For the most part, the Hunters didn't know what to expect when Celestia told them they were heading to Canterlot. They expected a train, maybe some kind of air transport.

They were partially right. A Solar Guard Chariot awaited them, and as they boarded, Standish eyed it with unease.

"Is something wrong?" Celestia asked.

"You sure this is safe?' he asked. "What happens if we fall?"

"That won't happen." Twilight said. "I've taken these plenty of times."

"Not very reassuring…" Lyle said quietly. Standish elbowed his partner as they sat down, and the Chariot took off into the sky with the Guards following.

====

"I have one reason as to why I'm liking this." Lyle said.

"What's that?" Standish asked.

"Check out this view." the Hunter replied. True to Lyle's word, the view of the surrounding plains was astounding. The dawn was coming, judging by the sky turning pale blue from dark purple. Standish smiled, before he started browsing on his wristpad. Peeling back the kevlar cover, he attempted to access the GPS function.

As he expected, there was no signal. Swearing under his breath, he set the cover back down and gave a moan of frustration.

"What's up?" Twilight asked.

"I was trying to access the GPS on my wristpad." Standish said, showing it to her. "As I thought, no signal."

"What's GPS?" Twilight asked.

"Global Positioning System." Standish said. "Back on Earth, we've got satellites in our planet's low orbit. GPS triangulates your location by using these satellites, and reflecting radio signals between them. Works as long as you have connection to the satellites themselves."

"Fascinating." Twilight said. "What other technological marvels has humanity developed?"

"Too many to count." Standish said. "Wireless radio, computers...god knows what else I can think of."

"You seem rather knowledgeable about this." Twilight said. "Why's that?"

"Before the Outbreak and the First Wave, I worked at a library." Standish said. "Reading was one of the main things I enjoyed doing to pass the time. Besides, when the Green Poison hit, a lot of public places closed for fear of spreading the infection."

Twilight nodded, seeing the logic.

"Did it work?" she asked.

"Not really." Standish replied. "The Green Poison spread too quickly, giving us the Quarantine we have now."

There was silence for the remainder of the ride, and as they landed, Celestia stood off to the side.

"What's she doing?" Paulson said.

"Raising the sun." Twilight said.

"Bullshit." Lyle said. "Planets revolve around a sun, there's no possible way…"

Celestia then bid the sun to rise, and it did, illuminating the sky.

"Seems that's possible here." Standish said.

"Celestia?" Lyle asked. "Make it do a figure eight. I want to be sure."

Celestia obliged, and the sun did a figure eight. Lyle stood silent, and then he sighed.

"Well, that's that." he said. "Goodbye, my understanding of the laws of physics."

Celestia snorted with laughter.

"Let's get moving." Standish said. "We don't have much time."

Ass they entered the Palace, they were greeted by another Alicorn known as Princess Luna.

"So you are the beings who saved Twilight Sparkle." she said. "I thank you."

"Not a problem, ma'am." Standish said as they all began to walk towards a private area of the castle. "We were passing through, decided to investigate."

Luna seemed unconvinced, but she didn't say anything. The Hunters, Twilight, Celestia, and Luna were brought to an office, and the Guards departed.

"Nopony enters until we are finished." Celestia ordered them. The Guards nodded, and shut the doors, sealing them inside.

"So, what's our plan?" Lyle asked. "These Traditionalists won't take care of themselves."

"True." Celestia said. "However, we can't attack them directly. The common folk supports Twilight's reforms, however many of the nobles do not. We need allies on both sides."

"Then who can we trust on the noble front?" Paulson asked.

"Fancy Pants and his wife, among few others." Luna said. "However, they are only five in total."

"Good enough for us." Standish said. "We'll handle protection, you handle the politics. As long as you can get those reforms passed, and we can keep Twilight safe, which we will, everything should be fine."

"I hope so, Standish." Celestia said. "However, there is still the fact that many of our guards have Traditionalist sympathies."

"I have a few ideas about that." Jacobs said. "Once I've thought them out, I'll get them to you ASAP."

"Right." Celestia said. "One last thing will be introducing you to the public and the greater portion of the Equestrian populace."

"Leave that to us." Standish said. "You set it up, we'll get it done."

"Very well." Luna said. "I'll alert the press that we'll be having a summit in three hours."

Celestia nodded, though she seemed nervous about the whole idea. As they exited the office, Standish activated his comms with the rest of his team.

"How're you all holding up?" he asked.

"Fine." Lyle said. "Does the mission still stand?"

"Affirmative." Jacobs replied. "We're all stocked on ammo, and our Tech is ready."

"Good." Standish said. "It's logical the Equestrians haven't developed gunpowder, let alone the necessary tools to repair firearms, so use them only if necessary. Stick to your SHD Tech and Axes for engagements."

"Understood." Paulson said. "What about GPS?"

"Still down." Standish replied. "There's no satellites, so no signal on our end. Once we get to a map, we'll figure out a plan for moving forward."

"Yes, sir." the Hunters replied. Standish nodded as they entered a dining room, and they sat down.

"I figured you must be hungry." Celestia said. "I had the cooks prepare a meal for us."

"Thank you." Standish said. "I figure you should know that we eat meat. We're omnivorous."

"I see." Celestia said. "Though it shouldn't be a problem. We do have a small stock of meat for our neighbors, the Minotaurs and Griffons. They have a similar diet to yours."

"Good to hear." Standish smiled. "Masks off."

The Hunters took off their masks and hooked them to their belts, and Celestia studied their faces intently.

Standish was lean and sharp-looking, with a black crew cut and stubble beard.

Paulson had more messy hair, with pepper gray flecks.

Lyle was blonde, with dark eyes.

Finally, Jacobs had rust-red, with a small scar on his cheek.

"Why do you hide your faces behind masks?" Luna asked.

"It's psychological warfare." Standish explained. "if your enemy doesn't know who they fight, they can't use their weaknesses against them. They are more than just masks, though. They're equipped with thermal and night-scope vision, plus a Heads-Up display. That particular feature shows our ammunition reserves, a small map and motion tracker, and the status of our SHD Tech."

"You certainly are advanced." Luna said, fascinated.

"Humans are the sole sapient species on Planet Earth, apart from countless species of animals." Standish said. "We've existed for millions of years, though the greater part of technological development on our current scale took place in the twentieth century, or the 1900s."

"Incredible." Celestia said as the food was served. "Though the objects on your back, what are those?"

"Firearms." Standish sighed. "Swords and lances were rendered nearly extinct due to their use in warfare. Think of them as miniature, rapid-firing cannons. The earliest models were slow to use and highly inaccurate. Now, specific kinds can shoot over a thousand yards with ease and still hit their targets. There's too many kinds to list, but we each have our own specific favorites."

"Interesting." Celestia said. "However, I ask you only to use them in defense."

"We've already planned for that." Lyle said. "Besides, ma'am, we don't have an infinite supply of ammunition for them, and guns do need repairs every so often. We're only going to use them if absolutely necessary."

"Very well." Luna said. "Let's eat, shall we?"

As they ate, Standish admired how the food tasted. Human food always had that tinge of flavor from processed ingredients. This food was pure, simple, and tasty, and Standish liked that. It wasn't long before everyone had eaten, and it was time for the Press Summit.

====

Author's Notes:

Update!