Brian didn't know how long he stayed strung. All he wanted to do was get out. Minutes snailed by as a half-conscious Brian started considering escape tactics. Right now, he had only one objective, and that was to escape from his predicament and kill Bachmeyer. And after minutes of thinking, something happened, that was so miraculous and well-timed that even an atheist would have written it off as an act of God.
The door opened. Brian fell limp and played unconscious, in case it was a guard who'd come to liberate his frustrations on the captive. Motionless and dead silent, the operative heard light footsteps approach him, and a soft voice say, "hello?"
Brian opened his eyes. It wasn't one of the sentries. It was a girl. She was young. Older than Rose, but younger than Salvador Bachmeyer. Her skin was olive-coloured, and her eyes were almost pitch black. The operative knew that he'd seen her before, but he couldn't quite remember where. "Who are you?" he asked.
"I'm Maria," answered the woman. "His... sister."
Brian suddenly remembered who the girl was. She was Salvador's sister, whom he'd seen during the initial operation, many years ago.
"You don't look too good," said Maria. "Are you okay?"
Brian was about to let out a snide remark about him having a broken nose, missing an eye and generally not looking too good right about now, but he refrained from it. At that moment, Maria was a potential way for him to get out of his situation, so alienating her wasn't a very good idea. "I've been better," he answered. "Why are you here?"
"Look. I want to leave this place," said Maria. "I can't stand it. And you want to kill my brother. Maybe we can help each other." She talked about her brother's life as if it was a mere commodity that she was ready to exchange. "He's a monster."
"Alright," said Brian. "How do you want to do this?"
"I'll bring him here, and you can do... whatever it is you want to do."
"Alright," said Brian. "Just one thing."
"Yes?"
"I left my stuff in a broom closet near the trophy room. Could you bring it to me?"
"Sure." Maria went over to the table, picked a knife, and came back to Brian. She slightly cut the ropes that were restraining Brian, and placed the knife in Brian's back pocket. "They should come loose if you pull a bit."
"Thanks," answered Brian.
Maria left the room. Brian waited with baited breath. After a few minutes, Brian heard some renewed footsteps. The door opened, admitting Bachmeyer and the torturer.
"My sister told me that you had something to say," said Salvador. "Are you about to apologise? Beg for your life, maybe?"
"I have a question," said Brian.
"I'm listening."
"Why did you wait all this time before coming for me?"
Bachmeyer looked surprised. He smirked, and answered, "I guess everything I heard about you was right. You're a good warrior, Havelock. You've got skill, brawn, guile. You carry out every mission you have with deadly precision. You don't ask for fame, money, or any form of recognition. In the end, you're just gonna end up another unknown soldier. Some said you were hot-headed, unpredictable and reckless. And I believe them. In the end, I guess it's why Jennings liked you. He just had to press your beserker button, and you went off to kill someone. He harnessed that arrogance of yours. Because, in the end, you're nothing but a thick-skulled primate. Gullible and dim to the end."
"Your point being?"
"Well, you see... you went off on your little tasks, crossing names of your list, and they gave you medals for every bullet in the heart, for every knife in the throat. And you went off and lived your happy-go-lucky life, never thinking of the consequences. Your handler is the same..." Bachmeyer sat down on the chair, and leaned backwards. "I just want to give you consequences. Maybe once. You see, I thought that... the longer you went on thinking that you were immune to them, the higher you climbed... the harder you'd fall. You had just retired from your life of killing, you had taken that nice, cushy job at the consulate. Working a desk from nine to five. I saw it as the best moment to make you fall. And fall, you did..."
"So basically just to make me suffer," retorted Brian.
"Yes."
"I have something else to tell you," said Brian. "For your ears only."
Bachmeyer came closer to Brian, and brought his ear close to Brian's mouth.
Brian took a deep breath, and said "Fuck you." Without warning, he gave a mighty tug, freeing his arms. He pulled the knife out of his pocket and threw it at the guard. The knife lodged itself in the guard's throat before he could move. Then, Brian pounced on Bachmeyer, held him down, and strangled him until he fell unconscious. The guard gave one last shocked look at Brian, before crumbling to the floor, hopelessly clutching his neck.
Brian was about to rip the druglord's throat out and kill him then and there, but he suddenly had a different idea. At that moment, Maria returned, holding a duffel bag. She didn't seem surprised by the sight of the sentry laying dead in a pool of his own blood, and she seemed somewhat satisfied with seeing her brother, unconscious on the floor. "It's all in there," said Maria, dumping the bag on the floor.
Brian quickly got dressed. "Thanks," he said, as he finished buttoning his Tiger-Stripe fatigue jacket.
"I also got you this," said Maria, handing an eyepatch to Brian. "I thought it'd be useful, for, you know..."
"Thanks." Brian donned the eyepatch, and lifted an unconscious Bachmeyer onto his shoulder.
Maria looked surprised to see that Brian hadn't yet killed him, but she didn't say anything about it. "So how do you want to do this?" she asked.
"I'm supposed to go down the valley," answered Brian. "I've left a car there. Once I'm done using it, you can have it."
"Deal," said Maria. "Whenever you're ready..."
Brian grabbed Salvador by the lapels, and hoisted him over his shoulder. "If you know of a good way to leave this place unseen, now's the time to use it."
"There's a chute and ladder that leads to the river," said Maria. "We can use it. Let's go."
Before leaving the room, Brian saw the cassette tape and walkman that Bachmeyer had left on the table. After a moment of hesitation, he took it.
Canterlot Castle, Saturday morning
The fundraiser was going relatively well. The guests had arrived at eleven o'clock, and although they had been somewhat alarmed by the abnormally high security, they all seemed to be enjoying themselves. Octavia and her band, as per usual, were playing their instruments on a small stage, and the notables were taking turns chatting with the stallion of the hour, Doctor Splint. His smile widened every time he saw a noble slipping a cheque into the golden donation box, and he smirked every time he was asked about his ground-breaking research.
But good times weren't being had by all. In fact, there was a group of ponies that looked grim. Or at least they were feeling grim, and some just covered their moods with rehearsed glassy smiles.
"Cheer up, Fluttershy," said Twilight, soothingly. "Here, have some cake."
"Oh, erm... no thanks, Twilight," answered Fluttershy. She was hiding behind her mane again, and she looked worried and grief-stricken.
"I miss him too," said Twilight. "But I'm sure he's in a better place now."
"I hope you're right."
Twilight looked over at Princess Celestia, who was standing at the top of the stairs that dominated the ballroom. She was smiling a serene smile, and chatting with the Prime Minister, along with Princess Luna. "How does she do that?" she asked.
"How does she do... what?" asked Fluttershy.
"How can she just smile when she clearly isn't well?"
"I... I don't know..."
At that moment, Applejack and Rainbow Dash came along. They took one look at Fluttershy, and knew exactly what she was thinking about.
"You're still thinkin' of him, ain't ya?" asked Applejack. "You want my advice? Forget 'im. He was nothin' but a filthy varmint. Good riddance."
Fluttershy's eyes began to water.
"Applejack..." said Twilight, cross.
"Just sayin' mah honest opinion!"
"Haven't you ever heard of subtlety?" hissed Twilight, through gritted teeth.
Rainbow Dash hadn't yet said anything. She really wanted to tell them the truth, but decided that it was best if she didn't. She didn't want to betray Brian.
The main doors opened, and Princess Cadance and her consort made their appearance. Princess Twilight ran towards her sister-in-law, and they recited their chant in full view of everypony.
"They're annoying," said Applejack, under her breath.
"Huh. Tell me about it," answered Rainbow Dash, more audibly.
Twilight hugged her brother, and the two princesses started talking while a bored Shining Armor went over to the buffet table.
"Erm, Dashie?" asked Fluttershy, timidly. "Can we have a word?"
Rainbow Dash, who knew what this was going to be about, rolled her eyes. "Sure."
Rainbow and Fluttershy went towards a corner of the room, and huddled together.
"I... just want to ask you something," said Fluttershy.
"Is this about Brian?" asked Rainbow Dash in return.
"Did he... did he suffer? When he died?"
Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes again. "Really? Is that what you wanted to ask me about?"
"I've got to know!"
"Look..."
"Please," implored Fluttershy. "Please, tell me."
Rainbow Dash sighed, and looked down at the floor. "I- I don't know, okay?"
"What do you mean, 'you don't know'? You were there!"
Rainbow Dash was lost for words. "I-I..."
"Oh my gosh," said Fluttershy. "He's alive, isn't he?"
"I-"
"He is! He's alive!"
"Look, whether he's alive or not, it's none of your business. Either way, he won't be coming back. Forget about him." And with no further ado, Rainbow Dash turned away in a huff.
Rarity was talking to a pair of nobles at the buffet table, who seemed to be fascinated by the hat she was wearing. "Oh, yes, I made it myself. I used a-"
But whatever Rarity had used to make her hat, no-one would ever know. Because at that moment, the double doors swung open with a bang, and a whole platoon of Royal Guards marched into the room, and took positions next to the massive glass windows.
"What is the meaning of this?" asked Celestia, loudly. "Return to your stations at once!"
But the guards didn't move. They just stood by the glass panes, all wearing an identical smirk.
"Didn't you hear your Commander-In-Chief?" bellowed Shining Armour. "Desist!"
Mayor Cole Slaw waltzed into the room, and sniggered softly. "You have no authority here, Captain," he said.
And without warning, there was an eruption of green light all around the room, and the sentries changed.
Transparent wings, pale, lifeless eyes, and black exoskeletons. The coup was lead by changelings.
About half of the guests also revealed their true form. One of the aristocrats who had been chatting with Rarity mere seconds before changed, and hissed at the Element of Generosity.
"ALL HAIL OUR NEW QUEEN!" shouted Cole Slaw, climbing on one of the tables. "QUEEN CHRYSALIS!"
And with a move that surprised pretty much no-one at that point, the queen herself arrived through the front door. Instantly, all of the changelings simultaneously fired beams of light at Celestia, who was thrust against the wall. And when they were done with Celestia, they did the same to Luna. Twilight tried making for outside, but several of the queen's troops surrounded her, and pinned her to the ground.
"Funny, isn't it?" said Chrysalis, once the crowd had been daunted, walking towards Celestia. "A thousand years of deceit, lies, and treason, and you never learn, do you? Well I did." She kicked the motionless princess in the belly. "Where is it?"
"Where's... what?" asked Celestia, groggily.
"A few days ago, my scouts sensed a powerful source of LOVE in this very castle!" announced Chrysalis. "Enough to feed an empire. What is it?"
Everypony looked confused. What was she talking about?
"I- I don't..."
The queen turned around, and looked at one of her minions. "Search," she said, ruthlessly. The changeling took off, and zoomed outside.
Rainbow Dash looked out of the window at the city below. A legion of changelings had already descended upon the capital, and there were flashes of light everywhere. Soldiers were putting up a fight, but everyone knew that they wouldn't win. She bit her lip. "If only there was somepony who was somepony brave enough to challenge them..."
And suddenly, it clicked. The pegasus checked that no-one was looking, and made for a side door. Stealthily, she flew down the hall, and found an open window to fly out of. If there was someone who could help, it was Brian.
"It's there," said Brian, dumping the still unconscious druglord on the ground and displacing some branches, revealing the Jeep Wrangler that he'd stashed there for his getaway.
Maria sighed in relief. "Finally," she said.
"Could you give me some space?" asked Brian. "There's something I need to take care of."
Maria looked at her unconscious brother, then at Brian, and knew exactly what was about to happen. Despite her knowing that her brother was a despicable human being, she didn't want Brian to make him suffer. She saw him more as a dog that had to be put down. But at the same time, she knew what her brother had done to the operative, and she didn't want to oppose him. She simply nodded, and went down a hill to wait it out.
Brian got a zip-tie from his pouch, and tied Bachmeyer's hands together. Then, he kicked his captive in the stomach. "Wake up!"
Salvador grunted. Brian kicked again. Salvador shouted, and woke up with a start. "Ah!"
The operative stared at his victim, and smiled a devilish grin. "I am so going to enjoy this." He unsheathed his knife, and bent down towards the terrified druglord.
Bachmeyer tried to scarper, crawling along the ground with his legs. But Brian stomped onto Bachmeyer's kneecap, snapping it clean.
Meanwhile, Maria listened to the gasps, the kicks, and the yells of pain with apathy. She'd heard the same noises before at the house. Those ones that she heard at that moment were just louder than usual. She sat there, trying her best to ignore the litany of excessive violence that was unfolding in the world behind her. In the end, waiting for Brian to be finished was just like waiting for her father to come and pick her up after soccer practice.
And finally, after minutes of waiting, she heard the her brother plead for his life, before the coup de grâce.
"It's done," said Brian, climbing into the car's front passenger seat.
Maria climbed in next to him, and started the car. "Thank you," she said, grateful that the operative had given her a way out of her brother's den.
Brian didn't answer. He simply pressed the PTT switch on his radio, and contacted Jennings. "Husky, this is FOXHOUND. It's done. Currently heading to the extraction point. Over."
"Acknowledged, FOXHOUND," answered Jennings. "A chopper is en route to the LZ from over the border. ETA one hour. Husky out."
As Maria revved up the car, Brian sat back in his seat, and grunted in an almost orgasmic fashion, bringing more questions about his sanity. He had completed his objective. He had brought suffering and death upon the man who had murdered his wife. The twisted child who had cheated death almost twenty years prior was dead, and Brian finally had his revenge. He felt good. And for once, he was happy.
But those feelings of accomplishment and self-satisfaction quickly disappeared, as a realisation came to his mind. It dawned on him that at the moment at which he'd stood above Bachmeyer like a tiger-striped Angel of Death, about to make a man, as twisted as he was, suffer for his enjoyment, Brian had become exactly what many people thought that he was, what the left-wing media said that he was, and what many of the suits in the cabinet office saw him as: a killer.
Grace's voice rung in Brian's head.
"You can kill Bachmeyer. Murder his cronies, and burn the whole world down. It won't bring me back. Nothing will, Brian..."
That was probably the last twist in Brian's mind, which lead him to the reckless, nihilistic, almost suicidal mess he was to this day. And after a few minutes of thinking, Brian came to a conclusion.
Grace had been everything to him. And Rose, in his mind, was better off never seeing him again. The only things that still mattered to him were the very things that had lead him to this moment: his duty to his country, and the thrill of the chase. The rest didn't matter to him anymore.
"I brought it all onto myself," he thought. "I killed Grace. And Rose doesn't have a mother anymore because of me. It's all my fault."
At that moment, Brian took a decision. He sentenced himself to hard labour. He'd go out on missions for Jennings until someone killed him. He wouldn't take his own life. He'd die in battle before being sent to hell.
Brian lit a cigar to celebrate that mad decision of his.
After a few minutes, Maria halted the car in front of a river. She and Brian got out. "Thanks for freeing me," said Maria.
"Likewise," answered Brian. "You can have the car. Someone's coming to pick me up. You'd better get out of here."
"Yes," answered Maria. "Adios, friend."
Brian answered with a dismissive hand gesture, and sat down at the root of a tree. He reached into his pouch to get his lighter, but he felt the walkman, and remembered that he still hadn't listened to the contents of the cassette tape.
The operative unplugged the jack cord from his radio, and plugged his earpiece into the device. He checked that the tape was rewinded, and pressed 'Play'.
After a few seconds of crackling, Brian heard the beeping sounds of a phone.
"Bachmeyer?" asked a voice, which was unmistakably Jennings'.
"Señor Johnson," said a gruff voice. It wasn't Salvador's, so Brian assumed it belonged to José, Salvador's father. "I've just seen the news. Escobar is finished."
"Yes, I heard. I was going to call you myself, but I was sidetracked. You've completed your part of the deal, and I intend to keep my word. The Americans won't bother you, and I won't either. Thanks to this whole operation, I've been promoted. I now have enough influence to throw them of your scent, and I have enough weight with the British Government to keep them away from South America."
"Excellent," answered Bachmeyer. "Simply excellent."
"A word of warning, though," said 'Señor Johnson'.
"Yes?"
"I'd advise you and your son to stay away from America and Europe," cautioned Jennings. "Lest I be obliged to take you two down. Loose ends, and all of that."
"I'll take your advice... for now," said Bachmeyer. "But I can't keep my son's ambition under control eternally."
"Very well," sighed Jennings. "I'm guessing that means that one day, we'll be pitted against each other. And make no mistake, I won't hesitate to kill you if I have to."
"But of course..."
"Until then," said Jennings, "I bid you farewell, and good luck in your future endeavours."
There was no sound for the next ten seconds or so, before Brian heard the same beeping.
"Who is this?" asked Jennings' voice.
Brian heard Salvador Bachmeyer laugh softly.
"Hello?"
"Hello, Señor Jennings."
"How did you get this number?"
"Just... picked up the phonebook."
There was a long pause. "Salvador Bachmeyer?" asked Jennings, uncertainly. "How?"
"Your pawn got careless... that or, he didn't check me after shooting."
"What do you want?" asked Jennings.
"Me? Oh, nothing, really... this is just a fair warning. Or a proposition, depending on your way of looking at it."
"I won't negotiate with criminals or thugs."
"And my father? Was he something else to you?"
Jennings didn't answer.
"Just what I thought," said Bachmeyer. "But anyway, I know better than to try and negotiate with you. So I'm going to jump through the hoops, and get to you. And one day, I will kill you. And your wife. And that lovely ginger tabby you have at home. Mavis, she's called, your cat, isn't she..."
"How did you..."
"But for now, I'm going to satisfy myself with your lapdog. And trust me, what I'm going to do to him... that'll just be tickles, compared to what I have in store for you."
"Don't you dare touch him. Don't you dare go after him. You have a score to settle with me, not with him."
"There's no changing my mind about it," retorted Bachmeyer. "My man is already on his way. And Brian is on his way back from work. You can't contact him."
"If you back off now, nothing will come of this," said Jennings. "You can have me, just don't..."
"You don't negotiate with criminals, or thugs."
"Son of a..."
"Goodbye."
The tape stopped, and Brian didn't really know what to think. If anything, that cassette only demonstrated that José Bachmeyer and Jennings had collaborated at some point. Purely out of interest, of course, but then again, that was what Brian expected from Jennings. But it also showed that Jennings, in the end, had tried to protect Brian, and had willingly offered himself to save Brian. The soldier felt satisfied, in a way. He extracted the cassette from the walkman, broke it open, and pulled out the tape itself. He set it alight with his cigar, and watched it burn. He didn't want anyone else to find it.
Brian was sitting on the bank of the river, looking at the water flow past, smoking a cigar. He was wondering about what Rainbow Dash had said. Was there truly a destiny that he could find, in this world? Or were the ponies just deluded into thinking that Providence actually had a plan for them? Head spinning around the same unanswerable questions, Brian moved to sit down at the foot of an oak tree. He closed his eyes, and let himself dream, if only for a few seconds.
They used to drink there.
They sang old songs, arm in arm,
Drinking to their health...
But it was another era.
Jennings walked on the tiles,
Mindful to only step on each one,
Only once.
That thought obsesses him.
A cable, stretched across a chasm.
A river of blood runs underneath.
Brian kills, and the river rises,
Brian curses his existence.
A girl called Grace,
Charming as a dove
Against the afternoon sky.
Dead.
A girl called Rose is to be wed.
No-one to walk her down the aisle.
She refused that it be someone else,
It saddens her.
Brian woke up with a start. He heard a noise from behind him. Instinctively, he grabbed his rifle, and aimed at where it had come from.
"Oh, it's you," he said, lowering the rifle as he saw the blue pegasus skid to a halt and pant.
"It's... changelings... they're... here!" she panted.
"Beg your pardon?"
"You've gotta help me!"
"Erm..."
"I-"
"Calm down," commanded Brian. "Take a breath. What's wrong."
"It's Canterlot! We're being invaded!"
"By whom?"
"Changelings!"
"What?"
Rainbow Dash explained the entire situation to Brian, who was still confused as to why she'd come to him with that information. "And why should I care? You guys wanted to execute me."
Dashie rolled her eyes. "It's the mayor. He was working for them. I'd bet ya anything that it was him who sent you that note."
Brian wasn't thoroughly convinced. "And how do I know this isn't a ploy to get me back to the castle?"
"If it was, would I have come alone?" asked Rainbow Dash. "Besides, I told everyone you were dead. They won't be expecting you to come along."
Brian thought hard. On the one hand, Rainbow Dash seemed sincere. She had a desperate look in her eyes, and Brian had grown to like her. On the other, she could be wanting to lead him into a trap. But he'd escaped once, and he was ready to do it again. Whatever it could take. And then it dawned on him.
"This is it. It's the battle I was expecting."
Maybe this was his date with destiny. Maybe this was his opportunity to go out in a blaze of glory, one last fight. And then he'd serve his penitence in hell, or whatever.
"Fine," said Brian. "I'll help you."
"Then what are we waiting for?"
"To tell the truth..." said Brian, "I think this is what I've been waiting for all along."
Meanwhile, in the other world
"Miss Havelock," said Jennings, as Brian's daughter entered his office.
"Mister Jennings," answered Rose, coldly. "Is this about my father?"
"Yes," said Jennings. "Please, have a seat."
Rose sat down, and crossed her arms and legs. She looked apprehensive. "I'm listening."
"Brian has gone missing." Jennings expected Rose to have a surprised reaction, but it was just stoic.
" 'Missing' missing or 'dead' missing?" she asked.
"Just missing, for now," answered the spymaster. "I got the news yesterday evening."
"And how did you respond?" asked Rose.
"We've prepared a disinformation campaign," replied Jennings, casually. "We've preemptively prepared a cover story of sorts. Cut all ties with him, burned all evidence of contact going back a few years, and created some false evidence of his discharge from the Armed Forces. When- I mean, if the time comes, the government will issue a statement claiming that Brian went freelance, and was not acting on our behalf. A mercenary, if you prefer."
Rose chuckled almost sardonically. "Still top of your game, aren't you?"
"Anything but," answered Jennings. "Truth be told, your father was my most reliable operative. Whatever you might think, I did not consider him expendable. Who knows how long it'll be before I can find someone who even comes close to Brian in terms of skill."
"Why are you telling me all of this?" asked Rose.
"Very simply," said Jennings, "I owe him that. Long ago, he saved my career. And I want to repay him as I can. I've elected to keep this information from the government as long as I can, and I will take the fall if your father defects."
"Sounds like a lot of risk," remarked Rose.
"More than you can imagine, trust me," responded Jennings. "But I'm confident that wherever Brian is, he's just decided to retire. Taken his money and walked. He's left behind a small fortune for you, which I've placed on a savings account in Jersey. If you want me to turn it over to you, you know where to find me."
"Very well," said Rose. "But don't take my agreement as a sign of me owing anything to you."
"Yes, I don't expect you to bury the hatchet between us, after what I put Brian through. Some things just won't happen... Even I can appreciate that."
Rose didn't respond, and instead looked at her knees.
"So what's next in the life of Rose Havelock?" asked Jennings.
"I'm joining the forces," answered Rose. "I want to be a battlefield surgeon. My granddad was a soldier, my dad was a soldier. I guess I'll continue the tradition..."
Equestria
"So what exactly are those... changelings, you called them?" asked Brian, as he and Rainbow Dash made their way upstream.
"They're horrible creatures that change into ponies and feed on the love of others. It's how they get their strength. They took control of an entire platoon of guards, and some of the guests, too." Rainbow Dash explained everything about the fundraiser.
"So a lot of love for science going around, then?"
"I guess..."
"And if they changed into guards, they must have fed on the others' patriotism."
"Huh," said Rainbow Dash. "I guess you're right. But their queen said something about a huge source of love that had been in the castle for a time. That's why they decided to attack."
"Your world is weird," said Brian. "Do your cars run on love too?" he sniggered.
"Cars?" repeated the pegasus, confused.
"Never mind."
"So, do you have a plan?" asked Rainbow Dash.
"Not really," answered Brian, sounding somewhat bored. "I just make things up as I go along."
"I guess you do it brilliantly, huh?"
"It's what I do best."
At that moment, Brian and Rainbow Dash heard some hoofsteps from up ahead. "It may be them!" whispered Rainbow Dash. "Hide!"
Brian darted behind a bush, and held his rifle at the ready. He saw some dark grey legs make their appearance. Brian aligned his sights with the figure, and held his breath. "Is that them?" he breathed.
Rainbow Dash hesitated, before saying, "I don't know. They could be..."
A whole platoon of knackered-looking guards in armour came around the corner. They seemed to have marched a long way. Brian wrapped his finger around the trigger, and got ready to fire in case they revealed their true forms.
"I'll throw the password," said Rainbow Dash. "If they throw the countersight, it'll be our guys. If not... you know what to do." And without further ado, at the top of her lungs, Rainbow Dash shouted, "What colour is the night?"
"Star-spangled Nocturnal!" the commander shouted back.
"It's them."
Brian and the pegasus got up from their positions, and went to meet the detachment.
"We retreated when Sunset Boulevard fell," explained the commander. "We're heading south to regroup with the Southern barracks and plan a counter-offensive from there. Colonel Beachhead and his boys are still holding the Eastern post. But I don't think they'll be able to hold on for much longer. I think-"
"What do you mean by 'counter-offensive'?" asked Brian.
"Charge in through the gate," said the commander, surprised, as if no-one had ever dared question his tactics before. "I mean, that's standard procedure."
"Amateurs," thought Brian. "Listen here, I think I can come up with something better."
"Why would I take advice from you?" asked the commander, in an icy tone.
"Trust me, he's an expert," said Rainbow Dash.
"Do you have a map?" asked Brian.
The commander looked at his adjudant, who rushed over and unravelled a map of the city, with all the important buildings highlighted on it.
The guards huddled around Havelock, looking intently at what the Captain was doing. After a few minutes, he'd devised a plan for a much better strategy: with reinforcements from the Southern barracks, the Earth Ponies and the Unicorns would regroup with Colonel Beachhead's troops in their fortified position, using the city's sewers to remain covered. In the meantime, the Pegasi would fly over the walls of the capital, regain air superiority, and encircle the changelings.
"This is all well and good," said the platoon's commander. "But where do you come in?"
"I'll be going after the Queen," answered Brian, determined. "Without leadership, they might disperse and retreat."
"I cannot and will not let a foreign agent be responsible for saving our Royals!" protested the commander, indignantly.
"Very well," retorted Brian. "I will assist Rainbow Dash in rescuing them."
The commander pursed his lips, but no sound came out. Instead, he turned towards his colts, and shouted, "You heard him. Let's go!"
The two groups separated, and Brian was left with Rainbow Dash. "Do you think you could carry me?" asked Brian.
"Sure," said Rainbow Dash. "As long as you're not falling through the air at terminal velocity, we should be fine. What do you want me to do?"
"If you can just pull me to somewhere I can have a clear view of where they are, I'll be able to see everything and plan accordingly."
Rainbow Dash nodded. She placed her forelegs under Brian's sturdy SPIE harness, and lifted him off the ground. Brian was somewhat scared at the idea of falling, but he was confident that Rainbow Dash would be quick enough to catch him. They rose above the trees, and headed straight for the walls of Canterlot. From what they could see, the pegasus guards had already started engaging the airborne changelings, which let Brian see the enemy for the first time. Parasitic, insect-like creatures, but shaped like ponies.
"My God, they're ugly," the soldier heard himself say.
While the changelings were busy with their assailants, Rainbow Dash zoomed upwards, and dropped Brian on top of a very tall tower, which he recognised as Celestia's study.
"Alright," said Rainbow Dash, as Brian got his binos, and looked through them. "What can you see?"
"A whole bunch of them," said Brian, looking through the windows of the ball room. "I imagine the big one is their queen?" he asked, spotting Queen Chrysalis. "Ugly. Very ugly."
"Have you made up your plan yet?" asked Dash.
"I think I have," answered Brian. There was a glass window upon the roof. It looked fragile enough, and Brian was ready to put on a show for his hosts. If this was his last battle, he might as well fight it in style. "Alright, bring us to the roof."
"For the last time..." said Chrysalis, "WHERE! IS! IT!"
"I've told you," said Celestia. "I don't know what you're talking about!"
"Alright," said Chrysalis, walking towards Luna, who was lying in a heap on the floor next to Celestia. "If you won't tell the truth to help yourself, maybe you'll tell it for your sister!"
"No..."
Mayor Cole Slaw was watching the scene with amusement. But all of a sudden, he heard glass break. Every single head turned just in time to see glass shatters litter the centre of the ball room. And mere milliseconds later, a small, cylindrical object landed on the floor. It rolled a few feet.
"What the..."
With a loud bang, everypony saw white. The changelings, irritated by the noise, were hissing harder than ever, but no-one could hear them.
Princess Twilight opened her eyes, just in time to see a black rope smack the floor, and a figure slide down it, as if it was a pole. "Brian!" she shouted, recognising the man.
"Kept you waiting, huh?" asked Brian, as he landed on the floor, and aimed his weapon at the evil queen.
The Queen and her minions all looked at Brian, shocked. They were hissing at him, for some reason that Brian didn't really understand. But then, the Queen's eyes widened, giving her an even uglier look. "THIS!" she shouted. "THIS IS IT!"
Brian tightened his grip on the rifle.
"Can you feel it, my minions?" she asked. "Can you sense it too?"
The changelings started looking pleased with Brian's presence. "Am I a star to them in this world?" thought the soldier.
Chrysalis licked her lips. "The ape... the ape is the source!"
Everypony who wasn't a changeling looked at Brian, surprised. Could this hateful, empty shell be a vessel of unlimited love? It didn't make sense.
"Don't you dare try to feed on anyone in this room!" shouted Brian. "Or I'll fucking kill you!"
"Oh?" said Chrysalis. "Me and all of my people?" she swept her hoof (if you could call it that) across the room, indicating her changelings.
"I'll take them all with me if I have to," stated the soldier.
The queen looked at the man's guns. From what she'd heard, they could wreak massive destruction on anything. "Very well," said the queen, descending the steps, and standing a few feet in front of Brian. "Then I propose a duel."
Brian thought hard about that. He would take as many of them as he could if it came to that, but even assuming that he hit all of his targets, he didn't have enough ammunition to kill them all. "Let's hear the rules," said Brian.
"No magic. And no... whatever this is," said Chrysalis, pointing at Brian's rifle.
Brian let the rifle fall back into its sling. "Alright," he said. "If you win, you can have me all for yourself. If I win, you go back to wherever, and leave this place alone."
Chrysalis approached Brian, and they stood ever so close. Everyone was observing them, dead quiet. "All of you," said the Queen. "No intervening." Then, she looked straight into Brian's eye, with her big, snake-like ones. "I hate to disappoint my hive," she said, "but you're mine, now."
Brian looked at the six friends, who were standing behind Chrysalis. They looked like they wanted to intervene too, but Brian warned them not too with his gaze.
"You see, we changelings are communal creatures," said the Queen. "We prefer to hunt in swarms."
"You got this, Brian!" shouted Rainbow Dash.
Brian raised his hands to guard his face, and bent his knees slightly. "Come on," he said, smiling defiantly.
Immediately, the Queen jumped into the air, fluttered for a few seconds, and whooshed towards Brian. The human dodged, grabbed the Queen around the middle, and used her speed to propel her into a wall.
Humiliated, the monarch got up, and tried to attack Brian a second time. Brian punched her in the muzzle, causing her to writhe in pain, holding her nose. Then, Brian kicked he back, and climbed onto her. Holding her muzzle firmly, and feeling the queen's wings flapping against his backside, Brian raised the queen's entire head, and pulled his dagger from its sheath. He raised it into the air, and for a moment, he hesitated, seeing his pony friends, and the princesses, look at the pair with shocked eyes. That moment of hesitation proved almost decisive. For all of a sudden, one of the changeling minions flew at Brian, and knocked him over onto the floor. It held Brian down, and hissed in Brian's face, spitting drool all over him.
Brian punched the creature in the face and got up. And with a flash of green light The operative was propelled against the wall. His head banged hard against the stone, and he felt concussed. Brian tried moving, but he was pinned to the spot by the Queen's spell.
"I thought we said... no magic!" shouted Brian, struggling.
"Did you expect me to fight fair?" asked the queen.
Everypony looked at them, defeated and scared.
"Piece of shit!" he shouted, either at himself or at the Queen. No-one could really tell, at that point.
"Well, it seems that I've won," said Queen Chrysalis. She swung Brian to the centre of the room with her force. Brian, pained and at breaking point, tried to scramble to his feet. But he saw the monarch's hoof stamp onto his wrist as he tried to push himself up.
"And now," said the Queen, loudly, "We shall feed on your spirit!"
Brian saw the changeling Queen cast a green light, that shrouded Brian, and lifted him of the floor. He heard her maniacal laughter, as he felt everything he cared about melt away.
"What's the point?" he thought. "What is the point of anything? I've failed before, I'm failing again. I've killed people. Maybe her killing me is just keeping the balance in check..."
Brian felt the love in him fade away. There was nothing left inside of him. No grief. No sorrow. No bliss, no patriotism or pride. Just pain.
He flumped to the ground, lifelessly. She'd broken him. And Brian didn't feel a thing, except exhaustion like he'd never felt before. He looked at the world around him, with his dim, uncomprehending gaze. He felt tired.
Brian raised his head a little, and saw the Queen, delighted by her victory, delighted by what she'd just absorbed.
What exactly happened at that moment, Brian would never be able to explain. It was as if the void that Chrysalis had created within him was quickly being filled. With no love inside of him, with none of its byproducts that made him who he was, without his love of duty, his grief, his phantom pain from the comrades he'd lost... there subsisted only hate. Hate for everything. Hate for his late wife, for himself, for these walls around him and for that creature in front of him.
"Fuck. Her."
Brian, in a fit of rage, kicked himself up, and stood behind the Queen. She turned around, surprised, to see that her prey was still standing. Whenever a changeling absorbed a pony's love, the equine would be left without a will to live. An empty shell. But what she'd created at that moment wasn't an empty pony. She'd created a hateful human.
Brian stood straight, ran towards Chrysalis, jumped up, and drop-kicked her. She fell backwards as Brian got up once again, got his pistol, and shot a bullet into Chrysalis's leg. And another. The shots echoed all across Canterlot, and seemed to freeze everypony.
She let out a loud, ear-piercing scream, that could be heard across the capital. "But... HOW?"
Brian didn't answer. Instead, he slowly advanced, and aimed squarely for the Queen's head.
The six ponies, and the two princesses all looked at the scene, terrified. "Cadance, do something!" shouted Twilight. "We can't let him be this way!"
Cadance pulled her hooves out of the gooey green stuff that restrained her, and thought of what could make him regain his emotions.
"You're a soldier!" she thought. "The queen is defeated! Let her leave, and serve as a message to others. You don't need to kill a defenseless creature." And she cast the spell.
The heart-shaped light flew through the air, and entered Brian, in the middle of his back.
Brian was about to pull the trigger, when everything came flooding back. The reason he was here. His memories of Grace, and the fun times he'd had with her. The agony he'd been through. The thought of Rose, and wherever she could be now. He looked at the Queen, and lowered the gun.
And with a voice, that was so cold and venomous that it could stop the Devil dead in his tracks, Brian gave a warning to the monarch. "Leave," he said. "Leave, and never come back. And tell everyone you meet, that if they want to poison and destroy this kingdom... it is defended. And if you come back... I'll strangle you until you see the face of Hell."
The love that Queen Chrysalis had absorbed seemed to dissolve. As she slowly got up, Princess Celestia seemed to find her strength.
Chrysalis zoomed out through the front door.As if they feared that Brian might come after them next, the changeling swarm unanimously and chaotically flew up, and crashed through the windows into the sky. Everywhere in the city, the changelings were taking off and rushing back home. Mayor Cole Slaw had taken this opportunity to scarper. Brian saw him and thought of running after him, but he wouldn't be coming back.
There were a few seconds of silence, before someone started clapping. Brian turned around, to see Rainbow Dash, fluttering over the ground and clapping at him.
Everyone started to join in, and soon enough, the ballroom was a mess of cheers. Brian liked the feeling. It was gratifying. Fluttershy came towards him, and jumped onto him in a tight embrace.
"You saved us," beamed Luna. "I don't think I have the words to express how grateful we are."
EPILOGUE
Trying to find a place where he could be of use, Brian worked a time with the Royal Guard, training them in the art of defending Princesses and Country. But when the Guard eventually had integrated the concepts of counter-espionage, Brian, who was ashamed of getting paid for not working, found himself working with Twilight Sparkle and her friends. When there was an adventure to be had, he went on it. Whenever there was a problem, he'd help solve it. Whenever AppleJack was short-hooved with her orchard, Brian would lend a helping hand. Eventually, it occurred to him that maybe he'd been wrong all along. Maybe there was more to his life and to his destiny than just dying on a mission, once the fates didn't have anything left for him. Thanks to Twilight and her magic, Brian returned to his world, for a short time. He handed in his resignation letter to Jennings, spent some time with his daughter, and got knighted for his services to the United Kingdom. And when he left the human world for the last time, he became a pony. The Soldier took it as a sign that his duties in the human world were complete. His daughter followed him, and lived her life in Equestria. She never got used to her equine form, but at least she could see her father. Brian lived for another thirty years. And when he eventually died, he was buried in the Canterlot National Cemetery. The day after his funeral, Celestia commissioned an engraving in his honour, set in the floor of Canterlot Castle's throne room. "Dedicated to Brian Havelock. Soldier, Husband, Father, and Defender of Equestria. 'If you seek his monument, look around.'"
Queen Chrysalis returned many times, in spite of Brian's warning. She never succeeded in her schemes. Sometimes, she were foiled by Brian, other times by the ponies he'd trained. Through time, and because Brian had pity for the queen, a bond developed between the two, mainly out of rivalry. Eventually Brian became friendly enough to help her change her ways. But he didn't do it alone.
There are many deeds that the Princesses of Equestria can forgive. Even treason, if the culprit was ready to forgive themselves. To this day we know not what happened to Mayor Cole Slaw. Some say that he escaped Equestria, and went as far away as he could, reinventing himself someplace else. Some say that he helped with the Storm King's invasion. Some say that he is still on the run, haunted by his past.
So Brian Havelock, the man who had cheated death several times in his own world, had come to Equestria, and the country was forever changed by his passage. And the legend that he created lives on to this day, and will continue doing so, in the far horizons of the future.
THE END