“This fucking guy, I can’t believe we gotta sit here for this shit,” Scott whispered.

I laughed as I watched our target, silhouetted by the moonlight, get an expert looking blowjob from his Unicorn mistress down this dark alley.

We were sitting fifty yards down said alley in the trail vehicle, snatch car was gonna be rolling up any second, in my humble opinion it was a dick move, we should’ve at least let the guy finish. But it wasn’t to be as a van screeched to a stop three guys jumping out and black-bagging both our target and his screaming girlfriend. Within seconds they were bundled into the back, and the van rolled off into the night. I started the engine and followed. A few minutes later, we walked through the warehouse door, about to ask some hard questions of one Andrei Turgenev, principal finance guy for the Wagner Group. He was already tied to a chair, naked, when Scotty and I rounded the corner.

Rob was standing off to the side, “Хорошо, что ты появился” Nice of you to show.

I flipped him off “Трафик отстой. Он что-нибудь сказал?” Traffic sucked. Did he say anything yet?

Rob just shook his head.

“Очень жаль” Too bad. I motioned for Rob to follow me, leaving Scotty with Turgenev, and led him around a corner “Tuck with the girlfriend?” I whispered.

Rob nodded, “Yeah, I don’t think she’s involved, but we’ll send her back just the same.”

“Well, this guy is involved, and he’s gonna talk.” I turned on my heel and walked back into the main area. Sitting off to one side was a hand truck with a car battery and some jumper cables, I wheeled it over and connected the cable, checking for a spark, before turning back to Turgenev. “Вот что произойдет. Вы собираетесь отказаться от всех, кто участвует в атаке….
Или я собираюсь сделать тебе больно.” Here’s what’s going to happen, you are going to give up everyone involved in the attack, or I am going to hurt you.

“Трахни тебя!” Fuck You! Came from under the black hood.

What a shame.

I hit him with the cables, and he screamed. Poor bastard was in for a long night.

Eventually, before Rob put a bullet in his head, Turgenev talked, they all do. He gave us the location and passwords for finance records, showing the money trail. For the last six months, Scott, Rob, Tuck, and I had been tugging on threads all over Earth, trying to link the Russian government with Canterlot. We had more than a few solid pieces of intel, and tonight was the crown jewel. The girlfriend, cute little thing, was rolled up and sent back with the other members of the snatch team. My crew headed to Vienna to scoop the records, a few days later and we were back in our safe house in Georgia, the country not the state. We were sitting around drinking beers while the analysts put together a target package based on the files. I reclined on a ratty couch, grateful for the rest when my phone went off.

“Hello?”

“Standby…Line secure.”

“Hello?”

“Hey, Kid.”

"Frank! What's the haps?”

“All good thankfully, the intel you guys dug up was solid gold, We’re sending you after a PRC asset in Canterlot.” He was the go-between for the Griffons and the Russians. IF anyone knows who ordered the hit, it's him. We’re gonna push the whole package to you guys here shortly; you’re wheels up for the Portal in three hours.”

“Got it. I’ll let the guys know.”

“Stay safe, brother.”

“Always.”

The ride to the airport was a short one; it paid to stay close in case of a quick getaway. Our Georgian counterparts already loaded our gear, and with a quick wave, we were airborne. The flight took a lot longer, almost ten hours to the portal airstrip. I never got tired of seeing it. The large shimmering doorway was nearly a mile across, smack in the middle of the Atlantic. The Navies of four nations had set up separate outposts, basically man-made islands, along the Portal line. We landed on Portal Operating Base Jackson, a joint Navy-Marine Corps base. The Marines guarding the door had been briefed, and we strolled right past the line of people waiting to cross, and Ponies waiting to go home. Duffel bags on our shoulders and our hats pulled down low, hiding our faces from cameras and onlookers alike. I relished that static electricity like discharge that came with crossing the Portal, rattled my fillings a little, but I was finally back. I’d missed Equestria dearly.

“Good to be back?” Scotty asked me as we walked across the entry platform. Rob and Tuck following close behind.

I smiled, “Hell yeah, Brother. I figure we squeeze this guy and then hit up the ‘Tack, just like old times.”

“Fuck yeah.”

We split up, heading to our Agency facilitated apartments; usually we’d wipe out the jet lag with some sleep, but I wanted this PRC prick’s head on a plate, and I wanted it yesterday. I finally made it to the rathole they’d picked out for me and opened the brief on our target, imagine my shock when our old friend. Liwei Chang popped across my screen… I was gonna enjoy this.

The next day found us sitting at opposite ends of the street, Scotty, and Rob at the far end, Tuck and I down the alley waiting for Chang to show his ugly mug.

“So you gonna look her up?”

I never took my eyes off the door, “Who?”

Tuck sighed, “The Princess, man. We all know something was up there.”

“Horseshit, no pun intended, Celestia and I were never that close.”

“Lies, dude, every time you talked about her, you’d get all fuzzy looking, it was honestly making me a little ill.”

Caught.

“Tuck, she’s a goddess, you’d have to be dead not to feel something around her.” I tried to deflect, but Tucker was all over my ass.

“I’ve been in a room with her, PSD when the Portal first opened up, yeah she’s beautiful, and there's something special about her, but I managed to contain myself, you on the other hand. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were in lo-“

“Break, Target is approaching.”

Great timing Scotty.

I leaned out and saw Chang and his entourage pull up outside his huge apartment. “ Vehicles time two, PAX time ten. Was he supposed to have this many guys with him?”

“Standard detail, nothing we can’t handle.”

We held for a few minutes, allowing things to settle down before making our way down the street on foot, Tuck and I coming from the South, Rob, and Scotty from the North. The Chinese guards were flanking the door as we approached, Tuck telling me a joke and me pretending to laugh, they looked our way, and in an instant Scotty had his MP7 out, taking the two guards down in a hail of suppressed gunfire. I pulled my weapon and moved to the door, Tuck right behind me with a short-barreled shotgun, complete with a suppressor, he settled the muzzle right over the lock and with a soft POMF he blew the door in. I went right; Tuck went left, Rob and Scott stayed outside to protect the rear. The first floor was clear; I heard voices on the second floor and keyed up my radio. “Tiger One, Moving to the second deck.”

Scotty’s voice came back, “Tiger Two copies, security is set.”

Tuck and I moved up to the second floor like phantoms, light on our feet, because this wasn’t a game. God, I loved my job. The voices were concentrated in a room at the end of the hallway; I took the right while Tuck cleared the left side of the hall, we met in the middle in front of the large study door. I reached out and gently jiggled the knob. “Locked.” I mouthed.

Tuck nodded, slinging his MP7 and pulling out the breaching shotgun; I held up three fingers.

One.

Two.

Breathe.

Three.

POMF

The lock shattered and Tuck smashed the door in with a kick, I was up and moving, Chang was already ducking for cover behind his desk. The bodyguard standing to his left took a dozen rounds from Tuck’s submachine gun, I hosed the two on the left, starbursts of blood spraying the walls behind them, I crossed over and shot Tuck’s guy in the face before moving over to where Chang was cowering behind his desk. “C’mere fuckhead.” I grabbed him by the back of his neck and slammed him to the floor. Tuck covered while I zip-tied Chang and slipped a bag over his head. “Tiger Two, Tiger One has Jackpot, I say again Jackpot. Heavy one HVT, moving to extract.”

“Copy, Exfil is clear, bodies are dumped. C’mon out.”

We hustled Chang down the steps and down the street, bundled him into the trunk of my car, and we were out.

The whole operation had taken two minutes flat.

Since Chang was a credentialed PRC Officer, we couldn’t get direct with him, as we had with the Wagner group assholes, no one cares about PMC’s, so we hauled him to the Embassy and handed him off. We sat around for hours after the debrief, waiting on word of something. Scott was bouncing a tennis ball off the wall and catching it, Rob and Tuck were playing Chess, and I was laying on the soft leather couch, thinking about everything Tuck had said. Did I have it that bad for Celestia? Was I missing something?
Moreover, could she ever feel the same about me? I knew I missed her, and Luna, Raven too, but Celestia was never far from my mind. Maybe I would look her up while I was here, perhaps it was time we had an honest conversation. I was pondering on how to go about when Frank popped out of the interrogation room, wiping his hands on a towel that was dark with something that looked like blood. I raised an eyebrow, “You rough him up, Frank?”

Frank nodded, “He slipped the flex cuffs, so I popped him one, gentleman, we now have a Chinese asset. I informed Mr. Chang about the consequences of not cooperating, and he chose to see the light, we’ve got a Case Officer all tied up to run him from here on out. He’s giving us a lot on the Wagner operation, and JSOC is waiting on the target package. We’re gonna wipe these fuckers out where they live. With Chang as our friend in a high place, we now have an early warning system against any aggression directed against Equestria. We’ve got a cleanup crew going over his apartment; this is gonna look like a robbery gone south to make it legit. Great work guys, you did it. I’ll call you with any further details. Zack, hang back for a bit.”

As the boys filed out of the room, we shook hands; it wouldn’t be long before we were back out there doing our thing. But an operation in the bag with nobody dead was a good one. We all agreed to meet at the ‘Tack for some beers and maybe some female company later on that night. Once they’d left, I turned to Frank. “What’s up, brother?”

“I want you to head to the castle, Celestia has been asking Ambassador Reed about you, and I feel like you’re the best one to deliver the news that we’re finally going to end the bastards that made an attempt on her life. Sound good?”

She was asking about me?

I couldn’t help the smile that exploded across my face. Hell yeah, grandpa. “You got it, Frank, I’m gonna go home and change, then I’ll head over.”

Frank didn’t miss the look on my face. “A piece of advice?”

“Sure.”

“No matter how far off a good thing may seem, never stop reaching for it.” The old man finished with a smile. And I knew that he knew.

“Shit Frank is it that obvious?”

“Painfully. Normally I’d give you a speech about not shitting in the eggs, but you’re a big boy, and she’s a slightly bigger, immortal girl. You need to tell her.”

“What about blowback?”

“Hey, it’s not like you work for her anymore, she shoots you down, you can still do work on behalf of us and the EQ’s. I’d say let it ride.”

What could it hurt? I’ll never know if I don’t try.

“I think you’re right, Frank.” I shook his hand and headed out.

An hour later, I had showered, shaved, and changed into my gov issued suit. A short taxi ride found me outside of the main gate, the castle shining in the sun just beyond. It was good to be back. I flashed my ID at the gate guard, “Zack Andrews here for an audience with the Princesses.”

“Standby, sir.” He turned and picked up a phone, calling me in, they’d upped their security measures. Good thinking, guys.

“The Princess is awaiting your arrival Mr. Andrews, and welcome back.”

When I squinted, I realized it was the same Corporal from all those months ago, now sporting Sergeant’s Stripes.” Holy shit, Afternoon, Sergeant! Look at you!”

He smiled sheepishly, “Afternoon Andrews, Good to see you again. Been well, I take it?”

“I am bud. You?”

“Just doing the job, all’s been quiet around here.”

“That’s the way we like it.”

“Definitely.” I held my fist out, and he knocked his into it. “Take care, Sergeant, be seeing you.”

“Rog’”

Walking across the grounds felt like coming home again, I let my fingertips play over a patch of tall Moon Lillies, taking in the smells emanating from the garden. I remembered why I was in love with this place all over again. A short walk led me past the main hall, the lunch menu smelled terrific, and up the marble staircase, the Solar Wing greeting me once again, like an old friend, sunlight shone through the windows, illuminating the same tapestries. I peaceful as I slowed my pace, taking it all in. I passed Raven’s office, and there she was, nose scrunched, pouring over some paperwork, I reached up and knocked on the frame. “Hey, Rav.”

She stopped writing, but didn’t look up; she just began to vibrate as I stepped into the room and opened my arms, next thing I knew a squealing Earth Pony hit me full-force. “OHMIGOSH, I THOUGHT YOU WERE NEVER COMING BACK!”

I returned her hug with equal vigor, “Like I’d leave you like that, Missed you, buddy.”

She sniffled into my chest, “I missed you too.”

“Aw, c’mon, no tears. God, you’d think I went off to war or something.” I gently stroked her mane, “Earth Ponies, so emotional.“

My snide remark earned me a jab in the ribs, “You left me with all this paperwork, you jerk!”

I chuckled, “The glorious life of a Princess’s assistant, huh?”

She backed out of the hug, hitting me with a million-watt smile, “I’m so happy to see you, and I know the Princesses will be too. Where have you been?”

“Went back to see some family and work with State for a bit following the attack, nothing exciting.”

She looked like she didn’t believe me, but let it drop. “Well, as happy as I am to see you, The Princesses are waiting. Grab a bite later? How long are you in town for?”

“I’m here for a few weeks at least, A few friends and I are headed to the Brass Tack later, you wanna come along?”

She grinned, “Definitely, what time?”

“Around eight, I’ll call ya with the details.”

“Sounds good!”

I gave her one last sideways hug and walked to Celestia’s office door, instead of knocking right away, I ran my hand over the ornate carvings, getting acquainted again. Flashes of memories from the attack, along with every night I’d spent in here drinking wine with Goddesses, ran through my mind, before I drew my fist back and knocked. That musical voice I’d missed so much answered after a moment.

“Come in!”

Luna and Celestia were awaiting me on the other side, Luna made the first move, crossing the room and throwing her arms around me, “It is good to see you again, my friend.”

I hugged her back, not caring that the affection was out of character for the Lunar Regent. “Likewise, Princess.”

A soft thump followed on my shoulder, “Call Us, Me, Luna. You have earned that right.”

I hugged her a little tighter before letting her go, “Okay, Luna.”

“Now, hug Sister before she explodes.”

“LUNA!” Celestia yelped, but held her arms out, all the same, wrapping me up tight. Her perfume, the warmth of her body, everything was right with the world.

I held her for a little bit longer before stepping back and clearing my throat. “I’m so glad to see you both, I came here with some news, the last of the group that attacked the castle is about to be eradicated. We did it. For all the Ponies we lost, for the men who died trying to take the castle back, we did it.”

Luna smiled grimly, “Good; We hope it was a terrifying end.”

I nodded, “For a few of them it was, I saw to it personally.”

Celestia looked less happy but just as satisfied. “Justice was done then. I hope this is the last we see of them and their ilk.”

“We have to stay on guard, their role was the tip of the iceberg, I just hope the Red’s have learned that Equestria has some very powerful and deadly friends. I wanted to see you both and deliver the good news personally.”

Celestia smiled, and I felt my heart speed up, “And I- We, are so glad that you did.”

Luna smirked, “Indeed, We are thrilled to see you again, but the hour grows late, and I must find some rest before taking on my duties for the evening, Will we see you again?”

I nodded, “Absolutely, I’m in town for a few weeks at least, I’d love to sit and have some wine, maybe dinner and chat like we used to.”

“Verily, farewell, my friend.” Luna squeezed my shoulder before heading out.

I watched her go for a moment, before turning to see Celestia right in my face, I jumped a little as she wrapped her arms around me pulling me close, burying her face in my shoulder for a moment before pulling back and looking deeply into my eyes. I felt the feelings I’d buried returning in full force. She was way too close yet again.

“You saved my life and the lives of my subjects without thought to the consequences. Then mercilessly hunted down those responsible.” Was it my imagination, or was she moving closer? I almost swallowed my tongue as she leaned forward and pressed her lips to my cheek, “Thank you.”

“N-nothing, I wouldn’t do again in a heartbeat Celestia.” I cursed myself for stuttering, but the smell of her was making it hard to think. After a long moment, she untangled her arms from around me and stepped back.

“I- I imagine that we won’t be seeing much of one another once you leave, but you will be in my thoughts, no matter what happens. I know that you cannot promise to be safe, but please promise me that you will be careful” She turned, and I heard a sniffle. At that moment, something snapped inside me, and it all came pouring out.

“Celestia, wait.” She turned, wiping her eyes. “I can’t leave without telling you something.” Her head cocked to the side, but she said nothing, I steeled myself taking a deep breath before dropping the bomb. “I’ve been attracted to you since I first laid eyes on you, nothing you’re not used to, I’m sure. But something changed the closer we became; I don’t know if what I’m feeling is love, hell it’s been so long I’m not sure I know what it feels like anymore. But it’s a hell of a lot more than a passing attraction.” I took a deep breath, “You’re right, I can’t tell you I’ll be safe, I can tell you the exact opposite. And that’s why I couldn’t leave without telling you. No matter the consequences.”

Halfway into my confession, she raised a hand to cover her mouth, perfectly lacquered nails shining in the light thrown through the window. I continued, “I know this must come as a shock, but there it is. I’m falling in love with you, while I was away you were damn near all I thought about, and I wouldn’t even begin to know how to stop feeling this way, even if I wanted to. I cared so much about losing your friendship that I tortured myself all these months, kept it all inside, but the stakes of the game I play are too high to leave anything unsaid.”

She just stared, and I started to feel more and more empty the longer I stood there. Taking the hint, I bowed shallowly. “Goodbye, Highness.”

I was halfway to the door when I heard a whisper from behind me. “Wait. Please.” I stopped and turned, a spark of hope somewhere in my chest. My heart stopped as she crossed the room like lightning and pressed her lips to mine, I lost all bearing and wrapped my arms around her, pulling her into the kiss, the spark in my chest becoming a raging inferno. I lifted her off her hooves as we did our level best to eat each other, in between soft whimpers slipping from her throat she whispered, “ I want this, I want you. But not here, not like this.”

When we broke the kiss, I asked, my voice ragged. “Where?”

“My chambers. Now.”

Author's Notes:

HE DID IT! THE ABSOLUTE MADLAD!