Clare, Canterlot city limits:

The chopper rumbled through the empty streets. I couldn’t really say I was expecting to see any-pony but at the same time I was sort of expecting to see a changeling. I slowed the Harley down to a low idling pace as I drove through the empty city suspiciously.

Suddenly a green blast shot through the air and exploded right in front of me. I was tossed off my Harley and it skidded out along the road. I groaned to myself as I got up and looked around. ‘Where the hell had that come from?’ I thought to myself as I searched for where the blast had come from.

I heard the iconic buzz of changeling wings and immediately walked over to my Harley and pulled out the M1897. I pumped a round into the chamber. I only had five shells for the shotgun but I doubted a changeling could take that many blasts from the shotgun.

Suddenly a swarm of changelings flew out from behind a building. Well unless of course there’s that many of them. I waited until they were less than fifty yards away then fired the shotgun. Two of the changelings fell from the sky and plummeted to the ground below.

I hip fired the shotgun until it was out of ammo then began to run. It wasn’t cowardly, it was smart and besides I had no time for this. I turned down and alleyway and exited onto another street. I looked to the left then to the right. I quickly did eeny, meeny, miny, moe and went right.

I turned down another street but as I did a swarm of changelings confronted me. “Shit” I muttered to myself as I slung the shotgun across my back. The alicorn earings dangled from my ears and sparkled in the setting sunlight.

“Alright you sons a bitches… let’s rock” I said but just as I went to ascend the chattering of automatic gunfire filled the air. Changelings looked around but several of them were taken off their feet. I looked around for the source of the gunfire but couldn’t see who the hell was shooting.

Changelings screeched and tried to fly away but as they did loud thunderous shots rang out. I was lost, what the hell was going on. I drew out my Colt Python and waited but then two ponies stepped out of the smoke that now filled the streets.

“Hey Clare” said a voice that I would remember in and instant. “Derpy?” I asked curiously as the cross eyed pegasus flew at me and tackled me to the ground in happiness. “Uhm… hi Derpy… how’s it going?” I asked and she smiled. “Good, now that you’re back” she said and I nodded.

We stood up and I looked to Moon Crater. “How’s it going?” I asked and he shrugged. “Good I guess. Things sure have been different since you were gone. I swear that I was pretty much praying for you to be with us on some of our missions” he told me. “What missions?” I asked and he looked off to the sunset then back to me. “Mostly top secret stuff, direct orders from Celestia and what not” he informed me.

“Basically the black files huh?” I said and he nodded. “Jesus Clare, I thought you were dead” he said and I nodded. “Yeah… I heard that rumor to” I joked and he smiled, “Guess not even death can keep you down huh? Stubborn old bastard” he laughed but we heard the buzzing of changeling wings.

“Come on. Let’s get out of the street before… is that… Danko?” Moon Crater asked as we looked to a man who was stumbling along the streets drunkenly. “Hey… Sergeant Major guy… we need to… ah fuck it. Come with me” he said and motioned for us to follow him.

He led us to an alleyway where he opened a chained up steel door then led us inside before locking the door behind us. Inside were several pony refugees. Among the refugees was Luna and I rushed to her side. We began to kiss and she pulled back. “I’m ready to give birth” she told me and my breathing became heavy. I looked down to see that her water had broken.

“Now?” I asked and she nodded. “I knew you’d come… you promised” she whispered and we began to kiss again then I lifted her up. “Hey… I need a doctor” I said but no-pony stood up.

Shining Armor stood up slowly. His chest was healed and now had medial bandages around it. “Shining? You’re not a doctor” I said and he nodded. “I know, but I can help you with this. You deliver the foal while I’ll comfort her and lead her through this” he told me and we cleaned off a table.

Danko came over with a vodka bottle in his hand and offered it to Luna. “It takes away pain” he told her but she shook her hoof. “Thank you, but I will not drink while pregnant” she said and Danko raised an eyebrow. “Pregnant? Jesus… I thought you were just fat… no offence” he said in a drunken voice and we all looked over to him. He had a heavy sway in his stance.

Danko suddenly fell back as he lost consciousness from his intoxication. I looked back to Luna as I pulled off my leather jacket. All I left on was my white under t-shirt so that I wouldn’t get the jacket messy. “Okay… now Clare, you have to help her deliver while I lead her through this” Shining said and I nodded. The element bearers, Celestia and Cadence all stepped up to Luna’s side.

For over two hours we helped Luna through her birth. Even Danko got up and watched as Luna gave birth to two beautiful foals. A colt and a filly. First came the filly which I cradled for a moment, my first child was a baby filly. I handed it to Luna who cradled it affectionately. I then realized that there was a twin and delivered that as well.

Luna lay there and I had baby birth all over my hands. I looked over to Danko and he nodded. “I have hand washing thing in other room” he told me and I gave Luna a quick kiss before following Danko into a still room. Several alcohol stills chugged.

“Danko… why do you have so many stills?” I asked and he chuckled. “It’s not mine, was a friend of mine but he was killed by changeling so I decided to help myself. Friend will be missed dearly” Danko said as he turned on the sink.

I washed off my hands until they were clean then dried them with a towel. We walked back into the room with all the refugees. Luna lay on an old musty couch that Danko’s friend had as she cradled her two newborn foals. I smiled, we were parents and I was the luckiest man alive. It almost made me forget about what I had to do right now. I walked over to Luna and kissed her. “Luna, I have to go for a little while but I’ll be back” I told her and she nodded tiredly, exhausted from giving birth. “Don’t be gone long” she whispered and I kissed her one last time before walking over to Danko.

“Danko, Moon Crater, Derpy” I said and led them to a more private area. “What’s up?” Moon Crater asked and I let out a sigh. “You two stay here and protect these ponies. Danko you and I have to storm the castle… got any drunken ideas?” I asked and he nodded. “Yeah, we crash right through the front doors of the castle and blow up the bad guys” he suggested. I raised an eyebrow. “Okay, I like the idea. But how do we do that?” I asked and he chuckled as he led us back into the still room.

“So… we use the stills as bombs and blow up the front doors?” I guessed and Danko shook his head quickly. “No… we will not kill lady vodka, not today, not tomorrow and hopefully not ever” Danko said as he pushed aside a heavy still.

Underneath the still was a trap door. “Okay, me and you go to secret room. And you two protect ponies” Danko said and Moon Crater nodded. Danko grabbed several bottles of Vodka before descending down into what looked like a cellar.

As I went to descend down Moon Crater grabbed my shoulder. “Hey Clare, don’t go dying on us again” he said and I nodded. I gave him a handshake and Derpy squeezed me tightly in a hug.

I gave them both a nod before I descended down the stairwell and into the cellar that was barely lit by a single light.

“Hey Danko got any more lights down here?” I asked, he mumbled a reply. Suddenly very bright LED lights lit up and temporarily blinded me. I covered my eyes as splotches of light fuzzed in my vision.

I finally managed to see properly again but my jaw dropped as I figured that I must not be seeing right. In front of me sat an M1 Abrams tank, painted in olive drab camouflage with a remote controlled .50 caliber Browning machinegun on the top of the rotating turret. “What the hell” I muttered as I gazed upon the battle tank.

“Danko… where the hell did this thing come from… better yet, how the hell did you get it?” I asked as Danko lept up onto the tank. “It’s not mine. It’s friend’s. But he’s dead so we’ll never know how he got it... Actually he told me once about how he got it, found it in army base and took it” Danko told me as I to climbed onto the tank.

We both hopped into the tank and I sealed the hatch. Danko lept into the driver seat “I don’t think you should be driving” I told him but he simple laughed as he pounded back a bottle of vodka. “Ha, what is worse that could happen?” he asked as he started the tank.