Celestia’s face was beat red as she screamed “DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MUCH MONEY THAT COST, WHAT DID YOU THINK THAT IT WOULD SIMPLY GET FIXED MAGICALLY AND ALL THOSE…” Celestia continued her rant of anger as Jack lit a cigarette and took a drag but suddenly Celestia snagged it from his mouth with her magic.
Jack stood up instantly, “Hey I was smoking that” Jack retorted but Celestia crushed the cigarette with her magic. “Do you have any idea how bad smoking is for your health?” Celestia asked, rather she scolded him but hid it in a question form. Jack rubbed his forehead and groaned, “Don’t worry my new year’s resolution is to quit” Jack chuckled.
Celestia scoffed at the comment and turned to her window to look to the streets of Canterlot. It was snowing beautifully and the snow covered the street as ponies walked along, doing their Christmas shopping and what not. Celestia turned back to Jack and flopped down on her throne with a sigh of exhaustion.
“Hearth’s warming is coming up soon” Celestia informed Jack. “Uhh what?” Jack asked, rather confused, Celestia rolled her eyes and shook her head letting out a little chuckle. “Hearth’s warming, you know when the magical mare goes into every household of those who have been good this year and gives them presents” Celestia informed him.
“What like Christmas?” Jack asked and Celestia gave him a confused look. Jack sighed “It’s what we called it back on…” Jack trailed off as he thought of earth, his home and of his brothers and sisters. “Back on earth” Jack said, completing his statement, Celestia nodded.
“Yes well to any of which, do you have any plans for the holidays?” Celestia asked and Jack shrugged. “Was planning on more law enforcement duties” Jack replied, Celestia stood up and approached Jack. “Follow me, I’d like to show you something” Celestia told him and led him to a large window and pointed down into the streets. “Do you see all the ponies? How happy they are? They are all socializing and getting ready for Hearth’s warming. Wouldn’t you too like to go out for the holidays?” Celestia asked, obviously wanting to shoo him away while she cleaned up the large mess he had made in downtown Canterlot that afternoon.
“I get the weirdest feeling that you’re ashamed of me” Jack chuckled and Celestia sighed. “I’m not ashamed of you. It’s just that your actions are rather… destructive, and it takes a while to clean up after you and I’d like Canterlot to be clean and not destroyed for Hearth’s warming” Celestia told him and Jack rolled his eyes. “I’ll take that as a yes” Celestia said.
As Jack considered taking the holiday off he wondered to himself ‘what the hell am I going to do for the holidays if I’m not crime fighting?’. “Alright Celestia just one question, what will I do when I’m on holidays?” Jack asked the princess who shrugged “Do what you did back on your own planet” Celestia suggested as she led him out of the throne room.
Memories flooded Jack’s mind of when he would take leave from the military on the holidays to spend time with his family, though he never had a wife or girlfriend he didn’t mind it all that much, the military had taken up much of his time and he didn’t get out all that much. A tear rolled down Jack’s face as he remembered his brothers and sisters, how they would wait for him at the door while it snowed until the taxi dropped him off and how they’d all jump on him in joy that he was home for Christmas.
“I… I don’t think I can” Jack muttered sadly as he wiped the tears from his face. Celestia noticed this, “My sincerest apologies… I never thought about that… predicament… hmm well you could always go to Ponyville. I hear that Pinkie is throwing a party and that lots of ponies will be there, maybe it will get your mind off things” Celestia offered.
Jack considered it for a moment, he had first made residence in Ponyville before being hired by Celestia as a special forces member. He considered it a while longer and figured his old friends he met in Ponyville might be thrilled to see him, “Okay Celestia… I’ll go to Ponyville” Jack replied and began to walk away.
Celestia followed him out of the throne room but just as Jack went to open the throne room doors Celestia stopped him. “Oh Jack, one more thing” Celestia replied and Jack sighed, ‘what the hell could it be now?’ he wondered. “If you’re going to Ponyville I have a request to ask you” Celestia informed him. “Well reckoning on how I probably don’t have a choice would you mind enlightening me?” Jack asked and Celestia opened the throne room doors where the other princess stood, waiting patiently.
Jack gave a salute “Good afternoon Princess… Luna. It’s Luna right?” Jack said, having a little difficulty remembering her name, since she was usually secluding herself in her room or something along those lines. “Jack, I need to ask you if you’ll take Luna with you on your travels during the holiday” Celestia replied and Jack groaned. Luna backed away, rather saddened at his gesture. “No offence princess but I didn’t accept holiday leave just to show Luna the sights and sounds of the holidays” Jack replied.
“Don’t be rude” Celestia scolded him and Jack chuckled, “Like I said ‘No offence’” Jack said with a little humor in his voice. Luna began to step further back, her social skills were relatively bad and she didn’t quite know what to make of Jack’s gestures. “Jack listen to me, Luna is more of a recluse than you are” Celestia told him and Jack chuckled. “It’s not funny, my sister spent 1000 years on the moon alone” Celestia told him but Jack interrupted her before she could talk anymore “Yeah but you sent her there” Jack chuckled and Celestia sighed.
“It was for the best… anyway feel free to reject this offer, but please first consider it” Celestia said. Jack closed his eyes and rubbed his nose as he let out a sigh. He took his hand away from his nose and looked to the younger princess, he was about to say ‘cancel my holiday leave’ but something about her look, whether it was the look of sadness in her eyes or the way her head was drooped downwards, made him reconsider.
“Alright Celestia… I’ll do it” Jack replied rather reluctantly. The comment made Luna’s ears perk up and her face brightened. Luna pounced on Jack “We thank you Jack, your kindness shall not go unrewarded” Luna said in excitement. Jack groaned and gave Celestia a rather annoyed look, “Don’t make me regret this” Jack groaned.
Luna released her grasp from Jack and stepped back from him, her look of happiness spread all across her face. “Merry Christmas Celestia” Jack said and began to walk away but Celestia placed a hoof on his shoulder and stopped him. Jack turned around and Celestia was holding out her hoof.
“Uhm…” Jack trailed off and Celestia rolled her eyes, “For obvious reasons I have to ask you to relinquish your firearms” Celestia ordered and Jack sighed and handed her his Desert Eagle and nodded. “All of them” Celestia scolded and Jack let out another sigh as he handed her his M1911. “Now have a happy holiday” Celestia said as they left the throne room.
Jack grumbled to himself, “Time of giving my ass… god damned princess taking my guns… leaving me with her sister and no guns… stuck in a magical world of talking horses” Jack complained to himself. Luna stopped at the comments and a look of sadness returned to her face “We apologize for angering you… we shall not irritate you any longer… we hope you have a happy holiday” Luna said depressingly. Jack groaned, he didn’t want to seem like a dick and Luna didn’t seem all that bad, a little socially awkward but not that bad.
“No… I… come on, I want you to come with me” Jack said, somewhat lying but for the better good. Luna’s face brightened up again and she raced up to Jack’s side. Despite the princesses both looming over the other ponies of Equestria, both Celestia and Luna stood a little shorter than him, but just barely.
They exited the castle and Jack exhaled and he could see his breath in the cold air. Luna pranced up to a carriage that was attached to 2 royal guard Pegasus. “I’m taking a train just so you know” Jack replied and Luna quickly hoped off the carriage and followed Jack through the city of Canterlot. Several ponies starred at Jack and Luna as they walked down the streets towards the train station.
They approached the train station and walked inside the terminal building. Jack looked to Luna who looked at the terminal with curiosity. “Never seen the inside of a train terminal before?” Jack asked and Luna shook her head. “We usually are transported by carriages” Luna replied, “Who’s we? Like you and your sister?” Jack asked and Luna looked to him. “Sorry we… I meant to say I” Luna replied and Jack just shrugged and rolled his eyes.
“Well the train won’t be here for another… 20 minutes. You want a sandwich?” Jack asked as he went up to a market vendor and ordered himself a sandwich. “Please” Luna replied and Jack held up 2 fingers “Two please” Jack ordered and the vendor handed him 2 sandwiches.
Jack sat down beside Luna and handed her a sandwich which she took hold of with her magic and began to chow down on her sandwich. Jack looked at the sandwich then back to Luna, surprisingly she had just started eating her sandwich moments ago and was now wiping the crumbs of her face. Jack looked to his sandwich with disgust, since all the ponies, or most all the ponies, in Equestria were vegetarian there was no meat produce and hence he never got to eat meat since he arrived in Equestria.
He looked to Luna and handed her his sandwich. “You don’t want it?” Luna asked and Jack chuckled “You look hungrier than I am, besides if I get hungry I’ll just order another sandwich” Jack replied. Luna took the sandwich and devoured it. She gave him a rather unexpected hug, “Uhm?” Jack mumbled and Luna broke away from the hug. “We thank you for your kindness, not many ponies would have accepted our presence during the holiday, they are too frightened by us” Luna told him and Jack sighed “Yeah well… consider it like your Christmas gift or something” Jack replied as they sat and waited for the train.
* * *
The train was running 5 minutes late but that didn’t bother Jack. He led Luna to the far back of the train and sat down further away from the other train occupants. “Why must we sit so far away?” Luna asked curiously and Jack shrugged “Most ponies scream when they see guns” Jack informed her. “But we don’t have any guns” Luna replied but Jack rolled down the sleeve of his duster coat and unveiled a Colt 1875 single action.
“Celestia ordered you to relinquish all your firearms” Luna exclaimed and Jack chuckled as he loaded the revolver with a full load of six .357 magnum rounds. “I keep it handy for situations like this” Jack laughed and Luna gave him a curious look. “What kind of situations?” Luna asked curiously as Jack placed the Colt peacemaker in his hip holster.
He rolled up his pant leg revealing a custom Mossberg 500. It had a shortened 14 inch barrel and a pistol grip rather than a stock, with a 3 round tubular magazine. He unstrapped the shotgun from his leg and slung it to his chest, hidden underneath his duster coat, which was still torn up from his fight with Monty.
“You are rather disobedient” Luna told Jack who chuckled. “Oh well what could yah do?” Jack laughed and Luna sat back in her train set across from Jack “We could always have you arrested” Luna replied and Jack leaned his head back and sighed ‘This is going to be a LONGGGGG holiday’