Twilight squee'd and rushed forward, causing Spike to fly into the air. He tumbled around before hitting the ground in an explosion of dust. Upon picking himself up from the sudden impact, he noticed a very tall figure standing only a few metres away across the street. A tall figure who was having the life crushed out of him as Twilight latched onto his torso.

"Whoa!" Dean cried as he stumbled back.

Spike's eyes widened, amazed by what his Human friend looked like under all that armour. His face sported light stubble and his dark hair was brushed back. Massive muscles complimented his arms, his biceps seeming to strain against the light grey shirt he was wearing. The shirt seemed slightly small, but Spike reckoned that it was simply Dean's immense size that was causing that. Both his legs were utterly massive, each seemingly bigger than a pony in sheer width. Even with such size, he handled Twilight with care as his arms supported her body. He seemed to move with grace and precision as he moved towards the baby dragon staring at him.

"Hey, Spike!" Dean chuckled at the amazed look he was receiving. "I take it you've never seen what I actually look like?"

Spike snapped out of his stupor and shook his head wildly. His little bow-tie stayed firmly in place as he looked up at the towering Human.

"Dude, you're jacked! I can understand Twilight's actions now." Both Dean and Twilight blushed, the former setting the latter on the ground very quickly. Twilight gave an awkward chuckle while Dean smiled.

"Twilights just a good friend of mine. Plus, don't think I didn't see you ogling Lucy." He chuckled as Spike began to sputter. Truly, he had been talking quite a lot to the filly and they hung out often. Spike had found himself liking her more and more with each day they saw each other. The only problem was that he had no idea if she thought the same. It was his hope that Lucy would be at the party tonight so they could hang out again.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about!" Spike's voice seemed to be an octave higher as the trio began walking down the road once more. Dean and Twilight laughed, much to Spike's annoyance.

"So, Dean, how was training today?" Twilight changed the subject, allowing her little brother a moment of respite. Spike noticed that a small crowd of ponies were walking in the same direction as them. Upon closer examination, Spike noticed that all of the ponies currently around them were wearing some form of dress wear. Spike caught sight of an Earth pony mare walking the opposite direction, her eyes looking over the slowly assembling crowd with disapproval. Spike chose to ignore these observations in favour of listening to Twilight and Dean.

"Well, I had the trainees assembling tank traps today. It wasn't going well for the first hour, but they soon got the hang of it. My goal is for them to create traps, barricades, and defences in a very short period of time. Once I come back, I will begin issuing them some equipment from my world. Flashbangs, grenades, NVGs, EMPs, radios, and hopefully some Kevlar." Dean counted each item on his hands, holding six fingers before him. He noticed Twilight tilt her head in thought.

"What does all that even mean? I've never heard of any of those things." Twilight lit her horn, and with a pop, a quill and paper appeared before her. Dean's eyes widened, but he chose to shrug off the strange phenomena.

"Well, you know what grenades are, right?" He saw her nod, her eyes glued to the paper. Dean noticed Spike rolled his eyes dramatically and smiled. "Well, to start it off, a flashbang is a type of grenade. Instead of an explosion and a spread of shrapnel, it uses a mixture of chemicals to create a loud explosion followed by a blinding light. It essentially disoriants, blinds, and deafens the target." The scratch of a quill quickly stopped his explanation, and he looked down at the Alicorn beside him.

"Keep going, this stuff might come in handy later!" Twilight looked up at him and smiled cheerfully. The noise of the busy street suddenly died down, and Dean's heart rate began to quicken. He suddenly found himself looking at a replica of Mary. Her always exuberant personality, coupled with her energy and affection.

"Dean, are you okay?" Twilight's voice caused him to blink, and he realised his mouth was slightly open and his brows were furrowed. He looked down and chuckled halfheartedly, but that didn't stop the heat from suddenly going to his head.

"Sorry, yeah. I'm fine." A quick glance showed that Twilight wasn't convinced; even Spike was looking at him funny. He decided to continue on with his explanations.

"A-anyway, the next piece of tech is called an NVG, or night vision goggles..."

The three continued to walk, the crowd they were in steadily growing. If one were to observe closely, they would notice that the majority of party-goers were wearing fancy additions and expensive jewellery. These ponies were nobles who had escaped to Maritime Bay after the invasion. Very few 'common' ponies were attending, the only ones being residents of Ravenford.

The stream of ponies continued down the road, their path only deterred by the imposing biped walking down the centre of the road. Many gave Dean a wide berth, thus resulting in an immense circle of space between him and the tide of ponies. Odd, and fearful looks were cast his way. Dean knew that he probably should have interacted with the townsfolk more, but the constant moving around and preparing had taken all his time. This little break would be beneficial to not only him, but his team as well. They would be going on their first true offensive against the Dark Elves in two days, and if someone is too stressed, then they had a chance of messing up in the middle of the mission. The ponies under his command were excellent, but he didn't want to take any risks.

Twilight had paused in her questions, instead opting to look around the town instead. Ever since he had shown up on this world, Twilight had proven to be an incredible and supportive friend. He truly couldn't stress enough how crucial she was to his sanity. Dean truly would have gone insane; from fighting in a losing war, to getting sucked into an alternate universe and fighting for a group of aliens in order to protect them from both enslavement and genocide. It was literally unbelievable, and such a tale back home would put him in an asylum for sure.

There was something else as well; a feeling of some sort. He constantly felt someone's eyes on him, and he tended to jump at loud noises. Nightmares haunted his dreams almost every night, and he hadn't heard from the Guardian in some time.

He frowned in thought.

That voice, when he was disoriented... What had it said? It was something along the lines of not letting something in; but what could that something be? As far as he knew, he was the only person occupying his brain, and occasionally the insufferable trenchcoat wearing dickhead who was supposed to help him. Other than that, he didn't have the foggiest clue as to what could be going on. Maybe his instincts had been acting up, or he had been talking to himself? No, that was crazy talk! He would know if something was trying to pry into his brain.

'Maybe you should talk to Twilight about it?'

Dean frowned in thought, his eyes finding Twilight striding alongside him. He noticed her give him the occasional glance, as if she was thinking of saying something, but no words were uttered. Dean's eyes flicked back to the road ahead, and what he saw caused his eyes to widen.

Two ghostly figures were standing in the middle of the crowd, their bipedal nature identifying them as either Human or Elf. Their smokey grey forms seemed to shimmer in the moonlight and their hands were interlocked. One was small, maybe the size of a child, while the other one was taller and sported long flowing hair. The colours of their forms were mixed hues of greys, blacks, and whites, but- that didn't matter... Dean already knew who they were.

His breathing began to quicken, and his heart rate spiked. His eyes seemed to grow to the size of dinner plates and he stopped dead in his tracks. Not once did his vision stray from the ghosts before him, and not once did he believe what he was seeing. It was impossible, unfeasible!

Tears slowly caused his vision to cloud, and he felt his motor functions begin to shut down. A dull thump seemed to reverberate through his head and hearing, cancelling any noise from the outside world. His throat was dry, and his mouth was slightly open.

Suddenly, he was on his knees, the ponies and house around him seeming to tower higher and higher into the sky. The scenery began to warp and mould before him, something that shouldn't have been possible in the waking world. The ghosts disappeared, replaced by the forms of barely recognizable generals and commanders. All around him, the walls of a large tent seemed to rise from the earth. Smoke billowed in front of Dean's face, taking the form of Captain Mason.

'

At approximately oh-ninehundred hours...." Dean felt the tears begin to fall. Their forms tracing a wet trail down his dirty and windswept cheeks.

"Your wife, Marie, and your son Jaxon...." Dean felt his legs give out as he collapsed to his knees. Someone rushed to his side, probably to check if he hurt himself. He didn't feel anything.

"...At approximately oh-ninehundred hours...."

Dean looked up, into the Captains. His eyes were blank, his mind numb. This place seemed familiar. He knew he should remember it, hell, he thought he had told Twilight, Midnight, and Trignar about this particular scene. But why was it important? What had happened. Something in his head was screaming to be let out, as if it knew what this place truly was.

"Your wife, Marie, and your son, Jaxon..."

Something wasn't right; something was... off. A foreign presence was there, lurking in the depths of his mind. Something was affecting his rational thought and ripping into his memories. Its presence was disgusting, as if it had tentacles reaching into the far depths of his consciousness. Its many faces were snarling at him as they realised they had been caught. He was getting closer to IT now.... wait....

"Have been--"

"FINALLY! NO MORE GAMES MONSTER!"

There was a mighty crash, and Dean caught sight of a man in a trenchcoat and baseball cap before the world exploded into light.

*****

Dean gasped, his vision suddenly refocusing. His cheeks felt wet, and his back felt sweaty. Looking down, he noticed that his hands were shaking violently. He seemed to be closer to the ground for some reason, and upon closer investigation, he realised he was on his knees.

"Dean?"

Dean's head snapped up, his eyes alert and his senses focused. It was as if he had taken a shot of adrenaline. He analysed every little detail in microseconds, the houses on the road, the street lamps faintly glowing, the sudden lack of a flow of ponies, and the concerned face with abnormally large eyes directly in front of him. It took a few tries, but Dean was slowly able to bring his entire focus to the Princess before him.

"Dean, are you okay? Do I need to get a doctor?" Concern bled from Twilight's voice and expression, and he didn't know why. Ever so slowly, he began to stand up. His balance teetered for a second, but he was able to catch himself before he fell. Twilight stuck out a hoof, and Dean used it to stand to his full height.

Now able to see everything, Dean was able to make out the tide of partygoers down the road, the end of their line a few hundred metres away. Music seemed to be echoing across the street, obviously signifying the start of the event.

'Dammit, we're late!'

Dean cursed and strode forward, but a hoof tapping his side got his attention once more. Looking down, Dean noticed Twilight still held the concerned look.

"What is it, Twilight?" He asked. Her ears folded back slightly from the heat in his voice, and he immediately regretted his words. Where had that sudden anger come from?

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to sound so harsh. What's up?" He softened his voice and crouched down. He noticed that Spike wasn't with them at the moment, and decided to ask once Twilight said her piece.

"It's just... you kinda fell to your knees a minute ago. You were crying and staring off into space. Something is bothering you." Twilight sat on her haunches and crossed her legs, her eyes lowering into a light glare. Dean knew that he would have to come clean now, her tone demanded it. Ever since he had returned from Ravenford, he knew that he had been different. Something was affecting him, and he thought he knew the cause.

"Twilight, you of all people know what it's like to seemingly lose someone you love." She nodded, her glare lessening into a neutral and understanding look. She nodded, and Dean took that as a sign to continue.

"Well, I've told you this before already, but when I was ripped from my home, I left everyone I loved behind. My Mary and Jax are still there, their lives in constant danger with the Orith attacks across the world. At the moment, I have no idea what has happened. I don't know if they are alive, if the Orith have been extinguished from my planet, or if the battle still rages ever on. I'm in the dark on this one." He saw her open her mouth to say something, but he continued before she could speak.

"The battle at Ravenford put things back into perspective for me. I had thought this whole other world thing would be a cake walk. I would make sure you were safe, go beat the Dark Elves, then return home. Instead, here I am, training soldiers to fight a war so new to them that it might take years for any kind of understanding. I'm going on little side missions instead of gunning for the Emperor himself. Through all this, I have to make sure none of my friends get hurt, you especially." He reached out and scratched behind Twilight's ear. She sighed contently, but her eyes didn't leave his own.

"As an American, as a soldier, it is my duty to protect the innocent, and fight the battles they can not. That includes your kind, no matter how dissimilar you are to Humanity physiologically speaking." Twilight gave a soft chuckle before slowly pulling away. Dean retracted his hand, but stayed crouched.

"So that's the problem then: you feel conflicted. On one hoof, your species is fighting a war against extinction, one which you could help in. On the other, you are stuck in an unfamiliar world, one where innocent lives are taken and enslaved. You want to find a way home, but you also want to save those in need. My question is why? Us ponies are aliens to you, yet you still help. Why even bother doing anything at all? The Emperor likely has enough magical power to send you home. With the Elements of Harmony on his side, then surely it would be possible." Dean silently mouthed 'Elements of Harmony' before filing away the name for later research.

Dean sighed and shuffled uncomfortably.

"Well, to put it simply, it's the right thing to do. I was brought up where everything that lives has a purpose. When one tries to take away that purpose, then they are no longer part of the equation, and must be eliminated. The Elves seem to want to destroy everything, hence the whole taking away that which is sacred. It's my duty to put a stop to that kind of evil."

Dean noticed Twilight had leaned forward slightly, but upon hearing his words, a brief flicker of disappointment crossed her face. It was gone in an instant, so Dean decided to ignore it.

"So, that's all that is troubling you? This internal conflict." Dean nodded, but once again, he felt eyes on his back. He half turned and for the briefest moments, he caught a flicker of a ghostly grey form. It was gone in an instant, and he frowned. Said frown disappeared upon turning back to the Alicorn in front of him.

"That's all it is. Don't worry about a thing, Sparklebutt, I'll keep protecting you from those nasty Elves!" He reached forward without warning and scooped the little Princess under his arms. Her legs kicked feebly and she whined in protest.

"DEAN! Put me down, this is embarrassing!" Dean chuckled and shifted her position. He heard Twilight give a content sigh as she was able to wrap her forelegs around his neck, and her back legs around his waist. Dean's arm's were strong enough to keep her aloft as they plodded towards the party. The sounds of music had grown louder, and singing could be heard.

"Thanks, Twilight. Thanks for everything." Dean mumbled the words, but it seemed Twilight was able to hear them. He smiled as she giggled.

"You're my friend, Dean. I'm always here for you."

...

...

"Where's Spike?"

*****

Spike walked alongside his friend, Lucy. The two were making their way through the various ally's and backstreets, heading towards the cliffs.

When Dean had collapsed to his knees, Spike had moved to help. Twilight had other ideas, however, and shooed him away, telling him that she would get Dean on his feet again. Spike had relented and stood back, away from the Human. Never had he seen his friend in such a state: tears pouring from his eyes, which had seemed dead to the world. His face was sunken and he had seemed to age twenty years. His arms had gone slack at his sides and he had been staring into space. It scared Spike, immensely.

It was about thirty seconds later when Lucy had appeared from the crowd like a wraith, sneaking up on Spike and scaring the daylights out of him.

She had told him that she wanted to go to the cliffs for some reason, and Spike had obliged. He had asked Twilight if he could go, and he had received a half focused "sure" as she tried to break Dean from his trance. Spike had seen the concern etched cross her face, and chose to leave her alone.

So here he was, sneaking past a troop of guards patrolling a side street.

"Alright, let's go!" Lucy waved her hoof and moved out from behind the barrel they were previously using as cover. Spike quickly followed along behind her as the sound of the party grew dimmer. After five more minutes of walking, Spike decided to ask the big question.

"So, why are we going to the cliffs? There isn't usually anything worth seeing there." A clatter off to the left caused his head to swivel, but nothing seemed amiss. Every day after guard training, Spike had gone to Dean to learn basic self defence. Being bipedal, it was relatively easy to learn each move, though he was still too small to perform some of them outright. He was taught the leg sweep, a proper punch and block, as well as where to strike an enemy. A punch to the throat could incapacitate someone very easily, giving him enough time to make an escape. A good hit to the cheek, with enough force, could outright knock someone out. He hoped he would never have to use such techniques in the future. It was called 'self defence' after all.

Anyway, he was confident that if anypony, or anything got the jump on them, then he would be more than capable of defending himself and Lucy.

"It's a surprise, silly! Common, we're almost there." Her tail twitched in excitement, and Spike blushed. A million thoughts raced through his head as he moved to catch up. Whatever was going on, it was awfully similar to one of those romance novels he had read a long time ago.

'Stupid Spike, she's just your friend!'

Finally, they came to the edge of town. The wall surrounding Maritime Bay ended on the cliffs, which created a natural barrier themselves. The only way down was through a series of tunnels and stairs where the clifface was lower. Where they were now was higher up, and therefore didn't have many access points. Spike wondered if they would be going down and carefully plodded over to the edge. The roar of waves crashing caught his attention, and he was only able to look away when a hoof touched his shoulder. Looking back, his eyes widened.

A thin blanket was laying on the grass several metres away, its chequered pattern barely visible in the night. What took his attention completely, however, was the beautiful turquoise mare before him. Her hair was braided down her neck, and her eyes seemed to shimmer in the moonlight. Her forehooves' crossed in front of her shyly, and her bangs seemed to hang in front of her eyes. Spike gulped and ran his claws over his scales, folding them back slightly.

For some reason, he had been experiencing certain... abnormalities. He was beginning to bathe more often, and usually grew self-conscious when someone noticed if he smelled. He had been looking at his friend differently as well. Not in a bad way, per say, but it all felt so different. He was a bit confused really, but he wouldn't let that ruin his opportunity here and now.

"I was wondering if you wanted to stargaze with me? I've always loved the night sky, but it gets boring when you are alone." Lucy blushed, and so did Spike. He shuffled in place before working up the courage to respond.

"S-sure thing, lucy." He said, his voice just over a whisper. He caught sight of a flash of a smile before he felt two hooves grab onto his arm. Spike allowed himself to be pulled, his only focus being his best friend.

*****

Starlight gazed over the crowd of ponies with a scowl. The pompous, love hoarding bastards seemed to radiate such tasty emotion. She briefly wondered how they had managed to make it to safety amidst the invasion, being so stuck up and prideful. In the end, it did not matter. Her plan was finally in play, and soon, the ponies would be under her rule. The Emperor didn't know who he was dealing with. Dommik was arrogant and sure of himself. His rule over the ponies had made him weak, and she decided that she would use this to her advantage.

She giggled under her breath as a cruel smile appeared on her lips. She moved towards the microphone sitting on the stage, and promptly tapped her hoof against it. The ensuing noise caused all eyes to turn towards her, and the room was filled with a deathly silence.

The celebration was taking place in a new warehouse. The space inside could be considered cavernous, more than enough to fit the two hundred ponies now present. The predictions for food supply had been off, and Maritime Bay had ended up with too much crop, and not enough storage. It was the hope of the council that the party would both raise morale, and deal with the excess food supply.

"Ladies and Gentlecolts." She started, her eyes twinkling as she spoke. "I would first like to thank you for coming to this celebration. Not only has our crop been exceptional, and our morale got a boost.... we've also managed to rescue and take in more of our kin!"

Her intro was followed by a cacophonous stomping and the occasional cheer. She noted that the majority of the noise was coming from the nobles, while the few Ravenford ponies that had shown up merely stomped out of respect. Starlight decided to continue with her speech.

"As you all know, the Dark Elves have begun setting up concentration camps throughout the country. These camps are designed to slaughter our kind, and to control our population. The ponies of Ravenford nearly suffered this fate." A series of gasps and growls filled the room. Starlight smiled at the emotion leaching through the air. If only she could have a bite...

"I would like to call up the first scout squadron along with Lieutenant Midnight of the guard." The scouts had been scripted, but Starlight had not originally planned on having Midnight come up. She had hoped that the Demon in Metal would not show, as her plans on keeping the ponies in the dark relied upon this. If the citizens began fearing the Demon, then the chances of her mounting a takeover were very high in probability. If they began to doubt the Demon's capabilities, which she knew were beginning to spread via rumour, then they would try to cast him out. It wasn't the perfect plan, but she didn't have a lot of time. If she was to succeed against the Elves, then things would have to speed up. Chaos was her ally here, not time.

Starlight produced a basket of medals from somewhere off stage with her magic and began to distribute them. Midnight was looking around with confusion etched on his face, but upon the counsellor reaching him, he chose to straighten.

"Counsellor Glimmer, I do believe that the Sergeant should be receiving credit. Should we not--" Midnight was interrupted when Starlight held up her hoof.

"You will only speak when spoken too, Lieutenant. The Demon was late, and thus shall not be mentioned in the ceremony." Her statement caused Midnight to sputter in bewilderment. This went against everything he was taught as a guard. Even if somepony wasn't there, they would at least get mentioned and awarded appropriately! Something wasn't right; maybe the counsellor had something against Dean? He would take this matter to General Blight once the ceremony was concluded; no sense in making a scene.

Starlight saw his look of hesitancy, followed by acceptance, and decided to move on. Putting away the medals, she trotted back to the microphone.

"Ladies and Gentlecolts, these are the heroes that saved more than two hundred lives! let's give them a round of applause!" The room was once more filled with the sounds of stomping. This was quickly drowned out by a surprise firework that squealed through the air and lit up the sky in a brilliant flash. The invisibility field would make sure that the explosion would not be seen.

As the stomping continued, Starlight's voice boomed into the microphone once more.

"Now go! Eat, drink, and celebrate with your fellow ponies!" This was met with more cheers, and Starlight smiled. She would take part in the festivities, but only for a bit. There was somewhere else she needed to be soon.

"Hey, Starcheeks." She cringed at the sound of her pet name, but forced a smile onto her face. Her magic wasn't working the same against Captain Armour, not since the failed Changeling invasion on Canterlot. His mental walls had been strong, his brain a nigh impregnable fortress. Had he not lost his wife two years ago, then she likely would never have been able to influence him in the first place. Turning around, she let a seductive smile cross her muzzle.

"Hey, stud, are you ready for the party?" She purred as she walked closer. Starlight leaned in and nibbled at his neck affectionately, causing the stallion to shudder. She giggled at the taste of emotion radiating off of him. It signalled trust, caring, and lust. SHe knew exactly what he wanted.

"Yes ma'am. The real question is, are you ready for tonight? I have a few... surprises for you." Starlight heard his tone and mentally scowled. She had forgotten how insufferable he could be when trying to get in the mood. Posing as Cadence during the invasion had been a nightmare, and now she was stuck with him again.

'He's nothing but a puppet.'

"I'll go get us some drinks." She smiled and nuzzled the Captain before sauntering towards the party. Her tail shifted to the side and she heard Shining's intake of breath. This caused her to smile as she let her tail fall back into place. This night was going to be a good one, she could feel it.

*****

Dean and Twilight sat at a table just outside the warehouse. Ponies were scattered about, talking, dancing, and having a good time overall. Most of the food and special dining was taking place inside, while the main party was happening outside. A dancefloor had been erected close to the entrance, and Dean could see a vaguely familiar unicorn at the DJ station.

"Would you like a drink?" Dean jumped at the sudden voice and turned. Before him was a teal coloured earth pony holding a tray. Various spirits and alcohols unknown to Dean sat upon its surface. Dean himself was never much of a drinker, and he didn't really feel like getting drunk tonight. This didn't stop Twilight however.

"Sure, we'll take two glasses of Stalliongrad gold." The waiter smiled and grabbed the requested bottle with her teeth before placing it on the table. Two glasses soon followed suit, and Dean found that Twilight was looking at him.

"...What?" He asked nonchalantly. Twilight huffed and shoved a glass full of what looked to be scotch towards him. Dean looked down at the drink, then back up at Twilight with a raised eyebrow. Twilight sat on her stool and crossed her hooves in front of her chest. Her own eyebrow flew upwards, and her ear flicked. Dean found it positively adorable.

"I'm not going to drink tonight." He stated as he rested his arm on the table. He reached up with the other hand and scratched at the side of his nose as an itch began to develop. Twilight's eyebrows only rose higher.

"Yes you are. You need to relax after all the training you've been conducting. Plus, it'll be fun!" She smiled cheerfully and clapped her hooves together. Dean smiled and shook his head.

"I have to keep a level head while I'm here. What if something bad happens, or someone needs help?" Dean was about to continue when a new voice cut him off.

"Well, then we will solve those problems when they come!" Dean turned around and smiled. Midnight and Spitfire were making their way towards his and Twilight's table, a plate of food being held on the former's back. Upon getting close enough, Midnight shifted the plate off his back, down his wing, and into the middle of the table. Dean's mouth began to water as the cheesy scent of nachos filled the air. The gooey treats seemed so enticing, so inviting, that he began to prematurely reach for one. A yellow wing slapped his wrist before he could get close.

"Ah-ah, you want a nacho? You'll have to earn it." Dean pouted lightly before switching his gaze to Spitfire. The Pegasus Captain smirked and sat down opposite him. Midnight dragged a stool from a nearby table and plopped down beside Spitfire. She leaned in and nuzzled his neck, a gesture which Midnight returned, before looking back to Dean.

"Don't give me that face, Sergeant. If you want to partake in the fun, then you've gotta get wasted with us." Spitfire grabbed a bottle of what seemed to be Vodka from a passing waitress and twisted the cap off with her teeth. The moment the cover fell to the ground, nearly a quarter of the liquid was down her gullet. Dean's mouth fell open in shock as she placed the bottle back on the table and wiped her mouth. Spitfire hiccuped once before giving a cocky smile.

"How about a drinking contest?" Midnight suddenly proposed. Spitfire looked over and nodded her head vigorously.

"Sure!"

"I'm in." Twilight agreed.

All eyes turned to Dean, who suddenly grew uncomfortable under their gazes. He cast an eye to the drink in front of him, then back to the group before him. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to have a little fun? The next few days were going to be stressful, and there was always the chance that he would be killed. Surely a little break from the norm would be beneficial.

'Fuck it.'

Dean sighed and grabbed the glass of liquor in his hand. He brought it to eye level and swished it about for a second. The golden colour seemed to twinkle with the strobe lights from the dance floor. Dean smirked.

"Fine, but I better get some of those nachos."

He tipped his head back and downed the drink. The ponies around him cheered, and Dean smiled, a blush covering his cheeks.

"Hay yeah!" Midnight hooted as Dean slammed the glass down on the table. Spitfire merely grinned as she pushed the nachos over to Dean.

Dean reached out and claimed his prize: a sizable chip smothered in gooey cheese and topped with various condiments. He saw onions, an olive, and a slice of a jalapeño. The slice of deliciousness was in his mouth in an instant. Twilight giggled at his antics and floated a chip in her magic. She took a tentative sip of her beverage before stuffing the nacho in her mouth as well. Dean reached over and scratched behind her ears, causing her to hum in appreciation.

"Aw man, those ear scratches look nice." Dean glanced at Midnight in surprise. The pitch black Pegasus was gazing at his hands with wide eyes. Spitfire was looking at him in bemusement, and Dean smiled.

"Well, I do have two hands..."

He didn't need to say any more as Midnight lunged across the table and into Dean's chest. The Human gave a startled yelp and proceeded to fall backwards off his stool. His back impacted the rough dirt and all the air left his lungs. He tried to put a hand out to help himself up, but something was preventing his movements. Dean looked down, only to find a certain Pegasus laying on his chest.

"So... about those ear scratches...?" Dean couldn't help but chuckle and raised his arm. His hand found its way behind Midnight's ears and he slowly began to work his magic. Midnight seemed to turn into putty on Dean's chest.

"Sergeant, if I had to hazard a guess, I think you may have killed him." Spitfires' tone was laced with amusement, causing Dean to smile. A waitress walked by, seemingly upside down to Dean, and he reached out with his other hand. He just managed to tap her on the hoof, causing her to jump in fright and look down. A bottle of liquor toppled from her tray and tumbled through the air.

Quick as a snake, Dean's arm shot out and snatched the bottle before it could smash into the dirt. He quickly flicked the cap off and looked back at the waitress with a toothy smile. Her ears folded back as he tilted his head slightly.

"Thank ya kindly, miss." He then took a swig from the bottle. The waitress moved on with a shake of her head, and Dean chuckled. Tonight was going to be a good night.

*****

One hour later...

Twilight's laughter filled the air as Midnight fell to the floor in a heap. Dean soon followed as he lost his balance and tripped over the black Pegasus. Spitfire watched from her seat, her eyes alight with mirth as the two boys lay on the ground.

Midnight had come up with the brilliant idea of doing a flip without the use of his wings. Of course, being a Pegasus, this would be difficult on all fours. So after the first few failed attempts, Dean had offered a hand to help. Midnight had perched on the Humans back, but in his drunken state, he was very off balance. What proceeded to happen was what could only be described as a disaster. Midnight had tumbled forward, and with an unmanly cry, fell face first into the ground. Dean had begun laughing, but stepped forward and tripped over his friend's body.

That's where they were now: laying on the ground in a tangled heap.

Dean looked up at Twilight and smiled. Her laughter brought a sense of happiness to his brain, and he enjoyed the sound quite a lot. When he had found her, she was suspicious, angry, and traumatised. The mare above him was entirely new. Her persona readiated care and love, and her demeanour was much more calm and happy.

"What?" Twilight managed to say between her chuckles. She looked down at Dean with a twinkle in her eyes. Her coat seemed to shine, and the bass from the constant music was entrapping. His vision flashed, and for a brief moment he saw Mary. It was gone in an instant, and he chuckled to try and get rid of the sudden feeling. He couldn't think straight, the world was spinning around him.

Dean grabbed Midnight around the barrel and hoisted him under the arm. The Pegasus wiggled as Dean placed him back in his seat. He then proceeded to sit beside Twilight on the ground, the top of his head roughly the same height as she was sitting. He looked back at the dancefloor, and noticed the hip-hop style music was coming to an end.

A few stringed instrumentalists were beginning to make their way up to the stage, and Dean had a feeling that a slow song was coming on. He turned back to Twilight, only to find her face inches from his own. He gave a start before chuckling once more. He noticed that Midnight and Spitfire were already making their way to the dance floor, and Dean frowned in thought. The alcohol was really getting to him, his augmentations doing nothing to prevent the intoxication. He was immune to most chemicals, but not ethanol. Why? He didn't know.

'Maybe their drinks are made differently?'

His thoughts were cut short when Twilight tapped him on the shoulder. He looked up at her with a smile, one which she returned.

"Dean, I-I was wondering.... would you like to... go dance with me?" Her whisper caused Dean to tilt his head towards her, but with his hearing, he was able to easily pick up her words. Maybe it was the alcohol talking, maybe it wasn't, but his next words slipped from his mouth without much thought.

"Sure."

Dean stood up and held out his hand for the purple Alicorn. She looked at it, then back at him. After a moment of hesitancy, she reached out and placed her hoof in his open palm. Dean gently wrapped his fingers around her appendage and pulled her to her feet. Twilight blushed and her feathers ruffled.

The two walked to the dance floor and stepped up onto the platform. Ponies were beginning to sway in time with the music, more than a few couples moving side to side with their partner. Dean spotted Midnight and Spitfire. They swayed in time with the music, their necks keeping each other close.

The music was sombre, and Dean could already feel his muscles begin to relax. He likely wouldn't remember half of what happened that night, but that didn't matter. What did matter was the purple Alicorn standing beside him

"O-okay, but how are we going to do this? You're pretty tall..." Her tail swished and she looked down. Her cheeks were flushed red and she refused to meet Dean's eyes.

Dean, for his part, thought about how they could do this. It was true that he was very tall, but Twilight was forgetting one thing. He quickly leaned down and grabbed both of Twilight's forehooves in his hands. She gave a little 'eep' as she was forced to balance on her back legs.

"Let's try it like this." He smiled at her, and their eyes met. Dean's smile widened as he placed one hand under her leg, and the other on her side. One of her hooves balanced on his waist, while the other rested against his arm. They slowly began to sway in time with the music. The strings and occasional piano caused Dean to lose track of time. His eyes were focused entirely on the mare in his arms, and for a brief moment, he felt a swelling joy fill up inside him.

For the next two minutes, the duo shuffled around the outside of the dancefloor, never drawing attention from the other ponies. Most were too drunk to notice the massive biped dancing with their Princess, but those that did simply ignored it.

Twilight's eyes seemed to sparkle. Her hair waved in the gentle breeze blowing through the night air, and Dean found himself entranced. The music was reaching a crescendo now, and Dean felt something stir inside him. His heart fluttered as he looked into the eyes of the mare... no, women before him, and he noticed she was leaning towards his head. Dean felt his world spinning now; he didn't know what to do. Even though he was eight feet tall, Twilight was nearly as tall as him on her back hooves.

'Wait, what is happening? Am I drunk? Why can't I think straight?'

He looked down at Twilight, her eyes were closing and her lips were getting closer. An instinct told Dean to lean down, to accept the kiss, but a quick glance behind the mare caused his blood to freeze.

There, just outside the light of the dance floor, was his wife, Mary.

Her skin was falling off, her hair torn out. Holes punctured her body, and she seemed to be missing an arm. Her mouth was set in a hard frown, and Dean couldn't help but feel the one emotion he had long forgotten: Fear.

"No..." He looked down at Twilight, who was eyeing him with a hurt look. His mind wasn't able to process what was going on and he let go of her hooves. Twilight had the foresight to see this coming, and easily rested on the floor. Tears threatened to flow from her eyes, and her lips began to quiver. Dean didn't notice.

Time seemed relative now, and he found himself running down the dark road to the barracks. He passed the occasional pony or other creature, and at one point, he thought he saw some sort of insectoid bug pony. He didn't dwell on any of it and continued running.

He ran and ran. He ran from his fear, from the one thing that continued to haunt him. In his drunken state, his mind was finally able to gain some clarity. The truth came out, and something inside him broke in half. He saw their faces everywhere, in the alleyways, in the ground, in the stars, and in his head. He couldn't get rid of them, no matter how hard he tried.

As he reached his bedroom door, the horrors of the truth suddenly ceased. His mind shut down completely, and he realised that he wouldn't remember a single thing that happened that night.

"I'm going insane."

Dean proceeded to collapse on the floor, asleep before he hit the ground.

*****

Spike lay still on the blanket, not daring to move in fear of waking up his companion. The stars twinkled like little lights in the night sky, and it created a canvas of beauty and mystique around the world. Of course, it was nothing compared to the little pony that was laying her head and half her body on his chest.

The two had spent almost an hour looking up into the sky. Lucy had brought a large assortment of foods, likely from the party, and the two ate them with vigour. They had talked about little nothings throughout the night, mostly about what they got up to when they weren't seeing each other.

Spike suddenly remembered something important. A circus vendor had been living in Maritime Bay for some time now, and he was going to be putting on a show for all the kids in a few days. Spike was going to ask Lucy to go with him, and he figured that now would be the perfect time.

"Lucy?" He gently nudged her small frame. She gave an adorable little snort before her large eyes opened and focused on him. Her muzzle curled into a smile and she yawned.

"Yes, Spikey?" He blushed at the name, but continued.

"I was wondering if you wanted to go with me and see that circus pony perform. I was meaning to ask earlier, but I wasn't able to find a good--" A hoof suddenly pressed against his mouth, silencing him. This was followed by the filly slowly leaning towards him and pressing her lips against his.

Spike's mind went blank, his brain failing to send signals to his body. For a second, he feared he had just had a heart attack, and wondered what the cause could possibly be. That's when his eyes refocused, and found a turquoise filly pressing her lips against his.

"Lucy?"

The little filly suddenly broke away from Spike, ending the kiss way too quickly. This didn't register in Spike's mind as he suddenly found himself on his feet and facing Lucy's mother. The mare seemed to have a sad look in her eyes, but for some reason, they were focused on Spike.

"I'm so sorry, little one. Lucy has just sped things too far for our liking." The mare took a step forward, and Spike took a step back. Alarm bells were ringing in his head- for some reason, and Dean had told him to trust his instincts. Before he could bolt, another voice appeared behind him.

"Don't worry Shimmer, this actually works wonders for the plan." Spike mentally groaned. Twilight had told him to avoid Starlight, for she wasn't a good pony. He turned to face her, but jumped back when he found Starlight uncomfortably close to his face. It was downright creepy the way she was looking at him.

"H-Hey counsellor Glimmer." He smiled meekly and took a step back. He bumped into Lucy and promptly turned to face her. As soon as he turned, he noticed that her eyes were rimmed with tears, and her ears were pinned to her head. Spike immediately grew worried and placed a claw on her cheek.

"I'm so sorry, Spike." She sniffled and slowly pushed his claw away. He looked behind his friend, and noticed that her mother held the same look.

"What for?"

He turned back around at hearing Starlight let out a sigh. His ears pinned against his head as she took a step towards him.

"I'm afraid that you have become the first victim of my plan. Lucy is going to be put on probation for her actions with you, and you will become the newest addition to our love sponsorship. Revenge is such a sweet thing, is it not?" Starlight chuckled, but instead of her usual voice, a deeper, guttural noise projected along with it. It was very recognizable, so much so that it had given Spike nightmares for weeks. Only one pony sounded like that:

"Q-Q-Queen C-C-Chrysalis?!" Spike felt fear like never before as the queen smiled devilishly. Her horn lit up, but instead of a translucent blue, it was now a poisonous green.

"The one and only."

Spike turned around, only to scream in fear. Before him sat two more changelings, one adult, and one youngling. The younger one had her ears pinned to the side of her head, and tears continued to pour down her face.

"L-Lucy?" Betrayal laced Spike's tone, and Lucy cringed.

"I'm so, so sorry, Spike."

Something thunked against the back of Spike's head, and he felt himself losing consciousness. A cruel laugh filled the night air, and the last thing that Spike saw was the changeling infiltrator that he had fallen in love with. His eyes finally shut, and darkness overcame him.