//------------------------------//
// Tokens of Gratitude 
// Story: Living Darkness 
// by vildtiger 
//------------------------------//

At the crack of dawn, Soldier got up from bed and starts his morning exercise. He did, however, forget this is not BLU base and only realized his mistake after he had shouted: "Up and at it maggots!" A very sleepy but also startled filly appears from the door. After an awkward moment of silence, Soldier muses a very quiet: "Sorry miss." and stalks outside, feeling rather stupid over have forgotten he's not in BLU base at the moment.

"...Why are you up this early, sir?" The purple coated and blond filly unicorn asks, following their guest outside. She is still a bit scared of him with his loud voice but warmed up to him after that dragon incident. The olive green stallion stops for a moment before he returns back in trotting around the house with: "Only lazy bums waste precious hours sleeping."
She watches him for a moment, thinking about his words and can see a bit of reason in them. "Makes sense I guess... but mother says sleep is important too. Without it, we cannot focus when awake." The stallion only makes a strange humming sound, too busy trotting around. The filly yawns and returns back to the house for some more sleep but does stop at the door as she would like to get to know this stallion better. "I would like to join you; if you got up later."

That catches Soldier off guard, he stops and stares at this child. "You would like to... train with me?" He asks, not sure he got that right.

The filly, Dinky nods with another yawn. "Uh huh, I saw you save that pony when the dragon attacked." She lowers her head slightly, "and... um, I would like to be able to do the same when I grow up."

Soldier has to take a moment to comprehend what this child has just said, then another moment when he contemplates if he should train this child-- this girl becomes a true soldier. Women aren't supposed to be soldiers, they belong in the house, but this filly asked him to train him. So he guesses he can bend the rules a little bit. "Alright, I will get up a bit later, but you better be prepared for some hard training!" He tells this girl hard. "Doesn't matter you are a girl, do I make myself clear?!"

Dinky copy what she at times has seen Soldier here do when he shows he understand or agree. "Yes you do." He returns the salute and with that; both returns back into the house.

About three hours later, Derpy wakes and heads over to wake her daughter only to realizes the filly isn't in her room. "Dinky?" She calls worried and bit in a state of panic searches the house for her. She finds her daughter along with Soldier, and to her surprise, both are trotting around the house with Soldier singing some song she does not recognize.
The two stop and Soldier tells the winded filly. "Nice job Cadet! Keep this up and you'll turn into a fine soldier one day. Now let's get some breakfast!" Dinky salutes, first there seeing her dumbfounded mother.
"Mom, I and Soldier have become friends now." She giggles up to the bit taken aback stallion.
Well, isn't that good news. Derpy smiles. "I told you he wasn't so bad." Turning to Soldier. "Thanks for giving Dinky a chance."

"Not a problem ma'am!" Soldier salutes, again forgetting he doesn't have hands and hits his head. "Ow!" The two women giggles and Derpy suggest they should head inside. "You two must be hungry."

"Starving!" Dinky says with a huge smile.

Giggling, Derpy starts on the food. When done she puts down a plate with apple muffins. "Here you go." and Dinky digs in right away, Soldier fumbles a bit with the muffin in his hooves. Derpy shows him the trick and the green stallion can finally eat without the risk of dropping his food. He gives Dinky a smile when the filly says. "Mommies muffins are the best!" Derpy blushes lightly at her daughter's praise, more so when Soldier agrees with her. "They are very good, you should be proud!"
"It's nothing, just an old home recipe." Derpy brushes it off.
After the breakfast, Derpy takes her daughter to school before she will head to the mail-office. Speaking of job, "Have you found yourself a job yet?" She asks Soldier. What she got from Spy, the three would be here in Ponyville for quite some time.

"Not yet." Soldier replies the grey mare, he is still looking for something to do, something where he would feel of use. But, as much he hates to admit it; the only thing he is good at is being a soldier. Although deep inside he knows he's not a real one...

"Well, I wish you luck then." Derpy says and leaves along with her daughter.

Soldier heads to the town not long after, he doesn't want to idle in Miss Hooves house. He needs to do something...!
Inside the town he encounters Spy talking with that mare there got trapped by that dragon. With nothing else to do, he walks over to them.

"— been long I last spoke with anypony of finer taste." Rarity replies the blue and very charming pegasi. "If you have the time perhaps come by my boutique, I might have just something for you."

Spy smiles, both to charm her but also because he has found a pony there knows how to make proper clothing. "I am sure whatever you show it, it will be just as dazzling as their creator."

"Oh, you flatter me." She giggles waves a hoof at him to then let out a startled yelp when a ruff looking pegasus suddenly appears beside both of them with a rather loud: "Hello again! I see the dragon didn't eat you." She gives him a weak smile, remembering this one from when Spike was that rampaging dragon. "Eh ha ha... no, he didn't..." and now seeing him up close, this stallion is rougher than she had feared, it's like looking at a dull stone. Perhaps she can get two birds with one stone. "I must say it was very brave of you and your friends trying to save me." She smiles sweetly at this ruffian looking pegasus and suggests. "What do you say I repay you with some new clothing?"

"There is no need for it, Marsmoselle." Spy tries but the white unicorn brushes his attempt to decline off.

"Oh, I must insist."

Her funeral, "Alright, I presume you would like to thank our third member as well?" She nods and Spy heads out to find Demoman, praying Soldier won't destroy miss Rarity's shop too much when she tries to put a tuxedo on him. Demoman is busy enough helping to repair Sugarcupe Corner as it is.

Turning to the olive green pegasi there for some reason pokes his muzzle. "Should we see if there is something for your need?" Rarity asks, still with that sweet voice of hers and request the stallion to follow her back to her boutique.

Soldier follows this unicorn into a shop filled with mirrors and more clothing than he has ever seen. He blinks when the unicorn uses that ability Tavish at times uses on him, making a jacket looking very much like one Spy would walk in floats before him.

"You would like quite dazzling in a tuxedo." Rarity observes.

"If I was a spy." Soldier grumbles and pushes the spy suit away. Boasting his chest proudly. "Soldiers like me do not uses cheap trick like those backstabbing snakes!"

Rarity is not entirely sure what this stallion is talking about, but she did catch on one word. "soldier?" So this one is part of the royal guard? First time she has ever gotten the chance of suiting one of those, a challenge she eagerly accepts! "Tuxedo won't do, then." She puts the suit back to its place and trots over to another shelf. If this stallion is a royal guard, then something showing strength and yet a certain elegant would fit him better. She finds a piece of clothing, and levitates it over but can see it is still not exactly what she has in mind. "Hm, no that won't do-- what would you say I made you a new uniform and perhaps spruce up your helmet a bit?" She asks the stallion. Not sure if he likes the idea or not since the helmet cover most of his face.

"You can make a uniform?" Soldier blinks, quite taken aback hearing this.

"Oh yes, and no offense but the one you have now have seen better days."

Soldier looks down to his BLU uniform, it is dirty and covered in holes from both his battle back when he was human and from that dragon. That woman horse might be onto something, his higher officer always said that a soldier should look properly in order to intimidate the enemy. "Alright." He agrees and lets the unicorn take his helmet, he feels sort of naked without it, though...

Oh, he is going to love what she has in mind for him, Rarity thinks excitedly. She would like to put gems on the new uniform, but she has to restrain herself since she doubts a royal guard pony would predicate having objects there can blind him when out in the sun. Maybe a single gem formed as a star on the helmet, perhaps? "I would need a few days before your uniform is done." She tells him while levitating the helmet over to the work table, noticing the stallion looks a bit lost without his helmet. Feeling a bit bad she somewhat is the cause of this lost puppy look, Rarity presumes she can allow him to borrow one of her hats. "You may borrow one of my hats, but be sure to return it in good condition."

Is she giving him a hat? Soldier whole face lights up hearing that and zips over to the shelf where the hats are.
He doesn't notice Spy and Demo walking inside.

"I see you are handing Soldier just fine." Spy remarks, hiding his surprise she kept him seduced without no trouble. He thought Soldier would destroy something the moment she tried dressing him up.

Rarity walks over to them with a smile, thinking that green stallion must really take his royal guard job seriously when his name is Soldier. But putting that one aside, she levitates a black tuxedo over to Spy but quickly changes her mind when realizing his dark coat will just make the suit disappear. "No, something lighter perhaps." and levitates a lighter blue one over to him, that looks better. But could use— "Perhaps something white." and leaves, dropping the suit in the pegasus's hooves.

Spy catches the tuxedo, letting Rarity head out in search of some cosmetics for him. He lifts up the suit and can see he wasn't wrong saying she has a good taste of style.
"She's so going to dress us all up isn't she?" Demo asks with a weak chuckle, Spy simply gives him a look. This is going to be quite amusing if Demo keeps being this skirmish.
A white shirt and flower get levitated before him, and before Spy knows: Rarity has put the suit on him. He is not sure if he should be impressed or scared how fast and effective she did just that.
Rarity scratches her chin deeply in thoughts on her work, making Spy suddenly feel like he's literally a show pony and to his embarrassment; that is making him quite nervous as he doubts this unicorn will allow him to leave before she is done.

Rarity eyes light up and levitate over some gems— to then drop them when Soldier is suddenly by them with a joyful laugh. He now has a captain hat for a role-play she made for a customer. "I found a new hat!" Spy and Demo turn their full attention on Soldier, both having a curious look in their eyes about the new headwear and Rarity notices how excited the three gets when they see her stock of headwear. The blue pegasus then turns to her, asking in his always polite tone. "If you wouldn't mind, could I and Demoman find ourselves a piece of headwear as well?"

"Of course." Rarity says and is curious about their excitement of getting a hat. It's like watching foals getting their presents at Heart's Warming Eve; not exactly a behavior she would expect from a royal guard, a gentlestallion and... well she still not sure how to describe the one with the name of Demo. "May I asks the interest in headwear?" She asks the three.

Snapping out from an almost unnatural zeal of finding a hat, Spy explains the white unicorn a bit sheepishly over their huge interest in getting new hats. "It's a bit of a strange story. You see, we are fighting against... ponies looking exactly like us."

"Ooh my, how do you know which one is who then?" Rarity asks, she might find herself dazzling and all but she would prefer there is only one Rarity in the world.

Demoman steps up beside Spy. "We can't lass, not sure about Spy and Solly's team, but for RED that whole situation was really depressing at first."

"Same for us." Spy admits and pushes the thought aside from that he shouldn't share information with a RED or a civilian. They aren't in the War Games and he is not sure if he ever would return to the human world again AND this world ridicules high level of trust in one another is rubbing off him. Both turn to Rarity when the mare asks shocked. "Wait, aren't you on the same team?" Spy shakes his head. "Non, Demoman here is part of the RED team, the one I and Soldier were hired to fight. Our own Demoman looks and acts exactly like him, though. Demo has two team member looking and acting exactly like I and Soldier. It's a very depressing thought; not knowing if you are real or fake. So in an attempt of cheering the team up, my team's Scout came with the suggestion we should begin to wear hats."

Demoman cannot help but laugh at the irony. "Our Scout did the same, words all a mess but he said it with heart in the right place."

That counts with the BLU Scout as well, Spy thinks and although he's never allowed to show his true emotions towards that boy, he does feel a twitch of pride for Scout. Even a headache like Scout knows how to make people smile with his stupid ideas and stupider mouth. "Not long after we began wearing all sorts of hats and other sorts of cosmetics; many of them silly but it did in some way separate us." He explains the confused looking unicorn and feels almost an inch putting that blue fedora onto his head.

Well, this does get onto the top ten list of strange habits but far from being the strangest and besides— Rarity levitates the fedora onto Spy's head, she noticed he kept glancing at. Giggling how child happy he looks for a moment before forcing himself back to his calm exterior. "Well, if you continue on aiding Ponyville and perhaps me once and a while; I could make you a few cosmetics." She suggests. These three might help her attach more male customers by showing what the opposite gender appraise.
Demoman and Soldier both start cheering and doing some sort of dance while Spy looks like he's really struggling not to do the same thing, Rarity has trouble not laughing at their colt-like excitement they show of her suggestion. They are really some strange stallions.

"It's very generous of you," Spy says while lightly touching his new hat.

Rarity blushed and waves her hoof at the blue pegasi. "It's nothing, darling."

"No really, no-one has been this kind to us." Spy tells her seriously, he has never met someone wanting to give so much and only expecting a helping hand to the town in return.

"Spy's right, we cannot thank ye enough." Demoman says with Soldier nodding in agreement.

The unicorn mare titles her head slightly in her small confusions. "It sounds like you aren't used to be treated like this." Jumping when all three say at the same time. "We aren't!" They eye one another for a moment. Spy turns back to her, explaining. "Our line of job has made a lot of pe- ponies look at us in fear and detest."

"...What are your jobs?"

"We kill one another over worthless land!" Soldier exclaims cheerfully before Spy and Demo can stop him, he doesn't notice the angry look the two other gives him or the fearful look Rarity now has.

"You- You kill ponies?" She knew they were warriors from how they fought and handled getting beaten around by Spike, but to think these three actually kill other ponies.

Soldier opens his mouth but Demo's magic forces it shut and explains the pony before she calls the police on them. "Aye, but do not worry lass. We do not wish anyone in this town harm. And although I was hired to fight Spy and Soldier here, the three of us have come to an agreement of ceasefire until we return back home."

Okay, that's a relief these three has the tenacity of keeping others out from their war. Taking a deep breath, Rarity asks them as what Soldier said of what they fought about made little to no sense. "Why are you fighting over worthless land?"

"That what was we were hired to do." Spy replies simply, the two others nod. The blue and now fancy dressed pegasus nods towards the door to the two others before he eyes her again with a somewhat somber tone "We will be leaving now."

Wait, do they think now she knows what their job is that she doesn't want anything to do with them? What did they except? A pony with no heart? Sure them being practically mercenaries is scary, but they did say that they wouldn't fight as long they were here and— "Gentlemen please, you don't have to leave." They stop, Spy and Demoman giving her a surprised look, Soldier is still trying to open his mouth through Demo's magic. Ignoring that soldier pony, she will say: "I admit I am a worried and scared about of your... line of job. But I and many others here in Ponyville saw goodness in you when you— without a moment of hesitating fought against... well that dragon." But that's not what made her believe there is goodness in these three, every ruffian can fight a dragon. She takes a step towards these three, knowing they will not harm her. "You protected us, you tried to save me; even though you didn't know me. When wounded, you still continued trying helping me. Only good ponies do that." And from how taken aback they stare at her, it seems like nopony has told them anything close to what she has just said. She smiles, then with her business glasses on, she turns to Demoman. "Now, let's see if I can find something there would look good on you." The brown pony chuckles nervously.

About an hour later, the two mercenaries and one assassin all leave Rarity's shop quite happy and all having a piece of headwear. Demo and Soldier do however have to wait a few days for their uniforms, but they can wait for a month if they have to, it's quite the experience been giving such gifts. And that just for keeping a few ponies safe and whack a dragon over the head a few times. "I think I'm going to like this place," Demo says, Soldier nods in agreement with; "Even they all look like hippies"

Good to know he's not the only one getting affected by this world ridiculous high level of friendliness. Which does reminds Spy. "I will have to leave you now." and heads over to the shop he was supposed to be hours ago. He will have to apologize and tell Zecora he got quite caught up thanks to Rarity. He only thought they would talk for a short hour, what he hasn't expected was getting a whole new suit and a nice hat as well. Can't say it was a waste of time.

**
Back in the human world:

Administrator's order, the RED Spy, and Sniper are walking around the location where their Demoman disappeared along with the BLU Soldier. But they will not find any clues now as well they couldn't three days past. Sniper stops at the now offline control point. "This is bloody ridicules." He grumbles and corrects the rifle on his shoulder. When Spy doesn't reply Sniper turns around and realizes the man is smiling. "What are you smiling at spook?" He asks for he cannot see the joke.

It first now Spy realizes he is and cough embarrassed. "I don't know." he admits.

"You don't know?" Sniper raises a brow.

He just felt really cheerful off of sudden, like if he has found some secret cave filled with hats and cosmetic just for him. That's the best way Spy can explain this, not that he will tell that to the bushman. To be honest, he has been feeling very weird this whole day. He keeps having this feeling he should be somewhere else, but not entirely sure where or why he feels like this. Brushing off his internal confusions of his own emotions, Spy asks the frowning Sniper. "You found anything about Demoman's disappearance?"
Sniper shakes his head, yeah, he thought so. "Then there is no need staying here. " Spy tells Sniper and is more than happy to return back to base. They have been out here for hours with nothing but dirt turned their way.
He does wonder why certain members get taken away without a trace. And better question: who will be next?