The train suddenly brakes jolting me awake from my nap. Opening my eyes I release a yawn as I look to the others in the train car, most of the Rangers are waking up as well following our last night of drinks before returning to the world or work. The girls from Ponyville look much better off than the rest of us, I was able to convince them all to join us but they had some restraint when it came to drinking for the night.

Rubbing the sleep from my eyes I hesitantly rise to my feet in an attempt to stretch my legs, after last night's sessions the only thing that got me up in the first place was Sunny and Colbalt ganging up and using their magic to literally drag me from my bed. With the train slowing to a crawl, I grab my luggage from overhead and look back to the others, "Come on guys, we're here."

Shuffling in his seat, Chaser grunts as he turns his back to me as he grumbles sleepily, "J-just five more minutes."

Rolling my eyes I slowly step up to him, folding my arms I loom over him as he tries to go back to sleep. Looking to the others I speak in a raised voice, "Chaser, what did I tell you about packing your fucking porn? It's fallen onto the bloody floor." This causes his head to quickly rise as he frantically looks towards the floor underneath the bags as a number of the Rangers start to chuckle.

Narrowing his eyes he leans back into his seat, "You evil bastard."

"I never said I was a saint." Moving back to my own bags I pick them both up and wait by the door as the train finally comes to a halt, as soon as the doors open up I step onto the platform. Rounding the corner of the train station I come to a stop as I see two guards in the Rangers uniform who I'm unfamiliar with.

As they both look to me the Pegasus comes to attention and salutes as the Earth pony mare steps up to me. Holding out her hoof she offers it to me, "Captain John Davies, I'm your new second in command. My name is Captain Hussar." The Captain has a coat the colour of pale sand with her chestnut brown mane tied back in a bun, as she holds her hoof out to me her aqua blue eyes seem to scan over me.

Taking hold of her hoof I give it a firm shake, "So what does this mean for Venture? He's no longer in charge of the Ponyville Guard?" Is it ironic that a pony in the military has the name Hussar, a term used for the light cavalry?

Shaking her head the Captain withdraws her hoof from my grip, "The Lieutenant will continue to run the Guard, that will be his primary role. I am here to help you with future operations, organising the Company and maintaining the unit during your absence. With the Company now full we will eventually need a garrison to house them all, for now, they're all remaining at their current postings. They've undergone the training requirement you set out and have been issued with the standard arms and uniforms of the Everfree Rangers."

"So there are Rangers scattered across the country? Doesn't that seem a bit... unorganised?"

"Perhaps, however we are using the opportunity to promote the Rangers across the Solar and Lunar Guard. Once the guards heard that the Everfree Rangers were recruiting many of them signed up, given its success in both the civil war and the defence of Ponyville, the Rangers are considered to be one of the new elite forces. Not to mention the cooperative efforts of the Rangers and the Griffonian military to combat the Children of the Motherland, the actions of the Rangers during the chemical attack has gained you large recognition in both the Griffonian and Equestrian military."

Switching my focus I glance to the Pegasus standing behind Hussar, immediately his appearance sticks out to me. Rather than having a coat made of a single colour, his coat appears to have a zebra pattern with the colours black and yellow. His eyes are a mustard yellow with his short-cropped mane and tail being a fire red. "And who are you?"

"Lance Corporal, Matrix. Captain Hussar has allocated me to fill the gap in your squad, sir." His accent immediately strikes me as familiar, not because I've heard him speak before but because I recognise the regional accent. He sounds like a Yorkshireman. It's about time there was somebody else with a similar accent to me, I knew I couldn't have been the only Brit in this world.

Cocking a brow I rest my bag by my feet, "Two questions. One, where are you from? And two, what is with the weird coat pattern?"

"I would have thought both of those would have been obvious. I'm from Trottingham and I'm part Zebra, my mum is a Zebra" -His eyes briefly flick to Hussar who seems to be looking at him with mild irritation. When he looks back to me his posture stiffens- "Sir."

I hold my hand up dismissively to him, "If you're going to be in my squad then you'll have to learn that I don't care for formalities when you address me. Why were you picked anyways?"

Before he can respond, Hussar steps in, "He was... transferred from another unit. Major Vanguard transferred him from his previous unit, he thought as you were both engineers you'd be able to 'mentor him.' Well.. that and the fact that he always seems to find himself trouble in the other units."

Groaning Matrix shakes his head, "I don't need mentoring, besides just because the Captain is an Engineer doesn't mean he knows anything about demolitions and explosive ordinance."

I fold my arms as I chuckle, "I'm an ATO, my whole engineering profession was around explosives and bombs."

With a sly grin, Matrix steps up to me, "I'm pretty certain I still don't need somepony to show me how to do my job. I'm trained and experienced, I know what I'm doing."

Shaking my head I look down at him, "Okay, if you're so smart then let's see how good you are. I've taken a bullet to the gut, I'm screaming my lungs out yelling for my mum. It's just you with a box full of supplies. The enemy army is approaching from the other side of the river, how are you going to neutralise the bridge to stop them from overrunning us?"

Stepping up to the challenge he looks to me with a cocky expression, "I use the explosive charge provided and secure it in position with clay."

"Where?"

"On the structures weakest points."

"Are you going to make sure all of those points go off at once?"

"Yes."

"Cause if you don't the bridge might not come down."

"I'll make sure."

"How?"

"I'll cut exact lengths of electric cable."

"Any air bubbles in the clay?"

"No."

"Is the explosive secured and dry?"

"Yes."

"So, exact lengths of electric cable-"

"-Attach the cords to the electric cable and clay at one end and to the exploder on the other, push down on the exploder and boom... neutralise the bridge." Matrix raises his eyebrows as he watches me with a cocky smirk.

Matching his grin I hold a finger up, "You forgot about the part where you drag me to safety. But apart from that, very good."

"I told you I know what I'm doing."

Picking up my bag I start to walk past him, "You may know how to blow up a bridge, but something tells me that was never the issue. As long as you don't get into too much trouble I'm sure we won't have any major issues." Hussar and Matrix quickly fall in alongside me as we start to make our way back to the barracks.

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Releasing a frustrated growl I run my fingers through my hair as I slump forward over my desk, "How can one person get so many fucking letters in two months?" The surface of the desk was littered with sealed letters, a large number of them being from various military units requesting information about the development of our weapons and armour.

Lowering her book, Hussar glance to me from her seat, "Two months is a long time to be away from home. I'm sure there isn't that many."

Lifting my head I clear my throat as I pick up a stack of open letters, "So far I've opened around fifty of them, I don't even think I'm halfway through them yet. I've had offers from local stalls and businesses, musicians asking about the music of my world wanting to study it, communications from other officers in other units. Let's not forget my personal favourite, an invitation to a photo shoot for the yearly exotic creatures edition of Playpony."

Cocking a brow Hussar rests the book on the chair before walking up to me, "You've actually got a letter from Playpony?" Nodding I sift through the pile of opened letters until I find the one in question. Holding it out to Hussar she takes hold of it and quickly scans through the letter, a smirk creeping across her lips as she gets towards the end. "Well... you're certainly on the radar it seems."

"So it seems, for whatever reason."

"So... that means you haven't heard the rumours?" Cocking a brow I lift my head to look to Hussar, "You haven't heard what the mares have been saying about you?"

"...No. Why? What have they been saying?"

Giving me the letter back she makes her way back to her seat, "Just the usual gossip, mostly just speculations about how you... well, you know." When she notices me resting back in my seat with a blank expression she releases a slight groan, "...Rut, I've heard a number of the mares in the unit, and elsewhere, trying to guess your abilities in the bedroom."

Laughing I shake my head as I collect the next letter, "Well, they're not going to find out."

"Oh, I didn't know you were gay." Freezing I quickly lift my head and glare as her, "What? There's nothing wrong with it."

"No... they're not going to find out because I already have a girlfriend."

A mild blush surfaces on her cheeks as she once again lifts her book, "Oh, my bad."

As she goes back to her book I decide to continue with the rest of the letters. Lifting the next envelope I look to the seal and notice Luna's royal stamp. When did she send me this? Why'd she send me a letter while I was away? Peeling it open I take out the parchment inside and unfold it, as I do this a golden ticket drops out and lands on my lap. When I pick the ticket up I realise that it's another ticket for the Gala, this time though it's being held in July. "Why is the Gala earlier this year?"

"The Gala changes every year, with each year it's held during a different season which changes the theme. Last year it was held in autumn, this year it will be summer. It goes in a circuit so next year will be spring followed by winter."

"So this year it's going to be boiling hot? Great... I hate the heat, give me freezing temperatures over blistering heat any day of the week." Getting up from my seat I rest the tickets and letter on the desk, "Come on, lets actually get to some work." Holding the door open I wait until Hussar leaves the office before following her. As we make our way down to the basement we pass a number of the local Guards who all stop to salute us as we pass them.

Moving through the lower level we find a few guards carrying out admin in the main armoury, what catches my eye is the fact that they're examining ammunition which appears slightly different from our usual .303 rounds. The casing has a thin purple stripe circling around the width of the casing, the bullet itself also looks to be a darker material compared to the usual metals we used. Deciding it would be best to ask our WISWO I enter the lab to find Dawnstar examining some of the new bullets closely.

Clearing my throat she fails to notice our presence. Reaching for the door I slam it shut creating a resounding bang causing her to drop the bullet as she releases a sudden yelp. Regaining her composure she rests the bullet back in its original position before moving up to me, "Did you really have to do that?"

Shrugging I join her in the centre of the room, "I was testing how observant you were to your surroundings, you failed by the way."

Shaking her head she glances back to her work, "I've been able to make plenty of new designs and some improvements for you whilst you were away, I take it that is why you're here?"

"Yeah, also to see how you've been. It's been two months and the first thing you go into is work?"

"Oh... sorry," She smiles sheepishly. "I'm just... not exactly used to interacting with other ponies, or humans in your case. I've always been happy to dive straight into my work, I'm more comfortable with research then I am with interacting with others."

"It's fine, don't worry. Though I reckon it wouldn't do you any harm to come upstairs tonight and see everyone again, I'm sure they'll want to see you."

Pausing Dawnstar looks to the floor before her eyes meet mine again, "I-I'll think about it."

Glancing back to Hussar I raise a hand to her, "Before I forget, this is-"

"-Captain Hussar," Dawnstar interrupts. "I know, she's been in town for a couple of weeks now."

Chuckling, Hussar steps past us and leans against one of the tables, "Did you think I lingered at the train station just waiting for you to turn up? I have been working whilst you were enjoying the Crystal Empire."

Rubbing my face I move to the workstation, "I'm still tired so don't expect my brain to be working properly." Reaching the new bullet I look back to Dawnstar, "Why don't you go over what you've been up to? But, try to keep the technical jargon to a minimum for today."

Joining me at the workstation, Dawnstar quickly jumps straight in as she points to the new bullet. "First things first, with the war games being held next week I had to design a new form of munition which could be used in a safe environment with a basic duelling spell. We couldn't just cast a duelling spell on the standard ammunition, the materials it was constructed from along with the force behind the bullet meant that it would still pierce flesh and armour. That is where these new munitions come into play."

Lifting the cartridge she rotates it in her magic allowing me to examine the bullet itself. "The bullets are developed using a variety of rubbers, they are designed to resemble the standard .303 rounds, the only difference is the amount of powder contained within the casing and the materials of the bullet. In combination with the reduced gunpowder and the duelling spell the standard .303's still proved to be unaffected by the spell, this prompted me to develop a new bullet made of softer materials which lacked the capacity to penetrate armour and flesh. These three factors combined provide us with a non-lethal round, I refer to it as the rubb-"

"-Rubber bullet," I finish it off for her causing Dawnstar to look to me in surprise. "We have rubber bullets back on Earth, used for non-lethal situations such as riot control. I just have one issue, though. These can still be lethal in certain situations, being shot with one of these at close range will still cause some serious damage."

"That is where the duelling spell comes into play. With the use of the spell and other arcane enchantments I have been able to reduce the risk of severe injury, the spells work in such a way that the bullet's force is drastically reduced on impact with its target. You'll still feel the round impacting against flesh and armour, but it will feel more like a kick then a gunshot."

Taking hold of the bullet, Hussar balances it on the end of her hoof, "So you expect us to run around and shoot one another with these rounds?"

"Well, how else would you be able to use your rifles in training situations?" Dawnstar replies.

"Are you certain it's safe?"

Nodding, Dawnstar levitates a rifle from a nearby table and loads the round into the chamber. Taking a step back she points to a free spot in the room, "John, would you mind?"

My eyes widen as I glance to the rifle, "Fuck that! I'm not agreeing to be shot again. Last time it was Luna, now you want to shoot me."

"Come on, John. How else will you know this will work on the field?" Dawnstar pleas.

Stepping between us, Hussar points to Dawnstar, "If you're so certain that it's safe, why don't you volunteer to get shot?"

With a momentary pause, she passes the rifle to me before moving towards the open space in the room. I clasp onto the rifle as we watch Dawnstar levitate a small metal mask and goggles towards herself, it appears to have a mesh design allowing for ventilation whilst still offering some form of protection. Once they're secured she stands tall as she looks to me, "Just... don't aim for the face."

Aiming the rifle I line up the sights with her central mass, my eyes keep flicking up to her as I expect her to suddenly cry out for me not to shoot. Seeing no signs of hesitation I flick the safety off the rifle before squeezing the trigger.

PHAT

The round impacts with her chest causing her to take a few involuntary steps back, a red spot quickly forming where I hit her to indicate that the round would have killed her. With a slight hiss, Dawnstar removes the mask and goggles from her face before resting them on the table. "See... it won't cause any serious injuries. There are a few drawbacks to performance though."

Lowering the rifle I eject the cartridge, "Such as?"

"The range has been drastically reduced. After testing the rifles to their maximum potential I found that the Mk 1's have an effective range of five-hundred meters, with the training rounds it's drastically reduced to two-hundred meters."

Sighing I rub my hair, "That's still better than the new spears the Solar Guard have developed. We'll be able to engage them at twice the distance before they can engage us. Have you got anything else for us?"

Smiling, Dawnstar levitates a small crate over with my helmet without its cover resting on the lid. Passing my helmet to me I notice the once olive green material has been painted a jet black to match with our uniforms. "I've been able to replicate your helmet to provide our unit with better protection, especially since they had no protective headwear."

Flipping open the box she levitates a new helmet out and passes it to Hussar. The helmet appears to be made of the same material as mine except it has been styled differently. Small openings have been left to allow the wearer's ears to remain unobstructed to allow them to effectively hear one another on the battlefield. The main shape of the helmet resembles my Mk 7 with the only exception being at the neckline, the shape of the rear provides additional protection to the neck of the wearer similar to the German stahlhelm.

As Hussar puts on the helmet, Dawnstar begins to explain. "With our necks being exposed we needed to develop some additional protection from shrapnel but still maintained the light weight of your material. This design allows full mobility, allowing the wearer to have full head and neck movement without having the helmet digging into the flesh or catching on our armour. The last batch is due to be completed tomorrow, we'll issue every soldier in the unit with the new helmets to ensure they're ready for the war games next week."

Smirking I ruffle Dawnstar's mane, "Good work. You did really good."

With a sheepish smile she slowly moves my hand away, "Thank you, I have some other projects on the go but they're not going to be completed for a while. I think you'll benefit greatly from the new armour design."

"What have you got?"

Reaching over the desk she drags a schematic over to me showing the outline of a human and a pony, on their limbs I can see what appears to be some sort of plate armour. "I've started to design this to help protect the soldiers on the field, your armour protects your organs yet leaves all of your limbs exposed. This is a simple design, small steel plates are layered over one another to allow full movement of your arms and legs yet provide protection from bladed weapons. I'll look into finding a strong yet lightweight material which is up to the task. The one advantage we have over the Solar Guards is the weight of our equipment. We may as well keep it that way."

Chuckling I pick up a full rifle magazine from the table which is filled with the training rounds, "That, along with better combat range, training and tactics. I'm sure we'll win these games. I'll leave you to it, Dawnstar. Keep up the good work WISWO."

As I start to leave the room, Hussar calls to me, "I'll catch up with you soon, John. I want to check on some more of Dawnstar's work."

Shrugging I grasp onto the door handle, "Suit yourself." Moving through the door I make my way down the corridor and head back upstairs onto the main floor. Before I start to ascend the stairs towards my office I come to a stop as my stomach grumbles violently, since I woke up this morning I've been without any sort of food. Changing course to the kitchen I move through the door into the main lobby where I quickly come to a stop, standing in the main entrance is Crimson with a large duffle bag rested at her hooves.

Looking up to me she shuffles her hooves slightly, "H-hello." After a brief pause, she raises her hoof and holds it out to me.

Glancing to her hoof I slowly push it down to her surprise, instead I move close to her and kneel down to pull her in for a hug. Initially, she's hesitant but soon she rests her head against my shoulder, "It's good to have you back. It hasn't been the same without you." Releasing my grip on her, I rise back to my feet.

Reaching underneath her armour she presents me with a file, "The doctors have said I'm able to return to active duty... if you'll have me."

Taking hold of the files I don't even look to them as I place them underneath my arm, "Of course we'll have you back. I'm sure everyone will be thrilled that you're back with us." Lowering my head I rest my hand on my hip, "How was the funeral? I wish we could have come back to have given Comet a proper send-off."

With her gaze dropping her muzzle scrunches up as her eyelids clamps shut, "It was... difficult. I still don't think I'm ready to say goodbye."

Nodding my head I rest a hand on the side of her neck, "I know it isn't easy, losing a friend, but we'll do everything we can to help you. You can come and see me anytime you want."

"I-I just need to get back to work... take my mind off it."

"I understand, better to keep your mind focused on something else. Drop off your kit in your room and head down to see Dawnstar and Captain Hussar, I'm sure they could find something for you to keep you busy. We'll be away next week for the war games against Shining Armor and the Solar Guard, we'll be doing nothing all week except preparing our equipment."

"Okay, I'll go see them." Picking up her duffle bag she throws it over her back as she heads to the main corridor.

"Hey..." I call out to her as she opens the doorway. "I meant what I said, it's good to have you back."

With a soft smile, Crimson turns back to the door, "Thank you." Once she's made her way through and the door shuts behind her I continue to head for the kitchen.

Welcome home, Crimson.