We shuffled through through the sky docks rapidly, passing catwalks, landing pads, and other gigantic airships. The people of the place showed slight interest in us, but were obviously on a schedule to perform their jobs, so they didn't stop to gawk at the sight of an Equestrian princess being led about in chains. Or, maybe they didn't even realize what she was. I was willing to bet that Equestria was not a huge topic of conversation here. To these busy workers, we were probably just some random ponies, far away from home.

Around us, many of the Silenians wore mechanic uniforms and hurried about with tool boxes and other equipment. Although they were prevalent, they were not the only species present. I noticed some bipedal felinoids and other creatures I hadn't seen before as well, although I was rather distracted from close observation by the chains on my body rattling with my every step. Even so, I noticed several of the numerous warships in the docks had sustained heavy damage, and there was a general air of urgency in their repair operations.

Eventually, we passed outside of the busy and gigantic docking hangar structure. The large doors we walked through led to a wide entry square before a noisy street. The square itself had been fashioned into a rather pretty area with trees in planters and benches surrounding a central clock. The effect was pleasant, although the curious stares we garnered from Silenians resting upon said benches were more embarrassing than pleasant.

Finally our captors halted us at the curbside of the wide cobblestone street just beyond the entry plaza. In the road, strange cars trundled back and forth, and there were even a few Silenians on horseback.

"Interesting," James said softly. "Never saw any of those in Equestria."

I looked up at the beady, dumb eyes of a nearby piebald stallion, his rider a soldier chatting cheerfully with a young Silenian girl carrying a basket of bread. I suppose this is what a human feels like looking into the eyes of a chimpanzee, except that the chimp is probably smarter than the horse I was eyeballing with distaste. "They're about as common in Equestria as apes are in America," I told James quietly, wrinkling my nose at the unpleasant animal odor drifting my way from the beast. Not that I'd ever been to America, but I had watched a lot of movies.

"I didn't mean to make a comparison," he began, apologetically. I guess my tone had been a little more edgy than I'd intended.

"Shut up." His guard yanked his chain slightly in a half-assed reprimand.

"It's okay," I whispered. "I didn't take it that way."

"Both of you shut up." My guard rattled my own chain.

We shut up and continued to eyeball the street. While we gawked at the interesting scene of strange cars and old style buildings, a nearby vehicle trundled towards us. It was not much different from a bus, but it had a boiler instead of the typical flat automotive engine hoods I'd grown familiar with Earthside. The wheels looked like they belonged on a carriage, with metal spokes and some rubbery substance attached to them. Steam hissed out of the wheel pistons at intervals while it ground to a stop, but in keeping with the general lack of pollution or smog here, I didn't see any smoke coming out anywhere. The doors popped open, and the driver stared at us with undisguised curiosity, his beady eyes glowing brightly.

"Get in," the guard leader ordered.

"Watch your step," the driver cautioned us.

We did, clopping along the wooden floor to find bench seats in the old-fashioned passenger compartment. It reminded me of nothing so much as a passenger train car with a built-in locomotive and no tracks. We ended up each sitting across from our guards, who continued to hold our leashes, although they hung slack due to the close proximity. Sitting down carefully, I grit my teeth and tightened my legs. I'd seen the not-so-smooth street, and I expected the poorly cushioned benches were not going to be kind to my tail end once the vehicle began to move.

"Take us to the castle," the lead guard told the driver.

"Got it, enjoy the ride!" the driver exclaimed cheerfully, whistling happily as he pulled levers. At least someone was having a good day.

With a hiss of steam and a lurch, we were off. There must have been some pretty springy suspension in the bus's undercarriage, because the compartment bobbed up and down like a boat, which was definitely preferable to having the cobblestones pound the wooden seats into our butts the whole way.

I sighed with some relief and unclenched my taut rear end in the absence of the expected ass beating.

"So, what are-" I began.

"Keep your mouths shut until we get there," the lead guard said sternly.

I shut my my mouth, my cheeks feeling hot with embarrassment. I knew it wasn't my fault, but I still had the feeling of a school child being sat in the corner in front of the class for misbehavior.

Cadance's sympathetic look did much to ease my undeserved shame.

"You're gonna enjoy the prison," Mia's guard hissed at her. "They don't much care what you look like, there. They just be lookin' for a hole to jam it in." He chuckled vilely. "I hope you like being raped by three or four at once, pink-hair!!"

"Good," Mia whispered back. "I imagine it would take at least three or four needledicks like yours before I'd even begin to feel anything." She popped a kiss at him.

Her captor turned red with anger, but before he could reply, the lead guard tapped him on the shoulder.

"That goes for you too, Bungole," he growled. "Shut your filthy yapper until I tell you to speak."

Mia's face went crooked from barely suppressed laughter. I caught her eye, shaking my head while I strained to keep from snickering at the soldier's unfortunate name myself. Cadance managed to hide her own mirth by inhaling deeply and exhaling somewhat shakily. Maybe someone else wouldn't have noticed, but I knew her well enough by now to tell she was trying not to lose it.

The rest of the ride went by in silence. It wasn't too long, maybe five or ten minutes, before we pulled up to an imposing castle on a hill near the center of the city.

The bus entered the courtyard through a guarded gate which closed behind us, and we were led up a long flight of stone steps, where additional guards let us into the building, and down a hall to a final, grand door.

"The Commander is ready to see you," one of the guards said, opening the final door for us.

Inside was a grand throne room. We moved silently on plush carpet, approaching the throne itself, which sat empty up above us at the top of a flight of steps. At the bottom of the steps sat a wide desk, and behind the desk sat a unicorn with a broken horn and a long scar running down her angular face. She looked to be quite busy, focused on a large map spread across the huge table in front of her. Beside her, a roundish creature like a large hedgehog took notes when she spoke in low tones, and occasionally grabbed bites from a tasty-looking pie slice sitting on a small plate at his corner of the table.

"Omgosh! Wow! it's Tempest Shadow!" Mia told us in a stage whisper, hopping back and forth while her manacles clanked noisily. "And Grubber. Wow, wow! He exists too!" She looked thrilled, as if she'd momentarily forgotten we were being held in chains before this particular leader.

"Commander Shadow, look what we've brought!" our main captor announced.

"Wha-?"

The unicorn with the broken horn looked up at us, taking in our chains, and when her gaze swept to Cadance, her green eyes widened immensely.

"Princess Cadance? Here? What is this? Why is she chained? Was she committing a crime?"

"Illegal breach of airspace, ma'am. Their dirigible crossed our border without approval, and-"

"That's all? No evidence of other wrongdoing?"

"Y-yes? I mean yes, she wasn't don't anything else. I mean, no, no other criminal activity."

The unicorn sighed heavily. "Everyone, please leave us. Immediately."

Frightened by their commander's unusually subdued tone and behavior, the soldiers and guards practically fled the room, not wanting to be around to find out what was amiss. Grubber didn't leave, and Tempest Shadow did not repeat her order. Evidently such things did not apply to him. He stared at us with undisguised interest, munching pie at intervals.

Once we were alone, the hard-looking mare approached us, her expression an odd mixture of veiled fear and curiosity.

"Princess Cadance? Is that really you?"

"None other, Commander Shadow."

The Commander sucked in her breath. Her next question was rife with apprehension. "Why? Why are you here?"

Cadance appeared to choose her words carefully. "We are here to offer our friendship."

The unicorn seemed to start breathing again. "Friendship? You're not here to wage war against us?"

"Absolutely not."

"You know about the Storm King, then?"

It was Cadance's turn to look apprehensive. "Yes. Is he still in charge?"

Tempest Shadow shook her head. "No. It's just me, now. But he had been planning to attack Equestria. I feared you'd perhaps gotten wind of that, and come to preemptively wipe us out. Although you hardly have the appearance of a war party, I know the power of even a single Alicorn is immense."

"I assure you we are not here to cause you any trouble."

Tempest Shadow stared at Cadance for a moment, then sighed again. "I believe you. Equestrian princesses may be many things, but I do not believe lying about such a thing is your style." She produced a key, looked at it for a moment, then inserted it into the chains binding Cadance. In seconds, the Alicorn was free.

"Please, Princess, accept my sincere apologies for the disgraceful way in which you have been treated since your arrival. It is entirely my fault, I ordered my forces to use the strictest measures against intruders. These are dangerous times, you see. I never imagined someone such as you would come our way. I hope these unfortunate circumstances will not be the basis for... hard feelings between our nations." She paused a moment, frowning at herself. "Oh, hell. Politics aside, this was a shitty way to greet anyone. I'm really sorry for the misunderstanding. All my soldiers were basically pirates not that long ago. I've selected the most well-mannered and intelligent of them to be captains since, to help maintain order. Even so, they can be a bit, ah, uncouth, at times."

For a moment the two mares faced off, Tempest Shadow in her skin-tight black suit, and Cadance dressed exactly like me. Did I mention how good she looks in my outfit? I mean the outfit I picked would look good on any mare, but still.

Cadance eventually spoke. "Thank you, and apology not necessary, but accepted anyway," she nodded gently. "Let's just put it behind us, shall we?"

Tempest still looked troubled. "They dragged you through the streets in chains. Can you really forgive an insult like that?"

Cadance sighed and gently placed a hoof on Tempest's shoulder, who flinched visibly at the sudden contact, but didn't shy away. "I've already forgotten about it. I promise there will be no reprisal, it's not my style. But, if you wouldn't mind, could you free my companions as well?"

"Y-yes, of course." She took the key to each of us in turn, and the uncomfortable restraints clattered to the carpet.

"Thanks," James said, rubbing his wrists.

"Yes, thank you," Mia added, looking back and forth. "Is there a bathroom around here? I gotta pee something fierce."

That brought a small chuckle from Tempest. "Out that door, to the left. Then right. Then... Oh, you know what? Grubber, can you just show her?"

"Sure thing." The short guy took off, Mia in tow. He seemed a harmless enough fellow, so I wasn't particularly worried about her well-being. If Tempest had wanted to screw us over, she had plenty of opportunity before taking the restraints off. Removing chains goes a long way towards building trust in my book.

"By the way," Cadance told the unicorn, breaking the somewhat awkward silence after we watched Mia leave. "The captain who took us in did behave quite well. His actions protected us from the evident desire of certain ruffians to treat us in a, ahem, less than hospitable fashion. Your selection of leadership was sound."

"Thank you. It's been difficult," Tempest said thoughtfully. She looked over James and myself, finally paying us more than a cursory glance. "Would you care to introduce your friends?"

"Well, this is Agent Sky, of the Canterlot Advanced Sciences Division."

"Interesting. So you brought a scientist."

"More of a field researcher," I supplied helpfully.

"I see. I notice your friends are not exactly like any creatures I've seen here, and we have a rather wide assortment in the surrounding countries."

"They're my partners," I said. "I mean, my security detail. It's a long story. They've come quite a long way with me to visit here."

"Security detail?" Tempest looked confused. "I'm sorry, but they don't look especially fierce. And one is a female."

James rolled his eyes. "So are you."

"Yes, but you and her lack claws or fangs, or seemingly magic of any kind."

Feeling slightly offended by the mare questioning the abilities of my team, I answered somewhat huffily. "Well, we left our weapons on the dirigible as a gesture of goodwill."

"You brought weapons?"

Oops. Maybe I opened my big mouth too soon. "Uh, yeah?" I replied uncertainly, looking at Cadance worriedly. "We use them for personal protection."

"Interesting," Tempest said again. "Well. As I cannot spare the soldiers to provide you with a security detail, I suggest you all pick up your weapons at the earliest opportunity and carry them on your person at all times. As I said before, this place is not the safest, let alone during the current state of affairs."

Well, that went better than I had expected.

"In fact," the battle-scarred mare continued, "I recommend you all leave here as soon as possible and return to Equestria. I don't need a Princess getting hurt or killed out here. Alicorn or not, there are things afoot which it is better you do not encounter."

"I'm no stranger to danger," Cadance said, then grimaced at her own inadvertent rhyme.

"Stranger danger!" Mia announced, tripping cheerfully back into the room alongside Grubber.

Tempest wheeled to look at them.

"Everything come out alright?" Cadance asked, apparently forgetting her royal demeanor at the sight of her partner in crime.

"Oh you know, a drip, a drop, a plunger and a mop," Mia answered unabashedly. She stopped at the increasingly confused look on Tempest's face. "I'm kidding. I made it to the toilet."

"She's really quite nice," Grubber added, beaming up at Mia. "I'll be happy to do any more showing around you need."

Tempest shook her head. "I don't know what's happening, but I feel as if I am rapidly losing control of this situation."

"Say hello to Mia," I said, gesturing at my combination bodyguard/subordinate/girlfriend/personal sexual molester. "She just has that effect on people."

"What effect?" Mia asked, full of wide-eyed innocence. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"I never know whether to believe you or not when you say that," James mused.

"Okay, look, I want you guys out of the kingdom by nightfall," Tempest said, a hoof to her head. "I can't be babysitting a bunch of silly Equestrian cream puffs for however long you want to prance about-"

"I do not prance!" Cadance lied haughtily.

"I prance but I'm not Equestrian!" Mia protested indignantly. "I'm not sure if I'm a cream puff, though. Am I a cream puff, guys?"

Tempest scowled, ignoring Mia. "Fine, for however long you want to trip about lightly on your glossy hooves-"

"Your hooves are pretty glossy yourself!"

"That is beside the point, Princess. I am concerned for your safety. This is a rough city! This is not the place for dainty pony ladies to vacation!"

"I like your horn," Mia said tactlessly into the ensuing pause.

You could have heard a pin drop in the extended silence that followed.

Grubber stared at Mia, his eyes like sauce plates. He held both hands up in an easy to understand gesture. No! Stop!

Oh shit, this is how we end up back in chains and getting marched out of town, I thought. Damn it Mia. If I didn't love you so much I'd... I'd... I don't know what I'd do. I can't even imagine not loving you. I mentally sighed and waited to be thrown into a dungeon.

The silence dragged on and on. I'd never seen an expression quite like the one on the Commander's face. My soul withered inside me as her eyes narrowed. Here it comes. On the bright side, at least the situation can't possibly get any worse.

"And your scar too. It really gives you this like, sexy bad-girl look," Mia continued happily, digging the hole deeper than I had ever imagined possible.

We are so dead.

Tempest's jaw worked soundlessly, as if she couldn't find the words to adequately describe the depth of her feelings.

I felt my butthole puckering like I'd been doing something kinky with a slice of raw lemon.

"Do you... do you really think so?" she finally asked in an unexpectedly bashful voice.

"I sure do. You're very beautiful, you know that?"

"I-I... nobody ever told me anything like that in as long as I can remember." She sat down abruptly on her haunches. "Since I've been scarred and shattered, no one ever tells me I'm beautiful. Everyone just stares silently at my blemishes, judging me. Except you." She sniffed, gently wiping her nose with a steel-shod hoof.

"Hey, sometimes people think something, but are too scared to say it." Mia stepped forward and gave the Commander a hug. "I'm sure I'm not the only one who likes your looks."

"T-thanks. I never realized how much I wanted to hear something like that until you said it."

James, Cadance, and I simply gaped. A bit of pie slowly dropped from Grubber's open mouth.

"That just happened," James said.

Cadance just gave an incredulous shrug. "Is Mia a good luck mascot? Because I thought this was going to end very differently."

We watched the hug's length gradually extend past "friendly" and into "a bit more than friendly."

"Uh, um, okay," Tempest Shadow finally said, trying to get away from Mia. "Okay, you can let me go now. Please? I appreciate the sentiment, but I'm starting to feel a little uncomfortable with all the petting and rubbing."

"Sure you don't want to hug just a little longer?" Mia purred.

Tempest scooted back from her. "No, thank you, I'm good. I'll be sure to let you know if I want any more. Look, I tell you what, though. I'll let you guys stay here for a while." She turned to her assistant. "Grubber, find them some rooms please?"

He shook himself out of the open-mouthed trance he was frozen in. "Uh, yeah, right away!"

She looked back at us. "Don't get yourselves killed and make me regret this, okay? I really don't want to have to explain to Princess Celestia that one of her Alicorns accidentally died on my property."

"I absolutely promise I will do everything in my power to prevent any of us from being killed," Cadance replied. "Including myself. Cross my heart, hope to die- oh wait, that's exactly what I'm not supposed to do."

"And don't forget to take them back to their dirigible to pick up their weapons," Tempest added.

"About the dirigible," Cadance began, "There was some rather extensive damage to the front end..."

"Ah, yes, I heard. I'll set a team on repairing it. What caused it?"

"We had a run-in with some flying creature that decided to have a little fun with us."

"Oh. OH. One of those? Just one of the bizarre creatures we've had to deal with lately. Usually they remain in the ocean, where they're mostly harmless. They take to the skies when a storm passes by, to mate, it seems. You encountered one and lived to tell the tale? Perhaps I've underestimated your abilities. How exactly did you escape without being destroyed?"

"Agent Sky has some very unique skills," Mia stated gravely. "You could say she jerked us to safety."

I resisted the sudden powerful urge to kick her in the shins.

"I see," Tempest said, very obviously perplexed. "Well, perhaps you can teach some of those skills to us. We have lost several ships to these monsters."

I had no idea what to say to this. My face gradually turned red hot.

"I have a theory which may fend them off," Mia replied, smoothly saving me from the near-fatal levels of embarrassment she had only moments before thrust me into. "If you have anyone who can chemically analyze an organic sample."

"Maybe the alchemist guild," Tempest said thoughtfully. "Do you have the sample?"

"Here." Mia dug in her backpack. The Silenian guards had not removed them upon capturing us, probably because they were too lazy to carry them and didn't see us as much of a threat anyway. They'd left our ARHUDs alone too. I doubt they even knew what they were for, technology didn't seem very advanced in the electronics department here. If I was to hazard a guess, the Silenians were still running their city off a D/C power grid, which powered the filament electric bulbs well enough for their purposes. I felt a secret flush of pride in our technology, then a flush of strangeness when I realized I'd been thinking of human technology as if it were my own.

Then again, I'm a ProteC employee. Human or pony, we're all on the same team. I glanced at James and Mia, feeling that little rush of secret pride again.

While I quietly gloated over her, Mia handed a sample tube to Tempest Shadow, who held it gingerly in a hoof, looking distastefully at the sticky substance inside. "What is this stuff?"

"You don't wanna know. Just tell your chemists to isolate any pheromones they can find. I think they may function as a repellent."

"I'll see what they can do. Thanks." She carefully set the vial on the table, then glanced at the clock. "Oh, no. It's almost time for the logistics meeting! I apologize, but I have to send you to go get situated. Grubber! Don't leave yet."

"Whatever you say, Boss." He looked somewhat wistfully at Mia.

"I'd wanted to send you, Grubber, but I need you to take notes at this meeting." She thought for a moment, staring into space, then fixed on Princess Cadance. "Princess, would you mind terribly if I assigned Guard Captain Rango as your personal guide? I can also assigned an additional security detail for your protection."

Cadance nodded. "I would be pleased to have Captain Rango's company. I assure you we will be fine without additional security. I do not wish to be a burden."

Tempest bit her lip, looking uncertain.

"My current detail is skilled enough," Cadance insisted, nodding her head towards me. "They've defeated many monsters."

Maybe that was stretching the truth a bit, since Cadance herself had met us while bailing us out of trouble just a short time ago, but I wasn't about to question her judgement in front of Commander Tempest. I merely nodded my own head with as much confidence as I could manage.

Tempest narrowed her eyes at me, as if daring me to shy away. I narrowed my own and glared back, which apparently satisfied her. "Very well. And I have your word that any misfortune you encounter will not fall back upon my responsibility?"

"You have my word. I will inform my crew that if anything happens to me, you and your people are to be held blameless."

Hearing this agreement made me particularly uneasy, but I held my tongue and let Cadance do her thing. After all, she was the expert on foreign relations, being a Princess of Equestria and all, and I trusted her judgement. Mostly. I felt like Commander Tempest could be trusted too, but I didn't know her all that well, and I wasn't sure in the least about all the random, tough-looking Silenian people in the streets.

I caught James shooting me a glance, and I nodded back at him, not needing an exchange of words to understand his thoughts. We'd both be a lot more comfortable after retrieving our weapons from our dirigible.