The Winds of Redemption

Chapters

Act 1: Hero-A Soul Can't Be Cut
Act 1: Hero-Jetstream vs. Timberwolf
Act 1: Hero-They See Me Strollin'
Act 1: Hero-Storm The Castle
Act 1: Hero-Why Am I Here?
Act 1: Hero-(Non)sacred Hospitality
Act 1: Hero-Why Do You Fight?
Act 1: Hero-Might Makes Right
Act 1: Hero-Anthropophobia
Act 1: Hero-The Candidates
Act 1: Hero-I'm Outta Here
Act 1: Hero-Party Pooper
Act 1: Hero-The Calm Before the Storm

Act 1: Hero-A Soul Can't Be Cut

Nothing.

Everything was so dark. It did not help that he could not move.

So this is death? Heh, should have known. I've been fighting, killing, for so long...I never did think too much about what death's like, did I?

Nothing.

Bladewolf, what are you doing right now? I hope it’s better than being sent to the nearest landfill. Or maybe the pound would be more appropriate?

Nothing.

He could not see, move, smell, taste, or hear a single trickle of noise. He decided to think some more about the situation.

Raiden...Raiden. Did you get to Pakistan? I don't know what you expect to see there, but if it's Armstrong...well, what do I care?

Nothing.

There were no scream to fill the void. After all, there was no air in his dead lungs to pass it through his windpipe. He could not use his cybernetics to flay around, hoping to touch something to guide through the void.

“So here you are. Bet you weren't expecting me, did ya?”

He wanted to scream “Who’s there!” but either his voice could not pierce the air due to the lack thereof, or his lungs and vocal cords were dead. Regardless, he was just glad something else was inside the darkness.

“Oh, sorry about that! Here!”

He heard a snap of fingers, and the black of the void was replaced with blinding white. He would have shielded his eyes if he could. However, he could not help himself as he gawked at the figure before him.

The phrase “large, serpentine monster” was the first thing that came to his mind. The thing’s hands were a lion paw and eagle talon, its feet were of a lizard’s and a goat’s. Sam would have taken in more of the creature’s details if it didn’t start talking.

“Allow me to introduce myself. I am Discord, the spirit of disharmony.” Despite his diplomatic demeanor, Sam was only reminded of Armstrong.

He wished he could frown to express his distaste, but it was useless.

“Oh, that’s right! You can only see and hear me all my glory right now! Here, let me help you with that!” Discord snapped his talon, summoning a black leather couch out of nowhere in the process.

However, that was not the only thing that appeared. Sam realized that he could breathe again, and choked and coughed before air could properly pass into his lungs. He fell to his knees to help keep balance, as if it was an eternity since he has walked. He heard a whistle, and Sam looked up to see Discord gawking at him.

“Well, that’s a weird body! All shiny and metallic! But I admit, it’s nothing compared to mine.” To emphasize, the draconequus gave a loud yawn.

“Nobody asked for your opinion.” He narrowed his eyes as he focused more on Discord, but stayed his hands. Was it a real freak of nature? “What the hell are you?”

Discord sighed before sitting up straight. “Sheesh, you’re not a good listener, are you? I knew you were dead, but I didn’t know you were deaf, too”

Sam blinked at the comment. So this was still death? Purgatory, perhaps? He scratched his head as he contemplated on his situation.

"Now before we start anything, I just want to say I very much admire your work." Discord's smile threatened to split his cheeks. "Nothing like good ol' street justice to get the stress out, no?

"Again, what are you? You're obviously not just some ordinary animal."

Chuckling, Discord wagged a talon at him. "I told you, I'm Discord, the spirit of disharmony. And I know all about you, Jetstream."

Sam's eyes narrowed. "How do you know that name?!" He gripped his sword, hoping to intimidate the answer out of him.

He only scoffed at the attempt. "Oh, please. You really don't think you have any power here, do you? I brought you back from the dead, for pete's sake! What do you think you could do?"

"This." Now, sufficiently ticked off, he pulled from his sheath, a long, scarlet...rose? "What the?!"

"Come now." Discord walked up to him, frowning with disappointment. "Did you really think I would bring you back without some precaution?"

"Where's my..." The flower fell through his fingers and he chuckled at the realization. "Oh yeah. This is death, isn't it?"

"Yep. Just be lucky that I brought you back to life with your suit on." Discord tutted before pulling a glass of chocolate milk behind his back.

"I could care less about my modesty right now. Give me a weapon and maybe I'll be in the mood to talk." Sam tapped his sheath to emphasize.

"Do you take me for an idiot?" Discord asked irritably. "Just hear me out will you? Here." His lion paw snapped and a red puffy chair appeared behind Sam.

Sam inspected the furniture carefully but took the offer. He let the cushion sink as he tried to make himself sociable again. He did not want to be so lenient with a stranger, but he saw no other choice. "Alright. I'll bite for now. Not like I'm busy."

"That's the spirit!" Discord pumped his paw and offered him a glass.

Sam tossed it over his shoulder. "Sorry, but I was warned about taking stuff from strangers."

"Aw, pooh."

"I just got stabbed in the gut. I don't know about you, but it's the worst thing I think anyone could feel."

"Even if it was from someone you trusted?"

Sam hoped Discord did not see him clench his fists. "That's none of your business. Have you been stalking me?"

"Only recently." Discord answered, shame nonexistent. "But I did my homework." He pulled out a couple video tapes. One labeled "MGR-C" and the other "MGR-DLC-J".

"You're one sick bastard, you know that?"

"Aren't you at least a little happy someone's took the time to make a little biography of your exploits?"

"I don't need a recollection of my life." Sam leaned deeper into the chair. "Why would I need reminders of all that?"

"Don't think of it like that." Discord smiled. "Mistakes are something to learn from."

"Forget it," Sam sighed and got off his chair. "Just tell me what you what straight out, and I might listen."

Discord pouted. "Alright, I'll give it straight: I brought you here do a little errand for me. I can't do much myself. Everypony's still on edge, even with my reformation, and bringing you is going to help me reestablish myself."

"What makes you think I'm good PR material?" Sam jested. "I'm a killer, not a businessman."

"Exactly!' he squealed. "There's some nasty stuff going on where I'm from, and I want you in there. It would cause quite the misunderstanding if I starting zapping critters left and right, you see?"

"I see." Sam walked up to Discord, frowning. "You want me, a veteran killer, to go out into a foreign place for wet work, while you swoop in for the glory and kill me."

"Kill you? Dear me, no! You're too important to die!"

"So there is some other reason you want me."

Discord slapped his forehead. "D'oh! Listen, it's not going to be like-"

"I'm done."

With that, Sam constricted the draconequus's throat, expecting those bright eyes to pop from their sockets.

"Send me back to hell, that purgatory, or whatever. But I'm not going to be working for someone who's so terrible at business."

A snap later, and Discord turned into smoke, reforming behind Sam.

"Now now, Sam. That's hardly the right attitude for a new job," Discord muttered. "Equestrians aren't going to like a grump in their country, especially with a pony like Pinkie Pie among them."

"I said I'm not going to work for you." Sam said. "So don't talk like I will."

"The place I'm sending you to is called, as mentioned, Equestria." Discord pressed on, pretending not to hear him. "Filled with, brace yourself, not people but ponies."

Sam fought to keep from smirking. A place filled with horses? Like what he read from Gulliver's Travels once? He only read it once, but remembered it's descriptions of a perfect race of horses that were extremely misanthropic.

"Don't confuse yourself with actual ponies. These ponies are nothing like what you're thinking of and are more of something you might see in cartoons. All colorful, lovey-dovey, and friendly. Heck, even I'm from Equestria!" He spread his arms wide and shook his mismatched body parts, causing them to wave as if they were made of string.

"Are they as crazy as you?"

Discord smiled but shook his head. "Nah, they hate me. Even after their precious Elements of Harmony-" Both Discord and Sam groaned, each for different reasons "-reformed me."

Sam cracked his knuckles. "For the last time, I won't work for you, no matter how much you'd pay me or even if you brought me back. But if you want me alive, send me back to Brazil."

Before he could say anything else, chains materialized and coiled around Sam like snakes. His breath escaped him as he lost balance and fell to the ground.

"What the-!"

"Uh-uh-uh!" Discord walked up to him, and wagged his talon again. If Sam hated him before, he loathed him now. "You don't seem to understand how important this is. And believe me-" he smiled even wider as he used his magic to levitate him helplessly "-you're more vital to this than you think."

"Damn you-kuk!" His shouts were broken by the chains tightening again, making him scream in pain. No matter how strong he was or how strong his cybernetics made him, the steel cables would always constrict just enough to shut him up.

“Now, just one more step.”

Another blinding light and the chains uncoiled, dropping Sam to the ground. As he recovered his sense of balance, the sheath on his hip grew heavy.

“If you're still unmotivated, you can just stay where you are and die."

Sam looked around him. It was dark again and Discord was nowhere in sight.

He lost his footing. The floor beneath him disappeared.

When he woke up, he tasted grass and dirt and spat out any excessive saliva. Remembering what happened just moments ago, he he got to his feet and looked at his surroundings.

At first glance, it appeared to be a forest or a jungle of some kind. Layers of greenery and an occasional tree limited his vision to a ten feet radius. It was easy for the flora to pass off simply as shrubbery and trees to layman, but some of the plants were unrecognizable to him.

He reached for his sword again. He gazed upon the crackling blade and clenched it with his prosthetic hand, as if to confirm whether or not the blade was real.

Don't get too attached. It's probably got some tracking device in it. I should toss it as soon as I get a replacement.

The draconequus’s last words rang inside his mind, making him clench his head with his left hand while twirling the sword in his right hand out of habit. It would be easy enough to kill himself.

A growl rumbled the ground, pulling him back into reality. With weapon already in hand, he got into a stance, ready for an attack to strike any moment.

Never mind. If I'm going to die, it's not going to be by getting mauled by wild animals.

He did not have to wait long. A pair of green eyes glowed from the shadows of a brush. Eventually, what looked like a wolf made of twigs and barked stepped out, baring its teeth at Sam.

After a moment to recover, he couldn’t help but laugh at the display.

“You’ve got to be kidding me! I expected a real wolf, not a dog carved from a tree!”

His jest was short-lived, though, as the timberwolf’s growl grew louder. Sam recovered enough sense to notice the approach of more of the wooden canines. He spun on his heels, mentally tallying the wolves in his mind.

About twenty in total. This should be easy.

“You fellas should meet my friend. He could probably teach you how to be real wolves.”

His taunt worked. One of them lunged at him, mouth wide. Sam reacted instantaneously and kicked the timberwolf hard enough to send him flying. The creature smashed into a tree and exploded into a pile lumber, almost comically.

“You’re kidding me? Looks like you’re all bark and no bite!”

Two more timberwolves. Two more kicks. Two more of the same result.

“Come on! Give me something I can really kill! You’re just fodder,” he taunted again.

Another growl shook the air, but this one was exceptionally louder than the rest. Sam halted his provoking and looked up into the blue sky.

Laconically, it was a giant version of the wolves he had been toying with. The only difference was easy to identify: it was going to take more than just a kick to take it down. The giant wolf reeled its head down and spotted Sam in the midst of its miniatures. The combination of size, sound, and spontaneity of his appearance actually succeeded in faltering Sam, if only for a moment.

The look on its face was obvious: it itched for a fight, especially against a target it could so obviously squash under its foot and swallow with a single bite. To demonstrate, the giant raised one of its paws and smashed a nearby tree, along with some of the timberwolves, like a toothpick.

The rest of the pack was smart enough to vacate the scene. They didn't want to be caught in the middle of their master’s claws and Sam’s lightning kicks.

The samurai only smiled at his newest foe, realizing that now he could turn all his focus onto a single target. He never fought a monster made of wood, the only opponent comparable was the modified Metal Gear Ray unit he fought in the World Marshal building. His suit’s mask formed around his grin and he got into his stance again.

“Let's just get this over with.”

As it to reply, the giant timberwolf howled, and raised another paw to squash him.

It was an average day for Fluttershy. Tend to the animals in the yard, especially tend to Angel Bunny, and visit Rarity for their weekly get-together.

She whistled loud enough to turn many heads to her direction, and the animals flocked to her, literally, in the case of the bats, flamingo, and other winged critters.

Fluttershy unloaded the bag of feed she carried onto the ground. Normally she would have taken greater care to divide the food among them, but she had to make up lost time due to sleeping in. Rarity wanted her to model for a new dress she was designing, and she insisted that a real mare was necessary. The meek pegasus pony could hardly turn her down, and it cost her time well into midnight.

"Now, everyone! Remember to share!" she warned, albeit unsuccessfully, over the barks, squeals, and caws. Nevertheless, the animals were understanding enough to slow down their eating, allowing Fluttershy to leave them alone and enter her own cottage to bring Angel's personalized breakfast.

The rabbit in question was waiting by the doorway, tapping his foot on the ground with the most grim scowl that was ever seen on a bunny.

"Oh, I didn't forget about you, Angel!" The pegasus pony sprinted through the doorway and within a minute, she appeared with a decadent salad, composed of cabbage, apple slices, pears, a cherry on top, and various other fruits and vegetables.

Angel gave a satisfied smirk before devouring the morsel, ignoring his owner's pleas to slow down. Fluttershy, knowing full well of what was to come, reentered the house and brought a cup of tea.

"If you need it, here's some tea to drown it down, okay?" she asked kindly to the rabbit.

Angel responded to her warning with an even worse scowl than before, as if being condescended. After a few second of Angel's annoyed growl and Fluttershy's soft smile, he returned to his breakfast ravenous as ever. It only happened a couple times, after all! It was nothing to be worried about! Besides, he didn't need water to-

At that moment, a guttural howled pierced the air, causing Angel to choke on a bit of carrot and Fluttershy to jump into the air. Simultaneously, animals immediately scampered from their feed.

After recovering from the initial shock, Fluttershy twisted her head, trying to keep track of all the running and flying animals. Thankfully, they knew all too well the cottage was the safest place, and was orderly enough to form a straight stampede instead of crowding around the entrance and leave Fluttershy's teacup untouched. The same could not be said for Angel's salad.

"My goodness! What was that!" She turned to the Everfree Forest behind her cottage and gulped. Despite her words, she knew exactly what that noise was. It was an animal in pain, but not just any animal. "Oh, what should I do? I never had to tend to a timberwolf! Usually, they're strong enough to take care of themselves in there..." She knew that from their last encounter with them, they were indeed strong enough to fend themselves and form packs to fight against larger animals, so she never actively searched for them.

However, she could not leave an animal desperately in need! Besides, there was also the chance that the timberwolf could be fighting against another animal, which meant another animal could be injured. Despite this, she still felt uneasy and her hooves shook at the idea of two predators going at each other.

Meanwhile, Angel thrashed about, trying to reach the still-upright teacup.

"What do you think, Angel?"

He could only respond with hacks and coughs. Fluttershy rolled her eyes and pushed the teacup towards him. He frantically dunked his head in it, ignoring first-degree burns for the moment.

Another howl. Fluttershy knew she was running out of time, and that cry was the final push needed for her to spring into action.

"Angel, you tend to the animals inside while I'm gone okay?" Even as she asked, she ran to the forest entrance, only stopping once to look back at Angel.

The second howl startled him so much that he ended up flipping the teacup, pouring the rest of its contents on his body. Dyed in orange from the tea, he grimaced as he nodded.

"Great! Thank you! I'll be sure to make you an even better lunch when I get back!"

With her final confirmation, she sprinted into the forest, swearing to herself to not stop until she found both the suffering timberwolf

Or what was left of it.

Author's Note

(Rewritten/fixed 09/02/2014)

Act 1: Hero-Jetstream vs. Timberwolf

Despite having her coronation only three months ago, Twilight Sparkle was already studying and writing diligently within the insulated confines of Golden Oaks Library.

Ever since that day, the Princesses Celestia and Luna had been instructing and teaching the former's student more than ever. This, of course, did not only invigorate her to work even harder, but give the newest alicorn new opportunities and knowledge of the world outside Equestria.

A week after discussing, the Princesses came to an idea. Twilight would spend the first quarter month studying the historical background of Equestria's neighboring nations: the Griffon Kingdom. Equestria has an extensive history with them and have been interdependent with each other as long as Celestia could remember.

Every half-decade, the griffin ambassadors and delegates would have a meeting so they may update their records, catch up on the latest happenings, and if time permitted, socialize on a casual level with the entire royal family. The last meeting took place in the Kingdom's capital, Arnau, and this time, it was to take place in Equestria's capital city, Canterlot. Celestia decided that after investigating and learning about the Kingdom, Twilight would join her in welcoming the griffin officials.

As one familiar with Twilight would predict, she went nuts at the prospect.

"Spike! Help me find "Griffon Geographics Volume 2!"

The baby dragon in question was already on it. Literally in this case. Due to his caretaker's study binge, she had unknowingly decorated the library floor with Griffon-related literature and historicals. Spike had elected to use them as makeshift furniture.

"Here, Twilight," Spike muttered as he handed the grey book to her. With her being so busy, he was given additional responsibilities to tend to the library in Twilight's stead. However, this did not deter him, as this was an opportunity to impress her, which translated to more gems for him.

"Thanks, Spike. I knew I could count on you." She nuzzled him affectionately. She took the book with her telekinesis and placed it onto the table.

However, before she could start with the first page, she fell to her knees as a wave of fatigue spread through her body.

"Twilight!" Spike tried, unsuccessfully, to support her back on her hooves. "You've been studying for months, Twilight. Why not take a break?"

"With the Griffon Kingdom ambassadors showing up in less than a week?! Not a chance, Spike!" Desperately and agonizingly, she walked her way to the table. Her eyes threatened to close themselves.

"Twilight, please!" In a flash, he sprinted to the upstairs bedroom to retrieve a cushion. "You've hardly eaten or slept! I know alicorns are tough, but they're not that tough! You need to rest! Here!" He placed the cushion onto the table alongside the thick tome. "I'll be right back with some tea!"

Twilight wanted to groan to him to do no such thing, but she lacked the energy to let out even an moan. She reconsidered the idea of a temporary rest and laid her head to the cushion.

"Ooooh..." she sighed into the soft silk. This was definitely what she needed. Just a short moment to recollect her thoughts, surrounded by books she could refer to at another date, and a calm, quiet day in the library. The setting was so serene that she could barely register Spike reentering the room, a teacup and plate in claw.

"Here, Twilight, hot and fresh from the kettle-"

Just then, a loud roar shook the air, causing Twilight and Spike the jump a bit and the latter to send the hot beverage flying through the air.

Twilight, who was mere milliseconds away from dreamland, was awakened by her "Library Sense", something she had cultivated over her time as Golden Oaks's librarian. Without looking, she jumped into the steaming torrent's path, preventing a single drop from staining her precious books and parchment.

Spike, when he got to his feet, realized what had happened and saw Twilight, dyed an orange darker and sopping wet.

"Oh my gosh! I'm soooo sorry, Twilight! It was an accident, I swear! I didn't mean to-"

Twilight, however, was undeterred. "No time for that, Spike!" The combination of the scalding tea and the roar sent her adrenaline coursing through her mind. "That sound! That was a timberwolf! Don't you recognize it?"

Spike took a moment to calm himself and remembered the last time he heard such an rare sound. The clearer the image of a giant timberwolf became, the more confident he became of the roar's source. "Yeah, you're right!"

"But that was awfully loud." Twilight frowned at the implication of a gargantuan timberwolf, much less a pack of them. "You don't think something's happened in the forest?"

"Uh, no?" Spike knew what was coming. Anytime something strange happens around Ponyville, she felt the need to investigate, no matter how trivial it was. Of course, as a princess, it was natural to want to quell any disturbance to the peace, but did she already forget she was supposed to study? "Spike, I'm going to investigate. If it's a timberwolf, it's got to be at the Everfree Forest!"

Then, she remembered Fluttershy. If it concerned an animal from the Forest, she would have immediately concerned herself and went to find the timberwolf. "Oh Celestia, don't tell me Fluttershy went to the Forest alone!"

Spike, who was befuddled by the librarian's outbursts, only uttered a "Huh? Who, what, where?" before Twilight teleported herself with a flash of violet light. Unsure of what was going on, he did as an honorable assistant should and picked up the teacup and its plate.

"Looks like I'll have to make another cup," he sighed as he marched into the kitchens.

The timberwolf roared again as it lowered its head to swallow Sam, but he leapt away again, making the monster eat nothing but grass and soil. As it tried to expel the debris out its throat, Sam took the opportunity to climb up one of its hind legs.

The monstrosity stopped coughing and turned its attention to its leg. It tried to shake the cyborg off, but he sunk his sword into the wood, much to his annoyance.

Damn it, I can't kill this thing like this!

He activated his Murasama, causing its oscillation to carve further into the bark. The timberwolf screamed, but the pain didn't stop there, as every time it shook it leg to toss him off, it enlarged the gash until by the time Sam pulled the sword out, an enormous scar was left. Before he could be launched from the shaking limb, he jumped off and landed behind the wooden beast, staring at his work.

Just as Sam smiled, vines wrapped around the wound like sutures.

Okay, now that's just cheating!

The timberwolf raised another paw, determined to crush him into the ground. Going on a hunch, he sheathed his sword and jumped back just enough to avoid it. Then, as the beast tried to raise another paw in time, he pulled the sheath's trigger, launching the Murasama.

Another howl, and the wolf's right leg toppled to the ground, crumbling into a pile of lumber enough for a bonfire.

Looks like I can't just chip away at him. I need to end this in one go.

However, before he could formulate a plan, a large paw struck him with enough force to send him flying. Screaming more in surprise than pain, he was launched across the forest. His suit could protect him even from gunfire, but it did little to help him here. The best he could do was swing his sword to nearby trees, hoping he could snag something to slow himself.

I need to hit something before I get tossed deeper in the forest! Where's a tree when I-

At that moment, he ended up hitting just that.

His suit was built to protect nearly all form of damage, butt it could not stop a major concussion. It was enough to knock him into unconsciousness, but just for a moment. When he opened his eyes, he saw himself dug into the tree's thick trunk. He shook his head to clear his vision before jumping off to the nearest treetop, but not before taking in the scenery.

"A lake of trees" would have been the best description of what he saw. On one of its shores, a wide range of mountains was visible and on the other side was what appeared to be a village or a town of some kind. He smiled at the prospect of some human comforts at last, but that had to wait in favor of finishing off his target.

Unfortunately, said target was running right for him. It was trampling over dozens if not hundreds of trees to get to him. It was so furious that it did not bother to apply the crushed lumber to itself to increase its mass and restoring its lost leg.

Noticing its advancement, Sam stopped moving, waiting for the chance to show itself. His sword was still in his hand and he sheathed it for his next attack, determined to finish it off. He was already tired just by a single hit from the timberwolf and he could not risk being struck again without debilitation. It was now or never.

Right after the timberwolf pounced, Sam jumped as well. With his jumping power enhanced by the suit, he easily avoided the snout of the beast.

But he did not stop there. Following up, he landed right between its eyes and he made a dash to any animal's weak point: the neck.

The timberwolf whipped its head up, hoping to shake him off and into the air again, but he was prepared this time. He grabbed the bark of the face and crawled his way behind the head. He was surprised at how strong the wood was.

Nevertheless, scaling it was not a simple task, with the wolf's paws and legs trying to scratch him off like a flea. One last time, it brought its left hind leg up, bringing enormous brown claws to its neck.

Sam jumped straight up into the air to dodge. He clenched his scabbard and its trigger, firing the sword out again. With the added strength of his cybernetic arm, the sword held enough power to perform any HF blade's signature: to somehow cut objects exponentially larger than the blade itself.

No, Sam did not understand how that worked and no, he did not care.

A single slash was all that took for the job. The timberwolf rumbled but quickly froze in place while Sam proceeded to hit the ground. It did not take long before the beast's head came with him as branches and leaves.

Sam's mask withdrew to its position and he sheathed his sword. He would have smiled if there was still something that confused him: the timberwolf's intact body. When a timberwolf's limb was detached from the main body, it broke apart. He sliced its head and it burst into wooden scraps just like the smaller ones, so why was the torso still in one piece?

Just then, something caught his eye. A weird white light was seeping out of the barrel, in the chest cavity. Was there something unusual about this one? He took his sword and gently carved an outline into the "skin". To avoid damaging what could be in it, he used his hands to break apart the wood. After about a minute of repeating this, peeling layer by layer, until he found the source of light.

It was a heart. A still-beating, enormous blue heart, covered in hot, cyan, sap-like substance. It was not a strange sight for Sam, who routinely eviscerated humans and cyborgs, but this was different. He could not tell whether it looked like it belonged to an animal or a plant, only that it was something artificial.

What the hell's a fuel cell doing here!?

Yes, it was a fuel cell, not unlike the ones used to supply World Marshal military cyborgs, the only difference being it was a heart instead of a spine. The blue electrolyte seeped over his right hand as he reached in and pulled it out. Was the fuel cell something he did not need, he would have been disgusted and threw the muscle away. Instead, he looked back at the corpse, which chose that moment to crumble at last.

His eyes returned to the heart, which has stopped beating and laid limp on his right hand. By simply holding onto it, he felt his suit recharge and it was already less cumbersome to move in it.

He tossed it up, and when it reached eye-level, sliced it into as many pieces as he could. The blade absorbed its electrolytes and his suit give off a calming glow.

Fully charged, now I need to get to that town.

"Eep!"

He whipped his head to the direction of the cry. It was shrill, as if it was a voice of a small mouse. He narrowed his eyes and saw the dense foliage vibrating, proving that whatever had been hiding there had run away. Sam shook his head and turned around, believing that he would only waste time and energy by chasing what was most likely a rodent.

He stared at the sky and noticed the sun was still shining strong, and he was sweating bullets. He looked at the direction of the town he saw, Ponyville, and marched onward.

Came back to life, killed a giant wolf made of wood, and went on a walk through the woods. Can't say I've had worse days.

Fluttershy could not believe what just happened. One moment, she was nearly trampled by a giant timberwolf, and she witnessed a weird, bipedal figure decapitating it in the next!

I didn't even know they had hearts! Do they have any other organs? Oh what am I doing? I need to get out of here!

After approximately ten minutes of sprinting, she made it to the forest's entrance. Having spent most of her life on her legs than legs, she had more endurance than the average pegasus pony, but still less than an earth pony's. Either way, it was enough to serve her purpose.

Smashing into Twilight was not that purpose.

Fluttershy and Twilight mirrored each other and fell to their haunches, hard. They got to their hooves and took a moment to realign their eyes.

"Ooh...oh, Twilight!"

The alicorn shook her head several times before she could see straight again. "Uh... Fluttershy? That you?" As soon as she asked, she remembered why she was here. "That's right! Fluttershy, did you hear that timber...wolf?"

Her mouth stopped when she saw what was happening. Fluttershy dropped to the ground again, but this time, with tears freely flowing and mouth quivering. Immediately noticing her friend in need, Twilight went to her side and wrapped a wing around her, rubbing her back.

"Fluttershy? Wha-what happened? Your cottage was filled with your animals and Angel just pointed at the Forest, so I thought you might be here, but..." She did not know what else to say but to just continue rubbing her. "Did you see what happened in there? The timberwolf?"

Fluttershy slowly nodded in response. "It...it was...it was horrible!" Her entire body trembling and stutters did not boost either ponies' hopes. "Th-that thing! There was something in there! Something killed the timberwolf!"

"What?" She was more confused by the logic than disturbed by the thought. "Timberwolves aren't actually animals, Fluttershy. They're just beings made of wood and magic."

"Well, this one was different, I swear Twilight!" she sobbed into her friend's coat. She embraced her as she kept talking. It was as if she could not stop like she was guilty of some crime and could not keep it a secret any longer. "I saw it! There was a heart, it was covered it blue blood! Everything! And that thing, it just-" she gulped before proceeding "-it carved it out! Took it out, it-it-it-" Suddenly she gasped. "We need to warn everyone! We need to get out of-"

Twilight could not handle it anymore and covered Fluttershy's mouth with her hoof. "Fluttershy, please calm down." As princess, she was expected to take on a leadership role and set an example for everypony. "First, let's get back to your cottage. We can get some tea, and I'll bring our friends to hear you out. I'll bring Spike so he can send a letter to the princesses."

Fluttershy stopped shaking as the words were being processed. She reorganized her thoughts and understood her order. As both a best friend and princess, she knew Twilight had the best interests at heart, and that her plan seemed for the best. Besides, if there was anypony for a plan ready for anything, it was her.

After a few moments' pause, she nodded her head, her tears finally stopping, and Twilight removed her hoof. "Good. Now get to your cottage, check on your animals, and I'll be back with everypony. Everything will be fine, I'll make sure of it." She smiled at the pegasus, eliciting a small smile of her own.

The still-shaking pegasus nodded slowly, and slowly walked to the visible house as if she could fall over any second. However, Twilight knew her friends well and her review of the Griffin Kingdom could wait. This was a more urgent matter. There was something far more dangerous than a colossal timberwolf residing in the Everfree Forest, and who knows? There's never been a known predator to timberwolves before. It could be an animal never seen before! A new discovery!

Twilight smacked herself with a hoof and stopped her eager shaking. Her friend was traumatized to a staggering mess. Something happened and if Fluttershy's warning was heeded, she needed to get the rest of her friends and the princesses informed immediately!

Author's Note

(Rewritten/fixed 09/03/2014)

Act 1: Hero-They See Me Strollin'

The trek out of the forest was arduous at best and boring at worst. After the ruckus he made with the timberwolves, the clear path the wooden giant made was free from but the peskiest of fauna.

Every minute that passed, a smile grew on his face. As a vagrant vigilante, he never had time to stay in any country for a long time and by the time the news of his arrival spread, he was off to the next site of terror.

The ever-present silence only helped focus his attention to the plants beside him. Eventually, small animals gathered around the trampled path, curious as to what happened. He was wary of them, and them him. The animals were smart enough to leave the other alone, and that was how both sides like it.

Now that he was free from the Everfree, he stopped walking and took a gander. He had been in the forest for under an hour, including the time spent slaying the timberwolves,

From the fork in the road, what appeared to be an enormous mound of moss with birdhouses resting on it lied on the left path. Upon closer inspection, the windows on it revealed it to be some kind of house. To the right, the path simply lingered around the borders of the forest, at least that was what the fence told him. In the end, he took the middle path, leading right to the village about half a kilometer away.

Great, never thought I would have to get help from boondocks. I should probably to rest there until I can get more info.

He sighed and continued walking through the obvious path. On the way, he could hear noises emanating from the small house, It was as if a party of wild animals were fighting was fighting in there. The though alone was enough to deter him away from it as fast as possible. The quicker he was in town, the better.

As he walked by, he began to see what kind of people populated the town. Shockingly, he realized that the people were not people at all. He was still too far away to say exactly what they were from silhouette alone, but from their quadrupedal figure, they were far from regular humans.

Didn't Discord say something about ponies? Is that what lives here?

He shook his head, amused by the thought of horses acting like civilized humans. Maybe this would not be too bad. With all that he had seen in his life, including, but not limited to, eviscerated bodies, cyborg brain casings, and a nigh-indestructible senator, he was always ready to suspend his disbelief.

He turned his head around one last time before walking into town.

Fluttershy ducked under the window, terrified that the animal outside have seen her.

The animals looked at her worriedly, Angel the most. When she stumbled through the door, every animal gathered to her, worried about their caretaker's health. Initially, she took their assistance and made her way to the couch to lie down, but when Angel brought her fresh tea, she pushed it away with such force that it spilled over the table and onto the floor.

Angel, who was normally the most callous of the critters, was the most alarmed. His owner could not stop trembling and he was growing impatient. If she would not recover soon, how was she supposed to prepare him his promised lunch? When he hopped onto the couch to try to console her, she instantly wrapped her hooves around him.

"Oh Angel, I'm so scared! That thing, it's going to Ponyville!"

Angel tried to escape her grasp, but felt his energy being sapped away due to his constricted windpipe.

"What should I do? Should I wait for Twilight and the others? She and Rainbow could probably deal with it! But what if they don't show up on time? Or worse, they meet that thing right now?!" Eventually, she felt something pounding at her leg, and she saw Angel punching and struggling away at her grip. "Sorry about that, Angel! It's just that, I'm so worried! What if that thing goes to Ponyville and hurts somepony? Maybe I should-"

A loud, clear sound of a slap rung through the cottage. Before tears escaped Fluttershy's eyes, Angel grabbed her head between his paws, expressing for the first time regret. Despite his seeming cruelty, he only wanted her to remain calm again like she was.

After a few moments of silence, Angel did something he knew always cheered her up. He climbed over her until he reached her mane and burrowed himself in it like a flea.

She immediately started giggling. "Okay, okay Angel, haha! I give, I give! Hahaha!" Fluttershy was laughing so hard it threatened her to fall off the couch. Satisfied with the results, Angel quickly formed a glare to his fellow animals, an obvious warning that he would rip them apart if they publicized what they saw.

As if on schedule, three knocks were heard and everyone turn their head to the door. Angel ran to one of the window beside and gave Fluttershy a thumbs-up, defying his biological structure and signalling that her friends have arrived.

"Oh, can you get the door too, Angel?" Fluttershy asked as she got off the couch to pick up the teacup.

He sighed and, with his diminutive size, opened the door simultaneously as Fluttershy returned from the kitchen, a wet rag in her mouth. As she mopped away the remaining tea, a stampede of hooves knocked her back.

Twilight was the first to talk. "So Fluttershy-"

Rainbow Dash interjected, "Where's this monster, Fluttershy? Just point me in the direction-" she swung her hoof to emphasize "-and I'll bring it down!"

Applejack smiled but clenched down on her rainbow-colored tail to pull her to the ground. "Calm down, Rainbow! Let tha poor girl tell us what's happenin' before ya start flyin' around!" She pushed the cyan pegasus down and rested a calming hoof to Fluttershy's back. "Now, ya mind tellin' us what ya saw?"

Fluttershy nodded, but a thought came to mind. "Wait, didn't you see the thing? The monster, I mean." She was still shaking, but her firm voice showed her collecting herself.

Rarity shook her head. "No, darling! We thought the monster would still be in the Everfree Forest, so Twilight teleported all of us just a while ago."

Fluttershy grimaced at her implication. "You teleported? Here? Now?" She was trembling again, and reverted back to her terrified state. Behind her, Angel sighed, seeing as his method did not work, and ushered all the animals into the kitchen before they saw her break down again.

Twilight frowned at her friend's action. "Yeah, I wanted them here as fast as we could to see the monster, what's wrong?" She thought she had outdone herself. She sent a letter to the Princess Celestia about the issue, rounded up her friends, and teleported them all here in under an hour. Finding her friends was the most difficult task as they were scoured around Ponyville."Don't...don't tell me..."

Fluttershy only nodded and trembled further, urging Applejack to embrace her for comfort. By teleporting instead of running to Fluttershy, Twilight and her friends had missed the monster walk down the road, straight to Ponyville just twenty minutes away. Now, with her magic hindered by her returning fatigue, she had no choice but to return to Ponyville on hoof.

"Hold on a second!" Pinkie Pie pulled Fluttershy in and stared directly at her eyes, almost causing her to faint from the pressure. "You mean that monster's on his way to Ponyville right now?!"

Fluttershy nodded frantically, sharing the earth pony's sense of panic. Pinkie's happy face was replaced with a look of horror. "Do you know what this means?!" she screamed, shaking Fluttershy with every word.

Rarity trembled. "Ponyville's doomed?"

Applejack's whole body shook. "We need ta warn everypony?"

Rainbow Dash pounded her hooves together, sporting an excited grin. "We need to sock that monster?"

"No," Pinkie whispered. Everypony never saw her so serious before, "We need..." Maybe this time, for the first time, she will not scream out-

"A PARTY!!! Oh my gosh, I need to get to to Ponyville right away! I never prepared a party for a monster from the Everfree Forest before! What does a monster eat, doyouknowTwilightmaybesomecupcakesohwhoamIkiddingeveryponylovesthem..."

As the party pony rambled on, every other pony collectively groaned, but only Twilight facehoofed. All she wanted was some sleep!

Throughout his life, from training with his father to encountering Raiden on that train, Sam had been trained harder than any ordinary cyborg soldier. He fought trained policemen, gangs, a nanomachine-infused senator, and a robot attack dog. In short, he was hardened to such a degree that nothing would phase him.

When he met the inhabitants of Ponyville, he kept his face straight to not alarm any of them. Not that it helped.

It started slowly but surely. When the first pony, a mint green unicorn with striped hair and a comically drawn harp on her posterior, she only gasped and kept still like a deer in headlights.

Sam sighed and kept walking away. He was used to such reactions back home whenever someone saw his cybernetics but when he saw two more colorful ponies, one pegasus and one earth pony, their reactions were what he expected.

First horses, now pegasi and unicorns?! Where the hell did Discord send me?!

He sighed before continuing onward, alarming even more of the ponies.

He took his left hand and rubbed his forehead. He tried his best to ignore their looks of panic and awe.

Shit...these horses are giving me a headache from just looking at them!

Thankfully, most of the ponies remained silent, either frozen in place or hurriedly ushering others away from him.

Sam growled but did not raise his voice. If they were this temperamental with him not doing anything, they would go ballistic if he made a sound louder than speaking volume. Are all these ponies so xenophobic? Even the animals from the forest weren't this edgy.

He picked up the fuel cell and marched faster into the depth of town, hoping to absolve this as soon as possible. The only good thing about this was that most ponies did not scream at the sight of him.

He passed by what looked like an outdoor marketplace, filled with rows and tents and wooden stalls with various goods and produce for sale. The pony vendors, noticing his arrival, ducked under their stalls and hid behind their tents, accidentally dropping some of their products in the process.

As hungry as he was, he did not so much as touch the crops. He did not want to be charged with attempted thievery. He attempted to raise morale by pondering about the festivities and decor of the block.

These horses are surprisingly human, even if I can't read their writing or they're practically prehistoric. They've nice houses and lifestyles, but still just the boonies. I doubt I'll find someone to help keep maintenance for my suit,

He smiled. The more he was seen, the more attention he would draw. The more attention, the more likely some police force would come to check him out. He could learn more about where he was then. It was not the most efficient plan, but it was the fastest way to get him familiar with the setting.

After some more minutes of sightseeing, he made his way to the biggest building in town: the town hall. It was large and towered over the surrounding houses and shops, but still just as simplistic. It made him cringe how saccharine the scenery was, but that was what made navigating through it so easy for him.

He walked up to the door and knocked gently.

"Coming!" The voice was bright but mature like a lady's, and his suspicions were proven when a grey-maned mare with spectacles answered the door. Before the pony could act any further, Sam quickly placed a foot to the doorway and asked his question.

"May I come in?" He tried as best to keep his smile subdued and relaxed. Although his frustration with the situation did not help his temper, he knew better than to rage at a scared citizen.

Mayor Mare opened and closed her mouth like a goldfish before stuttering an answer. "Oh...oh well, I guess, uhm sure. Oh! I mean-" She was not sure why she answered yes. Most likely due to reflexes more than manners.

"Thanks." He pushed the door to its fullest extent and entered, impatient to hide himself from onlookers. As soon as he was through the doorway, he laid his fuel cell to the wall beside it and sat next to it, massaging his temples and crossing his legs in contemplation.

Okay, so far so good, Now I just have to get some answers around-

"Who or what are you? Why have you come here?"

Sam looked up, staring at an angry face of Mayor Mare's. As this was his first conversation with a pony, he did not want to leave with a bad impression, as weird as the situation was. "Easy there, miss-"

"Don't "Easy there, miss" me!" She did not speak particularly loud, but her stomping on the ground showed her temper. "You seem like an intelligent...whatever you are, so are you going to answer my questions? If not, I'll have to send the guards after you."

Straight to the point, huh? Well, better make myself welcome.

"Okay, then." He raised his right hand to shake, but Mayor Mare still seemed intimidated. "Relax, I don't bite." He chuckled. It was true; despite his violent tendencies, he never raised his blade against non-combatants, such as SOLIS as Raiden pointed out before their bout.

Mayor gave a smile of her own before she placed her hoof in his hand. She shivered slightly, wondering how his hand could be so cold, but she was more focused on the weird creature itself than one of its limbs. "My name is...Minuano."

Mayor Mare cocked her head. "Minuano? Unusual name. I'm guessing you're not from here?" She had seen over the course of her career Nightmare Moon, Cerberus, and even the ravenous Parasprites. Compared to those monsters, at least this one had politeness.

"In more ways than one," Sam replied, nodding his head. "And who are you?"

Mayor wondered where in the world a creature like this might exist, but was caught off-guard by his question. "I am Mayor Mare."

Sam gave an incredulous look, hoping it was not what he thought it was. "Wait, you mean as in you're the mayor of this place, and because you're a female horse, so...a mare who's a mayor?"

The mare gave a smile and nodded, almost delighted at making conversation with such a weird creature. "Pony, actually, but yes. I'm Mayor Mare of Ponyville."

Sam slapped his face. "Oh God. Anyways, this town, Ponyville you said? I was hoping for some help around here." He stood up to his impressive height, making Mayor step back a bit. "As you could tell, I tend to scare most, so I would be grateful for your help."

"What do you need, Minuano?" She paced around anxiously, occasionally eyeing the long object held to his side. "And if you don't mind me asking, what is that thing you have?"

He hesitated a bit. "It's nothing. Anyways, if you know a place, a hotel or something, that would be great."

Mayor frowned at her question being rebutted, but she assumed he was in quite the hurry. "I'm sorry, but there are no hotels or anything like that here. Our town's too small for such a thing, and we never assumed anyone would want to visit here unless they're family with somepony here. If you'd like, I can call a cab, but there's the problem with your...appearance, and-"

She was interrupted several knocks from the door, making her jump. Sam looked at the door. There were no windows at the wall he leaned against. "Should I get that?"

Mayor glared at him. "You might want to hide. You seem a nice...thing, but any other pony might get the wrong impression."

Sam shook his head. "Don't worry. I plan on behaving, at least for now."

"No, I mean the ponies here are very wary of strangers-"

"I could tell, now are you going to get the door?"

"That could be guards-"

"Meeting them was my plan. Look, if you're not answering it-"

"Alright, fine!" Mayor could not believe how persistent he was, but if she did not hurry, it would rouse suspicion. After a moment to gulp in anxiety, she opened the door, Sam still leaning out of view to the ponies outside.

"Miss Mayor," A thick, deep voice of a Royal Guard pierced the air. "I am First Lieutenant Sky High, one of Her Majesty's Royal Guards."

Mayor held in a sigh. "Yes, I know who you are. What happened this time?" It took every bit of concentration to keep her eyes from darting towards Sam to tip Sky High off.

"Princess Celestia had ordered me and my squad to arrest a creature."

Mayor forced a laugh. "A creature? Can you be anymore vague? What's it like?" She was starting to sweat and took an occasional peek at the ground.

"Princess Celestia described it as a large ape, in accordance to Princess Sparkle's message. Bipedal, small amount of hair, hands, feet, and carrying around a long object on his back. His sword, most likely." Sky High tried to lean his head forward to peek in the building. "I know this sounds outlandish, but many of the ponies here testified to seeing the creature. This area was the last time it has been seen. Have you seen it?"

"Oh, uh, no!" she said loudly. "Uh, I mean, I've been working in here all day, so-wait, that's a weapon!?" Before she could catch herself, she was staring at Sam, who shook his head in amusement and disappointment.

"And you were doing so good, too."

At the moment Sam spoke, Sky High lost his patience and forced his way in, catching Mayor off-guard. She fell backwards to make way for four other guards, allowing Sam to observe them firsthand. They were decorated in bright yellow plate armor and helmets with matching saddles. The first one, Sky High, was a pegasus while three were earth ponies, leaving the last one a unicorn. All glared at Sam, expecting him to make the first move.

He was not impressed. The ponies were more robust than any of the ponies in town, but they still showed no threat to him. He was confident he could take them on with his hands.

Knights instead of policemen, princesses instead of presidents and prime ministers, what's next?

As much as Sam enjoyed the silence of the room, he was getting nowhere. The guards looked edgy, as if they did not know what to do with a mythological figure at least twice their size. They had no experience with such a creature and they needed the mayor to snap into action.

"Gentlestallions, please! You don't need to resort to violence for this!" she shouted worriedly as she placed herself between the two groups. No matter what the event called for, fighting was something everypony hated with gusto. "Sirs, let me explain-"

"Get back, you monster!" Sky High dragged Mayor to his side, thinking that Sam was about to use her as a hostage. Princess Celestia was stern with him to take absolute care when facing the creature, and now he was in the same room with it. "By Her Majesty's orders-"

"Yes, yes, I heard you the first time. You're here for me. Well, you got me. Now what?"

Sky High frowned. Was the creature trying to lull him into a lax state of security? "We are to secure you and escort you to Canterlot. Our princess wants to meet you personally."

Sam tried to play innocent. "You're taking me in? For what, scaring a bunch of you ponies? Disturbing the peace?"

"Her Majesty's orders." Sky High said succinctly. "If you'll behave, we won't have to resort to force."

Sam scoffed. What could a bunch of miniature ponies do to a trained killer like him? Either way, he planned on surrendering anyways.

"Can I take this with me?" he asked, tapping his sheath.

"You will be riding in a chariot with us," Sky High said. "As for the sword-"

"Because I'm bringing this with me. No offense, but for now, it's solely for protection."

Sky High eyed him. He did not seem to be a lying type. Then again, he was acting pretty cocky. "Two of my guards will be with you." He gestured two of the earth ponies, Rumbler and Pale Marble, to surround Sam. "Will you come with us now?"

"Yeah, as long as you don't cuff me or anything." Sam wanted to shrug off the earth ponies, but kept patient.

Before he left, he remembered his host. "Wait a moment."

Mayor, whom the ponies largely ignored, was unnerved to say the least. "Minuano, what's going on?"

Sam bowed to her and looked up, smiling. "Thank you for having me, but I need to find some answers, and they-" he jabbed a thumb to Sky High, who wore an admirable scowl "-can get me those answers. I'm a traveler. I'm used to this kind of thing." He bowed again and walked to the door.

"Are you sure?" was all she could stammer.

Sam chuckled and opened the door. "Don't worry about me. Besides, what can five little ponies do against..."

"...me?"

Outside the city hall, an entire platoon's worth of Royal Guards stood waiting, almost blinding Sam with the sunlight reflecting off the rows and rows golden armor. Everypony held some kind of weapon in their mouths and forelegs, and the unicorns had their horns at the ready. The five guards sent in was obviously a distraction and stalled for time for more guards to arrive and surround the building.

As soon as he got over the initial shock. Sam started chuckling again. Sky High, as well as the entire platoon, stared at him as he walked past the pegasus.

"One hell of a welcoming party. Now, where's my chariot?" Some of the ponies separated to create a straight path to the ride at his question. "Ah, is that it?"

As he walked towards the chariot in question, some of the guards exchanged whispers and thoughts on the creature's first impression. Some of them stared at the platoon commander, first lieutenant Sky High, as if asking if they have the right creature.

He only facehoofed before giving everypony the command to prepare to take off. He needed some hard cider after this.

Author's Note

(Fixed/rewritten 09/05/2014)

Act 1: Hero-Storm The Castle

Eventually, Twilight and everypony made it to Ponyville, the former struggling to stay awake. Her friends were just as energetic and when they saw a large mob gathered in the town from afar, they were further roused with vigor.

All but one.

Fluttershy was the most anxious. Twilight said she sent a letter to Princess Celestia, and if Twilight informed her of how dangerous the monster was, surely she would have sent guards to absolve the issue? So what could she and her friends do to help? That was what worried her.

When they reached the town, they realized most of the ponies were Royal Guards, and Fluttershy lightened up a little. Have they gotten the situation under control already?

"C'mon, everypony! We're almost there!" Applejack urged them. They nodded and sped up for a last sprint. Fluttershy tried to remain optimistic and catch up with them, the desire to help her friends overriding her doubts.

"Yeah, if that monster's giving the guards any trouble, everypony will be expecting me to help them out!" Rainbow shouted confidently. What could she say? She was a loyal pony, but boastful nevertheless.

Another minute of running, and they found the group of guards encircling the town hall. Most ponies moved to the side to make way for their princess, but it still took considerable time wading through the crowd to get a good view.

"Come on! Out of the way! Elements of Harmony coming through with your very own, Princess Sparkle!" Rainbow screamed over the crowd's murmurs.

"Rainbow Dash! Don't impose on other ponies!" Rarity chastised next to her. "We mustn't abuse our position like that! We must keep calm, and handle the situation-"

"WAIT!"

A loud explosion from the midst of ponies immediately cleared them away from a pink pony pushing a pink cannon. Confetti was strewn about her as she kept firing her cannon, finally giving a clear path for Twilight and the others.

"Wait just a moment!" Pinkie screamed again, infuriated by the sight. She easily identified the monster, him being the only two-legged animal in the encircled area. However, she was far from afraid. As weird as the creature was, nopony, or in this case no monster was going to leave without a "Welcome to Ponyville" party from Pinkie Pie!

The monster was about to board the chariot when she made herself known, and stopped to take a look at the weird pony. He kept quiet, no wanting to alarm the new ponies.

I don't think cannons work that way, but in a world with unicorns and pegasi, who am I to judge?

As Pinkie eyed him, her friends walked next to her, gawking along. It had some kind of light green suit over its body, leaving its light brown face as the only evidence of skin color. Its right arm and chest area seemed to me made of black metal. To its hip, a long metal stick hung from it, for the lack of a better description. Its black hair was tied into a ponytail, exposing an intimidating scar over its left eye. It reflexively scratched the stubble of hair on its chin, suggesting it was a male.

Everypony had a different reaction. Twilight was fascinated and tried to conjure a notebook and quill to no avail. Applejack's eyes widened at the size of him but stayed her ground. Rarity gasped a little, shocked by his scraggly hair and poorly-kept face. Rainbow Dash glared at the creature, flying above and checking him over. Fluttershy stayed behind and as close to the guardsponies as possible. Pinkie rotated her head to the side, not sure what to make of him.

Sam intervened before the pink pony's neck snapped. "And who are you?"

Everypony, including the guards, blinked when the creature broke the silence and Pinkie's head retracted to its original position. Twilight recovered the quickest. Whatever this thing was, as a princess, she felt the need to take responsibility. "I am Princess Twilight Sparkle, and who are you?"

The creature let out what appeared to be groan, but it sounded more like a growl. "Seriously? That's your name?" He scanned over the purple pony, and saw both a pair of wings and a horn on her head. "A horn and wings? What does that make you, a pega-corn?"

Pinkie immediately broke out laughing. "Hahahaha! That's a good one! A pega-corn! Ahahaha!" She fell to the side rolling on the ground.

"Pinkie Pie, this is serious!" Twilight yelled at her. She did not want to ruin their first impressions like this! "No, I am an alicorn, and the pony that's rolling on the ground is Pinkie Pie, an earth pony. Please, I'll ask again, who are you?"

"Princess Sparkle!" The town hall door burst open to reveal Mayor Mare galloping towards her. "Princess Sparkle!"

"Miss Mayor? What's tha matter?" Applejack walked to her, worried she might faint at any minute.

After a minute or so, she calmed down enough to stop shaking and spoke in a more dignified manner. "His name is Minuano, and he's a traveler. He's not dangerous!"

"Even if not," Sky High interrupted, looking sternly at Twilight and Mayor. "we have orders from Princess Celestia to bring him, to Canterlot. She wants a personal and private meeting with him."

"Well, let's go already then," Sam called out. He was already on the chariot, leaning against the side. "Bad idea to keep royalty waiting, isn't it?"

Sky High scoffed, but not in ill-taste. This strange creature knew its priorities. "I can't believe it, but I agree completely. We need to move."

"Wait," Twilight interrupted, placing on hoof on the chariot. "Can I come with you? My friends as well, if possible?" She looked back at her friends, smiling confidently.

The pegasus pondered but nodded in approval. "I suppose. We have enough carriages as well, so you may board them along with the guards. But please do not try to intervene with this creature or us, princess. My orders were from Princess Celestia herself and I will not fail her."

"I assure you I will not interfere with your work, and my friends will not either. But I also want a meeting with this creature regarding its appearance in the Everfree Forest. My friends Fluttershy, the Bearer of Kindness, is an eye-witness, and I think the Princess would like to hear both of them out." Twilight pointed a hoof at the mare hiding her face behind her mane.

Sam stared directly at her and frowned. He did not remember seeing her, but the memory of a squeak before he left the forest was enough of a hint. He cursed his luck.

That mare looks like she's going to faint, and she saw me kill that wolf? No wonder she's so terrified.

Sky High saluted to Twilight, and turned to his fellow guards. "We leave now! Everypony in your formations!"

Twilight sighed in relief. She knew she had some control over the Royal Guards, but this was the first time she had ever given a command to one! She could barely contain her nervousness.

"Alright, girls. we'll board a carriage together. Come on!" She needed to get this over with as soon as possible if she wanted time to observe this new creature up close! "Miss Mayor," She turned to her, who was still looking anxiously at Twilight. "don't worry about...Minuano, you said? Once we cleared the issue with Princess Celestia, I'm sure everything will be fine."

Mayor, despite her complete confidence in Twilight's capability and honesty, was not reassured. If Minuano really was going to be fine, what was the reason for the princess to send so many guards to assure his arrest?

I still don't like where this is going. Minuano seems nice, but his crassness could rub the princesses the wrong way, and he's got the sarcasm to prove it!

As the Bearers marched to the nearest empty carriage, chatting up what they thought about the creature, Sam kept his eyes on the yellow pegasus, who was especially crowed by her fellow ponies.

"Hey, are we going to go or-"

Before he could finish, the two pegasi on the chariot's reins spread out their wings.

"Take off!" Sky High's command was audible enough to ring Sam's ears. Before he knew it, the pegasi flew into the air with the flapping of their wings, taking the chariot and Sam with them.

"Gah!" Sam never expected it to be so sudden and clung to edge of his ride as hard as he could. Within seconds, he was already too high in the air for comfort. He could feel the pegasi rising incessantly and he knew if he fell, he would suffer at least a couple fractures.

Shit! For a bunch of ponies, they fly fast! And how the hell did I not fall off yet?! Does this chariot defy physics or something?!

He risked a peek over the edge, and felt his stomach drop, almost causing him to throw up.

Urp...never mind. Why did I bother?

Fluttershy, despite her eagerness to go to the castle, was still shying away. As the sole witness of the creature in the forest, everypony was largely focusing on her retell of the situation to find their answers. Due to the privacy of the carriage and the company of her companions, she had calmed down, but the questioning was unnerving to say the least.

"...and after that, I just...ran back home as fast as I could. That's when you came in Twilight." She pointed to the alicorn beside her and leaned against her, tired from her recollection.

"Ah don't believe it," Applejack scoffed. "That thing, Minuano, you said he's called? Ah can't, for tha life of me, imagine him takin' a giant timberwolf down like that! I told y'all about the one Spike rescued me from, remember? And you think something small as him could stop something bigger than that?"

"But he must have. Fluttershy and I heard the timberwolf scream. You must have heard it too, right?" Twlight asked everypony.

"Yeah!" Rainbow clopped her hooves together in anger. "It totally cut into my nap time!"

Rarity narrowed her eyes. "Well, while you were busy napping, the noise scared me so much it made me ruin the dress I was working on!"

Ignoring her friends' complaints, Twilight asked another question. "But besides that, how did Minuano arrive in the forest in the first place? Mayor Mare said he was a traveler, so it's likely he's not from Equestria at all, but if so, where? And why was the timberwolf there in the first place?"

"Twilight, darling, I know you must be curious about a lot of things, but that's exactly why we're here on this trip, remember?" Rarity raised a hoof to calm her friend. "Besides, we're wondering more about this Minuano character."

Fluttershy spoke up at this point. "Sorry, but I've never seen any animal like him in my life! I was hoping you would know what kind of animal he was when you saw him, Twilight."

"No, I've never read about anything like him." She smacked her at this. "Oh, why didn't I ask Mayor Mare to come with me! She could have told me more about him!"

"Better yet, why couldn't the guards let him ride with us?" Rainbow crossed her hoofs across her chest. a light smile on her face. "If he's in the same carriage with me, he would know not to mess with any of us!"

"What about Fluttershy?" Applejack pointed at her pegasus, who squirmed at her seat. "Ya think it's a good idea to let him in the same ride as her? After what he did?"

"Um, well, I was kind of hiding in the bushes, so maybe he just wanted to fend for himself against the timberwolf? I don't think he knew I was there in the first place, so he didn't mean to scare me-"

"That's hardly tha point!" Applejack's edginess was fully evident by this point. "Whatever he is, he's definitely dangerous, and Twilight was right in telling tha princess 'bout this."

"Well, then it's a good thing I did, but...wait a sec." Twilight looked around the carriage. "Where's Pinkie Pie?"

Sam kept his sightseeing to a minimal, but he could not ignore the Canterlot approaching. He was caught off-guard by how colorful and intricate it was, and even spotted several waterfalls leading to and from the city.

Damn, this whole world is in its medieval stages if it still uses castles. But still, could they have made this place any more frivolous? Flowers and flags on ridiculously tall towers, low fortification, and everything's too extravagant to serve any purpose besides as aesthetics.

However, his tourism was over quickly. The tallest, grandest tower came into view. Other than the silhouettes of more pony guards, size, and the more appropriate wall for defense, it blended in with the rest of the city.

Well, that must be where the "princess" must be. But couldn't they make my arrival a bit more inconspicuous?

Sam took a last gander around him. The two earth ponies were still at attention, but he could tell they were as bored as him. Closer inspection showed the pegasi pulling his chariot was audibly panting.

Hoping to break the dull silence, he called out to his pilots for an icebreaker. "Hey, fellas, are we there yet?"

When nopony answered. he felt his stomach flip again. "Any chance of flying a bit smoother?"

Nopony answered and the pegasi showed no sign of slowing down.

That's it, If I stay here for another minute, I'm going to hurl.

Sam noticed out the corner of his eye a watchtower, coincidentally lacking guards around it. It was close enough for him to jump to it without hurting himself and in short, the perfect place to ditch his ride.

Having had enough of the flying chariot, he jumped off the ride

"Hey! Stop!"

That was all he heard before focusing on landing.

Like a cat, he silently landed onto the brick tower. Immediately, the nausea faded away, and he was glad there were no ponies surrounding him. The ponies in the sky looked like they were talking, but now was not the time for distractions.

"Oooh, why did you do that, Minuany? Weren't you supposed to meet the Princess?"

Sam turned to see a pink pony smiling curiously. He recognized her as one of the six ponies that gawked at him.

What the hell is this thing? Wasn't she in the carriage ahead?

"Oh oh! Let me guess! You must be shy around so many other ponies, aren't you? That's why you jumped off! Well, don't worry now. We're all alone, and I know you must be new around here, so let me introduce myself! I'm Pinkie Pie, and you see, when I heard you were coming to Ponyville, I never got the chance to throw you a "Welcome to Ponyville!" party, and before I could even get the chance to prepare, I saw all the guards taking you away, but-"

Her rambling was getting more annoying by the second. He desperately wanted to gag her before she notified a nearby guard, but he could not waste time shutting up a pony when everypony knew he was now missing.

Sam shook his head and turned away. "Never mind. I need to get in there ASAP."

As he started to run to the nearest entrance, the pony hopped her way alongside him, surprising him even further. No matter how hard he sprinted, the pink blob bounced and caught up like a loyal dog. He tried to ignored her for now, hoping she would lose interest in him soon.

However, Pinkie Pie was not an impatient nor weak mare. Equally stubborn ponies like Rainbow Dash tried, but she always caught up to them. After that, she would sing a random song out of nowhere, and they would be instant best friends!

"Why are you following me?!"

Her mental image of a felt cut-out of Minuano and her was popped by the real Minuano's angry voice.

"Well, duh, because you're new here!" she explained as if it was the most obvious answer, which it was. "And if you're new here, that means you don't have any friends, and you don't know where you are or where you're supposed to go!"

He growled at the truth of those words. "And what? You do?"

"Well, yeah! There's Twilight, I mentioned her, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy-"

"No, not that." Sam slapped his forehead. "I mean you know where to go?"

"Yep! I was here for my first Grand Galloping Gala, I also threw Twilight's birthday party-"

"So you know your way around," Sam muttered. It would save time for her to lead the way, but with her overly jovial personality, he was not sure he could handle her incessant rambling for long.

Nevertheless, he was willing to try. "Alright listen."

She immediately stopped talking and chirped "Listening!"

He sighed before continuing. "I need to find your Princess Celestia, whoever she is, as fast as possible. The less time I spend here, the better. So if you could lead me to her, no detours or sidetracks or anything, I might not have to interrogate you for directions."

Pinkie was not sure what Minuano wanted to do with the princess, but she did not want to let down a possible new friend. "Of course, Minuany! What are we doing here, then? Let's go!" Without another word, she hopped past him faster than ever. Sam was gobsmacked; it was as if the pony was on fast-forwards constantly.

Why do I get the feeling she had way too much coffee in the morning?

"You lost him!?"

Sky High remained stoic as ever. The young alicorn had long ways to go before she could even come close to the Royal Canterlot Voice. "No, It is most likely he ditched the chariot of his own accord." Nevertheless, he turned to the two pegasi and earth ponies, making them bow in shame. "But he has to be here somewhere,"

While Sky High barked orders to every guardspony, Twilight was trying to avoid another breakdown. "Oh, what to do, what to do...he could be anywhere in the castle, or even far away from here!"

"Not to disagree with you, Twilight," Rarity walked out of the carriage, looking around the castle warily. "but I would be more worried about ourselves in the meantime. Minuano could be anywhere."

"An' if the princess sent so many guards after him, he has somethin' up with him." Applejack looked at the walls for any sign of him. "An' where's Pinkie? She was just with us, wasn't she? Ah swear, the things that pony gets into..."

"You don't think..." Fluttershy gulped as she followed suit. "...she's with him?"

"Then what are we waiting here for?" Dash rocketed from the carriage. "We need to find her fast!"

Before she could dash off, a white aura surround her, freezing her in place.

"Please remain where you are. You too, Princess Sparkle!" A loud voice rung the air, causing everypony to look at the speaker. A unicorn in purple armor was besides Sky High, who saluted him. His white mane turned with his head as he saluted back, contrasting with his black coat. "Princess Celestia predicted you would arrive, so she assigned me to protect you and your friends while escorting you to her."

Twilight blinked at the formal tone. She was still not used to guards calling her "Princess". "And you are?"

"Captain Bright Shield of the Royal Guard, at your service." he saluted, and faced Sky High who had finished sending the guards. "First Lieutenant, these are the Elements of Harmony?"

"Yes Captain!"

"But weren't there supposed to be six of them? Either I'm going blind or we're missing one." He released his hold on Rainbow and she plummeted to the ground, extracting a muffled "Oof!"

Sky High, however, frowned at his candor. "Captain, I am certain we had all six Elements in our carriage before we left Ponyville."

"Uh, don't bother trying to explain Pinkie Pie," Twilight chimed. "I personally tried to understand her...strange abilities, but it's better if you just save yourselves the trouble." She remembered her research of Pinkius pieicus, and shivered. "Right now, we need to find her fast."

"Forgive me Princess Sparkle, but Princess Celestia specifically ordered me to bring you to her as soon as possible," Bright Shield tried to look apologetic, but Rainbow Dash would have none of it.

"Oh come on! This is our friend we're talking about! The Element of Laughter, remember? Now that she's lost, what if Minuano's got her?!" The sudden realization of a hostage situation shook everypony. "Twilight, you understand, right?"

The alicorn hesitated. She took a panicked gander at the castle before coming up with a compromise.

"Captain, how's this? We will come with you to Princess Celestia, and Mr. Sky High will find Pinkie Pie. Please?" she added for good measure.

After a moment of silence and gazes from everypony, Bright Shield relented. "Yes, Princess Sparkle. First Lieutenant!"

"Sir!"

"Gather as many ponies as you can to search for Ms. Pie without interfering with the search for the creature. Once she's been found, bring her to the throne room."

"Yes sir!" With a salute, Sky High galloped into the castle,

Bright Shield smiled and lead the mares to the same entrance. "Right, now we need to get going. Princess, if you and your friends will follow me, we're heading to the throne room."

Does this pony ever stop talking!?

Throughout his tour of the castle, Pinkie Pie has babble non-stop about the various rooms and layout of the castle. It was a wonder how she seemingly did not run out of breath.

"So Minuany, where are you from?"

After introductions, she opted for more personal questions to get to know him better. So far, she has only been answered with silence, but how will she know more about her new possible friends if she does not ask?

However, even when they were all alone, Minuano still seemed shy because he refused to look her way nor answer her. Whenever he talked, it was only for questions of his own, such as "Are we there yet?" or "You sure you know where we're going?"

"Not gonna answer eh?" Pinkie grin turned mischievous. If he refused to answer, she had to be aggressive. "Okay...what's your favorite food? How old are you? What kind of animal are you anyways?"

Sam sighed and faced the bouncing pony, but kept running. He has ran out of patience and could no longer block out her droning, squeaky voice. "You're not going to shut up until I answer you, aren't you?"

"Nope!"

"Fine. I'll answer your questions as soon as you get me to this princess of yours. How's that?" If this mare was so childish, maybe he could fool her like one.

"Okay! Come on, the throne room's right above us anyways!" Pinkie smiled the largest smile she could and rocketed through the hallway, turning right at the end. Maybe if she did this right, she would be one step closer to befriending him!

Before she could get too far, however, she crashed headfirst into one of the Royal Sisters: Princess Luna.

After rolling back from the collision, the princess easily identified the pony as Pinkie Pie. They had a rickety relationship at first, but she grew to like the pink mare.

"Pinkie Pie? What art thou doing here? Everypony is searching the castle for thee!"

"Princess Luna! Oh boy, am I glad you're here!" Pinkie shook the last of her dizziness away before continuing. "Wait, why are you here?"

Luna frowned. "We are looking for this creature our sister informed Princess Sparkle. I've heard the guards scramble and I volunteered to help with the search myself. I'm sure you have heard of him as well if you are here."

"You mean Minuany? Yeah, I know him!" Pinkie nodded vigorously.

"Minuany? Is that the human's name?"

"Yep! Well, not really, I learned from Twilight who learned from Mayor Mare that his name is Minuano, but I shortened it to Minuany!" It took a brief moment of silence before the full question registered in her mind. "A human? Is that what he's called? Because I've been following him and asking him for a looooong time, and he's never told me what he-"

"Thou was with this creature!?" Luna grabbed her by the shoulders and looked into her eyes. "When? Where? How?"

Pinkie frowned in concentration as to how to answer her fully. She did not know why she was so serious about finding him, but Minuano seemed nice enough. "Well, as for how, I just hopped down to the castle wall and followed him. As for when, I guess it was ever since he and I jumped onto the castle wall. As for where, he's right in that hall I just came from!"

"The human is behind you? Stand behind us, Pinkie Pie!" Luna remembered her sister's words of caution when confronting this human. From Twilight's letter, it was powerful enough to destroy a giant timberwolf. As an alicorn, she was extremely powerful herself, but her warning to Pinkie demonstrated even her reluctance to fight. "Human Minuano! We do not wish to harm thee! Please show thyself!" She walked slowly toward the intersection, priming her horn in case the human felt combative.

Pinkie Pie, being her usual bubbly self, neglected her warnings and galloped to the intersection. "Don't worry about a thing, Princess! Minuany's just really shy! Shyer than Fluttershy, even. Minuany! I want to show you somepony important!" Walking ahead of her, Pinkie peeked into the hallway. "What I tell ya, Princess! He's so shy that he ran away again!"

"WHAT!?" Luna temporarily reverted to using her Royal Canterlot voice and dashed to the hallway. As Pinkie said, it was void of any pony or human.

"Come on, Princess!" This time, Pinkie took Luna by her hoof and dragged her alongside her. "Minuany's probably waiting for us at the throne room! He said he wants to meet with Princess Celestia, after all!"

As soon as he heard another voice in the hallway, Sam immediately scarpered to the nearest stairwell. He heard a booming "What!?" and sped up his pace.

She said the throne room's just upstairs. I'm almost there!

The new hallway was soon visible. When he entered it, he was not happy at what he saw.

A team of no less than ten ponies armed with spears ran directly at the stairwell and most importantly, him.

"There he is! Freeze!"

While a weaker man would have done so, he only smirked at their command. "You'll have to catch me first." With him so close to his goal, he could not stop now.

Before the guardsponies could stop him, he jumped high into the air to avoid their spears and landed on the other side. The ponies gasped at the impressive display, but they resumed the chase. "Come back! Halt! In the name of Her Majesty!"

As ponies, they were accustomed to running full-tilt, but Sam, with his longer legs and exoskeleton, could sprint for hours if necessary. However, no matter how far he ran, the ponies would follow him, and judging from the loudness of their voices, they have arrived with back up.

Damn it! I need to hurry! I can't fight all of them and explain the new paint job to the Princess! Now where's that throne room!?

He stopped running and inspected his surroundings. He lost the mob of guardsponies and could afford a minute of rest. The throne room was on this floor and the castle itself was not that big, so where could it be?

Let's see...I'm in a children's fantasy land filled with pastel ponies and princesses. How would their most important room that hosts the princess look like?

He turned around and looked at a giant pair of golden, elaborately patterned doors

"Well, duh." He scanned the area one last time and heard distance horse hooves coming closer. He was running out of time and with his objective right in front of him, he took the most obvious course of action: knocking.

After heatedly tapping his feet, the guardsponies returned, but this time with a strange dark winged unicorn like the purple one from before. She was leading the group, evident by the booming "HALT HUMAN!", but she was not the only recognizable pony. He spotted Sky High next to her, but there was another pony beside him.

"Ooh! Hey, Minuany! See Princess Luna? I told you he would meet us up!"

Oh God, not you again!

Growing more and more feisty, he knocked again, harder. Admittedly, he could have pushed the door open, kicked in down, or preferably cut it down, but he came this far and the last thing he needed was a reputation as a vandal.

Soon, he heard a click behind the giant doors. He pushed as hard as he could. They opened easily and he almost tripped due to his haste but he managed to close the door behind him.

"Ah, Sam, you're just in time!"

Alarmed by the sudden voice, he forgot his chasers and looked at the end of the room. A large white winged unicorn, bigger than any pony he's seen was sitting on an equally large red throne with golden decorations, looking positively enraged. But Princess Celestia, was not looking at him at all, but the smiling draconequus next to her.

Author's Note

(rewritten/fixed 09/05/2014)

Act 1: Hero-Why Am I Here?

It was a lazy Sunday morning for both Celestia and the citizens of Canterlot. There was little motion in the castle and everypony resided in their rooms, visited family outside the castle, or simply relaxed and enjoyed themselves with Canterlot’s commodities and attractions.

However, her lethargy fell apart when Celestia received a letter from Princess Sparkle. It was relatively short, but it held the details necessary to inform her something unusual and especially dangerous had been sighted in the Everfree Forest. It also mentioned how Twilight was going to bring the Element of Kindness herself to report what she saw.

For the moment, curiosity got the better of her. There was little work for her anyways and she was always ready to help her pupil and fellow princess.

Curious to see the creature, her horn glowed yellow as magic coursed through it; a form of divination, used for remote viewing across Equestria. She closed her eyes and a bright white light filled her vision, replacing darkness. Eventually, she saw the forest. She scanned the area and noticed a large clear path.

Celestia mentally gasped. Broken bark, twigs, and tree trunks were strewn about. The ground was torn with what appeared to be enormous paw prints. She made it to the edge of the clearing and saw a mountain of the aforementioned lumber products.

What could have done this? Was the timberwolf so massive that it destroyed a fraction of the forest, or was it the creature Fluttershy saw do this?

After a minute of inspecting the area, she found a clue: a trail of blue droplets..

Blood? I've never heard of an animal that bleeds blue, or…. is it not blood at all?

She watched the trail lead out of the forest and into the clearing. A forked road showed the path to Ponyville, where the trail stopped, puzzling her even further. A wild animal leaving the boundaries of the forest? It was almost unheard of. The animals and plants always stayed in their familiar habitat.

She followed the trail and saw a bipedal figure in walking towards Ponyville. She closed in on it and gasped: it was a human.

What!? That's impossible! How did one arrive in Equestria, of all places without my knowing? And how did one human slay a giant timberwolf by himself?

Now she understood the reason behind the hasty tone of Twilight's letter. It has been over a thousand years since Celestia first discovered humans, and they were more than memorable than from just their appearance. Luckily, the human seemed rather apathetic towards the mint unicorn, walking past her. Nevertheless, she knew more than enough what could happen when humans got involved in a situation.

"Guards!"

The armor-clad pegasi stationed stood at attention, their faces now hardened. They ran towards her and saluted.

She turned to the brown pegasus to her left. "First Lieutenant Sky High, gather as many guardsponies as you can to bring this creature-" she materialized a picture of the human and levitated in front of them "back here from Ponyville as soon as possible."

"Yes, Your Highness!" He took the photo and sprinted out of the room, leaving Celestia with the remaining pony.

"Captain Bright Shield-" the white unicorn tensed "-alert every guardspony to keep their eyes open but do not inform them about this creature." She could not risk exposing this creature too much. “Also, if the Elements of Harmony arrive-" she knew of her and her friends' tendency to get into trouble "-escort them here. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Your Highness!" He vacated the room, leaving Celestia alone to think about the situation.

A human landing in the Everfree Forest, defeating a giant timberwolf, marching towards Ponyville...there's only one reason I know that explains how he's here.

"Discord."

"You called?"

In a flash, the draconequus appeared on one of the windows, smirking as always.

Celestia was not amused. She may have congratulated Fluttershy on the success of reforming him, but she had a reason why she left the Elements of Harmony with Twilight and her friends in Ponyville.

"Have you heard?" She tried to remain diplomatic, knowing that Discord, despite his childishness, had matured during his time with Fluttershy. "A human has been discovered in the Everfree Forest."

Discord rolled his eye at her. "You don't say?"

Celestia glared at him. Spirit of Disharmony or not, she was not afraid of him. "Do you know anything about this?"

"Pssh," he scoffed. "Now why would you think that? Isn't it normally your precious student -" Discord squeaked out those words "-that starts a mess like this? Remember her Want-It-Need-It spell?" He cackled like a madman when he heard what chaos she had caused. "What about when she swapped the Elements' cutie marks? Why are you pinning the blame on me whenever things go wrong?" He finished with a pout and his hands on his hips, wherever it was on his serpentine body.

"Don't play dumb," Celestia snapped. "Luna and I left the matter alone ever since we discovered them. Twilight could never have done this, even with her magic." She half-suspected he did this to spite her, for all the years she had the Elements turn him into stone after his escape. "Surely you must know of the gravity of having a human involved here."

Discord's pout slowly turned upwards into a smile. She knew that look. It was a smile he only made when he had something, most often, nasty or at least annoying planned. "I know more about humans than you could ever bother. And the one I brought here is special, to say the least."

"I could figure that out." A human that could face off against a timberwolf is impressive enough, but a colossal one? "But of all humans, why one so dangerous? This has you written all over it."

"What, I can't bring a new friend home without you breathing down my neck?" He teleported out of the window and appeared in front of her, gazing straight at her with an offended look.

Celestia froze. Discord, after befriending Fluttershy and to an extent, the rest of the Elements, had no other friends he could confidently call "friends".

She and Luna both understood the pain of loneliness, but for Discord to resort to kidnapping, and an alien at that, either demonstrated his desperation, or his desire to simply screw her over as always.

"If you were feeling lonely, why didn't you simply tell me?" she asked with the gentlest smile she could muster, but Discord felt pity among the sympathy in her voice. "I could use some time off myself, and I'm sure I can wrangle Luna for a get-together. I know you like theatrics, but this is overkill, even for you."

"That's...not exactly what I'm getting at." Discord sighed. He hated this about her. "Ugh, just...let me show you."

With a snap of his talon, a large television appeared in front of them and he hovered next to her, crossing his legs and arms in anticipation. Celestia cocked an eyebrow.

"What are you trying to pull, Discord?" Celestia faced him. "Convince me just how special he is?"

He scoffed again. "Maybe." Another snap, and a bowl of popcorn materialized in his lion paw and the screen flashed on, showing the human riding a blue motorcycle. "Then again, maybe not."

"Ah, Sam, you're just in time!"

Sam wasted no time drawing his sword. He was not going to be caught off-guard like last time.

Discord sighed. "Jeez man, you're in front of royalty, put that sword away!" With a snap of his fingers, Sam's sword returned to its sheath and more importantly, in Discord's paw.

His face twisted in anger once more and glared at Discord. He wanted to run up and snatch the sword back from him, but he remembered what happened the last time.

"Look, I know we got off the wrong foot-"

"Discord!"

Both the spirit and Sam stared at her. Celestia's tone was stern and most prominently, threatening. She rose from her seat and spread out her majestic wings to their fullest. "Return his sword. Now."

Discord rolled his eyes. "Fine, but don't blame me when he starts cutting everypony into shreds."

It was a very real threat, but Celestia saw how aggravated he was when his weapon was taken. She knew how temperamental humans could be, especially when frightened. "Considering it's you we're talking about, I'm not surprised he's on guard," Celestia chastised. "Now, again, return his weapon."

Discord gave another snap, and the Murasama reappeared to Sam's hip. He immediately drew it out and raised it to his face, inspecting for any sign of vandalism.

Celestia, seeing Sam calm down at last, spoke. "Now that's resolved, about the crowd of ponies behind the door-"

At that moment, said doors slammed open so hard Celestia was surprised it did not fall of their hinges. Luna, Sky High, a group of guards, and Pinkie Pie was standing at the doorway.

"Hey Minuany! Hey Discord!" The pink mare waved for good measure. Discord merely waved back with a weak smile.

Luna stepped in front of her. "Human, please! We only wish to..." She froze when she saw the red sword in his hands. She charged her horn again. "Everypony, behind me!"

Sam looked at the white alicorn, and back to the blue one. What was he to do? He could easily fight both of them off, but then what about Discord? The white one, Celestia, he guessed from her crown, seemed to be the only one that could keep Discord in check. If he fought, he would surely earn the ire of both alicorns, but the blue one and the pegasus beside her had already gotten ready to pounce at any moment.

"Luna!" Celestia hated raising her voice, especially towards her sister, but a single mistake on her part could destroy whatever trust Sam had towards the ponies. "Stand down, now!"

"But sister-"

"I said stand down," she repeated. "You're scaring the human."

Sam held back a laugh. He would have been offended if it was not so amusing. "Scared? Me?" He sheathed his sword and walked up to Celestia, smiling.

"Hold thy tongue!" Luna shouted. "You are speaking to Princess Celestia, one of Equestria's leaders and most powerful-"

"Quiet, Luna." Celestia closed her wings and slowly walked down the steps to her throne. "I apologize for my sister's behavior. I am Princess Celestia. I must also apologize for your misadventures here. But first," She faced Sky High. "Thank you for your efforts. You're dismissed. Remember, I wanted a private audience. When we're done talking, we will open the doors ourselves."

"Yes, your Highness," he said and ordered his fellow guards and Pinkie Pie out the door.

The doors closed and Celestia, Luna, Discord and Sam, were left in the room. Eager to diffuse the situation, Celestia figured the best way was to remain civil and respect him to get him to open up.

Sam smiled even wider at her attempt at friendliness. “So you're Celestia? Well, you can thank that thing-" he pointed at Discord "-for my being here. He just said my name, so I think my introductions are not very necessary." Celestia towered over her ponies, but compared to Sam, they met eye-to-eye. It was rare and faintly unnerving to her to meet someone that matched her size.

Celestia winced, but nodded. He was sharper than he appeared.. "Yes, Discord told me all about you, Sam."

"Oh? What did Discord tell you about me?"

"Enough to show me you do not belong here. I'm sure you understand why." After what Discord showed her, Sam's dangerous tendencies stuck to her mind like tree sap. He was indeed different, as Discord mentioned, but no better than the humans she knew of.

"Yeah, you sending over fifty of your men-uh, ponies, to bring me here. Seems rather extreme. If you know what I'm capable of, why endanger so many lives when you could have come see me yourself?"

"Do not underestimate us, human," Luna spoke up. "Our race may appear diminutive to you, but we have dealt with threats against Equestria before, especially from Discord."

"Well, you've never dealt with Sam before," Discord chuckled before zapping himself into one of the windows again. "And when did I ever say he was a threat? Just give him a chance, Celestia. He didn't even touch any of your precious ponies."

"If by "chance", you mean a chance to get me back home, then please do." If Celestia was familiar with him and his history, then he would not spare her the politeness he gave Mayor Mare. His patience had run out, and the time for formalities was over.

"Sorry to disappoint, but I can't do that." Discord teleported out of the window and in front of Sam. His smile was gone and he wagged his talon at him.

Sam's anger was blatant now. "I don't care. You're going to send me back or you die." He pulled out his sword for good measure and pointed it at Discord's neutral face.

"Put your weapon away!" Luna shouted, remembering to use contemporary dialect. Her sister constantly reminded her to try to adopt the current Equestrian language to fit in better. "If Discord is the source of all this, let us handle him!"

Discord shook his head in disappointment. "I meant what I said. I literally can't send you back. You died, remember?"

"Yeah, so?"

Silence filled the room . The alicorns turned their heads to Sam so fast he reflexively assumed his stance, expecting an attack. Discord sighed and shrugged. "Well, there you go then."

"What? What is it?" Sam turned to Celestia, Luna, Discord, and back to Celestia. After another minute of silence, he gritted his teeth in frustration. "What is it!?" He felt the room starting to chill and his sword vibrate.

Celestia intervened before his shouts could be heard outside. "Sam, even as the Spirit of Disharmony and Chaos, Discord is still magic."

"What are you all talking about? What does it matter? You brought me back from the dead-"

"Difficult, but not impossible. Discord is probably the only being that could resurrect a human," Celestia explained "but there are laws regarding magic even he cannot break. Bend, yes, but never break."

"I think it would be best, Tia," Luna spoke up, walking to her side, "if you showed him instead of explaining." Her horn glowed, and a tattered black book popped into existence. "Here, that summary." The book opened to a page and a large blue hologram appeared in the air, displaying the text in readable size. "Discord, translate."

He snapped once more, and the odd squiggles wriggled into familiar English, which Sam read with gusto.

Teleporting objects through space is an unusual display of magic, but not unheard of. Living objects, however, are a different matter. Whether the subject is dead or alive seems to be a factor determining if it can be teleported through dimensions. Every recorded attempt to teleport a live subject from this dimension to another has resulted in failure or the subject's death. Coincidentally, an experiment with a cadaver has seen success, though it required immense magical energy. Starswirl the Bearded is the most iconic example of magic experimentation and he has indeed performed teleportation through different worlds and even dimensions. However, the experiments were cancelled and prohibited due to it being too unequine.

Wait. What?

"Every recorded attempt to teleport a live subject…. failed?"

"Yes," The hologram faded away and showed Discord with a small smile. "I might not be able to bring you here alive, but that doesn't mean I can't bring your remains here and resurrect you afterwards."

Luna groaned at the logic. Crazy or not, Discord was still intelligent, with eons worth of experience and wisdom in his brain. It was how he tricked Twilight, one of the smartest ponies she knew, twice after all. "If you spent more of your time in the courts instead of lounging all your free time-wait." She looked at Sam and back to Discord. "How did you teleport his remains here?"

Discord chuckled. Even if the situation was dire, he could sense her curiosity. She was always more studious and stern that her sister. "If simple unicorns can produce enough magic to teleport objects from here to other dimensions, what's stopping me, the Spirit of Chaos, from pulling objects from those dimensions here? All you have to do is pinpoint, that's the tricky bit."

While Luna went wide-eyed at the explanation, Sam frowned. "So, you're telling me that if I want to go back, I need to die again?" Sam questioned. He did not like the prospect. Being stabbed the chest once was painful enough.

"Well, theoretically, yes, but don't bother." Discord crossed his arms, his trademark smile returning. "Dragging your body to this world was hard enough, but if you're asking me to bring you back to life there, forget about it. Even I don't have enough magic for resurrection at such a distance and your world's lack of magic makes it even harder. Besides, I doubt your squishy human body could handle the stress a second time. In short, you're stuck."

"What do you mean, I'm stuck?!"

"Unless you want me to send you back as a corpse, you're not going anywhere." Discord smile softened. "Human bodies are surprisingly difficult to manipulate with magic. Why do you think I didn't bring you back to life from Earth before I brought you here? Easy, because I couldn’t until I brought you here, where I can use magic to my fullest. And besides, what purpose would you dying serve? The way I see it, I did you a service."

Although Discord uttered those words casually, Sam had them repeating in his head,

I'm stuck? Here, of all places?

Why? How is this a service? I never asked for this!

All I wanted was to either win or die with everything I had, giving it my all. But now I'm here.

What life do I have now? Here, these damn ponies, why I should I care about them?

What do I do now?

Sam fell to his knees, dropping his sword. His smug smile was gone and his entire appearance seemed to have turned a shade darker.

Celestia and Luna could not help but pity him. He knew he did not belong here, and he was more than insistent that he be sent back to his own world. Human or not, he needed their help getting out of this world and they were more than happy to help, but if Discord's magical power cannot, what chance did they have?

"Now, let me explain why I brought Sam." Discord walked past his crouching body and looked down at the alicorns. "Celestia, you know just how special he is. And I'm not talking about like those humans from before. Surely, you could find a use suitable for him, one that doesn't make him slice everypony to pieces.."

Celestia flinched. She started to regret giving Sky High the order to gather as many ponies as he could. She did not know Sam's full potential at that moment, and tried to prepare for the worst.

"Yes, Sam's dangerous, but look at me. I'm more magical and powerful than you, but you and the Elements were willing to reform me. Same deal here. You gave me a chance, now I'm willing to give him one."

Celestia bit her lip. The stakes were too high for her comfort. It may have felt hypocritical of her to deny him his request, but previous experiences with humans left her hesitant. "What if you're wrong? Humans are completely alien to this world. You showed me their potential in the past. Sam is no different, judging from what you showed me. Besides, look at him." She pointed a hoof at a kneeling Sam. "He's in no state to do anything."

"It's been centuries, Celestia, times have changed. As for now, just give him a couple days to adjust. He wasn't always a vigilante. Even as one, he has...admirable qualities I think you ponies could learn from."

"Admirable?" Luna interjected. "From what I see of this human, all I can tell is that he's a rebellious and hot-headed fellow. I tried to tell him to come with me but he simply ran away! I also heard from one of the guards that he saw him simply jump off the chariot mid-flight and entered the castle. Who knows what he could have done by himself?"

"Rebellious and hot-headed, kinda like me!" Discord cackled. "Well, he's just trying to-"

Celestia and Luna screamed.

A red blade lodged itself in Discord's skull, spraying crimson mist into the air. Blood kept spurting as the draconequus was bisected like a fish, all the way through to his snake tail.

The sisters were petrified by the sight. Throughout their entire lives, nothing aside from the Elements of Harmony could touch him, but here, a human was effortlessly cutting through him like butter.

After Sam finished filleting Discord, the halves dropped limp to the ground, staining the white marble. The scent of rust quickly filled the air and everyone's nostrils, almost making the princesses gag.

Sam was breathing so hard he convulsed. His breaths came through clenched teeth and his shoulders rose and dropped every second. He never screamed in frustration before, but he was coming very close to doing so. He raised his sword to his eyes and saw the darker shade contrast with his blade.

What do I do now?

He's dead, and I can't get back home. But what if he was lying?

No, he sounded completely serious, and Celestia's reaction didn't look forced. This isn't just some trick. I'm… really stuck here.

What purpose do I have? What did Discord bring me here for?

Hell, why should I listen to him anyways? I should have died, and there aren’t any humans to kill here. With me around, things would only get worse.

"Sam, how dare you-what do you think you're doing?!" Celestia sputtered. The brief moment of violence caught her off-guard, and Luna was transfixed at Discord's bloody remains body.

"You don't want me here, I don't need to be here." He sheathed his sword, and walked to the gate.

"Wait!"

In an instant, chains erupted from the floor and wrapped themselves around Sam's arms, halting them and Sam on the spot.

"What!?"

Luna was the first realized what happened. Before anyone else noticed, she saw Discord's corpse glow white before the halves brought themselves together seamlessly. Even the blood slid off the floor like oil and was absorbed. The result was a relatively unharmed and smiling Spirit of Disharmony.

"Well, I can't say I saw that one coming," Discord chuckled, creating a wet towel and rubbing himself free of excess blood. "Catching me off-guard, now that's impressive! I told you this one was special!"

"You!" Sam growled. He tried to move his hands, but they were wrapped tight.

"Discord you..." Celestia tried to speak up, but she turned her focus to Luna instead. "Luna, are you alright?"

"Yes, I...I'm fine, just...surprised," Luna stammered. She raised one of her hooves and saw speck of red on it and her slipper. "But sister, really...what do we do with this human? Sam's clearly dangerous. It was a good thing we brought him here, but what now?"

"Here." Discorded tossed his towel to her, which she grabbed with telekinesis and rubbed herself clean. Having thousands of years of life experience, she knew worse things than blood to be squeamish at. "For now, keep him alive. Get him accustomed to Equestria. That's the best you can do for him."

Luna laughed hollowly. "Keep him alive? What do you want us to do? Keep him locked up in one of our cells, strapped to a straitjacket?"

"No, no need to go that far," Discord chuckled back. He walked up to Sam, who was still restrained by the chains. "Now Sam, I understand your anger, but you can't go ballistic yet."

"That's enough, Discord!" Celestia stomped her hoof and stepped between him and Sam. "We will deal with the human. He's clearly hostile towards you, so I suggest you leave for your safety."

He blew a raspberry at her, but decided against annoying her any further. "Alright, fine, jeez. I need to check up on his friends anyways."

Although the phrase was muttered under his breath, everyone's jaw dropped.

"You brought more of them here!?"

"Don't tell me they're as dangerous as him!"

"What are you on about now? I don't have any friends!"

As soon as he said it, a loud bang was heard outside the room, followed by the shuffling and clashing of metal armor.

"Let me in there!" A muffled yell was heard behind the doors. "That was Minuano, I heard him! He just said "I don't have any friends."! No wonder he was so grumpy and irritable! Let me in! I know just how to cheer him up!"

Sam could not help but groan, even in his melancholic state. "Ugh, the pink one." He stared at his sword again, and a thought came to him. "Wait, Discord!"

He turned around, raising a paw that was ready to snap. "Yes, what do you want?"

Sam knew he did not have time for another full conversation. He could not rave about why or how he was now stranded in a foreign land or how he could return to Earth. Therefore he opted for the most obvious question standing out in his mind.

"Just want to make sure. This isn't my sword, is it?"

Discord's eyes widened but eventually a smile crept up his face. "Nice guess. You're half-right. It's a replica. Don't you remember? You gave your sword away, remember?"

He tore his eyes from the fake Murasama to see Discord, whose face softened into what Sam took as a genuine smile.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go now." His paw snapped, causing the chains to retreat into the floor. While Sam's arms and hands were relieved of their bindings, Discord readied his talon and faced the sisters, who glared at him. "Here's a little forecast: expect some windy days in the future. If you've any questions, ask Sam."

Before either of them could say another word, he disappeared in a flash of light.

The dark alicorn growled and stomped her hoof. "Blast him! We offer him our friendship and this is how he repays us?! I thought you had him reformed, sister?"

Celestia rubbed her forehead. Too much was happening in too short a time. All she wanted was a private talk with the human, but this new revelation made her head spin. "I saw him after his reformation, and he was genuinely remorseful, Luna. But now, we have more important things to take care of." She relaxed herself with a deep sigh before speaking to Sam. "Now I understand if you are still angry, but please put your sword away."

For a moment, Sam glared at Celestia. However, he could not think of any alternatives at the moment and relented. He was still stunned by Discord's news, but he reminded himself to remain strong. Weakness was one thing, but showing it to others as he did was disgraceful. "Alright."

"Good. Now, understand-oh, thank you." Luna had just handed her the towel, slightly browned from the blood. She hastily accepted it and scrubbed herself from any contrasting stains on her coat. "I had my guards bring you here so you may not harm any of my citizens. I'm sorry if they were...less than subtle about their approach."

Sam returned a small smile. "Well, they brought me here as fast as they could. I still need answers, though, for a lot of things."

"Of course. So do we. That's another reason we brought you here." Finished cleaning herself, her towel disappeared and she walked to the doors. Things were finally getting under control. "And I have a very special audience, so please stay calm."

"Yes, relax. I'm sure if you cooperate, things will go smoothly," Luna urged. However, she was still doubtful of the human. No one but her, Celestia, and Discord knew about them. How would they explain him to the rest of the populous, let alone the Element bearers, and worse, how would they behave if they knew of Sam's temper with Discord?

Celestia nevertheless smiled at her sister's tact and opened the door, revealing a thick row of guards blocking the doorway. Twilight and her friends were trying to restrain Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash from breaking through the ranks, the latter having lost her patience and tried to break the door down. When they noticed the doors finally open, all activity ceased and everypony turned to their princesses.

Celestia was the first to break the silence. "Now, everypony. We've had our discussions. Now I'm sure all of you have many questions-"

"Tch, I bet you my sword that that pink one's bursting with them," Sam scoffed. All of the guard glared at him for interrupting the princess, but he kept a small grin. He saw her sporting the widest grin he ever saw and could not help but slightly chuckle.

"As I was saying," Celestia sighed. "The issue has been resolved, and I will take it from here. Captain Bright Shield."

A black and white unicorn shouted among the crowd of guards "Yes, Your Highness!"

"Return the guards to their original posts. I understand you've had the entire castle on alert to find the creature?"

A tinge of red appeared on his cheeks. "Yes, Your Highness!" He was simply being cautious. He never thought he would be admonished for thinking about the safety of everypony!

However, instead of a harsh lecture, she only gave a satisfied "Good work. You're dismissed."

Bright blinked at the succinct order, but he did not hesitate. "Yes, Your Highness!" he said, and after saluting, he faced his fellow guards and shouted "Inform every guard in the castle to return to their posts. We're no longer on high alert."

A chorus of "Yes sir!" later, the guards dispersed and only the princesses, Sam, Twilight and her friends remained in the corridor.

"Now that that's taken care of, the castle will be back to normal in no time." She turned to Twilight, who had been fidgeting on the spot. As her mentor, she recognized it from the numerous times she taught her something new. "Yes, Twilight, I received your letter concerning you and your friends' arrival. I want to hear all about your impressions of Sam."

"Sam?" Pinkie spoke up. "I thought his name was Minauno!"

Everypony's eyes looked at him expectantly for this mishap. Recognizing the name and its validity, Celestia's saw this as an opportunity to judge Sam firsthoof. Honesty was a part of the Elements of Harmony, after all.

Sam bit his lip. He did not like to delve into his past, but he noticed the piercing look on Celestia. He knew she was trying to read him, and he could not risk tipping her off. "My real name is Samuel. Just call me Sam. Minuano's just a code name I went by."

"Oooh..." Pinkie widened her eyes in wonder. "Oh I see what you did there! Everypony kept saying Minauno was your name, but you never mentioned it was a code name! You're good!"

"So what are you then?" Rainbow spoke up. "A spy? A secret agent?" Despite the hostile tone, her intrigue and excitement was evident from hearing "code name".

"Before we ask anything, there's still one thing left to take care of," Celestia said. She too was eager for questioning, but she had to prepare for her new guest.

Sam raised an eyebrow. "And what's that?"

As soon as he asked, a low growl was heard. Specifically, a growl of an empty stomach. Sam looked at the six ponies, while they stared back, thinking the exact same thing:

Was that you?

"Uh, that was me." A pink hoof was raised in the air. When everypony stared at her, Pinkie shrugged. "What? You know how fast Minua-I mean, Sam runs?"

Luna let out a hearty laugh. "Yes, I suppose we can have a late lunch. Come, let us go to the dining room."

With Celestia and Luna leading the group, Sam followed behind everypony. However, before another step was taken another growl was heard.

Eyes were on her again, but Pinkie shook her head so fast it was a blur. "That wasn't me, I swear!"

Sam blinked several times before looking down at his own stomach. "Okay, that was me."

Author's Note

(rewritten/fixed 09/15/2014)

Act 1: Hero-(Non)sacred Hospitality

"Well, Sam, what's wrong? You can't have lost your appetite."

He looked at the table, and back at the smiling alicorn. It was a magnificent spread; plates of varying shapes and sized carried servings of equally assorted plants. Appealing to the eyes, but not for his stomach. Other than a bored nibble of celery and an apple slice, he did not touch any of food.

Frowning still, he turned to see Pinkie Pie gorging on a salad composed of hays and greens. It was almost torturous.

"Where's the meat?" he almost screamed in hunger.

Twilight blinked . Everypony at the table stopped eating to stare at him, even Pinkie, who had a piece of celery protruding from her mouth.

Celestia and Luna had given them a brief summary of humans while they had walked to the dining room, but that did little to dispel their fears.

Noticing the sudden change in atmosphere, Luna, sitting at the end of the table, pawed the floor indignantly. "I'm sorry to say," she said in a tone that was anything but, "but we have not stocked our kitchens with any meat. Our ponies are mostly herbivores, after all."

Unknown to Sam and most ponies, the griffin delegates' visit had necessitated a large supply of pork and chicken to be served during their stay in Canterlot. However, the meat would not be delivered to the castle until a few days before their arrival. The griffins were rather picky with their meats, and Celestia figured they would want it was fresh as possible.

Sam rested his head on his left hand and pulled the nearest salad bowl to him with his right hand, grabbing a fork as well. "Forget it," he muttered, blindly stabbing at his salad. He spotted a daisy stuck on his fork and grimaced.

"So...you really do eat meat, huh?" Twilight shared her friends' disgust, but she had a better time replacing it with intrigue. She kept her eyes glued to Sam's features, from his black arm to his canine teeth. She looked at the daisy he plucked out. "You don't eat flowers?"

Sam took another mouthful of salad. "No. We can eat plants, just not what your kind may have." He reached out for a large orange at the middle of the table. "And in case the rest of you are thinking," he pointed at the rest of the ponies, "let's just say I don't eat animals I'm not familiar with." He finished off with a small yet intimidating smile.

After a pause, Fluttershy was unable to hold her composure and relocated herself next to Celestia, who laid a hoof to her shoulder.

"Don't worry Fluttershy. He won't be harming anypony. But for now, will you please tell us what you saw in the Everfree Forest?" Despite her calm demeanor, she eyed Sam chewing on his salad with an angry look on his face.

As much as Sam wanted to listen in on the pegasus' testimony, Fluttershy was practically whispering and she was surrounded by her friends. However, Twilight remained next to Sam.

"Aren't you a princess or something? Shouldn't you pay attention to your subject's opinions?"

Twilight blinked in surprise. "The princesses know what to do. I've only been a princess recently, so I'm still getting used to my position." She smiled sheepishly. "Besides, I already heard what happened. You killed-" she hesitated for a moment "-a giant timberwolf."

Sam kept quiet, too busy stuffing himself with the orange to answer. He was hungry, and it was going to take a lot of fruits and vegetables to fill his stomach when meat was unavailable. Besides, it still felt awkward for him to converse when this strangely amicable pony was eyeing him.

"How did you do it?" was the ultimate question.

Finishing the orange and the salad, he reached for another salad bowl. "Does it matter?"

"It would be a welcome reassurance."

Twilight jumped at Luna's voice, but Sam gave no reaction. He did not even bother looking at her behind him. "Oh really?"

"Yes," Luna replied, stern as ever. She looked to Celestia and Twilight's friends surrounding her all looking back at her, their expressions either neutral or nervous. Disregarding them, she faced the human. "Everypony, even our Royal Guards are rather unnerved by your appearance, and the havoc you caused from your little escapade does not help your case."

Throughout this lecture, Sam had emptied the second bowl and was reaching out for a third. He remembered the Ponyvillians rushing themselves into their homes at the sight of him, but he preferred the desolation over hundreds of eyes gawking at him. "You don't look that afraid. Maybe I should give you a reason to be." He stabbed at the greens again.

Luna chuckled at his attempt at intimidation. "Even if you could, it would be a bad idea to aggravate the ponies that control the sun and moon." Sam's lack of reaction told her either he did not care about her ability or doubted her. "Regardless, until we can affirm you will cause no harm, we request you answer us."

"And why would I answer you?" Sam scoffed. "You think someone you arrested out of the blue would cooperate just like that?" He made sure that despite his smirk, his distaste in her was obvious. He remembered how Sky High referred to him as a "monster", and felt his anger rise. At least the rest of the townsponies left him alone.

Luna flinched at his tone, but turned to Celestia. However, she either seemed too engrossed in Fluttershy's words or was ignoring Luna’s chastising glare, and Luna tried to recover.

"If you will not answer us, what will you do then?"

Sam pondered. "Find a way to get back home, with or without Discord's help or consent. I don't care about you ponies."

Her frown deepened. "Then you will have to contend with us. If it is something that involves Equestria, we will hear about it, either from you or Discord

Sam growled. "And what makes you think you can keep me here?"

Luna and Twilight shuddered. Thankfully, nopony else seemed to have heard.

"We won't be keeping you here longer than we have to!" Twilight said frantically. "Princess Luna just wants to know all she can to help us. If you don't want to, there's always Discord."

He chuckled at her. "If this is supposed to be some "good cop, bad cop" routine, you're doing a pretty bad job." He dropped his smile and bent the fork in his hand. "But if I see that bastard first, I'm killing him again."

Luna scoffed. "You failed once already. He is not someone that can be killed so easily. Even with both my sister and my powers, we could not stop him when he reigned a thousand years ago without the Elements of Harmony."

"I take it you unicorns are pretty damn strong, with that whole magic crap," Sam spat. He wanted to see how everypony would react if he threatened to crush Luna's horn in his hand, but with her sister just a couple meters away, he could not risk it. "And "Elements of Harmony"? Ironic name for weapons."

It was Twilight's turn to frown. "The Elements of Harmony are artifacts the princesses used to defeat Discord in the past, when he ruled Equestria. Everypony lived in chaos because of him. The Elements were the only things that could stop him. But now, Celestia wanted to free Discord so he could use his magic for good."

"If by "good", you mean bringing me and those warmongers here, then he did a damn fine job."

Daunted, Twilight wondered how to approach him now. He was clearly agitated by his resurrection, and more so of Discord.

"Oh that's right!" she shouted, her nervousness causing her to raise her voice louder than she had intended. "I forgot to introduce everypony! You know me, Twilight Sparkle, from Ponyville, and this is Princess Luna." She pointed at the frowning alicorn.

Sam groaned at her insistence. "Is she always like this when she meets someone new?"

As much as Luna wanted to agree, Celestia was taking glances at the trio, So far, from what Fluttershy had told her, Sam was extremely powerful, not that she thought otherwise, but actually hearing the testimony eliminated some ambivalence on him as a potential threat. Her occasional peeks told her to not underestimate the human.

Taking both of their silences as a sign to continue, Twilight proceeded with introductions, albeit with less enthusiasm. "Uh, and the white alicorn is Princess Celestia, Princess Luna's older sister. And those are my friends: Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy." she listed, pointing to each designated pony.

"Instead of telling me who they are, tell me why I should care." With her constant badgering, he lost his appetite and shoved another empty salad bowl away.

Twilight hesitated. Nothing she did was making a good impression.

If this keeps up, he's going to get angry, and if that happens, the princesses would probably think I don't know the first thing about making friends and that I haven't been taking my studies on friendship seriously!

"Because they are the new wielders of the Elements of Harmony," Luna spoke up. "They are heroes of Equestria, so show some respect." Tired of his acrimonious behavior, she pressed on. "We offer you nourishment and answers, and all you have to show for yourself is disrespect and discourtesy towards everypony!"

He clenched his teeth, trying to avoid saying something he might later regret. However, even as easy-going as he was outside of combat, her rather pompous tone was almost begging for a verbal tongue lashing. "Disrespect? Discourtesy?” he exclaimed, the bitter sarcasm dripping from his voice. “Let’s see now, you arrested me, not for a crime but to keep me in here and interrogate me, label me "creature" and "monster", your guards even threatened me in order to make me come with them, and you think yourselves hospitable? After you and half the castle guards chased me around the castle, screaming "Halt human!"?" It took all of his self-control to keep speaking out even further. He had more in mind to say, to see how much he could make her squirm, but with her older sister in the same room as him, he did want to test her any further.

Before Luna could say anything else in her defense, the scraping of chairs was heard and he turned to the group of ponies at the end of the table. Celestia has risen from her seat and was walking towards him with her ponies following behind. Her expression was neutral, but Sam and Luna knew their shouting match had something to do with her action.

"I see you have made yourself comfortable." It was impossible for either Sam or the other princesses to read her face, but the sarcasm was apparent. "I have heard from Fluttershy, but her words are still not enough information."

Twilight perked up. "Oh that's right! Princess, I really should have brought Mayor Mare here! She was the last pony to see him before the guards!"

"The Mayor of Ponyville?" Celestia inquired. "Twilight, I understand your desire to help, but we cannot simply have everypony that witnessed the human come here." Having Sam waltz through Ponyville and being seen by its entire populous could have led to disastrous results, and everypony was right to be cautious of him.

"Oh her, the brown mare with greying hair?" Sam interjected, but only Celestia seemed to have heard him. She stared at him with interest.

"Yes. Have you had a more personal meeting with her?" She hoped Sam did not give her too much of a hassle.

Sam smirked at her question. "If by "meeting", you mean intruding into the town hall and shaking her hoof, then yeah." He turned to the remains of the spread, his hunger returning.

While Sam continued to eat and Luna and Twilight stared at him, Celestia pondered. She preferred to know as much as she could about a situation before trying to resolve it. Another testimony from a different pony would be informative, especially when the pony in question has had such a personal contact with him. It was proving difficult to coerce more answers from Sam and threatening him like Luna did would give him more reason to antagonize them.

Celestia sighed. Knowing her ponies, some were likely to panic at the thought of an alien creature in Equestria, but all of them would be curious, as proven by Twilight and her friends. "So you wish to invite Mayor Mare to testify, Twilight?"

Twilight shirked at being addressed. "Uhm, well, if you feel it's necessary, princess...do you?"

The giant alicorn smiled at her student. "Of course. As princesses, it is our responsibility to listen to our subjects and resolve crises like this." She turned to Luna. "Luna, leave Sam with me. Will you please send a letter to Mayor Mare as quick as possible?"

Luna sighed, but relented. She felt if she spent another minute talking with him, she would eventually break all the windows from their shouting. "Yes, sister. Excuse me, everypony." She smirked at Sam before leaving the room to search for the fastest mailpony in the castle.

"Well then, if you don't mind, Sam, some overdue questions must be answered," Celestia hoped some food in him would motivate him even if it did not sate his carnivorous hunger, but her sister conversing with him had placed him in an even worse mood than before, forcing her to be the peaceful mediator.

Sam looked at the plates he emptied and smiled at her, his appetite under control for now. Amazing how a sated stomach can improve one's mood. "Alright, but can we walk as we do so? I'm not used to sitting still for so long."

While Celestia was glad for his civility, she remained wary of him. "Of course." She faced everypony behind her. "Thank you for your time, all of you, And Fluttershy, your testimony was invaluable."

The yellow pegasus returned a small smile to the elder alicorn. While grateful for her princess's assurance and honored to help her, all she wanted to do now was to return to her cottage and cook Angel Bunny an overdue lunch.

"If anypony has any more questions, then you are free to stay and follow me. If not, thank you for your time. Once again, you have my apologies if I took you away from your busy schedules."

Twilight, expecting a more grandiose of a farewell, sputtered a mixture of a question and an explanation, but Celestia and Sam were already by the door. Before she could get off her chair to follow them, she was surrounded by her friends.

"So Sam's his name, huh?" Rainbow Dash uttered while hovering in the air. She crossed her hooves. "He doesn't seem that tough. Princess Luna sure taught him a lesson, huh?"

"Well, I'm just glad he went for the salad instead of us. Eating meat...ugh." Rarity raised a hoof to her mouth.

"Oh come on, now!" Pinkie returned to her normal bouncy self. "Don't you remember Gilda? Sure she was a mean meany-pants, but you were friends, weren't you Dashie?"

"Well, yeah," Dash muttered, "but at least she was reserved about it!"

"We get it! Can we just please stop talking about meat, please?" Rarity interjected, shaken by the topic. "Anyways, Twilight, I suppose you still want to talk with the princesses about him?"

Twilight was torn. If she left for Ponyville, she could continue on her studies of the Griffin Kingdom, but if she stayed, she could have more chances of learning about this new creature called a human. Celestia seemed overly eager to converse with him.

"Well, I don't know about you guys, but I'm sticking around!" Rainbow remarked. She eyed to door warily, "I still don't like the feeling of that guy. Although I still say he doesn’t look that tough.”

"Rainbow! Did you not hear what he said? He tried to attack Discord!" Rarity shuddered. "Now's not the time to be picking fights. As exciting this may all be, Princess Celestia is right. We should probably return to Ponyville if we don't have anything else to ask."

"Well I don't know about you guys, but I'm staying!" Pinkie beamed at her friends' aghast faces. "Why not? I need to ask him about how he wants his "Welcome to Equestria" party! Besides, if he's full of cakes and candy, he won't have any room left in his stomach to eat anypony!"

Twilight groaned. "Pinkie, he said he's not going to eat anypony." She looked at the door, and saw Sam and Celestia walking beside each other.

Just who or what is Sam? And why is Princess Celestia so concerned about him?

"So I take it you know everything about me from Discord?"

"Just what he told me. He showed me that you were a vagabond, a vigilante of sorts, before joining a company called World Marshal."

Sam growled at the mention of the name. "Is that all you know of me?"

"Well, Discord might have told me more about you if you didn't cause such a commotion in the castle."

"Well, excuse me for trying to help myself." Sam turned to her, ignoring the abnormally long hallway. "You said something about her back there?"

"You mean Mayor Mare? Yes. Right about now, I imagine our mailpony is on his way to deliver her an invitation here."

"So she'll be testifying for or against me?"

"About that. Let me apologize for your...poor reception. I sent those guards to escort you, not arrest you. I suppose some confusion was created in the chain of command. Please don't blame Sky High for this. He didn't know what he was dealing with, and he assumed to bring as many of our guards as he could. As for the castle guards, I had them on high alert. I never expected you to escape from them or outrun them."

"Well, let’s just stay I'm used to the authorities chasing me," he muttered.

"Of that, I have no doubt." Even though she smiled, the memory of Sam bisecting two policemen in his world made her shiver. "As for your situation, Mayor Mare's own testimony would hold less credibility over your own-"

"Hang on a sec." Sam stopped walking and turned around. "Why are you following me?"

Behind the pair, Pinkie Pie was silently walking behind, sporting an eager smile. Behind her, her friends followed, staring at Sam curiously while listening to Twilight as she quietly gave them her impression on the human.

"I'm not following you, I'm following the Princess, Minuany! Or should it be Sammy?" she pondered, unaware of his snarling.

"Call me Sammy, you die."

Pinkie pouted. "Aww. But then what kind of nickname am I supposed to give you? I give each of my friends a nickname, so you should get one too!"

Sam groaned and rubbed his head. It was as if her saccharine appearance, voice, and mannerisms were actually making him sick. "A nickname's supposed to be shorter than the name itself, and Sam's already a shortened version of my name," he explained slowly, his teeth clenched

"But Sam's too boring! And Minuano's too long, and Minuany-"

"Do you mind?!" Sam barked, glaring at the pink puff of fur. "If you really want to be friendly, then leave me alone. In case you haven't noticed, I'm having a private talk with your princess!"

"Hey!” Suddenly, a blue blur made its way between Sam and Pinkie. "Don't talk down to her like that! And if you think we're going to leave something as suspicious as you with the princess, you got another thing coming!"

Before Sam could proceed with ripping her a new one, Celestia wisely interrupted. "Rainbow Dash, please keep your voice down. We were having a very personal conversation. But Sam, understand that if we let everypony ask their questions to you now, you would spend less time answering them one at a time."

"And since when did I agree to answer them in the first place?" he demanded, folding his arms in defiance.

"Well, it's only reasonable you answer their questions after we've answered some of yours." Celestia responded, smiling at his crabbiness. "And I doubt you would want Miss Pie badgering you through the entire castle. I know how persistent she can be."

Her underlying intention was clear, but Sam saw her point. If there was one thing he knew, it was how good the pink mare was at catching and keeping up with him.

"Alright, I get your point. But!" He raised a hand to halt any eager ponies questioning him. "One question at a time. That means you, Pink."

"Ooh, good one!" Pinkie laughed, bouncing on the floor excitedly.

Twilight coughed and stepped forward from her friends, having caught up with Celestia and Pinkie. "Excuse me princess; are you and Sam finished talking then?"

"Don't worry, Twilight. I promised you would be able to ask your questions, didn't I?" She smiled down at her student, and beckoned the rest of the Element Bearers closer to Sam, much to his discomfort. "And don't worry about Sam. He won't be any danger while I'm here."

"Alright then, first question!" Rainbow flew up to Sam so they were eye to eye. She ignored his glare while she flapped her wings in tandem with his footsteps. "Can I see that sword you took out that timberwolf with?" She eyed the metal sheath hosting the weapon like it was made of gold.

Sam lifted his eyebrow in amusement while Celestia's eyes widened. His sword was the last thing either of them expected to be asked about. "Sorry. But I only pull out my sword when I'm working. That is, unless you want to be sliced into pieces faster than you can blink."

"Uh, maybe we can hold off on that for later!" Twilight shared her mentor's apprehensiveness and pulled her friend back to the ground. "What about your arm? And your armor? Can you tell us anything about them?"

"Before I answer that, let me ask you this first: what do you know about cyborgs?" When he saw everypony's blank faces, he groaned.

Of course. With a country that still uses castles, cybernetics would be the last thing on their minds.

"Alright, what do you know about robots?"

"Robots? You meant electronic machinery? Those kinds of things?" Twilight had only read about them in science fiction novels from her library, but with her most recent studies focusing solely on the Griffin Kingdom, she could not accurately recollect their definition.

"Oh! Like the kind Daring Do had to fight in Daring Do and The Metal Menace where she fights an evil robot copy of herself! Wait..." Rainbow turned to Sam, awestruck. "You're a robot! That's so cool! I bet that face of yours is just a fake and that you have all kinds of wires and stuff under that suit, just like in the Exterminator!"

While Rainbow explained the plot of the aforementioned movie to her befuddled friends, Sam faced Twilight. "Is she always this excitable?"

"Don't worry, it's just that Daring Do is her favorite book series and Exterminator is one of her favorite films. You're...not really a robot, are you?" Although the idea was fascinating, she did not share her friend's level of enthusiasm towards a killer robot.

"If I was, do you think I would have eaten anything back there?" Sam picked up his speed, causing everypony to nearly jog to keep up with him. The ponies' comments only annoyed him further. "A cyborg is basically a person with both organic and artificial parts."

Twilight "Ooh"-ed at the display. "So they're more than just a prosthetic? If so, what happened to your original..." She realized what she was saying and covered her mouth with a hoof.

He detected her regret and nodded. "Let’s just say I lost it and leave it at that, okay?" A door was finally in sight, one that led to the courtyard. "Besides, I checked the "lost-and-found" bin, and my arm wasn't there."

Everypony was petrified while he walked to the exit. A few seconds passed before a chuckle broke the silence, eventually building up into laughter.

"Hahaha! I get it! Lost-and-found! Hahahaha..." Despite laughing so hard, she noticed none of her friends joined in. Immediately, the realization kicked her in the gut and her mane lost some of its puffiness. "Oh...that wasn't supposed to be funny, was it?"

Sam turned around but did not stop walking. Everypony was horrified by his smile; it was not the soft smile of amusement, but a broken one. "So I suggest you watch what you say, otherwise you might end up laughing so hard you lose your head."

As the group silently walked through the field, everypony, especially Twilight and Celestia, could not help but ponder more and more about Sam. His joke destroyed the atmosphere for questions, but it did not prevent them from trying regardless. However, before they could, Celestia approached him.

“Discord said he brought your friends here?"

His smile slowly inverted and his eyes pierced her own. "They're not my friends. Far from it. The best you could call them would be coworkers."

"You mean they were associated with World Marshal? You never did tell us what the company specialized in."

"Before that, I must ask, does this Equestria have organized military? Surely those guards can't be all you have."

"Why do you ask?" She tried her best to remain neutral. Her guards were the best she had and she knew her guards' were up to any task assigned to them. Besides, if all else failed, herself and Luna would join them in opposing the threat.

"It's obvious Discord was talking about the Winds of Destruction before he left." In the distance, he saw a pair of guards marching by. He imagined how the Desperado Enforcement commanders would individually eviscerate them, causing a small smile to appear on his face.

"With a name like that and the military context, I assume they are soldiers with quite the reputation."

Sam and Celestia looked up to see Luna flying towards them, landing gracefully on the grass in front of them. She leered at the human before facing her sister. "We have sent out our fastest pegasus to deliver the letter to the Mayor. If there are no problems, she should arrive in a few hours by train."

"You seem rather eager to have her here, Luna," Celestia inquired. "Is something the matter?"

"Very!" She stomped the ground and pointed to Sam. "This human is clearly dangerous, yet you have decided to keep it here unbound! Simply letting him outside, is that not endangering our subjects?"

Celestia frowned. "What would you suggest I do, Luna? Keep him locked in the dungeons that haven't been maintained in centuries? Besides, I am with everypony. Sam, how would you react if we truly did arrest you and threw you in a cell?"

Sam caught on and smirked. "What do you think? Imagine what I did to Discord, multiplied by the number of guards you throw at me." When he saw her grimace, he started chuckling. "What? Did you expect any less? You sound like you've seen humans before, so what's the hubbub?"

When both princesses froze at this, Twilight interrupted. "Pardon me, Princess Celestia, but he raised a good point. How do you know about humans?"

Celestia and Luna looked at each other worriedly. This was not a topic they wished to discuss; the Winds of Destruction garnered more of their attention. "If we were to say we have encountered humans in the past, would it suffice as a suitable response?" Luna said curtly.

Twilight flinched at her bitter tone. "Well, I suppose, but can't you be more specific? What happened between you and them?"

Celestia sighed. "As much as I wish to tell you, we have more pressing matters in the present. Discord had brought not only Sam, but other humans as well. With a name like "Winds of Destruction", I assume they are quite the nefarious group?"

Sam laughed at the adjective. "That's putting it lightly, to describe them." He continued marching, the ponies following suit. "They're members of a PMC called Desperado Enterprises. You do use the alphabet here, right?"

Celestia nodded. "The Equestrian alphabet, yes. It's used throughout the world. It's the same as your English."

"Then you'll probably wonder what PMC stands for: Private Military Corporation. Or as they decorate it nowadays, Private Military Security Company."

Luna nodded slowly in comprehension. "A provider of military services? Like mercenaries?" She grew anxious at the idea of humans wielding swords and armor waging war with her ponies.

"Now you see why I asked about your military. But they aren't simple barbarians. They assist in all aspects of an army, including logistics, defense, transport, things like that. All of them follow the law, so they are more than average mercs. Most of them provide security for political heads, like Maverick Security Consulting, or cause riots and assist terrorists like Desperado." He finished by tapping on his right shoulder, emblazoned on it the company's logo.

"So you worked for this Desperado?" Celestia asked, narrowing her eyes at his words.

"No. As you've said, I'm a vigilante. I merely got this arm from them and occasionally worked with them," he remarked casually, not caring for the tension pervading their group.

"Sister, now do you doubt him? A self-proclaimed terrorist!" Luna pointed to him, trying to replace most of her anger with annoyance. It was enough to let something so dangerous walk freely, but associating herself with him so closely was suicidal.

"Be that as it may, so far, he has not broken any laws of ours. He has not committed any crimes during his time here, except maybe running away from the guards. I'm also worried about these "Winds of Destruction". If they are as dangerous as Sam, we need to know all we can about them," she countered. Discord had shown her how the human world fared just by introducing Sam. The number of those cyborgs he mentioned shown on the television worried her, and it gave her a migraine to think about what that colossal bipedal robot was.

That was when Sam decided to end it. "Now if you may, here's another question: how do I get back home?"

Celestia blinked. “What do you mean?"

"My home? My planet, dimension, universe, whatever the hell you want to call it." He crossed his arms, frowning at them.

Celestia stammered, not in fear, but in astonishment. "Did you not hear from Discord? He can't send you back, and magically, he is more powerful than even us, Sam, and we are the most magically imbued ponies there are."

"And just how do I know you're all telling the truth?" Sam countered. "That monster's more than insane if he brought those killers here. You think someone like that's trustworthy? Blacky, you said it yourself, you don't want me here, and I don't want to be here any longer than I have to be."

Luna snarled at the nickname, but focused on the current topic. "Were you not listening? We can't send you back!" she shouted exasperatedly. "Believe us, we are more than doubtful of Discord, but he is right in saying he cannot teleport you home. If we knew of a way to send you back, we would, along with the rest of these Winds of Destruction."

"Then there's no point in me staying here any longer," and without warning, he changed his direction to a nearby gate guarded by a pair of earth ponies.

"Wait, what?"

Sam did not respond, and instead glared at the guards beneath him. Even though earth pony guards were known for their unsurpassed physique, when they saw Sam up close, their stoic faces slightly faltered.

"W- what do you think you're doing?" one of them asked, trying to keep his stammers to a minimum.

"Taking my leave. Either open the door, or step aside. If not, I'll just cut you and the door down." Sam was no longer in the mood for games.

"Wait!" Luna cried out. "We are not done with you yet! Surely you still don't think-"

The guards moved out of the way and he grabbed the door. "Yes, I do! And you're both idiots for believing him!"

"Now wait just a minute, bub!" In a blink, a blue pegasus flew up to Sam's face. "Just because you're cool and all doesn't mean you can talk to the princesses like that after all they've done for you! Sam, Minuano, I don't care what you call yourself, but you better apologize to them right now!"

"And I don't care what any of you damn ponies think of me." He turned and looked at the ponies, causing them to flinch at the menace in his eyes and voice. "If your princesses can't get me back, then I'll just have to find my own way back." When he tried to pull back the gate, he could not get it open. A gold aura surrounding the door, keeping it stuck in place.

"Please wait, Sam." Furious, he turned around and saw Celestia marching calmly towards him. “If you cannot trust Discord's words, then it's fair to say that I cannot trust your words as well. How do we know you will only be trying to get back? How do I know you won't be a threat to Equestria?"

Angry as he was, he let out a tired laugh. "A threat? That's all I am to you? I thought Discord told you-"

"You were right," Celestia interrupted. "After what Discord has done, he has earned our doubt. Everything he told me may have been fabrication and lies, and with little evidence from either him or you, we are left with Ms. Mare's and your testimonies. We ask that you stay, Sam. At least until Ms. Mare comes by."

Sam looked at his sword. As a freelance, he never stayed in one location for too long, and being told he had to stay in a castle filled with guards was bothersome to say the least.

So as long as I stay here, I'm free? So all I have to do's wait until that Mayor Mare comes by?

Let's see just how much I can milk out of this.

"So you want me to stay here until then? Is that it?"

Celestia sighed in relief, but stopped when she saw an inquisitive frown. He was no longer angry, but curious. "Yes, that's what I said," she replied hesitantly.

"And how long until Mayor Mare arrives?"

Celestia looked up at the sun. As the one who had at least partial control over it, she knew nearly everything about it, including how to use its position to deduce the time. "Luna, when did you send the mailpony?"

"About an hour ago, why?" the darker alicorn replied.

"Then along with the two hour train ride, it should take about at least three hours at the most, before dinnertime."

"That's perfect." Sam smirked, pleased with the timing. "Alright, I'll stay. But on two conditions."

Luna frowned at Sam. "And just what are these conditions? And what makes you think we will provide for you?"

"Either that, or you can have me blindly running around the castle, up to who knows what." Sam walked back to join the rest of the Element Bearers. "Just...keep me entertained, will you?"

Before Luna could raise her voice, Celestia placed a hoof on her shoulder. "I know how angry you are, but his impudence is not something that we can punish. He has not harmed anypony, and even allowed the guards to come here. What do you say we just hear him out?"

The dark alicorn hung her head and groaned in defeat. Her sister almost always sounded more reasonable than she intended. "You are far too lenient, sister. But that's why you have me now." She faced Sam with grimace. "Very well. What are these conditions of yours?"

Sam crossed his arms. "First, a tour around the castle. Easy enough so far? Second, I want a fight with your guards."

"What!?" Luna exploded, actually knocking Sam back a step. "You will do no such thing!"

"It's not like I'm going to kill them or anything. It will be good experience for them, for if they ever fight the Winds of Destruction." This was partially true. He thought it would be wise for everypony to see firsthand how a cyborg fights, although it was just an adequate excuse for him to let loose.

Luna looked at Celestia, but she reluctantly nodded, telling her to accept. Although she would never admit it, even she was somewhat curious to what Sam was truly capable of. However, she would be careful to stop him from causing any permanent injuries to her guards, and trusted Luna to keep on guard.

"Very well, but that fight will have to wait until the end of your tour. You wish to fight with all of the guards?" Luna asked, her patience straining at the seams.

"Only those that volunteer. For some incentive, tell them there is a prize for them in the end. I'm sure some of one of you'll like it." He tapped his sword for emphasis, and saw Rainbow's eyes widen. He faced Luna, who still hesitated at the request. "What's the matter? Afraid your guards, the almighty defenders of Equestria, can't handle a single human?"

The two guards' eyes narrowed at this comment, but did not speak or move from their positions. The princesses nevertheless felt their indignation.

Sam looked at the five ponies huddled around their purple alicorn. Some had looks of awe, while some like Fluttershy were petrified by his stature and attitude. "Lead the way. You never did give me an official tour of this place."

Author's Note

(Fixed/rewritten 09/26/2014)

Act 1: Hero-Why Do You Fight?

Like any day before, today was a bad day for Nightingale. Her black glasses diminished the sunlight on her eyes, but did not help against walking through it. Every day, it was a struggle to wake up and move about, but it was easier as time flew by, or at least it felt like it.

She had an errand to run for the princesses, and she enjoyed the trip. Not much action, but delivering an important message to the captain's office kept her mind off of things, like her hunger.

She reached her latest hallway and closed her eyes in pain. To its left, a cascade of colors dotted the floor, and it took her a moment to adjust her eyes. Three large windows, each depicting a different victory of ponykind, dyed the sunlight passing through.

The Elements of Harmony. Honesty, Laughter, Kindness, Loyalty, Generosity, forming Magic, and in the metaphysical sense, friendship. The very thing that keeps harmony across Equestria and everypony happy.

And yet I keep frowning every time I pass by it. Ain't that ironic.

The castle was enormous and dizzying to the laypony, but to her, who had lived here for years, she knew it like the back of her hoof, from the throne room to the basements. It was one of the few things she prided in.

Now if only somepony asked for directions.

She could not complain. The princesses gave her refuge and food, and she would not have lasted this long otherwise.

She licked her fangs in hunger, wondering if she could sneak in to the kitchens for a snack, although it was more likely she would be chased out before she could even enter. Everypony in the castle knew who she was from her glasses, white surgical mask, and red mane, and those that did not followed suit.

Eventually she reached the office door. Opening it, she breathed in the scent of parchment and ink as she marched up to the captain's desk, where the unicorn behind it was scribbling away on a checklist.

"Captain, a notice from the princesses." She reached into her saddlebag and pulled out a sheet of paper. The captain briskly nodded in thanks before levitating it onto his desk.

As he skimmed over the paper, his eyebrows converged. "Ugh, you've got to…. he wants what?!"

"What does it say, sir?" Nightingale asked curiously.

"Princess Celestia wants an audience with the creature, called a human. She says the human wishes to challenge any guard to fight him?"

"Human? You mean the thing all of the guards were scrambling about?" she asked.

He nodded. "Sky High, my lieutenant, told me about how the human was firsthoof. He had a platoon's worth of trained guardsponies surrounding him back in Ponyville, and you know what he did? Laugh." He got out of his chair and looked out the window behind him. "He was..."condescending", as Sky High put it."

"So he's intimidating? Reduces morale?"

Bright Shield smiled. She had a sharp mind and a blunt personality. Not something he got from his guards nowadays. "Sort of. I don't know how long you've been working here, but the Royal Guards, especially ones here in Canterlot, are especially loyal to the princesses. Any more devotion, and we might even be labeled fanatics."

"He does not respect the princesses? Or at least as much as the guards believe he should be?"

"Exactly, and that's what's getting some of them so riled up. Most ponies don't know it, but our guards are mostly made up of...the more rowdier of ponies. They know that, and that's why they join the guards: to be disciplined and benefit pony society.

"Those ponies need something to devote themselves to, something to work towards. This human, called Sam, is seen as insulting them. Picking a fight with them's probably seen as picking a fight with the princesses, I suppose." He continued reading, and suddenly laughed. "He promises his sword to anypony that can beat him, which he guarantees can cut anything."

"That has to be worth some value to somepony, sir."

"But it should not be worth anything to a member of the Royal Guard." Bright's voice turned somber as he faced Nightingale. "We are guards, not murderers. A sword like that in our possession would send a bad example to everypony. Besides, Princess Celestia would only confiscate it. What do you think? Do you want a weapon like that?"

Nightingale blinked behind her glasses. Her answer was obvious, but she did not want to risk earning the superior's ire. "I have no need for weapons. That's what the guards are for, isn't it sir?"

The captain stayed silent. The mare was, as usual, keeping to herself. "Well, maybe I should go fight him. Don't know what I can gain by not."

"You have been captain for four months, am I correct?"

"Yep, and I'm curious to see what this human can do. Making me run around half the castle searching for him...if he can run away like that, it would interesting to see how well he fights." He walked past her and opened the door. "If you'll excuse me, I need to tell everypony about this. And a trip to the bathroom."

She could hear his hooves dimming as she followed suit. She knew he was trying to make himself more impressive by fighting.

She knew about the human. After all, what pony could forget a bipedal figure with a black arm like him running past her? He was running so fast the wind sent her mane flying. He did not seem to notice her, only intent on getting to wherever he was headed.

If the captain's true, then a lot of guards might show up. Something that fast, that strong. ooooh...

Beneath her cloak her wings trembled. It was always interesting to see a scuffle among guards during slow days, but with an alien species, and one that purposely engaged in it?

This should be interesting.

"Can we take a break yet?"

"What for? We've only been walking for half an hour." Twilight turned around, wondering how Sam could be so tired already.

"Not the walking, your voice!" he barked. "You've been talking nonstop since we came back in the castle. When I asked for a tour, I didn't ask for a lecture as well!"

While Twilight was taken aback by the outburst, Rainbow and Pinkie failed to hold back laughter. "You gotta admit, Twilight-" the blue mare chortled between breaths "-he has a point!"

"What she means to say's, Twi-" Applejack to muffle herself "-is that your speeches are fine and all, but could ya tone it down a bit? My brain's starting to hurt, and Ah'm guessing Sam's is too."

Twilight quietly grumbled to herself. "But then, how will you know all about Canterlot without-"

"And why do you want to tell me so much about the damn place, anyways?" Sam interrupted. "If you keep talking about how many pieces of glass make up each chandelier or how many bathrooms there are in this place, then you're never going to have time to ask me any questions, will you? Besides, you were all terrified of me before, why so hospitable now?"

Twilight hesitantly opened her mouth. She did not want to know how mad he would get if he knew she was doing this as practice for the griffin delegates.

"I figured, if we were more polite, you would be more open, and we could ask you some questions in return."

Sam smirked. "And by running your mouth a mile a minute, you'll get me to open up?" When he heard no response, he continued walking past her. "Just let me take things at my own pace. Ask your questions, but I decide whether to answer them." Her previous question regarding his arm came to mind.

"In that case, here's one!" Pinkie jumped in front of his path. "What would you like on your cake?"

Sam paused for a moment before walking around her, only to have her following behind. "I thought you were busy deflating. And what do you mean, my cake?"

"Well, I was busy being down in the dumps, but there are no dumps around the castle and I just realized the reason I was here in the first place! I wanted to throw you a "Welcome to Ponyville!" party! So first off, what kind of cake to you like? Chocolate? Vanilla? Strawberry?"

Sam groaned and ignored her. When Pinkie tried to keep behind him, she was pulled back by Applejack.

"Now hold on a bit there, Pinkie. Ya told us how grumpy he was when you were tagging along with him. Maybe it's time ya'll let us try talkin' with him."

Pinkie blinked a couple times. "Ohhhhh...okay! But be sure to ask him what kind of cake he wants! Insteeead...Princess Luna! What do you know about Sam?"

Sam hid his smile as he saw the alicorn grimace, and kept walking.

"So, uhm, Sam?" Applejack asked. When he did not answer, she hesitated. She suddenly forgot what she was going to ask. "So uh...what d'ya do from where you're from?"

"Freelance."

"Uh, freelance what, exactly? Princess Celestia mentioned ya being a vagabond or somethin'." She smiled hopefully, to encourage him to answer even though he cannot see her.

"Cleaner."

Rarity coughed to cover up a laugh. When Sam and Applejack stared at her with narrow eyes, she felt a chill down her spine. "Well, excuse me, Applejack, Samuel. But I did not expect somepony-I mean, some human like you to take on such a...menial occupation, is all."

"Cleaner. I clean crime scenes and rid corpses."

Everypony was stunned. Something so cruel and horrific like death and murder, and he was talking about it like it was a daily chore. They had a sense of what Sam did from where he came from, but having it affirmed in front of them was different from having speculations about it.

"And I would have cleaned up Discord too, if he didn't run away."

"You tried to hurt Discord?"

Sam turned to see the yellow pegasus with a pink mane frowning at him. "And what if I did? Are you sad about that?"

She was not only sad, but livid with by the thought. Her eyes widened and her friends gasped as she activated her Stare.

"Now, listen up Sam! I may not know exactly who or what you are, but you do not hurt anypony, especially my friends. If you think fighting and hurting others is something fun, it isn't!"

Sam continued looking into her eyes while everypony froze. They knew her Stare was used to tame and control both her animals and wild beasts if necessary, but would it work on a human?

Sam kept his face neutral as he tried to find out what the pegasus was trying to do. He did not expect such aggressiveness from a meek one like her, but it was an interesting development. "Standing up to a professional killer? You got guts, girl." When she gasped in surprise, he gripped his sword, smiling wickedly. "Wanna see how they look like?"

She immediately hid her face behind her mane and Applejack and Rainbow dashed in front of her, the earth pony anxious and the pegasus furiously flying in front of his face.

"Now, no need ta get violent-"

"You so much as touch her mane, bub-"

Sam chuckled and let go of his sword. "Relax. I won't be killing any of you. Besides-" he looked at the cowering pegasus behind them "-all that tough talk of hers was just for show."

"But, I don't understand!" Twilight rubbed her head in confusion. "The Stare should have-didn't it at least scare you? Intimidate you?"

Sam did not know whether to be amused or insulted. "Scared? Intimidated? Which is scarier? A mass murderer or a pony that can't even look me in the eye?" When nopony answered, he scoffed. "And she's one of the heroes of Equestria?The Winds are going to make horse meat out of all of you."

While everypony shivered at his comment, Luna stepped in. "Please do not jest about this. These Winds of Destruction, just who are they?"

"Commanders of Desperado Enterprise," Sam replied as if it was common knowledge. "Cyborgs like me. Celestia said something about the two of you being the most powerful ponies here?" When Luna nodded, he did the same. "If power equals position, then the same applies to them."

"So they are part machine, and extremely powerful. Can I assume they are violent?"

"That would be an understatement." Luna looked apprehensive as she followed behind him while he took in the castle scenery. ""Psychotic" would be a better choice of words, especially Sundowner."

"Is he one of the Winds?"

"Sundowner, Monsoon, and Mistral. The former two, I've occasionally had the unwanted pleasure of working with."

Luna nodded slowly. "And Discord sent them all here? We will have to send notices throughout Equestria warning everypony of them."

"Who says he brought them all to this country?" Sam elaborated. "Earth's a big place, and they may be psychopaths, but they're not stupid."

"So what? We cannot simply remain steadfast!" Every step Luna took now shook the floor, and Sam understood her anger.

"I hate them as much as you do, but what do you expect me to do? I'm just one man. You're magic, you're a princess of the damn country. Can't you, I don't know, scry the world for them or something?"

Luna gasped. Why had she not thought of it earlier? "Of course! We did it in the past! Our range is limited to Equestria and its borders, but maybe..." She closed her eyes and her horn glowed. Unknown to Sam, she was sending out the magical equivalent of sonar waves. If there was any human in the vicinity, she would know immediately.

While she was busy with this, Rainbow hovered besides Twilight. "Hey, you notice something?"

"Notice what?" Twilight asked. "The fact Sam's being more open and less hostile to the princess than us?"

"No, the fact that-hey, you're right!" She glared at the pair standing next to each other. "What's the deal? He throws threats at us and he's busy being buddy-buddy with the princess?"

"Well, Ah'm just glad he ain't threatenin' us anymore," Applejack commented, looking at Fluttershy behind her. "She's still nervous about him. Look, he ain't gonna hurt anypony, alright?"

It took a few moments, but with Applejack's soothing hoof on her back, she took some deep breaths. "Sorry I made you all worry like that.

"No problem, sugarcube."

"But what about the fight?" Fluttershy asked anxiously. "You heard him! And when I told him fighting's wrong..."

"Fluttershy, it's nothing to worry about!" Rainbow reassured. "It's going to be like a match between me and AJ! Besides, if things get too out of hoof, the princess is there. And if that's not enough, then Twilight's here. And if that's not enough-" she pointed a hoof to herself "-I'm here!"

Fluttershy gave a nervous smile. "Oh, okay, if you say so." She looked at Sam, "But Sam... I'm still worried. What would make him so...why did he make it his job of...killing others?"

Everypony wondered silently at that. No matter how he put it, Sam's job was that of a mercenary or bounty hunter. They were not unfamiliar with war and violence. They knew of the conflicts between the three pony races, the battle between their princesses and Discord, and their most recent fight with the changelings, but there were no deaths on both sides, in any of these events.

"Maybe for humans in his world, killing is not that uncommon. The griffins were known for waging a lot of civil war over land and resources, although they're now all united as the Griffin Kingdom. Maybe it's the same for him?" Twilight reasoned. He did not seem like an uncivilized creature. "Maybe mercenary work like his is an important industry? The PMCs he talked about. They sounded like pretty important jobs."

"Be that as it may," Rarity chimed in haughtily, "That is no job to take pride in. Nothing good can come of such a brutal occupation in the long run."

"Bleh!" Pinkie suddenly groaned in disgust. "Stop being so gloomy! This is exactly why we need to throw a party for Sammy-I mean Sam!" Pinkie eyed the human warily, but he did not seem to have heard. "If we want Sam to open up to us, then we need to make him happy! And what better way to do that than with a party?"

"I don't know Pinkie Pie. Maybe that fight?" Even the bubbly mare could not miss Rainbow's sarcasm. "I don't know about you guys, but he looked really eager to fight the guards. And to be honest, me too."

"But then everypony will get hurt, and nopony like getting...ohhh, I get it!" Pinkie bounced around excitedly. "Whether Sam wins or the guards win, it doesn't matter! It's all in good fun!"

"Exactly!" Rainbow nodded. "And maybe you can't throw him a big party like you wanted, Pinkie, but you sure can give him that cake you wanted to bake for him. I'm sure the castle staff would let one of the Elements of Harmony use their ingredients."

At this, Pinkie jumped even higher. "Even better! I should make a cake big enough for all the guards too! And cupcakes too! They're going to be hungry after the fight!" Without further ado, she dashed out sight, no doubt looking for the castle kitchens.

Rarity smile at her friend's action. "I say, Rainbow Dash, that's quite an impressive ploy. Having Pinkie occupied to keep from angering Sam was a nice idea."

"And who doesn't like good food after workin' out?" Applejack added. "Sam's gotta be hungry still, and Ah know just how happy Ah am when I'm stuffed after workin' hard. Looks like ya got more brain than hot air in that head of yours, after all."

While Rainbow Dash basked in their praise and punched the orange mare's shoulder, Twilight smiled at her friends and the plan. "Thanks for your votes of confidence, girls. But first..." She walked over to Sam and Luna. "Is everything alright?"

"Strange," Luna mumbled, rubbing her horn gingerly. "I don't detect any other humans in Equestria. You still registered, Sam, but only barely. Has Discord somehow made you all immune to magic?"

"Sounds like something he would do," Sam replied. "He probably doesn't want you or anyone else getting in their way, but maybe..." He wiggled his fingers again, comprehension dawning. "The cybernetics? They got more metal than flesh on their bodies. I only have this arm and a suit."

"Let us see." Luna's horn glowed once more as she tried to grab his right and left arm, but not even an aura appeared. When she tried to grab his hair, the ponytail bounced in the air. "This is worrisome. If we cannot use our magic to find them or against them, our ability to combat them is severely restricted."

"Which is another good reason for this fight, and why I'm looking forward to it," Sam said as he crossed his arms. "With this fight, you can see just how outclassed your guards are."

Luna was silent for a moment. Her head snapped up and stared at Twilight. "I must notify my sister about this. Twilight Sparkle, may we trust you to lead the tour?"

She was surprised at first, but she knew she meant well. "Yes, Princess Luna. But, about the fight..."

"The fight will take place in little over an hour in the courtyard, the one with the statues and hedge maze. Finish the tour quickly, and I will meet you there. We may need to move some decoration and clear a field."

"Yes, I understand, but just one more question," Twilight continued. "First you wanted Sam to be arrested, and now you're letting him fight? You and Princess Celestia could have easily denied him his request."

"Our sister, and I am certain you are as well, is curious about Sam. We will all be observing him to see just how dangerous he can be. It will also give us a demonstration to how these Winds of Destruction may fight as well, and to see how our current guards will fare against him, and by extension, them." Luna marched back down the hallway. "Continue with the tour, and bring him to the courtyard as soon as possible."

Twilight nodded and walked up to Sam. "So Sam, if you're ready, we can continue to the-"

But Sam was walking away.

"Sam, wait!" Twilight groaned as she caught up to him. "Wait up! I know you're eager, but-"

"Alright that's it!" Rainbow yelled out behind them as she flew over to face Sam. "If you're not going to ask anything, then I will. How come you're so friendly with the princesses but you don't say a single word to us, huh?"

Her gaze was met by Sam's. "I talk to whoever I want to talk to." He kept walking, looking straight.

Rainbow grounded her teeth in rage. "Well what makes Princess Luna so awesome, not that she isn't awesome, worth talking to while you don't even bat an eye at us? And I'm one of the most awesomest ponies here!"

Sam's face relaxed slightly, catching her off-guard. "She's more mature than you, that's for sure. Let's finish this tour already. I'm sure all of you are itching to see me in action by now."

The courtyard was filled with ponies in all shapes and size. Almost all of them were about the human and their impression of him. Some jested about their princess's notice about his sword being able to cut anything, while others laughed at how they would simply use their magic to restrain him.

When some saw their captain arrive, they gave a quick but stern salute and immediately proceeded laughing. He sighed but smiled with good nature.

"At ease, ponies! So is this everypony for the fight?"

"At least most of them, captain," the earth pony known as Pale Marble grunted with a salute. His frown inverted as he lowered his hoof. "Some of them are just here to get a good look at the human. I didn't expect this many to show up though, sir. Now, I knew you would be here, sir."

"Who says I'm here to fight? I'm just here to see all of your flanks handed to you." This elicited some chuckles and his smile widened. "Of course, when that happens, maybe I'll take him on."

Pale Marble turned to everypony. "What do you think, guys? Our captain says he wants to take on the monster! How many wanna bet he wins?"

There were too many to count, but the captain knew less than half the crowd raised a hoof. "Who says he's gonna get his flank kicked?"

When the remaining hooves punched the air, he frowned at them. "Very funny, you guys. The notice just said anyone wishing to meet and fight him may come, it doesn't mean we might actually beat the tar out of him."

"Oh, so now you're scared? You hear this you guys?" Rumbler, Pale's partner, popped in, and everypony laughed even harder.

Bright sighed and tried to ignore his subordinates' guffaws and find an open space to sit down on. He was a rather temperamental pony, but after a decade of training and honing his skills as a guard, he finally attained the rank of captain. Unfortunately, his predecessor Shining Armor never informed him about the social aspect of this.

We'll see who's laughing, Rumbler. When you're lying on the ground and I'm fighting and winning.

"Your Highness!"

Instantly, every guard stood at attention and looked straight. Celestia and Luna have entered the courtyard.

"At ease, guards." They relaxed, but everypony still stared at Celestia. "The event will begin soon. The Element Bearers are bringing Sam along right now."

"Sam? That thing has a name?"

Luna frowned at the crowd. She could not identify the speaker, but he had no idea what he was up against, and neither did anypony else. "Yes, his name is Sam, a human. Do not underestimate him. He is stronger than anypony you have met."

Celestia turned to Luna. "Was it really a good idea to leave Sam with Twilight and her friends?"

"Sam would have made his way here by himself anyways. Besides, this is important news. These Winds of Destruction-" She quickly raised a hoof to her mouth, but some ponies already heard the name escape her.

Celestia sighed and put a hoof to her forehead. "Watch what you say, Luna. You'll give everypony the wrong impression with a name like that."

"Excuse me, Your Highness?" Bright Shield walked up to her, saluting. “Forgive my candor, but can you please tell us more about this Sam character?"

Celestia relaxed. At least it was not about the Winds. "He is a traveler, wandering from place to place. He was brought here by Discord after his death in another world. I'm sure you all know about Discord."

"Resurrection? But that's illegal!" Bright shouted.

"And nearly impossible, yes, but he's gone and done it anyways." Celestia kept herself straight, but wished she could groan to show how much she hated Discord right now. "But don't worry about him. He won't be making any more trouble. For now, you should be worrying about Sam. He is extremely proficient with his sword, and traveled his world, improving his skills."

"You wrote on the notice that he would give his sword to anypony that could beat him, right?" Bright pressed on. Some of the other guards looked at each other, smirking. "Can it really cut anything?"

"It can cut any material you can think of. Rock, steel, even other swords." Again, Sam's fight with the Metal Gear RAY came to mind. If it could cleanly cut a giant robot like that in two, she hated to imagine how easily it could cut her ponies, or even herself.

Most of the guardponies smiled and chuckled, but the captain remained stoic. "So he has such a valuable weapon, but he's willing to bet it?"

"Of course! The sword's just a copy, and you won't even be able to touch me anyways."

Everypony turned their heads and saw him: Sam, behind him, the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony. "Every one of you, pay attention. This is what you're fighting for."

Slowly, he pulled out the false Murasama from its sheath. The red blade and crackles enraptured everypony as it was freed and Sam spun it in his hands. As he brought it closer to see if he could differentiate it from the original, whispers were heard, mostly from the guards.

"Is that him? He's taller than the last time I saw him."

"That sword's so long, and I've never seen a single-bladed one like that."

"It glows red, it shoots sparks, and it can cut anything? Either he's lying, or it's magic."

Sam twitched at the word. "Magic? Don't screw with me!" He quickly swung the sword in the air, making everypony jump back in fear. "This thing's just a copy, but it can still cut all of you into chops, and it doesn't use you ponies' fancy magic, either. What, don't believe me?" He faced Luna, who had remained silent during his appearance. "Which one of these statues can I cut into a million pieces?" he asked, pointing to the various statues of ponies and other animals in the courtyard.

"You shall not vandalize any statue!" she growled. "We thought ahead and you may demonstrate your blade on this." With a pop, a steel anvil appeared in the air and dropped to the grass. "This anvil is what is used in our armory by our smithies, the biggest there is. You may destroy this however you wish."

"Pure steel? Doesn't look that big to me." He crouched and grabbed it.

"You can't be serious." Rumbler chuckled quietly. "That thing's at least two hundred pounds-"

His jaw dropped as low as it could go when he saw Sam lifting it in his hands like it was luggage. He did not even look tired. "Hey, pony!" he cried out. "You said this thing's two hundred pounds? I can carry two more of this if you're not impressed."

"Well Ah'll be!" Applejack whistled, astounded. "That thing's gotta be heavier than Big Mac and his wagon of hay combined!"

"Yeah, let's not go that far." Sam dropped the anvil, letting in dig slightly into the ground. "Now to cut it...you!" He turned around and pointed at Rarity. "Why don't you try cutting it?" he asked as he walked to her.

"Excuse me, Samuel, but my name is Rarity, and how and why would you want me to do such a thing?" She swung her mane behind and frowned at him. "Swinging a sword like a brute is unbecoming of a mare like me."

"Suit yourself." He picked up the anvil again and this time threw it straight up. He ignored some of their gasps and quickly pulled out his sword so its sharp edge faced the falling steel.

In a shower of sparks, two halves of the anvil was lying on the ground, glowing red hot from where the sword cut it.

"Say hello to the HF Blade Murasama." He pointed the sword to Celestia, who eyed it warily. The guards tensed at the action, but Sam did not care. "Swords cut, but not this one. It rends all matter, breaking it down on a molecular scale."

Twilight's ear twitched at "molecular scale". "Really? That's incredible! And it doesn't dull? How can you get something cut on such a small scale?! I mean, if it was sharp enough, theoretically, it can cut individual molecules, even cut apart atoms, but the problem is how to keep it sharp enough-"

Rainbow Dash was practically drooling at the demonstration. "Uhh, uh, did I just see what I thought I just...huh?" She poked Applejack for confirmation, but she too had her mouth open in awe.

"I would love to explain how this works, if I had the knowledge and the patience. But I think that's enough for now, and I'm sure some of you are eager to get your grubby hooves on this thing." Sam withdrew his sword and Looked at Celestia again. "What are the rules to the fight?"

Celestia looked at her ponies, and did not know whether to be amused or pitying. Most of the guards looked ready to wet themselves. There were mutters of leaving or simply watching some other pony fight.

"This is pathetic." Sam shook his head. "Look, you idiots, I'm not going to using my sword in this fight. Hell, even if I could I wouldn't." He tapped his sword and walked towards the trembling guards. "Celestia, the rules, what are they?"

Before he could get any closer to the guards, Celestia intercepted his path by teleporting. She looked ready to fight him herself, with her wings spread and tense posture. "Rule number one, no killing. Rule number two, no killing." Sam snickered, but Celestia and the guards kept a straight face. "Rule number three, when we order you, and that goes to all the guards as well, to stop, you stop. When we declare the fight is over, it is over. You do not follow these rules, we will intervene and restrain you by force."

Sam rubbed his chin. "Perfect." Celestia hesitantly stepped aside and levitated every statue in sight against the castle wall. He faced the guards again. "What are you waiting for? Battle's started. Too scared? Maybe I should start it off?"

For a minute, silence hung in the air. Everypony was too afraid that even the slightest provocation would make him pounce.

Luna frowned in disbelief. "What do you expect of this, sister? You want these ponies to be slaughtered? Just so we can see his potential?" she whispered, making sure nopony else was hearing.

"No, never," she whispered back, her gaze enough to reprimand her younger sibling. "That's why we must remain on guard. We cannot let another tragedy befall our ponies again."

Suddenly, a pony in purple armor stepped out of the yellow crowd of guards.

Bright Shield trotted confidently, but was nevertheless scared. "Excuse me, Sam, but may I have a word before out fight?"

Sam's eyes, along with everypony's, widened. Sam towered over Bright, but the unicorn did not shirk. "Oh?" Sam bent one leg to see him eye to eye. "And who are you supposed to be?"

Bright noticed the condescending in his voice. Sky High was not lying. "I am Captain Bright Shield, and I thought proper introduction were needed before we fight."

Sam raised an eyebrow. After his sword's demonstration, he had everypony shivering, but this particular unicorn stood out. "Well, it's a welcome sight, after being surrounded by your guards and being chased through the castle, captain, No hard feelings though."

"Thank you." He risked a smile. "Now, I suggest you get ready. We will not be taking turns, and obviously our best chance of beating you is if we all work together. Or would you prefer to take on us one at a time?"

"Sorry, but usually I'm the one that works alone and has dozens of guys trying to kill me. But before you join your men, uh, guards." He raised his open right hand.

"What? You want to shake?"

"We're both warriors, right? Not killers, at least for now," Sam explained as he wagged his fingers. "You don't look like the kind of guy who wants to fight me for my sword. You look like you want to fight me so you can see what I'm capable of. Same for me too. That's why I wanted to fight you all in the first place. But there's no reason we can't act like sane people before we start killing each other. Your subordinates seem to understand. Otherwise, they would not be waiting for us to stop talking. Either that or they're still scared stiff."

Bright looked at everypony surrounding them, and saw they were completely silent and staring at him. Celestia and Luna's features softened and the Elements of Harmony were in awe.

"Well, Ah'll be," Applejack said. "Looks like he can act polite when he wants to."

"Honor between two knights before fighting, of course!" Rarity said. "All this scene needs now is a maiden for them to fight over, instead of a sword!"

He could not help but flush slightly at the white mare's implication, but reluctantly gave a smile. He could not disappoint a crowd. "Alright, here's to that." He placed his hoof to his palm and shook.

Celestia and Luna had the strangest desires to clop their hooves together in applause. Sam and Bright Shield's show of sportsmanship was the condition perfect for friendly competition and relations to sprout between Sam and the rest of her ponies. It reminded them of the griffins and their pride in their fighting capabilities, and the minotaurs' aggressive yet optimistic attitudes. Maybe there was some sense in Discord bringing Sam to Equestria after all.

"So, are we ready to do this?" Bright asked, his hoof still in Sam's grip.

"Yes, but your guards still seem reluctant. Maybe they need motivation from their captain? How do you rile them up?"

"The guards are trained to keep still and their expression neutral until an emergency arises. We haven't tried to attack each other yet, so they're just waiting for one of us to kick-start this."

"In that case." Sam whipped out his left hand from his back and grabbed Bright's horn.

Bright's breath stopped as he tried to look around, but could not. He could not channel any magic or turn his head to look at the petrified ponies. Such a rapid change in mood took everypony by surprise.

"Whu-what do you think you're-"

"Celestia said I can't kill you. I can still break your bones and horn." The human's smile remained, but his hands were now threatening to crush his horn and hoof. "Still just a rookie." He broke his gaze when he heard the scuffle of hooves. The guards pony now completely surrounded him in a ring.

Impressive. They're not scared anymore, and none of them are looking to back out. They don't have their weapons with them, but they still need one more bit of motivation to get them moving.

"Tell me!" Sam shouted out, startling everypony. "How much is Celestia paying you all to lick her slippers?"

Sam released his grip on his horn and launched an uppercut to Bright's muzzle. Every single guards' face changed from intimidating to furious as they pounced at Sam. The fight was on.

"What's he thinking, egging them on like that?" Nightingale muttered. However, she could not hold back her laughter, however weak it was, when the guards were getting kicked into each other by the human.

All this for what? A sword? Recognition?

She pulled out a notepad and a pencil and scribbled on an empty page. She made sure to carry these tools around wherever she went in case inspiration struck.

This human warrior, seeking a fight with one of Equestria's most disciplined army, for what? Why does he seek out fights? Why is he here? What does he hope to accomplish by fighting?

She closed her notepad and looked outside again. The human was now individually plucking the guards, grabbing their neck or armor, and tearing them away from their ranks and throwing them into each other. Everypony tried to grab him down, punch his face, or buck his legs, but he dodged them or caught their legs and sent them flying after their captain.

Noticing the clouds overhead was making way for Celestia's sun, she turned away from the window and marched on. Normally she could not stand crowds and her modest attire always left her as the elephant in the room.

If this keeps up, maybe the topic of gossip around the castle could turn to him? That would be a load of my chest.

"Uh, excuse me?"

Nightingale stiffened and jerked her head to her right. A light brown mare with glasses recoiled as she stammered. "I'm so sorry, miss, I was just wondering where Princess Celestia was. You see, I have been summoned to testify to Minuano's case." She rubbed her grey mane sheepishly. "Uh, I mean Sam's case."

Nightingale saw a pair of guards standing beside her, both eyeing her suspiciously. She must have been engrossed in her thoughts if she could not hear their heavy steps. "You mean the human? He and the princesses are outside right now," she said, pointing to the window.

"Really?" The mare and her guards peered out and Nighting smirked behind her mask when their faces dropped. "Goodness, is that really him?!"

"Now aren't you boys glad you're not down there?" Nightingale joked, not caring whether she was being glared at by the flustered guards. "You said you were looking for the princess?"

"Oh yes!" she exclaimed. "Thank you for your time, miss..."

"Nightingale. Just Nightingale."

"Alright, Nightingale," she giggled, albeit uncomfortably. Nightingale's choice of attire was making the mayor sweat just by looking at her. "I don't mean to pry, but do you know Sam?" When she was responded with silence, she looked at the floor. "I mean, you were looking through the window so intently, I just thought."

Nightingale was glad her face was covered, otherwise, she would have shown Mare her eyes looking anywhere but her own. "Hmm, quite. Everypony is."

"Well, you can come with me. As long as you keep this between you and I, I can tell you about him. That's what I'm here for."

Nightingale smiled back. "That would be nice. But can we walk slowly? I'm not exactly a morning pony," she muttered as she started walking.

Mare and the guards frowned, the latter even more than before. "But, it's afternoon, almost evening, even."

"Sorry, I've just been walking around the castle all day, and I'm tired." She forced a chuckled. "So, you were saying about...Minuano? I thought his name was Sam,"

Mare's suspicions grew every second as she stared at the strange pony. She was dressed in a brown cloak, completely covering her body and tail, although she could make out her coat color as dark purple, even with her sunglasses and mask blocking her face.

However, not to sound rude, she complied with her and walked beside her with the guards following behind. "Well, about four hours ago..."

Author's Note

(fixed/rewritten 09/27/2014)

Act 1: Hero-Might Makes Right

The dull thuds of metal denting and howls of pain filled the courtyard; in its centre, Sam grined like a madman. His taunt, as always, worked perfectly, and everypony disregarded their well-being to get a piece of him.

After the first wave of earth ponies, everypony had regained some sense and retreated several paces. They could not so much as go near him without a plan, but with their captain still recovering after receiving the first blow, their approach was barely formulated.

Sam took advantage of the brief pause to look at his enemies. He did not know it, but the ponies were in a standard defensive position: earth ponies in the front, pegasi in the air, and behind them both, unicorns. He snickered when he saw some of the latter with crestfallen faces: they had realized their telekinesis had absolutely no effect on him.

But that still didn't stop Discord from tying me down, twice. In one way or another, I'm still vulnerable to magic. I need to take them out first, but with that wall of meat in the way, that's impossible. Do I really have to force my way through?

"If you won't come to me, I'll just come to you." He kicked off the grass and the previous massacre replayed itself. He picked up a grey earth pony from the middle of the line, grabbing his neck, and in one swift motion, kneed his stomach.He was sent crashing into a swooping pegasus, knocking them both out. As soon as the guards separated into halves, Sam did not take any time to decide which group to chase and instead grabbed his sword.

I'm good at hand-to-hand, but not with this many opponents. But maybe...

Still in its scabbard, he swung and struck any unfortunate pony still within its reach. Most were struck on their armored barrel and sent crashing into the ground, but one was not that lucky.

"Grraah!" the stallion screamed, clutching his left foreleg. It was not clear how badly he was injured, but it was obvious that his leg was broken. "Grrr! Dammit! You said you wouldn't-gah!"

"And you were even bigger fools than your captain to believe me. Besides, you should feel lucky I kept my sword in my sheath." Sam used the moment to stare at a horrified Celestia and a furious Luna. "You might want to get some medics here."

"I said you may not kill, but this-"

"Can't talk, fighting!" he screamed as he grabbed a pouncing pony by the neck and punched his face, sending him and a couple bloody teeth tumbling on the ground.

Luna enveloped the crippled pony in a blue aura and levitated him next to her. "Do not worry, you will not have to worry about Sam any longer," she said, trying her best to comfort the wounded guard.

"F-Forgive me, Your Highness, but-grrk!" he flinched when Luna moved his leg away to reveal his jutting skin. Even after years of training and disciplining, they were not used to this severe an injury.

She cast a basic healing spell, trying to numb the pain. She stopped when she realized the bone was also shattered. "This pony needs attention, with utmost haste! Sister, I shall fetch and assist the medical staff!"

As soon as she said it, one of the castle entrances explodes outward to make way for a stream of ponies, all of them dressed in white and carrying enormous first-aid boxes on their backs.

"Looks like we were not the only ponies watching," Celestia muttered. The unicorns of the medical team levitated the fallen ponies to a safe distance from the fight while the rest opened their kits.

She had alerted the staff about the fight, and told them to stand by until the first casualty. It appeared they have gotten over their fear of the human to treat the injured.

Unfortunately for them, Sam was still going strong, knocking ponies down faster than they can get back up.

The biggest of the earth ponies, Pale Marble, saw how everypony else's efforts had been futile, and charged at him, hoping to get a clean punch to his face before joining the fallen. He was one of the strongest guards in Canterlot and he wanted to prove it in front of his princesses.

Sam saw the grey guard sprinting towards him and paused for a moment.

Look at the meat on that! I promised I wouldn't kill anypony, but maybe I can just chop off one of his legs to cook? Medics are here, so he wouldn't have to worry about bleeding to death.

Due to his bulkiness, Sam could not easily grapple him as he did with other ponies, and punching him would have done little to stop his charge. Instead, he readied himself and spun around, gathering momentum to deliver a swift kick to Pale's head.

He was smart for wearing a helmet. If not for it, his skull would have fractured even deeper and further. The concussion caused him to faint on the spot. Luna brought him over to the nearest doctor. She and the nurse beside her flinched when a thin stream of blood trickled down his face after the doctor, with some difficulty, removed the dented helmet from Pale.

With the majority of the earth ponies incapacitated and bleeding, he turned to the airborne ponies. He could not simply jump up to one of them, or they would dodge and another would attack from behind. The pegasi were more agile and smaller than the Sliders he faced in the World Marshal HQ, so he opted to counterattack their assaults while attacking the remaining earth ponies.

When three pegasi flew at him like darts, he waited until the last moment to twirl on the spot to dodge them and grab one's wing. One pegasus did not have the force to knock him down and he was pulled to the ground, hard. Sam kept his hand wrapped around the wing and crushed some of its bones, notified by the pegasus voice’s change in pitch as he screamed in agony.

Muscular wings, but thinner bones. Fast, but still not enough oomph like the earth ponies.

He noticed the same two ponies were flying back to him. He threw the pegsus at them, hitting one of them. The remaining pony tried to halt mid-air, but he was already close enough for Sam to jump up to and punch. He fell to the ground, clutching a bloody muzzle.

The rest of the pegasi knew they were lighter and weaker than the earth ponies, and after seeing Sam fight like an Ursa Major, they were justified in staying out of his reach.

Damn. I need to find a way to ground them.

Suddenly something struck his back. He turned around, suspecting one of the pegasi has landed a cheap shot on him, but he heard a slight sizzle where he was hit. Bright Shield was back, bleeding from the mouth.

He better not have damaged my suit too much, or I'm breaking that horn along with his jaw!

He ignored the remaining earth ponies and sprinted towards him. With the diminished earth ponies, and the reluctant pegasi ponies, the next available target was the unicorns, starting with their strongest.

The earth ponies saw him coming and did their best to impede him, even with their numbers reduced to less than ten. Sam grabbed his sheath again and batted them away, leaving them with a bloody nose, bruises, or both. He could feel the unicorns' magic missiles stinging his back, so he tried to throw some of the earth ponies in the unicorns' directions.

On the ponies' side, the unicorns were the fewest, only twelve initially participating in the fight compared to the earth ponies' twenty three. However, they made up for it with their rapid spell casting. Volley after volley of stunning spells were launched at him, but Sam was just quick enough to grab one of the earth ponies lying on the ground and use him as a shield.

Lifting him was not a problem, but his scream for every blast he mitigated quickly grew bothersome. Before he could toss him into the line of unicorns, something pushed him into the ground. The pegasi, now totaling at seven, used all of their strength and weight to keep Sam on all fours.

"Do it! Restrain him now!"

Before he could push himself up, ropes tied around his limbs. He could have easily broken out them, but with the pegasi holding him down, he was rendered immobile.

He struggled to free his limbs, and only earned a hoof pressing his face into the dirt. He turned his headand saw the hoof belong to the pony he was using as a meat shield a moment ago.

"Take your damn leg off me before I bite it off," When all he received was even more pressure to his cranium. He kept his mouth closed, not wishing to give the ponies any satisfaction.

"How's that!?" Bright roared as he marched over to him, despite the blood trailing from his mouth.

Sam took several breaths to soothe his burning muscles. "Look, is this about the whole "licking Celestia's slippers" thing, then let me just say I'm sorry-"

"You're not flattering anypony!" Bright stomped his hoof and took some breaths of his own. "You're not getting out of this one. I suggest you stop taunting and struggling. The fight's over."

Sam chuckled. "Still an idiot, eh?" He wriggled his left arm, loosening their hold. Bright saw this and his horn glowed even brighter, summoning another rope around his wrist. "Tell me then. What are you going to do now? I'd rather die than surrender to a horse."

Bright frowned at this. "Why? Is surrendering dishonorable? Do you see us as inferior to you?"

Sam felt the pegasi's hooves press down even harder, but he kept talking. "Well, not to sound arrogant, but yeah." He had to strain his eyeballs to look at Bright's scowling face. "Captain, in the past ten minutes, I have incapacitated at least thirty of your trained guards. It's not that inconceivable that I could have slaughtered all of you in a minute if I used my sword."

Bright bared his imperfect teeth. "Threatening us further will not get you anywhere now."

"On the contrary, intimidation and threats are some of the best ways to deter the enemy, right next to diplomacy." Sam managed to shrug and swapped his smile with a glare to match the captain's own. "Tell me, how often have any of your guards fought in a fight like this?"

Bright hesitated. He and almost every guard in the castle never had live combat experience, aside from an attack from the changelings and their queen. One of the reasons why they participated was to see how they would fare against a foreign threat other than ponies.

"That's right: none. While you and your guards remain in the castle and the cities, pushing pens and signing paperwork, what do you think I do?

"I go out there, into the world, killing. Gangs and criminal organization, bigger and badder than your entire Royal Guard, armed with guns and bombs. While guards and police are busy with laws, loopholes and protocol, I've spent my time doing what those servants of the law don't.

"I've killed hundreds, of people during my time in South America. You guards have your swords and spears? We have weapons that could level this entire castle, kill anything with a click of the trigger, and the nukes. Oh ho, let's not forget the nukes. And with all these at our disposal, I fought every single battle with my sword. Picking a fight with a bunch of miniature horses is an afterthought.

"You think this is the first time I've been bound and beaten? Outnumbered and outgunned? I've done things, captain. Things that would probably list me here as one of the greatest monsters, and things that would have me remembered as a legend. While I'm busy making a name for myself in the first twenty-four hours I'm here, you guards don't even have a commemorative photo during your entire service. Even those six girls, who took me on a tour of this damn castle just hours ago, have at least two gigantic stained windows dedicated to them alone! What do you have?!"

When Bright's frown loosened, Sam smirked. His left hand was finally free from the chains. The shock from his rambling had left the unicorns and the pegasi, as well as everypony in the courtyard dumbstruck.

"You want me to surrender? Fine," he said as he detached his sword from its holster. "But before that, take your prize."

With the click, the sword exploded out from its sheath. The hilt dug into Bright's white chest, lifting him into the air. Before the captain hit the ground, Sam, reinvigorated, pushed off the ground, sending everypony anchoring him down flying into random directions.

Sam saw his sword and Bright still in mid-air. He kicked off, shooting like a rocket.

Bright had no idea what had happened. A click, an explosion, and Sam's sword suddenly shot out of its sheath was all he could process through his pain. He could not breathe to scream, and he could not see through his shut eyes, but he could feel his body spinning in the air helplessly.

After gathering enough speed, Sam jumped into the air and grabbed his sword. He fought against the reflex to slash Bright in half and clutched his throat instead. He landed as soft as possible, and pointed to the remaining ponies with his sword.

"Checkmate." Ignoring the unicorn's attempts at breathing, he faced the remaining guards. "Surrender, or this pony won't make it out alive. I don't know much about pony biology, but he's got at least two badly fractured ribs and a broken jaw. Hurry up before he asphyxiates to death."

It did not take long for them to concede. "We're done here then." He dropped Bright to the grass and calmly sheathed his sword. "Well, that was fun while it lasted. Hey," he muttered as a pair of unicorn medics galloped to the captain behind him. "Be careful with him will you? His ribs are smashed, and likely pierced his lungs. His jaw and teeth are the least of your concerns."

The unicorns seemingly ignored him, but Sam noticed their brisker legs. He turned to the princesses, now even more nervous. "Come on now, princesses. In a battle, casualties are expected. I tried my best not to kill, and you did not intervene in any way. Do you despise me? After you yourselves allowed me to injure them to this extent?"

"It would be hard to say we are not, but we don't want to be hypocritical," Celestia answered. "We allowed you to fight, and our guards complied of their own will. But they could not have expected such consequences. Was your...brutality necessary?"

"You think that was brutal?" Sam spat. "If you really knew humans, you would know that humans are capable of much more brutal things. And I'm just one man. What do you think will happen when three of them attack this place?"

When none of them answered, he sighed and sat down on the ground. "Those guards were not trained to kill, am I correct? Nor were they trained for warfare?" More silence. "If they cannot even handle one cyborg, how are they going to handle the Winds? The Winds of Destruction are natural killers, princess, and they don't care how many or who they have to kill to get what they want. And judging from your guards, I'd say they are less than prepared for the threat."

Celestia's shuddering halted when he mentioned her guards. "You have only faced a fraction of the Royal Guard, Sam. Even if they are outmatched, we will not allow them to rampage through Equestria. We will stop them ourselves if it means saving our ponies from the Winds or you."

"Heh, and how can you be so sure? Even your sister's magic failed to find them and even if they are here, you wouldn't be able to find them." Sam turned his head and saw some of the last guards perk up in fear when they saw him move. "The entire point of Desperado Enforcement is to incite war. That's all they know. And after centuries of fighting among ourselves, humans are very good at killing. Just look at me."

"But why? For what reason?“ Twilight asked. Rather than confused, she was more angry than anything. “If you kill criminals, you're no better than them!"

Sam nodded in approval. He was insulted at being grouped in the same class as his victims, but did not waste energy protesting. "You're right. I am no better than your average killer. But still," He got to his feet, everypony's eyes following him. "I kill. It's what I do. Look at soldiers. They kill, but they are not blamed or charged for murdering others. There are those that kill to make a living. Can you blame me for trying to get by?"

"That doesn't make it right!"

Sam turned around and saw Bright Shield limping towards him, followed by the two unicorn doctors. His armor was gone and his white mane was stuck to his muzzle with sweat. "Killing is wrong no matter what the reason is! The Royal Guard is here so that we can protect everypony!"

"And what of the ones that aren't protected?" Sam chuckled at the naiveté. "Do you even know what fighting is for? It's for killing after peaceful talks are over. Do you know why even almost forty of your trained guards could not stop me?" He tapped his sword. "When I fought you, I came at you with the intention to kill. The Winds of Destruction are not stupid enough to pick a fight, but when they fight, they will kill. What will you do then? Sacrifice hundreds of your subordinates just to restrain three humans?"

Bright panted, still crippled due to his ribs. The doctors had administered painkillers before lifting him to his hooves. It would not last for long, but his anger was enough to dull any of the pain regardless of any drug. "So you're saying you're going to kill anypony that gets in your way?"

Sam rubbed his bearded chin his eyes shone in curiosity at Bright's possible motive. "Captain, most of the people I killed did things far worse than try to kill me. But to answer your question, yes, I'm perfectly fine. I'm a cleaner. I'm used to killing and cleaning up afterwards." He turned around and walked away. "But you and your guards obviously don't have the guts to do that."

Bright was infuriated than ever before. This creature, in less than twenty-four hours, incapacitated over forty guards with his bare hands, insulted him and the Royal Guard, and now he walks away after lecturing him?

Ignoring the pain from his chest and jaw, his entire body tensed as his white horn glowed as bright as possible.

"If what you say's true..." Countless grey streams of magic poured out from his horn. Like ribbons, they curled and twisted until Bright was left with dozens of smoking slender swords.

Celestia turned around in time to see her captain, but she only had enough time to cast a shield around her ponies, leaving Sam completely unprotected.

"Then you should die as well!"

Like bullets, Bright fired every one of the conjured swords as fast as he could, directed right at the human.

In a flash, Sam turned around, his sword in hand and mask over his face. The swords would have been intimidating, flying at him, but he had been ready to counter ever since he stood up. He had deflected swords, missiles and even bullets, and whether the projectiles were magical in nature or not, they were not going to touch him.

Behind the shield, everypony screamed, startled by their princess's brisk action. Their screams were over as quickly as it started, however, and their jaws dropped at the sight.

To say Sam was "slashing" was an understatement. He was swinging his sword faster than they could see. All they saw was a blur of green, black, and the occasional flicker of red as his sword clashed with one of Bright's sword, the latter exploding into smoke when struck, only to make way for another sword to be inevitably cut down.

Not only was the scene visually astounding, but the two combatants were behaving differently from before. While Sam remained silent, Bright's composed face was gone. Blood dripped down his growling mouth, his horn was flaring with magic, and he was firing like an overexcited child firing his first water pistol. It was the complete opposite from the ponies' initial encounter with him.

Eventually, the machine gun-like volley stopped and Bright's horn refused to glow any more. When he saw that his attack had failed to do anything to Sam, fear returned full force and he dropped to the grass, as if prostrating to Sam marching towards him.

Sam withdrew his sword and his mask retracted back in place. He was smiling as wide as he could, exposing his teeth to the now terrified Bright. "I must die as well? Just one problem with that, captain: there's no one here that can kill me."

"That's enough, Samuel!"

With a pop, Celestia teleported between them, absolutely livid. Her wings spread out to send everypony cowering at her stature, but only Sam remained smiling. "The fight was over when the guards surrendered! You will not harm anypony any further!" She turned around to face Bright, who remained aghast. "Captain Bright Shield! Your action is unacceptable! Not only have you tried to murder him, but in doing so, you could have endangered the Elements of Harmony! Is that how a captain of the Royal Guard should behave?!"

While Bright was petrified by her reprimanding, Sam crossed his arms, shaking his head like a disappointed father. "Look, I know you want to kill me, but you can't just do it anywhere you like. If you're going to do it, do it right. I know-I'm a professional."

"I said that's enough, Sam," Celestia snapped. "Captain, allow the doctors to escort you to the hospital wing. I will meet you there soon."

Bright gave a weak salute before turning away.

"Hey, captain," Sam interrupted, halting him. "Before you go, can I just tell you something?"

Bright hesitated. He looked at Celestia, who nodded at his silent request. "Alright, the painkillers are wearing off, but I got time." He wished he could spit in his eyes, but with Celestia so close, he could not move any more than necessary.

Sam bent down so he could see straight at his eyes. "First off, that was a nice attempt. If I was a normal human, I would look like Swiss cheese. But I'm not your average human, and neither are the Winds of Destruction. When they decide to attack any of you, you need to be ready. If you want to protect these ponies, you need to practice that little magic of yours so that I do end up as cheese."

Bright ears flopped, as if he misheard. Before he could think any more about it, his neck was being crushed by Sam's hand. Celestia tried to repel him away from Bright but he raised his free hand to try to calm her.

"I'm not going to kill him, but let me just say this last thing," he quickly muttered to Celestia, who kept her horn at the ready regardless of Sam's words. "I like you, captain. I didn't hold back when I deflected all of your fancy swords. You got the guts, yes, but you're still way behind on practice if you want to kill me." Sam looked down and his hind legs and saw his cutie mark: a pair of swords forming an "X". "Nice tattoo."

The hand relinquished, leaving Bright on the ground coughing as he tried to stand. When Sam stood back up, he found himself staring into Celestia's burning gaze.

"Never touch my ponies like that, do you understand me?" Her voice caught everypony and Sam off-guard. It was not stern or boisterous as she usually was when reprimanding him. It was slow, rigid, and menacing enough to wipe Sam's smirk off. She was truly ready to blast him with magic if he made a move like that again, and Sam knew it.

"And what? Have them unprepared for the threat?" Sam growled in response. "The Winds will not be so merciful after they had been attacked like that. He just tried to kill me, and you expect me to just let him go?"

"That is beside the point!" Luna snapped as she walked to join her sister. "We have allowed you your battle and defended yourself reasonably, but manhandle our ponies again and we will arrest you for assault! You will leave the disciplining to us!"

"Tch. Fine." Sam looked down at Bright, who was busy grunting in pain while being assisted by the doctors. "Well, what do you think?" he asked, facing the Element Bearers. When they remained petrified, he chuckled. "I know I'm scary, but that's what being a killer’s all-oh, Ms. Mayor!"

The brown mare had previously been hiding behind her larger princesses, but she had witnessed everything. The captain flying into the air, Sam jumping to catch him, threatening him to get the other guards to surrender. He was completely different from her meeting in Ponyville.

Sam took the initiative and bowed as best as he could, remembering how he left her in Ponyville. "Hello again. You're here to testify for the princess, right?" He faced Celestia, her face still hardened. "Or have you already done so?"

Mayor's face was blank, but her mind was cluttered with possibilities. Should she react with petrified fear, or approach him with equal apathy? "We-well, no, I just-"

"Your reaction is expected. I get that a lot once people realize my occupation. Don't fret too much." Sam waved his hand. "Sorry, I guess I'm just tired after that little rumble."

"What were you fighting the guards for!?" Mayor finally exploded. She did not realize how jumpy she was after seeing him practically demolish the guards. She could not imagine what would have happened if he had behaved so savagely in her town.

Sam shrugged his shoulder. "Bored. Wanted to see how well this place's security holds up. So far, not impressed."

Initially confused, Mayor was now frustrated. Sam earned himself the ire of everypony in the castle and he was smiling? "That's it? You pick a fight because you were bored? What were you thinking?! You could have been-"

"Hurt? Relax." Sam tapped his chest with a fist. "If anything, these ponies should be fortunate I didn't kill any of them by mistake."

"Wait, what? Kill?" She was scandalized. She stammered for a few seconds, making Sam smirk deviously, before stomping her hoof to steel her body and voice. "Minua-I mean, Sam, why in Equestria would you-this is no joking matter!"

"Who are you, my mother?" Sam laughed, showing off his canines, making her flinch once more. She had griffins, minotaurs, and a baby dragon in her town, and she knew they ate meat, but seeing this new creature as a carnivore nevertheless startled her a bit. "I haven't killed anypony yet, and your princess would probably gore me with her horn if I did."

Simultaneously, everypony shivered at the thought. Seeing the last of the doctors packing away their kits and Bright limping with a nurse supporting him, Celestia knew she should be ushering them back into the castle. However, the interaction between the two gave her even more reason to be wary around Sam. "Excuse me, Ms. Mayor?"

"Yes, Your Highness?"

"We need to go back to the castle. Your input on Sam's behavior during his...misadventure in Ponyville would be very helpful on deciding what to do with him."

Mayor did a double-take. "Ah! Yes, Your Highness! Where are we headed?"

"To the dining room. If you'd like, we can serve dinner, so we may eat as we talk." She looked at Sam, already picking up his fuel cell. "You come as well, Sam. I assume you'll be wishing to hear her speak for you."

Sam's stature made Mayor's eyes widen even more. Sam noticed this. "You sure? She doesn't look like she'll be giving an honest testimony with me in the same room."

"Well, we would rather have you in our sights as much as possible," Celestia answered. "And I think you would be hungry after your fight."

"How can you still be so hospitable, sister, after what he has done?" Luna did not bother restraining her displeasure. "How will we recompense the guards for this?"

"Hey, they were asking for it when they came here," Sam grumbled as he marched to the door. "Besides, they're adults; they should have known the risks."

While Sam walked, Twilight gritted her teeth. She made herself a reminder to ask Celestia more about humans. It was obvious she was not going to receive a straight answer from Sam, given how abrasive he was. "How can he be so...infuriating?!" she whined as she walked behind Celestia and Luna. "Princess, do you know why he's so...contradicting? One moment, he's acting stubborn, another, he's fighting off guards like he's been doing it all his life, and now he's talking to Mayor Mare like it never happened! Are all humans like this?"

"Not at all, my dear Twilight. During my encounter with humans, they have shown themselves as very similar yet different from any other species on Earth. That is the best I can describe them. They can be kind, yet fierce, brave yet modest, and Sam has shown, or at least tried to show, all those qualities. But he's very different from the humans I know, and not just in abilities. Perhaps it's because so much time has passed since they have shown themselves here. Who knows what else has changed?"

Twilight smiled slightly. She trusted Celestia fully and it was refreshing to see her divulge, even slightly, her knowledge of humans after seeing Sam's stubbornness. "But how do you know about them?"

"Because," Luna piped in behind Twilight. "It was Discord who first introduced humans to us, during his reign one thousand fourteen years ago." When she was met by Twilight's silence and Celestia's raised eyebrow, she frowned. "What? I know you wanted to simplify things and just say "a thousand years", but I like to be specific."

"Discord? You mean this wasn't the first time this happened?"

Twilight did not receive an answer, however, when she looked ahead. Sam appeared to have slowed down, signified by his now dragging feet. "Sam, are you alright?"

Sam was silent as his body slowed until he stopped moving entirely. He tried to move, but his limbs fell to his sides like lead blocks.

His suit allowed his body to perform superhuman feats, but without proper maintenance of both exoskeleton and body, it was more of a hindrance than an asset. The suit ran on the same electrolytes as his arm, and stimulated the muscles via electrical signals and electrolytes the suit altered to make it safe for the human body. His suit and arm rarely need to refuel, even after overstimulating his brain and body to slash away at Bright's swords, so that left one other answer: his body had run out of calories.

After the fight has ended, the adrenaline and electrolyte in his systems dissipated and he was feeling the pangs of hunger again. His suit has forced him to burn more than what little energy he received from the salads.

Shit. This is what I get for eating nothing but veggies.

"I knew I should have...eaten one of you...ponies..."

In a fluid motion, Sam fell to his knees and collapsed like a sack of bricks.

"Sam!"

Celestia was the first to react. Due to her magic rendered ineffective from his suit, she tried her best to avoid goring him with her horn as she clumsily picked him up. Unfortunately, he was far heavier than she thought.

"Luna, help me with him!" Every medical pony had returned to the hospital wing, and she could not simply call them back out again to ask for a stretcher. "He's far too heavy to be carried alone, hurry!"

"Princess, what's wrong with him?" Twilight asked the first thing that came to mind. The last thing any of them expected Sam to do was faint.

"I'm not sure, but he needs help, now!"

Before they reached the door, it burst open. They were momentarily stunned by what came out: a trolley supporting a five-layer cake decorated with whipped cream, strawberry, and chocolate syrup.

"Hellllllooooo, everypony!" Behind the trolley was Pinkie Pie, smiling eagerly. "I'm sure you're all very hungry after the fight, so I baked this huuuuuge cake so that everypony..."

She finally noticed Sam being carried on the princesses' backs and her smile dropped. "Ohhh, this is a bad time, huh?"

The entire courtyard remained a mess for the night. The signs of a battle were obvious from the crumpled grass and broken dirt.

The statues were also left untouched. Nopony could replace them all to their original positions because they were so heavy, and Celestia had informed the staff she would put them back in the morning.

However, the night did not pass undisturbed. Most ponies did not know it, but Discord was not the only one to be sealed in stone.

One of the statues was a startling figure: a large wolf with bristled fur and enormous fangs, posing so that it looked like it was howling at the moon. A red glow emanated from its eyes as it remained petrified, but if there was anypony in the courtyard, they would have heard its deep growl.

Author's Note

(fixed/rewritten 09/29/2014)

Act 1: Hero-Anthropophobia

"Get up, Samuel!"

A whack on his head had him scrambling to get up. "What the hell!?" he hissed as he clutched his head. "What's your prob-"

Another whack, this time on his foot. "Get up! You're late for training!"

"Training?" Sam shook himself awake and stood up. "What training? And who the hell do you think-Dad?!"

A man was standing over him, pointing a wooden sword in his face. He was wearing a dirty white uniform, but his torso was bare, revealing a thin yet muscular build.

"That's Rodrigues-sensei to you, boy!" He swung his sword again, but Sam caught it between his hands.

"Dad, what the hell-I mean, this all has to be-" Sam froze when he saw it: his right arm. His eyes traveled to the rest of his body and saw he was also bare-chested with a similar uniform.

"Don't lose focus!"

The sword slipped through Sam's hands and hit his head a second time. However, Sam ignored it and looked at his assaulter and absorbing the scenery. All he could see was the wooden floor of his father's dojo. Other than that, only a white void filled in for the walls and ceiling.

"You've gotten slow, boy!" Rodrigues swung again but hit only air. Sam backpedaled in time to avoid his skull being cracked. "Admit it, kid! Without your fancy suit and my sword, you're nothing!"

Sam's confusion was replaced with anger. Another wooden sword appeared in his hand. "A punk? It's been years and that's the first thing you say? What are you even doing here?" He blocked another strike and lunged forward.

"I saw your fight with those animals, Samuel, and you were so pathetic that I had to come back from the dead just to teach you a lesson!" Rodrigues grunted as he parried Sam's attack. Sam rolled to the side just in time to avoid a strike across his stomach. "You fought like a damn savage back there! No style or form whatsoever!"

A smile crept up on Sam's face as he parried another attack, but staggered back from the force. "Yeah, well you never taught me how to fight against talking ponies half my size!" He launched a roundhouse kick, but Rodrigues blocked it with his arms.

"Bah! Excuses, as always, Samuel!" he snarled. "However, your behavior in this new world was understandable. You were never the subtle one and you at least showed those ponies business. Now, passing out right after that? That was pathetic."

"Let's see you try to fight over thirty trained guards after eating nothing but salads! Even you would be exhausted after that!"

"I don't need a damned suit to show some pack mules who's boss, and that's why you passed out, burro!"

"I didn't need that and I sure as hell don't need it to take down merda like you!"

They were now face-to-face. Their weapons pushed against each other and their wielders held their ground. One wrong move from this position and one of them was going to get a nasty scar.

"Are insults the only thing you learned from me, boy?"

"No, I also remembered that your arthritis is kicking in again!"

In a blink, Sam stepped forward and slid to his right. Rodrigues's sword slipped out of his fingers as he fell back. A red line formed on his chest where the sword struck him. Beside him, Sam rested his weapon on his shoulder.

While Rodrigues rubbed his chest, Sam gazed down at him. He wanted to laugh; his father, his teacher, his superior, was on the ground instead of him. A rare sight.

He held back, sickened with himself.

"Rodrigues-sensei, here." He pointed his sword at him.

He scoffed. "So now that your old man's on the ground, you pity him?" He looked at his twitching fingers and curled them into fists. Their cracks made Sam flinch, but Rodrigues pulled himself to his feet.

When neither of them spoke, Sam averted his gaze. He never did like tense moments with his father. It was often a sign that said Sam did something wrong, such as being too slow to dodge or improperly holding the sword. "So, Sensei-"

Rodrigues reclaimed his weapon and immediately swung to Sam's left, only to be blocked.

"Good! Kept your guard up." He slowly turned his body to its normal position and his arms went limp. The sparring was over.

Sam sighed in relief. "So dad...I know this is just a dream, but...you're still you, right?" He still could not look at his eyes.

"What are you talking about?" he grumbled. "Of course it's me. How can you doubt your old man like that?" He crossed his arms indignantly. "What's with that attitude of yours, huh? It's been over a dozen years and you still can't even look me in the face?"

Sam was growing more uncomfortable by the second. Everything felt so surreal to him.

"Dad, I..."

"You have a lot of explaining to do and I would rather hear it from my own son's mouth than dig into his subconscious to find out." He sighed, releasing his arms and holding them out in front of him. "Well, that can wait. Right now-"

But Sam could not wait for him to finish. It would have been an amusing sight for anyone watching. His arms wrapped around his father, who was nothing less than shocked. However, this look quickly softened as he reciprocated.

"Get a hold of yourself, boy." He rubbed his son's shoulders. His voice took on a gentler and deeper tone. "Or do I have to beat the tears out of you?"

"I haven't seen you in decades, and that's what you say?" Sam chuckled. "Besides, I'm not wasting what little tears I have on a dead man." The pair separated and Sam looked at his father straight at his face. "You look exactly the same. Wrinkles, arthritis, bad teeth, the works."

"This is all happening in your subconscious, you little monster. Of course you would make me look like how you remember me."

"That explains why you look older than usual." Both barked in laughter at his remark. "Now what, though? I'm alive, but I've never had a lucid dream like this before."

"How about a drink?" A small table with a bottle and two cups appeared between them. Rodrigues tossed his sword away and sat down, gesturing Sam to do the same. "Reality can wait. It's been too long since we talked."

"Thanks for the offer, but the last thing I need is some pony doctor poking at me with needles or taking off my suit." He shivered at the thought of those ponies gawking at him naked. "I need to wake up." He slapped his cheeks, pinched himself, and shut his eyes as tight as he could, but he could not wake up.

Rodrigues smiled and drank straight from the bottle. "Give it a rest. Your body's exhausted from the suit. Even if you woke up, you wouldn't even be able to open your eyes."

Sam was close to tearing the skin off his new arm before stopping. "Damn. What the hell are those ponies doing to me?"

"Relax. If you're dreaming, you're alive." Rodrigues took another swig. "That princess wants you alive. How else would she learn more about the Winds?"

"Dad, they have magic. No bullshit." Sam sighed and sat down on the opposite side of the table. "I've read enough fantasy and myths in school. They can just read my mind and dispose of me afterwards. They could be screwing with my head right now."

“If you had time to read fairy tales, why didn’t you spend that time studying, huh?” Rodrigues shook the bottle angrily. “All you got were half-ass grades, and you wouldn’t have gotten knocked to the ground by your old man every time you brought home your report cards.”

Sam groaned. “Hey, even with my goofing off, I still got a scholarship." He rubbed his eyes. "But those ponies. I don't care about them. If I was sent here, I can get back home. I don't care what some spirit of chaos or a damn book tells me is impossible."

"Aye!" Rodrigues lifted his bottle to him. "Couldn't have said it better myself! Now hurry up and have a drink! You're going to be here for a while."

Sam took it and peered inside. It was still filled with clear, bitter-smelling liquid. "You know I don't drink. I don't even know what booze tastes like."

"Watch it, boy." Rodrigues raised a finger at him. "Sake's more than just a beer. Just pour a glass already."

He did as he was told. To his surprise, a dark purple liquid poured out instead.

Dream logic. Of course. At least I can have all the juice I can drink.

"Grape juice," he muttered to himself, smiling. He returned the bottle to Rodrigues, who poured out sake into his own glass.

"Kampai." The father raised his glass, nodding and smiling as wide as he had seen him.

Just like old times.

"Kampai."

"Princess Celestia, I know the hospital wing's full, but did you have to bring him here of all places?" Twilight asked, looking around the damp walls.

"I'm sorry, Twilight, but this is the only place in the castle where he won't be disturbed. He needs all the rest he can get."

The cell was large enough to fit three medical ponies and an unconscious Sam. Celestia and Twilight would have joined them, but the remaining space was occupied with various machines with cables and other devices attached to them.

The doctors were informed that the human had overworked himself and passed out and that they were to do all they could to help his recovery. Unfortunately, his suit proved too difficult to remove and due to this, the most they could do was do a diagnosis on him based on his vulnerable face and whatever information they could get from the readings on the machines and their own magic.

"Shame my friends couldn’t even visit him. I'm sure Pinkie Pie's worried sick about him," Twilight said, remembering how downcast the party pony was.

"This matter with Sam does not concern them. Them being here has helped us learn more about Sam and these Winds of Destruction, but I'd prefer if they did not interact with him too much." Celestia faced her student with a somber look. "You have seen what he can do, and what he wants to do."

"B-but!" Twilight stammered. "If Sam wanted to hurt any of us, he would have done so!"

"He does not view us, or at least those that do not disturb him, as threats. But you remember how he behaved? I've heard from Luna that he has frequently threatened you and your friends, no matter how sarcastic or joking his comments were." She returned to looking at Sam, but lowered her volume to a whisper. "Sam is different from the humans I know. He actively seeks violence. When humans first met us and ponykind, they did not initially resort to violence. Terrified, yes, but we were all scared at seeing a new kind of creature. Although we were both ready to fight, none of us wanted to."

"Princess Luna said they were brought here by Discord," Twilight whispered back. "Why did he do that?"

"Mostly, to entertain him. Discord never told me the real reason why, but I'm guessing he thought Equestria was too boring, even with his chaos. One of the humans told me that they struck a deal with Discord: cause even more chaos than he has, and he would send them back to their world," Celestia sighed. "An obvious lie, but the humans believed him."

"Discord must have been horrible when he ruled," Twilight moaned, shuddering.

"’Irresponsible’" would be a better word. But the humans were understanding. They had brought their weapons and tools with them, but they did not use them against us, and even lent them to us to study. Sadly, there were those opposed this idea of sharing knowledge, mostly from the griffins and diamond dogs. They wanted a piece of their knowledge, and due to the instability caused by Discord, negotiations or any kind of interaction between races were impossible. Some extremists have even tried to stea thel humans."

Celestia wanted to hit herself. She did not mean to reveal so much at once, especially now that the doctors were packing up their tools.

"Are you finished already?" Celestia asked as they opened the door.

They bowed their heads before one of them stepped forward. "There's not much we could do. We can't use magic to scan his body for abnormalities, and most of our tools can't get through his suit. We tried to find buttons, zippers, anything, but it's as if the suit's glued to his body. We've also found traces of some unknown chemical, but it's not harmful to the body. The only thing we found wrong with him is that he is extremely malnourished and tired. We have found out his body is showing signs of starvation response. Thankfully, it's not that severe."

Twilight stared at Sam's gaunt face, but Celestia was confused. "Starvation response? You mean..."

"His body has begun to deteriorate by eating itself." The doctor kept his face stern, but his voice quivered. "His body's metabolism must be extreme for him to...exert himself so much during his fight." He gestured to the IV bags with their needles poking into Sam's neck. "Thankfully, his suit did not stop parenteral nutrition, but he needs more of everything, with a body that size. Aminos, vitamins, lipids, everything."

"Go get them. Hurry." Celestia wanted to kick herself for not knowing more about humans and their physiology, lightly chastising herself for not learning more about them when she had the chance. "Try your best to keep him alive."

"Yes, Your Highness!" The ponies scrambled out of the room, leaving Celestia to ponder out loud.

"But how? Pushing himself that hard, he would have passed out before starving. He had all he could eat during lunch, and still, it's more likely for him to faint during his fight, not after it."

Twilight looked away from Sam and faced Celestia. "You said you've seen humans, Princess. Have you seen how they fight?"

"Ferociously," Celestia answered, albeit puzzled. "Some of the kinder ones defended ponies from the wild beasts Discord allowed loose. But no human from back then could fight off thirty guards alone. Why do you ask?"

Twilight looked at Sam again. As if on cue, a small smile appeared on his face. She allowed a smile of her own, slightly uplifted by him, before returning serious. "I think it's his suit." Twilight entered the cell, inspecting the green material.

Before she could ask her mentor more questions, Luna came back. She had spent her time moving Sam's sword to a secret location and helping out in the hospital wing afterwards. "I saw the doctors leaving. Have they found what is wrong with him?"

"He's starving." Twilight answered automatically. "I think the suit's caused his body to burn too much energy."

Luna was aghast. "How can a mere suit do that? We have magical artifacts that fatigue users, but there is no magic in his world."

"That's just it: it's not magic. The doctor said it was as if the suit was attached to his body, and it looks form-fitting too. It also looks like the suit's attached to his right arm somehow, and in turn..." She snapped her head away from Sam as if she was in a daze. She turned to the two princesses both wearing surprised looks. She looked down and shirked away. "Uh, I mean...that's what I think."

"A likely hypothesis," Luna finally uttered. "But until we can study the suit further, we cannot prove that. The cause could very well be a human illness or a special condition of his. Maybe after he wakes up, he'll take it off and let us inspect it and his body more closely, but until then, we can only hope he wakes up as soon as possible."

With nothing more to be said, Celestia raised a hoof to her head. "It's my fault," she muttered. "I never should have let him fight. And now there's the guards I'll have to explain to. It'll be a miracle if I can keep all this within Canterlot."

Twilight noticed her distress and returned to her side. "Princess, please don't be so worried. Nopony died, after all right?" she asked, but she knew her words, trembling as they were, did not help much.

Luna stared at her incredulously, but it quickly hardened as she walked up to Celestia. "You see?" Luna seethed. "This is exactly what I was talking about! I showed you how against this I was before, but you still allowed it, and now look what happened."

Twilight stared at the alicorn. She never heard Luna adopt such a harsh tone against her own sister, but it was as unnerving as she thought it would be.

Celestia remained still. "What else would you have me do? Deny him? Arrest him? Lock him up in chains? If I had, there could have been an even worse incident, with fatalities, maybe!"

"You-no, I would have restrained him, like Discord has! Magic cannot affect him, but we could have at least halted him. He was in no position to request nor deserve something like an opportunity to kill our ponies. Do you not realize how risky this was?" She slammed her hoof down.

"He has kept his word and did not murder anypony!" Celestia countered. "You saw humans before. You saw how they reacted to Discord when they found out his lie. I could not risk-"

"So you allow him to freely go about as he pleases? We, the two powerful princesses of Equestria, now obey the whims of a single human!?"

"He could become a crucial asset to us in dealing with the Winds! While he was here, he was kept under watch by either you or me. Who was the one the left him alone with just Twilight and her friends when I notified the guards of his challenge?"

"So now you doubt your own student's capabilities?" Luna chuckled hollowly. "Besides, no harm befell them-."

"BE QUIET!"

The sisters tore their eyes off each other to look at the now-standing speaker. Twilight's eyes were wet but unwavering as they glared straight at the pair like they have never seen before.

"We have a human and thirty guards, all injured from a fight they started. Princess Celestia, you allowed them to fight. They were not forced to fight. And Princess Luna, you claim you would have stopped him, but you didn't, neither verbally or through action. Princess Celestia said that either of you could have stopped the fight. Now will you all please stop arguing and help everypony that's hurt?"

The room was silent aside from Twilight's panting. She furiously rubbed her eyes and stared again, only for her to realize what she had done. The gravity of her outburst was felt like a buck to her stomach and nearly forced her legs to give out.

Oh no...what did I just do? Did I just scream at Princess Celestia? Oh, this is really, really bad! What am I-no, what's going to happen to me?!

Luna was the first to break the silence. Her mane had returned to hovering aloof and she was looking down as well. "Very well. We shall return to the hospital wing to see what we can do to help." Luna walked to the door. "We will talk again later, sister." She returned to her austere self, but Twilight and Celestia noticed she was weaker in her steps.

"Twilight, I-" Celestia began but stopped when Twilight looked up, running her mouth a mile a minute.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to snap at you like that, Princess, I swear! I was just-it was just-we have so many ponies to treat and-"

"No, Twilight. You are right." Celestia had to nearly shout her words to stop Twilight's. "We are princesses. You are the only one in this castle that can talk to us like you have."

"But I-but I..." Twilight stuttered, not sure how to take this. "But I'm still your student!"

"You are also a princess. And you have taken the initiative to diffuse a rather heated argument between me and Luna. You saw we were getting nowhere, and took action.You did a very good thing, stopping us, before things got too out of hoof. I hope you can forgive us."

Twilight did not know what to say. Her mentor, Princess Celestia, one of the highest authorities in Equestria, just complimented her for scolding her? She read somewhere that standing up to friends takes more courage than standing up to enemies, but applied in this situation made her suddenly lightheaded. "Uh-well, I...sorry. princess. it's just, most of the time, I’m the one apologizing to you about something."

Celestia chuckled. "Even I make mistakes Twilight. You know that better than most." She looked at Sam, almost heaving for air. "Like this one here. Unfortunately, there's not much we can do for Sam other than IV therapy. I suppose Luna may wish to venture into his dreams to investigate later. I will join her in the medical wing. Afterwards, I will hear Mayor Mare's testimony, then contact Shining Armor to see if he can visit and bringing some additional forces. With our latest captain incapacitated, we need a temporary replacement." She turned away and headed to the door.

"Wait, Princess!" Twilight called out. When Celestia turned around, she hesitated. "I-uh, I know it sounds silly to say it out loud but..." She gulped knowing what would come next. "what should I do now?"

Her heart stopped when she saw Celestia with a strange look. It was like a mix between confusion and humor. "Do what you think is best. You can stay here with your friends, return to Ponyville and study more on griffin culture and history, or use the library here instead. I don’t mean to offend Ponyville, but the castle library has a wider selection for you to choose from. I cannot keep telling you what to do, Princess Sparkle, and even if I could, I wouldn't."

She turned away and continued to walk, and as if on cue, the doctors returned with a cart full of IV bags. After giving a quick "Your Highness." they opened the cell door and began replacing most of the machinery with the cart.

Twilight felt an emptiness growing larger in her stomach. She knew Celestia’s words to be true, but for a while, her mind remained blank.

She's right. I've been following in her hoofsteps ever since I was a foal. And now, she sees me as an equal, not just a student. I should be experienced enough to decide what to do now without her every suggestion.

She galloped out of the room and up the stairs that led to the ground floor. She immediately noticed the shimmering mane and caught up to Celestia, who turned around and blinked in surprise.

"Twilight! Have you decided to help me and Luna with the injured?" she asked.

Twilight's smile faltered. "Uh, not exactly, princess. If that's what you want-"

"Oh, don't give me that, Twilight," she laughed. "That wasn't a suggestion for you to take up."

"No, it's just that...what I want to do may need your permission and you to show me where it is."

"This is a pleasant surprise. Of course you have my permission. But what is kept so secret you needed me for?"

Twilight took a deep breath before pressing on. "At first, I wanted to learn more about Sam and his suit, but with the doctors tending to him, that can wait. Right now, I want to study his sword if you'll let me."

Somewhere, in one of the castle's guest chambers, Twilight's friends were pacing anxiously, unable to get their minds off of Sam. Right after they had followed the princesses to the dungeons they never knew existed, they were escorted by able-bodied guards to the largest bedroom they could find. Rainbow initially caused an uproar with her friends, asking them why they could not join their friend, but they were mostly silenced when they were told by Celestia they could see Sam and Twilight tomorrow.

Key word there being "mostly".

"This stinks!" Rainbow screamed into her pillow. She threw it to the wall, where it hit and landed on the floor harmlessly. "We don’t even get a so much as a glimpse and Twilight gets to stay with Princess Celestia?"

"Rainbow Dash, I know you're distressed with the situation, but calm yourself." Rarity levitated the pillow and fluffed it before placing it on the bed. "I’m sure they’re discussing very important things about Sam. That might be why she sent us here with guards, to keep us safe. I can imagine her worry when she has not just the guards, but her friends in the same building as that brute."

"Rarity, I think that was obvious when there was one Sam against an army of ponies," Rainbow added. "But whoever these "Winds of Destruction" guys are, if they're as strong as Sam, what do you think we could do against them?"

At this, Pinkie Pie popped out under the pillow and sat next to the pegasus. By now, everypony was used to her impossible antics and did not question it, but Rainbow seemed even more indifferent to her than usual. “Oh, oh! I have an idea! We can throw them a biiiiiiig welcoming party so they don’t feel like destroying everything!”

"Oh, come on, guys!" Rainbow urged, growing more heated. "We've defeated Nightmare Moon! Discord! Helped take down the changeling queen and King Sombra! Are you telling me there's nothing we can do about them?"

"Well, the thing is, Rainbow Dash, is that we...what I mean to say is...we're just not..." Rarity could not bear to speak out.

"We're just scared, is all," Applejack finished for her, looking rather edgy herself. "Nightmare Moon bringin' eternal night, Discord turnin' Ponyville into the chaos capital, but Sam? He wasn’t kiddin’ when he mentioned killing hundreds of other humans, and I think he would have killed those guard all too happily if he had the chance. What if the Winds of Destruction are just like him?"

"So what? Are you saying we should just wait for this to all pass over?" Rainbow buried her muzzle under the blankets as she remembered Sam's words.

While you and your guards remain in the castle and the cities, pushing pens and signing paperwork, I go out there, into the world, killing those deserving death. I've spent my time doing what those servants of the law do not...

...picking a fight with a bunch of miniature horses is an afterthought...

...I've done things, captain. Things that would probably list me here as one of the greatest monsters, and things that would have me remembered as a legend...

"Aw, don't be so grumpy, Dashie!" Pinkie patted Rainbow’s back. "I know you don't want to be left out on all the action, but we don't even know where the Winds are, or what they're up to! Even Princess Celestia doesn't know what to do, but I just know she'll need us for them."

"Pinkie Pie's right, Rainbow," Applejack added. "Ya haven't forgot about the "Mare Do Well" incident, haven't ya?"

"That's not what I mean!" Rainbow nearly shouted, but her voice was muffled by the blankets. "It's just that...it's about Sam." When she said this, her friends walked closer, ready to comfort when needed. "I just...feel so useless compared to him. The princesses called him a vigilante. When I heard that, I thought he was pretty cool and all, you know? Like one of those comic book superheroes, like Batmane. But then he said all those things during his fight, and how he fought...he looks like he spent his whole life fighting and killing. Is that really what a vigilante does?"

“Well, I suppose things like that’s only so dramatic in real life.” Rarity said, reminded that her story were just that-a story. “But you’re not like Batmane or Sam. We may be Equestria’s heroes, but we cannot simply consider ourselves above the law.”

“Exactly.” Applejack nodded her head. “Remember what Twilight said before? We start looking and hunting criminals ourselves, and we’re no better than them.”

On cue, Pinkie Pie reached over to the bedside table, where the remains of her cake lay. Before leaving the hospital wing, she insisted Celestia to offer everypony in the room a slice. Now, it was almost gone, and Pinkie placed a slice on a plate and handed it to Rainbow.

"Thanks." She bit into the cake and moaned in familiar euphoria. "Anyways, what if there's more than what he's telling us? He said he worked with these Desperado guys, what else could he be hiding--Fluttershy?"

Fluttershy was standing away from the pair of beds. In fact, she had remained in her original position, not moving at all and instead was sitting still. Rainbow Dash would have mistaken her for sleeping if her eyes were not open. However, she was staring straight down, as if trying to see through the floor, obviously in thought.

"Huh? Oh, sorry, Rainbow Dash!" She noticed everypony's stares and practically leaped off her chair to join her friends on the second bed. "I didn't mean to ignore you or anything! It was just…I was just thinking about Sam is all."

"You must have been pondering even more than Rainbow for you to be so dazed!" Rarity brought her over to her side, and patted her shoulder. "Tell us: what's got you so worked up about him?"

Fluttershy was stuck. She wanted to sound as unbiased as possible, but she did not know how without antagonizing Sam. "Well, I was just wondering," Fluttershy muttered, looking down at the blanket. "What made Sam like he is now? Are all humans as violent as him? So then I thought to what he said, back at the courtyard, said he killed criminals...why would he do all that?"

"Maybe he wanted to be a good guy, like in those comics Rainbow mentioned?" Applejack suggested sarcastically. "Like a more extreme version of Batmane. Didn’t he get his parents killed and that's what pressured him to fight crime? Maybe somethin' real bad's happened to him too."

"As dashing it may sound, a life fighting crime’s not all it's cut out to be. He even admitted he was no better than a criminal." Rarity finished dejectedly, her sigh taking on a disappointed tone. "A rogue at best, but a murderer at worst, no?"

"Oh, but he can't be that bad!" Fluttershy cried, as if Sam could hear them right now. "Besides, I just overreacted when I first saw him fight that timberwolf! He was just defending himself is all! I'm sure he had a good reason to-"

"A reason good enough to go down hurtin' and killin' any he sees fit?" Applejack crossed her hooves with disapproval. "No offense, Shy, self-defense is one thing, but like Rarity said, killin' other criminals is just gonna bite him in the flank eventually."

"But remember the other thing he said? After blocking all those swords the captain sent at him, which, I gotta admit, was pretty cool." How could any of them forget? He suddenly moved as fast as Pinkie Pie when she had tried ten of her experimental coffee cupcakes. "He said something about there being no one else that could kill him?"

"He must be quite skilled if no one else could stop him." Rarity answered. "But didn't Princess Celestia say he was resurrected by Discord? That means he must have met someone that finally...ended him." She wiped her eyes, saddened by the tragic end. She was familiar from her numerous novels the idea of a hero-turned-villain.

"Did you have to put it like that?" Fluttershy was shaking again, tears filling her eyes as well. "It almost sounds like he wanted to die."

"Nonononono!" Pinkie shook her head fast enough to create a pink blur. "Sammy-I mean, Sam's not like that! If he died, how would he be able to fight crime like he did? He must have a lot of experience with it, and a lot of confidence in his skills, so why would he think of such a thing?"

"But then, why would he undertake such a nasty occupation?" Rarity asked. She remembered his broken smile when he told his "lost-and-found" joke. No normal pony could make such a smile. "Being a mercenary might be a profitable job, but I imagine there's a very high mortality rate, and there must be some other jobs that need doing."

"Maybe he didn't have a choice," Rainbow muttered. "Remember that arm of his? My guess is that he owed this Desperado for giving him that cool new arm. And he said Desperado was some kind of terrorist group. Maybe they needed Sam's skills with some big conspiracy in trade for his arm."

Applejack clutched her head between her hooves. She was starting to feel Rainbow's frustration. "This is all too much. The more we talk about him, the more questions keep poppin' up!"

"He is quite the enigma." Rarity laid her head to a pillow. "But he must have a lot of stories of his travels to tell! Oh, a shame we return to Ponyville tomorrow," she groaned.

Fluttershy looked out the window and saw the moonlight shining through it. "Oh my! I didn't know it was so late! With the princess offering dinner and hearing Ms. Mare's testimony, time must have flown by without us realizing!"

"What? That's silly! Time doesn't fly! It just goes!" Pinkie giggled, but remembered her newest friend's predicament. "But Sam's not back from his cell. He must have been pooped if he's still sleeping!"

"But he passed out so suddenly, and for him to need medical help...what if something's seriously wrong with him?" Fluttershy could not help but worry.

"Don't worry, Fluttershy." Pinkie reassured. "I made sure to give him a slice of my cake before we left, so he's sure to be back on his feet in no time!" She pulled herself closer and wrapped her in a one-legged hug. "I'm sure Twilight and the other princesses are doing all they can to help him!"

"Yeah, leave to good ol' Twilight to handle everything," Rainbow grumbled before wrapping herself in blankets, yawning as she did. "Sorry, guys, guess I'm just tired's all."

Rarity joined in on her friend's yawning. "Well, Fluttershy's right when she said it's getting late. We should hit the hay as well if we want to catch the morning train home." Pinkie and Fluttershy nodded drowsily. There were only two beds, so they opted for the largest one, enough to accommodate the three mares snugly.

Applejack's eyes narrowed as she joined Rainbow in her own bed, thankfully large enough to give the two mares space to prevent awkward moments. Fluttershy, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie pulled back their own bed's blanket and turned off a nearby lamp, flooding the room in darkness.

"Mind tellin' me what that was about?" Applejack whispered.

As the Element of Loyalty, it felt wrong to even think this way, so she could not hold it in for any longer than she had to. "You notice Twilight's been cooped up in the library more than usual?"

"Yeah, but she told us that she's just studyin' up for the griffins visitin'. As the newest princess, she has a lot to live up to now."

"I know that." She hissed for breath. "But she's doing all this work by herself. Worrying and helping Sam, on top of these griffins coming...I just wonder if there’s anything any of us can do to help."

Applejack's mouth formed an "O", even though nopony could see it. "So that's why you were so wary of him? Ah thought it was just because he was dangerous and all that." She scratched her head with a hoof before speaking. "Don't you remember what Princess Celestia said after lunch?"

"What, about letting us go back to Ponyville?"

"Yeah," Applejack yawned out. "Even if Twilight's life's changin', we still have our own to live out. We'll still be her friends, always, but she has new responsibilities now, like Ms. Mare. She's gon' to be busy for sure, but what kind of friends would we be if we didn't help her out when she needs it? She's helped us out plenty before, but she shuts herself in that library everyday."

"Yeah, but with this issue with Sam and the Winds of Destruction, what if she doesn't need our help, or what if we can't help at all?"

"We can and we will, Rainbow. We just gotta find how. That's what you've been doin' all day, weren't it?" A thought crept up in Applejack's mind. "What, you sayin' it's better to not even try to help a friend out?"

This earned her a snort from Rainbow. "Just who do you think you're talking to? This is Rainbow Dash, Element of Loyalty, here!"

"Exactly." Applejack was getting too tired to open her eyes at this point. "So don't fret none. You're expectin' too much from yourself. Why, even Daring Do had some things she couldn't handle by herself." Yawning for the last time, she finally dozed off, with only her snores audible to Rainbow.

However, even with her words of comfort, she still felt an emptiness in her gut, What if she can't help her out? She would not just be disappointing a friend, but royalty! How would that reflect upon her?

But the one thing that left her secretly shaking was the thought of her inability. What if she truly could not help Twilight, and this was something she and the princesses had to do themselves?

I've done things, captain. Things that would probably list me here as one of the greatest monsters, and things that would have me remembered as a legend.

Sam could probably handle the Winds of Destruction easy, with those awesome moves of his. But is letting somepony like him really a good idea? He doesn't even look interested in helping us out, and what if he turns against us?

A familiar sensation struck her heart. It was the same ugly feeling as the one she had when Mare-Do-Well popped up in town The recognition of fear only muddled her mind further, tiring her out even more.

Finally, too tired to even shake her head free of such thoughts or wipe her eyes, she surrendered to exhaustion.

Author's Note

(fixed/rewritten 10/08/2014)

Act 1: Hero-The Candidates

"...and I left Bladewolf my-I mean, your sword. If he’s truly loyal to Raiden, he would have gone to Pakistan with him to finish the job."

Rodrigues's face twisted in annoyance. "So you're telling me that you died in battle and gave him your sword just because you were too pathetic to do it yourself?!"

His cup shattered in his hand for what felt like the dozenth time.

"I know, and I second-guessed myself. Wasting two years on something, and I doubted myself on the whole-"

Sam shut up when a cup collided on his head, raining its content and broken glass on his hair. He did not need to look up to know Rodrigues was towering before him.

"That's because you have been a complete wreck ever since I died! You had your life ready for you, and you wasted it all on your childish vendetta!" Sam would not be surprised if he flipped the table on him as well. "I gave you the Murasama not so you could use it, but for you to remember me by and pass it onto your descendants, not so you could turn it into a...a damn lightsaber!"

It would have been funny if the situation had not been so serious. A voice in Sam's head kept telling him it was a dream and he did not have to listen to any of this, but he steeled himself, knowing that whether he wanted it or not, his subconscious has recreated his father for a reason.

"I went against all of your expectations. But I was too far in to stop. I knew that when I escaped Brazil to train instead of going to college or start a family like you said I should."

Sam expected his father to hit him with his wooden sword again, or toss the table aside and maybe even snatch the cup in his hand and smash it over his head. However, he only heard a sigh as Rodrigues sat back down, laying his cup back on the table surprisingly gently..

His subconscious truly knew how to fuck with him: the disappointing silence was easily ten times worse than any amount of screaming or abuse.

"I said this before, but I'll say it again: you're a little monster, you know that?"

"Yeah, I know. You've been telling me that every practice." Sam kept still, letting the alcohol dry over his hair and torso. He has not moved an inch, but he knew if this was real, his body would be aching from tensing up and his legs would be sore.

Another sigh. Sam kept his head down, lest Rodrigues see his bared teeth. Every sigh felt like a stab through his throat ."Well, I couldn't expect any less. You were never good at keeping promises."

Sam heard another sip and clack of glass. He blinked again and his cup disappeared from his grasp.He looked up only to have his face meet with Rodrigues's sword and sent flying back. He awoke from his stupor and balanced himself as he checked his face to see if it was disfigured in any way.

Nope, scar's still there. But now...

"You've disappointed me for the last time, Samuel." He used his name. It was a sure sign of him serious. "You want to die that badly, then I'll kill you right now, cretino!" He charged again, his sword ready to strike.

Instinctively, Sam pulled out a sword out of thin air and tried to block.

Wait, why does he look like-shit!

But it was too late for him to properly block it. Rodrigues had his sword positioned to perform one of Rodrigues New Shadow School's cornerstone techniques: iai.

Sam expected this, but not his father's sword to flash steel.

He felt no pain, but he fell back, dropping his weapon and clutching his left eye. He did not feel anything but blood dripping down his face.

"You're not the only one with new toys, boy!"

His father loomed over him like an executioner with his blade raised. Rodrigues held his sword with all sense of control or precision forgotten. He dragged his feet and his sword behind him, the blade scraping along the floor.

Sam removed his hand from his face and looked at the blood, now dripping onto the floor. He wanted to fight back, charge at him, pick up his sword again and defend himself, but he remained still, realizing the absurdity of it all.

“Don’t screw with me.” He started laughing, not caring if the white void was slowly darkening or that his bleeding has stopped. He saw Rodrigues take a step to slice him in half, so he quickly rolled back far beyond Rodrigues’s reach.

“You’re just some guilt I left buried in my head a long time ago,” he said as he felt his hand grab onto a familiar sheath. He got to his feet, drawing his red Murasama and getting into position “This isn’t some major revelation. I’m over you. Now get out of my head!”

With that, he charged.

Rodrigues saw him coming and sidestepped. Sam turned around fast enough to block a strike to his vulnerable back, being pushed back a few paces as Rodrigues went on the aggressive.

“You know how this will end.” He sidestepped again, this time attacking from Sam’s left. “It’s the same as before!” Sam blocked again. “You could never beat me, and you know it!”

“You’re not my father,” Sam growled. “You’re just some wild thought.” Sam swung, missing again. “He’s been dead for twelve years. I’m done mourning!”

“If that’s the case, you should be able to kill me easy!” Rodrigues cackled. Blocking another strike, he suddenly let go of his sword. For a fraction of a second Sam hesitated, giving Rodrigues the chance to close the distance and grab his arms.

Sam did not even have time to curse as he was knocked off his feet and his back hit the floor. Rodrigues’s legs were placed across his chest and neck, choking him while restraining his right arm across Rodrigues’s chest. An armbar.

“You never did take jiu-jitsu training too seriously.”

A crack from his elbow made Sam gasp. He managed to turn his head to see his arm bent in the opposite direction. For once, he was thankful he was dreaming or he would have been screaming in pain. After a short struggle he managed to squirm his way out of Rodrigues’s grip.

“Yeah, and your size was never one of your advantages.” With some effort, Sam realigned his arm with a wet pop. He saw both swords lying on the ground, too far away to pick up without giving Rodrigues an opening.

The father must have realized this as well, as he immediately charged at Sam.

Now would be a really good time for a sword to pop into my hand!

Alas, nothing was ever that easy, even in a dream.

Both Sam and Rodrigues was getting nowhere. Despite his earlier bravado, Sam had no confidence going hand-to-hand against an opponent that was obviously more skilled than him. He had to make a move before he gave Rodrigues another opening.

He did not have to wait long. Rodrigues launched a combo of kicks, aiming for his chest and head. He has seen the sequence many times and he knew just when to counter it with a grapple of his own. He grabbed the heel of the flying foot and pushed forward, causing Rodrigues to lose balance and fall to the ground.

He could not help but laugh at seeing his father’s head colliding with the floor, but he hastily retraced his steps to his Murasama. Even if this was not a dream, he wanted to finish his fight with how they always finished their spars.

Thankfully, even in the darkness, he found his sword and sheath. As if on cue, Rodrigues has risen to his feet with sword in hand and its sheath materializing in the other.

Cursing dream logic, he sheathed his weapon. Rodrigues mimicked, smirking as he did.

“You were always a fan of iai, Sam,” he sneered. “But like I said, you know how this will end up.”

“Yeah, with your head at my feet.” This time, Sam would not be using his sheath’s trigger function. Whether or not he defeats Rodrigues, it did not matter.

Sweat was beginning to reappear on Sam. His body was begging for release, to strike. He was losing his grip on his sword from the perspiration, but he remained still. The instant Rodrigues slipped would be when he pulled his sword.

Damn it, it always came down to this. No, don’t think like that! This is my dream and I do what I want. I beat him before. and I can definitely do it here!

But do you really want to beat him?

At this point, Rodrigues must have read his mind. He swiftly pounced and withdrew his sword, aiming for the head. Sam was petrified but his brain was still screaming at him to move. He never had to.

The sound of an oscillating HF blade filled the air as a gargantuan machete pierced Rodrigues. He immediately dropped his sword and helplessly looked down at the piece of metal jutting out of his chest.

“Come on, Sam!” a heavy Texan voice rang in his ears. “Don’t keep us waiting!”

Sam blinked and the black void was replaced with roaring flames. It was enough to snap Sam out of his stupor, drop his sword and shield his eyes at the sudden brightness. He jumped back, avoiding the flames as much as he could.

The giant machete shook off Rodrigues’s corpse off and revealed. Sundowner along with the remaining Winds of Destruction. Sam was too preoccupied with his father’s corpse bursting into flames to pay them any heed, though.

“Aw, what’s the matter?” Mistral goaded next to Sundowner, her numerous arms swaying to and fro like tentacles. “Does the little samurai miss his dear père?”

Monsoon appeared behind her and kicked the burning body towards Sam. “Get over it, Sam. You knew this would happen.”

Sam retrieved his sword and sheath and looked back at the trio. “What are you doing here, Sundowner? And why did you go and do that?” he asked heatedly, pointing his sword at the still-burning corpse.

Sundowner chuckled. “We just saved your ass, and that’s the thanks I get? Come on. We got work to do.”

Sam checked his surroundings again and noticed the fire was getting closer. He snarled at the burly cyborg before throwing his sword at his feet. “Get out of my head, all of you. I’m staying here.”

“This ain’t a choice, Sam.”

Regardless, Sam turned his back on him and slowly walked to the still burning cadaver. He knelt down and cradled the body in his hands, not caring if his own body was set ablaze.

“Suit yourself. Your dream after all, right?” Sundowner laughed.

Sam felt his heavy steps shaking the floor but he did not budge. The fire was spreading to his neck now, but he only hugged the corpse closer to him.

This is how it should be. This is what I should have done. At least maybe now, I’ll finally wake-

“ENOUGH!”

A surprisingly feminine voice shook the air. A strong gale extinguished the fires and Rodrigues’s body, now burnt to ashes, scattered into nothingness.

Sam clenched his fists as if trying to grab onto whatever remains he could. He felt Sundowner and the Winds’ presence disappear as well, so when he stood up and turned around, he saw the last thing he wanted: a pony.

Luna relaxed as the cyborgs popped out of existence. Compared to a pony’s, it was not easy entering a human’s dreamscape, let alone manipulating it, but she decided she had seen enough and took action before things got messier.

"That was close. A few more seconds, and that brute would have-"

“Who and what the hell are you?”

Luna turned to see Sam looming over her. His fists were clenched and they looked ready to punch. “What. Are you. Doing. In my head?”

She recoiled at the venom in his voice. “How can you not recog-we had just saved your life and that is how-”

“Again,” he cut her off. “What. Are you. Doing. In my head?!”

Luna stepped back but it was pointless. She did not expect him to react like this. “I am here to converse with you. For a dream to turn into a nightmare, and for you to dream so lucidly. You must have had these bouts repeatedly, have you not?”

She knew it was a weak excuse for the indignant human and mentally cursed her merciful side, but she was right in her assumption.

Sam’s fingers twitched, eager to wrap themselves around her neck. “I didn’t need a shrink in my first life, and I don’t need a goddamn horse now.” He spat the word like something stuck in his teeth. “Get out. Now.”

“Please, Samuel, we only wish to talk-”

“I don’t. Do I have to kill you to make you understand?!” He reached for her throat, but she expected him. She transformed into purple smoke and slipped through his fingers, only to reappear behind him.

“Do you not remember, Samuel?” She transformed again when a foot flew to her face. “You had fainted, after your bout with our guards.You should be thanking us. You would have died if we had not brought you in.” Being attacked twice in a dreamscape left her beyond irritated. She had to keep her anger in check, lest she inadvertently altered his dream beyond either of their control.

“I never asked to be brought back!” Sam’s anger has peaked and his roar was deafening, causing Luna to grab her ears. Sam took the opportunity to grab her throat and slam her into the wooden floor, eliciting a grunt. “You should have left me to die!”

“We agree...but…”

“But what!?”

His metal hand loosened its grip and she continued, gasping for breath. “If any of the Winds of Destruction are as dangerous as you, and they were to endanger our citizens, we do not possess a means of effectively combating-”

“I don’t give a damn about them!”

He threatened to snap her neck again but Luna was now just as furious. She regained enough focus during her speech to return to smoke. Startled, Sam did a double-take as the smoke grew until he could see nothing through it.

“We gave you your battle. We saved your life,” a voice from the darkness spoke up. “You tell us you owe nothing for that, Samue?l!”

Sam snarled at her and felt his Murasama in his hand. As much as he wished to swipe at the smoke to vent his frustration, he knew she was right. He wanted a fight, he got it, and it was his own carelessness that he wound up unconscious.

“So what?” He withdrew his sword and tried his best to look through the encompassing fog. “That gives you permission to invade my dream?!”

With a roar, he plunged his weapon into the fog, smirking when he felt something. He noticed the fog disappearing and grinned wider at his handiwork.

The red blade was lodged firmly in Luna’s throat. Her eyes showed nothing but utter horror as she tried to form words, her mouth opening and closing like a fish. Rivulets of blood poured out of her maw and Sam dug his sword deeper into her neck until he nose almost touched her muzzle.

Luna knew whatever damage she suffered in a dreamscape would not be reflected on her physical body, but the pain still felt very real.

“H-h-h-ow…”

“My dream, my rules.” Luna could feel Sam’s grip tighten and decided enough was enough. “And for trespassing on some very private property…”

Smiling the widest he has ever did, he slashed her neck open. To his disappointment, she only disappeared in a puff of smoke.

At this point, the fog has cleared completely and Sam found himself returned to his family dojo.

Well, at least she’ll be out of my hair for a while now.

He looked around his dreamscape and found the table. He tosses away his Murasama and picked up his glass. It was still filled to the brim with a sweet, purple liquid. He smiled and closed his eyes and drained it.

The next thing he knew, Sam was lying on his back, struggling to breathe.

So much for my grape juice. Where the hell am I now?

He craned his head left and right, still half-asleep, but he saw what looked like large stands carrying IV bags. Their lines stretched down to his bed and Sam gasped when he realized where they led to.

“Shit.” He gingerly felt around his neck and discovered at least three needles penetrating the skin. He slowly turned his head and inspected his room. His gut dropped when he realized: his sword was gone. “Shit.”

“So you’re awake?”

Just as he grabbed one of his needles, he immediately removed his hand and looked around to find the speaker. In front of him, through several metal bars, was a hooded figure. The voice was muffled but Sam could tell it was female.

Sam rubbed his eyes again and groaned. “If you would be so polite, and I’ll only ask once: where am I and how long was I out for?”

“Not even a hello, or a “Who are you?”?” Sam thought he heard the slightest of scoffs, but the pony continued. “You’re in the castle dungeons, or as everypony else calls it, the basement. You’ve been asleep for over a day; it’s about 2 o’clock right now.”

Sam squinted when he looked at the torch behind her. “It’s nighttime? And you were watching me the whole time, because?”

Nightingale huffed. “I sleep here. Or I would, If you had not taken my room. Besides, I’m more nocturnal than most ponies.” She dragged into his view a large sack. She pulled out a potato from it, exposing her gray coat. Before she pulled down her mask, a loud grumble from Sam made her look at him. “Hungry?”

Sam grimaced, knowing she was smiling behind her mask. “I haven’t eaten anything for 24 hours but IV fluids. Anyone would be.” With a groan, he pulled himself into a sitting position and sighed in defeat. “Mind tossing me one?”

She pointed to something beside him, and Sam found a pink box tied up with a white ribbon. “Ms. Pie insisted the doctors to leave you something, in case you woke up early.”

He groaned at the memory of the pink mare. Faster than a speeding bullet and just as annoying. Nevertheless, he freed the box and pulled out from it something that made him cringe: an equally feminine plate of cake. “You’re kidding me.”

Nightingale had to hold back a chuckle as she lowered her mask. “Too girly?”

Sam could not hold back a smile. “That, and the fact she forgot a fork.” He picked up the slice and bit off a bit of bread. “You’ve a name?”

“Nightingale,” she muttered through a mouthful of potato.

“You a guard or something?”

“Most ponies don’t even know I exist, but I help the princesses from time to time.”

“You going to report me, then?” Sam took another bite, his smile gone.

They both felt the atmosphere shift but casually carried on. Nightingale finished her potato and pulled out a carrot. “Maybe.”

Sam glared at the carrot slowly disappearing behind her hood. Its crunch and her suddenly methodical way of chewing rubbed him the wrong way. “Mind taking off that ridiculous cloak? People might start thinking you’re a cliché bad guy.”

The carrot stopped mid-chew. The vegetable stuck out like a cigar and she looked at the ground as Sam put the now-empty plate away.

“If I do, will you answer some questions I have?” Nightingale took one last bite before throwing the half-eaten carrot back into the bag. She placed her mask over her mouth again before facing him.

Sam glowered. “That mask too. I’m not a patient guy. I’ll be making my way out of here soon.” Clenching his teeth, he reached for a needle in his neck and pulled it ou.. “I’m not in the mood to answer any questions, but maybe I’ll change my mind if you shared and I get to ask some questions of my own.”

As he continued pulling out the IV needles, Nightingale looked at her bag. This was her breakfast, lunch and dinner, and she knew she was going to need it for the day, but nearly everything about Sam roused her curiosity.

“Damn.” Sam jerked out the last needle and got started on his suit. “Never thought falling asleep in a suit would be this uncomfortable.” He reached to the nape of his neck and pressed it, releasing a sound akin to a soda can opening. “Ooooh, much better.”

Nightingale’s eyes widened behind her glasses. The suit stretched like rubber as Sam pulled it, unlatching it from his cybernetic pectoral and revealing his torso. The suit hung shriveled around his waist like snakeskin.

“What in Equestria…” Nightingale breathed out. Her first question was obvious, but before she could say a word of it, Sam coughed, holding out an open hand to her.

She groaned quietly but reached into her bag for a fresh potato and threw it through the bars. He immediately scarfed it down, skin and all.

“What in Equestria happened to you?”

“Hey, hey.” He pointed a finger at her. “Hood and mask off. And toss me another, would ya?”

Nightingale opened her mouth to object, but Sam’s glared told her he was serious. “Why would you want to see my face?”

He got off the bed and stretched, groaning as bones popped into place. “How can I trust you to keep this conversation confidential if you won’t even trust me with your face? You can trust me not to tell the princesses about this. I hate them too much to tell them anything.” He walked up to the bars and sat down so he could see her glasses. “So glasses, mask, and hood off.”

Nightingale continued to stare at the ground, avoiding his gaze. Even with the cover of night, it felt awkward to practically bare herself in front of him.

“What’s the matter?” Sam continued. “All the ponies here seem to walk around naked anyways. Or at least those girls did.”

“You mean the Elements of Harmony?” Sighing, she tossed him another potato but refrained from looking him in the face. “Most ponies do wear clothing, but rarely for casual events. Though they do not cover their entire body like your suit.”

She grabbed her hood and pulled back, revealing her messy mane and excessive fur. The shades came off next and he squinted at her small, red eyes.

When she moved her hoof to her mask, she looked at Sam, anxious. “Do I really?”

“Look, I’m not that judgmental of a guy. Pretty, ugly, fat, skinny, man, woman, I killed them all. Looks mean nothing.” Sam was getting more and more interested in her by the minute. He was practically leaning against the bars at this point.

Nightingale’s eyes widened. Recovering, she sighed for the last time and, tearing her mask away and placed it next to her glasses. “There! Happy now?”

Sam bent down to his knees and, for the lack of a more appropriate term, gawked at her face. Her entire muzzle was covered with scratches and scars. Her heated snarling gave him a clear view of her mouthful of fangs. He leaned closer, his face pressing against the bars, and saw specks of yellow and orange from her potatoes and carrots.

Nightingale felt her face burn from his ogling and turned away before pulling out an apple and angrily chewing on it. “You saw it, right? Will you answer some questions now?” For good measure, she handed him a long cucumber from the bag, which he took without taking his eyes off her.

“What in hell happened to you?”

“I believe that was my question to you,” she spat back.

Sam scowled, but he pulled himself back from the bars and sat down cross-legged. He chewed on his cucumber as he cleared his throat. “Right, my own scars.” He finished his vegetable and traced some of them. “This one, I got from a training session when I was fourteen, this one when I was twelve-”

“Wait, wait a minute,” she cut him short. “All of them are from training?”

“With my father, yeah. Well, except for this-” he pointed at his arm “-and this.” He pointed at his abdomen where a large brown mark overlapped several smaller scars. “This was the stab wound that killed me.” He smiled lightly at the recollection.

Of course Raiden would be the one to do me in. No one else could.

“Killed you?!” Nightingale choked on her carrot. It took her several moments before clearing her windpipe. “Oh that’s right. Princess Celestia mentioned you were resurrected after you were brought here.”

“How about you?” Sam managed to fit his left arm through the bars to grab ahold of her bag and helped himself to another potato before Nightingale pressed a hoof down.

She rubbed her muzzle gingerly before responding. “An accident years ago. From the Everfree Forest.”

“...”

“That’s it? Nothing about what actually did that to you?”

“Just some wild animals that thought they found an easy lunch.” She licked her lips. “I fought my way through and now live here.”

Sam frowned, but kept chewing on his potato as she sat on her flank.

She kept herself reserved, however. Enticing him with food helped, but she noticed his chewing slowing down. “Why did you pick a fight with the guards?”

To her surprise, he broke out laughing. “Bored out of my mind. I’m not exactly someone that’s used to sitting still for more than a day. Also, those ponies are screwed if the Winds show up. Speaking of which,” he said as he peered closer at Nightingale, making her step back. “What are you? No wait!” He raised hand. “Weird eyes, fangs. Let me guess: vampony?”

It was Nightingale’s turn to laugh. “How do you know that name?” Her normally quiet and raspy voice improved as she laughed along with him. “But no. That’s the name everypony came to after centuries’ worth of degeneration. The proper term is “dhampyr”, but the name has undergone numerous translations and misspellings.”

Sam rubbed his beard. “If so, why don’t you correct them? You’re probably one of the only left in this world. If that pegacorn knows about you, doesn’t she get you to at least eat properly?”

She scoffed. “I hardly have an identity in this castle, much less the rest of Equestria. As for my diet-” she licked her lips “-eating meat and drinking blood is less than accepted among ponies. Sure, there are the bat ponies would possess similar teeth as mine, but even they eat the same food as normal ponies. This way, I do not rouse much suspicion, even with my...attire.”

“Then why don’t you just go to some forest and kill something?” he asked heatedly. “You can’t just waste your-”

As soon as he said it, his stomach growled. Groaning, he rubbed his belly. “God, I’m hungry. No offense, but veggies just doesn’t do it for me.”

Nightingale licked her lips and passed him another potato. “I’m used to it. I’ve lived here for over a decade and it’s safe to say my appetite’s shrunken over the years. I’m not wasting away, Mr. Rodrigues. This is the only way I’ll survive in Equestria now.”

“Whoa, hey.” Sam raised a hand. “First of all, Mr. Rodrigues is my father. Second, animals don’t change their diet just because they force their bodies to accept whatever they’re shoving down their throats. Third, didn't the princess say something about having meat for some griffins that are coming over?”

“Ah, yes. The meat has yet to arrive, although Princess Celestia has placed a private order for you.”

Sam nodded and raised his organic hand. No matter how much vegetables he ate, he still could not flex his muscles as well as he could. “If they can’t take me back home, then I’m not wasting anymore time here.” He quickly swiped two more items-a potato and, to his surprise, a lump of cheese-before getting to his feet.

“Wait!” Nightingale got to her hooves as well. “I still have a couple more questions!”

“Then hurry up and ask ‘em.” Sam slipped his arm through his suit and reattached it to his cybernetics. “I’m getting out of this joint even if it kills me.”

Nightingale could tell at the state he was in and what he has shown, he was not joking. “Why do you kill? You said you worked as a mercenary, but you don’t seem like someone that kill for money. So why?”

“So now you get to the knitty-gritty?” Sam smirked as he pressed his neck and the suit clung to his skin again. He took a quick bite of the cheese before snapping one of the IV needles off its hose. “I mentioned this before, but my father and I practiced swordplay. He meant it to be a way to defend myself from thugs and gangsters back home.”

He got on one knee and started picking at the cell door’s keyhole. “So how did it turn out this way, you ask? My father made a living teaching swordplay to people. One of his students eventually killed him trying to get at a family heirloom. I got away, trained for a couple more years, came back and killed the bastard. Turns out I’m pretty good at killing people. Sure, I could have gotten an official education and gone to college, but that’s hard when you don’t have money.”

A click was heard. Sam pulled out the needle and grimaced. “Anything else? Truth be told, you’re the only one I told this, so I’d appreciate it if you would keep this a secret from others, especially those pegacorns.” He snickered. “Just now, one of them tried to pry into my head, and I slit her throat for her troubles.”

"So basically, you kill people because you want to? Because you’re good at it?” She was torn between disgusted and understanding. A member of his family died, and he treats it like yesterday’s weather? “Sound like you found your cutie mark.”

“My what?” Two more clicks, two more broken needles. “Shit. Running out of picks. How about you?” He stared at the last chance at escape in his hands. “You must have had a family. Where are they now?”

This was the moment Nightingale was afraid of. She licked her lips, trying to calm herself, but her stomach felt like it was freezing into a block. She could always lie, but it was apparent Sam was no fool and a single hesitation felt enough to tip him off.

“They’re dead. I’m probably the only dhampyr in Equestria, maybe even the world.” Hanging her head, she turned away from him.

Sam scoffed. “Small world.”

Nightingale jerked her head back to him. She received pity, regret, or even silence from whoever she told this secret to, but not a sarcastic remark. The cold feeling that froze her gut before was replaced with hot blood prickling her skin.

Sam felt her eyes digging into his head and took the needle out of the keyhole to look at her. “Look. I don’t have any family either. I got over it a long time ago. Do you even know what happened to the other dhampyrs in the first place?”

Of course she knew. How could she forget?

Nighty, get out of here!

We’ll take care of them! Find Princess Celestia!

Why?! Why would you seek refuge from that damnable pony?

She’s the entire reason why we live like we do! Why do you get in our way?

She shivered at the memory, ice reforming in her stomach.

Sam shook his head and returned to the lock. “Alright, fine. I wouldn't want to remember too much about my father dying either.”

As soon as he said it, a click was heard. Sam pulled out his last broken needle and seethed a swear before throwing the improvised pick to a wall.

“Tch.” He looked up at the high ceiling and saw a window with moonlight streaming through. It the window itself was not too small, he may have been able to jump off the narrow walls and escape through it. “Damn it!”

In anger, he punched the door, causing it to blast outwards. Nightingale leapt into the air in reflex and spread her wings to catch herself.

Sam was still sitting down but the surprise on his face was expressed with such dumbstruck Nightingale let out a hearty laugh. He slowly got to his feet.

“Are you telling me,” he whispered, volume growing by the syllable. “the door was open the WHOLE TIME?!” He looked up, narrowing his eyes. “And you knew?”

Nightingale could not help but snicker.

“I’ll take that as a “yes”, then.” Sam patted the dust from his legs and walked out, his eyes still stuck on her. “You’re really not going to stop me? Or report me to your princess?” He focused especially on her newly revealed wings. They were beating like a hummingbird’s, yet it was not enough and she landed on her hooves in a few seconds. They looked like a bat’s, with thin stretches of muscle flexing pathetically.

Nightingale caught him staring and retrieved her cloak, putting it on clumsily. “What? Never saw wings before?”

Sam shook his head. “Those wings look horrible. No way you can fly on those. You sure you’ve been eating properly?”

“Dhampyr wings are not meant for long-distance flight and I have no use for them in the castle when I can walk.” She turned around and picked up her sack of food. “As for my diet, I told you this is all I need.”

“You know that’s a lie.” Sam leaned back on the cell bars and crossed his arms. “That mouthful of fangs prove you’re a carnivore. All those scars on your mouth weren't from some accident, were they? I have experience with scars and all of yours are at different healing periods. Either you get into a lot of accidents or you’re biting yourself for blood. Do you even realize how often you licked your lips during our talk?

When he did not receive an answer, he sighed and walked to the door that led to the hall. “Never mind. It’s not exactly my place to pry on your private life, is it?”

He reached the handle but stopped himself. “By the way, how old are you?”

Sam was fortunate Nightingale put her mask on or she would bared her mouth of fangs at him. “What? My age?”

“Yeah.” He turned around, a serious look on his face. He could not see her expression due to her putting her mask and glasses, but he knew she was furious at his deduction. “Thirty-four. I’ve been killing and cleaning for over a decade, give or take a few months. And you?”

After moment of silence, she relented, knowing his reaction from his smile.

“Seventeen. I’ve been killing in hunts for two years before living here.” She expected a scoff like last time, but his expression did not change aside from his eyes narrowing. It only somehow enraged her even more.

With a sigh, he bowed his head. “Thanks for the food. Take care.” With that, he closed the door behind him.

Nightingale stared at the door for a few more moments, half-expecting Sam to burst back in for whatever reason. Seething, she stared at the empty cell.

Better find somewhere else to hang low before some guard finds me here.

But that human. Where’s he going to go now? Escape the castle? Find his weapon? He just woke up. His body couldn’t have recovered that quickly. He’s one to talk about taking care of oneself.

“I’m fine. My body’s fine.” To prove it, she punched the wall with all her force.

A shock like lightning ran through her bones and the slightest of whimpers escaped her. She clenched not only her teeth but her eyes in pain, squeezing out a stream of tears.

“Damn...damn it!”

“Damn...damn!”

Bright Shield stomped through the empty courtyard under the light of Luna’s moon. It has only been twenty-four hours since he relinquished his armor. By morning, the now Prince Shining Armor would arrive as the replacement until the end of his suspension.

The worst of all, Princess Celestia had not specified when Bright would be back in command.

Oh Celestia why? When Shining Armor gets here, he’s going to be so mad! No, not mad, disappointed! Only a few months, and he’s already gotten a message from the princess about my first screw-up!

“Okay, okay, okay, calm down, Shield. Calm...down.” After several deep breaths, he shivered at the now suddenly cold wind. “Think with your head, not your guts. I just let my emotions get to me is all. All those taunts at the Royal Guard, me, the princess. I had it coming.”

But damn…

He rubbed his chest. Bandaged covered practically his entire barrel and it took all of his concentration to not scratch himself. After a good night’s rest and some unicorn medic magic, they managed to mend the bones and most other internal damage. However, no magic nor potion could replace natural recovery. His nerves and bones were still sensitive and, despite warning from most ponies, he forewent a cast and chose bandages for mobility.

“What in Tartarus was that? Felt like a buck from Rumbler during training.” He gingerly rubbed his stomach before looking up at the moon. “Well, at least that human’s going to be hospitalized for a long time.”

He sighed. After Celestia heard the Ponyville mayor’s testimony, she deemed Sam innocent, but far from safe. She wanted to keep him inside the castle until she could figure out what to do with him and would talk with him further once he awoke.

He turned his head to the scenery. The various statues and pillars were back in place and their shadows gave them the eery feeling he was being watched. That combined with the occasional wind was enough for him to return to the castle.

Alright. I’m all cooled down now. I’m just glad she let me stay in the barracks. Hope that human stays in bed for as long as possible, or I’m going to PuT hIm BaCk In ThEre.

“Wait, what?”

Every hair of his coat stood on end as he turned his head in all direction.

Was it a voice, though? It sounded like it was in my head, but telepathy’s supposed to be powerful magic, and it didn’t sound like any of the princesses, either.

When nothing but the rustling grass was heard, he sighed in relief and marched to the entrance. “Phew. I thought I was going mad for a min-”

You are not.

Immediately, his insides felt like lead. Nevertheless, he reflexively turned around and primed his horn. “Who’s there? Show yourself!”

I already have. You just have not found me.

“Discord? Is that you?” he snarled. Everypony knew of his mischievous nature and tendency to confuse others with his magic. He remembered being told of his involvement with Sam, but he never thought Discord would fall this far after his reformation.

No. I am far from a spirit like him. But like he was, I too am petrified in this garden.

The windchill forgotten, he eyed at every statues around him. Any one of them could simply be another spirit waiting to get the jump on him. “So you were watching the fight? Who are you? What do you want from me?”

You harbor a great hatred, fueled by sorrow. It lurks deep within you, yet you suppress it. That is, until your bout with the creature let you tap into its power.

“Quit speaking like Princess Luna and tell me where you are!”

Behind you.

Bright silently gasped and whipped around. Towering above him was an impressive statue of a wolf howling at the moon. The animal dwarfed over him and would likely have pounced at him if it were not a statue.

Calming down, he inspected the pillar it rested on, but could not find a plaque or any label. “Who are you?” He gasped when the wolf’s eyes glowed.

I have no name. However, your...animosity towards that creature deserves interest.

“The creature?” Bright’s brain was now screaming at him to return to the barracks and forget this ever happened but his legs remained glued. “What of him?”

What indeed? I sensed your rage towards him and you have produced formidable results.

He did not like to admit it, but it was true. “So what?”

You wish to fight him once again, and more importantly, triumph. I can help you.

He scoffed. “Sorry, but my parents told me not to talk with strange statues.”

You decline? What would you do if he decides to attack your fellow ponies some other place?

He faced the statue again and scoffed. “He’s escaped once already. It won’t happen again. Not with Shining Armor here.”

How can you be so certain? He incapacitate dozens of your guards unarmed. What would happen if he were not so merciful?

Now he was getting fidgety. The combination of the human and his “HF blade” was terrifying to think about. Everypony in the hospital wing agreed that they were fortunate he did not draw his weapon during the fight.

“Even if the guards can’t take him, the princesses would not-”

Ha! The princesses? Are you, the captain of the Royal Guard, planning to depend on them for safety? They have allowed him to fight you, beat you to the ground, and now they give him refuge in the castle. Is this your idea of justice?

He bared his teeth, hoping to frighten the voice in his head. “It’s not my place to judge their decisions-”

You do not care if their decision ends with your friends, your fellow guards, and even you dead?

“Enough of this!” he snarled and walked heatedly back to the door. He needed much sleep and maybe a bottle of cider to clear his head before he did something he was going to regret. He would report to Princess Celestia in the morning.

Think well. You have potential, but it is not something that can be achieve with temperance. You need a guide. You know perfectly well that human, that creature, does does not belong here after what he did and what he has proven capable of.

You do not want another disaster due to your incompetence, your weakness. I can help you, but you need to help me help you.

Despite the statue’s warning. Bright marched unabated. For extra emphasis, he slammed the door behind him.

No matter. I will await your response. And if you do not accept my offer, there are others in this castle that will.

Author's Note

(fixed/rewritten 10/09/2014

Act 1: Hero-I'm Outta Here

Is it just me, or is this castle larger than before?

Sam kept jogging down the hall, hoping for some indication as to where he was going.

It had only been a few minutes since he left his cell, and he had yet to be discovered. Individually, he could easily incapacitate a pony guard, but all he could focus on now was avoiding detection.

Damn it. All this sneaking around just doesn’t feel right. Maybe I should have waited for sunrise.

“Yeah, like I have the patience for that.”

After climbing down his latest flight of stairs, he finally found something that caught his eye: an open room with dim light flooding out.

His head whipped back at another sound: the clopping of hooves. Without a second thought, he slipped into the room and slammed the door shut as quietly as he could.

“Who’s there? Guards? Your prince is talking to you!”

He grimaced. First a princess, now a prince? A scared and haughty one, too, at that. Nevertheless, if he was really a prince, then he would be related to the princesses in some way. In short, someone to avoid.

The room was more than he imagined. Various vials and thick tomes were laid out on a table. He grimaced when he saw a familiar purple alicorn.

His body tensed, but Twilight literally had her head in a book.

Duh. It’s almost three in the morning. Who isn’t sleeping, aside from that damn prince? Does he have to go to the bathroom or something?

He remained light on his feet as he traversed the room, making sure not to knock over any pile of books or equipment on the floor. Taking his eyes off the floor for a moment, he scanned the table once more and realized his sword was right in front of Twilight.

Frowning, he squinted to get a closer look and saw syringes and test tubes surrounding it. Behind her, he could see she was resting her head on what looked like a notebook.

Has she been trying to figure it out? She better not have tinkered with it too badly.

He snarled at the purple alicorn, who kept snoring away as drool seeped onto her book.

He merely gritted his teeth and observed the entire room. He had to reclaim his sword first.

“Just grab it and go.” Sam secured it on his hip and reached for the door.

“Hmm...princess…”

Sam turned around and frowned. Twilight’s shivering was growing more obvious. She rolled to her side, grabbing a couple books in the process and snuggled them into her chest.

“Silly girl. Guess the little princess needs her beauty sleep.” He nudged the door open and closed it just as quietly behind him.

Got my gear, and it’s the dead of night. Just one more thing before I go…

“Curse this darkness!” Blueblood muttered under his breath, nearly tripping over himself for the third time. “Aunt Luna, could you not have made your moon shine a little brighter? Oh, never mind. Should have brought a torch instead.”

Blueblood knew the castle layout like he knew his right forehoof. However, the same could not be said when he could not even see said hoof. Who knew a simple trip to the bathroom would be so laborious?

He sighed, resorting to hugging the wall to find his way. “Honestly, a prince should not have to behave in such a manner! If there’s no guards, at least nopony’s watching…”

He turned right and found light pouring out one of the branching hallways.

The bathroom! One of the guards must be using it.

He galloped inside and saw the row of stalls. “To think I’ve yet to have my own private bathroom! I would not have to leave my room at all!” He hastily entered one and locked the door. “Haaaaaah…”

Of all the days for this, why did my bladder have to wake me tonight? No more sparkling wine before bedtime, I suppose.

“Bad night?”

Blueblood gasped, now wide awake. The sound of trickling water stopped, and laughter shook the air from a few stalls beside his own.

“Who are you?” he yelped.

“Just a guest,” the stranger replied. “And you?”

He glared at the divider. “Prince Blueblood. I won’t bother learning your name, peasant.”

A scoff. “Something like that. But after this, I’m leaving this castle, hopefully permanently.”

“Good. One less to take up space in the castle.”

“Wait,” the stranger started. “You say you’re a prince? I’ve never even heard a word of you. You rule with those princesses in the castle?”

“Please,” Blueblood snorted. “I am their nephew, and they are my-” A pang of fear made him stop. “Why do you need to know? Are you not leaving soon, or do you have business with them?”

“Not anymore. A shame, really. I’ll be missing these toilets.”

Blueblood’s eyebrows raised even higher. “The toilets?”

“Yeah. Have you ever done your business on a trough? Or in the damn bushes?”

Blueblood shivered at the thought of such indecency. “Who are you, really?” Blueblood asked, trying to steel himself as he unlocked his stall’s door. "If you do not answer me, I’ll call the guards.”

“Like I said, just a guest.” A soft hissing sound came from the stranger’s booth. “But, uh, isn’t calling anyone at this time of night a little rude?”

Blueblood heard the click of the stranger’s stall behind behind him and whipped around. A large green bipedal something, with two full rolls of toilet paper in one of his hands loomed over him.

Most prominent, however, was an evil smile.

“A unicorn, huh?” Before Blueblood could move, his other hand shot out and grabbed his horn. “And you’re a prince too? Stereotypical arrogant royalty to boot, I bet.”

Sam smirked even wider when Blueblood’s eyes looked ready to pop out. “Wuh-wuh-what are you-”

Before he could scream, Sam clasped his other hand around Blueblood’s mouth. “As much as I want to slit your throat so I wouldn’t have to hear that haughty voice again, your aunt would have my head for it. And I don’t take hostages. Instead…” He eyed the toilet paper on the ground. “I’m gonna try something a little more family-friendly.”

With Blueblood taken care of, Sam knew he only had an hour or two before the guards found him. Thanks to Nightingale, he at least had the strength to find his way out of the main building.

Now was the marathon: making his way out of Canterlot.

Luckily, the main road was obvious. Even without the moonlight, the occasional streetlamp paved the way. The local buildings only gave him more reason to leave.

This place is almost as complex as World Marshal HQ. At least the building had elevators, but I can’t live on potatoes for long. I need shelter, water, food, and definitely fire.

Catching his breath, he took a last look at the castle. From his distance, he could fit it within the palm of his hand. However, even this far away, he saw one of the castle windows filled with light. When the rest followed suit, his smile hurt his cheeks. He could practically hear the guards and matrons screaming at his work.

“And that’s my cue to leave.” He turned around and readied to run—

“You will return.”

Sam’s heart nearly leapt out of his chest. “Discord?!” He caught his breath as he spun around.

You bear great trauma although you do not show it.

“Telepathy? What the… Luna?!” His breathing quickened when he realized he might have gone truly mad.

Come to me, and I can help you. Help you absolve you of your pain, find the path to where you belong.

“A way home?” Sam snarled. “Why should I trust you? I don’t even know who’s speaking.”

Come to the castle, and you will receive you answers. Help me, and I shall help you.

Sam crossed his arms. He was in no condition to accept any deals from disembodied voices.

“Tch. Yeah right. Come back to the castle I just ran out of at near daybreak and get caug—wait, daybreak?”

He looked behind him and indeed, sunlight gleamed from below the horizon.

“Shit. I wasted too much time already.”

“I’m telling you, guard, that creature must be dealt with immediately!”

Bright Shield stifled a groan. It was the break of dawn, and with only a few hours of sleep, he was not in the mood to argue with the resident braggart. At first, he thought Princess Celestia had made a mistake with the sun, but his alarm clock did not lie.

“Prince, if I may—”

“Arrest him? Indeed, you may! You must! He has assaulted a member of the royal family! Surely you’re not thinking about letting this go unpunished?”

Bright frowned and marched past him. “I’m no longer a Royal Guard. Princess Celestia has informed Prince Shining Armor of the human, and he should arrive later in few hours. He will take over as Captain until my suspension is lifted.”

“What?!” Blueblood removed the last of the toilet paper from his pyjamas with a huff. “Why didn’t you say so?” He shoved him aside and sped past him.

“Uh, Prince?”

“Yes, guardspony?”

"You still got some pieces of TP in your mane and coat.”

With a girly yelp, he galloped out of sight. Bright quietly laughed at the image still fresh in his mind. Prince Blueblood, cousin of Princess Celestia, encased in a cocoon of wet toilet paper in a bathroom stall.

However, his laughter faded as quickly as it had come. Sam had escaped, and he had no idea where he might have gone. Blueblood, as he often did, would have likely went to complain about the issue to her aunt.

I wonder if Sam can really be charged with assault? Sure, most ponies like myself wouldn’t take it seriously. Knowing Blueblood, he would just exaggerate the truth to hide the humiliation.

Then that leaves Princess Luna and Princess Sparkle. I should check on the latter. She’s cooped herself in her room all day yesterday.

He sprinted down the halls and quickly found her room, the door slightly ajar. He peered inside, hoping not to wake the princess,

“Princess? Are you there?” He really should have knocked instead of peeping, but then he would not have seen Twilight snuggling a stack of books on the floor.

“Princess!”

“Wah!” Twilight jerked awake, knocking the bookstack into the air. Several of them landed loudly on the ground, one hiting her right on her head.

Bright suppressed a snicker as Twilight shook her head. “Wuh-what? What happened? Captain Bright Shield?”

He winced at the reminder of his stripped rank. When Shining Armor arrives, he was going to have some questions about what happened. “Yes, Princess Sparkle. The sun’s up.”

“It’s morning already?!” Twilight ran towards him, but ended up tripping over her own hoof.

“Yes, Princess, I just wanted to inform you before anything else, but the human, Sam, has escaped.”

“What?!” She picked herself up and rubbed her head, groaning in pain. “He’s escaped? Since when?”

“Last night, most likely. Prince Blueblood is reporting his escape to Princess Celestia right now,” he muttered. “More importantly, Princess Sparkle, where is his sword?”

“His sword?” Twilight repeated, confused. She pointed behind with her hoof “I left it right...here…”

“Did he come in here?!” Bright asked, louder than intended.

Twilight remained flabbergasted. The idea that not only had Sam escaped, but with his sword was the worst thing that could happen. Her facial expressions and exasperated gesticulations was more than necessary to worry Bright.

“Uh, Princess Sparkle?”

Before he could receive an answer, he heard hoofsteps behind him. Princess Celestia had entered, thankfully without her nephew. Judging from the expression on her face, she was just as worried as Twilight.

“Twilight, are you alright? Blueblood told me Sam’s escaped!”

When she moved in closer to her, Twilight threw her hooves up and growled through clenched teeth, causing both Celestia and Bright to jump in alarm.

“I don’t believe it! I have so many questions about him about his suit and his sword, and he slips out of here before I can ask him anything?!”

When she noticed Celestia and Bright looking at her wide-eyed, she dropped her hooves and looked the other way. “Uh, sorry. Just a little nervous. With Sam sneaking in here and taking his sword back...”

Celestia nodded. “I thought I could give him the benefit of the doubt, but it seems I was wrong. I thought some privacy would help him open up to us. I never would have imagined I would scare him away.”

Twilight frowned. “But didn’t you say you’ve met humans before? You talked with them, helped them?”

“Yes. But I told you before, he is different from the humans I knew a thousand years ago. He might find his own way to his world, but who know what trouble he might stir up.” When she noticed her pupil’s worried face, she smiled confidently. “Don’t worry. I’ve already sent First Lieutenant Sky High and a squad of guards to find him.”

“But what if he attacks?” Twilight could not help but wonder, as pessimistic as it was. “What about Princess Luna? Has she found anything about him from his dreams?”

Celestia’s smile drooped. “She has. And she doesn’t like what she has found.”

“What? What’s wrong?”

Celestia took a deep breath. “When Luna revealed herself to Sam in his dream, he reacted very violently. Luna told me she tried to reason with him, that she tried to help him with his nightmares, but he somehow managed to incapacitate her.”

Twilight gasped. “How can anypony do that? Can’t she manipulate dreams?”

“Yes, but Sam’s not “anypony”. Human minds are quite different from a pony’s, and Sam’s mind is far different from any previous human’s. Luna would be out there with the guards herself if she was not injured.”

“Excuse me, Princess Celestia?” Bright spoke up. “I don’t mean to argue, but are you sure Sky High and his troops will be enough?”

“I agree; Sam’s just too much of a danger,” Twilight said worriedly. “I doubt he’ll be any friendly to the guards if he finds them. If he could hurt Princess Luna in a dream and beat up those guards from before, what’s to say he won’t...kill them this time?”

“I’ve instructed the guards only to observe his movements from a distance so far. If Sam discovers them and confronts them, they will retreat and report back to me.”

“But what if Sam decides to...let loose?” Bright pressured.

“In that case, he’ll have me to deal with.”

Everypony’s head turned to the doorway and found a white unicorn with a blue mane in it. He looked at Twilight and smirked. “Princess Twily. Haven’t seen you in a while.”

“Hey, Twilight, aren’t you forgetting somepony?” Behind Shining was his wife and co-ruler of the Crystal Empire, Cadance, who smiled at the scene. Twilight hugged her all the same and Cadence nuzzled her back. “When I heard Aunt Celestia called for Shining, I dragged him out of his office so he would stop wasting time and help her.”

“You just wanted an excuse to stop doing some paperwork,” Shining muttered, but mirrored her smile. “Anyways, Princess Celestia, you called for me?”

“Yes, Shining Armor. As former Captain of the Royal Guard, I want you to temporarily retake Bright Shield’s post as Captain.”

“Bright Shield?” He faced the ex-captain, who bit his lips anxiously and looked at Celestia. “Why? What’s he done wrong?” It was unlikely he would disappoint with his service.

Celestia looked down at Bright, who had stopped biting his lip but could not stop the trembling of his legs. She had a good idea why Bright reacted like he did when Sam provoked him, but Bright had to be responsible for his actions. “Bright will tell you everything. When you’re done, come to my throne room. I have some additional assignments for you while you are captain here.”

Shining’s eyebrows were raised, but he did not speak up. He stared at Cadance, giving her a “What was that about?” look.

“I don’t know, Shining, but I get the feeling you should talk with Bright quickly. I’ve never seen Celestia that serious since our wedding.” With a hug and a kiss, Shining left the room with Bright behind him.

Now, with only the two of them in the room, Cadance smiled at her sister-in-law. “Now then, Twilight, care to fill me in on what’s going on?”

Twilight laughed nervously and rubbed the back of her head. “Uh, I can’t say for sure, Cadance, because...I don’t know much myself.”

“Oh, come on!” She walked up to the table, gawking at the fuel cell and various chemistry equipment. “What’s all this, then? Just some science project? Come on, what happened? It sounded very important when Shining read the princess's letter. It said something about an alien called a hew-man.”

Twilight squirmed on the spot. Suddenly, the prospect of the weapon and fuel cell did not seem as exciting as they once were. "The human's named Sam, and I was trying to figure out his equipment."

“Is Sam the alien Princess Celestia was talking about?”

“Yeah, but…” She fell on her rump, realizing how hungry she was. “I don’t think keeping something like this can be any good for us. I can probably figure out how his sword works, but whatever this is, it’s just so different from the technology we have.”

Cadance frowned and wrapped a comforting leg around Twilight. “What’s the matter? I haven’t seen you this down before. Usually, you jump at the chance for a new discovery.”

Although her body was aching for food, her mind still kept replaying images and voices of Celestia. She relented, telling her everything. About Celestia’s involvement with humans in the past, about how Discord brought them a thousand years ago, and the repercussions of the event.

“When Discord gave the human warriors magic to cause even more chaos, they rebelled against him, and he killed them all.” Twilight looked down, but she did not stop. “Princess Celestia and Princess Luna took years to smooth out relations with other species about the humans. The griffins and others thought the princesses were monopolizing the humans. There were even several times when Princess Celestia thought a war would rise because of this."

Cadance’s face had turned stony. Her childish smile was replaced with a grimace as her mind processed what was said.

“For now,” she said slowly, looking at the door behind her. “let’s keep this discussion between us. We need to make sure not to make a panic out of this. Do you know where he might have gone?”

Twilight scrunched her face in thought. “I don’t know… he’s definitely not in Canterlot anymore. He could be anywhere!”

“Darn it,” Cadance hissed. “I’ll have to ask the princesses more about this. Meanwhile, what are you planning on doing?”

Twilight hesitated. The feeling of helplessness struck her again. Being a more familiar figure than her mentor, she half-hoped Candance would give more personal advice, but now even she had a more professional air about her. “I’ll… probably go back to Ponyville. The library isn’t going to run with Spike himself.”

Sam sighed in relief when he found something of a hollowed-out tree in the middle of the forest. The sun was shining brightly, signally the morning, but it did not make it any easier to navigate through the thickets of greenery.

Someone actually lives in this jungle? I’m surprised that giant timberwolf didn’t flatten this place into the dirt.

Judging from the size, it looked like a shelter instead of a house, with open holes for windows and a pony-sized door. It had vines and other plant matter growing around it, but it also had a very African taste, decorated with colorful masks and bottles hanging from the giant branches of the tree.

Hoping for a place to rest and some directions, he knocked on the door.

“May I ask who is by the door? A pony, a friend, or someone more?”

“Uh...someone more,” Sam said loudly back to the inhabitant.

The door opened to reveal what appeared to be a miniature zebra, with a striped mohawk and numerous rings worn around her neck and one of her legs. She gave a small “Oh!” and took a step back in surprise.

“Excuse me for my alarmed look, two-legged stranger. I thought, due to your height, your were a beast of danger.” She blinked several times, unsure at what she was looking at. At least it did not look like a wild animal.

“Yes, I’ve gotten that a lot nowadays,” Sam jested, not knowing whether to smile at the zebra’s humbleness or frown at the memory of everypony’ wary gazes at him. “I’m sorry if I’m interrupting anything, but do you know where the nearest town is?”

The zebra’s eyes constantly scanned him in fascination while she tried to answer the best she could. “The town of Ponyville is quite close to this place. A half-hour’s walk, you can go at your own pace.” She raised hoof to her muzzle to cover a smirk. “But first, who am I talking to, may I ask? My name is Zecora, a filler of flasks.”

“A brewing...shaman...zebra? Now I’ve seen it all,” Sam groaned, but when he met Zecora’s unamused leer, he corrected himself. First impressions were always important. “Er, sorry miss. Just tired is all. My name is Samuel, but just call me Sam.”

Zecora hummed as she took a closer look at his face. He was an unfamiliar animal, but even she could notice he was panting, despite his attempt to look calm. “Have you been exerting yourself, in this forest no less? Come inside and rest and relieve some stress.”

Sam opened his mouth, but stuttered. “Wait, what? I just needed some directions, is all.”

“You’re sweating, leaning, and panting for breath. I do not want you fainting to your death.” Zecora frowned and motioned him inside. “It is common courtesy to help one in need. Or is helping another an uncommon deed? I have seen many creatures in my time in these woods. You are not rabid or wild, but capable of good.”

Laughing, he obeyed and crouched down to enter the doorway. “Sorry, to disappoint you, miss…”

“Zecora,” she repeated, copying his smile. “A herbalist and potioneer is what I am. I occasionally help ponies stuck in a jam.”

“Zecora. I’m sorry, but I’m anything but good.” Sam looked around and saw even more masks and bottles hanging from the walls and roof like baubles. A giant cauldron was over a fire in the middle of the room, inside it, an orange concoction that smelled like grass. “Thanks for having me, though. I needed a break.”

“I was about to have a breakfast of soup, you see. It’s always a pleasure to have guests , don’t you agree?” she asked as she went to fetch bowls from a cupboard.

Sam scratched his cheek, more uncomfortable than before. “I guess you have about a hundred questions, huh?” Sam sighed as Zecora returned with a ladle in her mouth and a couple bowls balanced on her snout like a seal.

She carefully laid down the bowls and ladle and smirked. “If you don’t mind, but I know better than to pry. If you don’t wish to tell me, you don’t have to try.”

“Oh, I see what you’re doing,” Sam said, frowning. “But I’ll only tell you this: I’m a bad guy. So why are you doing all this? And if you would, please stop rhyming. It’s rubbing me the wrong way.”

Zecora took a moment to stir the soup. “Apologies, then, for my discomforting way of talk. But this is how I always speak, I hoped it’s not a shock. As for your self-description, I see no reason to believe it. Besides, the animals are frenzied; you don’t want harm from their fits.”

“Animals? You mean the forest animals? What happened?”

“A colossal timberwolf have destroyed many trees and habitats. I don’t know where it came from, but it disappeared as quick, just like that!” After that, she returned to scooping soup into the bowls.

Sam could not help but smile. “So animals are scrambling around in a panic? And you don’t think I can take care of myself when town’s so close by?”

“The Everfree is still filled with creatures with foul moods. Also, I thought you may wish to stock up on some food.”

On cue, Sam’s stomach growled in approval. He laughed sheepishly as he avoided looking at Zecora’s eyes. “Alright, I guess I’m a little hungry, but I’m not exactly in the mood for soup.”

“Something more solid and chewy for your taste buds? Some fruits from the trees or some earthen spuds?” Zecora pressed, trying to please her guest the best she could.

“Er, no thank you, I just had some potatoes a few hours ago. That said, do you have any meat? My body needs some serious protein right now.”

Zecora gave an “Ah,” and nodded. “You crave not soup or greens, but meat instead? If so, I’m sorry, but I stock none in this homestead.”

“You’re surprisingly understanding about this,” Sam said. “None of the ponies were too pleased when they found out I ate meat. I tried stuffing myself with their salads, but that only helps so much.”

“I have met many species next to ponies and seen how predators survive. But to some ponies, they are wary of a carnivore’s instinctual drive.” Zecora pushed a steaming bowl of soup in front of him and offered a wooden spoon. “Nevertheless, have some and replenish your energy. If you wish, dip into the soup some bread and veggies.” She quickly fetched the aforementioned in a large basket and smiled.

Sam was more confused than before. “Who are you? All I asked were some directions, and you give me all this.” He gestured to the spread of food laid out. “No normal person would be this...philanthropic.”

“Person? Is that the term you call your species?”

“I would appreciate it if you didn’t avoid the question, but no..”

She nodded and took a sip of her soup. “Thank you for answering me. As for my actions...” She dipped a piece of bread into her soup. “I know the hardships of vagrancy, as I was a traveller once myself. You looked like you needed help and some supplies for yourself. You called yourself a “bad guy”, but I think anything but. I know how bad souls are, and I would have left them alone with empty guts. You behave politely and show no signs of aggression, so why should we not socialize and ask each other questions?”

“You just don’t know me is all.” Sam slouched and bit off a piece of dry bread. It tasted and felt like paper, but it was something. “I’ve done a lot of things, and I whatever good I do, it doesn’t end nicely.” He unhinged his sword from his hip. “That giant timberwolf was after me. I killed it as soon as I could, but I’m amazed it didn’t flatten your house.”

Zecora frowned and laid her bowl down. “Forgive me, but I doubt that timberwolf’s death was your deed. It trampled trees under its paws as if they were mere weeds.”

“Then you don’t know what I can do with this thing.” He pulled his sword out, eliciting a gasp from Zecora. “This sword, my arm, and my suit cleaved that timberwolf’s head off. I would have brought its heart as proof, but I left that back at the castle.”

He laid the sword down and Zecora leaned in to get a good look. When Sam held it in his hands, its glow and sparks caught her immediate attention, but now it looked like a long, red blade.

“I have never seen such a weapon of this design or colouration. But how did you use it to destroy that wooden abomination?”

“It can cut through literally anything. I decapitated the timberwolf. Don’t ask me how, I don’t know how it works either.” Sam took his first sip of his soup. Tasted like radish and pickled vegetables. Not too bad, but not something to eat everyday.

“Such a weapon...and it is not magical at all?” Sam nodded. “A weapon such as this is completely foreign. Where did you come from?”

Sam clapped in amusement. “Hah! Your first non-rhyme!”

Zecora’s cheeks turned red and she looked away. “Oh! Uh...sorry, I was in a daze, is all. But why do you have this sword at all?”

“Using the same word twice?” Sam chuckled. “Sorry, couldn’t resist. I have sword and my suit because of my occupation. Back home, I’m a freelance cleaner, bodyguard, and contractor. And no, I’m not the cleaner that does the laundry or the contractor that does carpenting.”

Zecora nudged the sword away and grimaced. “For such misleading names for mere professions, you must lead a life full of discretion.”

“My business, maybe aside from bodyguarding, isn’t a hundred-percent legal. That’s the kind of work you get when you can only afford to live in developing countries. Anyways...” He retrieved his sword and took a sip of his soup “I need to go. Canterlot’s no help. Might as well ask for directions in Ponyville.” He groaned as he stood up. “Honestly, is every place in Equestria named after horse puns?”

Zecora got to her hooves as as well, trying to keep up with Sam’s steps towards the door. “Excuse me, Sam, wait! Just a couple questions, please!” Sam opened the door and turned around, eyebrows raised. Zecora gulped, choosing her last words wisely. “What are you looking for? And why are you here? Please answer me before you disappear.”

Sam felt the desperation in her eyes and voice. She put her emotions into every word instead of the other way around and he liked that. “I’m looking for a way back home. As you could tell, I’m not from this place. Hell, not even this world.”

Zecora closed her gaping mouth and frowned. How obstinate was this human? However, who was she to pry into his private life? “Very well, Sam. But please, don’t be quick to dismiss. Before you go, you should have some of this.” She reached one of her cabinets and retrieved a brown jar. “I have no meat for you, but don’t be pensive. Instead, I may have a suitable alternative.”

Sam took the jar and opened it. Tipping its contents into his left hand, he saw what looked like crystallized...

“Insects?”

Zecora nodded. “Caramelized crickets and hoppers substituting for meat. High in protein, good for an occasional treat.” She pushed the jar towards him. “You need it more than I, so take it with you on your journey. You can hunt the animals, but you’ll need fire and only when necessary.”

He frowned, but not in displeasure. He knew the old saying that hunger was the best seasoning, but Zecora’s change in tone caught most of his attention. “You sure? These seem too exotic to give away so easily.”

“Indeed, they are a rarely made delicacy of mine, but I need no concern...”

But that was exactly what she was getting from him. She knew every time he asked her a question. It did not usually bother her, but living in the forest had left her with few visitors. “Sorry. Let me recant, or I would be lying to myself and you. I just hope wherever you go, you make some time to visit here, too.”

Sam blinked, but tried his best to form a smile and bowed. “Alright. I understand. I’ll come here again after I ask for some directions in Ponyville.” He rubbed his beard and his smirk grew. “Tell you what. Visit the castle at Canterlot. There’s someone that works there that you might be able to relate with. Her name’s Nightingale.”

It was Zecora’s turn to blink. “Someone? Not “somepony”?”

“Yep.” Sam laughed and scratched his head. “She said she was a dhampyr, and she doesn’t look like anypony I’ve seen before. She’s kind of like you. You two might get along well.”

Zecora gave a gentle smile and nodded. “It would be a welcome change of scenery, but I cannot leave here yet. The animals of the forest still present a formidable threat. Unless-” her smile turned devious “-you plan to be my bodyguard, so I may not fret? However, I’ve little money, so how else may I pay the debt?”

He was barking with laughter at the suggestion. “A job? Interesting...I’ve no lead on how to get home, so I’m not in a rush.” He snapped his fingers. “Alright, here’s the deal: I get you to Canterlot, and you pay me with some lunch I can take on the road?”

It was Zecora’s turn to laugh. “Very well, then. I’m sure I can find some forest fruits for you, so-”

Suddenly, every hair on her coat prickled. Sam must have noticed as well. He had his hand on his sword.

“You felt that?” Zecora nodded. “Think some wild animals smelled your breakfast?”

“But that’s impossible, for I have prepared this building last night.” She looked at him worriedly. “I’ve sprayed scents around to to keep wild critters out of sight.”

Sam looked out the still-open doorway. He saw some bushes shake indignantly, as if waiting for a prey for them to pounce on. “You had some animal repellents around your home? I must have missed it.” He pulled out his sword and walked outside. “Stay inside. I don’t want to cut you by accident.”

Zecora did as she was told and remained by the doorway. “Please don’t harm the animal too severely. Needless brutality will make them hound us constantly.”

“So I just need to scare them off?” He got ready as he heard footsteps. “Don’t worry. It feels like there’s only one of ‘em.”

“Now, now, Sam. Do you really want to scare off little old me?”

Both of their jaws dropped when the creature walked out into the open. He had his talon and paw up in surrender as he smirked, his prominent fang twinkling.

“It’s good to see you coping so far, Sam. I just wanted to check up on my favorite human.” He yawned as he rubbed his stomach. “So how’s last two days treated you?”

When he did not hear a response, he opened one of his eyes from yawning.

Only for Sam’s blade to pierce right through it.

Author's Note

(rewritten/fixed 17/10/2014)

Act 1: Hero-Party Pooper

“Dawn. My favorite time of the day.”

Nightingale closed the stall door behind her and walked to the sink. Almost every staff member was on lunch break, and the mare’s bathroom was like a library. Perfect time for a stroll, a pick-me-up, and a clean loo.

She sighed as the cotton rubbed between her hooves. Other than the rare shower, washing her face and hooves was what she woke up for.

Better get going before a maid gets here or something. Pick up lunch myself.

She pulled her hood over her head, making sure none of her red mane stuck out. Although wearing a brown cloak was a sure-fire way to stick out, the princess's assurance was enough to dissuaded everypony’s questions.

“—need a break, Twilight.”

Nightingale stepped back from the bursting door. It was not just Princess Twilight, but her relatives, Princess Cadence and Prince Shining Armor.

Twilight faced her, just as surprised. “Oh, sorry about that! Didn’t see you there.”

“S’alright,” she muttered quickly. “‘Scuse me.” She turned around and walked the other way. Nopony followed her, but she could hear the stallion’s words.

“Huh, never seen that pony around the castle.”

“One of the maids? But why doesn’t she wear proper clothing, the poor thing?”

Cadence’s words were just whispers, but Nightingale might as well have been slapped by them, her cheeks burning. She kept running until she no longer heard them. She did not know where, but anywhere was better than there.

Eventually, her legs gave out and she leaned against the wall. She panted as she saw where she was. The entrance to the courtyard.

Sighing, she trudged her way out, thinking about catching some fresh air before reporting to the princess. With the former Captain of the Royal Guard taking over, she would need a new set of instructions in case protocol has changed.

What in Tartarus kind of response was that?! “It’s alright.”? It wasn’t alright. I nearly got hit because because of you! And Princess Cadence just laying down the pity, ugh!

“Woah, woah, girl. Easy.” Nightingale looked around, smiling when she saw no eavesdroppers. “Deep breaths. Don’t let them see you like this, it will only make them hound you more.”

“Then hound them back.”

“Huh-what?” She snapped her head up, looking for the source of the booming voice, but nopony was in sight. “Who said that?”

I understand your pain. If you wish, I can aid you.

“I must be going mad.” She kept a light hoof, ready to run at any sign of danger. “Where are you?”

I can sense your presence. If you desire guidance, I can assist you.

It felt like the source was closer now. Her fur stood straight. “Who are you? Where are you?”

Eventually, she spent too much energy spinning her head and got knocked on her rump. “Ow! What the-”

So will you accept my deal?

Nightingale rubbed her head and looked up. A marble statue of a snarling wolf. It was just a piece of rock, but it made her fur stand on end. “That you? A deal, you said?”

Yes. You help me, I help you. Fairness is something you ponies practice, yes?

“I’m not a pony exactly, but yeah.” Now she knew this was a bad idea, but her legs refused to move. She could not stop staring into its eyes. “So what’s the deal?”

It is simple. Break me out of this granite, and I help you get back your former glory. No more hesitation, no more hiding. I will guide you and give you strength.

“You sound like a motivational speaker,” she chuckled. She heard about a minotaur who visited Canterlot for one of his seminars. She sincerely regretted not visiting now. “Not that I’m going to make this deal, but how, exactly do I get you out of that thing? And who are you anyways?”

A spirit who has been trapped here by the residing alicorns. Now I merely wish to leave, not as a sideshow. A mockery. I am sure you can relate.

Nightingale scowled at the statue. “I don’t need your damn pity!” She covered her mouth with a hoof when she realized how loud her outburst was and looked around. Still nopony around.

How long are you planning to continue living in fear and persecution?

She looked down at her hoof. It was bandaged from her punch to the wall. She never thought a mere punch to the wall would be enough to break her fetlock.

“So all I have to do is break your statue?” she sighed.

Indeed. But not now. The area is too open for witnesses. Most ponies here do not realize I am trapped, and they will see me as nothing but a castle property. I have called out to whomever I could, but only you have responded to my calls.

Looking around one last time, Nightingale found herself alone more than ever. She turned around and headed back in.

I’ll remember this. I’ll be back later.

I know you will not let me down.

“Now, now, Sam,” Discord tutted, wagging a talon. “is that how you greet a friend?”

Sam grunted and pulled his sword out. “What’s the big idea, sneaking around? Is it any surprise, my reaction?”

Discord rubbed his bloody eye with his paw, while his talon twisted his beard in mock contemplation. “Oh yes, your previous job choices would leave you with quite the jumpy feet.”

“Don’t test me, or you’ll be kissing those feet, hard, ” Sam muttered. “What the hell are you doing here?”

“Oh, I’m just passing by, visiting Fluttershy, a friend.”

Sam frowned. “Flutter...that yellow one? You’re friends?”

“What? Never thought someone like me could be friendly?” He pouted and placed his talon to his head, as if about to faint. “Can’t even give me a benefit of the doubt?I tried being nice, and the first thing you do when you see me is try to kill me.” He chuckled and cartwheeled in the air. “Not that you could, anyhow.”

“Care to test that idea?” He turned around and sighed. Zecora was still behind him, her face split between confusion and fright. “Sorry you had to see that. But then again, you must have seen your share of violence, living here and all.”

It took a moment for her to gather her thoughts. She had heard the news of Discord’s “reformation”, but she did not concern herself with it before. “Wha… What is the meaning of this, both of you!”

“Aw, now you scared the zebra,” Discord tutted.

“Answer her,” Sam said. “What are you doing here?”

“I told you, I’m just checking how you’re doing. At least, before I see how your...co-workers are doing themselves.”

Sam snarled. “Remind me again why you brought them back?” If the Winds were here as long as he was, then they must have been rousing some suspicions from somewhere.

“Well, I thought it was a good idea at the time,” Discord laughed. “I wouldn’t bring you back to life with nothing to do.”

“What? Why would you think killing them’s my responsibility? Until I get back home, I couldn’t care less about them.”

“Hm? Weird” He floated upside down, his eyes matching Sam’s. “I thought you were better than that.”

“What?”

“Oh, never mind,” Discord said. “How’s your stay so far? I hope it hasn’t been too much of a hassle to fit in.”

Sam snickered. “If by “fit in”, you mean beat up group of Celestia’s guards for kicks, then yeah, I’ve been blending nicely.”

“Was that a pun?”

“That was unintentional, and you know it,” Sam grumbled and looked at Zecora, who was split between confused and scared. “If you’re done talking, I’m leaving. Don’t want another timber-critter stalking me.”

Discord smirked. “Oh yes, how was my little present? It was just a little crude draft, but what did you think?”

Sam rubbed his beard and tried to remember what he might be talking about. “It was a nice doggy, wasn’t it? Still not much compared to...you? You sent that thing after me?!”

“Now now, it’s not like it could kill you, right?” Discord asked. “After all the things you did, something like that can’t be that bad. You took care of it nicely, if that fuel cell’s to go by.”

“You were there,” Sam snarled. He rubbed his temples. “I’ve so many questions I don’t know where to start. First off, why couldn’t you be nice for once and just give me a proper fuel cell, one that doesn’t leak?”

Discord shrugged. “My magic can only do so much.”

“You brought me and three cyborgs back to life!” Sam growled. Sam would have liked nothing more than to eviscerate him as many times possible, but he stayed his hand. “Give it to me straight.”

“The answer or the fuel cell?” Discord laughed when Sam grabbed his hilt. “I kid, I kid! Anyways, I admit, my magic can do some crazy stuff, but then I thought: “What could I do to help him out? I know, I’ll give him a fuel cell! But what fun would it be to just give him a present like that?” Then I remembered what your...specialty was.”

“So that was it? Just wanted me to clean up your mess?” Sam shook his head. He did not notice he had drawn his sword, but it felt really, really, right somehow.“You must be insane. More than I took you for. Thanks to that, you made all the ponies here scared pissless of me.”

“Pssh, that’s just Celestia being Celestia.” Discord tutted. “She’s just being a mother hen. You had more important things to do, like staying alive, right?”

Sam tapped his foot and faced Zecora. “Did you know about this?”

She shook her head. Her frown deepened when she realized the implication. “My house was nearly flattened because of that beast! You did not know I reside here, at least?”

“Uh, actually-”

He did not have time to answer. Sam’s hand already wrapped around his antler. He was so mad he could not hear Zecora behind him. “You really know how to push someone’s buttons, don’t you?”

With a snap, Discord escaped his grip. “Well, I did have Celestia’s lingerie in a bunch when I stole the Elements of Harmony. Shame they got rid of it, but now I have you guys to play with.”

“Sundowner and the others are going to kill you if they hear that.” Sam paced around, trying to calm down. “Tell me: what do want-no, why did you bring us here in the first place? You still haven’t been straightforward with that tidbit.”

Discord smirked. “Oh, mostly to see what would happen. I was so terribly bored with this monotony called “peace”, but of course, you wouldn’t know what that word means, would you?”

“Stop screwing around,” Sam said, pulling his sword out.

“Poo, you’re no fun. I thought you would have a better sense of humor than your friends.” Discord pouted, “If you must know, I think you guys could help with a little...transition going on.”

“Going on?” Now Discord had his full attention.

“Yep.” Discord poofed out a glass of chocolate milk, but simply twiddled his claw in the dairy. “A lot of stuff’s going on, both in and out of Equestria. And you and your friends seem the most adequate for the job of keeping a leash on those stuff until Celestia can gear up.”

“You expect us to be sitters?” Sam chuckled. “The only thing we’re good at is killing. How is that supposed to make anything better?”

“"One sword keeps another in the sheath.” Ever heard of that?” Discord let the glass hover next to him while he pulled out a crystal behind his back. A light pour out, showing a small hologram of a familiar black cyborg. “Your other friend used to live by that. Shame I couldn’t get him to join you, hmm.”

“Whatever you got planned, It doesn’t matter to me,”

“I don’t know, Sam~” Discord sang. “Even if it doesn’t, I doubt your conscious would let them go so easy, especially after that big one stabbing your pops right in the mid-”

He never got to finish. In a blink, Sam’s hand was wrapped around his throat while the other was at his hilt.

“I knew it,” Sam whispered through gritted teeth. “I knew someone’s been poking around my head.”

“Sam, no!” Zecora tugged at him, but Sam kept going. He raised his sword. The blade started burning away Discord’s beard.

“Zecora, is that you?”

Sam gasped and reflexively released Discord, who let out a soft “Ha!” before snapping his talons. Sam blinked for the realization to kick in and his hands began shaking.

“Discord, when I find you, I’m shredding you into pulp, you hear me?!” Sam sliced a nearby tree behind him, smirking a little as the tree slowly fell over, revealing behind the smoking stump...Fluttershy.

And her eyes were glued at the sword, which not a second ago, was inches from cutting her.

Sam cursed. “Oh, it’s you. Uh...what are you doing here?”

Fluttershy snapped alert and scampered back, tripping over a loose root. “Oh! Uhm-it’s just me! I-I-I mean, don’t-I never-please don’t!”

Sam shrugged. “Don’t what? All I want’s Dis-” Sam bit his tongue. He looked at the smoking stump of the tree. “Just-ah, crap.” He was never good with explaining himself to curious civilians. He looked at Zecora, half-hoping for some support..

Zecora was just as off-guard as he was, but she tried to keep calm. “Dear Fluttershy, do not be afraid. Sam won’t harm you and has stayed his blade.”

“Oh Zecora!” Fluttershy sighed in relief. “Then it was you I heard! I just heard some things in the forest and thought it was some injured animal, and then I heard...him.”

Sam did not think his face could get any redder, and he snarled to hide it. “I was just leaving. You better do the same before I change my mind.” He glanced at Zecora one more time. “You coming? Or did I prove I can take care of myself here?”

Zecora frowned at his cocky grin. “I suppose so, Sam, Go ahead without me.” She turned to the still-shaky Fluttershy. “I’ll explain, Fluttershy, about him, Discord and the tree.”

Fluttershy kept her eyes on the human as he walked out of a clearing. “Are you sure? Not to sound bad, but how do you know he won’t-”

“In case you’re wondering,” Sam called without looking back. “I won’t hurt anyone, at least not before they start something first.”

Zecora stifled a laugh. “You have my word that he will keep his. But now, what are your questions about all this?” she asked as the two walked far behind him. They made sure he would not walk out of their sight.

“So, uh, what happened, if you don’t mind me asking?” Fluttershy started, smiling slowly.

Sam exhaled when he entered the town. It was a familiar, homely sight, though far from nostalgic. The air was crisp, the sun was beaming, and ponies were gawking at his return.

At least they’re not screaming anymore. Now where to first?

Meanwhile, Zecora had just finished up explaining to Fluttershy. The pegasus seemed a lot calmer, and had been talking to Zecora about her day until the two noticed the stares Sam and they received.

“It seems Sam’s still regarded as the town’s pariah,” Zecora huffed. “Even though his timberwolf slaying should label him messiah.”

Fluttershy looked around. She was more than happy with a friend next to her, but it still felt like everypony’s eyes were on her as well. Probably were, too. “Yeah. It looks like everypony’s still scared of him, huh?”

“You’re not one to talk,” Sam said. “Aren’t you the one most afraid of me?”

Fluttershy blushed. “Uh...sorry about my reaction earlier. I didn’t know Discord would do something so devious...well, no, now that I think about it, he’s still like that, but I’m sure he never meant harm.”

“Sorry about the little display there, but you’d be pissed too if someone’s poked around your head.” He looked around and smiled at a familiar landmark. “Just gonna visit someone and I’ll be out.”

“You’re visiting the mayor again?” Zecora asked. “If so, what then?”

“Get a map, and leave town, probably the country outright if I have to,” Sam said. “Not getting anywhere staying here.”

“You’re leaving?” Fluttershy asked, but Sam was already jogging to town hall. She followed Zecora behind him.

“Yeah. Shouldn’t the two of you get going too?” Sam reached the door and looked around. The stares lessened, although he still saw them catching a peek out the side of their heads.

Zecora smiled. “I hope you had not forgotten about your pay. I’ve some bits, if you wish. to purchase during your stay.”

“You sure?” Sam frowned. “That wasn’t so much of an “escort” as much as it was a “stroll.”” He knocked on the door and tapped his feet. “Are you pitying me because I’m new?” He had an annoyed smile. He could not fully hate her, especially with that all-knowing smirk she was wearing.

“Not at all, I just want to keep my end of the deal.” She pulled out a small pouch from her bag and handed it to him. “Twenty bits should be enough for supplies and a meal.”

Sam rolled his eyes. “You’re not taking “no” for an answer, are you?” He grabbed a bit and eyed it. After a few seconds, it bent like a clam shell. “Hmm, not bad for a part-time job.”

“Uh, excuse me, Minua-I mean, Sam?”

He was so distracted by Zecora that he forgot he knocked the door not a minute ago. Mayor Mare’s head peeked out and her eyes were bigger than normal. “You’re back? I thought you were being hospitalized back at the castle.”

Sam groaned. “You expect me to stay down after what everyone saw?”

Mayor laughed nervously, looking around. “Fluttershy? And Zecora? What are you doing here?”

Fluttershy shared her fidgeting. “Hello, Mayor. I’m sorry, but I don’t know what’s going on as much as you. Sorry.”

“Oh no, it’s not too much a bother. I’m guessing that Zecora’s been…introducing you to town?”

Sam sighed. “Look, I can already tell half the townspeople don’t want me here, so if you can just get me the biggest map of the country you have, I’ll be out of your hair.”

Mayor’s face fell. She would have slapped herself if there were nopony else here. “That’s not what, I mean-”

The sound of a door slamming made everyone jump. Commandeering a blue cannon, Pinkie Pie stared at the group with sharp eyes.

“I found you~!” She pressed the vent and a cloud of streamers and confetti filled the room. “Did you like the cake I left you? I made it myself!”

Mayor and Zecora looked at Sam. His face was an amalgam of disgust and loathing. “Why is it always you?”

“I saw you outside, walking here, so I dragged my party cannon with me as soon as I could!”

“I don’t need a party.” Sam crossed his arms. “What I need is a map of the country and something to eat along the-”

“That’s perfect!” Pinkie pulled out a red envelope from her mane and handed it to a perplexed Sam. “Come by to Sugarcube Corner! We got all the food you could want! Cake, candies, pies-”

“Meat?”

Pinkie froze and gulped. “Uhhhhhhh, not exactly...no. We have everything else though!” She tried to ignore his teeth bared in a intimidating smirk.

“Then wait for me at this Sugarcube place. I’m busy right now.”

“Oooooh no, I’m not falling for that!” Pinkie recovered her own grin and aimed her cannon at him. “It’s been over two days since you came by town, and you’re two days overdue for your party!”

Sam leaned over to Mayor. “Is she always this unscrewed?”

“It’s a...Ponyville tradition,” Mayor said. “Pinkie Pie works at the bakery, Sugarcube Corner, and throws parties in honor of newcomers to the town. I’m guessing you forgot about yours?” she asked hopefully.

“In case you forgot, I was a wanted man back then.”

“But you’re here now, so you’re free, right?” Pinkie asked. “You can’t be in a rush to leave a place you just arrived at!”

Sam leaned against the wall and closed his eyes. On one hand, he just wanted to be out of here, and was willing to camp it out if he had to. On the other, he got free food at the cost of stares and answering questions. “Hmm, tough choice.”

“If you’re in no rush, Sam, I think it would be the wisest bet,” suggested Zecora. “Eat, rest, make some friends, and you’d be set.”

Sam shook his head. He expected something like this would happen. “And what about you, then? You want me to go?”

Fluttershy whimpered and stared at her hooves, her tactic of staying invisible faltering.. Why would she support Sam was clearly not in an agreeable mood, and what reason did she have to bringing someone like him to other ponies?

Then again, helping other ponies is what Pinkie does with earnest. Not the best for the job, but definitely the most enthusiastic. After everything Sam went through after his arrival and from his sour tone, he could not have a positive image of ponies now.

“Um, I think a party...might be a good idea? I mean, you don’t have to stay for long, but I’m sure you’re a little tired after what you’ve been through?” Fluttershy hid a little behind her mane but kept eye contact.

Sam stared back, waiting, but she held fast. If she was lying, she would have crumpled on spot, but her insistence told otherwise.

“You’re serious about this?” When she kept staring, he crumpled the invitation. “Alright, I’ll give.” He could not help but smile with the pegasus.

“YAAAAY!” He shook his head, still smiling, when he heard another cannon fire. Pinkie was already at the door.

Sam walked to her and looked at Zecora and Mayor, who both wore looks of approval. “I’ll buy her throwing parties, but how does she prepare them so quickly and frequently?”

Pinkie tutted and pointed to her cannon. “This ain’t a party cannon for nothing, duh! I’ve already sent out invitations to everypony, so all we have to do is get to Sugarcube Corner and prepare!”

Sam tossed the crumpled invite to a nearby trash bin and walked out the door. “Just how many do you think will show up at a party featuring a wanted man as the guest of honor?”

“Not many with that attitude, that’s for sure! Come on, Fluttershy!”

Mayor laughed alongside Zecora, however uncomfortable she was. “Do you really believe this will help?” she whispered.

“If not, it will help us get to know more about him,” Zecora answered with the same volume. “He has been through much by Discord, so his anger’s to its brim. A party will do well to reaffirm his trust and calm his whims.”

“A threefer?” Sam chuckled. “A new record for you?”

Mayor snickered as the white of Zecora’s coat crimsoned. “Well, is it?” She burst out laughing when the zebra frowned deeper.

“Come on, what’s stopping me from bucking him out of Ponyville right now?”

“Maybe because ya can’t, Rainbow?” Applejack said worriedly. “We saw how he beat the hide outta those guards. What makes you think you can?”

“Uh, maybe the fact I can move at sonic speed and he can’t?” She slammed the table, rattling the cups and plates.

“Even so, don’t pick a fight with him while in town.” Rarity said as she rearranged the glassware to their original positions. “But why Pinkie would have him for a party is rather...worrying, don’t you think?”

“Yeah, but Pinkie’s never turned down a party for any occasion, has she?” Rainbow looked around. “And where’s Fluttershy? She’s almost never late for anything.”

“Preoccupied with a patient, I bet,” Rarity said. “but probably hiding from Sam. Did you see how much she trembled at the injuries the guardponies had?” She sipped the tea, but still shivered at the recollection. “She didn’t know who to help out first, she was in such a shock.”

“At least no one got killed in that tussle,” Applejack added, sipping her own cup. “Friendly hooffight, nothin’. And did you see the smile he had on him? And he laughed when he got pinned down, too.”

Rarity drained her cup. “Please, darling. The last thing I need are nightmares of that fight.”

A loud slam rung the air. Everypony stopped talking and looked at the front door. Sam, Pinkie, Zecora and for some reason, Mayor Mare walked in, the latter two looking nervous while the human hummed.

“At least the party’s modest.” He looked around for a chair, but none of them were human-sized, so he stood while Zecora and Mayor found seats. “How long have you been waiting for?”

Applejack, despite her shock, was the first to respond. “Uh...about thirty minutes? Pinkie said she saw you enter town, so she invited us here as fast as she could.”

He looked down at the pink pony, who held her chest out in pride. “You really are fast, huh?”

Pinkie smiled brightly. “It’s part of my job, of course!”

He kneeled at the cake presented as the centerpiece of the table. “Cake and tea…? Not to sound rude, but isn’t there something more...solid?”

Pinkie rubbed her chin in thought. “Hmmm, something else? Let me check in the kitchen. Until then-” she stuck her head out of the kitchen door “-feel free to chat without me!”

The door closed and everyone paused, aside from Sam who inspected an empty teacups.

“So...thanks for the party.”

“Ya can thank Pinkie for that,” Applejack said with the same tone.

“Look, I just want a last-minute lunch and a map before I go. I got money to pay for this anyways.”

“Sam, it’s a party.” Mayor interjected. She loaded a plate with a cake and pushed it to him. “I admit, though, this isn’t like one of Pinkie’s regulars.”

“Yeah, we figured ya weren't the party-type, ya know?” Applejack scratched her head and fiddled with her hat. “Still, Pinkie Pie tried to invite everypony in town, but when they learned that the guest of honor was-”

“-someone that was taken in the guards, they stayed out of it?”

Applejack groaned, biting her lips, but the answer was clear.

“You can’t blame them, but then why did all of you show up?”

“Because we’re Pinkie’s friends, and we can’t just turn her down just because someone like you’re showing up.” Rainbow said with a cocky smirk.

“Sure.” Sam took a bite of his cake and immediately gagged.

“What’s wrong?” Mayor asked, startled.

“Ugh, how much sugar’s in that thing?” He smacked his lips and drank some tea. “That would have killed a diabetic back home.”

“Should I get some coffee?” Mayor asked as she stood up.

“That’d be great. Thanks.”

Mayor walked into the kitchen but not before exchanging smiles with Sam, who gave a small wave. He returned to his tea and noticed everypony staring. “What? What is it?”

“Not to sound insensitive,” Rarity said. “but I think you’ve made a...friend.”

Sam laughed. “A friend? Please, we’ve known each other for an hour since I first met her. And in case you don’t remember, we were surrounded by guards ready to kill me.”

“But if what she told us is true, she’s the first pony you’ve talked with.” Applejack said. “Did she...give a good introduction of the town?”

“No, just about herself.” Sam took a wary bite of the cake. “Mayor Mare, seriously. Who names all of you?”

“Uhh, our parents?” Rainbow answered, earning some giggles from her friends.

“Funny,” Sam groaned. Suddenly, he heard footsteps out the front door. “Who’s there?”

Before anypony could answer, the front door opened, revealing a very pink alicorn, a purple miniature version and a purple baby dragon beside her. She looked at the table and her face brightened when she saw the party. “So this is where the gang is!” She walked to Sam and gave a curt bow. “Sorry about the abruptness. I’m Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, although everypony calls me Candence.”

She finished by raising a hoof for a shake, but Sam just slowly nodded and looked at the dragon. “And you are?”

“Uh...I’m Spike.”

“A reptile or something, I’m guessing?”

“A dragon, actually, but I guess that’s right too.” Spike fiddled with his claws. He did not know what to expect but now he had seconds thoughts. Mostly due to how the creature towered over him even while sitting.

Sam smiled and leaned forward. “Can you breathe fire?”

At this however, Spike brightened up. “Yeah. What do you need lighting?”

Twilight rose from her seat. “Spike! Don’t encourage him!”

Too late. Sam got up and pulled out his sword, earning some gasps from everypony and Spike. “Don’t worry, I’m not going to cut anything.” He made sure not to point the sword’s tip at Spike when he lowered it to Spike’s head-level. “Try lighting that.”

Spike stammered for a moment, muttering something about how he was afraid he would accidentally send the sword to Celestia, but he relented and sprayed green fire over the blade.

Sam smiled when the green turned red as his sword was embezzled with flame, “Nice. Can’t have a dragon without fire.” Careful not to get too excited, he sheathed his sword,

“Aww, come on!” Rainbow Dash popped up. “That was wicked!”

As Sam laughed and rejoined the table, Twilight walked up to Cadence. “So why, exactly, did you want to see him?”

“I just wanted to see the one who got Princess Celestia’s attention.” Cadence passed her and Spike a plate of cake. “Not to mention-”

“FIRE!!!”

Everyone’s heads whipped to the kitchen door, where Pinkie and Mayor stood, carrying a tray of steaming bread and coffee. The baker looked around wildly for any sign of conflagration. “I smelled fire just now! Where is it!?”

Sam stared at his sword, safely stored. Spike, meanwhile was trying to avoid eye-contact. “Extinguished.” He took a coffee from Mayor. “Thanks.”

Mayor smiled and placed the tray down. “You’re wel-oh! Princess Cadence!”

“Hello, Mayor. I was just visiting Twilight for the day.”

“Why does that sentence reek of a lie?” Sam scoffed. He sipped his coffee, ignoring the glare Twilight shot him.

“Where’s the fire!?”

Again, heads swiveled to the door, this time staring at a white stallion looking around wildly. “Cadence! Twilight! Is everypony al...right…?”

When everyone laughed at the look on his face, Pinkie raised a timid hoof. “Uh...sorry! Heh, false alarm!” She pushed forward her tray of bread, her smile reforming. “Cinnamon bun?”

“Yeah, we’re fine, Shining,” Cadence giggled, taking one. “More importantly, this is Sam, the guest Princess Celestia had over yesterday. Sam, this is Shining Armor, my husband.”

Shining saw Sam frowning at him and he did the same. “Oh? So this is the...creature that incapacitated all the guards?”

Sam grimaced at the word, but gave a cocky grin. “What? You don’t think I could have?”

“No, I’m just wondering what you’re doing out of your cell,” Shining said, smirking when Sam frowned again.

“I was told I could leave after Mayor testified. I’ve also been told that it’s been a full day since my hospitalization, and I was feeling fine by then, so I helped myself out.”

“Then what’s with trapping Prince Blueblood in toilet paper?”

A mirthful “What?!” escaped Rainbow and Rarity, but Sam ignored them. “He just caught me while I was in the bathroom. I couldn’t have him scream like a pansy and wake everyone up. Or was that too courteous of me?”

“Bright Shield said you attacked Blueblood in the bathroom.” Shining was struggling to not laugh along with everypony. “Do you have any idea of the charges against you?”

“Violation of privacy, assault, sexual harassment, breaking and entering-wait, can’t be that if I was brought in so...that’s it, I think?”

Shining blinked a couple times. “Uh...that’s about it, yeah?” His eyes quickly narrowed. “How are you so familiar with criminal offenses?”

“I used to kill and clean up corpses for a living. Why shouldn’t I?”

Twilight covered her mouth. Everypony’s eyes widened and they were staring at the pair, slackjawed. “That’s right. You said you were a cleaner. You were serious?” Twilight mentally facehoofed. Why did she think a party would be the best idea again?

“Why wouldn’t I be?” Sam said. “Not the best job, but it payed, and I quit after after a few years. You’d be surprised at how many clients I got, needing something either incinerated or bleached out.”

The ponies’ colourful face lost a shade of color, but Shining’s face was stuck in a glare. He turned to the his sister. “And you’re throwing him a party, why?”

Pinkie, whose cheeks were filled with cinnamon bun, laughed nervously before swallowing. “Uh...because we-I mean, I couldn’t throw him one when he first visited?”

“Shining, he said he’ll be leaving soon,” Cadence said. “Don’t start a scene.”

“Wait a sec.” Sam waved his hand. “You know Bright Shield?”

“Yes? What about him?”

“Did you know about his temper?”

Shining looked away, grimacing. “I’m his predecessor, the last Captain of the Royal Guard before I became Prince of the Crystal Empire.”

“Really? Does celebrities like you two visit this town often?” Sam asked, interest somewhat roused.

“Celeb visits are more of the more normal things that happen in Ponyville, as everypony can attest,” Shining said and everypony nodded. “But yes, I knew about his temperament. But he was willing work and change himself. That’s why he became who he is now. Or at least, was.”

“What? He got fired?” Sam asked.

“No. Just suspended until his head cools. Why do you ask?” Shining thanked Mayor, who returned with a plate of cake and coffee. His grateful smile did not last long, but Twilight was thankful he was warming up at least a bit.

“It’s just that so far, I think he’s the only one who can do anything if the Winds of Destruction show up.”

That name again. It was only a name, but the way Sam said it and the damage they could cause made it as if they were some eldritch monsters. “Winds of Destruction?” Zecora asked. “Who are they?”

Sam finished his coffee with a big gulp. “Commanders of a private military from my world.”

Shining finished his cup the same. “Cyborgs like you?”

“For the record, I’m not that much of....” Sam clenched his right fist and pointed it at Shining, all humor lost in his tone and eyes. “What do you know about cyborgs? Who’d you hear it from?”

Shining silently cursed himself. He gave his word to Celestia that he would keep his investigation undercover. Never thought a single word would give him away like that.

“I heard a couple tidbits from the guards you beat up” He tried to sound honest as possible. Other than the source, it was all true. “Something about your sword being able to cut a solid anvil, deflecting all of Bright Shield’s attacks, so I came to investigate myself.”

Sam growled and stood up. “So you’re keeping tabs on me? You seriously think you can keep up?”

“Sam!” Cadence spoke up, frowning. “Shining, don’t pick a fight with him!”

“Like he did with the guards?” Shining was glaring at Sam now. “What was that about, anyways? You just wanted to cause trouble for us?”

“Just a warm-up for me, and to set the standard of what the Winds can do. You want to protect your citizens? Get better guards.”

“So you think we’re not up to par?” Sam’s smirk was enough of an answer. “The Canterlot guards are some of the best we have, and Bright’s no pushover.”

“Sure, that captain was decent. If only he was that determined to kill me all the time.” Sam grabbed his hilt. “What? You think you have a chance at beating me?”

“Sam!” Twilight urged. She looked at Cadence, who grabbed Shining’s shoulder. “Don’t pick a fight! If Princess Celestia knows you hurt anymore ponies-”

“Then she’s dumber than I thought if she thought she could leash me.” Sam walked to the door. “Want to see me in action, prince? Come on. After today, I can add “regicide” to my resume.” He exited, with Mayor and Zecora behind him, trying to get him back in and apologize

Shining, meanwhile, was hounded by Cadence and and everypony else.

“Shining, are you out of your mind?!” Twilight shook his shoulders. “I told you what he could do! Why didn’t you just leave him alone?”

“I’m not going to fight him,” Shining answered. “I was ordered by Princess Celestia to investigate him. Tell me, has he been answering any of your questions, Twi, honestly?”

“Uhh…” She rubbed her head. “We...never got to asking that many questions yet.”

“Let me guess: after what you saw him do, you’re still antsy about him?” Shining asked, looking at Fluttershy, who nodded behind Rainbow.

“So?” The cyan mare started. “Pinkie’s just throwing him an overdue welcome party. Besides, the less we have anything to do with him, the better.”

Shining shook his head. “The Princess doesn’t think so, or she wouldn’t have brought me. We need as much answers as we could, and if hospitality and meals isn’t enough, maybe a good tussle will.”

“What?!” Cadence screamed. “Shining, you can’t be thinking information’s more important than your life? The princess said that he was holding back during his fight with the guards at that was the only reason none of them are dead!”

“Even if he uses his sword, I just need to hold out and push all of his buttons.” Shining looked at Twilight. “The Princess gave me some interesting details. Did Sam say anything during his fight?”

Twilight tried to remember. “Yeah. Pretty much about how he was a vigilante where he came from.” She shivered. She could not recollect the specifics, but she knew he said he killed many during his life. “And that he said no one could stop him.”

“Exactly. He tries not to, but he likes to talk, just not in front of strangers.”

“But we’ve known him for at least a day, and I threw his a party just for him!” Pinkie whined. “What did I do wrong?” She asked, tearing up.

Shining patted her head. “You didn’t do anything wrong. I just think we need to pressure him a little more.”

“But by fighting?” Cadence asked, herself crying slightly. She knew of her husband’s assignment, but she never thought he would go about it like this.

“He did it before, so he could do it again. He was also the one who requested the fight, remember?” Shining walked to the door and smiled. “Don’t worry, Cadence, I’m not going to get hurt.”

“Couldn’t you have brought help?” she asked, wiping her eyes. “And how do you know this is going to help at all? You could...die.”

“I’m not going to die.” Shining said sternly. “He’s not going to kill me. It would mean too much trouble to him in the future. And undercover pegasus guards are posted in the Everfree just in case.” He gave a smirk. “And I want you there, Twily.”

“M-me?” she stammered. “What for?”

“To write down everything. What he says, what he does, how he fights, everything. Cadence-” he turned to his wife “call the Ponyville hospital. In case of accidents. The rest of you girls-” he pointed to everypony else. “-might want to stay out of this. This is too dangerous for civilians.”

“Like heck we are!” Rainbow hovered so close to Shining her muzzle pressed against his. “You don’t think we’re going to back down just because he’s putting on a “tough-guy” act! Come on, let’s go!”

“Ya sure you’re just not antsy to see him fight again?” Applejack asked, eyebrow raised. Nevertheless, they all got up and walked to the door, leaving Shining stammering.

“Hey, wait!” he yelled as he chased after them. “I’m serious! You girls don’t think you can take him on, do you?”

The door closing, Cadence looked at her, doubtful. “You sure about this, Twilight? If he’s this insistent, then I’ll respect his decision, but you?”

“Yeah, I’m alright,” Twilight said. “I just never saw my brother so heated about something. But I gotta say, he’s planned this out pretty good.”

“That’s not the whole story,” she spoke up. “He spoke with the guards, and I think he’s got something against him.”

Twilight frowned. “A grudge?” Shining was a strict guard, but he was only doing his job.

“He was their captain, you know, I’m sure he feels something for it. Don’t you feel like standing up when you see a friend get picked on?” When Twilight nodded, Cadence patted her head. “I just hope he isn’t too far over his head.”

“Between the edge of town and the forest? Perfect.”

“Yep. In case things get hairy, Cadence will call the hospital, and their EMS will be ready.”

“Isn’t this a little too much, just for a fight?” Sam took his position at one side of the road. “First a party, now a fight. You ponies got some twisted sense of hospitality.”

“The ponies want you out of their town.” Shining stood at the other side. “And I’m going to show you why you should.”

“If this is how you treat guests, I would never leave if I wanted to get back home.”

“Yeah, until one of us kicks your rump out.”

“Boys, boys!” Cadence called out. “If this keeps up, go get a room.”

Everyone, even Mayor, broke into laughter. Shining was blushing, unknown if out of embarrassment or disapproval, while Sam smiled at her.

“What’s this? Her Majesty’s so eager to see her husband dominated?”

“Please,” Shining said, his face returning to normal shade. “she just wants to see her husband wipe the floor with you and get to spend some time with Twilight while in-town.”

Pinkie stared at the pair, rubbing her chin with a rare serious look. “Princess Cadence might be right.”

“Right about what?” Rainbow asked, still recovering from her giggles. “Getting a room?”

“I think she means about her talking about how he’s trying to get Sam to talk,” Twilight answered, her quill moving so fast it threatened to rip the parchment. “She’s right about him trying to level with him, but if they spend too much time trash-talking, things are going to...get ugly.”

“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’d prefer name-calling if it meant these two could resolve this problem non-violently,” Rarity said.

“Careful there, Rare.” Rainbow nudged her shoulder. “You’re starting to sound like a friend of his.”

“Oh, she just wants to stop their fighting,” Fluttershy whimpered. “But with Sam and Shining Armor so insistent, don’t you think you could say something, Twilight?”

Twilight bit her quill. “I don’t know if it would help. I might probably heat things up even more. If Sam sees more guards, he could just run out of here.”

They nodded in unison and looked back at the pair, now ready.

“No need to shake hooves this time,” Shining said. “and if you want, you can use your sword. I specialize in shielding spells, after all.”

“Thanks, but that decision’s up to me.” Sam looked around, hoping for a signal, a breeze or a random tumbleweed, to cue the fight. “We should start now before we bore the crowd.”

“Ladies first.”

Sam snarled and kicked off the ground. Grabbing his hilt, he-

“Captain!”

Sam nearly tripped. He was a couple meters away from Shining before an unknown voice called out. He composed himself and saw the speaker: a familiar white pegasus stained with dirt.

The pegasus stopped next to Shining, gasping for air. “Captain-we’re-there’s trouble-!”

“For Celestia’s sake, speak in proper Equestrian, lieutenant!” Shining said, gawking at his drained state.

Sam noticed the pegasus had the coat of his legs splattered not with dirt but blood and realized the pony was Sky High. “What are you doing here? So you have been spying on me?”

“No.” Cadence stepped in. “He and his team was just investigating the forest after the timberwolf incident, making sure it was not suffered too much damage.” She ran up to the guard, worry spread on her face. “Have you been attacked by the animals, lieutenant?”

“No!” he panted. “We’ve been ambushed! Everypony else is dead!”

“Who?” Shining was screaming at him to keep him from waning. “Who did this?!”

“Another human, sir!”

Everypony stopped moving and stared at the shivering guard, who hardened his glare. “It was! He was massive, and carried a giant...something that tore us apart!”

Shining could not find the energy to reprimand him for leaving his subordinates and found himself huffing along. “Is the human still there?”

“Don’t know, sir!”

Everypony jerked their heads at the forest’s direction, expecting something to pounce out at any moment. Mayor was the first to break out of the trance.

“Captain Shining Armor, the town is right behind us, you need to call for reinforcement! Princess Twilight Sparkle, you must send a letter to Princess Celestia and-Sam?”

She saw him walk towards the forest, his hand ready to draw his sword.

“Sam, where are you going?” she called out, her voice trembling. “You’re not thinking of going in there?”

“How’d you guess that?”

“Sam, wait!” Zecora said. “It is never safe to enter the forest alone. Don’t wander by yourself when a killer is known.”

“Besides, what are you going to do when you find him?” Twilight asked. The human was clearly a Wind and she did not want to know what would happen if the two met. “You’re not thinking of fighting him?”

“No, just too see what happened.” He turned around and smiled. “It’s been years since I cleaned anything up, but I think you’re going to need some help.”

Author's Note

(fixed/rewritten 19/10/2014)

Act 1: Hero-The Calm Before the Storm

“Now this is more like it.”

Sam briskly rubbed his hands together and walked to the nearest bloodstain, but Shining stopped him.

“Get back! Don’t touch anything, alright?” Shining grimaced at the sight. “This is a crime scene. Cadance, hold everypony back. Lieutenant, report this to the princess, full speed!”

“Yes sir!” Sky High saluted, and he and Cadence flew out the forest like bullets.

“Captain Shining Armor?” Mayor asked from behind. “What’s going—?”

“Stay back,” Sam said. “You don’t want to see this.”

Mayor could not see the scene well from behind him and Shining, but a sight of a bloody severed leg was all it took to turn her green.

Calling the scene “a mess” would be the understatement of the year. It was as if someone had taken the world’s biggest tube of paint and splashed blood everywhere like a pre-schooler. Segments of flesh and entrails were scattered along with their owner’s limbs.

“I told you you didn’t want to see this,” Sam repeated, shaking his head. “All of you shouldn't see this. You heard the cop.”

“Wasn’t he talking ‘bout you too?” Applejack asked. She sniffed the air and blocked her muzzle. “Ugh, what in Equestria’s that stench?” Before her friends could see the scene themselves, Mayor and Zecora blocked them off.

“Blood. Lots of it.” Sam bent next to a severed head and poked it. “Looks like Sundowner entered the building.”

“Sundowner?” Shining asked, covering his own nose.

“The pegasus’ description fits, and this scene has his M.O.” Sam kicked at the trunk of a fallen tree. “Excessive use of force and violence. Look at where the trees are cut. An HF Blade cut ‘em.”

“And pray tell, how did you come to that conclusion?” Shining eyed him warily. Maybe this was part of his scheme: distract him while a second perp ambushed the guards?

Sam counted the number of guards dead. Seven, judging from the number of heads. “Did the lieutenant look injured to you, other than the blood on him?” When Shining shook his head, Sam smiled. “He probably wanted one alive, to tell the authorities that he’s here. He was never one for subtlety. As for the weapon, smell the wood burning?”

Shining sniffed the trunk. “Yeah, it smells like ash.”

“An HF Blade vibrates at a super-high speed to cut materials. This also has the side-effect of burning whatever it cuts. Besides, smell the corpses if you don’t believe me. It smells like barbecue.”

Shining struggled to keep from retching. “Be serious about this, would you? If you were a Royal Guard—”

“Thank God I’m not.” Sam walked towards him with arms crossed. “I told you, I’m experienced in this kind of thing, and I am being serious. When can your backup get here?”

Shining saw Mayor, Twilight, and Spike already running back to town for parchment. “Depending on how fast my sister writes, anywhere from five to ten minutes.”

Sam sighed. “It’s already been ten minutes. By then, you’re going to lose him. He’ll be halfway through the forest.”

“Not if you follow him now, Sam.” Zecora stepped up and pointed to a trail of blood. “I counted seven bodies, yet only twenty-six hooves. The killer must have taken them, so you might find him if you move.”

At this, he glared at her. “Is that a job?”

“No, just something only you can do,” Zecora answered, just as sternly. Sam did not seem like the type to take orders, especially from somepony like her. “If you stop this “Sundowner”, everypony will start trusting you. From there, the guards will stop sticking to you like glue.”

He grumbled to himself in thought, eliciting a chuckle from Zecora. “How do you know I will, regardless?”

“You can refuse. Like you said, you’ve no obligation.”

“Damn you.” He chuckled but crossed his arms. “I’m no tracker, just a cleaner. If I find him, I’ll handle him, but I can’t track him in this terrain. I would probably just get lost.”

“So what, we can’t do anything?!”

His head jerked to Rainbow Dash, who was anxiously flying in place. “You can’t be serious!”

“If you want to find him yourself, go ahead,” Sam said. “Can’t guarantee you’ll live when you do.”

“He’s right, Rainbow,” Applejack said. “We need to be careful, and the guards will come any minute.”

“Didn’t you hear, we don’t have a minute!” Rainbow grumbled. “Whoever did this is getting farther away by the second!” She faced a random direction and left a rainbow trail behind her.

“Rainbow Dash!” Everypony screamed after her, but the blue speck faded into the sky.

“That girl,” Shining mumbled. “I’ll get her. You girls get to a safe place. Find Twilight! And you-” he pointed at Sam “-just...stay there with Zecora and don’t touch anything!” Sighing, he sprinted in the fleeing pegasus’ direction.

With a nod, everypony ran back to town, leaving Zecora and Sam alone. The zebra looked around, shaking her head at the sight.

“Is it scary?” Sam asked. “Seeing something like this?”

“Uh...no, not completely.” Zecora answered, surprised. She took a breath and fell to her rump, rubbing her forehead. “Why, how, could anyone do something like this? I’ve heard of murders, but nothing like this.”

“Same words? Boo.”

Zecora frowned at him. “How can you make laughter when there are seven ponies slaughtered?”

“You know what they say,” Sam said, leaning against a tree. “Can’t spell “slaughter” without “laughter”. That’s Sundowner in a nutshell, and he’s plenty nuts.”

Zecora covered her muzzle to block the smell. “How can you stomach such a sight?”

“I told you all this before: I’m a cleaner. I make and clean up bodies. Don’t make me repeat myself.”

Zecora shivered, looking around. Her house was close by. What would have happened if she stayed there instead of following Sam?

“You are acquainted with Sundowner?”

“Worked with his private military group. He’s one of their higher officers.”

“Do you know why he would have done this?”

“Either he did it for kicks or they were onto his trail. He’s been a soldier for the majority of his life.” He smiled. “Why do you want to know? Want to help me find him?”

“No, I just want to return home. But I must stay with you, what with a crime scene and a killer on the roam.”

“Good idea. When the guards get here, stay out of the forest.” He looked up and saw a large flock of birds. “You know, that pony’s got the right idea.”

“Who? Rainbow Dash?”

“Yeah.” Sam pulled out his sword and pointed at one of the severed heads. “Guards like them, they only investigate when the crime’s already done. Wouldn’t it be better to stop crimes before they happens?”

“Is that why you have taken on a vigilante life?” Zecora frowned. “That reasoning is often poor justification for itself. How can you judge one for doing wrong when he has yet to himself?”

Sam sighed and rubbed his forehead. “You don’t get it. Look at them. What if they’re not enough, or even—”

Before he could continue, he heard several hoofsteps behind him. He readied to attack, but saw the source of the sound: Sky High, leading a large group of guards behind him. Some of them carried large bags. When they saw the crime scene, their faces paled through their coat, and one even turned his eyes away.

“You haven’t touched anything?” Sky High asked, looking around for signs of vandalism.

“Ask her–” Sam pointed at Zecora “–if you doubt me. If you’re done, I’d like to leave.” He patted his suit. “Where’s that thing? Do you still have it? You know, the caramel crickets?”

Zecora ‘ah’-ed and fetched the brown jar from her bag.

“Thanks.” He tipped some of the bugs out and stretched out his hand. “Want some?”

Zecora pushed his hand away. “No, thank you for your consideration, though. I, as well as many of the guards, seemed to have lost our appetites.”

“Oh yeah.” He faced the guards with a grin, who stared back with confusion. “Sorry. I’m just so used to seeing corpses that I nearly forgot this was here. And you,” he said to Sky High, who shot him the deepest scowl he could. “You actually want to see your fellow men sliced like bread?”

Sky High flinched at the simile but held his ground. “They were my subordinates. I am responsible for them.” He motioned to his guard. “Get them into the body bags. I don’t want a single limb missing.”

“Too late for that,” Sam interrupted. “Two legs are missing.”

“What?!” Sky High scanned the area but only counted twenty-six legs like he said. Snarling, he turned to his guards. “All pegasi, split into two groups and scan from the sky. The rest of you, clean this up. Do not mix up the corpses.”

“Sir!” The group saluted before separating to their respective duties.

Sam and Zecora saw their haste, the former with an amused expression. “Well, let’s get going.” He started walking, pouring crickets into his mouth.

“Go where?” Zecora followed behind, hesitant about leaving the scene.

“Your little cottage,” Sam answered through a mouthful of bugs. “If Sundowner’s found it, he must have checked it out at some point.”

He could practically hear the gears clicking in her head. Her confusion quickly turned to fear.“Let’s go, now!” she screamed and sprinted past him.

He blinked a few times before cracking up. “Yes, ma’am!” he responded and followed suit.

“Rainbow Dash, what’s wrong with you?!”

“I should be asking you that!” The mare struggled but only managed to glare back. “Whoever did that to the guards couldn’t have gotten far! You think I’m going to let him get away with this?”

“You’re just going to get yourself killed!” Shining screamed back, holding her tight in his telekinesis. “Seven ponies that were under my command are dead. You think you’re the only one angry?”

“So what then? We wait until more guards show up?”

“I’ll go back to the crime scene and meet back with Lieutenant Sky High. You go to Cloudsdale and warn everypony about this.”

“What good’s that going to do? It’s not like he’s going to attack—”

“We don’t know anything about who did this!” Shining was now actively resisting facehoofing. “All we know is that he’s a cyborg who killed a group of guards. We don’t know if he can kill more, where he is now, or if there was even one of them. You’re not a Wonderbolt, Dash!”

“I know that, but…”

Rainbow’s face fell and her body slacked. Shining nodded at her resignation and put her down.

“Do you know what it’s… forget it. Let’s just go.”

She walked past him, but she could feel Shining’s stare burn her head as he followed her.

“Look, I’m sorry for raging, alright? I’ll contact Cloudsdale, see if they’ll help us with this.”

“Since when did you get so worked up? What, you didn’t want anypony to help you? Get hurt?” Shining asked.

“No!”

“Then what? You just flying off like that is foolish, even for you!”

“What’s that supposed to mean!?”

“I mean this you’re going to get killed if you keep this up, or worse, create more casualties!”

“If I get to help whatever I can, that’s fine!”

Armor stepped back, grimacing. “So that’s what it’s about?”

“No!” Rainbow stepped back as well but could not look him in the eye. “I mean, that’s not…”

“It better not be.” Shining rubbed his head. “You’re letting the whole “heroes of Equestria” get to your head.”

“This coming from somepony who could defend Canterlot by himself?” Rainbow chided, turning her back on him.

“And we all know how that ended up,” Shining said, anger evident. “You’re not the only one down in the dumps. You know how embarrassing it is for me, a ruler of the Crystal Empire, to leave its saving to my little sister?”

Rainbow stopped and turned around. “So I don’t have to waste time explaining myself?” she scoffed.

“I won’t make you, but—”

“Good, now let’s go.”

“Where’s everypony?” Rainbow asked. Other than a few guards keeping watch, the forest’s edge was barren.

“Back to Ponyville. Hopefully getting ready to barricade the town.” Shining faced her. “Get to Cloudsdale. Tell them to get every flier available to search for a large, black, bipedal figure, maybe more than one. Lieutenant!” Sky High handed him a portfolio. “Take this. It’s some extra photos of the crime scene. Take him with you. With an Element of Harmony and a Royal Guard, I’m sure everypony will see we’re not joking.”

“Alright!” Rainbow punched the air. “Now this is more like it!”

“If you’re good, get going. Remember, we all got our jobs to do.”

“Right! C’mon, Sky!”

He sighed and gave a weak smile to Shining. “Something happened in there? Gave her some pump-up speech?”

“Not that much. Just knocked her down a peg." He smiled. "Now go.”

“Sir!” Sky High gave a salute and took off behind Rainbow.

Shining made his way back to Ponyville and scowled at the lack of hustle and bustle. Did nopony get the news from Mayor and Twilight?

Eventually, he made it the town hall, where Twilight and Mayor was talking heatedly with several officials.

“…evacuate the town? Mayor, that’ll take too much time—”

“We can’t defend ourselves against this, Twilight. We’ve already received a reply from the princess, we— Captain Shining Armor!”

“Yes, Mayor? What did the Princess say?” he asked.

“Here.” She passed the letter. “She’s sending more guards for protection and hopefully subjugating the...you-know-what.” She whispered her last words, looking around nervously. “It even says that Princess Celestia might have to get involved in the defence effort.”

Shining grimaced. He did not know which was more worrying: Sundowner’s presence or the fact that Celestia had her hoof forced into this. “Any more instructions?”

On cue, Spike burped out a giant scroll. “Huh! It’s for you, bro.”

Shining unravelled it and read with relish, but his expression fell deeper and deeper as he went on.

“What is it, Shining?” Twilight asked.

“Nothing, just to stay at my post and aid with the evacuation,” he grunted. He rolled the scroll back up and looked longingly at the nearby trash bin. “Please tell me this will work, Mayor.”

“I’ve already sent somepony to spread the news,” Mayor said. “With guards stationed at every road leading out of town, everypony will take the trains to nearby towns. Afterwards, we’ll start a search with the guards from the forest, spreading outward.”

“Honestly, we’re not sure if this will work,” Twilight said. “And when we have to break the news down to everypony, I can’t help but think they’ll all panic.”

“That’s why we need you, Princess Sparkle, to lead the evacuation,” Mayor said. “Everypony trust you’ll do the right thing. I’ll stay here and help clear out the town until everypony else has left.”

With nothing more to say, everypony nodded, some eagerly while others forcefully.

Shining left with Twilight, who looked around nervously. “Oh dear...maybe I should have thought this through more.” The streets were almost barren, save for some ponies running to their houses.

“That’s why I’m here,” Shining said brightly. “Come on. We need to hurry.”

“He’s been here,” Sam said. “But he didn’t touch much.”

Indeed, other than a few out-of-place containers and ajar cabinets, the place was untouched.

“Didn’t you say he was not one for subtlety?” Zecora asked, correcting her furniture.

“Looks like he can be quiet when he has to be.” Sam walked to the door. “This place is clear. But you’ll have to leave this place until Sundowner’s dead. Criminals almost always return to the scene of the crime.”

“Agreed.” She loaded several items onto her back. “Please wait outside. I have to load my cart and leave nothing to hide.”

“Alright, but get moving. I’m starting to get why ponies avoid this place.” Even after all the destruction a few days ago, the forest had somehow recovered its lost greenery. Magic or not, this place was weird.

Zecora gave a nod, pulled out a wooden cart from behind the building, and filled it to the brim with her belongings.

“Alright, then?” Sam asked. “Let’s go.”

In a half-hour, they could see Ponyville again. This time, however, there were hardly anypony around. They even saw a couple tumbleweeds pass by, as if it wasn’t empty enough.

“Strange,” Zecora muttered. “Ponyville Is usually so full of life and motion. Did Sundowner already strike, or is it another notion?”

“I don’t think that’s how the word “notion” is used, but you’re right.” Sam looked around. “Did all of them evacuate already?”

“Zecora! Sam!”

The pair turned and saw Twilight and Spike running towards them.

“You two?” Sam asked. “Mind if I ask why this place is completely barren? Did the world’s weakest hurricane come through or something?”

“No, we just evacuated the town,” Twilight said. “This is the town closest to the Everfree Forest, after all. The only road that connects to the forest is through here, and with guards posted everywhere, we’ll spot him eventually.”

Sam scratched his chin. It was a solid plan. “Sounds like you got everything covered.” He turned to Zecora. “Mind if I leave now? They seem like they know what they’re doing.”

“Huh? But you can’t leave now!” Spike said. “What if this Sundowner guy shows up? We could really use your help!”

“Spike!’ Twilight was uneasy. If the two of them were to meet, how much collateral would they create? “We’ll be fine. Me, Shining Armor, even Princess Celestia will be protecting the town.”

“Aww, come on!” he whined. “Don’t you think we could use the help?”

“Kid, if you want my help, you should know I don’t work for free.”

Everypony stared at him in shock.

“How can you say that? Now, of all times?” Zecora spat. “Don’t you feel some obligation to—”

“Obligation?” Sam faced her, frowning. “Hard to say this is my obligation when I'm not part of the defense force. If I find any of the Winds, I'll deal with them, but if you think you're ready for them, good luck.”

“Wait, Sam,” Zecora said. “Are you certain? You promise you will stop him if you find him?”

Sam shrugged. “I told you before, didn't I?" He looked around. "It was smart to evacuate. Minimize casualties. Put civilians into a sheltered space. But Sundowner’s not going to show with no spectators.”

“So what? Evacuating was pointless?” Twilight asked, appalled.

“No. Now if Sundowner shows, he’ll have a hard time getting them with so many guards.” He walked away. “But fighting him when he shows up? That’s another problem entirely. Hell, we don't even know why he's gonna bother showing around town.”

Nopony knew what to say. He was right in every part of his argument. It would be best to let him do his own work. He seemed to know what he was doing, and Sam could clearly handle him.

“How do we know we can trust you?” Shining asked suddenly. He still had a sharp eye fixed on him.

“I didn’t touch the corpses, I didn’t hurt anypony today. What else do you want me to point out?” With that, he sped up and didn’t look back. “I’m going back to the forest. If any of you ponies get in my way, I can’t guarantee their safety.”

Everypony remained quiet until he left their sight. Eventually, Twilight broke the silence with a sigh.

“So… looks like we’re working without him?”

“Doesn’t matter,” Shining said. “We got guards posted everywhere. They’ll keep an eye on him. And if a cyborg shows, we’ll know. We got every guard we could over here.”

Where the heck’s all the guards?

She sprinted through the halls, her hooves clopping loudly, but there was no sign of anypony.

Shaking her head, she looked back at her bag. She had all the tools, but it tore her heart when her hunger forced her to steal meat. Meat that was meant for the princesses to coerce Sam with.

It’s not as if Sam would come back here anytime, right? Besides, if they really wanted his help, they would have gone out to find him themselves, right?

She hated it. Her habits, her lifestyle, and that annoying voice in her head. Ever since she had talked with that statue, it had been haunting her every time she could afford to relax.

She could not complain, though. Time for whining was over, and there was no turning back. If there was anything to break this repressive cycle that was her life, this was it.

She stopped and leaned onto the wall. A sharp pain rang in her stomach, and it was not due to hunger.

“No. I’m close. You promised you would help me?”

Of course. I cannot afford to lie in my current position.

She took several more breaths before running back. Soon the wolf statue was in sight.

“Here they are.” She spilled the contents of the bag in front of it. Not much. Hammer, chisel, and a vial of her blood.

I cannot see in this form, but I trust you procured the tools needed.

She nodded, unsure of what to do.

No response? Are you weakened?

“No,” she panted. “I’m just not used to walking in direct sunlight. I ate before I came.”

All the same. A piece of advice: think of what enrages you more than anything. It has given me strength every time. You are so close, yet you falter now?

“No!” She slapped her cheeks and snarled. That sun beaming down? Celestia. The reason she lived in such a state? Celestia. The cause of the death of her clan?

“What do I have to do now?”

Poor the blood onto the base. Its innate magic should disrupt the seal, even if little.

“And then?”

Hit away at the stained area. I will try to escape as you chip away at it.

“Doesn’t sound like you know what you’re doing.” Regardless, she already tossed away the empty vial and picked up the hammer and chisel.

This will work. You are not the only one suffering and trying.

“Shut up.”

Every strike shook her body, but she kept at it. The sun, even with her hood, felt like it would boil her in her skin.

There is nopony within several yards from us. Hurry!

“I know!”

But after a minute of hammering, she fell to the grass, retching. She needed to rest. She needed a drink.

“Damn!” She looked at her hooves. No matter how much she tried to calm down, they kept shaking. “Give me a minute! I just… need…”

We have no time for this!

“Shut it.” She did not even have the strength to yell anymore. “I don’t have to do this, you know. I could just wipe away the blood with a little bleach, put the tools back, and nopony would be the wiser.”

You would give up so easily?

“Yeah? And what if I am?”

And let that that sow go unpunished?

She could not restrain herself. “Ha! A sow? That’s new. Don’t kid yourself. Bet you’re just another guy who wants Celestia for some revenge scheme.”

Who are you to judge? You want the same thing.

“Yeah, except I’m not crazy like you. I know when my time’s up. I can’t do anything now.”

That’s loser’s talk. Words only a failure would utter.

“Quiet.”

Then again, you are a poor excuse for your species. It is to be expected.

“Shut up.”

Such a shame. You were so motivated a few hours ago, and now you give up. I thought dhampyrs were tougher than this.

“Shut up!” She threw the hammer at the wolf, barely making a scratch. “What would you know about us?”

I am one. Or at least, I was.

That caught her attention. “What? You’re dhampyr?”

Yes. From centuries ago. Until Celestia sealed me into this ridiculous form.

“You’re just a wolf. You’re no dhampyr.”

You really are narrow-minded. Dhampyrs are half-breeds. We possess a part of the Progenitor. Ponies are just one of the many compatible species in the world. Besides, a wolf was never my true form.

“Progenitor?” she repeated.

Yes. You could call her the first dhampyr. The purest of all of us.

She did not know what to think. There was another dhampyr right in the castle backyard this whole time?

I can sense your curiosity. But I have too much tell, with too little time.

She was filled with energy she never knew she had. “Wait-wait!” She picked herself up, but a sudden glare from the sun kept her from fully rising. She looked around, but the hammer was nowhere in sight.

Grunting, she grabbed the chisel and resorted to stabbing at the stained stone.

That is it. That fervor. Let it fill you.

Somehow, the pain in her hooves dulled. A smile started forming on her face.

You cannot stop. What of your family? Your clan? You think they would want you to live and die like this?

“No.”

Then hurry up and— Stop!

“What?” she snarled. “I was about to crack—”

Hide behind me! Sompony’s running, fast!

She did as she was told, and indeed, she saw a unicorn sprinting past the hall.

Bright Shield? Isn’t he supposed to be suspended? Why’s he here?

He is distressed about something. A danger nearby? It is irrelevant to us.

“Yeah.” With the coast clear, she continued chipping away. Every crack she made sped her up, a combination of pride and anger keeping her focused.

Almost, almost!

She was nearly there – just one more strike!

As soon as she made contact, the statue exploded into dozens of fragments. She was lucky that neither the pressure nor fragments harmed her too badly. She was, however, blown back and saw stars for a moment.

Finally, I am free. Hm, rather anticlimactic than I expected.

“Anticlimactic?!” she sputtered, spitting out granite. “You blew up! Tartarus, I need a shower after this.” She rubbed her face like a cat, trying to get the dust out her eyes.

No time. We both wish for vengeance. Now is the time.

After cleaning her eyes, she gaped at the speaker. It was not a wolf like she expected, but more of a spectral… thing. It was as if black mist was clumping itself into a vaguely pony-like shape.

“What in Tartarus are you supposed to be?”

A mere shade. A ghost if you will.

“What?” She managed to look through him and saw something sticking out “What’s that, in the statue?”

My physical form.

The spirit moved aside. It looked like a pommel of sorts.

I have been sealed in this sword, and that sow trapped me in that statue for good measure. But enough of me. Now it is my turn to repay the favour. Take me.

Like a vacuum, the sword soaked in the mist, letting the sun reflect off its crystal handle.

It is now or never. You made it this far. Show me that you are capable.

A wave of inexplicable fear filled her. Every cell in her body was telling her to get out of there and report to the princesses. She took a hesitant step back.

You falter? You will retreat as you have all your life? Let me convince you otherwise.

The mist returned, this time forming as tendrils that wrapped around Nightingale’s limbs.

“Wha— Hey! Let go!” She struggled, but having exhausted herself to break him out, she could not even move her tail.

You merely need motivation.

The mist sank into her skin, and she stopped moving. Black filled the red of her eyes as she stared blankly at the spirit.

Have you forgotten? She killed your clan, had them resort to kill each other due to her ponies. She forsook your species, this being that claims to support peace. You would let her off so easily?

“No, never!” she yelled. “She needs to pay!”

Yes, she does! Your kind, OUR kind, depends on us to avenge them! Will you let them pass on unrequited?

“No!”

The time is now. Come.

She walked up to the base of the statue. Her tail wrapped around the hilt. She could feel its magic flow through her tail and fill her up.

“I have to do this. For my clan. For myself!”

She pulled out the sword, grinning at its full length. Its black mist encompassed her whole body now.

“Excellent. Now to— graaak!”

She dropped to her knees. The mother of all stomach aches erupted.

“What-you bastaahhh!”

I am doing this for your own good! You have neither knowledge nor experience to succeed.

“That’s not for you— grrk!”

What you say does not matter. Your rage for the sow is genuine, but fear not. Your revenge will be carried out.

After another moment, her convulsions stopped and she got back on her hooves. An even wider smile formed as she looked from her tail to the sword.

“But first, a hearty meal to keep this pathetic body before it falls apart.”

Author's Note

(fixed/rewritten 10/20/2014)