Ten in the morning, and some hours of delay due to problems in the train tracks, where the entirety of the troops had to stop and help how they could so the train would be back fully operacional.

The sun reflection in the crystal buildings made all of them cover their eyes, since they never saw something like that, except one character among them, the highest rank of them all posing in a steel armor with gold and a huge sword and two pistols, Captain Shining Armor. And It was not his first time in those lands, neither to some veterans from the battle for liberation of the Crystal Empire.

The citizens looked at the huge army coming out of the train and the station, carrying those uncommon new weapons and their bags along with army equipment. Outside the station, the seargent of the local army greeted Shining Armor with a salute, which the white unicorn answered as well.

"Good morning, captain Shining." The official greeted.

"Likewise for you." Shining Armor looked at him with a mean expression. "I don't think I need to tell why we are here, do I?"

"No sir."

"And do I need to ask about the disappearance of a majority of the weapons we shipped here?"

"Sir, I can explain..."

"No you can't! Before I embarked in this operation, I got a journal in Canterlot's train station, and imagine my face when I saw that these things..." Shining grabbed one of his pistols and showed It to the official right in front of him. "...already caused a causality, and EVEN worse, a damn gang war!"

"But we didn't found any traces of burglary." The official started sweating.

"I want to see your superiors..."

Three hours later, Shining's army had a place to set up their camp, where they built their barracks and operation center, and a makeshift training ground a bit away from the camp, complete with the new novelty in military training, a target range.
They were well installed and close enough to the city for a fast response just in case, and also close of the Empire's army headquarters, where word and talking topic were those new weapons and their power.

Entering the officials tent, Shining in the company of a higher rank official, the major of the crystal army walked in, discussing details of the previous events in the city, since the armed robbery to a store to the war zone in a millionaire villa outside the city.

"Well..." Shining sat down in a chair behind a table, and served two glasses of wine for both of them. "Nopony saw this coming, neither us."

"We didn't notice anything either, I'm sorry, captain..." The official took a sip. "We only took notice many days ago, less than a week... we suspected how a bandit gained possession from a pistol, since they were in our arsenal. We opened the boxes, and I shit you not, they were empty!"

"That doesn't matter by this point." Shining drank as well. "What matter is, we need to find the source and stop them. Besides, this reminds me... why didn't any of you started a training program with the muskets?"

"I'm ashamed of saying this but... we had no idea how to use them or any instructor."

"I guess our side takes the blame." Shining sighed sadly. "We didn't think of that part either, because they are pretty easy to use, but reloading them, you have yourself a problem."

"What do you mean?" The army official asked with a weird expression.

"Well, they are easy to fire, more range, damage, accuracy and sometimes armor piercing capabilities, but reloading time is like a ritual. Around one minute and half for a rookie, but for an experienced soldier, around thirty seconds."

"That's something, can't wait to use one."

"We will offer some training with them, after we are done with this." Shining Armor finished his glass.

"We'll be very grateful." The crystal official ended his drink as well.

Shining Armor served another glass, and he started thinking in the plans for tomorrow and the strategies to catch up with the events and further ones, when something came to his mind, and he grabbed the official's arm in the table and slightly touched it to call his attention.

"Yes, sir?"

"Tell me... have you seen some... suspicious looking outsiders?" Shining asked with a mysterious look in his face.

"What do you mean?" He asked with a weird look again.

"Look at these." Shining pulled from a desk with some paper work on, two paper with two ponies printed on each one of them.

The official looked over and read each one of them with a clear voice.

"Wanted. Mane Shaker, a.k.a., The Last Sombra." That nickname shivered his spine. "For tampering with the law, first degree murder, justice by own hands, trespassing royal property, attempt of murder, drinking, relative of war criminal and disturbing the peace. Reward: 500 000 bits."

He looked over the other poster.

"Wanted. Pinkamena DianePie, a.k.a., Cupcake Killer, Bloody Mare, The Cannibal of Ponyville." The last nickname made him feel sick. "For tampering with the law, first, second and involuntary degree murder, cannibalism, torture, kidnapping, attempted murder, black market activity (organ selling), and disturbing the peace. Reward: 90 000."

The official was terrified with the mare looking at him from the poster with a killing expression towards him. He looked back at Mane's poster and checked back the accusations and rewards.

"Captain Shining..?"

"Yes?"

"Isn't there a mistake..?" The colt dared to ask.

"What do you mean 'a mistake'?" Shining was intrigued.

"Why is her reward lower than his, justifying the list of accusations? Fuck, I mean..." The official sneered disturbed. "Look at her list!"

"Major... look back into his nickname, and a certain accusation."

"'The Last Sombra'." He read again and looked back into the list. "'Relative of war criminal...'"

He looked back to Shining, who was waiting for him to realize what was going on there, and his expression got serious.

"Are you telling me... that King Sombra had a son..?" He asked in a paused voice.

"No, but close... Mane is simply his nephew. We don't have or didn't find any information or lead to the rest of his family,besides this." Shining grabbed his glass and took a gulp of wine. "Rumors say he was supposed to be Sombra's sucessor."

"Captain, explain me this." He looked back to the accusation list. "'Justice by own hands.'" He read again clearly. "What? He tried to revenge his uncle?"

"No, but something way more off. He's a vigilante, a goddamn bounty hunter! He has killed the most wanted criminals around Canterlot's zone and Ponyville."

"That's something, but... I don't mean to go against your arguments, but I think he's doing something good. I mean, he killed the most wanted one by the law like you said."

"That his the army's business!" Shining punched the table. "We didn't give any permission for him to do It, and he keeps doing!"

"Tell me something then." He waved Pinkamena's poster in the air. "What is her part here?"

"They are working together for some freak reason."

"And why did you showed me this, after all?"

"They are in your city, plotting something." The answer made the major open his eyes in shock. "Now let me ask you again. Did any of your soldiers saw them?"

"We got a report that Pinkamena was the only witness in the first murder with a pistol."

"Was she the cause?" Shining leaned forward over the table, eager for the answer.

"Not at all. She gave a precise description of the murderer and the whole scene."

"Hmm..." Shining rested his back in the chair again. "Weird..."

"So... what do you have in mind about this?" The major asked while resting the posters on the table.

"Inform your troops about them, and scatter copies of these posters all around town, we must catch these two maniacs before something happens."

They finished the wine bottle, stood up from their seats and saluted. The major left Shining's tent, leaving him alone, and stared at the posters , looking at the well made drawings of their faces with big wish to catch them soon and be glorified by his work, catching two of the most wanted on Equestria would be written in his history and the books about law and Equestrian greatest deeds.

The more he stared at Mane's poster, more he clenched his fist in desperation to catch him. Shining Armor standards, besides Mane get in the law's business without permission or care, were no matter what, all relative to the once warlord called King Sombra had to die, and Mane was the very last one of his bloodline, reasons to avoid another catastrophe that once was called reign of terror and a second battle to liberate the Crystal Empire.

"You escaped me once in this city, you won't escape twice..."