As the fifteen of us, me, Luna, the Knights, and the Elements were making out way to the capitol building, we were silent form each other, for the most part. I issued orders to the Promethean groups via radio, suit speakers off, and the Elements and Luna talked with one another. For the most part, anyway.

Ten minutes into the walk, I heard Twilight ask, "So, why are you helping us?"

I looked ta her as I turned on my speakers. "Because it is the right thing to do right now," I say. "You and your friends may not know it now, but I am trying to help you all."

"How," the lavender alicorn asked.

"Let's juts say there are more secretive and manipulative individuals than changelings," I say. "Anything else you wanna know before we get into another fight?"

"Yes, actually." Oh god I have awakened the beast. "How did you make all these. . .-"

"Machines?"

"Yeah. "How did you make all of them in just a few days?"

"Let's just say," I say, "it's a talent of mine I share with few others." This is where it got weird. Not 'Twilight turned into Cathulu' strange, but strange. I expected her to ask either what my ability did, or who else had it. You know, ask shit about it like she normally would.

She didn't.

I activated Promethean vision, and looked at her. I had found through testing with Mist and other changelings that I could see through a changeling's disguise. It was Twilight I saw, which made it only weirder, but that is not the weirdest part of it. Her sword had a magical glow around it. One similar to the Signet and the Promethean forces. Meaning it was made by a dream master's ability, but it also seemed to fit with her. Two explanations.

"Twilight, do you mind if I ask a question?"

"Not at all," she replied.

"How did you get that sword," I ask. "And don't say it was forged, my helmet is showing me a similar glow around it as my weapons do. I'll know if your lying." Time to see what she answers.

"Princess Luna made it for me," she said, and I smirked. She knows just what I can do, but I won't push it, not yet. Also, interesting. I know Luna said ten had been born in the past thousand years, but still, what are the odds an Element would be one. Looks like I'll need to do some research.

"Right," I say. "So, what do you want to happen to Cadence?"

"What do you mean," she asked.

"Exactly what I said," I say. "What do you want ot happen to Cadence. Not what you think your friends want, not what the other two princesses want, but what you want done to her."

Twilight was silent for a time before she replied. "I don't know," she said. "I mean, I want her to pay for killing Shining and betraying Princess Celestia, but at the same time, she wouldn't have done that for her subjects."

"A bit of advice, then," I say. "One leader to another. Sometimes, the greatest punishment is to let one live with what they have done. I'm not saying you should punish her, but if you do, you wouldn't have to kill her."

"Why are you helping," she asked again.

"Joshua Miller," I reply, taking a cue from a book character from Contact Harvest. To her credit, she understood what I meant.

"It's who you are."

"Yeah," I say. "And I doubt she'll care, but would you mind telling Rainbow Dash I'm sorry. I honestly didn't want to shoot her, but I wasn't sure how much more time Lone needed to finish his teleportation spell."

Twilight chuckled. "I'll see what I can do," she said. "You know, you're different than I thought you'd be."

"How so," I ask.

"Well, just about everypony sees you as some kind of conqueror that would love to kill my friends and the princesses and take the throne for yourself," she said. "But you seem more like Princess Luna, seeing as how you take active steps to help those under you in combat and you seem to care for them too."

"Don't believe everything you hear, Twilight," I say. "And don't make opinions on something unless you speak from first hand experience. Look at me. Do I look like what the guard say I am, which is to say a monster?"

"No, I guess not," she said.

The Knights in front stopped then. "We are here," one of them said, and I saw that just about every ground based Promethean was here, a large building in the center of the ring.

I nodded. "Watcher Wings, anything to report?"

"That your other allies are inside the structure, sir," one of the Watchers said. "Waiting on your word to breach."

"Understood," I say. "All Promethean groups, listen up. The rest of the Rogue army is inside that structure. That makes our job much more complicated. Destroy any and all constructs, but leave the ponies, friendly or hostile, alive. Cripple hostiles, but leave friendlies unharmed." As I said this, I strode to the front, the Knights and Crawlers parting for me. "Knight Lance Charlie, Watcher Wing Bravo, and Crawler Pack Alpha, protect the Elements and Princess. Lance Alpha, Pack Bravo, and Wing Charlie, with me."

I strode up to the front door, which were large, steel doors that were the size of a normal door back home, height wise. I then grabbed the sword on my left thigh, and ignited it before plunging it into the steel door and melting off the hinges on each. The doors then fell back. "Move in," I say before walking in, the three groups I had designated following me, followed by every other one.

One of the Watchers of my group came down and hovered next to my head. "Scans indicate your allies are being held in a singular room, and that hostile designate Cadenza is there as well," it said in a robotic voice. "What do you wish to do?"

"Free the rest of the army, and kick Cadenza's ass into next millennium," I say. "Where are they?"

"Go to the end of this hall, turn left. Only doors."

"Right," I say, and we follow those instructions, and we made our way to said doors.

"Any thing else in there?" I ask the Watcher.

"Negative, General," it said. "Only the rest of the army and Cadenza."

"Well, then," I say. "Normal people knock, but the badasses breach," I say delivering a kick to the door, which opened them up before pointing my weapon up.

What I saw utterly surprised me to the point I still swear to this day I thought I had somehow gotten high.

I saw a large room, expected, but also the kinds of chairs one would see at a church. Okay, cold have been re-purposed. Or so I thought until I saw what was at the front of the room.

What I saw was Starlight in an elegant, white bridal dress, the veil, (side note, why do we still have that shit in modern day? The way I see it, it's outdated.) covering her face and Lone, in an immaculate Tuxedo, their hands in the others, and, between them with a book, Cadence. "What the fuck is going on here?"

There was silence for a few seconds, as I slowly lowered my weapon. "Lone, Starlight, mind explaining what's going on, aside from the obvious fact your getting wed? But please explain the Cadence angle."

"Well, you see," Lone started before I cut him off.

"Actually, later," I say. "And if my timing happened to coincide with the usual cliche moment, I have no objections."

With that, I walked out, and sat on the floor, weapon by my side. Jeez, talk about timing, am I right? Anyway, a few minutes later, Lone and Starlight came out, and sat beside. "So," I said. "This happened."

"Yeah," Lone said. "Guess we owe an explanation, huh?"

"Oh yeah," I say. "But first," activate radio, "all Promethean groups, stand down, for now. Lance Charlie, Wing Bravo, and Pack Alpha, inform Elements and Princess as to what I just discovered. Lance Alpha will transmit data." I then looked at the two newlyweds. "Clear."

"We'll ask later," Lone said. "So, the whole thing started just after whatever happened to you happened. We, as in all of us, were brought here and put in the dungeons, where Cadence would visit just to gloat. Three days ago, she found me and Starlight sleeping, and I do mean sleeping, and saw the rings. Shen then procedded to ask if we were engaged, we said yes, and she got his whole thing going. Gotta give her credit, they don't call her the alicorn of love for nothing, seeing as how we couldn't have planned a better wedding."

"Except for the war not going on," Starlight said.

"Yeah, but still, in our control, I meant."

"I know, Lone," she said. "You know, Josh, you're just in time for the reception."

"I kinda guessed that," I said, "and I'm in, but I'm not sure if those I brought with me are."

"The Elements and one of the Princesses, I assume," Lone asked.

"Yep," I say. I then look to one of the Knights. "Void, send a message to Charlie Lance. Tell them to bring their escorts here."

"Yes sir," Void, the Knight Commander, replied. Full name was Spirit-of-Black-Void, and I gave Void a female personality.

"I'll ask when they get here," I say.

"So, what have you been up to, Josh," Starlight asked.

"Well, I was unconscious for about a week," I say. "One of those dragons strangled me. I was found by Princess Luna and the Royal guard, and woke up a few days ago. I found out I have a rare gift, being able to essentially think of something and it become real, and used that to make the Prometheans, the machines you see now. So, how's everyone else?"

"Good, considering," Lone said. "All of them were let out of the dungeons for this, and we made sure the reception would have actual food, so they won't be starving for a while."

"Well, once the reception's over, guys, we're busting out of here. No position to fight right now."

"And what about the Prometheans," Starlight asked.

"First combat scenario," I say. "Still trying to find the best weapons for them."

"Even though it doesn't look like they need them," Lone said, eyeing the blades.

"True," I say, "but there's more than one way to win a war then just brute force," I say. "And I learned that there's someone else a hell of a lot more dangerous." Hello, Steel Wit.

It was here that Luna and the others arrived, and I got up, hand on my Open Hand, eyes on Rainbow. Sue me for being cautious with her. "Princess," I say with a bow of the head. "Elements. Rainbow." Rainbow growled. Point: Assholes. "I'm guessing one of my allies informed you as to what I saw?"

"Indeed they did," Luna said before looking at the two. "Hello, Lieutenant," she said to Lone. "Corporal," she said to Starlight.

"Princess," Lone said. "I'm a little surprised you aren't trying to arrest us right now."

"I don't see why I should," Luna said. "We met in combat, and the armies were allied. As far as the official story is, that clears you of the crimes. For now." She then leaned in closer and, to the surprise of all others, grabbed both Lone and Starlight by their collars, and brought their face to hers. "But regardless of this war's outcome, you are to apologize to my sister, who cried herself to sleep when the both of you left, or I will turn you both into frogs, and boil you."

The Elements and I looked at one another, and I shrugged, palms out. "News to me," I say. "Wait a minute," I say before looking at the two. "Explain now."

Both blushed, and, having gotten to know me, they could tell I was glaring at them. "Well, you see," Lone said, "it was one of the few days Starlight and I were guarding Celestia's chambers when we heard yells coming from inside. We rushed in, and, believe me, it surprised us both at the time and still a little now, saw Celestia masturbating."

Twilight had a look of horror on her face, I guess from the mental image of "The most perfect pony in Equestria" doing herself, but I also saw a hint of a laughing smile, which, to be fair, Rainbow, Luna, and I had on as well, while Pinkie just went, well, Pinkie, Fluttershy blushed, and Rarity looked appalled- is that a smug smile, or the hint of one, I see on her face- at that.

"So, yeah. When we tried to leave," Starlight continued, "she stopped us, and said the reason she was doing that was, and I wish I was kidding here, because she had seen how happy the two of us were, and she wanted to know that kind of pleasure, but didn't want to use the Guard, and asked us to kept it a secret, which we did, but a week later, she called us, and said she wanted to try a herd with the two of us."

"We decided we may as well try so," Lone said. "Things essentially snowballed, and the three of us became a herd, though I left a few weeks after that started because I was just fed up with the nobles wanting her to keep the war going. That dick Steel Wit, especially."

"Wait a minute," Rainbow said. "You know him?"

"He was my CO before I left," Lone said. "Hated him then, hate him even more now that I know he's got something on Celly."

"That what he meant in Ponyville," I asked.

"Probably."

"Well," I say. "I think we can all agree on someone who needs to die." I then activate my radio. "Zulu groups, you are to find and shadow Steel Wit, and keep me informed on his movements. Do not kill unless I say so."

"Affirmative," the lead Knight of Zulu said before they teleported away. I think.

It was then that Cadence decided to join in. I ignited a hardlight blade on my right arm and held it out. I turned to face Rainbow. "Are we going to keep doing this, or are you actually going to grow the hell up?"

Rainbow and I glared at one another as Cadence said. "I imagine htis is a surprise for you all?"

"Definitely here," I say. "Now, as a wedding gift, how about you let them all go? And I do mean everyone, not just these two."

"Yeah, that's be the perfect gift," Lone said, putting a little more pressure on. Just to make sure, though.

"Look, we're both exhausted, Cadence, and I imagine neither of us want to fight right now," I say. "All we ask is that you let the others go, and we'll leave."

"As will we," Luna said, getting looks of surprise from the Elements.

"I thought you came to try to free this place."

"Which is why I propose this," I say. "You pull out as well, saying it isn't tactically or strategically feasible to hold this location, as it is miles away from any Equestrian base, and there are no natural resources nearby. As for the prisoners, let them go. They came here to get away from the war, and the mark of a good ruler, even a tyrant, is sometimes submitting to their subjects." Plus, seeing as how you set that wedding up, there still is some part of the old you left.

She was silent for a time before saying, "You'll both owe Sombra and me."

"I plan on repaying it already," I say. "But for now, time for the reception."

A few hours later

Well, that was interesting wasn't it. Anyway, the Rogue army was on a hill, preparing to leave, when I heard hoofsteps behind me. I turned, and saw Luna walking up. "Hey, Luna," I say. "Thought you'd be with the Elements."

"I decided on something else, Josh," she said.

"What," I ask.

"To join you and the others."

"What," I ask. "Why? I thought you'd stay with Celestia."

"I said I wouldn't leave her for something so ancient. You and I meeting is not ancient. And besides, I gave Twilight Sparkle a letter detailing why I did so, as well as a letter Lone and Starlight gave to to give to my sister. She will be glad to know that three of the more important ponies in her life are alright."

"Sure you want to, Luna," I ask. "I mean, I do want to spend more time with you, but we both know the nobles, especially the sun loving assholes who hate you simply because you're the alicorn of the night, will call you a traitor and want your execution."

"I know, but there is another reason," she said. "I wish to be there when you discover what happened to my daughters, so that I may know first hand."

Oh. "I see," I say. "Then if you're certain," I say.

She nodded. "I am."

I took off my helmet, and smiled at her. "Then it looks like we'll be spending a lot of time together," I say.

"Indeed it does, Josh," she said. "You know, it is rare for one to show me their true face in dreams when they know they're dreaming, but rather something much more attractive."

"What can I say," I said with a shrug. It was then that Lone and Starlight walked up, arm in arm. "I enjoy being different."

"Hey, Josh," Lone said before he saw Luna. "Princess? What are you doing here?"

"I decided to join Josh," she said. "You two are not the only lovers brought together by this war."

And here, a portal opened up. Looks like Hunter Josh and the Guardians finished my token. About damn time. "Then I say it's time for our first real world date," I say before turning to the newlyweds. "You guys coming?"

"Don't see why not," Lone said. "What about you, honey?"

"Sure," Starlight said. "Might be fun."

"Then let's go," I say, before grabbing Luna's hand, as well as Starlight's, who held Lone's with her other, and jumped into the portal, dragging the, behind me.