//------------------------------//
// The Calm Before The Storm 
// Story: CSF: Celestian Special Forces 
// by XeRom 
//------------------------------//

	My vision returned almost instantaneously, revealing myself to be in a room severely different from those in Equestria. It was about eight by eight meters with a very small staircase leading up into the upper floors. It seemed to be one large room with the only way out as the staircase and a small window near the top of one of the walls, enough to let air in but too small for much else. The ceiling was around half a meter above my head, enough room to move but nothing close to whats needed to fly, the floor was carpeted with an odd feeling fabric. What looked like to be a large mirror was placed on the wall in front of a black leather couch that could probably fit two ponies. In the far corner of the room were several guitars and what looked to be a drum set. There were three... People, that's it, standing in the room. Two males and one female, Zin being the one directly in-front of me while the other two were looking at him. The other male was clad in very odd and dark attire, a hood hanging from the back of his jacket. The female was similarly dressed, although instead of a jacket she was wearing what looked to be a black blouse.
Zin hadn't noticed me yet, but the other two had, staring past him with mouths agape and wide eyes. Their expressions were almost comical and I stifled a laugh, which also happened to get Zin's attention. As he turned around and saw me, his face bore the same expression as the other two, although he looked more angry that they did.
"What are you-" Zin started as angrily as he looked before getting cut off by the high pitched squeal of the female.
"No. Way. A pony! Here?!" She squealed before pushing past Zin and getting extremely close to me. Her face was one full of excitement and joy, her eyes darting all around me much as my eyes did to her. She seemed about the same size as Zin, although she had strange protrusions on her chest, some other strange form of human anatomy. 
I coughed awkwardly, starting off in my accent. "Well, uh, howdy y'all." She seemed to get even more excited after I spoke.
"You sound just like Applejack!" She said in that high pitched voice of hers. I noticed the other male walk past Zin who he continued to beam at me. 
"You're an alicorn right?" The other one spoke up in a voice similar to Zin's. I gave him a nod and he continued, "How exactly did you get here? Why are you even here?"
"Well," I said, pointing a hoof at Zin, "I followed him. As for why, I thought it would be good to learn more about you humans and your world." My answer seemed to shock both of them and they turned to Zin.
"Followed you...?" The female started, "What does he mean by that Scott?" Ah so that's his real name, Scott. I always thought 'Zin' was a little odd. 
Before he could answer, I answered for him which seemed only to upset his mood even further. "Well you see, for the past year or so, Zin... I mean 'Scott' has been where I myself come from, back in Equestria." I paused a moment as that set in then continued, "He's been there causing all sorts of a ruckus, not to say he hasn't helped around a bit."
As I finished, Scott finally got a word in. Crossing his arms at me he said, “I could have answered that one Spade. And I didn’t cause much ruckus after the castle incident.”
"Yeah, well I had to pull your ass out of the fire several times, once less than an hour before. That counts as a ruckus in my book." I retorted, returning my attention back to his two friends. I gave them a curt bow before talking. "I'm Spade, if you haven't already heard. I think you're the one Zin... Scott, always talks about making you Sofia. Although I don't know your name." I finished in reference to the other male.
Her reaction to my naming her told me that it was true, while the other male just looked at me. "Well, I'm Jake." He started, "And you're right, that is Sofia. But how do you know that?"
"Like I said, Scott talked a lot about her. In fact, I'd go so far as to say-" 
"I think that's enough of that Spade." He said, cutting me off with a sharp cough. 
I shrugged, "Well alrighty then. I was only trying to help y'all." I gave him an innocent smile and turned to a confused looking Sofia and Jake. "Well, since I'm here, and probably not for too long, do you kids have any questions you'd like to ask me?"
The one known as Jake clasped his hands behind his back and spoke up. “I thought the only two alicorns left in existence were Luna and Celestia?”
"Well in order to answer that I have to ask a few questions of my own. First one, and this has bugged me since I've got here, how do y'all know so much about Equestria?" I said, directing my question to all of them. No one said anything, and the next minute passed in awkward silence. I turned my attention to Scott. "Well, out with it."
Scott shot an angry glance over at his two friends. “I swear to god, when this is over...”  He grumbled angrily before letting out a heavy sigh and returning his attention to me.  “To be honest, I think it’d be better to show you. At least that way I can catch up on what I missed.” He finished, almost sounding depressed. 
“Which is a lot. Season Two just ended.” The one known as Sofia pipped in. What in the name of Celestia were they talking about? I knew I was about to find out, so I bit my tongue and withheld any questions until whatever it is Scott would was done with. With a wave of his hand, he led me over to the couch in front of the mirror, sitting down on the corner. He motioned for me to sit on it, which I did, leaving a small bit of room to my left. Seizing the chance, Sofia decided to plop herself next to me while a grouchy looking Jake stood behind Scott. I couldn't sit all the way without taking up a good portion of the couch so I was resigned into an position that was similar to being at attention except I was sitting down. Sofia seemed giddy with excitement and couldn't stop chatting to me, while Scott seemed bitter, reaching for what looked like a remote. 
Pointing it at the mirror, he pressed a button that lit up at this touch. The screen suddenly lit up with colors and a loud noise started coming from it. I almost jumped out of my skin at the things transformation and pressed my ears back against my head, trying to keep some of the sound out. "Too loud!" I shouted at Scott, who seemed to realize this from the look on my face and quickly pressed another button, which lowered the volume on the thing. I relaxed when it got to an acceptable range and raised my ears. The screen was very bright but I could make out flashes of images across it. My eyes soon adjusted and I could make out movements and I started paying attention to the noise coming from it, which seemed to be depicting some sort of show about talking dogs called 'Pound Puppies.'
"What... Pray tell, is this thing and what is it trying to show me?" I said cautiously, eyeing the thing as if it were about to jump at me.
I heard a snort come from Sofia as she cupped her hand over her mouth. "I forgot you don't have these in Equestria. It's what's called a TV... And on it is all different kinds of shows that can be about anything!" She said excitedly.
I gave her a cautious nod and looked over at Scott. "I can't hold the question any longer, what is it exactly that I am supposed to be seeing on this... 'TV'?"
In response a few more screens flashed by on the TV before a small bar appeared at the bottom with a black screen. “What you’re going to see is likely in the near future of Equestria. Might as well kick back and relax, it’s an hour or so long.” Scott said, pressing another button and starting whatever 'show' it was. I couldn't exactly relax in the position I was in, so I was resigned to simply sitting erect. 
The show started with two butterflies flying around but quickly cut to... Twilight and all of the mane six sitting having a picnic.... What? What was this dark magic? How could they.... My brain suddenly clicked off at what I was seeing. I could feel my eye twitching at the screen but little else registered, the muffled voices of the six seemed distant and far away. I thought I heard Scott, or was it Sofia, calling at me, but I couldn't lower my jaw to respond. I simply stared at the screen in what was a mixture of horror and bewilderment. Just as I had hidden away inside myself, my subconscious came to an agonizing rush back to reality, just as Twilight was finishing a song about her brother, Shining Armor. I had seen him a few times, an excellent Royal Guard who quickly rose to become a Captain. He was also well liked by his men and all those who met him. The six were going on about some sort of wedding that was supposed to be taking place in Canterlot, but I paid little attention as I cast my gaze down at Scott, who was also looking up at me with a worried look.
"Spade, are you alright?" He said, obviously having noticed my lapse. At that moment, an anger coursed through my entire being, one that I've rarely been exposed to. I had to use every ounce of my remaining strength from merely hurling Scott across the room into one of those concrete walls. 
"No, kid. I am most certainly not 'alright.'" I growled. "You're very, very lucky that I am the one who is a guest in your world, and do not wish to cause any of its occupants harm. You are also lucky that I have more restraint than just about anypony you'll have the chance to meet."
Fear flashed briefly across his face as he turned to look at Jake and quickly past me to Sofia, who had gotten up and was looking at me worriedly. "Calm down Spade, no need to get angry." I heard Scott call in a soft voice.
"Kid, you and I are going to have a talk later, one I can almost certainly tell you you won't enjoy." I said, taking a deep breath and exhaling slowly, losing most of my anger with it. I turned towards Sofia who was now looking worriedly at Scott and gave her a smile. "All better now. I think it would be best if I didn't finish whatever... that was. Now I'm sure you guys are still bursting with questions, so go ahead and ask."
After a small pause Jake spoke up. “What’s your special talent?”
I thought for a moment at a good way to put it. "Well, I'm actually very good at a wide range of things. But if I had to pinpoint one of them as my 'best' it would probably be the fact that there's not a pony around that can put rounds down range quite like me." I said, which seemed to surprise both of them. 
"You mean there are guns in Equestria?" Jake said, still surprised. 
I gave him a nod. "Well of course there are. Oh wait, you wouldn't know about that. It's not something that would come up in that... Show, of yours." Saying that put a bad taste in my mouth.
“Too bad you aren’t the best shot in Equestria.” I heard Scott call from behind.
My left ear twitched as he said that. "Oh? I beg to differ." I retorted.
“You can, but the scar on my chest from saving your marefriend says otherwise. And to think I rambled for nothing...” He said, letting out a small chuckle afterwards.
"Kid, you're running on thin ice as it is, so trying to push me isn't advisable. And if you would care to uphold your statement, I'm sure your world has a shooting range we could visit and I would just love to prove you wrong." I said, trying to keep my anger down. Although my ear twitched again in annoyance.
“If you want to trot where you don’t exist, be my guest. I bet half the brony population would just have a fit.” He said, the word 'brony' running through my mind.
"What's a... Never mind. If you have any ranges around we could leave right now." I said.
He turned towards me saying, “You can’t be serious. Unless you plan on changing as I do, we might as well do it back in Equestria.”
I shrugged. "I don't give a flying feather right now. You try and learn that your life is nothing more than a 'TV' show in some other world." I said, turning back towards his friends. Okay, back to the questions."
“I think we’re good." Sofia replied softly.
I gave her a warm smile and nodded. "Of course. If you do get any other questions feel free to ask, as I don't think I'll be coming back here soon. Not with what is happening back in Equestria at least." I said, my mood darkening as the thoughts of what is coming crossed my mind.
Sofia tilted her head at me but before she could speak, Jake said, “What’s happening in Equestria?”
Before I myself could respond, Zin spoke up. “It’s going to shit, that’s what.”
"As he said, things aren't in the best of conditions in Equestria right now. In fact, they're probably the worst they've been at any point in its history." I said, my mood turning a turn for the worse.
“Picture a mass army of Diamond Dogs, armed to the teeth, all storming the town of Ponyville. But not only that, their leader is a demi-god she-wolf, much like myself.” He said, reclining backwards. Not how I would have said it, but that is one way to get the point across.
Scott's two friends glanced at each other and nodded briskly. They both turned their attention back towards Scott and myself and Sofia looked like she was going to say something before Scott cut in. “Hell no.” he told them bluntly, obviously in-tune to whatever it was they were thinking.
“Why not?” Sofia protested angrily, giving Scott a look that could cut diamonds. 
“I’ve died once already in there, and I don’t think my dear, annoying friend Discord would bring you back. And before you say one damned word, yes, I did say Discord. How do you think I got to Equestria in the first place?” Scott replied, obviously not having changed his mind.
Jake spoke meekly, “Rumors were spread of... Other ways to get there.”
At this, Scott shifted himself and faced Jake saying, “I’m aware of the other ways. I met a stallion whom used to be human. Too bad Nightmare Moon possessed him. Wonder how Dash feels about it, he was her coltfriend after all.”
Already having the gist of the conversation, I looked towards Scott who was still getting a haughty glare from Sofia. Before anyone could continue further I interjected, "From what I understand, you two," I said looking at Scott's friends, "Want to go back with us to Equestria."
Jake turned towards me and nodded. "Hell yeah. That would be awesome." He replied enthusiastically. 
I gave them both a smile as I continued, "Well I don't see a problem in that. I'm sure Princess Celestia would love to ask you both so many questions."
Scott nearly jumped out of his skin and turned on me angrily. "What?! How could you-"
"I, can do as I see fit on the behalf of mine Princess." I said coldly, stopping him mid-sentence. "You, on the other hoof, can not make decisions on what goes on in Equestria. As far as I can recall, you yourself aren't a natural inhabitant of my world. So it would do you kindly to show myself, and my authority, some respect." 
Scott drew a breath to argue with me, but seemed to think better of it and sat back down heavily on the couch. With a sigh, he relaxed a bit before returning his attention to me. “You know what. Fine. But I swear, if even one of them gets hurt, your foal is going to be fatherless. Just an image to represent how much I care about my friends.”
I shook my head at him. "Kid, I don't take threats idly, so please if you must make statements be ready to back them up." I said plainly before continuing, "Other than that, I do not intend for your friends to be in harms way. They are... Guests in Equestria and shall be treated as such." 
With an over elaborate flick of his palm, he brought a flame to his hand which seemed to startle his friends even more. “That was no threat, but a promise. And they better be treated as guests.” He said.
I brought my hoof up to my mouth and let out a small chuckle. "You can stop with the scare tactics kid. They don't work on me, and they never have. Frankly I think you're putting yourself in a bad light in-front of your friends." I said, motioning with a hoof at the two of them, who were looking shocked, if a bit scared, at Scott.
He looked at them for a few moments before closing his palm and extinguishing the flame. “They’re like that because they know I’d do it. No one messes with my friends.” He said matter-o-factly.
"Well I can't speak for them, so I'll withhold my reply. And you can try and 'do it' all you want kid." I said, returning his tone.
“Hopefully nothing happens and it won’t come to that. If it does, my head will likely have about four holes in it before I manage to get away.” He said with a little humor.
"Four? You underestimate me." I replied lightly, turning back to his friends. "I'm sorry for paying so little attention to you both, Scott here tends to require constant supervision. Otherwise he might just go off and get himself into some kind of trouble.” I added lightly, trying to defuse the stiffness that had settled upon the room.
Sofia let out a small chuckle. “No more than either of us. We’ve gotten into our fair share.” she said, her voice still quaking slightly with fear.
Scott returned her chuckle and replied, “No shit. You’re the reason I got into fights. Why do you make everyone but the outcasts hate you?”
Crossing her arms, Sofia eyed down Scott and continued. “Because the rest are stuck up rich kids. You know you wanted to hit that prick Derek.”
“Yeah, and I enjoyed tossing his ass out the second floor window.” Scott said, trailing off at some thought related to throwing the kid.
I let out a sigh that had a hint of sadness and closed my eyes, wondering what I had gotten myself into letting these people into Equestria. When I reopened them, the three of them were deep into some conversation, seemingly having forgotten my presence in favor of reminiscing about the past. I smiled to myself, thinking what I would have had done if I had had their semi-normal upbringing. I certainly wasn't as violent to throw a kid out a window, although the one story orphanage I grew up in didn't offer many of those. Shaking my head and clearing my thoughts, I let out a cough to catch their attention. "I know you are all busy catching up, but I am on a schedule and have to get back to my work. So if you all would spare me a few moments, we could get going."
“Right. And a word of warning for Dash. These two,” He said, raising a hand and motioning towards his friends. “Are like I used to be. Fans of her work.”
I shrugged. "Seeing as she'll be busy for the next few days, I don't know if they'll get a chance to talk to her." I said, calling upon the last of my energy and drawing a path back to where I had teleported from, following the magic I had used previously to conserve energy. "I need all three of you to step close to me."
Sofia stared at me with a confused expression. “Why?” She asked. As if in an answer, Scott pulled Jake by the ruff of his collar and brought him closer to me. Sofia, rather then being pulled, followed suit. 
"Let ‘er rip, Spade.” Scott called out, mimicking the accent that I use.
As soon as all three of them were close to me, as uncomfortable for all of us as it was, I worked the spell, causing a large copperish colored bubble to form around us which closed around us just as fast as it had appeared, instantaneously transporting all of us to Equestria.

If anyone in our group had blinked, they would have already found themselves in Equestria. We were transported to the exact spot where I had originally left from, what was left of the smoldering grass having been put out. The skies above still held their foreboding atmosphere, continuing to stretch for kilometers with no end in sight. Scott's two friends bent over, hands on their knees as they emptied the contents of their stomachs, a side-effect for those not used traveling by teleportation. I let a smug smile cross my face as I watched them slowly recover and stand back up, the two of them struggling to support each other. Scott was passively watching them, moving over to lend a helping hand. I let my eyelids close halfway, another wave of exhaustion passing over me. This was something I knew I would come to regret in the days ahead, I only hoped it would be worth it. I let out a tired sigh, shaking my head to try and clear away the feelings; by which time Scott had helped his friends recover from their ordeal and was now turning towards me.
“How long do you plan on them staying?” Scott asked.
"That, is a question that will be decided by the princesses. They will trust in my judgement in bringing them here; how long they stay will however be up to them." I replied, stretching out my wings and loosening up the sore muscles. "Now I think it will be best if we walk; teleporting in isn't an option and I don't think I'll be able to ferry all of you over."
“Lead the way. No doubt the first stop for them is Celestia herself, or am I wrong?” He said, crossing his arms, a smug look on his face, no doubt sure of his assumption. A childlike squeal emanated from Sofia behind him who seemed overcome with joy at being able to meet the Princess.
"Aye, that was the plan; although I don't know how well this will all go over if your friends aren't able to control themselves." I said, looking past him to his friends who seemed to have recovered well, chatting up about what they would do when they met the princess.
He let out a sight, “Control is not in their vocabulary, apparently. I’ll do my best to keep them in line. God knows how much trouble they can get into ‘round here.”
"Well, you had better start with that. It won't take us long to get back. Speaking of which..." I said, looking past him and calling to Sofia and Jake. "Enough chit-chat you two, times a wastin’."
Scott turned back around to face his friends. “You heard the alicorn. And if you don’t behave, I will introduce you to someone you really don’t want to meet.” He said menacingly. I let out a small chuckle at his threat and without another word turned around and began walking back to Ponyville, whatever Scott and his friends were saying being lost in the wind as I let my mind wander; a cool breeze rolling up from the west which made for a pleasant walk back.

The look on the Princess Celestia's face when I called her away for a private meeting wasn't one I would describe as pleased; although it wasn't angry either, more of a subdued shock at being introduced to two humans by one of her most trusted agents. After a small slip in composure she quickly recovered, with only a slight twitch of the mouth to relay any signal that she was bothered by this. Without addressing the three humans present she turned to me slowly, her tone as calm and flowing as usual. "I shall assume that you have a reason for bringing these humans here Spade?"
I gave her a quick nod. "Of course Princess. I had figured that the best way to learn more about them was to bring at least one back. Seeing as these two are friends of Zin's, I thought them perfect." I replied, my tone formal. 
She gave me a warm smile and a nod. "Of course. I trust your judgement in this as I always have. We will see how useful they prove to be; if Zin is any indication though then we might be in more trouble then you thought." She said humorously, casting a sidelong glance at Zin before turning to her two guests. "Now excuse me for being so rude; it's not everyday that one sees a relatively new species." She said, her voice regal yet with a touch of kindness to it. 
Both of them bowed to her at the same time, holding the position for an appropriate amount of time before rising back to their full heights.  “My name is Sofia, and this is Jake. It is an honor to meet you in person.” Sofia said, her tone still full of contained excitement. 
The princess' smile pervaded, although a bit more formal as she relaxed into the formalities of greeting guests. "It is an honor to meet you, Sofia and Jake. I hope you find your stay in Ponyville to your liking, despite what's going on."
“Yes, we’ve heard that things here are not as pleasant as usual. But we’re certain that you can overcome the issue, as always.” This time it was Jake who spoke, his excitement slightly more contained than Sofia's. Only slightly. 
I saw a quick flash in her eyes as she looked at him, pleased at the praise. "Thank you. Your confidence is very much appreciated and it's good to know that there is still faith." She said, her voice as fluid as silk. "Now, if you two are up to it, I'd like to be able to talk to you in private."
The two of them looked over to Zin, to which he seemed to find immense amusement in, letting out a small chuckle. “Relax, she doesn’t bite. At least, not to anyone but me.” The princess ignored him, motioning for Sofia and Jake to follow. They obliged her, and the three of them walked away towards her private quarters. Once they had disappeared from view, I sighed heavily and began making my way back to the command center. 
"If you need me, I'll be back at the command post resting." I called wearily behind me.
“I’ll be on the balcony, if you haven’t turned it into a sniper post... You haven’t, have you?” He called back.
I let out an inaudible chuckle. "Naw kid, the clock-tower is much higher than the balcony in Twi's library." I said, turning and seeing a gleam in his eye. "Don't get any ideas though, nothing is actually set up there aside from some spotting equipment and ammo."
He gave me a shrug, not hiding at all what he had been thinking. “Just lookin’ for a place to clear my head and play my guitar. It’s quite relaxing.” He said innocently. 
I shook my head at him and turned away without another word, the call of my bed too enticing to continue talking with him. When will I have a normal day? I thought. Almost laughing, I answered myself, never, it comes with the job.
Waking up, I looked over to a clock, seeing it somewhere around 20:00. Even though I had only slept for four hours, I felt as if it was the best sleep I had gotten in a long time. While I was still tired, it was nowhere near as overpowering as it had been four hours prior. Rolling my shoulder I quickly got out of the bed, making it just as quickly, and went to go check on how things were going down in the command center. Grabbing a belt with some basic equipment, my side-arm, knife and several other assorted items, I made my way down the stairs into the central room of the library, which as always of late, is a bustle of activity. Looking around, I caught sight of Rainbow Dash still up and about, flying around the room delivering reports and other such things. Shifting my gaze, I spotted Shadow among some Royal Guard officers and trotted in their direction. Seeing me, she dismissed those she was talking to and trotted over to meet me.
"Have a nice sleep?" She cooed, giving me a smile.
I smiled back at her. "Best sleep I've had in a while. You look just as tired as I was a few hours ago, maybe you should try to catch a few winks." I responded, gently nuzzling her, too which she returned.
"Oh nonsense, there's still loads of things that I need to get done before sleep can even become a fathom of an option." Lowering her tone, she continued, "And what about our two guests? What is to become of them?"
"Princess Celestia has been kind, showing them around and giving them quarters to use throughout their stay. I don't know how long she intends they stay, but it probably won't be for too much longer; she'll only keep them here for as long as required." I said, lowering my tone so it was barely audible. 
"Good, as much as I appreciate the chance to learn more about the humans, I don't like them being here." Shadow looked around, making sure that nopony was eavesdropping on their conversation.
"Aye, I don't like it either, but this was an ample opportunity to learn about them." I said, returning back to a normal volume. "Well, you do seem very busy right now, so I'll leave you to your work. I have to go find Zin first and then I'll come back and join you."
"Of course. Don't be too long though." She cooed, turning back around and brushing her tail along my face before walking off. I couldn't help the smile that broke across my face, getting some stares from others nearby, I turned away, heading for the balcony where Zin had told me he had gone to relax. Walking back up the stairs, I cut a corner and headed up another small flight of stairs set into the side of the room, coming up the balcony. Not to my surprise, Zin was still there, strumming along his guitar. I could sense he was about to start a song, so I waited patiently in the shadows, wondering what exactly it was it was going to be about. Humming to himself, he started off his song, slow and melodious;

I set my sail
fly the wind it will take me
back to my home, sweet home

Lie on my back
clouds are making way for me
I'm coming home, sweet home

I see your star you left it burning for me
Mother, I'm here

Eyes open wide
feel your heart and it's glowing
I'm welcome home, sweet home

I take your hand
now you'll never be lonely
not when I'm home, sweet home

I see your star, you left it burning for me
Mother, I'm here

He stopped playing, indicating the song was concluded, and took in a deep breath. “Poor, poor Zulf...” He murmured to himself, drawing his fingers across the strings one last time. Deciding now would be a good time to reveal myself, I let out a small cough, which seemed to make him jump.
"That was nice kid. What is it about?" I asked gently, as I felt that there was some deep connection in-between those lyrics.
“It’s a song that plays when you decide to save Zulf, the villain from a game called Bastion. Mid-way through the game, he turns on you, but in the end, his own people turned on him. As you walk towards the exit with him over your shoulders, getting shot at by arrows, bullets, and more, that song plays.” He smiled sadly at the memory, whatever this 'game' was, it didn't sound like too much fun. “There is another version of it that plays at the end of the game, which I prefer, but I require another to sing it with me, sadly.”
"Well I wish I could help you with that, but as far as I know nopony in Equestria would know that song." I said, turning my attention to the guitar. "I see you've picked up another one."
He looked down and examined his instrument, his eyes darting over its surface. “Yeah, Lisp thought I was still at the castle with this new project of his. He hasn’t told me what it’s fully capable of, but it sure has a lot of tech put into it.” He said, looking back up.
"I'm sure it has all types of gizmos and gadgets. Wait, you didn't take it from him again did you?" I asked skeptically.
“Nah. We’ve become good friends since my arrival. What interested him more was half of the tech we have in my world. So he and Vinyl Scratch have been working on this prototype, and so far, it runs nicely. Haven’t tried its electric setting, or any of its other little gadgets.” He said, moving his hand over several unknown areas of the guitar.
"Well, when you do decide to try it out, be sure to let me know so I have enough time to dive in a foxhole." I said, coming up next to him. "So have you seen your two friends since they've gotten here?"
“Eenope. Celestia’s taken the chance to learn as much from them. Lucky for her, the three of us spend so much time on the internet. Unlucky for us, we spend too much time on there.” He said idly. The internet...? I was about to ask about it, but suddenly decided against it.
"Well, whatever that is I'm sure it's a bundle of joy. So do you have some way of keeping yourself occupied for a day?" I asked.
“Nothing but music from my world. Hell, some of it is about this place.” He responded.
I sighed and shook my head. "Oh I'm sure there is kid, I'm sure there is; I'd rather not talk about that now though, as I'm in a pretty good mood.”
He let out a small chuckle. “Ever heard of a pony named ‘Heartpony’?”
"Not that I reckon. Why? Is she somepony I should know?" I asked, tilting my head curiously at him.
“Ask Celestia and or Luna. Just want to see if my assumptions are correct.” He answered, still very vague.
"Yeah, whatever you say kid. I honestly don't know where you get ideas like these." I sighed, easing against the ledge of the balcony.
“If I told you, I’d have to kill you.” He replied, his voice cold.
I let out a small chuckle. "Haven't we already gone through this kid? Your threats hold little meaning to me; like leaves in the wind."
A smile broke across his face. “Oh I know, you just don’t know when I’m kidding. Sides, I couldn’t even beat you at the castle, what chance would I have? That, and I don’t think I’m faster than a bullet.” 
"It's hard to tell; I'm not all that used to reading human features and inflections. I don't need a bullet either." I finished, letting a smile of my own come across my face.
He rubbed the back of his neck in memory saying, “Yeah, the pain never went away from that drop. Guess listening to that little demon inside didn’t exactly make for the best idea...” 
I let out a low chuckle. "Not at all. It got you killed... literally. That's beside the point though; right now, are you ready to face them?" I finished, turning serious again, looking him dead in the eyes.
He let out a sigh, leaning heavily against the railing. “I don’t know, to be honest. In the cave it was easy enough, but I didn’t have a constant wave. That, and if I know my friends... I’ll have some babysitting to do.”
I give him a gentle punch across the shoulder. "Nonsense. You can leave them to me. Just stay focused and you'll last kid, trust me." I said, giving him an encouraging smile.
“Then keep a sharp eye on them. Jake isn’t too hard to keep track of, but Sofia is. I’m afraid she might do something stupid and end up on the field, and not in a good way either.”
"Don't you worry kid, I'll sit on em' if I have to." I replied with another smile.
“Your funeral.” He put bluntly.
With I shake of my head, I moved away from the balcony. "And you say I can't tell humor." With a sigh I turned towards the staircase. "I'll see y'all later. I have some... work that I need to get back to."
I heard him shifting behind me. “Yes, preparations to make. I’ll be here if you need me." I turned my head briefly, giving him a nod, before turning it back and making my way back down the stairs; whatever it was the day held for me spending it in Shadow's company would make for a pleasant reprise from what I've been doing lately, I thought to myself cheerfully, nearly bounding down the steps. I found her at her desk as usually, concentrating on her work she nearly didn't notice as I trotted into the room; she brightened instantly putting the paper she was examining down.
"Well that took you long enough. How's he doing?" She asked, coming close we embraced for a moment before I broke off to reply. 
"He's well enough. A little edgy if I read him correctly, although who isn't right now?" I sighed, happy to be with the only other pony I could so easily confide in. 
"Yeah... the battle is so close at hand we haven't had a moment to ourselves in Celestia knows how long...." She let the end of her sentence hang, the meaning behind what she was saying obvious. 
I let a grin cross my face, picking up her hint. "Aye, that we haven't." I pulled her into another embrace, "I promise as soon as this mess is over we'll get all the alone time we want." She pushed me with a laugh, shaking her head at me.
"Oh you're no fun; fine, but, I, get to pick how we spend it." She replied with a huff, moving back to her desk. 
I let out a small chuckled and moved over to my own desk next to hers. "Of course my love, I wouldn't have it any other way." With that, the two of us went back to work, idle small talk to pass the time of our shift. Some might have find the task mind-numbing, but frankly I was just happy to be doing something ordinary in the presence of somepony so close.
A few minutes after I had returned to my desk, I noticed SilverClaw heading up the stairs to the balcony, obviously going up there to talk with Zin. Registering the time she went up, I went back to my work, reading over a paper about the current situation of our food and water; with the supplies the town had now we were alright, but if the dogs managed to besiege the town, we had around five days worth of provisions.
Setting the report aside, I began picking another up before the sound of approaching hooves stopped me. Shadow heard it too, putting down the papers that she was looking at. Soon enough, a courier appeared in front of us, panting heavily.
"Message... from the princess... she requests both of your presences... in her private office, as soon as possible...." He gasped, the effort of talking making his panting even more labored.
"Thank you, rest assured that your message has been delivered. Rest before returning to your post." Shadow said, uncurling herself from the chair and getting up from her desk. The courier looked to her, a grateful look on his face.
"Yes ma'am, thank you." He said, grateful for the respite, before hurrying back down the stairs. Once he was gone, I looked to Shadow and we both shared a shrug.
"I suppose we had best not keep her waiting." She said, turning and heading towards the stairs. Getting up from my own desk, I followed suit.
"Aye. Whatever it is, it must be important for her to ask for us so hastily." Turning down the stairs, we exited the library turned operations center and headed right, towards a smaller makeshift building set on the side into the side of the library. Another building, a clone of the first, sat next to it; the private quarters of Princess Luna. Heading towards the first building, there were two members of the Royal Guard standing at stiff attention. As we approached, they crossed their spears, denying us entry. Knowing the routine, Shadow and I waited patiently for them to announce us.
"Shadow and Spade have arrived my Princess." The one on the left called in a voice that screamed old fashioned, obviously a veteran of the Guard.
From inside, a muffled voice sounded that undoubtedly belonging to the princess. "You may admit them." At that, the two Guards uncrossed their spears, returning to the stiff attention they always held. The one on the right opened the door, and Shadow and I walked through, giving the two of them a small nod of gratitude as we walked past.
The room itself was much larger on the inside that it appeared from the outside; not quite as grandeur as her chambers at the palace in Canterlot. The shack was a carbon copy of the rooms there, although more basic and lacking the flair of her rooms in the palace. The center of the main chamber was dominated by a large war-map, covering the entire area around Ponyville, with small pins of varying colors scattered around it. Two doors led to her office and bed chambers, the sounds of conversation coming from the former. Shadow and I nodded to each other, heading towards the room. I gave the door a quick knock, after which Princess Celestia's voice sounded. "Enter." Opening the door I admitted Shadow before I myself entered, closing it once again behind me.
Inside the room, Princess Celestia stood behind her desk, while two wide eyed and very intimidated looking humans sat on chairs before her. Upon hearing us enter, the two of them turned and a mixture of recognition and surprise was written on their faces.
"Welcome, Shadow, Spade. I'm glad the two of you could come on such short notice; there are matters we must discuss." Together, we dropped into a low bow, holding the position for a few moments before a curt, "Rise," made us return to our hooves.
"We are at your service Princess." I responded formally, the routine of formal meetings coming back to me.
"At ease." She said. Immediately we both relaxed, happy to be done with the formalities that were mandated by etiquette. "Now that you are both here, we can discuss what has been troubling me for some time." At the end of her sentence, Zin's two friends tensed and looked at each warily; Celestia continued, "You are both aware of, as his friends have shown me his true name, Scott's origins, am I correct?" Together we nodded curtly, both of us fully aware as to where he came from. She started up again, "Then this will make what I'm going to say slightly easier; it has come to my attention, from what his friends have told me, that there may be more than a few ways to arrive in Equestria from their world, something that doesn't bode well for us at all."
Shadow spoke up cautiously, "What does this have to do with Zi- err, Scott, Princess?"
She gave Shadow and I a sad smile. "This is what troubles me most of all; his friends have told me of certain... discrepancies in Scott's past. This only confirmed my own doubts, gathering what I could from peering into his scarred mind; he's dangerous, not in just the conscious way. Which brings me to what I have to say," she let out a sigh. Whatever it was, it was troubling her greatly; the fact that she had shown it surprised me almost as much. "Whatever happens in the next few days, Scott must not be allowed back to his own world. Furthermore, if he survives the up-coming ordeal, there are only two things I can think of; banishment or..." she seemed to choke on the last word, but finally got it out," Execution." When she finished, a collective silence pervaded the room; neither Shadow or I could find our voices to object, while Jake and Sofia faces were downcast, knowing that they were the ones that brought this upon their friend.
It took me a second to regain my voice, when I did it came out in a choked gasp. "Execute, Princess? Surely there must be some other way...." I let my sentence trail off, unable to think of anything else to say, not knowing the full implications of his past.
Princess Celestia suddenly looked tired, as if all of this had suddenly crashed upon her all at once. Folding her legs under her, she sat heavily down in her own chair. "No, Spade, I cannot see another way. I have discussed this in private with Princess Luna as well; grieved as she was to hear it, neither her or I could find another solution."
"But... but how? What could he possibly of done to warrant such a harsh punishment?" It was Shadow who spoke this time, sorrow making her words come out broken.
"Murder, theft, a few cases of arson; he has quite a few crimes under his belt. He may have changed, but his black past still haunts him, something I cannot allow to roam free among my subjects. Execution may not be entirely necessary either, banishment is always an option. When it comes to it, the choice will be his to make." She finished sadly.
A dull resignation was resounded in the following silence, no one able to come up with a better solution, while none wishing to go through with the planned one. I looked over to Shadow, who while on the outside retained a mask of calmness, inside I knew she was fighting a battle of emotions; similar to my own. Sure, I didn't want to see him go; with a past like his though, what solution could I come up with? The thought didn't leave my head and I resigned to think it over further tonight. I knew neither Shadow nor I would be getting much sleep tonight.
With a sigh, the princess receded further into her chair, seeking some sort of solace from it. "That is all I needed of you two; you may return to your duties." With that said, she tilted her head towards the door, giving us leave to go. With another formal bow, we both quickly found our leave, exiting first through the office door then out through the main door. Without a second glance at the guards on duty, we headed back for our own office. The short trip back was marred by silence, only broken once we were back in the safety of our closed off office. As soon as we entered, I shut the door and cast a spell to keep out any unwanted eyes and ears. 
Once cast, Shadow looked to me, anguish filling her eyes. "What are we going to do Spade? I know he's had a troubled past but surely that doesn't account for the person he is today!"
I sighed, no answer coming to my head. Leaning against the wall, I collected my thoughts under her gaze. "I honestly don't know... you're right, he isn't the same person he once was, but that doesn't excuse the way he acted in the past. Now, I don't like it any more than you; let's just hope he chooses banishment over execution. We'd at least get a chance to see him now and then that way."
She gave me an exasperated look. "There must be something we can do... anything...." She said, unable to find a way to finish our sentence. 
"If the two princesses couldn't find another way, then I don't think we'd be able to... let's put it out of our head for now, yeah?" I said, moving up to her and lifting her face with a hoof. "We've got big enough problems to be worrying about that right now. So, we'll leave it for now, agreed?" She sighed and turned away, heading back for her desk. Standing at it, she stared at the papers scattered about before giving me a reluctant nod. 
Relinquishing the flow of magic that held the spell in place, I moved back to my own desk, staring bleakly at the reports laying about, suddenly very tired and disinterested in them. "Fear thy actions, for they may have repercussions far beyond that which anypony could percieve...." I murmured to myself.
"Who said that?" Shadow asked, her mood just as bleak as my own.
"I did... I only hope our actions of the next few days will be enough to grant us a clear conscience. If not, well then I hope one day that we can find a way to forgive ourselves." I finished, returning to my reports, a sudden sour taste in my mouth.