“Alright so the first shipment of suger, rubber and wine will arrive in three weeks, Make sure you have the shipment of Apples, flour and gems are ready” Danse said as he stepped out if the tent before looking to Vadik who was currently mobbed by several young mares and Colts which caused the King to chuckle. “Vadik!, come here, if you may” He gestured as Vadik managed to get free of group and approached the Caribou.

        “Yes Danse?” Vadik asked moments before a pink mare hugged him from the side. “Diamond I'll be back over there in a sec” He said as the mare nodded before releasing him which earned a chuckle from Danse.

        “Cute, I hear you are a mercenary, is this correct?” Danse asked as Vadik nodded. “Good, I have a job for you” He said as he pulled a photo from beneath his chest plate and handed it to the man. Vadik looked at the picture to see two white young Caribou, one he recognised by the red mane to be Danse but didn't recognise the Doe next to him. “I need you to find my sister, i know she has been purchased by a pony noble and is somewhere in Canterlot, Ponyville or The Crystal Empire… I want you to find her and see if your sorceress can help her mind” He said as Vadik looked at Nymph for a moment.

      “I believe she has dabbled in psychology.” Vadik said as Danse nodded.

        “Good, now i need an invoice” He asked as Vadik turned and whistled to Vincent, who came running over.

         “What do ya need laddy? “ The Dwarf asked.

           “Invoice for rescuing a Princess, and one for baby sitting a Princess” Vadik said as Vincent opened his rucksack and began feeling around.

           “how do you know you'll get the right piece of paper?” Danse asked.

            “This is an Infinite bag of holding, he just has to think about what he wants and…” Vadik was saying before Vincent pulled out two forms before handing them to Vadik, who passed them to Danse.

        “gold? In gold bars?” Danse asked.

         “No, you see where we come from it goes a hundred copper coins into one silver coin, and a hundred silver coins into a gold coin” Vadik explained as Danse nodded.

        “Right so roughly seventy thousand bits?” He asked as Vadik nodded. “Buck… that's cheap for the type of job” He said before folding the forms and putting them beneath his armour. “Alright the deal is struck” He said producing a small crystal from his pocket and handing it to Vincent. “This is a signal crystal, you place I against my sister's body and it will signal me that you have found her” He said as Vincent nodded before putting it into his bag.

      “Until we meet again Danse” Vadik said as the two bowed their heads, which Danse returned the gesture.

      “Yes… ALRIGHT CARIBOU, MARCH NORTH!” Danse ordered as the army began to march, soon leaving only the recently freed slaves, Celestia and the Band of Mercenaries.

        “Nymph can you open a portal to Ponyville?” Vadik asked as both Vincent and Keira burst out laughing.

          “Um is that the place half a mile east of your house?” She asked as Vadik nodded. “Alright” She said inhaling her staff slightly into the ground before channelling her magic into it.

            “What are you doing? Most of Ponyville most likely knows that you are a murderer” Celestia said to the man as she came out of the tent with a small folder.

              “Do I look like a give a flying fuck?” He asked her without looking to her which caused her to frown sadly moments before a large gold portal opened up “Alright, everyone follow me through” He said as he stepped through the portal first.

(Ponyville)

         “Are you bucking kidding me Rarity! Celestia told us a few moments after Twilight told us, that She was wrong and you still told Everypony!” Rainbow Dash shouted as the group were sitting down to have a picnic.

         “Well what would you have me do? Not tell Everypony that Vadik is a murderer? Even if the princess is unsure?” She asked the cyan mare.

          “Yes!, what if you are wrong and he is innocent? Did you think of that?” Rainbow Dash asked Rarity who frown and shook her head. “Right well we have to…” Dash was saying before a large booming sound cut her off. “What the Buck was that?” She asked looking around to see a large portal.

       “Ah got ah bad feelin’ ‘bout this” Applejack said moments before Vadik stepped out of the portal in almost full plate save for his head, the armour on his form was coated in blood causing Rarity to look to Rainbow Dash moments before Dash and AppleJack darted towards Vadik in order to subdue him only to be stopped when a group of Ponies, Diamond Dogs, Zebras, female Caribou and bat ponies exited the portal shortly after him along with three other armoured figures and princess Celestia.

       “What's going o… Barb!!” Twilight screamed as she teleported and hugged the Dragoness.

         “Applebloom!”

          “Sweetie!”

           “Scoots!”

      Several voices screamed before the mares were hugged by their siblings and friends, the commotion soon attracted the rest of the town folk, who quickly found missing loved ones and embraced them while avoided Vadik like the plague.

        “I trust you to look after the others?” Vadik said to Celestia, who nodded hesitantly before Vadik, Keria, Vincent and Nymph made their way towards the Everfree.

          “Vadik!” A familiar voice called out before the man was side tackled by a grey Pegasus mare.

           “Ow” He groaned as he was bear hugged by a familiar crook eyed mare.

            “Thank you for saving my Dinky” She said nuzzling him.

             “Thank the other three more, I just mostly dealt with the slavers” he said as Ditzy looked at Keira, Nymph and Vincent with wet eyes.

              “Thank you, I… I don't know what I would have done without my Dinky” She cried as Keria hugged her tightly.

            “All in a day's work lass” Vincent said as he helped Vadik to his feet. “But we best be off before the town call the guard” Vincent recommended as the three other mercenaries nodded and headed into the forest.

(Several Hours later)

        It was quiet around the tree house, Rainbow Dash had managed to move her house away which managed to allow a large amount of sunlight into the clearing, Nightmare Moon was busy explaining the different laws and history to Nymph in the lounge room, Vincent was currently behind the house digging a large tunnel into the rock wall for a reason that Vadik didn't know, Keira was carving up the Ria-gin and freezing large amounts of it for later and finally Vadik was in the forge fixing up his armour as it was loose during the battle they returned from.

        “I see so the leather strap broke here… okay then” Vadik muttered as he removed the broken strap and replaced it before trying on the chest piece and stretching in it to see if it was loose. “Nope it's good now” He said removing the chest plate and placing it on a rack before exiting out of the forge to see a small group of people setting up tents in the clearing.

      “Oi what's going on!” Vadik called out gaining the attention of the five individuals that Vadik quickly recognized as some of the people his friends and him rescued.

        “H-hello sir, we were just setting up s-somewhere to sleep as the ponies were not pleased to see us and gave us the c-cold shoulder” a Diamond Dog female explained as Vadik looked at the group.

        “Fine, pack up all of your stuff and come with me” He said as the ex prisoners quickly packed up and followed the man into the Tree house to find Nymph and Nightmare passed out with empty wine glasses in their hands. “You are kidding me” Vadik asked no one in particular before heading to a door that lead to a basement. Once he descended he discovered several beds already set up. “I get the feeling that Vincent knew” Vadik said as he stepped away from the doorway just as the five entered and looked around. “This will be temporary until Vincent and I can fix something up for you lot… but at least it is warm and dry in here, also there is a bathroom through that door and you are welcome to the kitchen” He said pointing things out.

        “Thank you” they said suddenly hugging the Mercenary.

         “If there is anything we can do to repay your kindness, please tell us” a Caribou Doe said as Vadik nodded before he managed to get free from the embrace.

          “Sure, I'll think of something” He said before heading back up the stairs to see a dirty covered Dwarf standing on a stool washing his hands in the sink. “So I'm guessing you are digging out a cavern for our new guests?” Vadik asked as the Dwarf nodded.

     “ai, thought they needed somethin’ after what they went through” Vincent said as Vadik smiled and patted him on the back.

      “You have been thinking about Lelo again?” Vadik asked as his Dwarf friend nodded and sighed. “Go upstairs and shower, I'll take a look at your progress and get some lumber” He said as Vincent nodded and hopped down from his stool just as Keira came in with a large tray of meat.

       “So seeing as the group of ex-slaves are gone, do I have to cook for them or not?” Keira asked.

        “Yea they are downstairs” Vadik said as Keira nodded.

         “Alright, so what do they eat?” She asked as she cleaned the blood off her hands.

         “Well there are three Caribou and two diamond dogs” Vadik said as he sipped a glass of water “So three vegetation meals and two normal”.

          “huh I thought there were more deers and dogs” Keira said as she opened the fridge and pulled out plenty of vegetables.

          “There were but majority of the slaves were transported home… it's just that we can't really go home” a tan doe said as she entered the kitchen.

           “And why not?” Keira asked as she looked the doe up and down.

          “Because Ruby and Sapphire are daughters of the Slaver Boss so they would be arrested and imprisoned for his crimes, and Abi, Tay and myself lost our homes when King Daine executed our partners for the stupid reason of not putting us in our place” She said sadly as she looked down before she felt a hand on her shoulder causing her to look up at Vadik smile sadly at her.

         “Well you lot are welcome to stay as long as you like” Keira said as she munched on a bit of capsicum.

          “B-but we can't just leach off of you” She said.

           “hmm how about you lot help with the cleaning and look after the place when we at out on mission?” Vadik suggested.

              “So maids?” She asked as Vadik frowned.

               “Yea stupid idea i…” He didn't get to finish before the doe stopped him.

              “Deal” She said smiling softly “And my name is Triss” She said smiling as Vadik nodded before he was hugged again by the doe.

               “What is with this place and hugging?” He asked causing Triss to blush moments before a loud knocking was heard. “And who could that be?” He muttered before approaching the door and opening it only to be tightly hugged b a familiar blue Pegasus. “Why are you hugging me?” He asked her.

        “I'm sorry” Dash whimpered.

        “For?” He asked confused.

          “i tried to attack you before I realised that you rescued Scoots, I'm suppose to be the Element of Loyalty and look what I have done, I have distanced myself without talking to you… Princess Celestia explained your history to Ponyville… I'm so sorry” She said as she sniffled before squeaking loudly as Vadik wrapped an arm around the mare’s backside and lifted her up his form until she was face to face with him.

        “Don't be sorry, it's the usual response when people hear of me, they run or beg for their life if they are not trying to hire my friends and Me, the fact that Celestia told you lot about my past without my consent annoys me but if it means that I won't get run outta town, then I guess it's fine” He said as his free hand moved her mane off her face. “And besides, I'm not going anywh…. Mmph” Vadik didn't get a chance to finish as he felt Rainbow Dash press her lips roughly against his causing him to blush brightly for a moment before she pulled away.

       “May I stay with you?... just for tonight?” She asked him as Vadik looks over his shoulder to see both Triss and Keira smirking at him.

         “Sure” He said as he walked inside and closed the door behind him.