spurted from her nose. She felt like bearing the might of an entire battleship on her shoulders.

And then, when the energies proved too much to hold back anymore, she let them loose.

A terrible explosion, louder than the crack of a thousand cannons blasted throughout the war camp, instantly bursting the eardrums of those unfortunate souls within a hundred feet of the point of origin. A flaring column of black and green energies erupted from the ground, all but vaporizing the few wakeful, off-duty soldiers who had tried to peek into the glowing tent as well as the oblivious stallions and mares who lay nearby and had woken up not a moment ago.

The pillar of foul magics dissipated almost immediately but in its place, a concentric dome of explosive force exploded with the same fury, dissipating after a second and creating more explosive domes in its wake. Legs, heads and other pieces of bloodsoaked meat were strewn around as their original owners were completely torn apart by the sheer force of the blasts, splattering against the ground, tent canvasses or astonished onlookers, themselves blasted away as more and more of the concentric domes exploded from the point of origin.

The domes flared quickly and succinctly, carving up the earth and moving faster than ponies were able to outrun them, screams of fear and agony quickly snuffed out as the ponies were too slow and were caught in the wake of the domes, claiming the unsuspecting and the panicking alike.

One after another, the concentric manifestations of green erupted forth. Soldiers who had trained to be fearless in combat wailed, shrieked and screamed. The suddenness and viciousness of the attack breaking their composure. While a few tried to help their brethren to safety, more and more shoved, pushed and trampled over one another as they tried in vain to escape the explosive domes of energy. In seconds they and dozens of others were ripped apart by the unforgiving blasts of force.

The troops' only saving grace proved to be the diminishing force of the domes. As more and more of them spiked out of the ground away from the original source, the domes lost power, but certainly not so much as to be rendered harmless. By the fifteenth wave the explosive component was greatly diminished, but the probability of a lethal blow was all too real to those caught in the middle. By the twenty first, the domes' power degenerated so that they merely crushed and pulverized bone, though a hit to the head was a guarantee of death. Increasing cries and screams of agony now dispersed throughout the ruined camp as the crippled ponies became aware of their injuries. Even so, by the time the last wave petered out, the explosions had claimed a staggering amount of terrain and lives.

If the Equestrians thought they might have been ready and confident to storm the village of Haven's Peak, they sure weren't now. While the casualties were great indeed, the damage to morale and resources would postpone the assault, to say nothing of the injured who would be taken out of commission.

Not that Jackie was aware of any of this. The massive surge of magic had ravaged her body. Her very bones felt as if they were on fire and it was all she could do to keep from crying out. She took note of her trembling hands, noticing the skin had split open in places and bled profusely.

"Fuck!" she croaked out, her voice barely audible even to her.

When Ganondorf had laid out his plan, Jackie was meant to follow the initial attack with a rampage to the command tent and either kill or capture(though Ganondorf preferred capture) the enemy leaders. But it became clear soon enough that her body was in no state to handle so much exertion.

At the moment, it was all she could do to fight her protesting limbs and stand, taking in the sight of upturned earth, tattered tents and body parts that surrounded her. Even that seemed like a triviality in contrast to that raging pounding on her head.

"Be... fucking... quiet!" She flared out her arm, creating a massive telekinetic shockwave that tossed aside a number of unfortunate ponies like rag dolls.

Several ponies who had come to survey the damage ran away in fear, though a few brave souls held on to their weapons, slowly spreading out in a semicircle around the pained human. A pony, an earth mare stepped forward, a warhammer clamped on her mouth, approaching the kneeling girl.

If Jackie was concerned, she didn't show it. Ganondorf had provided for her an enchanted set of armor that he personally reinforced with powerful runes capable of diverting most missile attacks and severely reducing the blows of physical weapons. Not that the pony would have the opportunity to see this for herself, as Jackie reached for her thigh and unstrapped Ganondorf's specially commissioned gun. A row of glowing runes lit up on the enchanted steel barrel, a light growing in the muzzle rapidly to blinding levels and with a high pitched whine, doused the brave mare in a searing spray of sun-hot plasma.

The pony fell screaming as the substance ate away at her armor, evaporating her skin and bones. Jackie smiled.

"Huh. I might actually enjoy this."

[Umbra´s POV]

"A Plasma Pistol? You gave her a fucking Plasma Pistol? Are you out of your frikken mind you numbnutt?!? How the everloving, unholy fuck did you even get one of those?!?" I screamed incredulously as I stared at the image in the Spy Shard, as I called the little crystals Ganondorf used to survey the battlefield and Jaqueline's little Spec Ops mission.

Several ponies nervously backed away as I screamed my head off at their lord and master. The Gerudo for his part remained as impassive as he had been since the moment they had met.

"It is a device I had my best scientists develop, together with a bigger version for me. It is a weapon of great potency, able to create massive devastation and also harbors an undeniable shock effect." he calmly explained, absolutely nonplussed at my outburst. "So it made only sense that I equipped Jacqueline with the smaller one on her mission, to maximize her efficiency and ensure the success of this operation."

"Stop sounding so absolute aloof about this!" I growled, showcasing my razor sharp teeth in an subconscious act of intimidation and aggressiveness. "That thing could have blown up and cooked her for all we know!"

"I have every confidence in you friend. You'd do well to do the same. Contingency plans are in place should she need help. Now it's a matter of allowing her to carry out her mission to the best of her ability." He watched in satisfaction as scores of ponies fell under Jackie's relentless assault, relishing the looks on their astonished faces as spells and arrows were diverted away from her. "And from the looks of it, she seems to be enjoying herself."

"As much as I hate to admit, that armor you had made for her is doing one hell of a job. Does not mean I like that you are fostering her sociopathic nature one single bit." I jabbed.

"Do you think so low of her?" He asked, almost amused.

"Shut up, asshole! She is a mentally not very stable young girl who just got encouraged to work out her repressed and hormonal stress and anger through wholesome slaughter. You know perfectly well what I mean. Do you think this helps a teenager's still developing mental state? At all?" I slammed a hand against my armored chest. "I have been through this shit, even before having my life `jacked by some eldritch arse. I had the chance to ease myself into the bloody, unforgiving nastyness that is existence and all the consequences it brings! You," I jabbed my finger at Ganondorf. "By extent probably have been too, given the way you act all the time. That or you are an even greater psycho than I initially thought. Jackie, she still is developing her sense of self and needs all the guidance and support she can get."

"Aside from a strange predisposition for peppermint puffs, I assure you, I was a very normal human," Ganondorf said smoothly, my impotent rage slightly amusing him.

"Ha ha, ha ha ha," a dry, humorless laugh escaped my cracked lips "Guess than you are not a lost cause after all, eh? I mean, no one who likes peppermint can be that bad, aye?"

Ganondorf watched silently for a moment as Jackie liberated a spear from a stallion who dared to sneak close and skewered the hapless pony. "Tell me, did your friend have an easy or even remotely happy time during her stay in Equestria? Her own version, I mean?"

"What? What does that have to do with anything?"

"If her ponies and yours are anything like the ones here, you must already know that with her strange powers and abilities, she won't ever be one of them. Ponies are much like us in that way. They fear that which is different, which they cannot understand. I sense a raw, unrefined potential in her. It is a shame you have not nurtured her abilities yourself. You would hold her back and attempt to integrate her in a world she does not belong. She knows this. She's told me. And since you have not helped her in that regard she turned to me for guidance."

"Don't you dare to go all Emperor Palpatine on my little girl!" I hissed venomously, feeling my hair slightly standing on end. "I might not be perfect, hell, I am probably damn lousy in many aspects and this might sound hypocritical since I enslave and kill stuff on a near daily basis, but there is a fine line between being a respectable Villain and a psychopathic Beast and you, Freundchen [buddy], are shoving Jackie full force and well knowing into the later corner. And that," Umbra glared up at Ganondorf, the fringes of her yellow eyes flickering red.. "Is the one thing that scores someone a one-way ticket down into the pits of scarlet fire and eternal chains of ice! Also, on top of my shit list!" I punctuated my words with poking my finger against the taller man's chest.

"This discussion is pointless. Pay attention. I fear your friend will be needing help soon enough." Ganondorf stated, his eyes never leaving the screen.

I swallowed any number of rude and unpleasant retorts, but relented and returned my attention to the floating screen. The images displayed disturbed me to say the least. Jackie had completely lost herself to the haze of combat, a feeling I knew all too well. She capitalized on her enchanted armor, brute strength and Ganondorf's strange pistol, whooping, cursing and laughing as ponies fell, one after another. The mere sight sickened me, a dreading sensation on her stomach not at all directed to the small girl's victims, but to the mirrored image she projected.

Twilight suddenly rushed in front of them, peering at the screen and before Ganondorf could inquire as to her behavior, a sharp gasp escaped her lips. "Shining Armor?" she whispered harshly.

My gaze snapped up at the screen. Indeed, Shining Armor prowled at the edges of the ruined earth, keeping out of Jackie's line of sight. He eyed his quarry with cool detachment, analyzing and evaluating the unsuspecting human, a pair of blades held in a telltale magical aura hovering beside him.

"Fuck me sideways, Prince Fearbubble is here? Did you know that?" I asked venomously, not taking my eyes from the magical screen for a second. "Jackie you moron, there, behind you! Get your ass out there this freaking instant!" I yelled at the image of my oblivious friend plowing her merry way through the encampment, none the wiser that she was sized up like a literal piece of meat.

But Jackie remained oblivious to the incoming threat, her attention solely focused on the battle before her. With more dexterity and grace a robust stallion like he should be capable of, Shining Armor entered the fray, still unnoticed and his blades raised beside him, preparing to strike. When he got within distance, he aimed the swords at the nape of Jackie's neck and struck, only to find his blades impact against a flaring blue shield that formed around her body. The protective sphere held but for a second as a surprised Jackie turned to face her attacker before the sheer might behind the blades overloaded the arcane matrices of the protective enchantment, resulting in a minor blast of sheer force.

Shining Armor recovered quickly with his swords almost instantly returning to his side and assumed a defensive stance, only to find Jackie eyeing him with a sense of wariness.

"Crafty bastard. You nearly got me there."

Shining Armor held his blades at the ready. "Might I have your name, strange little creature?" he asked politely.

Jackie adopted a mocking smile. "Sure, why not. I'll just…" she leveled the gun and blasted a spray of plasma, which Shining Armor barely dodged. "Carve my name on your flaccid dick!"

A shimmering shield flashed into life, massive ripples rolling over the magical sphere that protected Shining Armor from the surprise attack. The stallions expression fell and his nostrils flared in a snort. "If this is how you want it, I will gladly comply." Then, in one fluid movement, the shield dissipated and the Captain of the Guard exploded in a flurry of movement.

Shining Armor proved to be more than a match for the rampaging human. His constant strikes kept her on her toes and though her notion of swordplay seemed to be 'swinging a sword as fast as she can', that weapon of hers proved to be more than a sufficient deterrent. The strain to his shield spells was severe even from the initial volley and he would rather keep from figuring out if the protective enchantments on his own armor would hold.

In a search for an opening, the Captain of the Royal Guard reached inside a pocket and threw what looked to be a glass orb filled with pulsing blue magic. The sphere exploded close to Jackie, bombarding her with searing bolts of lightning. Ganondorf's remaining enchantments mitigated much of the damage, but her skin was left with burning red streaks where the bolts bypassed her protections.

"Mother...!" The furious girl raised a foot covered in potent green magic and slammed it down, causing a wave of concussive force and upturned earth to sail against Shining Armor, who didn't manage to dodge in time. The Captain was sent hurtling away, barely keeping a magical hold on his swords. The impact bruised some ribs and with a barely restrained wince, he got back up to his hooves.

But Jackie had not been idle during this time. She charge forward and unleashed a volley of those debilitating plasma shots. Shining Armor couldn't keep up and eventually, the plasma collided against his shield, itself overloaded and fizzled out, allowing small droplets of searing plasma to spray against his armor and exposed fur. The Captain groaned as bits of his skin melted away, but the damage was superficial at best. He was still in fighting shape.

My fingers resembled claws at this point, digging into the strategy room's table as I stared with held breath at the magical projection.

Thinking quickly, Shining Armor's horn let loose with a blinding flash of light, of such high intensity that could be seen even at the top of Haven's Peak. Jackie yelled as her retinas burned, dropping her weapons as her hands instinctively clawed at her eyes.

Shining Armor didn't hesitate. He barreled into Jackie, slamming his head on her unprotected torso. As the girl bent down from the force of the blow, Shining Armor lifted his swords high and plunged them down her exposed backside. The enchantments on her armor finally broke, but not without granting Jackie one last, much needed protection. Though the blades pierced through it, only about six inches managed to pierce her shoulder blades. Which still hurt a lot as I knew from personal experience.

"AAARGHH! YOU FUCKER!" With a sudden upwelling of strength and vitality, Jackie pushed herself upwards, facing the astonished captain. Her fist glowed with green energy and before Shining Armor could react, she slammed it into his breastplate, the sheer power behind the blow making the metal bend inward as the protections granted by Princess Celestia herself faded into nothingness after one bright final flash.

Then the swirling magic ignited, sending Shining Armor flying through the air. He landed hard against a tree, bones shattered with a sickening crunch and he crumpled into a heap.

My armored fingers bore deep gouges on the table as I watched the scene unfold, far too stunned to react appropriately. My eyes latched on to Jackie, now spent, lying in the ground with scores of advancing ponies as she feebly tried to reach behind her back to remove the blades still lodged in her flesh.

"That´s it! This mission is done!" I yelled, my eyes burning brightly as I went over countless ways I possibly could do to aid my badly wounded friend as the remainders of the Equestrian Army closed in to her.

"Work dammit, work!" I growled, fixating a spot not far away from Jackie through the Spy Shard. To me, it was pulsing, like a heartbeat.

"What do you think you are doing?" Ganondorf's voice was just barely colored with irritation.

"You shut your fucking mouth!" I roared in response, only to immediately return my attention to the screen again. There! A Minion Portal burst open and after an agonizing few seconds, my loyal kobolds spilled forth in a geyser of black armor, razor-sharp weapons and murderous intent.

A massive spike of pain wracked my body with a vengeance and forced me to lean on the table for support. Then I caught herself and directed my mind back to the task at hand. Sending my mental commands through the ether, I watched with a bloody, satisfied grin as the surge of Brown Minions took the Equestrians by absolute surprise.

Blades found the spaces between armor plating, heavy halberds where brought down on helmets and maces smashed into kneecaps as the kobolds battered themselves a way through the enemy soldiers, with a single goal screaming in their minds.

To protect their master's friend and return her to her immediately.

The Minions dispatched the last soldier standing between them and Jackie, swarming around the wounded girl like one single organism, effectively shielding her with their own bodies.

The wounded girl herself only looked in befuddlement as small, clawed hands lifted her up with an uncanny amount of care.

"Gotcha! Now," I wheezed, straining to keep the control over my forces over the massive distance between Haven´s Peak and the camp "Bring `er home!"

The Minions carrying their charge steadily moved towards the point where they had left the Ley Line and where the Minion Portal had vanished not a second before, being replaced by a one way teleport stone.

The unsteady wobbling girl was deposited on the rune etched surface and not sooner had the Minions stepped back to form a defensive bulwark, was Jaqueline's body swallowed in bright blue light. The same light filled the strategy room not a second later, followed by a pained groan as Jackie was unceremoniously dumped right in the middle, the portal stone crumbling to dust under her.

I strode forward, shoving aside the Minions that had gathered around their charge.

"Jackie? Jackie! Talk to me girl," I urged as she held my friend. Her body was a ruin. Those lightning bolts had done more damage than initially thought and the angry red streaks left in their wake oozed sporadically with blood. The blades embedded in Jackie's shoulders had splintered the armor, driving bits of shrapnel inside her and the toll of her initial attack now bore down on her, with the adrenaline surge having run its course. Jackie's breaths came in shallow pants, her chest barely moving but even so, with enormous difficulty, she rose her head to meet my eyes.

In spite of the horrendous pain she no doubt felt, her lips twitched and turned upward, revealing a set of blooded teeth. "H-hey, Umbra." she was just barely able to make out.

I couldn't help but bark out a harsh laugh, my eyes stinging with welling tears. "Hey, girl. Still with me?"

Jackie coughed, splattering me with droplets of dark blood. "Did ya see?" She asked, her voice so weak it was almost inaudible. "I fucked 'em good." Her body went limp as unconsciousness took over.

My eyes found Ganondorf's, my yellow orbs brimming with fire and hate. "Get me a fucking medic! She better make it or so help me, I will tear your body apart in so many shreds there won't be enough left to fill a baby shoebox!"

Medical personnel were summoned, who quickly hefted Jackie on a hastily built gurney, hurriedly trotting to the infirmary section of the camp, with me hot on their heels.

Author's Notes:

Jackie´s time to shine like a Khornate Berseker.

Another evil has entered the stage, the wielder of the Triforce of Power, Ganondorf himself and boy, isn´t he a manipulative asshole?

Ganon is a Displaced created by ArreClonClipo, who will rear his ugly face in the near future again and let me tell you, it won´t be pretty.