Jak woke in an expansive white space. Never ending nothingness stretched out in all directions as he hung in a kind of limbo, unaware of which way was up or down, left or right, forward or backward.

“Where...where the hell am I?” he asked out loud, more to himself than anyone else.

It came to his great surprise when a voice answered his question. “You are in the realm of dreams, creature. Your physical body is resting wherever you have hidden yourself, and your mind and spirit have entered into my domain.”

Jak whirled around, or at least he thought he did. It was impossible to discern any actual movement in this...wherever this was. “Who are you?! Show yourself!” He shouted back. If there was one thing Jak hated, it was being toyed with. “And what do you mean the ‘realm of dreams’? What’s going on here?!”

“Calm yourself, creature.” The entire plane of existence rumbled as the voice seemed to be coming everywhere yet nowhere at the same time, only serving to increase Jak’s disorientation. “I mean you no harm, at least not here. As I told you, this is the realm of dreams. Nothing here is real, so even if I attempted to assault you, you would simply wake up unscathed. The most I can do here is speak with you, which I assure you is my only intention.”

Jak snarled to himself, still searching around for the owner of the voice. It sounded feminine, but carried with it a strong sense of authority and power. It was both ancient and young at the same time. The way in which it spoke reminded Jak of Baron Praxis and of Damas. In other words, the voice of a ruler.

Jak had bad experiences with rulers in the past.

“Fine!” he spat, “If this is all a dream, then why the hell is everything just this...emptiness? And you still haven’t answered my question, who the hell are you and why did you bring me here?”

The entire space around him seemed to shake as the voice let out a deep sigh that reverberated around him before explaining in an even, measured tone. “I did not bring you anywhere, creature. This is your dream, I am the one visiting you. I came to you to talk face-to-face...in a manner of speaking. It appears as a void because you have not yet chosen how the plane should manifest itself. To answer your second question...I would think it easier if you could set a landscape so we may talk.”

Jak huffed and crossed his arms across his chest, or at least he thought he did. “And how do you suggest I do that? Snap my fingers and whisk us off to Haven Forest for a little picnic?”

“Yes,” the voice answered simply, “this is your dream after all, creature. You have the power to shape it to whatever form you desire by simply willing it to be so. Calm yourself and focus.”

Jak growled but held his tongue. Arguing with this...voice wasn’t going to get him anything except a headache. Was that even possible in a dream? Ugh, even thinking about it was starting to make his head throb. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, calming his nerves but maintaining his guard, reaching out with his senses to pick up any movement. He focused and tried to think of someplace familiar...someplace peaceful...

Without opening his eyes, Jak could feel the fabric of the ‘dream’ around him begin to shift and take shape, morphing into the setting in his mind’s eye. He felt his feet alight on solid ground, or at least what he perceived as solid ground. He could feel the rays of the sun falling gently on his face and a small breeze grace his skin. He smelt the ocean and, despite himself, smiled earnestly for what felt like the first time in an age.

He didn’t need to open his eyes to know where he was.

But he needed to see it for himself. Opening his eyes, he was met with the site of the sun slowly setting over the sea. Strange marble monuments dotted the shoreline stretching out over the sea as if reaching out to some long forgotten deity. A small village could be seen in the distance, quiet in the serene glow of twilight. A single windmill turned in the breeze on the largest hut in the village. Jak himself stood on a green hill in the shadow of a cliff given life by the flow of green eco beneath his feet. Jak could feel the life-giving energy pulse around him. He had almost forgotten how much life this place once had.

Jak was home.

For what felt like an eternity Jak just stood there, taking in every inch of Sentinel Beach, remembering the times he and Daxter would come up here when they were young to play and their adventures here in search of power cells. He was lost in the moment, gazing with a look of remorse at his former home, his former life. Only five years had passed since he was taken from here, or maybe it was six? He honestly couldn’t remember, somehow he had just stopped keeping track ever since he was thrown into the future...his real home.

Though everything here was just like he remembered it, it seemed a little too perfect. That’s when Jak remembered. “This is a dream...” He muttered to himself, casting his gaze downward at the grass solemnly.

“This is a beautiful place you have chosen, creature,” the same voice from earlier declared from just a few feet to his right.

Snapping his head up, Jak saw that the owner of the voice was one of the ponies with both wings and a horn. She had a deep blue coat and ethereal mane that resembled the night, flowing gracefully in some unseen wind. Jak recognized this one from the night before and the castle.

“You!” He said, taking a step back and crouching into a defensive stance. “You’re that pony from the castle!”

The aforementioned pony raised her hoof silently. “Please calm yourself. I have no intentions of harming you in this place. I simply came here to talk, to negotiate a truce between yourself and the rest of Equestria.”

Jak snorted. “And why do I find that hard to believe? No offense, but you ponies haven’t exactly been the friendliest bunch that I’ve had the pleasure to meet. Last I checked, I was a wanted man, and you either want me dead or in a prison somewhere. Let me tell you right now that I won’t be going anywhere anytime soon.”

Luna sighed, “Yes, you’ve made that perfectly clear creature. Our guards-”

“And will you stop calling me that!” Jak interrupted, a snarl snugly fitted onto his face.

“...pardon?” asked a very confused alicorn.

“Stop calling me ‘creature.’ As far as I’m concerned, it’s you talking magic ponies that are the freaks.”

Jak could tell that she was restraining her anger. She was sent here to try and work out some diplomatic solution. Based on his experiences, Jak saw little chance of that happening.

“...I see your point,” the alicorn relented. “Very well, what shall I refer to you as then?”

Jak considered her for a moment. On the one hand, he could lie or say nothing at all. A name was a powerful thing, after all, and denying them that may prove useful in the long run. On the other hand, if there was any chance of some kind of peace being worked out, he would need to gain her trust in some form. Giving her his name would be a start.

“My name’s Jak,” he answered simply, arms folded across his chest and standing his tallest. He stood just above eye-level with the alicorn.

The alicorn’s mouth was drawn in a thin line, though her eyes betrayed her surprise at Jak’s cooperation. “Alright then...Jak. I am Princess Luna, Ruler of the Night and co-regent of the nation of Equestria alongside my sister, Princess Celestia. As dreams fall under my domain, I have the power to visit and enter the dreams of others to provide guidance in a moment of need...or to talk in this case.”

“Okay, Princess Luna, you’re here. You have my attention, and you know my name, now what exactly did you want to talk about?” Jak said coldly, cutting straight to the chase.

“Very well, we shall get straight down to business.” Luna answered, folding her wings to her sides. “As I said, I wish to organize a truce of sorts between Equestria and yourself. Clearly you are a skilled combatant, having bested several of our Royal Guard, out-maneuvering arguably the fastest pegasus in the country, and defeating the former Captain of the Royal Guard himself. But know this, you cannot outrun us forever. As long as the forcefield is surrounding Canterlot, there is no chance for you to escape. A truce would save both of us a great deal of trouble.”

Jak couldn’t help but admire how this Princess Luna dealt with the situation. She was practiced in negotiation, as one would expect from the leader of a country, and hid any emotion behind a mask of neutrality.

“And if I refuse?”

“Then we shall hunt you down and capture you by force. We know more of your capabilities now, and it is only a matter of time before we find where you are hiding.”

“Please, you don’t know the first thing about me. You have no idea what I’m capable of,” Jak scoffed. “I’ve taken down entire armies, killed monsters that would leave you scared senseless, and faced death more than once.” Jak took a few steps closer to the princess, standing a few inches from her. “What makes you think that you have a ghost of a chance? You ponies don’t scare me. Hell, what’s to stop me from blasting my way out?”

“That is precisely what I was about to ask you.”

“What?”

“What exactly is stopping you from blasting your way out? Earlier today you defeated the Prince of the Crystal Empire and former Captain of the Royal Guard himself in single combat, while my sister, his wife and sister, as well as myself were unable to prevent it.” Luna spread her wings wide and continued on in a demanding but inquisitive tone. “You had the perfect opportunity to remove the one pony that was keeping you confined to this city. We would have been powerless to stop you. You could have destroyed the forcefield and escaped the city by now had you killed Shining Armor when you had the chance. My question to you, then, is why didn’t you? What stopped you from finishing him then and there?”

The question caught Jak off guard. He took a step back and stared blankly at Luna, eyes unfocused as he considered her question.

A moment of silence passed between the two, then another, and another. Luna waited patiently for his answer, though even her patience was being tested. Jak was lost in thought, the scene of his battle against Shining Armor playing on repeat in his mind. He saw the look of defeat on the stallion’s face, Jak raising his clawed arm to deal the finishing blow. He heard the cries of despair coming from above, and then...he jumped. He couldn’t bring himself to kill the unicorn.

“Well? Answer my question, Jak. What stopped you?”

The alicorn’s voice shook Jak from his reverie and he looked the princess in the eyes. Jak’s cold blue stare met with Luna’s own guarded azure eyes. Jak broke away from her stare and turned to face the horizon and watched the sea, feeling a calming peace wash over him like the coming tide. The princess followed his gaze slowly, waiting for him to speak.

Jak inhaled deeply and relaxed his arms, letting them fall loosely to his side. “Tell me, Princess, have you ever seen war?”

Luna tensed, her face unreadable. “...Yes, I suppose I have...”

“Have you ever seen your city torn down in flames as monsters gutted innocent people in the streets? Have you ever been forced to watch, helpless to save everyone save for those around you?” Jak paused, letting his words hang heavily in the air. “Have you ever stared into the eyes of death, battered and bloody and wanting nothing more than to just lay down and die, but had to keep going because you were the only chance for your friends...for your world, to survive?”

Luna gazed at the ocean, her gaze introspective. “No...I have not, nor do I ever wish to.”

“I have. I’ve seen war. Hell, I’ve fought in more wars that anybody should have any right to. More importantly, I’ve seen what war can do to people...” Jak trailed off as his brow furrowed and his scowl deepened. “If you don’t die fighting then you get to deal with the hell that follows. What’s worse is what happens to families. Kids lose their parents and grow up on the streets, wives lose their husbands, husbands lose their wives or a they lose their home...war tears families apart. It destroys them. I’ve seen enough to know that. And I won’t be the monster that rips a husband from his wife and sister.”

The alicorn princess was stunned by such a confession. “How...considerate of you. I did not expect such sentiment from a being of your sort.”

Jak smirked. “Contrary to popular belief, I’m not a monster. Or at least I don’t try to be. Look, the thing is, I’ve lost my family and I’ve seen my friends lose family. It isn’t something I would wish on anyone.”

Luna smiled to herself. Perhaps there was some light in this being of darkness after all. “Perhaps I was mistaken...” she mumbled.

“What was that?”

“Nothing!” Luna blurted out a little too quickly. She was still rusty when it came to democratic discussions, though this one seemed to be going well. Clearing her throat, she regained her composure, “Jak, considering what you just told me, then I must implore you to consider a truce between yourself and Canterlot.”

“Are you still on about that? Look, you haven’t exactly been the most welcome group I’ve ever stumbled into. How am I supposed to know your guards won’t blast me the moment I let my guard down?”

“You do not trust us?”

Jak gaped at the alicorn, flabbergasted by the question. “You’re kidding, right? The first thing your guards did when they saw me was try to capture me. No offense, but you haven’t exactly given me any reason to trust you.”

“And you have been the epitome of trust since you arrived here? You have not given us any reason to put our faith in you.”

“Then why bother?”

Luna raised her head high and her horn hummed with energy. “Because that is our way. I cannot say how you treat your kind where you come from, cr-, err, Jak, but in Equestria, we believe in the power of friendship. And it is because of our nature that we wish to extend our hoof in friendship and hope that you accept it.” She spoke stiffly, her words coming across practiced and hollow, though they held some semblance of honesty.

“Then why don’t I believe you?”

Luna opened her mouth to respond, growing tired of this verbal back-and-forth but was interrupted by the landscape shaking as if hit by an earthquake. A white nothingness began to inch along the horizon, eating away the scenery and absorbing it into it’s void. “It appears that your dream is ending. I would debate the logistics of our desire for friendship and peace with you longer, but it would seem that we are pressed for time.”

“What a shame.” Jak quipped.

Luna either ignored him or didn’t hear him as she continued without skipping a beat. “Listen to me carefully Jak. Accept our offer of a truce and end this futile game of cat-and-mouse. I beg you to reconsider.”

Stubborn as ever, Jak would not relent. “Not until you give me a good reason for giving myself up.”

“You said that you refrained from injuring our former Captain because you didn’t wish to separate him from his family, yes?” Jak raised an eyebrow, curious as to where she was going with this, but remained silent, instead settling for an affirming nod. “Then think of it this way, if you continue to run then there will be more fighting between you and our guards. You may be able to overpower them, outmaneuver them, even outsmart them, but sooner or later somepony will get hurt. Can you live with that weighing down on your conscience? Before this meeting, I was not sure, but now I am confident that you will make the right choice.”

Jak gaped at her, mouth opening and closing, his throat bobbing but no words came. As much as he hated it, she was right. His arms hung limply at his side, his gaze downcast as the true impact of their words made their mark.

Spreading her wings, Luna took off into the sky with a powerful flap. “We shall give you time to consider our offer.” She ascended higher and higher into the whiteness that continued to spread and soon enough her own figure began to fade. “If you choose to accept a truce and end this little game, then come to Canterlot town square by the market place, just look for the marble fountain of my sister and I. It should not prove difficult to find. You have twenty-four hours before we resume our search.” She hovered in the sky, half of her body already vanished. “Goodbye, Jak.”

“...What was his name?” Jak asked slowly, lifting his head skyward as the last of his dream vanished and could feel a pull at the back of his mind dragging him back to reality. “The former Captain that I fought, what’s his name?”

Before she disappeared entirely, Luna smiled at the wasteland hero. “His name is Shining Armor, and before you ask, he’s expected to make a full recovery.”

Luna’s eyes opened slowly, the mystical glow fading and her pale blue irises returning. She stood, stretching out her legs and wings after having remained still in her trance and was rewarded with a series of satisfying clicks. She groaned in relaxation, a content smile upon her face.

Visiting the dreams of others has always been one of Luna’s favourite duties as Princess of the Night. It gave her a way to connect with the ponies of Equestria, to help them in ways that her sister could not. In the realm of dreams, Luna could visit any of her little ponies, guide them, or simply chat with them about their day. Though, this last night had been trying for her. Never before had she been forced to use this privilege to persuade a strange creature from a strange land to accept a truce. Touching a mind that was so foreign, so alien, from anything she had seen disturbed her. She was an unwelcome visitor in the mind of an unwelcome stranger. She pushed the feeling to the back of her mind and shook herself back to attention.

“I take it you were successful in infiltrating the dreams of the creature?” Came the regal voice of Celestia as she strolled onto Luna’s astronomy balcony, tray of tea and biscuits hovering beside her in a golden aura.

Luna accepted the tea gratefully, taking a long sip and bite of a particularly tasty looking biscuit. “Indeed, I found the creature’s dream and confronted him. We talked for some time, and I learned much.” She gulped down the rest of her tea, completely enervated from her nighttime activities.

“Oh?” Celestia asked, refilling Luna’s cup as her younger sister munched down another biscuit. “What kind of things did you learn about our visitor?”

Luna swallowed the tasty treat, licking her lips of the crumbs spread around them. “To begin with, I learned that his name is Jak, and he does not come from any land known to Equestria. I believe that he may have come from another world entirely.”

“I feared as much.” Celestia levitated her own cup to her lips. “A species of his kind has not ever been seen in Equestria, nor any region in all of Equis to my knowledge. How his species operates, and what drives them is completely foreign to us. He has already demonstrated remarkable combat capabilities, which makes him all the more dangerous.”

“I do not believe he wishes us any harm. When we spoke, he expressed remorse from having hospitalized Shining Armor and wished to avoid harming innocent ponies.”

“Hmm,” Celestia hummed, swirling her tea cup slowly in her levitation, “do you think he will accept a truce? Would a soldier of his calibre willingly surrender himself?”

Luna rested her cup on her saucer with a small clink. “I was about to ask you the same question, sister. The creature, Jak, has fought in war, is clever, strong, and resourceful to have avoided capture for this long, not to mention he is stubborn to no end. He does not seem to be the type to give up.” Luna chuckled to herself. “In that regard he is much like our Element of Loyalty, Rainbow Dash. And yet…” She trailed off, staring at the dregs of her tea.

“And yet?”

“His drive to keep up the fight is matched by his desire to prevent anypony from being hurt.” Luna sighed, pushing the tray of biscuits away. “I don’t know what to believe, ‘Tia We’ve seen his power firsthoof. We have seen what he is capable of, and I sense that there is more to see. But, he does not seem entirely evil. There is a light within him that shines through the darkness.”

“I wish I could help you, dear sister, but you know more of this ‘Jak’ than I. I trust your judgement, and if what you have told me is true, then I am confident that he will surrender himself and accept our offer of peace.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“I am not.” Celestia stood to her hooves, beckoning for her sister to join her as she cantered back into the palace. “I can only hope that he will see reason and end this game. If he truly does care about preserving the lives of the innocent, then he will give himself up.” Luna fell in line with her sister as they were accompanied by their troop of royal guards. “Come now, if he does decide to accept a truce, then he will be going to Canterlot City Square. Guards, make sure the square is cleared of any civilians for the next twenty-four hours and prepare a royal escort.”

“At once, your majesty!” The guards around the pair sounded off, taking off to make the preparations.

“I hope that he will make the right decision, ‘Tia.”

“So do I, Lulu, so do I.”

Jak lay on his back on the cold stone floor of the cave he called home. His body ached and his wounds were still fresh from his fight with Shining Armor. The unicorn was tougher than Jak had thought, but not strong enough to beat him.

“And I didn’t even have my Morph Gun on me.” He laughed to himself in the dim light given off by the strange crystals littered about the cave and winced as his chest spasmed in pain. He took a few deep breaths to steady himself, head lolling to the side and his gaze landing on his armor and weapon he neglected to bring with him yesterday.

Princess Luna’s words bounced around in his head, the battle and their discussion playing on repeat in his mind’s eye. “Shining Armor, his wife Cadence and his little sister Twilight Sparkle…” He listed off, picturing each as he remembered them from his brief encounters with the ponies. Jak huffed and scowled, forcing himself into a sitting position using the cave wall as support. “Dammit…why’d it have to be ponies of all things?”

And then there was her proposal… Jak had never been the type to surrender, no matter the situation. He’d faced worse enemies than a group of magical, talking pastel coloured ponies, in comparison to the Metal Heads, KG robots, and Kras City thugs, this was nothing. But on the other hand he had no idea where he was or how to get home. Finding his way back to Haven City was not going to be easy on his own, and the way things were going now he was not going to find any help with the entire Royal Guard on his tail.

“Talk about stirring up the hornet’s nest…” Jak reached into the front of his tunic, his hand settling over the seal he wore around his neck. A small bronze circle divided up into two semi-circular shapes, like a yin and yang symbol, and the only keepsake of his father that he had. “I need a plan. As long as that forcefield is up there’s no chance of me escaping this city, and it’s only a matter of time before they figure out where I’m hiding.” His fingers traced idly over the shapes engraved in the trinket. “I could stay on the run, scavenging what I need from the market. But then I’ll never figure out how to get out of here… I guess there’s always Plan B. I blast my way out, using everything I have against the forcefield and making a run for it.” He sighed, shoulders slumping. “Even if that does work I would run low on ammo and risk destroying the whole city, myself included. That isn’t going to work… That leaves one option.”

Clutching his side, Jak stumbled to his feet, his other hand resting against the rocky support, and inched himself towards the nearest white crystal. He reached out, draining the crystal of its power, and immediately putting it to use to restore his body. A pale white glow engulfed his form as tendrils of raw energy snaked down his body, mending his cracked ribs and sealing up his wounds.

Jak stretched his still sore limbs and tested to make sure everything was in working order. Determination blazing in his eyes, he donned his Wasteland armour and picked up his Morph Gun from the cave floor. He attached the Blaster Mod and cocked the weapon, comfortably gripping it in his hands. He took one last look around the cave he took shelter in, making sure he didn’t miss any of his gear. Satisfied, he began the slow march to the streets of Canterlot and the City Square where the royal sisters awaited him.

“Alright, Princess Luna, this ends today. One way or another, I’m done running around like a rat in the sewers, it’s time for both of us to face the music.”

At the Canterlot City Square, Princesses Celestia and Luna patiently waited. Three long hours had passed since their arrival, and neither had made the slightest movement since. Had they not been breathing, it was possible that a passerby would mistake them for statues of the princesses.

As Celestia requested, the entire square had been emptied of civilians until only the two princesses and a dozen of their guards remained. A deathly silence had fallen over the square, the guards and their princesses standing stoic and still. Any ponies nearby watched out from between their curtains or through cracks in their shutters tentatively, desperately waiting for something, anything, to happen.

“Lieutenant, has there been any sighting of the creature Jak?” The sun alicorn asked, her voice steady and controlled and her gaze unwavering from the city streets.

The pegasus guard nearest bowed low and shook her head. “Not yet, your majesties. We have guards posted on every rooftop and pegasi patrolling the skies, we’ll be sure to see him coming.”

Celestia nodded curtly. “Very good, lieutenant, inform us immediately if one of your guards spots him.”

The pegasi lieutenant saluted sharply. “Ma’am yes ma’am!”

“Sister,” Luna whispered, careful so that the guards would not overhear her, “we have seen that this creature is capable of some type of invisibility spell unknown to us. Is it not possible that he could simply walk past all of our guards without alerting any of them?”

“Yes, Lulu, that is entirely possible. But, if he comes searching for peace then we can hope that he will be direct with us. The guards are only a precaution and to help keep civilians out of harm’s way, should worse come to worse.”

“And should worse come to worse?” Luna asked, fearing the answer.

Celestia bowed her head and spoke in a small voice. “Should this creature, Jak, choose to not accept our peace and instead attack us while we are exposed, then we will take matters into our own hooves. He has caught us off guard before, but this time we are prepared. He cannot hope to triumph against the both of us.”

“Your highnesses!” The lieutenant called, flapping his wings manically as if he had just seen a ghost. He landed into a canter, bowing before the princesses breathing heavily. “The creature has been spotted! It is headed towards this location with its weapon drawn. Your orders?”

Celestia and Luna exchanged a hopeful glance. “Stand down lieutenant. Tell all guards in the area to let the creature known as Jak pass unhindered and unharmed to the City Square to speak with us.”

“But your highness-”

Celestia interrupted him with a stern glare. “Lieutenant, I value your loyalty and your determination to protect my sister and I, but this is meant to be a peaceful meeting. If you show any hostility then he will react with the same.”

He opened his mouth as if to protest but stopped after seeing the glares from both princesses that bolstered no argument. “…As you wish, your highness. I shall order the Royal Guard to stand down but stay alert.”

“Thank you, lieutenant. Dismissed.”

“Ma’am!” The guard saluted once more and took off to deliver his orders.

The square grew still and quiet once more. Though, unlike before, this time the air was tense as the strange creature slowly approached the royal sisters, his bronze armour gleaming in the sun and his alien weapon drawn and resting in his hands. Neither the guards nor any onlooking citizens dared to breathe, waiting for something to happen. The only sound in the square was the crunch of the pavement underneath the creature’s boots and the occasional clink of a guard’s armour.

The guards lined the street and square, all poised to attack at a moment’s notice. Jak paid them no mind, focusing his attention on the two Princesses patiently waiting at the center of the city square. He stopped his approach a few dozen feet from the alicorns, both waiting for the other to begin.

Jak tightened his grip on his weapon, his gaze searching both of the princesses’ faces for any sign of emotion. Both wore masks of neutrality, letting none of their feelings or thoughts show. The staredown continued for a few more minutes, growing more tense with every passing second. The guards began to get anxious, impatiently waiting for something, anything to happen.

Jak forcibly made his body relax, letting his arms and weapon drop to his sides. “Alright, I’m here. Now what?”

Celestia could see that the creature was trying to keep a level head, which meant that he was at least trying to attempt peace. She smiled inwardly at the prospect. “That decision rests with you, Jak. You have two options before you: you may either surrender yourself and end this senseless fighting or you could attempt to attack us. I promise you if you try to assault myself, Princess Luna, or any of the guards or citizens I will exact a swift retribution.”

Jak’s eyes narrowed and his hand tightened once more around the grip of his weapon. The guards saw him tense and began to ready themselves to strike.

“Your sister didn’t mention anything about me having to ‘surrender’ myself, Princess.” Jak growled, voice growing venomous on the last word. “There’s no way I’m letting you lock me up in some dungeon to rot.”

Luna tentatively took a few steps forward to stand by her sister. “That was not our intention.”

“Your guards suggest otherwise.”

“Regardless of our intentions, you have assaulted guards, evaded arrest, destroyed public property, and hospitalized the Prince of the Crystal Empire.” Celestia listed off, voice growing in volume until the entire square could hear her clearly. “Until we can be certain of your motivations in Canterlot and Equestria, I am afraid that we must ask that you be arrested. I promise you that no harm shall come to you under our care and that you will be fed adequately.”

Luna inclined her head to Jak, her voice hopeful. “Please, Jak. If you truly wish to make peace with Canterlot then you must willingly surrender and let yourself be taken to the dungeons. It will only be temporary.”

Jak looked away from the alicorn princesses, eyes shifting back and forth as he thought about what they said. Celestia hoped that he would make the right decision, but if she had to, she would strike down the creature before he could make any attempt on anypony’s life.

“...Alright,” Jak said, turning back to face Celestia and Luna, determination burning in his eyes, “I’ve made my decision.”

“And?” Celestia asked, head held high and wings spread wide.

Jak raised his weapon, aimed directly at the Sun Princess’s chest. He glared at the princess, and she glared back, daring him to fire. Just as she was about to incapacitate him, Jak smirked, tossing his Morph Gun to the hooves of the princesses.

Visibly shocked, Celestia looked back and forth from the dangerous weapon lying before her to the equally dangerous creature smirking victoriously a few feet away. Luna beside her was dumbstruck, her jaw slack and her eyes wide.

“You win.” Jak sighed, raising his hands submissively. “I surrender. I’m tired of these games, I’m tired of fighting these pointless fights. If this is what you want, then fine, I'll go quietly this time.”

Celestia shook herself and donned her royal mask of neutrality once more. She nodded gratefully and her horn was surrounded in a golden aura. A pair of manacles materialized around Jak’s wrists, effectively handcuffing him as her guards began to escort him to the Canterlot dungeons.

As he was led past the princesses, his eyes met with both Celestia’s and Luna’s.

“Thank you, Jak.”