The Final Strike

by BlackDragon

Chapter 8: To Begin Integration

The experiences this land of "Equestria" had to offer was... interesting. All was already set for their attack against the natives, but all was quiet. A little too quiet for Captain Leon Kin's liking, although Lieutenants Jason Morales and Sarah Hart have quickly grown as comfortable as they could in their new living spaces in spite of their large size in comparison. They could hardly even fit in their beds! At least Princess Celestia promised them they would be getting bigger ones crafted just for them.

Regardless, the second phase of the mission could now begin. Now he would only have to wait for Princes Celestia and Princess Luna's word. Along with the company of Princess Twilight Sparkle, Captain Kin and the Princesses had agreed that while the next best move is to introduce them to populous first, it would be better to spread the news of them first. Apparently, despite all they've said about friendship, they are initially untrusting to anyone new. Princess Celestia assured him that it had nothing to do with him, his soldiers, or his species; only that their prey nature can make them nervous to new things suddenly appearing in their lives. There were even a few instances of mass hysteria over such occasions.

Captain Kin understood her concerns and continued his duties with his Lieutenants. Back in their room, Lieutenants Jason and Sarah were peacefully staring out through their window. They were watching the ponies form outside the castle and beyond, observing the wealthy members of high society and admiring the work done by the caterers and restaurant owners. Of course, there were the occasional snobby brats who took their position in society far too seriously. Jason and Sarah's response was a scoff with an eyeroll. They were far too use to such characters, such as a Wyvern representative or some of the Emperor's advisors, to really give a damn.

Leon cleared his throat, spooking his Lieutenants but still grabbing the attention. As they stumbled in position and bowed, Leon dismissed them and left them to their spots where they can continue observing the outside world. The Captain took his seat in a small table that was provided to them by the guards who escorted them. It was barely a full day and there is already a lot to consider. The government, societal customs, the mannerisms of the inhabitants, even the currency; it was all unfamiliar to him.

The princesses had already assured him that the process would be taken slowly enough for him and his Lieutenants to adapt, but the Captain kept his suspicions. There was no way that he was willing to trust a foreign ruler just yet. The room remained quiet for a few minutes until a knock at the door had their attention. Leon went to the door and opened, revealing Princess Celestia with a pair of guards beside her, armed with spears.

The princess said, "Captain Kin. Lieutenant Morales. Lieutenant Hart. If you're ready, we'd like to get started."

"Of course. Lieutenants," Captain Kin said.

Kin's soldiers left their spots again and they followed their captain and the princess as they all left the room. They continued down the hall; Leon and Celestia walked side-by-side with the guards in between them. They all kept quiet for a long while until they've approached a door that stood tall over them.

"Now, Captain Kin," Celestia spoke as she and the human faced each other, "I understand that Equestria is much more than what you expected. After all, you mentioned that magic and the like are fictional in Lushiro. I can only imagine the shock you've had when coming here."

"It was a shock, I'll admit it," Captain Kin sighed, "but I'm still willing to proceed and so are my Lieutenants."

Celestia smiled, "I'm glad to hear that. However, I must tell now that we still have a ways to go before we can investigate the crimes your rebels committed."

Then, Celestia's smile disappeared, "Behind this door, we will be joining others in discussing the details of this matter. Not just the crimes, but also the rather exceptional circumstances in which they occurred. Unfortunately, the fact that they were the first introduction to a previously unknown nation may give the impression of a foreign attack, maybe even a declaration of war. Please understand that any aggression our guests might have is merely out of concern. They don't yet know what to make of all this."

Leon nodded in understanding, "I'm familiar with this. The Ricano government is still in uneasy peace with some creatures themselves."

Then, with the help of her golden magic, Celestia opened the door and revealed yet another world for the humans to see. Inside was a large room with a round table standing in the middle. Sitting in the seats were other creatures. Some of them were recognizable to Leon thanks to his interaction with the ponies, such as the black griffin and the blue dragon. Others, however, were a surprise for him, like the green pony-like creature with shimmering insectoid wings and eyes.

They all turned back and stared at the human guests with either contempt or curiosity in their eyes.

Celestia cleared her throat and said, "Greetings, friends. I thank you for coming here on such short notice."

She took her seat in between the other creatures, "By now, I'm sure you've heard of our new guests and their arrival to this country. I have invited you all in hopes of clearing the air and ensure everypony that we have new allies as well as new enemies. That is why I introduce to our new friends."

As she showed a hoof to the humans at her side with a confident smile, Celestia continued, "Everypony, meet Leon Kin, Captain of the Striker Elite, and Lieutenants Jason Morales and Sarah Hart."

---

At the edge of Ponyville, Twilight Sparkle remained alone in her library of her castle, brooding over the facts they've shared together in the morning light shining over her. There were numberless things scattering in her head regarding the humans. She could never imagine such a violent and dangerous way of life from what Leon Kin had described. Even the dragons hadn't had such hardships in their history. They always remained apex predators since the ancient times with their only rivals being bigger dragons.

The rival creatures and natural disasters Leon had mentioned could only suggest that his people have no control over the weather, nor could they have any peace in their homes while they have enemies around. In comparison to her peaceful home of Equestria, Leon's home of Lushiro sounded harsh and violent. Of course, Twilight was always eager to learn about a previously unknown land through its representatives, but she was now starting to realize how lucky she and her friends actually were all this time. They had engaged a potentially dangerous species without considering the consequences.

"It's a wonder that I haven't accidentally started a war," Twilight thought to herself, her anxiety growing as she went on. "Apparently, Leon and his people have been... battling other people for some time and... we could've just gotten all of Equestria confronted by a highly militarized culture that wouldn't hesitate to attack. I mean, they probably could've told someone of authority but Equestria is foreign to them.

"Twilight," a voice softly called out, but it was unnoticed by Twilight.

"In that case, I can't blame them for being so secretive. Then again, that kind of behavior might seem suspicious."

"Twilight," the voice called out again, slightly louder.

"Oh, Celestia. I just hope I didn't make a bad first impression on a newly discovered nation. I was just investigating a crime! I didn't mean to offend anypony!"

"Twilight!" the voice shouted, finally snapping Twilight out of her thoughts.

The young alicorn shook her head quickly. She looked behind her to see Spike, her assistant, standing behind her with a concerned expression.

He said, "You were rocking back and forth on your chair with a crazy look. Are you okay?"

"Oh. Uh, yeah, Spike. I'm fine. Hehehe."

The young dragon wasn't convinced. He crossed his arms with a disapproving frown. Apparently, that was all it took for Twilight to drop her act as she finally gave out a sigh.

She said, "Okay, Spike. It's about those humans we met. You know, Leon, Sarah, and Jason?"

Spike nodded after he uncrossed his arms and relaxed his scowl.

She continued, "Well, now that I've gotten to know them and their ways a little, they're practically nothing like us! The differences between us are staggering!"

"You mean besides the obvious," Spike chuckled.

"No, I'm serious here," Twilight interrupted, "Leon is the captain of a very powerful military. So powerful, apparently, that it's placed in its own caste in human society. They even have a whole province to themselves! Don't you know what means?"

"I dunno," Spike replied with a shrug, "We've got some awesome new friends?"

"NO, SPIKE! IT MEANS THAT WE MIGHT HAVE STARTED A WAR!"

Twilight shook the baby dragon to a blur as she screamed, which made him dizzy for a moment when she stopped. He shook his head to regain his composure. He quickly flinched with wide eyes when he saw Twilight pacing around the library. The young princess hyperventilated while sweat seeped from her forehead, her mane and coat getting matted as a result.

"This is bad, Spike! This is really REALLY bad," Twilight panicked, "I think I just angered a powerful military leader and my friends and I could've started our first case of international conflict in Equestrian history! For Celestia's sake, I haven't even considered the sociopolitical situation about this, nor have I thought about the-"

"Twilight, get ahold of yourself," Spike shouted with his claws on Twilight's cheeks.

The Princess of Friendship looked at Spike's face, full of worry and concern. After a moment's silence, the baby dragon released Twilight so that she could sit down. She started taking a few deep breaths to calm her nerves. She immediately could feel her heartbeat already starting to reach its resting pace.

"I'm sorry, Spike," she sighed, "It's just that Leon and his soldiers come from a land we've never heard of. I'm worried that we've made a bad impression."

"Hey, you'll be fine, Twilight," Spike assured her, "I think you made it out alright. Yeah, Leon might be a jerk, but he didn't seem to hold a grudge. Who knows? Maybe he'll learn to like you. Maybe you just gotta give him a chance."

Twilight gave a small smile and said, "Thanks, Spike. You're right. Maybe he doesn't have any hard feelings about before."

"Of course he doesn't! He said so himself. He's only here to catch a crook and, from what you said, he's even sorry about bringing it here in Ponyville!"

"Yes, yes, yes! He DID say that!"

After saying that, Twilight took a moment to contemplate about Equestria's human guests. Despite the disturbing descriptions Leon Kin gave her and her fellow princesses, he seemed duty-bound and determined to capture the rebels he mentioned and gave them his respects. He didn't even seem all that threatening, just... grumpy? Whatever the case may be, he just might be a valuable ally in this mess. And so, she finally made her decision.

"Spike, get my things," she ordered with a smile, "By now, Princess Celestia might be showing Leon, Sarah, and Jason Equestrian politics and traditions. When they're done, she'll want someone to look after them while move to a new base. Knowing her, she will more than likely entrust that duty onto me, which is why we need to be prepare with everything they might need."

"You got it, Twi," Spike saluted.

Afterwards, Twilight and Spike spent the rest of the morning tidying up the castle and organizing the library for the humans to use. There was no doubt that the new Captain and Lieutenants would be expecting full cooperation in their staying in Equestria after the events of the day before. For better or worse, Twilight knew that she and her friends might be involved in something bigger than she thinks. And yet, she couldn't help but feel just the tiniest bit excited for what the future might hold.

---

"What do you mean 'classified'," the blue dragon yelled, "You can't just keep secrets from us! Not after all the trouble you people have caused us!"

"That is enough, Ember," said Celestia with her hoof raised, "This is his first instance of attempting contact with another nation outside of his own. Let him open up on his own."

Ember, the Dragon Lord scoffed in frustration and then slumped in her chair with her arms crossed. The green "changeling" beside her, which Leon learned his name was Thorax, King of the Changelings remained silent during Leon's and Ember's conversation. He was actually very curious about the humans but he was still fairly new to making relationships with governments outside his home borders. Regardless, Thorax was willing to help Celestia in cooperating with their guests.

The meeting continued on, but the tension still rose. The oppressive atmosphere kept everyone at edge, but none were more so than Leon and his Lieutenants. The feeling of mysticism from these other creatures was barely overwhelming. The Griffin, the "Minotaur," and others were completely unlike any that Leon had seen in the Misty Jungle and Grand Meadows of Lushiro, though seeing the Draconeques might have desensitized him a bit. "Ember" had the aggressive attitude they expected from her kind, despite being nowhere near the size they've been described. And not to mention the Changeling, "Thorax" was it?

Leon had been observing the insectoid equine in secret. How he thought he was being sneaky, looking away when their eyes meet. In reality, the changeling was a terrible deceiver. His attempts were far too obvious in that he smiles too much, whistling like he wasn't paying attention, and that he doesn't bother to hide the sweat that was practically flowing over his face. The Striker Captain honestly felt offended that someone else would think that he was this stupid.

He soon ignored him and continued his conversations. They have made progress in understanding the bigger picture of rogue soldiers hiding in a foreign nation. Leon had explained their aggressive tendencies, such as rioting, pillaging smaller towns, and falsely accusing political figures of lies and deception. Many of them had suggested to start a peaceful negotiation with the rebellious forces, but Leon was having none of it. He instead offered the opportunity to have them all captured and returned to Lushiro to be punished at the maximum sentence.

The others were surprised and even appalled by Leon's proposal.

"Um, Captain Leon, are you sure you want to go that route," asked Celestia. "Surely, you don't mean to take such drastic measures. I must say that, by taking that course of action, you could risk appearing... how should I put it? Um, ruthless?

Leon let out a louder groan than he intended with his fists clenched.

"Just so you'll know, Princess, we take such heinous crimes like this very seriously. They can encourage the rebellious to go against authority and eventually go rogue. It's situations like this where I, the Captain of the Elite, need to set an example for everyone else who might think about straying away from order. We're already starting to lose trust from the people with riots disrupting the peace and vigilantes running around at night taking the law into their own hands!"

The room went silent for a moment. Then, the Griffin leader spoke.

"Well, what should we do now, Princess," he asked, "It appears that we've reached an impasse."

"Indeed," the Minotaur added, "I find Captain Kin's decision to punish these criminals disturbing. Regardless, he and subordinates are the only people in this room who know how to handle such people."

Thorax raised his hoof before starting, "You may have a point there. I think we'll have to trust Leon in how to apprehend them for now. Maybe we can discuss how we actually deal with them afterwards?"

Princess Celestia pondered intently. She wished the resolve this issue as quietly with as little conflict as possible. The problem is that the only person who could help her with this new threat doesn't seem to care about the consequences of his own actions, only that the criminals are captured and punished. And the fact that Leon wishes to "set an example" is suggesting something troubling about his motivations. If this is what the Captain expects of his men, then what does the Commander expect?

She almost didn't want to know.

Celestia finally decided to leave the subject and said, "All right. For now, I say that we should only focus on finding those responsible for these crimes. We will discuss any possible extradition when we get to it."

And with that, everyone agreed unanimously. After saying their thank you's and goodbyes, the other creatures left the room while Celestia and the Strikers remained alone as Jason and Sarah silently standing behind their Captain as usual. However, Leon did notice Throax taking one last peek at him before leaving with the others.

Celestia said with narrow eyes, "Well, it appears that we still have a few things to go over. Your attitude, for example."

"My attitude, Your Highness," Leon asked with a scowl.

"You give off a negative image with your aggression and lack of trust. I understand you being weary, but it would be unwise of you not to trust anypony here. Not to mention that ponies here would be hard-pressed to trust you as you try to hunt down ne'er-do-wells like quarry."

"I only ask that you understand why that is. You know, found a new nation, magic being real, and all that."

"I do. I'm just saying that you shouldn't use that as an excuse for your actions."

"I'm not!"

Suddenly, Celestia stamped her hoof, her mane splaying out and eyes glowing bright green with streams of purple smoke.

"Captain Kin! You are a guest in Equestria and you will abide by its laws!"

The Striker Captain and Lieutenants immediately leapt in front of Celestia. They deployed their swords and shields and took a defensive stance. The princess eased her fierce gaze after seeing their reaction and took a breath to calm herself down.

She sighed, "Oh, please forgive me. It's just that this has been a little stressful."

The Strikers slowly lower their stances; Jason and Sarah hid their hands behind their backs while Leon slightly bowed in respect.

"I understand, Your Highness," Leon replied, "Just please remember that such magic powers as yours are still very strange to us."

"Of course. My apologies."

With that over, they shared a few more words or assurances before they left the room and went their separate ways. Princess Celestia returned to her throne room while Leon decided to talk a walk out in the garden. He heard that it was a lovely place to visit. Therefore, he ordered Jason and Sarah to stay in their room to which the Lieutenants complied.

As Leon made his way down the hall, he could have sworn that he saw a way that lead to the garden while they were walking to their meeting. However when he found it, he seemed to have gotten himself lost. Instead of the garden, he stumbled upon just about every other room in the castle. The kitchen, the training room, the courtroom, even Luna's bed chambers to which he slowly and quietly left since Princess Luna was sleeping... for some reason... complete with a sleep mask and a stuffed animal in her hooves. Perhaps she is in charge of nightly duties?

Anyway, he continued his way throughout the halls and he still hasn't found the garden. The whole time he was growing increasingly impatient and angry with his predicament to the point where it was threatening to burst. Suddenly, Leon grabbed his head and yelled in great frustration before he started sprinting blindly in the halls. He continued uninterrupted for a while until saw a door too late. Before he could register the door, Leon crashed into it, breaking the door open where he could barely see three ponies in armor who were startled by Leon's entrance.

He reacted out of instinct and grabbed a hand claw from one of his many pockets on his uniform. He placed it in his palm and plunged the spikes into the polished floor behind him, slowing him to a halt before them with a trail of scratch marks following him. After Leon stood up, he was suddenly threatened by two Pegasi armed with spears and wearing silver, stylized armor. The Striker Captain immediately responded by unsheathing his sword and deploying his shield into a defensive pose.

One yellow pony with black hair shouted, "Hey! Who are you and what are you doing in Canterlot!"

The other one, somehow shining a brilliant green like an emerald, yelled, "State your business! You better not be doing anything funny here!"

Leon gave a surprised and look and replied, "What are talking about? I was just trying to find the garden for the Gods' sake!"

The yellow stallion asked again, "The garden? What for? Is that where you've been hiding!"

"No! I was trying to find a place to relax! I'm a damn guest!"

The emerald stallion scoffed with a smile, "Yeah, right. Princess Celestia never described anything like you. She said he's confident and strong. You, on the other hoof, are clearly reckless barging in like that. I thought you were gonna crash into us!"

"That's enough!" a voice shouted over the other three.

The trio turned to see yet another stallion, a pure white unicorn with hair several shades of blue. He was wearing a red uniform over his chest with gold highlights. The white unicorn walked over to them with a serious look on his face directed towards Leon while the other two walked away.

The pony said, "What's your name?"

Leon replied, "Leon Kin. I'm sure Princess Celestia mentioned me to you?"

The pony gave a smile, "She did," he placed a hoof on his chest, "I'm Shining Armor, Captain of the Royal Guard and Prince of the Crystal Empire. Why don't we just calm down and talk a little? You know, get back on the right hoof."

Seeing no reason not to go on "Shining Armor's" terms, Leon put his sword and shield away and kneeled down to face him more easily.

Shining kept his smile as he sat down and said, "So, you're the guy the Princess told me about in her letter, huh? I gotta say you're actually taller than I imagined."

Leon responded with a sly smirk, "And you're shorter than I thought."

Shining snickered at the comment. The two Captains continued playfully insulting each other while the two guards watched in disbelief. They were shocked at how quickly the human and their Captain managed to get along. They might even be good friends!

Suddenly, the front entrance was opened with bang, to which they all turned their attention. At the entrance, the stood Twilight Sparkle with a smile on her face and a confident gait. Spike meanwhile was standing behind her as he struggled to hold a tower of supplies.

"Princess Celestia! I'm here," she shouted, "I'm sorry if this is inconvenient, but I was sure that you wou-"

Twilight stopped when she saw Shining Armor and joyfully shouted his name as she ran to hug him. Leon only stood there, silently perplexed by Twilight's sudden act of affection to the other captain. After embracing Shining Armor for a moment, Twilight noticed Leon behind him.

"Ah-oh! Hey Leon!" she said as she released Shining. "I see you've met my brother, Shining Armor."

"Your brother?" Leon said with a raised eyebrow.

"Of course! Also, I trust that both of you have been getting along?"

"Yeah, he's cool." Shining responded.

Leon only shrugged with a smile, "I like him."

"Which is why I'll deal with him last." he thought to himself.

Shining Armor assured the other two guards that everything was alright and dismissed them. After they took their leave, Leon, Twilight and Shining Armor decided it would be best to go to Princess Celestia for any further actions to take, now that the Captain of the Striker Elite has met the Captain of the Royal Guard. Meanwhile, Shining Armor and Twilight helped Leon on his way to the garden. When they arrived, the trio sat down on a bench to talk.

They've come to know each other a little better as they talked. Well, Leon got to know Twilight and her brother anyway. He just share additional history of his home land, including one of the most important moments in Lushiro history.

"So Captain Kin," Twilight said with curiosity. "You said that Ricano was attacked by a flock of Wyverns and your people were driven out into the wilderness, right?"

"That is correct," Leon answered.

"Then, I have to ask: How did you manage to get your home back? It seems to be such a daunting task?"

"It sure does," said Shining Armor. "The way you described those Wyverns, they must be some mean sons-of-guns."

"Heh. They still are," Leon scoffed with a sneer. "Anyway, we've been wandering around in the wild for a while, eking out a living wherever we could. We continued moving near the mountains until we met another creature that was already living there."

"Really? What was it," Twilight asked.

"The Viscachas," Leon answered, "A large, bipedal, rabbit-like race that lived in the mountains when the two of us met. It was an uneasy peace, at first. The Viscachas are herbivores and didn't approve of us hunting animals for food. They were even afraid that we would take their vicuna livestock or even their children for ourselves. And it didn't help that the monks and their students were proficient martial arts of self-defense. Eventually though, we learned to work together with the Carnotaurs' help and attack."

Shining Armor and Twilight payed closer attention to Leon's story, now interested. Leon smiled on the inside with arrogant pride and continued.

"It started out slow. We were hiding out at the bottom of the mountain, waiting for any Wyvern patrols passing by to take out. When the coast was clear, we sent the Carnotaurs on the offense. Meanwhile, humans and Viscachas fought side by side in between. It was hard for us. Many were injured, or have lost the fight, but still we persevered and before we knew it, we won! The Wyverns retreated back to their homeland and we reclaimed our home. In time, we helped each other with everything, helping our wounded, rebuilding our houses, and advancing together as a society. We weren't just an army, we were allies, brothers in arms. Even with new threats appearing, new enemies, new nations discovered, we stood together and fought together to this day."

The two ponies looked on with fascination with Twilight being the more obviously fascinated. Despite her opposing views and opinions on the violence of Lushiro, she still respected Leon, Jason, and Sarah for their courage and determination. Needless to say, the story helped her better understand Lushiro from Leon's perspective. It wasn't a savage land full of monsters and bitter enemies. It's a tough land, for sure, but its inhabitants were still strong, brave, and honorable.

As noon went by, the three of them continued talking for a while longer. Despite his reservations, Leon found these two Equines to be pleasant to talk to. They are also appear to be very close as brother and sister. He actually... liked their company.

"Ah, Gods! You better not be getting soft, Kin," Leon thought to himself in rage, "YOU. ARE. ON. A. MISSION! Get close to their blind spot and get to it or the Commander will have your HEAD!"

And with that, the trio decided that they should pay Princess Celestia a visit. Surely, she would want to discuss important matters with them, along with Twilight Sparkle. Hopefully, the conversation would be a better one to have for everypony. Leon silently cursed himself for picking up Equine nomenclature.

Author's Note:

I'm sorry that I made you wait for so long. Recently, I haven't been feeling so good. I've had trouble with college, my schedule, and other things and the pandemic isn't exactly helping. I might need to get some help sometime. I just hope that you enjoy my progress so far and I only ask for you to be patient. I do hope that I can finish this story soon because I love it and I actually hope to create it as its own show one day. Thank you for your support.