Town Hall wasn’t that far and soon a peculiar spectacle greeted her.

Diamond dogs, mummified by health-green bandages, huddled together outside the steps of town hall. They were careful not to block the path leading to the entrance, making attempts to peek over their shoulder. Those that did quickly looked back down to the ground. Ponies gawked at the display, slowly receding into the shops and side alleys of the town. Princess Twilight was certainly baffled by the sight but her natural curiosity soon made her touch down a few hooves away from where the pack sat.

Up close she was met with another mystery: the bandages exhumed an offensive odour, an abominable combination of peppermint, onion and garlic. They seemed to dampen over areas where bruises broke through the fur of the dogs. The smell wasn’t so bad, more along the lines of when Rarity went overboard with her perfume—overbearing, not horrendous.

“Excuse me,” Twilight began, “Um, if you don’t mind me asking, what are you doing here?” The trembling dog she addressed merely whimpered, armour clattering to shake his helmet loose over his eyes.

“Nopony nearby,” it managed through chattering teeth.

“Do you need help?” Concern had overridden her caution, her eyes now studying the extent of his injuries. They were worse than at first glance; his paw was practically padded with gauze, his chest was wrapped up, and his nostrils were also stuffed with blooded green bandages. A thin veil of haze surrounded the dampened areas, not stained red, but seeping with a sapphire sparkle.

“How has nopony helped you yet?!” Sure, these were the dogs that kidnapped her friend a few years back, and also tried to force her into slavery, but they’d learnt their lesson and kept to themselves! And here they were, hurt, scared, and abandoned on the doorstep.

“Nopony says he’ll be back, says he get us a new den… if we behave or else.” The dog then clammed up, tucking his knees under his chin and making himself smaller. “Leave us alone. Bandages are magical, feels good, feels better.”

“Wait, there’s a pony called ‘Nopony’?” Twilight asked with an arched brow, looking to the open doors of town hall.

“He’s not a pony.”

Twilight looked back down briefly before peering further into the building. Like a viridian ghost, she saw mostly Vincent’s coat cross her view. She surveyed the hounds, spotting his comrades nodding their heads and mimicking his position. Twenty or so dogs, some not even hurt, but all huddling together.

“I’ll beeee… right back,” she said, raising her hands and heading towards the entrance. “I’m just going to check on Ser Vincent.” They all paused their cowering, ears perking up as they simultaneously glanced up to her with a confused look. “Um, I’m going to talk to Nopony.”

They resumed their trembling.

Inside the town hall she spied four more dogs, in good condition given the lack of bandages, all handling a short, fat crate. They were robust creatures, easily hauling their load beside its brethren by the stage. She spotted Mayor Mare, her mask of steel betrayed by the nervous swishing of her tail and her eyes zipping between the dogs to the rhythm of a nervous hoof tap. The dogs barely glanced to her or Twilight given who else was in the room. Vincent stood close to the stage, his blank gaze locked onto the labourers.

The knight was standing tall beside a familiar, if somewhat pulverised, face. Rover, the leader of the den, who had promised to never bother Ponyville again, stood beside Vincent perhaps weighed down the heaviest by these odd jade strips. She approached with uncertainty touching her features, at the same time the knight and dog were talking.

“So will we be safe?” Rover asked, his gruff voice gone nasally due to his stuffed nose.

“The Diamond Reserve was set up for exactly this,” Vincent said plainly, his voice warming, “An outstanding size of land for Diamond Dogs to work together whilst being protected by Princess Celestia.”

“So we dig for ponies?” Rover’s expression turned sour. “We become slaves!”

“Some of you will become employees. Yes, if you find any metals from the incredibly short list, then they’re ours. Anything else is yours to keep and sell, on top of you getting a wage of course.” For the first time, Ser Vincent craned his neck to peer down to the shoulder high dog. “Official Equestrian citizenship being the first perk of course, Caninite.” To that, Rover wilted.

“You know?”

“The accent and extensive tunnel network: you’ve been here long enough and never picked up a different one.” With that, he turned to look back to the dogs as they planted the crate onto the floor. It was probably this that creeped Twilight out when he spoke directly to her without directly looking to her. “Good evening, Princess Twilight, did you receive Miss Dash’s message?”

Before she replied she already noticed something off. When he first met her, he was polite and professional, going down to his knee in a signature greeting of guard to princess. Of respect. Past that, he stood to attention, fist on heart and looking directly to her. Granted, there were diamond dogs in the room, so that was easy to let go, but the fact that Ser Vincent had been executing every formality to maintain polite and respectable presentation made it clear when he wasn’t like he was now. He seemed to be slouching against the stage and barely putting any effort in.

“Yes, eventually Rainbow managed to relay exactly what you had said and I sent the letter half an hour ago.” Twilight arched a brow as she glanced to the now statuesque dogs. “I guess everything turned out well for you, huh?”

He gave a slow, low nod. “Yes. I’m sad to say negotiations were tenser than I’d like but I’ve managed to convince Rover’s pack to relocate to a safer and much more enriching environment.” He still hadn’t turned to face her, or Rover. It was getting to her. “May I ask you to send our helpers outside?”

“You four!” Rover’s bark startled the mayor who had kept to herself as the dog addressed his subordinates. “Get out!” They obliged, their lanky forms weighed down by loss. As soon as they left Miss Mare released a loud sigh, resting her palm on her forehead.

“I’m so sorry to trouble you like this, Miss Mare. I understand if it was a bit sudden.” Vincent certainly sounded sincere enough.

“No, no it’s fine,” she replied with a weak smile. “I’ll let Princess Twilight handle things from here.” With that she sluggishly trudged into her office. Twilight gave Rover a reassuring glance, kind eyes meeting his tired ones.

“Rover, could you leave me and Ser Vincent alone for a while—we have things to discuss, and maybe you should help reassure your friends.” He glanced between the princess and the forest garbed figure beside him before the dog instantly limped off as fast as he could.

“Thank you, Sparkle Pony! I will tell my pack about that place, Nopony!” Rover then disappeared shutting the doors behind him and leaving the princess and the knight alone together. Vincent didn’t look to her at first, nor did she wish for eye-to-hood contact; Twilight had spied how he was supporting himself on the stage with his left arm behind his back.

“Did you tell him about what you are?” Straight to the point, though she kept her voice more curious than blunt. “Ser Nopony?” She bore a faint grin as he mechanically turned to face her, a bemused brow rising.

“A rare few call me by that.” He tilted his head, a smirk creeping into his tone. “First heard it from a lovely young bitch further east, very energetic, I imagine her and Mis- erm, Pinkie Pie would get along swimmingly.” Twilight was briefly lost until she recalled that female diamond dogs of respectable social standing are known as ‘bitches’, or ladies to pair it with an Equestrian term.

“It seems to be the easiest thing to stick compared to my other titles.”

“Such as…”

“A Solaris Knight.”

“Is that only what you say you are?” Twilight asked, her grip tightening on the letter in her hand.

“Am I not?” he replied before shaking his head. His muzzle lifted, indicating he was glancing past her. “When I hear them call me ‘The Nopony’ I don’t get excited. It only means that I’ve made a mistake in diplomacy or that I’ve ended up scaring somepony.” His gaze fell back down to Twilight. She simply stared back with a studious glint in her eye. She eyed him up and down as she moved to stand beside the stage, propping herself up to sit at a height that matched his.

“I’m guessing negotiations didn’t go in their favour,” she said. He turned, though seemingly with difficulty and never taking his gloved hand off the stage. Once again she was met with a proud tone.

“On the contrary, though rough in the beginning I not only completed my mission, but hopefully furthered diamond dogs and pony relationships.”

“By beating the snot out of them?” Twilight commented with an incredulous look.

“In time Rover will thank me.” Vincent’s retort came tinged with ice, “Or at the least not cause trouble. It has towns that helps diamond dogs integrate into Equestrian society, ran by a dog mayor.” Again, his voice shifted into pleasant all too easily… almost chipper by this point.

“The task of collecting the crates is complete, my mission is a success, and on the way I offered a pack of diamond dogs a chance at a better way of life.” He titled his head and she could feel his gaze studying her, “It’s only not a resounding success due to a minor scuffle.”

“So what do you plan on doing now that you’re done, do you have down time?” Her inquiry was met a pregnant pause, an uneasy silence filling the air between them.

“I always rest until I’m needed.” With her letter on her mind, she pounced at this opportunity.

“Well given that your arm’s straining to keep you standing, you must be needing to rest pretty soon then, huh?” She leant back and pointed a stare towards the limb. It was practically shaking like a tree in a storm. “Rainbow saw you fighting out there,” Twilight stated with a small frown. He was still. A statue of some armoured wanderer dusted and dirtied by time, clawed and chewed through experience, and staring blankly back. The mask made it difficult to even try and imagine what expression he had as silence polluted the space between them. Was he angry? Was he worried? Scared? Furious?

No. The mask only told her he was coldly indifferent to it, and yet, showed that he wasn’t at the same time. He lost the warmth to his voice.

“And… what does Miss Dash have to say about it?”

“She thinks you lost your muzzle,” she replied with a wry grin. He burst out laughing, his booming chuckle echoing in his mask. He couldn’t remain standing anymore and slumped against the stage whilst chuckling. Twilight simply smiled as he tittered off, his head shaking before he looked up to her.

“That is certainly a first for the few who actually commented, heh.” He struggled to push himself up, and despite his protests, Twilight assisted with support. “Thank you.” At full height he looked down to her, noting the return of her pitiful look. It unnerved him.

“Is this,” she began whilst gesturing around his hood and mask, “really necessary?” She glanced down to his charred glove, counting the three fingers and knowing it was wrong.

“Oh, absolutely,” Vincent replied simply, shrugging in a blasé fashion, “It greatly helps earns the trust of the locals compared to without it. Before I’d have to wait an entire day to verify my knighthood.” He didn’t like how, alongside her pitying stare, she winced and her ears wilted.

“You don’t believe that, do you?”

“I experienced it, Princess Twilight Sparkle, I know that without this mask ponies are not willing to cooperate as much as with it. I have years’ worth of evidence supporting this.” His reply came as he stood tall, arms behind his back and him returning to the image of professionalism. “I won’t let such a thing hinder my duty, and now it seems to be a trivial matter thanks to this solution.”

Ser Vincent watched as she remind quiet, her calculating gaze losing focus on him. So Miss Dash had seen him? That was, well…

‘Disturbing. You incompetent twit, you didn’t need take your mask off!’ It was natural to sound sincere, with the slip of his voice he was imposing, and with all of his honeyed words and warm syllables, his guttural growls and indifferent threats, Ser Vincent could relay any mood and atmosphere that his looks could not. He could lie to their face without a single clue to his deception.

The mask was his shell for he knew himself he was too raw beneath it.

‘I do hope Miss Dash wasn’t too shocked.’ Body language was key for him; a tilt of the head conveyed his intrigue, an open stance like he was currently displaying left him looking open to all and honest, and even crossing his arms helped showed following a road further would lead to trouble.

“Look, Vincent-“

“I worked hard for the full title, Twilight Sparkle… please don’t forget that.”

“NOPONY!” Immediately the princess and the knight looked to the door, finding Rover shaking in the doorway. He was terrified. “Ogres! They’re here.”

“What?!” Ser Vincent strode towards the exit with a surprising speed for one still recovering. Not that Twilight took notice as she trotted alongside the knight, eyes wide.

“Ogres? Why in Equestria are they here?” Her inquiry was met with Vincent turning his head slightly as he reached the door.

“They wanted the gems the dogs were mining, so in order to fend them off, Rover wanted to take the weapons and armours.” Rover shuffled out the way as Vincent quickly departed, Twilight not far behind. “He also said they arrived at night.”

“Mostly, mostly at night I said,” Rover quickly pointed out with a furred finger from his paw. Neither Vincent nor Twilight looked to him as they both locked onto four grotesque figures heading towards them.

Ogres. Often red skinned and ripe with putrid odour, they were creatures obsessed with precious stones and simple pleasures. Tribal warfare. Pillaging. And other unmentionables. Only the strongest survived the infighting amongst their clustered numbers, leading to not one leader to follow but numerous bands of between four to ten grizzled beasts roaming the lands.

They were definitely enjoying the fear they enticed, rotten teeth gleaming in malicious grins pointed to fleeing ponies. They were knotted with muscle, garbed in poorly stitched leather and each of the four sported a weighted weapon of sort. Fat in the guts and leering like apes, Vincent’s hidden gaze locked onto the only one focusing on him.

Unlike his followers who snarled and belched at retreating locals, this one bore a sadistic smile for the knight. Rusted armour compressed his girth, thick toes shooting out tattered boots. It’s short, round head was capped by an old guard helm, misshapen to fit. The strong jaw boasted a fiery beard, plaited in perhaps the only form of sophistication ogres possessed. A barbed club, easily recognised as a short beaten tree stump, rested across his shoulders, one dirtied finger pointing solely to the knight.

“I seem to be meeting all kinds of interesting beings today,” Vincent remarked wryly, turning to face Twilight after a single step. His tone cast aside any mirth, coming out solid and unweathering with each command.

“Princess Twilight, I need you to look after these dogs whilst I attend to this matter.” She gave a double take before pointing a potent stare of disbelief straight at the knight. She spluttered as her attention snapped between him and the creeping ogres.

“This is not the time for jokes!” she almost screeched, a fierce scowl taking her features as she prodded his chest. “You are in no condition to take on these guys!” To her surprise, Vincent stepped forward, uncomfortably close as he peered down to her.

“Protocol states that all members of royalty are to be secured as a priority, and seeing as I lack reinforcements, I have to ensure you are kept out of danger before confronting them and diffusing this situation safely for others.” He clamped his hands onto her shoulders, his tone stern and harsh. “Those guards that arrive should spook them when they get here soon, it shouldn’t be too long, I just need to keep this lot distracted.” She felt his grip tighten ever so slightly, enticing a sense of hidden strength but mostly discomfort.

“And if things go wrong?” She fired back a burning glare, attempting to break his hold physically. She didn’t stand a chance. “What then? You get hurt for nothing.” When her horn glistened he raised his hands and proceeded to step back. She cancelled the teleportation spell.

“It’s my job, you have responsibilities, duties you will live to uphold.” He stopped at the bottom of the stairs, on the empty path lined with quivering dogs. “This what guards and princesses do, and knights follow the exact same thing. Contain them with a shield spell, the Prince Captain of the guard boasted that you picked one up from him easily enough. I’ll try to lead them out of town.” When he turned to quickly stride toward those approaching, Princess Twilight stopped at the bottom of the steps.

“If I can stop them then why are you trying?!” she yelled, to which he glanced over his shoulder, still moving to intercept.

“In case you can’t and because I know I can! Or because if I can’t you can keep them at bay long enough. Keep anyone else out of this, Princess! This is what the guards and knights are for!” He barked back. With great reluctance, and mostly because the dogs were looking to her with injured stares, she held back with wrecked nerves and a face of thunder.

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Ser Vincent rolled his head on his shoulder, steadying his breathing as he approached. He could smell them already, despite the mask, and got a good look at their weapons: one bearing a claymore, one with chains wrapped around his knuckles, and a halberd alongside Mr. Tree Stump. His aches were gone the moment he met them halfway.

They were a good two heads taller than he and half a body thicker. They all grinned down but the three exchanging dark chuckles chose to stay behind the smirking brute who stepped forth. He bent over, bearing broken teeth through an ugly smile.

“You got our mutts,” the ogre said with rancid breath. His filthy face shifted to a frown. “That’s bad for you.” His friends nodded in agreement. “Me thinks you give them back.” He reached out, “Now.” He tried to shove Ser Vincent with back hand to the chest, but only achieve moving him half a step and smearing dirt on his rustling armour. There was a sting in his knuckles that made the brute growl.

“I’m a knight, you know,” Vincent said plainly. “This town is close to more guards, acting tough won’t do you anygood here.”

“More ponies to play with,” the halberd ogre commented, earning a general grunt of agreement from the others. The lead ogre pursed his lips and nodded.

“Ponies lose and we still take dogs, get more gems,” he said as he shifted the weight of the stump resting across his shoulders. It certainly drew Ser Vincent’s attention, as did the guard helmet.

“We won’t lose,” he said, calmly. “The den’s all yours now.” Perhaps making the ogres see some opportunity in the situation would prevent conflict? Ser Vincent could trap them in the caves, delaying them before even more guards came to detain them. “See, the dogs are leaving now, and they’ve already done most of the work.”

He tilted his head, secretly pleased at how the ogre had now raised a bald brow. That meant intrigue, it meant progress.

“Just think of all those gems you’re leaving unguarded right now.” He stepped back, folding his arms and looking past them to where they had come from. “Can you really afford not to start setting up home already?”

The ogre scratched his chin before playing with his plaited beard, a plump blue tongue licking his pursed lips. It grumbled as it stared into the heavens, its blank mind focusing on the empty sky. They were far from clever creatures, in fact, they were the only ones to try and take over a dragon’s hoard, but surely this was too good an offer to miss?

“But dogs can do more work,” the ogre put forth, scowling and prodding the knight in the chest. He didn’t budge again and it earned a more feral growl.

“Boss, look, them’s ponies looking for trouble,” an ogre on the far left was keen to point out, raising the long thick sword easily with one hand.

It was a brief moment, where he turned to face whomever was distracting the volatile beasts. If his mind had not been so worn and weary, had his focus not tunnelled onto whatever he faced, and was still alert to his surroundings, he never would have. He spotted Miss Applejack holding Miss Dash back, the rest of the Elements assisting the orange mare in placating their friend.

“More like fun if ya askin’ me! Haha!” The moment the lead ogre roared, Vincent turned to face him, a glow returning to his eyes.

He didn’t register the unstoppable left hook until his was lifted airborne.

He could taste the pain, he could smell the copper of crimson, and he could feel the pressure of his mask collapsing under the raw strength of the blow. He had no thoughts as his breath escaped him, save for how cool the air was as it cloaked his face. He could see the sky… his blood… and the fragments of his shattered mask.

With an agonised pirouette, Ser Vincent, the Solaris Knight, landed face first onto the cobbled street amidst the broken remains of his mask, exposed for all to see. He laid there for the moment, weak, limp, tired and stunned. The few seconds that crept by were like minutes as he remained exposed and vulnerable, half his vision foggy and the good portion focused on a large piece of metallic muzzle resting beside him. The last thing Blue Blood said to him echoed in his mind.

‘Already?! Ser Vincent, the last time you actually stopped to rest in your home was over a month ago! These train ride naps can’t be for you. You’re getting less than five hours at a time! Fine. Be that way. It’s should be easy enough, see you before the evening starts, and yes, you will be expected to accompany me to the opera! It's on your head.’

He lay there now overwhelmed by exhaustion he had been keeping at bay, more than what he had previously admitted to. He was catching up with the world, his body pushing thrugh a barricade that blocked his nerves. His arms twitched as he tried to push himself up, time being buried under the flood of fatigue rushing through him.

Then he heard a desperate shriek. And malachite eyes turned to gold.