"Good morning to all of you, my collective lords. I trust that you are curious as to why I have called you all here."

"Just cut to the chase already. There's no need for exposition, just give us action please." Blueblood heckled while tapping his hoof impatiently. Meanwhile, Cadance and Shining looked at me with morbid curiosity, Celestia and Luna waited patiently, and Twilight had summoned a notepad and a pencil to jot down notes.

"Well actually, the weapons you have here should prove to be useful in my expository statements." I said, pointing to the table. "If anything, I would like to start from the beginning of our respective ages and talk about how far along both of our species have come in the art of war. And from what I'm seeing, you have come quite a ways. Would anyone care to fill me in on the olden age of weaponry?"

Twilight looked to Celestia as she seemed eager to speak. The elder princess gave the younger a nod to indicate a show of consent. She looked back to me and walked towards the table.

"In ancient times, our tools were nothing short of just sticks and stones. We made clubs and spears for protection-"

"I'm sorry to interject, but I shall now inform you that we both started with those same technologies. However, our reason for the spear was not just for protection, but also our survival. We humans had started out as a hunting and foraging species, gathering berries and hunting down wildlife for the sake of food and clothing."

"But why hunt for clothes? Couldn't you live without?" Blueblood questioned.

"As for the reason why we wear clothing is simple: our bodies lack hair so we don't fare well in changeable environments. Our bodies are incapable of withstanding the changes of season on their own. We don't shed hair and expect to 'tough out' the winter. Should we go exposed to the harsher elements, we would easily die."

"Which is why you would normally see Nondis wear clothes everywhere he goes." Twilight finished.

"Thank you, Twilight. Ten points have been added to your score." I joked, yet still earning an enthusiastic hoof pump from the purple pony. Shaking my head, I carried on with my demonstration. "But after a while, our species─small in population─began to see many other tribes with some resources that would benefit both parties. So you know how the old song-and-dance goes: I want, can't have, I'll take. So then the tribes began to use the weapons against each other as a battle for resources. But our first real war didn't happen till about five thousand years back."

"As much as I do enjoy a lecture on the history of other cultures, I do believe that your time was designated for something else." Celestia suggested.

"Of course, but where would my world's technology be without it's history? But I'm more than certain that your tools were also used for warring purposes at the time." I said, turning to Twilight.

"It's true. A long time ago, there was dissension between the earth ponies, the unicorn, and the pegasi. They all warred against one another for a variety of reasons, mainly for resources. And our technology at the time was consisting of stone axes, spears, bow and arrows, and club maces. Even rocks were flung from a distance in the form of slings. But unicorns used their magic to defend against incoming weapons while countering with raw magic bolts, pegasi lifted their enemies to lethal heights and drop them from mid-air, and earth ponies created the ancestors to the more sophisticated tools that you see on this table."

I walked over to the table and picked up a spear. "As you would call these tools sophisticated, we would call these tools outdated. While it's true that they still do their job, we have given way to something a little more... efficient. Throughout our history, we too have had our share of conflicts. But from what I can recall, the three races of ponies have joined together as one. But humankind has failed to reach such an agreement. And with a lack of magic we only relied on our wits, our weapons, our terrain, the environment, and the more calulative minds of generals."

"So there was no peace agreement in your world?" Celestia questioned.

"No. In fact, quite the opposite. Our tribes grew into towns, our towns into cities, cities to states, states to countries, all with our own individual languages. And in that time, there was many differences in beliefs, economical policies, and resources unobtainable to certain nations. Thus, we continued to confront one another for the sake of power and pride. And with those things we began to plan the methods of conventional warfare; a war fought on uneven terrain. Throughout the ages, we created swords, spears, many of the weapons you have here. And we could've stopped where we were after a certain age, but we chose not to. We only sought to make things more convenient."

I took a sword from the table and walked over to the undressed mannequin. As I grew close, I sped up to a sprint and swung the blade into the mannequin's body, cutting deeply into it. As I pulled out the blade, I eyed the next target wearing the scaled armor. I struck at it, severing some of the scales from the armor as well as landing a solid blow on the mannequin. The third target I ran for had on nothing but chain mail. I swung my blade, landing a blow. Only this time, my blade slid off of the surface.

"Throughout time, we have created tools capable of killing. And in that time, we grew to create protection against these tools. Chain mail does much against a sword, but does little to protect against the crushing blow of a battle axe. It cannot protect you from the incoming darts of arrows or the thrusting power of spears. Let alone..." I walked back over to the table and placed the sword back down for the largest one that resembled a claymore. "A much bigger sword with a much more powerful blade."

Holding the weapon in both hands, I reached around to gather leverage from my left and brought it crashing down onto the mannequin from my right side. Despite the chain mail holding much of it's integrity, I could easily summarize that if this was a real pony, quite a few of it's ribs would be broken. But this time, I pulled myself in on the left side and thrusted the sword into the chest of the faux pony. As my blow landed, I could see a few rings fall off of the armor as well as the tip of my blade burying a few inches deep into it's target.

"Obviously, anything with a considerable amount of thrusting power or stopping power can render this variation of armor useless. But I also see that you have plated armor. This can easily protect much of your torso, but how about your legs? Grieves and shin guards can do a pony or a man good, but then they go after those joints where there's nothing but chain mail."

I walked over to the table to place the large sword back with it's much smaller counterparts. Then my attention turned to a crossbow standing on it's own at the far end of the table. I grabbed it as well as a few arrows. I began to load the instrument and aim for the open gaps where the armor didn't protect. Firing the arrow, I watched as it dipped a little lower than my intended target, yet land at an open space on the target's hind leg. Reloading the weapon, which too a considerable amount of time, I aimed for the most open spot I could find. Firing the crossbow, I landed a bolt dead into the cheekbone of the mannequin. Afterwards, I began the tedious process of reloading the crossbow once more.

"The crossbow is an incredibly powerful weapon. Even capable of piercing the armor plating. But the reloading process is... a tad bit inconvenient. It leaves me open for an attack and I wouldn't be able to respond in a quick enough time... unless I see my enemy coming from twenty feet away... and they were walking slowly. But there's still one drawback of using one versus plated armor. The further away you are, the less of a chance there is of penetration."

After I finally reloaded the crossbow, I aimed for the chest of the armored mannequin. Upon firing, the bolt smacked against the armor and bounced off. The sound of a wooden stick resonated throughout the room as the discharged bolt rolled on the ground. Afterwards, I placed the crossbow back onto the table.

"Of course, our world has crossbows of our own, and the more modern ones are even more powerful, strong enough to run this armor through. In their own rights, they are powerful enough to send their bolts, travel through a metal door of a carriage, and still hit their targets with merciless penetration. Of course the reload time is still an issue, but we only use those for tactical purposes. However, the materials used, the way it's strung, the composition of arrows, the different arrowheads, everything about it makes it a totally different tool than the one I just used."

"Do you happen to have one of those crossbows?" Shining inquired as he walked over to the table to inspect the weapon I just retired.

"I do not... but I have the variant of such a weapon." I said while walking towards my box of arms. "Say for example, I just want to easily dispatch my aggressor. If one was running to me, then I'd easily take them out without a moment's notice. Of course there are different variations of the weapons for specific purposes, but the results would only be the same. If I shot at you with the crossbow from twenty-five feet away, I would have to keep in consideration that the air and gravity would drag my shot down. But with my weapons at the same distance, I would have to only use precise aiming to get the shot I need. "

I pulled out my Glock and instructed Shining to remain behind me while I loaded a magazine and inspected the weapon for any stray dents, unusual lube deposits or markings that could ultimately alter my shot, especially since I hadn't really inspected it before.

"The only setback there is to preparation is that you would have to do it before setting out. But once you finish, carry your magazines on you and you'll be set until you run out of bullets. Each magazine carries a different amount of bullets depending on the model and the mag. But since we're going with the standard loadout and this seems to be a twenty-six, I can hold up to nine shots."

Sliding the fully-loaded magazine into the firearm, I pulled back the slide back to load the chamber and aimed down my sights. After deactivating the safety, I placed both hands on the gun, squared my shoulders for a steady look, and discharged my shot.

A few shrieks came from the princesses and Shining in response to the sound of the gun firing. The next sound was that of a shell landing on the ground. Walking towards the mannequin, I could easily see the the hole in the mannequin's cheek. I looked at the other side of the mannequin and immediately saw that there was an exit wound the size of all of my fingers crumpled together, a far cry from the entrance wound about the size of my pinky finger. When I turned the mannequin over for the others to see, they all gasped with shock and horror of the damage.

"You've been shooting those at the changelings!?" Blueblood screamed. "How do they even live after something like that?"

"Well considering that I shot this guy in the jaw, I'd say he'd live. But as far as his muzzle goes, a good portion of that would be gone. Shards of teeth becoming nothing more that shrapnel, bone shattered into dust... This guy would be sporting a broken jaw at the very least."

Twilight walked over to inspect the wound and saw it for herself. She shuddered in response to seeing the hole and putting together the imagery of what one's face would look like after a shot like that. "I know that you have these weapons, but would they all result in something like this?"

"No. This is the result of the ammunition I'm using. Hollow-point rounds carry a lot more stopping power and travel at a much faster speed. Standard rounds wouldn't be this destructive, and full-metal jacket rounds─or F.M.J for short─would be an in-and-out situation. But for now, yes. I ordered it that way because of the punch they carry. Of course these particular rounds aren't built for blowing through armor, but the FMJ's definitely are. One shot from those and that armor is considered deadly to it's wearer."

Cadance still stood with her mouth agape as she stared, but thankfully she didn't remain that way for very long. After shaking herself out of her trance, she continued to ask me more questions. "So... With that in consideration, what are the perks of carrying such a weapon?"

"Well, it's lighter than the standard sword. You can use it with one hand and pair it up with an off-handed weapon such as a knife, sword, or another gun. And there are also devices used to dampen the report of discharge; in other words, keep it on the hush."

"That is a very dangerous weapon, indeed." Luna stated. "I trust with enough of those, one could easily overcome the might of the changelings."

"And that's just the basic one." Cadance added as she started to walk over to the box. "There's another one in here I took with me from Ponyville. Nondis did feed me some pretty interesting banter on it, saying that it would eliminate a target from several yards away."

Uh oh... that means she left one out. "Umm... what about the other one?" I asked nervously.

"That's in here too, but I want to talk about this big one I'm holding." She said, magically pulling out the sniper rifle by the barrel. As it arose from the box, her magical aura consumed it as it floated towards me.

"Thank you." I said grabbing the rifle. "Now this beaut here... It punishes. If you're sitting on a hill several yards away and I find that you're too far for me to even point out, this will do you in. This is similar to the crossbow in it's design, only the barrel is much longer and the bow no longer exists. Not only that, but this takes a lot less time to reload. With many weapons of this caliber, it's required to have an off-hand free to clear your chamber and prep for the next shot. But that only takes less than a second. But this model doesn't need to have all of that. It does it all on it's own."

"So how far does it travel?" Celestia asked.

"About eight-hundred yards." Cadance answered eagerly.

Shining immediately walked away from the the group to investigate the rifle I was holding. "I call bullshit. Not even the strongest projectile weapon we have is capable of firing a dart that far, even with magical enchantments."

"Twilight, do you remember when you had told me about what happened when Tirek destroyed your home, like you were looking through a scope and suddenly his magic was barreling right at you?"

"Yes." She answered sheepishly.

"...This. This is the same thing on a smaller and less-flashier scale. You look through the scope, adjust to the distance between you and your target, line your shot, and fire. And if you're hiding behind a wall like the ones we're standing within, then you're as good as dead. If you're wearing that plated armor, you're as good as dead. If you're trying to run away, you're as good as dead. Even if this Tirek guy was standing at the base of this mountain and I'm up here... Need I go on?"

Shining tapped me on the shoulder as he gave me back the sniper rifle. "So... Just how much more powerful has human weaponry become?"

I gave him a more serious look as I remained silent, not wanting to say the answer out loud. After a short moment of silence, I gave him an answer. "Too much."

"Is it all that bad?" Twilight asked alongside her brother.

I shook my head as I put the sniper rifle back into the box. But as I did, I saw a box of playing cards sitting at the bottom. I didn't really question how they got in there, but I could only assume that they were in there since I was in my world.

However, they would prove to be a useful contrivance in my demonstration.

"Shining, Twilight, would you two like to play a little game?"

"I'm afraid that we have much time for games, sir captain." Celestia answered.

"Then allow me to play this one out real quick. It won't take me long." I said as I pulled out the box of cards. Upon pulling out the deck, I separated the joker cards and pulled out each number from the spades suit. "Two is the lowest count, meaning that we're starting from the bare essentials. And as we go up, the technology increases. If I was to compare your advancements to ours, I'd say that you'd stop at an eight."

I laid the cards down on the table, where both Twilight and Shining could see.

"Now going back to the little history discussion we had just earlier. Our technology improved, enabling us to create more powerful weapons that could bypass armor and quickly dispose of our enemies."

I laid down a nine. "This would represent the creation of firearms, the ancestors of the weapons I have shown you today."

I laid down a ten. "This represents the long-range artillery we created, capable of destroying walls and buildings in the matter of seconds."

I laid down a jack. "This is a representation of our naval abilities. Ships capable of long travel, high endurance, and significant transport value. We can ship off over two-thousand men on each vessel, imagine what an armada could do."

I laid down a queen. "This is the representation of our aerial power. Planes, helicopters, jets and bombers capable of striking a wide-variety of targets, from small towers to larger cities. If you wanted to clear out Everfree, we could do it in a matter of minutes."

I laid down a king. "This represent our orbital abilities and communications. In the case of Princess Luna, she was sent to the moon and was unable to return for over a thousand years... We went to our moon of our own volition and came back within a week. We have created a network powerful enough to send pictures from the darkness of space all the way to our own hands. Our database is so broad that it's initial purpose─being for war─has been made to accommodate for miscellaneous purposes such as internet, cell phones, and other things in tandem with communication, from orbit to the surface. And those same rockets that brought us to the moon has enabled us to strike from anywhere around the globe."

I placed down an ace. "And this, represents the science that has created the weapons of tomorrow. We now officially have lazers that are capable of shooting down ships and airplanes. Guns that are capable of detecting targets on their own will fire up to five-hundred of these little bullets in a second. Weapons that our governments won't even tell us about are currently hiding within the depths of our soil."

Shining sighed heavily as he thought about all of what mankind has created specifically for the art of war. "That's a pretty large arsenal aside from swords and spears."

"If you think that's heavy, then you don't wanna know how much worse it can get." I grimaced as I laid out the joker card.

Twilight tilted her head and quirked an eyebrow at the fact that I laid out a joker card. "We do usually use these."

"Well a long time ago, this used to be considered as the trump card. But overtime, everyone just decided not to use them anymore. In the games, there just seemed to be no use for them, but they're always around. They're on the side of the deck, just waiting for someone to use them. And of course... they have been used in the past."

"What's been used?" Twilight questioned.

"Twilight, have you ever used your magic in such a way where you have ended up destroying entire landforms?"

"Once. But that was against-"

"Tirek, I know. But we have used it only twice throughout the course of human history. The rest were tested for the purpose to see how destructive they were. And in short, many lives were lost in those two usages alone. I'd rather not dwell on it too much so if we can get back to current matters, that would be great."

The two ponies looked at me and frowned with uncertainty on their faces. Obviously they were concerned about what I had decided to keep undisclosed. But in truth, I didn't want to tell them about nuclear warfare... or at least not in front of Twilight. They walked back to where Luna and Celestia continued to quietly bicker amongst one another. Meanwhile, Cadance was tapping against the box.

"So..." The pink alicorn asked. "Do you intend to show us just what these other ones can do?"

"Unfortunately no. Not in here I can't, reason being is for strictly safety precautions. You've done good just to get a demonstration of the handgun, but that's only because I'm discharging one bullet."

"Wait, if you used one and there were eight still remaining, what are the other ones for?" Twilight asked.

"One word, one bullet for each letter: SECURITY." I said as I reengaged the safety and unloaded the magazine. Pulling the slide back, I freed the bullet still remaining within the chamber. As the bullet hit the ground, I immediately retrieved it and placed it back into the clip. The disarmed weapon was then tucked away under my shirt and into the waist of my pants. The magazine was then placed into my left pocket.

"Are you serious? Are you really going to sleep with that!?" Twilight questioned with worry in her voice.

"It's disarmed. I could have it under my pillow for all I care. It's much safer than having something come at me and try to slit my throat at night."

"I won't allow it!" Twilight shouted vehemently. "That is-"

"A weapon deprived of it's ammo and with safety devices in place to prevent accidental discharge. If it does go off, then I'm the one who's physically pulling the trigger."

"But-"

Twilight attempted to say something else, but was stopped by Princess Luna. "I believe that he has more knowledge of his weapons than any of us would. Though this demonstration has failed to produce sufficient results in his case for attempting the mission on his own, it is enough to show that he would be more than capable of protecting himself should he be 'frequented' once more."

"But Princess Luna!" Twilight argued. "Nondis wouldn't be able to protect himself while he's sleeping. He's not a light sleeper, nor is he easily woken from minor disturbances. I know this because I care over him. Please allow me to send him back to Ponyville, where there is little risk of him being attacked again."

The night princess hummed as she took a moment to think about a response. Celestia then spoke in her younger sister's stead. "Where do you intend to keep him?"

Twilight blushed as she boldly gave her answer. "Of course, with me!"

Celestia shook her head with disagreement. "I'm afraid that isn't possible, Twilight. If Nondis is the target of whoever infiltrated the palace, then it is almost guaranteed that you will become a target as well."

"I can protect myself!" Twilight shouted at her former mentor. "You know this, Celestia!"

My eyebrows rose as I heard the purple princess refer to her mentor by first name for the first time. Of course, Celestia didn't seem to care too much about it.

"Twilight," Cadance intervened before things could get out of hand. "I'm afraid that Nondis will be unable to stay with you. As Celestia said, you're at risk if you're with him. And I mean no offense to the captain..." She gave me a guilty look, causing me to whirl my hands and signal her to carry on. "But his life and your life have different values. You rule as a princess, he stands as a guard."

Despite the fact that I didn't quite like that I was considered as a lesser, I did take into account that I did vow to give my life in accordance to the future of Equestria and those who rule over it. Though that treatment was especially limited to politicians at this point. "Cadance has a point. I'm a guard by vow, so that means that I have to do my job, princess."

"Nondis-"

I decided to finally put my foot down in frustration. "Your job requires your full attention right now, just as mine requires me to do the same. There are guidelines and risks that comes with our respective occupations. Yours is more diplomatic, mine is more militaristic. You face hurting someone's feelings, and you already know what I face."

"That still doesn't give you any excuse to leave without telling me!" She hollered at me. "I'm trying to-"

"These next two weeks are for strictly business, princess. Now you either do your job, or someone else will do it for you."

Twilight reared back as she expressed her disbelief of the words I spoke. "How dare you-"

"Do we have a deal?"

Shining groaned as he placed a hoof on his forehead. "Aaarrrrgh! Again with you two arguing?"

"Wait, this happened before?" Cadance whispered to her husband.

Thankfully Celestia intervened before our argument could ascend any more in decibel level. "Both of you, enough."

Twilight and I stood quietly as the purple pony cut a unappreciative glance at me. I noticed it through the corner of my eye that she continued to scowl at me, but elected to ignore it.

"Sir captain, I am afraid that our time must come to an end. But I would be available the day after tomorrow should you wish to demonstrate the full might of the weaponry you chose to present." Princess Celestia continued.

I bowed before her, taking advantage of her invitation. But I had to come up with a location that wasn't anywhere close to town where they would be able to hear the gunfire, a place where there was ample space for me to shoot downrange without the fear of a stray bullet running into someone's back yard. Thankfully, I knew of such a place. "Then I wish to perform a demonstration at the outskirts of Ponyville, just on the lip of Ghastly Gorge. I will have targets and many other exercises planned for your viewing. I only ask that you bring proper protection for your ears. No press either."

"Agreed." The snow-white princess said with an extended hoof. "Then we are to meet then, sir captain."

"Wouldn't have it any other way, your highness." Hell, I might just go back to my world and buy an assault rifle with some suppressors to further enhance my demonstration.

Blueblood walked up to the door and called a few guards in to collect the items on display. The ones who grabbed the mannequin I shot had only stared for a quick moment before snapping back to reality and carting out the inanimate victim of my demonstration. He then turned back over to us.

"If that is all, then let us dismiss."

Throughout the day, I continued to converse with some of the guards that were conducting the search for the assassin. Once more, no dice. There's still the cloak from the sewer, but what good would that do if there was no signs of blood or damage that would lead us to the assassin? The trail is still cold and we've only gotten the fabric the guy wore.

Perhaps it was an enchanted fabric?

Either way, signs still point to a few politicians... namely the one that I embarrassed just yesterday. If he sent an assassin on his behalf, then I could easily see how he would have access to the castle. Cause the only way they would be able to casually walk inside was to be allowed in from within this compound. As far as secret passageways are concerned, they can only be opened from the inside of the castle. Not even servants and guards would be allowed inside without proper clearance, and those who were over the checkpoints didn't report anything. In other words, someone called the hit and left something unlocked.

If anything, the security of the castle─even if loosely guarded─is considered as highly organized and superbly effective.

...Perhaps I might have been wrong about my changeling assumption. The ones that invaded Canterlot a week back have fled to Ponyville for the next attack, but that doesn't mean that there weren't stragglers or spies left here... possibly even harbored by some concerned, yet naive, citizens. Then they'd drain them of their love and be on their merry way, complete with transformation magic.

A few could turn into guards and easily assume those roles until the time came for an infiltration. Not only that, but they have an exoskeleton that's not that hard to crack through. And who's to say that if it was a changeling, they didn't destroy the window just milliseconds before leaping out?

That could be the reason why we didn't see any blood.

But that investigation was not what I was assigned to. Instead I was assigned to the hunting of this changeling commander. And I had already established a completion date of two weeks from yesterday. In all honesty, I want it done by this coming Saturday. Not only will it be out of the way, but it would catch any spies off guard... should there be any. But if I attack sooner than announced, they will be caught off guard due to the false report.

And should there be any parliament members that would so happen to sell me out, the would be in for a huge surprise when I walk back in with a changeling in chains.

So again, why so soon? So that they won't have time to prepare. Enough said.

So with a few more visits to the changeling we captured from the train, whose name we've recently discovered was Padrig, I managed to obtain some bits and pieces on the guy we were hunting down.

"His name is Commander Guto. If anything, he's running the entire operation."

As I sat inside of the stony room, I watched him as he continued to squirm against the restraints of his chair. The holes in his leg did us a lot more good than it did for him. The heavy chains rattled as he shifted himself, trying to get into a more comfortable position... which was very unlikely. Just from across the table, I could already see just how uncomfortable that chair really was.

"So you said that this outpost was in Everfree, more specifically the old castle ruins there. If I may ask, why would he commandeer a fortress that had lost much of it's structural integrity? To me it doesn't seem to make sense."

The chains rattled once more as he made his final movement before calling it quits. "Why not? No one's using it, it's close to a food source, the food comes to you and it gives you a firm hold on territory. We can siphon forces from the queen and march them up here along our routes."

"Furthermore, why would your queen ask for such a large force to scope out candidates for a feeding. That excuse seems to make little sense to me."

"It's a counter measure for dragons. In the badlands, the dragons make their occasional trips through there in search of wandering travelers who'd seek to plunder their treasure. They'd also go on hunts for more loot and searches for possible mates. So we gathered a large group to protect ourselves from any dragons that would try and attack us, strength in numbers and whatnot."

"So you're the prey on that side of the map, huh?" I questioned while tapping my fingers against the table.

"Only because we are weakened. Since the queen's previous summoning attempt, we've been dragged against the rocks due to her inability to feed us anymore."

"Summoning?" I asked with a confused expression. "Changelings can do that?"

"It's just dark magic. But even then she had the assistance of three of her commanders, all of whom were drained considerably of their magic. And as a result, the rest of us suffered from it."

Now I was curious. Would I have to fight this abomination or would I actually have to physically assault the queen in order to gain it's attention? Either way, I was going to have to do one thing or another to protect myself. Thankfully I wouldn't have to do much, considering my weaponry. "So what happened to that creature?"

"From what I was told, the creature had ran off moments after we summoned it. Many of the commanders were very displeased with the situation as they thought that it was a complete and total failure, especially with the cost of their magical energy. The whole situation was horrendously bad, considering that one of them had suggested that we'd merely go to Tartarus and take one instead. But she advised against it, stating that it's guardian would be too much for them to handle."

Oh, so I guess I won't have to do anything in that regard. "So the risks didn't pay off and now everyone was shit out of luck because the fuck you summoned had ran off. Then in response, the commanders had gotten pissed and taken the simple feeding search into a full-blown military operation... How did this come up?"

"Of course, Commander Guto decided that just going on a feeding search would yield insufficient results. So instead of going on a search, he planned a campaign that would then redirect the efforts towards feeding his own units before feeding the colony. And as expected, everyone bought in."

"But what was the purpose of attacking Canterlot?" I asked.

"To weaken military presence, so that we'd be able to attack other cities as well. If the capital city where the head offices were attacked and prominent members of it's system were killed, they would have no other choice but to lock down the city and make repairs in the meantime while trying to reestablish a hierarchy."

"So their next phase was Ponyville, where they carried out their feeding methods." Not a bad plan, I'll have to admit. You put a country's capital in fear so that they would take from other's forces. And a severance in military power would cause a collapse of command, leading to orders being placed to protect the capital at all costs. It's a common war tactic that would cause for the enemy to throw it's defenses at the capital instead of the places where they needed to be placed.

I've played enough Age of Empires to know that much. But that still leaves much to be desired. How did they attack the city in the first place, especially without being noticed? "Did your commander send out any spies to infiltrate our forces?"

"A few of us who still had a decent amount of magic were 'dressed' as guards who neutralized the watchers, and many of us posed as civilians on the trains here. We had taken three trains, one from Appleloosa, two from Dodge Junction. And we had a much larger force that crept along the country road leading to the city. It was a well-organized attack that ended with miraculous results, considering that they had partially achieved their goal in Ponyville."

"I thought their goal was to take it over." I restated.

"True, but they managed to feed the entire army, did they not? Did any of them attack you with their magic while you were there?"

"Every last one." I recalled. "Dammit, they were taking us for a ride, no matter the outcome."

"But hey, at least Ponyville is still a functioning town in contrast to a functioning feeding farm. So there's that. I've secretly gotten my share of magic on the train here, but it isn't enough for me to do much but transform. And even with that, I can barely hold if for more than ten minutes."

"So, are any of those spies here in the city?"

"There are a few, of course they would probably be lying low. The caves and the sewers would be the ideal place for us to hide. And we can pose as guards for long enough to keep ourselves from being caught."

So that feeds one of my theories of changelings posing as guards to let in the assassin. But what else does he have in store for us? "Any future plans with this 'Guto' guy?"

"None that'll involve me." He scoffed. "I just want to go home before this all turns into a gigantic clusterfuck of miscommunication and power trips. My pod is calling my name and I've been away from her sweet embrace for far too long."

While he was busy reminiscing over his home life back at the hive-nest whatever, I took a quick moment to gather my thoughts. This does sound like something that has obviously gotten out of hand. So obviously he wants out. But that still doesn't lead me to believe that he has intentions of staying out. Perhaps I would need to keep him here until we capture Guto and bring him to a lovely stone cell down here in the Canterlot Dungeons. I would love to do it within a week so I can focus on much bigger matters at hand.

I'll make my decision on Padrig later. "So, do you have anymore information on what his future plans will be?"

"Nine times out of ten, he sent the travelers of Everfree to the feeding chambers of the castle ruins. And after that, they'll send the pony to the hive. Of course then the colony will be fed."

...Well that just changed everything. That means that I would need to capture Guto and give his cronies a Texas-style hello. My strike date would definitely have to be within the week at this rate. And that means... I would need to hire a squad to pull this mission off. Not only would I have to capture this guy, but I would also have to lead a rescue operation to free the captive travelers before anymore are sent to the changeling's nest, where there is a great possibility of them dying there. And any deaths could lead to an outcry for war.

Fuck, I hate it when the objective changes so drastically.

I pulled out my phone and checked the time. When I had discovered that I was down here for a significant amount of time, I decided that it was time for me to head back out to the world above. "Well as you already know, that little process will have to be put on suspension. She won't be feeding off of Equestrian citizens for any longer, so she better enjoy herself while she still got it. I suggest you memorize what I have said to you so that you will deliver those words to her when I let you go."

The changeling remained silent as he continued to sit in his chair. As I was exiting, two more guards came inside to remove the bonds from the chair and send him back to his cell. As he was being carted off, he spoke to me once more.

"From one warrior to another... protect your princesses, they do much for their citizens. I could only wish that my beloved queen had the power to do the same."

...What an unusual set of advice from one who is now considered an prisoner of war.

Later that night, I was sent to another room on the same level. And of course, Twilight had managed to work things out to where her room was directly next to mine. Shining's was just across from me while Celestia and Luna were a few doors down. With that being said, the security was absolutely air-tight. The only ones who would even get into this hall were the ones who slept here and the guards that kept watch.

The only difference was that Twilight had brought back Spike to talk with him about his previous dealings in the parliament. And as they continued to spend time with one another, it seemed that they carried out their usual boss-and-secretary vibe with one another. But they also appeared to be a bit disjointed with one another due to his actions that day in the meeting. It went without saying that Twilight vehemently chided him on his performance and demanded that he'd apologize to me. So after much deliberation and argument, Spike bowed his head as he gave me an apology.

And of course... it was far from heartfelt, so I didn't take anything he had to say seriously. If anything, he sounded as if he was saying everything from manuscript while a gun was pointed to his head.

So I informed him that it was 'just fine', but also made it very clear that another situation like this would require my personal brand of punishment. And boy did I have some ideas in mind. After our brief meeting, I went to my room, locked my doors, closed my windows, counted my bullets, loaded the cartridge into the gun, and placed it under the pillow. And thanks to the safety being in place, I won't have any accidental discharges... There you go, Miss Sassy.

But in all honesty, I felt guilty that I had to lie to Twilight about me sleeping with an unloaded gun. Hell if anything I've been sleeping with one since the invasion of Canterlot, until the day after where my Beretta suffered irreparable damage. And the only reason why I didn't have one with me last night was because I had actually forgotten it in the box since Cadance paid me an unexpected visit. Oops. But I refuse to let that white lie bog me down in this instance. I'll do what I can to protect myself, I'm entitled to that much at least.

The only concern was that I would probably experience that damn dream again. Between the one where I was on the train, the one I'm running away from a hell beast, and the one depicting the consequences of Twilight and I breaking our agreements, I didn't know what brand of nightmare fuel I was in for.

But still, I guess I shouldn't let myself lose sleep over what I would be dreaming of. If anything, Luna's got my back on this one. I'll just get some sleep and wake up to breakfast. And after that, I can gather my shit and mentally challenge myself to get on that train back to Ponyville.

Later that night...

I couldn't seem to keep my eyes closed for too long. Instead, my mind only wandered and I was too busy trying to fight myself to go to sleep. But the only thing I managed to do was toss and turn, relentlessly staring at the ceiling as I hoped that my eyelids would finally shut. I wasn't exactly aware of the pace the night was travelling. For all I know, I could be just fifteen minutes in, maybe even a full three hours.

I just know that I wasn't alone in my struggles.

Just next door, I could hear Twilight rambling and ranting about a variety of things. I could also hear Spike wearily answering her. Evidently, he was getting more sleep than anyone... that is until just now. It sounded as if he and her were having one hell of a conversation that seemed to involve a subject that he felt very passionate about.

I decided to let my curiosity take over since sleep wasn't exactly an exploitable option. Quietly, I rose from my bed, placed an ear to the wall on my left and listened carefully for what was said between the two of them.

"I don't see why you're so worried about him. He's just another stallion, albeit one that isn't actually a pony." The young dragon said as he stretched on his side of the bed.

"Well if you had nightmares about Rarity, then you wouldn't be saying these things, now would you?" Twilight struck back as she tossed to her side and placed a pillow over her head.

"Look, all I'm saying is that he's not really worth it all if he wants to separate himself from you."

Twilight threw the pillow off of her head as she sat up to look the dragon in the eye. "I told you, we're on a break! That means that he'll be right back where he belongs not too long from now. I don't intend for this break to last any longer than two weeks. By then, we should be back together again."

"Why do you like him so much, Twilight? I just don't see what's the appeal." Spike questioned.

"How could you not? He's caring, selfless, passionate, self-motivated, funny-"

"And he still can't be trusted. Who's to say that he hasn't been spending time with anypony else during this break? If anything, he's been really-"

"Spike, I think you should be quiet right about now." Twilight said quietly, yet with enough anger in her voice to get her warning across.

"But Twilight, you said it yourself! You said that he encouraged you to talk to other stallions. Who's to say that he hasn't been looking at other mares?"

"Goodnight, Spike!" She said in a frustrated tone.

"Twilight will you just listen to me?" The young dragon asked, trying to get the purple alicorn's attention. But he figured out after the third time he called her name that she was ignoring him. With a sigh, he gave up trying to pursue the issue even further. "Okay, you win. But I still find it hard to believe that he's been here with us for so long and not have his eyes on somepony else. Most stallions would've probably used their 'saving grace' by now. He's trying to minimize the fact that he's probably after one of the girls-"

"Spike, shut up or get out." The princess hissed angrily.

"And I'm not gonna let him have Rarity, I'll tell you that much."

"Just leave it alone."

"I'm saying Twilight, Rarity and Nondis already slept together in a hotel the day before he decided to stay... I know I'd stay just for her."

There wasn't much of a response from the young princess as she held her silence. But she decided that it would be best for her sake to rid herself of one nagging problem. "Guards!" She called out wearily.

A bit of time passed just before the sound of armor clattered and came to abrupt halt. "Yes, your highness?"

"I have grown restless. Spike has began his usual snoring fits and I can't get much sleep from any of it. Please assign me to another room."

"At once, your highness. Where to?"

I couldn't hear much after that as the door shut, but I could hear the sound of my blood bubbling in my own ears. So apparently Twilight's distrust of me was seeded from that little purple fucking iguana called a dragon.

Personally, I'm glad his ass decided to stay here in Canterlot. He would probably be stirring up all kinds of trouble if he was in Ponyville with us. He needs to stay here and get a damn clue about who's his friend and who's trying to take from him, because I'm sure as hell not trying to take from him what isn't already his. Possessive little fuck.

How can you claim a relationship that doesn't even-

...Please tell me that isn't her.

I walked over to the door and cracked it open to see a pair of guards standing in the way. They both gave me a salute as one of them spoke. "Sir captain, I believe that a certain young princess has decided to seek your protection."

Yup, it's her alright. And it's not like I can just simply refuse without my looking bad. But then again... "I am weary from the daily activities as well as an assassination attempt made upon me from just last night. I can offer no protection of any sort in my current mental state. For further assistance, please refer to Shining Armor."

Before I could close my door, I felt a strong presence push back and even push me off of the door. But that presence soon gave way and allowed me to shut the door. Locking myself inside, I finally made my way back towards my bed... only to see a purple alicorn sitting in it instead.

"Ugh... Twilight, what do you want?" I started to rub my forehead as a headache began to form.

Immediately, I was magically toted towards one side of the bed as she scooted to the other. With a quiet voice, she tucked me in. "I'm here to protect you. And I won't let anyone come near you as long as I'm here."

"Twilight, go back to bed."

"I'm not leaving, and neither are you. You need protection, and I need comfort. I want to protect you, and I need you to just stay here with me. I know this sounds redundant, but I can't sleep if I know that you're in danger. Even the slightest possibility would leave me to wonder about your well being all-"

"Arrgh, go to sleep. I don't care, just lie down next to me. Do whatever makes you feel comfortable." I answered grouchily. I'm not even going to fight this one. I'm just going to let it happen so we can both get some goddamn sleep.

As she started to settle down, I had realized just how selfish I had appeared to be. But at the same time, I was growing tired of constantly being babied and sought after like I was incapable of protecting my own self. If anything, I was just exhausted from Twilight smothering me all day with questions and concerns that led into arguments. I understand that she's trying to do this for my health and benefit, but it's starting to become somewhat troublesome.

What could have her acting so...

Before I could finish that question in thought, my mind had already rewound the words that left Spike's mouth. The seeds of distrust he had planted in her had began to take root, snuffing out any form of security she might have had when it came to me. If anything those words─rather the details he purposely left out─had caused her to become uneasy.

I suppose I should add some closure to it. "Twilight..."

"Yes." She answered, facing away from me.

"Do you feel uncertain about me?" I was too tired to beat around bushes. I was going to nail this in the ass before it could fester into something even worse.

"What are you talking about? I don't feel anyway uncertain about you."

That's a lie. "I heard you and Spike talking while I was having trouble sleeping. The walls aren't that thick where I couldn't hear."

As she attempted to pull the covers over her face, she warded off the question. "I'm really tired, Nondis."

Pulling back the sheets, I got out of the bed and walked to face her. "You're not that tired if you chose to leave your room and come all the way over here. Now what's on your mind?"

"Sleep, now go away." She answered, still trying to keep the sheets over her face.

I rolled my eyes at her noncompliance in giving me some sort of eye-contact. I just decided to clear things up now before the thoughts start to manifest into dreamscape.

"...Spike left out the details that Rarity and I shared a room out of her being unable to fit a third room into the budget." Though I was still questioning why she didn't assign me with Spike, especially since she preferred 'a more privatized arrangement'. That would be something I would have to ask her later. "She also stated that Spike would be unfair towards me and that he had a serious snoring issue."

Twilight groaned as she started to remove her head from the sheets. "Yeah, he's not too great to sleep with. Sometimes I'd have to sleep with earplugs if he had ever gotten bad."

"Snore so loud, you'd hear that shit from Dallas. Hell, we'd probably hear it from Ponyville."

Twilight giggled as she placed a hoof over her muzzle. "Yeah." Her eyes began to wander towards me, but as soon as she met with mine, she immediately went back into hiding under the sheets. For a brief moment, I could see streaks of liquid trailing off to one side of her face. The dampened spots of her coat was a dead giveaway.

"Aside from that, don't take what Spike has to say about me seriously. He's just a little frustrated at me for... you know, stealing his mojo." I said as I walked back over to my side of the bed.

"...Did Rarity try and convince you to stay?" She asked nervously.

"Yeah, but so did Pinkie, and Sweetie Belle... and Applejack, Mr. and Mrs. Cake, Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, quite a few folks. So no, you weren't the only one to ask." She sank into the sheets a bit more as I listed each name. "But, you were the one that gave me the extra nudge."

"...Did Rarity ever have feelings for you?" She asked sheepishly.

Well, I wasn't going to cause her anymore distrust. Lying here would result into something that would be unsightly, to put it lightly. And I did promise myself that I would eventually tell her about it if she would ever ask. Well, I can't back out of that now.

"She did. We talked it over. In fact, she confessed just before I was about to leave. But even then, I didn't change my mind. I just let her down gently and told her that I wanted to be friends. Nothing more to it than that."

Twilight turned over to face me. Finally, she pulled the sheets off of her face to give me a brave face as she spoke. "So, you two haven't done anything... have you?"

"No." I answered truthfully.

"No kissing? No vocal exchanges of explicit desires? No passionate secrets?"

"Not a one."

She took a deep breath and glanced away from me as she spoke. "So you two haven't done anything... like that?"

"No." I answered bluntly. "We have not engaged in any physical activities whatsoever."

Finally, I turned over and grabbed my pillow, getting myself situated for sleep. Pulling the covers back over myself, I hunched over and closed my eyes in an attempt to force myself to sleep again.

Yet there was one thing that shocked me completely awake within a few seconds of my eyes fluttering closed.

"...You know... I wouldn't have a problem with it."

This chapter was a bit of fun (sarcasm). Now onto a possible concern that would arise from this situation.

So let's talk about the elephant in the room: the names.
Guto and Padrig are both Welsh in origin, however their names carry specific meanings. What they are, you will have to research them to find out as they are a bit of a spoiler to their roles.

Nondis isn't aware of who attacked him, nor would he know considering that he was asleep. You all as the readers would already know this, but Nondis the protagonist would not. The reason it was written that way... I'll have to tell you later. YOU WON'T GET ANY SPOILERS OUT OF ME!!!

Another thing about everyone wondering about Spike. Twilight had already informed them of Spike being in Canterlot and that "he'll be fine". And that was after Fluttershy had shown some concern over his not showing up for their Friendship Day. So there has been concerns vocalized and answered in a previous chapter (Chapter 31)

And as far as why Spike made his attempt at Nondis... You will find out later as well.