Animation Corps: Entropy

Chapters

Welcome To Paradise
The Jester and the Dragon
Heretics And Protestant Scum

Welcome To Paradise

Equestria had a problem on its hands. A Princess needed a kingdom to rule at all times. One problem was that there were no new kingdoms to be found. Explorers had scoured the globe for months on end to find the newly crowned Princess a place for her to rule.

Everywhere they looked, they ran into dead ends. The Changelings were entrenched in the South. The Gryphons were on the defense after the last trade agreement that caused them to cede part of their lands to the Minotaurs. And the problem extended all around the world. There was just no room for a new Alicorn overlord.

So what did our plucky heroine do?

She moped like there was no tomorrow.

***

Spike gently knocked on the door to Twilight’s room. After he heard no reply, he entered the darkened room. The blinds were drawn, so as to not let the rays of the sun come in and stop Twilight’s moping. The mare in question sat on what used to be her bed. Now it would be termed “a blanket fort” and she sat in it like a queen, Her mane was disheveled and her eye spasmed continuously, but she didn’t care anymore.

“Uh, Twilight. Princess Celestia’s worried about you...especially ever since you’ve started not coming to your monthly brunches. She says that she wants to see your face soon...or she’ll come in here and make you see the sun.” Spike nervously sweated and wanted for the reaction to his news.

“Oh, and what does she want with the Princess of Books? Does she want another enemy of the state banished to the moon or turned to stone. Or does she need my expertise on how the Dewhoof Decimal system works? I could always become the Head Librarian of the Canterlot Archives or something...”

Spike knew he had to pull out the true reason why Princess Celestia wanted Twilight and the other Element Bearers as well. “Twilight, actually Celestia wrote this scroll,” Spike tossed the scroll which had just recently come by dragon mail to Twilight. “and she says it’s pretty important. She didn’t say why though...she just said that it is a matter of national importance.”

Twilight’s ears perked up at that last bit and she nearly leapt out of her blanket fort and picked up the scroll to read.

“Twilight-

My sister and I have uncovered an ancient artifact that that has been buried in the Crystal Empire. Come quickly and bring your friends.

-Celestia”

Twilight began to pace nervously around her bedroom. Her wings fluttered gently at her sides and her horn began to light up with a basic levitation spell in order for her to grab her things scattered around the room.

“Spike. Take a letter and send out copies to the others. Tell them that we have a mission on our hands. Oh, and Spike, before I forget- you can also come to the Crystal Empire.”

Spike quietly celebrated his good fortune and sent out the message to the others. Ever since Twilight had ascended, she had used her Princess funds for a lifetime supply of dragon candles for each of her friends. Since dragon candles lasted until well after a pony’s lifetime, one for each was sufficient.

***

“Now Twilight what did ya need us here for again?”

Applejack stood though yet another incomprehensible terrified rant by the newest Princess of Equestria. Twilight had been calm until Rainbow started talking about all the strange things that Celestia could do to them.

***

“Twilight, what if Celestia locks us up in the dungeon and sends you to the absolutely worst place ever- the farthest, darkest, and coldest place in all of Equestria. That lake in Tartarus that Daring Do went to in that one story...Tartarus Found. Or something like that. I think it was Cocytus or something.”

“Dash, that lake is just an old mare’s tale.”

“Oh really? What if Celestia is possessed by the stuff that Luna was possessed by and then she makes Discord create it as a joke?”

“I don’t want to be sent to the coldest place ever!” Twilight screamed while clutching onto Smarty Pants. Somehow Twilight had made the stuffed toy come back to her again and she was rocking back and forth in blind terror.

Applejack just groaned and walked off grumbling. The train that they were on continued rolling on towards the Crystal Empire.

***

Celestia stared off into space. The letter she sent to her former student weighed heavily on her mind. The lies that she had surrounded herself with caused her facade of absolute calm to slip off from her face for one of the few times in her lifetime.

Luna trotted up to her sister and draped a wing over her sister’s body. She grabbed both of their royal garb in her magic and slid them off gently. Celestia relaxed a bit and glanced over to her sister. Their mental connection gave them the privacy that they needed.

“Sister, we do understand why you now chose this time to tell the Element Bearers.”

“Lulu, you know the prophecy that was given to us before the Schism happened...”

“Yes we do. But that doesn’t mean that we need to show them now. Our subjects are happy, our economical guilds are thriving, the cloaking magic is perfect, and the ponies do not know want.”

“Yes that is all true, but they have no free will. The spells that created this dimension are absolute and you know that not even you could escape their influence.”

Luna’s eye twitched because of her memory of the day that she turned into the Nightmare.

“Celly, I knew that that was going to happen. It was prophesied by our previous masters when we were tasked to send the souls into a realm of joy. I held that duty over my head for millennia and I was the one that relinquished my control over the Elements.”

“But Luna...I had to be strong for a thousand years while you were sealed. For nothing. I lied to my student and you acted evil for nothing. It was all a charade created by the Paradiso spells surrounding us.”

“Yes and I gladly accepted my fate as the most loathed pony in all of Equestria.”

“Don’t you remember the days before... the days when even our most hated enemies were our friends?”

Both of the Princesses smiled at the memories of planets that they hadn’t seen in thousands of years and that were separated from them by the last vestige of the sealing magic that had locked them in here until the last prophecy would be fulfilled.

Celestia began. “For when there is four of the same ruler in your land, the runes on the mirror will unlock and entry shall be possible.”

The sisters began trading off the vocal duties until they finished the prophecy.

“And when that happens...the illusion that has been set around you all will fade.”

“The mirror will create a portal that returns the forms that you lost”

“Returning to the star system with five stones.”

“Uniting against a common enemy...”

“And with that comes the final battle...Ragnarok!”

Both mares chuckled at the prophecy because it made them feel like fillies again. Their friendship had continued through the years and they both realized they burden that each other held inside their heart. The burden of being the ponies that kept the day and night running perfectly, and that the barrier kept the ponies safe until they were ready.

The sun set as the two alicorns smiled at the crystalline landscape that shone with the radiance of their dreams.

***

As the six mares lay dreaming in the train car that they had comfortably laid down in for a good night’s sleep, a shade strolled in unnoticed. It wrapped itself around the mares and began to whisper ominously in their ears.

“Magistrum, Noctus, Yggdrasil, Halcyon, Angelus. You’ll find out what they mean to you. But I have a message from my master and he wants you to know that he is ready for you six, and that...” He bent down and whispered into the ears or the six mares. “and that is going to be my last warning for you. Until we meet again Element Bearers. It will be a joy to watch your worlds burn when we win.”

The shade snapped his fingers and laughed evilly as he faded out of view. “Oh and have fun seeing this illusion. Skinfaxi and Hrimfaxi sure have kept this place so cheerful. Too bad that I serve a darker master, or else I would like this place.”

The six mares shivered as the dark and otherworldly messenger of darkness left the train car. The hidden message was primed for activation.

***

Twilight and the others cantered joyfully through the doors that separated the Crystal throne room from the rest of the palace. A sound of trumpets rang out when Twilight entered the room. She still felt awkward when her presence was announced because she was naturally humble. Both Celestia and Luna stood on either end of the throne. In the room’s midst was the artifact.

“We have so much to discuss.” Celestia warmly greeted Twilight with a smile that lit up the entire room. “But first, I urge you all to enter the mirror.”

Applejack spoke up. “Uh, mighty sorry Princess, but most of us can’t just go gallivanting inside a mirror.”

Celestia chuckled. “Of course, Applejack, but this mirror is special and it needs a little nudge from all of you to work.”

The six friends tried to act as nonchalantly as possible and huddled in a pile so as to decide on what to do.

“Twi, I really think that this is weird and all.”

“Silly, what’s so strange about traveling in mirrors.”

“Ugh, forgetting what Pinkie just said- Twilight, do you think this is okay?”

“Dash, its fine. I trust in what Princess Celestia says.”

“Well, I am okay with whatever Twilight decides. And I hope that our mission involves crystals like these here. I might need gems from later use.”

“A-and I am f-fine with walking in a mirror since you girls are going to do it too.”

“I guess we are ready then.”

Celestia smiled on the outside, but was terrified on the inside. “All right then. If you just stand in a line and walk one by one in the mirror, then I can tell you about your purpose of being here.”

***

The six mares nervously awaited their turn and hoped that everything would be okay. Twilight was first and she stepped forward into the mirror. The mirror gave way to her hoof and it sank further into the watery substance. Twilight thought that entering the mirror felt like little pin-pricks that annoyed her, but didn't hurt.

She began to felt weird and sick after the feeling was over. She thought she had forgot something and suddenly the mental command came back unhindered. It was one part of a six word phrase that she knew she heard somewhere, but she couldn't place it. It was like no other language she had ever heard and it felt evil and alien.

“Ph’nglui”

Pinkie Pie entered next and she appeared right beside Twilight. She was bored already because she had become used to entering mirrors every once in awhile to make sure Pinkie Pie Promises were being kept. Right when she was going to complain to Twilight for her boredom, she felt a weird word enter her conscious mind.

“Mglw’nath”

The same thing happened to Rarity.

“Cthulhu”

And Applejack.

“R’lyeh”

Fluttershy.

“Wgah’nagl”

And, last but not least, Rainbow Dash.

“Fhtagn”

A swirl of blackness began to appear. From the blackness walked out a being that the ponies had never seen before, but was only hinted at by the oldest of legends. A tall and slim man that acted as if he had all the time in the world to play with the ponies. He grinned and walked towards the mares. His clothes reminded them of the Princesses. His arms were covered in tattoos that hinted at his journey from the ages where there was no civilization, to the ages of Reason, and all the way to today, for his body was just a representation of his control of sentient races and that he was just a Messenger.

“Ah, so you did pay attention to me when I hovered over you six in the train. Congratulations are in order to you resourceful mares.” He began to clap slowly and confetti exploded out of his clothes. The ponies stood there unimpressed.

Suddenly Celestia and Luna appeared between him and the Element Bearers. Celestia’s mane burned with the wrath of the sun and Luna’s mane was radiating off the coldest air that anypony had ever felt before. “What are you doing here?”

“Oh, Skinfaxi, how I missed your fiery mane.”

Luna shot a bolt of magic that aimed directly at the man’s heart. To everypony but Celestia and Luna’s shock and awe, he deflected the powerful blast with just a wave of his hand. “Hrimfaxi, you definitely need to start seeing an anger management counselor about your rage...you are just so wound up. It’s like you have snakes in your skin or something!”

And he snapped his fingers. Luna began to cry out in pain as she slumped to the ground. Twilight began to rush to her, but saw, to her horror, that something living was literally crawling underneath Luna’s skin. She felt around gently with her magic to see what it was. She began to squirm when she realized that the man was correct. Luna somehow had a snake under her skin.

Neither side dared to move. The man calmly waited for the time to pass and began to grin as if he was getting good news. Luna still was slumpd on the ground writhing in pain. Everypony was surprised a t tension breaking as suddenly as it had appeared.

The man yawned and snapped his fingers once again. Luna weakly stood up. Her legs shakily held her weight and she glared at the man. “Oh my, I guess I have to go now. I’ve been called back to my work. It’s been fun, but I know I’m holding up a very important event that your rulers have not told you about.” The man walked off into the blackness; his laughter continued to echo through the mirror-space until the silence was broken by Twilight.

“Tell us everything now.”

Celestia and Luna exchanged glances and finally began their story with the biggest bombshell of all.

“None of you are ponies.”

***

The words began to sink into the six ponies sitting around the Princesses. And then the yelling began. “We are ponies! Look at us! We have hooves! Ya can’t Be saying that we’re aliens or something? What are we? Who was that and why did he attack us?”

***

In Equestria, the crystal mirror began to break and shoot out waves of powerful magic towards the ends of Equestria and beyond. Each pulse began to pull the world closer and closer towards the tear in the magics that created the peaceful land.

All across the world, the illusions began to break apart. The seas began to be drained and were sucked into the void. The trees began to brown and die and the sun and moon disappeared. The world was still warm because the true sun and moon were keeping the cold away while their bodies were sitting in the interdimensional void that was surrounding them.

The final protocols of the Paradiso system took hold. The sounds of terrified ponies began to die down as the air began to magically soothe them with every breath they took.The creatures in this illusionary world began to fall asleep for the most painful part of the changes. As time went on, the equine forms of the ponies began to change towards a human shape. Their manes became hair and their hooves became hands.

The changes between the pony species were more distinct. The pegasi retained their wings, the unicorns lost their horns and tattoos wrapped around their bodies, and the earth ponies kept their natural athleticism and strength.

The changes spread like a wildfire throughout the rest of the world.

***

“On the matter of that man...” Luna wearily sighed. “he is just one of many things that we have hid from you.”

Luna and Celestia’ horns flared up with magic and the floor began to shift into a map that nopony had ever seen before. A map with five planets surrounded by darkness. Twilight and the others gasped when they realized that there was no Equestria on the map.

“Princess where’ s Equestria?”

“Equestria is now gone. The creatures in Equestria have been sent to these five planets in their original forms so they fit in better with the normal populace.”

“Yeah, yeah...get on with it. I want to know who curb stomped Luna.” Rainbow Dash flapped her wings impatiently and waited for an answer.

“That being is something that is too alien for you to understand and my sister and I have been fighting him for as long as we can remember. He has so many forms that it is difficult to describe, but he is called Nyarlathotep.”

The sense of dread that accompanied the name’s first utterance caused the six mares in attendance to question what they were going to have to do against this menacing thing that caused pain to the Princesses so easily and without a second thought.

“He destroyed much of the Purgatorio star system that we are returning to the last time we fought.”

The mirror world began to break apart and cracks began to form around the walls and floor. They crept closer towards the ponies gathered in a circle. Luna and Celestia noticed it before it was too late and threw a barrier around the group.

“Dear sister, I believe we have no time. Is there another way to speed up the talk?” Luna panted as the magical strain began to affect her.

Celestia quickly thought of ways to get her message across. Finally her eyes shone with an answer. She rested a hoof on her forehead and guided magic to her thoughts. With some effort, a book began to appear outside of her memories of the worlds. She neatly ended the spell with a spell matrix that copied the book into five more. The six copies floated towards each pony.

“These contain the information that you’ll need. I’m sorry that we’re forced to send you out like this...but I think that...you’ll be okay and...you six are...”

***

The void shattered into a thousand pieces and the Element Bearers were too late in their attempt to grab on to each other. They just saw each other get sucked into the blackness of existence. Twilight finally was sucked into it and was hit by the most colorful images she ever saw. Her mind began to shut down as it accommodated the new form that she was transforming into. Her horn disappeared and transformed into a tattoo that covered her arms in a repeating pattern of six pointed stars. Her wings stayed and became six feet long and they tied directly into her magical reserves. She unconsciously flapped her wings and had liftoff.

She felt a wind brush against her face and sounds came back into her mind. Birds chirped, twigs broke, and water slashed as she landed hard on her side. Pain shot through her and she cringed. The sensation was a new one and she couldn’t take it. Before she blacked out she heard a voice that was unfamiliar.

“What do we have here?” a boyish voice chuckled as he grabbed Twilight under her arms and brought her to her feet. With a push, he made her begin to walk towards an unknown location. Twilight heard a feminine voice joke with her savior.

“Dagr, you know what it is. She must be an Aetherian, but with the wings it could be a toss up in regards to her usefulness. Its the Starfall. Now if we knew where Skinfaxi and Hrimfaxi are it would make me hopeful.”

“We work with what we have, Nótt.” Twilight felt her weight shift and a heat began to emanate from the colt. “I’ve alerted the Valkyries that we’ve found something. Let’s make ourselves comfortable until they arrive.”

Twilight felt a nudge on her arm. “Hey, Aetherian say hello to the planet of Yggdrasil.”

***

Angelus

Fluttershy had no idea where she was. The flora and the fauna were too strange to classify. She knew she wasn’t dreaming because when she landed on her new legs she cut one of them badly on some sharp rocks. Now she was limping through a town that had no people in it. The water seemed to be blood-red and lifeless. The only sound that she heard was a warning about something that made no sense.

“This is the Britannian Military saying that any Britannian citizens should take cover. We have seen a large Angel. Our Eva units will take care of this menace. Any and all people that hear this are tasked to go to the closest shelter and wait for further instructions.”

Fluttershy limped on towards the center of town to find some bandages. Her wings flapped carefully as her hands tried to staunch the flow of blood.

***

Noctus

Rainbow Dash fell into chaos. The last thing she completely remembered was being trapped by a mob of zombies. She had felt fear again as she began to see her life flash before her eyes. Her mind was blank on her family which unnerved Rainbow, her friends who she trusted completely, and her dreams that might never come true. She ran towards an empty shack and was ready to barricade herself in the house, but she couldn’t find any furniture. She cursed her luck as the door was smashed to pieces and the undead grabbed her. She waited for her death to come.

It didn’t. She glanced around and saw a man staring at her. “Why hello there. I am sorry for my minions. They just seem to scare my prey away whenever they appear.” He grinned and two large fangs appeared. He slowly walked towards Dash. “They were attracted to your...purity...”

Dash whitened when she heard that. “You got the wrong pon-person, yeah I am totally not pure. I mean it’s not like I’m saving myself for anybody.” Dash glanced around to find a weapon but the man leapt towards her and, before she could react, grabbed her. He angled her so her carotid artery would be easy to bite into and was ready to suck out all of her blood. The vampire stopped when a man in a red trench coat waltzed in.

“My my, this was a definite pain to get here. You better let that pretty girl out.” The cocky attitude of the man surprised Dash and she squirmed to see if the vampire loosened its grip on her.

“Oh yeah? You and what army? I control this little town and you are just one man.”

The man laughed at this. “I’m Alucard. A true vampire. Not your imitation of one.” With that, he pulled a gun that surprised Dash by how huge it was. “Hey priest, I dealt with one of you before. I’m not worried about what your God does.”

The priest vampire pointed at Alucard. “Ghouls, kill him!”

The ghouls pulled their weapons out and began to shoot bullets at the vampire. All the bullets hit their marks and Alucard fell over dead. Or that’s what it appeared like to Dash.

“Hahaha.” Dash noticed smoke coming off of Alucard as he rose to his feet. She saw his skin knit together as he walked towards his prey. He inclined his head towards the rainbow-haired human. “Hey, Acid Trip, do you want to live?”

“What did you just call me?”

“Answer the question: Do you or do you not want to live. Because if you say no...let’s just say that he won’t be as nice as I can be in fair treatment. You can ask my police girl if you survive.”

She mulled the question over. If I do say yes, I don’t know what’ll happen. But if I don’t I have to deal with this creepy priest. “Okay.”

“This might hurt a little. I need to aim somewhere that might kill you.”

Before Dash could react, Alucard pulled out his gun and shot a bullet straight through Rainbow Dash’s chest. It exited her body and hit the vampire directly in the heart. The ghouls stopped moving and all exploded into piles of dust. What the buck was that?

Dash stared up at the vampire standing over her and weakly attempted to say something. Alucard looked over the damage his gun caused the girl and coolly explained her predicament. “I know that you are probably asking what I’m going to do now. I will complete my side of the bargain...”

Dash’s eyes widened when she saw his teeth aim themselves towards her neck and everything began to feel okay once he punctured her skin. "Flutter...shy."

***

Noctus- Miskatonic University

Rarity woke up outside. After picking herself up and spending the required time grooming herself into a presentable state, she looked around. She had no idea where she was and from the local attire she was in a old time fashion show. The close to knee length skirts on the women, the men dressed in suits, and the children actually wearing clothes were breaths of fresh air, even if they were horribly out of date.

She noticed a sign right next to her. It gave her an idea of where she was in this place. A certain Miskatonic University. It was no Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns, but it looked respectable. She felt like the doors drew her towards answers and she shouldered her bag containing the book that Celestia gave her and walked into the school.

I guess I could bluff my way into this establishment.

***

Halcyon

Applejack woke up when she felt the prodding of some strange contraption on her stomach. She lazily opened an eye and was shocked awake when she saw what woke her up. A machine-like thing that looked like those legends of humans that Granny Smith liked to talk about was staring directly into her face. When it began to speak, she noticed that it wasn’t talking directly to her but to some unknown thing that wanted her medical info.

“Medical Log: Stardate 2346.19. The discovery of a creature that has characteristics that baffle the scientists of Halcyon has come to Starfleet Medical to assess the candidate for acquisition by Starfleet Command to be sent into the cadet program. Beginning physical.”

The robot began scanning her vital signs as Applejack continued to squirm. It’s probing continued to creep her out and its soulless eyes kept her on edge. Applejack finally noticed that she wasn’t her pony self any longer. She flexed her new-found hands and ran her fingers through her hair.

Well this is new.

“Subject is close to peak physical strength for a humanoid female. Still unknown on why she possesses a brain function for the fantastical and strange phenomenon known as magic. She might be a subtype of the sentient life on Yggdrasil. Unknown which type she could be since the tests that were created to separate the races on that planet is outside my programming...”

Applejack groaned as the robot continued to spout mumbo jumbo that just confuzzled the farmer. She just began to think of less boring things, such as farming.

***

Magistrum

Pinkie knew she had a problem. Using her Pinkie Sense, she felt that she was nowhere near her friends and she had her greatest challenge yet. School. Pinkie looked around at the wonder of the world. All the high spires of the buildings, the huge buildings, the fun outside spaces, the list went on and on. Finally after a test drive of her new body, she skipped into school. Her school uniform that she had woke up wearing gave her a free pass into the building.

This is gonna be so fun!

***

The Outer Realms

“Our enemies have broken the constraints on their containment field and, with some of my urging, some kinks in their plans will start emerging...Dread Father.”

Nyarlathotep stood in inky blackness. His human form was waiting for further instruction from his father. He was ready to spread the word of original chaos; the chaos that had begun a spark that had created these worlds of light by a complete and utter accident. After that debacle, the new mission of the Elder Gods was created. Trick the humans into causing their own mass extinction.

An unearthly wail broke the blackness. The Messenger of the Elder Gods smirked.

“Yes father, those new entrants into our little feud with the Aesir will be dealt with through the cults that you, in your infinite wisdom, created to influence those weak-willed puppets.”

The creature that ruled the eldritch beings felt this was sufficient and retreated back to his demonic chambers. His servants followed him in a grotesque display of slavish devotion. Nyarlathotep felt a tinge of shame. His demonic father had weakened in his eyes after the last war. He felt cheated, his own father had decided in his feeble state to keep ruling over his holdings and keep his chaos contained in this dimension of formlessness. Even though his father was the primordial chaos. Nyarlathotep felt like he could do it better.

“My dearest father, you shouldn't have given me the Messenger position. You are trapped outside the human realm while I spread my influence and power across all the worlds. I hope you like the last few years of your reign, father...”

***

The clock of fate began its steady ticking towards the date of Ragnarok. The beginning was unknowable and could just be gleaned by the portents. The others had already passed: the creation of the worlds, the seeding of life by an Elder Race predating the others by hundreds of millions of years, the Schism and the sealing of Equestria and the subsequent Starfall when the inhabitants reappear.

Now the future was a blank slate that the Element Bearers could began to change because- for once- there was free will.

The Jester and the Dragon

Before The Schism

The world tree burned. Odin stared at his armies plight in the fight against his greatest foe. He saw the plains of his kingdom of Asgard burn. The fires licked at the branches of the holy tree of Yggdrasil that gave its name to the planet. He had been warned of the complete rout by the three women sitting comfortably in his hall currently dining on the best Valhalla had to offer. He turned off the magical link to the battle and turned to the three women. The three norns of prophecy stared back at him.

“What do you suppose we do? You three norns are the last things I would ever turn to but since our land burns...I am at a loss for words.”

The three women were one of the few beings that were given the foresight of time in the entire planet and they were sought out for their expertise in such matters as births, deaths, and battles. Their nonchalant demeanor spoke of days long past and days that would come. Their golden locks swayed in a nonexistent breeze and their clothes were made of the finest threads of fate.

“It must have been a dire situation to drag us out of our little well. Isn’t that right my sisters?” Urd, the eldest, smirked as she passed her hand through the table in boredom. Her body was a representation of the past- of all the multiple possibilities that a second had held..

“Yeah. Why else would our greatest customer ask for our advice?” Verdandi, the middle one, watched as she absentmindedly saw the fates of millions enter her consciousness and leave to enter Urd’s domain of the past. She was the calmest one unless the time stream was in danger. Then and only then did she react and she held the sway of trillions of souls that passed through her airy domain.

“I believe the All-Father needs our help. I can’t wait to hear your proposal. It is making me just melt in anticipation.” Skald, the youngest, began to shift into her water form, representing the ebb and flow of the future..

“How do you three wise women suggest that we have a fighting chance?”

The three norns glanced at each other and grasped hands. Odin waited for their performance to start. As he watched, their temporal powers began to affect each other and the room began to shift. He felt a sense of awe as the ancient magics ripped open a rift in space-time. Flashes of pictures danced upon the walls and the norns began speaking together as one. He saw a glimpse into the multiverse of worlds where the impossible was possible, where humans never existed, and a world where everyone he knew had switched genders. Finally he realized why he had to sacrifice an eye to have even a small portion of these powers.

“The horses of the Aesir and Vanir are the key. Their survival is of utmost importance in the coming of the end and of the delaying of the imminent. Skinfaxi, Hrimfaxi, Sleipnir, Blodughofi, Gullfaxi, and the rest and bring to us. We shall do the rest. Just remember this: When the Golems of the trees, the Aetherians, and the Seraphs come back into the worlds...Ragnarok shall be upon us.”

The portal closed and the three sisters gently floated back towards the earth.

“I hope you have found what you wanted, All-Father. You may ask us to do a reading again some other time, but for now we shall leave these chambers and go back unharmed for even Azathoth fears our sway.” Urd, followed by her sisters, waltzed out of Valhalla and back into the war zone.

***

Twilight slowly opened her eyes and took in her surroundings. She remembered back on the talk that the Princesses had spoke of. The implications of her whole life being a lie was devastating, yet she did remember that this whole thing began with a letter of Celestia’s. Maybe if she could just find the Princesses then they could bring the ponies back into a world of peace and joy. She could even live with being a Princess that didn’t rule anything.

Then she realized her folly. There were so many unknown factors. First of all: she didn't know where she was or who had saved her. Second: she didn’t know the order of rulership in this place. It could almost be anything from a dictatorship to a monarchy. Or anything all all even a world that made Discord’s rule look like a walk in a park. She shivered at the thought.

She glanced around the room. This place rivaled Celestia’s personal chambers in the sheer amount of gold filigree that wrapped around the room. Everything was covered in the stuff from a dresser that reminded her of her little dresser at home to a mirror that contained an image that surprised her. She knew from a jaunt in the deepest darkest recesses of the Canterlot Archives (for there had been some privileges given to her after becoming a Princess that she had used to full advantage) that there had been mentions of humans in the earliest books of the First Era written by the six founders of early modern Equestria.

The human. Sure with a few additions that the texts hadn’t mentioned but a humanoid stared back at her. She ran through a few quick tests. She flapped her wings. The reflection flapped back. She stared at her arms that held a latticework of her cutie mark up and down her shoulders. She blinked and yawned. Everything she did; the mirror played back like a recorded message. She moved her pony ears and the mirror reflected it.

She didn’t want to try the more personal aspects of the test so she ended it and thought that her quick experiment that she had devised a long time ago after Lyra had told her about the humans was complete.

Finally she stepped out of bed and the girl began to take some baby steps. Bipedal walking was different than being a horse. She felt awkward but it would pass. It already began to feel natural as if this was supposed to be her true form. Twilight began to dance to a beat in her head and she didn't notice the door to her suite open.

“Oh Twilight, you still amuse me, Even in that form.”

Twilight quickly turned and blushed.. Leaning in the door frame was a man that was very familiar. His beard and hair was streaked with white but his main hair color was black. His eyes actually glowed yellow and he had red pupils. Twilight was most taken aback at his suit that looked as if he was a clown or a jester. The sleeves were different sizes to compensate for his different arms. His pants were as chaotic with polka dots everywhere. He moved an arm and his whole outfit jingled with the bells sewn into the getup.

“Yggdrasil to Twilight. Hello, ground control to major bookworm. You do know who I am right?”

Twilight just stared back at the man. He facepalmed and snapped. Suddenly, Twilight’s flew off her back and began to fly around the room. Twilight began to try the breathing exercises that Cadance had taught her during the Equestrian Games. Finally she noticed the man’s most notable features: Two tiny horns of different animals and a forked tail. And it clicked.

“Discord! Give me my wings back- now!”

Discord breathed a sigh of relief and snapped his fingers again and everything returned to their proper place. “Oh, but Twilight that has just been one of my forms. Being an immortal waiting for the call could just get boring. And I became like this. But, oh no, it wasn’t my fault. It was those accursed Paradiso protocols that were set in place. Because what brings people- or in this case ponies- together? A common enemy.”

Discord began to shift his form into his other disguises that served him through the years. The first was a huge grey horse the size of Celestia. He had eight legs and he cantered around the room as he spoke of his history.

“This was and is my original form. You wouldn’t know of it because I never used it in Equestria. Well, I did but I was known as King Sleipnir and my rule was the first after the Paradiso protocols were set up. Its all ancient history but seeing the six founders of Equestria act like buffoons in a new land was funny. Then I began to be clouded by chaos and disharmony.”

He shifted again into a form that Twilight knew well. She had dressed up as him for Nightmare Night. His long white beard and outfit that was covered in bells. Standing before her was Starswirl the Bearded.

“But, you must be asking how I was both Sleipnir and Starswirl at the same time. Your Hearth's Warming story was changed just a little bit. I drove the six out for I noticed that Blodughofi- Sombra- had released the Windigos and as I fought the corruption we had to bring in Celestia and Luna and we both were lost. Sombra was jailed for his crimes but I was actually cleansed. For a time at least.”

He quickly shifted back into his form she knew the best and began to flit around the room. She tried to get his attention but she was no Fluttershy and he didn’t pay attention to her at all.

Twilight had so many questions that she wanted to ask but Discord floated back down to the ground and began to walk out of the door. He glanced back and beckoned Twilight with a finger. She grudgingly followed the Spirit of Chaos and Disharmony.

“Welcome to the capital of the Aesir. Valhalla. I have so many memories built into the walls. He chuckled at a personal joke of his. “Oh sorry. My birth isn’t important. But it always gives me a little chuckle. Just ask my mother. He would definitely blush at his little gamble. I popped out as the fastest horse of the entire Eternal Herd of the Gods.”

Twilight just blocked out the mental image that Discord had just gave her. She shook her head and tried to hide her wingboner that had sprung upon her. Discord probably was grinning like a timberwolf but she knew that she would get him back.

It would just take time.

In her occupied mental state she didn’t notice Discord push two large wooden doors open. The newest princess stared at the people clad in terrifying armor. ‘The boorish mob of warriors were supping upon a feast that Twilight actually salivated over. Her mind fought itself because of the taboo that was created in early Equestrian law. It said that, besides pegasi, that nopony should ever eat meat. And even the pegasi were just stuck to aquatic meats. Now the idea of eating meat was crushing her resistance. Discord led her to her seat and she was surprised to see two faces that she knew.

The two Princesses were sitting towards the middle of the table, Their table manners surprised Twilight. She knew of the Princesses’ eating habits and it surprised her to see them act like mirror opposites. Celestia slowly ate her meal with dignity and grace while Luna was digging into the meal as if she hadn't eaten in ages. Maybe Celestia had enough restraint- except for the times when desserts were involved. Celestia beamed at Twilight while secretly pointing at her sister with a finger. In that moment, a whole conversation without words was had between the regal monarch and Twilight. Twilight wondered where Cadance was but she might have been sitting at the table for it was a massive table made from a single tree.

Suddenly, the room fell silent as a weary looking man at the head of the table stood up. He wore an eyepatch and his armor was of the most precious metals. Yet in all that finery he still seemed to be humble. Twilight wondered how old he must be because if Discord looked middle aged in this place, this man was even older and had wisdom gained from years of rule.

Twilight learned that all from a glance. (For even though she was new at her powers and responsibility she had always had a mind for detail.)

“My Einherjar, you warriors, have been waiting for this day. A day that was prophesied many aeons ago by the Norns. We have lost much from the last major battle of this Vahalla but we survived- just barely. Now I feel that we have an advantage. Our horses have returned with new additions. Thanks to the Paradiso protocols that those Norns infused inside that bubble they stayed as far away from Azathoth and his horrors. Now Ragnarok is upon us. Yet we are not alone- for we have allies through the other planets. But we have to realize that this is just a beginning for we shall win. Now if Skinfaxi and Hrimfaxi could deliver a speech to reacquaint us.”

Every eye fell upon Celestia and Luna and actual fear crossed both of their faces for a few moments Their dresses flickered with color for a moment- Celestia’s with the colors of a sunset and Luna’s with the stars- and their hair swayed in a non existent breeze as normal. But they seemed smaller to the purple haired girl. As if they had lost all their majesty and they stood not in a room of equals, but if they stood in the presence of gods. Twilight doubted these men and women to be gods for even the Princesses never tried to say they were goddesses. Maybe this was the reason why,

Celestia’s and Luna’s arms lit up and they floated gracefully to the podium. Luna deferred to her sister for the right to speak and she stepped aside. Celestia used all her skills learned through the years of ruling Equestria.

“Thank you. And my sister and I are happy to see that the Aesir and Vanir have finally been integrated into a force to be reckoned with. Our own subjects in Equestria have now been spread around the worlds and I hope we get the Golems, the Seraphs, and the Aetherians into the fighting force that we have been planning for ages. As you can see we are joined by two other Princesses-” Celestia nodded towards Twilight and Cadance, who Twilight now saw was further down the table, and everybody glanced back at Celestia. “-and these new additions were added through our machinations and our search for potential candidates for being part of the Eternal Herd.”

Twilight did a spit-take when that was announced.

Luna began to speak up as well. “It was mostly my sister’s idea for I had been banished to the moon for a thousand years...I had to deal with a corruption that twisted me into a form that I hated and I looked down upon my nights as I cried and wished that I could be with my subjects. And I saw them grow and change when the nights became a winking mass of lights that calmed the real me. My name and purpose was lost until the Elements of Harmony cleansed me of the corruption.I, Luna Nocturnus Solaris, and my sister, Celestia Invictus Solaris, thank you for this reception.”

A thin man with a garish golden helmet and gold armor interrupted the festivities by hitting the table. These guys must love gold or something maybe it is a common metal here. “Elements of Harmony sounds like a joke to me. You didn’t use lethal force? No tricks? Next you’ll tell me that it shoots rainbows and joy.”

Odin’s mood darkened and he slammed a nearby mug into the table. “Loki, this is a day of joy. Do not question what sealed off this bubble and what it created for safety measures.”

“Sorry father but ‘I have to make sure that what they say is true. They appear out of nowhere and one of my kin appears again you told me to give him to you. And you think that I might be happy on what he has become. My Sleipnir has become a clown. I may be the Trickster but even I see that as an affront to me.” Loki pushed away his chair and stormed out.

The joyous mood that had permeated the hall disappeared. Twilight had no idea what happened but she felt that the pomp and ceremony that she had walked into hid a much more violent and varied past history that she had no knowledge of. Lost in thought, Twilight jumped when she felt two different hands on her shoulders. She quickly turned and looked and her new friends.

A boy that shone with the radiance of the sun and a older girl that held all the colors of the night. Twilight was suddenly struck by the feeling that they seemed very familiar.

“Twilight, I am overjoyed to see that you have come inside our hall. My sister and I wished it was just a bit happier but I’m the optimist.” The boy then grinned an innocent smile.

The girl extended her hand and pulled Twilight to her feet with little effort. “We never were properly introduced. I’m Nótt and this buffoon is my brother Dagr. We were the ones that found you after you hit the ground.”

Twilight thought their voices sounded familiar. “Thank you, but you two couldn't have been the ones that dragged me here.”

Dagr blushed as he dragged his hand through his hair. “Yeah, about that, when you appeared...you weren't wearing any clothes. So-”

Twilight was confused. “I don’t understand. Where I came from we never wore clothes.”

Nótt and Dagr shared a look. “Okay, so on our little tour we might need to tell you how everything works in this world as well...”

***

“And that is why being naked is a social taboo.” Twilight’s mind reeled with all the new information about clothes and what being naked entailed. Twilight cursed herself for not listening to Rarity more as the tour continued.

“And here’s our little laboratory. Celestia said you might like this part.” Dagr pulled a golden key out of one of his pockets and placed it in a matching lock. He turned it and the door unlocked with a whooshing sound. Twilight squeed in happiness as she stared around the room. She raced around the room to see the sights. Robots lined the walls clad in armor that she had never seen before. When she approached, they stared up at her. Their eyes glowed the colors of the rainbow as she passed each one- for each had a different pair of crystalline eyes.

“Ah, yes. While stories of the good old days had us fighting with just spears and magic we learned after the World Tree was burned to near ash to branch out into new technology. The dwarves had the foresight to start learning how to combat the Elder Gods. They came up with these automata. Don’t tell the other planets but we also might have reverse engineered the robotics in Starfleet.”

Twilight turned at this. “Starfleet?” She hadn’t heard of the names of the other planets and she thought that she might need to learn about them at some point.

“What my brother is saying is that we traveled to Halcyon and stole a few robots. Not without some losses of course. Those people of Midgard aren’t as hardy as us.”

“Wait. What are you?”

“We are the sun and moon. Well actually day and night but that doesn’t sound as nice. How did you think Celestia and Luna get their powers? They were our mounts. You know like we rode them.” Dagr clarified the whole confusion on the whole connection with the Princesses.

Twilight thought back on her early days of being Celestia’s student. ‘Hey, Twilight, do you have any plans for tonight? No? Have you ever tried wearing a saddle? Okay then if you don’t want to I’ll just talk one of my new Royal Guards into trying it.’

And with that short conversation, Shining Armor had been put on the fast track for promotion. In a few years he went from a lowly recruit to Captain of the Guard and a Prince. Twilight shivered as the implications finally sank in. During that conversation, she had been reading and she could have been tricked into agreeing to anything.

“Celestia might have hinted at something.” Twilight blushed as she realized why Shining Armor always smiled when Twilight mentioned Celestia.

“We believe in the Elements of Harmony stuff too.” Nótt spoke up. She had been quiet for most of the walk to the lab. Twilight couldn’t get a good idea of how she reacted to things since she had been quiet for most of the time she had known her. “We had a mental connection with our horses for the duration of their rule. So we personally know how much pain Luna and Celestia have had in their lives. We couldn’t do anything...”

Dagr and Nótt hugged as the personification of night felt all the emotions that she had been keeping inside for thousands of years. Twilight finally learned of the burden of immortality. Seeing events pass you by while all your friends die or be corrupted takes a toll on your emotional state. The two gods took out these feelings of helplessness with their bravado and uncaring attitude towards death. Twilight had to look forward to something like this for the rest of her life.

“This is a chance for you two to reconnect with Celestia and Luna. Go to them. They probably want to see you as much as you want to see them. I’ll be fine. Just one question have you found a dragon here. He might be one of my friends.”

Dagr wiped tears from his eyes. “Yeah that was going to be our next destination. A dragon was one of the Starfallen. He’s in the basement. It might be a little hot. Just ask Discord where Muspellheim is. He’ll show you where your friend is.”

***

A While Later

“Why does everyone here that I know talk in riddles? Yeah, the hottest place is Muspellheim.” Twilight’s eye twitched as she remembered the temperature difference that she had walked into once the teleportation wore off. She was currently sweating up a storm as she climbed a mountain. Her wings were too warm to achieve flight and she wasn't a natural flier like Rainbow Dash or Fluttershy. So she was stuck watching Discord lazily float through the realm of fire and she was on the rocky ground.

Finally, they reached the final crest and she stared down at what caused the heat. Fire was coming out from the cracks in the ground. She saw people walking around a wheel that raised and lowered bellows that stoked the flames.

“This is new. I don’t remember a prison being here the last time I was here. At least it isn't as terrible as Tartarus. That place is cold. Especially that frozen lake that Luna created...”

Twilight had tuned out Discord and she saw the one dragon in the place. She hoped it was Spike because the dragon in the distance was huge. His colors at least reminded her of the time that Spike terrorized Ponyville. Purple and green. Twilight’s cutie mark lattice on her arms lit up and . she teleported down to the dragon. Taking a deep breath, her pony ears twitched and she tried to get the attention of the dragon.

“Hello. My name is Twilight Sparkle and-” Twilight couldn’t finish her sentence as she was swept up in the claws of the dragon in a hug, A very strong and almost back breaking hug. Twilight tried to breathe as the dragon hugged her to death.

“Twilight! I’m so happy to see you! I mean I have no idea where I am and its kinda hot and now I have weird cravings for meat...and I just missed you.” Hearing Spike for the first time in that form surprised her. His voice was much lower and it rumbled and echoed through the canyon that they were in. Twilight cleared her throat and Spike knew from experience that that meant that Twilight probably wanted him to do something. He guessed that she wanted to be put back on the ground so he gently placed her back down and he waited for her to talk.

“So Spike...how’s it here?”

“Fine. It took awhile to get used to this body though. I mean I like being big and all but its easier being small. At least I got wings.” A blast of wind hit Twilight as Spike lifted off into the air. He fist-pumped as a dream of his became reality. He would have continued celebrating if not for the gout of flame shot of his mouth. It was a magnificent sight except that he outright set on fire most of the flora that survived the heat of the place. Discord just smiled and sat in the inferno that Spike had caused. Discord was relaxing in a lawn chair inspecting the rampant beginnings of Chaos that he soaked up like a sponge for he was in his element.

“Discord! Do something!” Twilight hated feeling helpless but the raging inferno had spread too quickly for her to stop. Blame it on the fact that it never rained in Muspelheim, or just that being near Discord invited chaos,, but Twilight was almost ready to pick up some of the burning trees and toss it at the Spirit.

“Fine-” Discord snapped his fingers. “-but Twilight, you know how much I hate to create Order. And this is the second time that you've made me do such a thing. Bad purple princess.” Discord smacked Twilight over the head with a newspaper.”Well with that display of fun and uncontrollable power I think I might have a solution.”

“And what is that?” Twilight felt dubious about any solution from Discord but she was worried about the health and well being of Spike since he couldn't control his fire breath.

Discord rubbed his hands together and grinned. “I think I know a perfect teacher for Spike. He doesn’t know any sense of control. Especially since you fed the poor lad a diet that stunted his growth . Dragons are not vegetarians and you should know that. Back off that little diatribe I had...I’ll see that Spike learns from Nidhogg.”

Twilight groaned. Again with the strange names and the whole mysterious past that Discord knew. “And who in Celestia’s name is that?”

“A master of the draconic tongue. A dragon that is older than most things on this planet. Holder of ancient wisdom and the devourer of the dead. Altogether decent fellow and not in any way a large violent dragon that is in a feud with me.”

“Discord. What. Did. You. Do?”

“Really I made a bet that I could beat him in a race. Too bad he forgot he was stuck under the World Tree. So I won and last I heard was that he’s eating the roots of said tree to topple it and get to me.”

“Twilight? Is Discord joking?” Spike tried to laugh off the ridiculous story that the man explained.

“Spike, I have been here for a single day and from my single day here I know that this place is messed up. Believe him.” Twilight looked at the Spirit of Chaos and Disharmony and waited for something to happen.

“Ugh, grab on to an arm everybody. But don’t say I didn't warn you. My popping in and out of reality can be painful for most people. Spike wrapped a talon around Discord’s hand while the pony girl placed her hand in the jester’s. “Disapparate!”

***

Twilight’s eyes burned as they felt like they were on fire. She tried to scream but no sound came out. She felt like she was flipped inside out and as she looked at Spike he was foaming at the mouth. Discord was standing as still as possible. His breathing was shallow and she saw that his legs were crossed and he was meditating. The strain on his face was surprising since she never had asked where his powers had come from. Finally after a long time he opened his eyes and reality shaped itself around them.

***

Helheim

“You two surprise me. Usually travellers get ill after a disapparation.” Discord was stretching his arms and getting a crick out of his neck as the two other travellers stared at the jester.

“I wonder why-” Spike replied dryly.

Discord brushed off the comment and the trio reached the roots of the World Tree. Spike and Twilight stared at the tree with dwarfed anything they had ever seen by a factor of ten. The tree shone with a golden light as it went higher and higher.

“Ah, we’re here. Careful of the bones.” Twilight was getting tired of Discord’s floating. She couldn’t float. The crunching sound of brittle bones reached her ears. Her footfalls became much lighter as she realized what she was stepping on.

Discord’s body tensed. “Nidhogg knows I’m here and he’s moving.” The whole ground shook and a mountain came rushing towards them. Pillars of smoke rushed out of the boneyard and Nidhogg opened his eyes. A deep rumble echoed throughout the entire realm as the walking mountain spoke. When the dragon opened his mouth Twilight looked into a black void lined with razor sharp teeth.

“I have not seen a dragon like me in a very long while. Son of the Trickster, is this an offering to me?”

Discord smirked as he figured out how to twist this into his favor. “Oh Nidhogg- you are the most powerful dragon and this whelp of a dragon is in need of your infinite dragon knowledge.” Twilight could just feel the sarcasm dripping off of Discord’s tongue.

“I know you are a liar and I don’t trust you. Therefore I shall ask the wyrm. What is your greatest desire? The thing that will give you reason to survive in this wasteland. My reason is...unimportant but in time I will tell you all.”

Spike thought for a long while. His face became a stony mask as he thought. Reasons flashed by quickly. “What would I want most of all. Rarity is a good pony but that just wouldn't work. Twilight is a good friend. I...want...” Then it hit the young dragon.

“Friendship. I want to protect my friends the most.” Spike stood resolute in this and he was worried that he said the wrong answer when the ancient dragon began to laugh. His laugh shot out gouts of magical flame that caused the bones to knit back into facsimiles of humanity that danced around as the dragon enjoyed a laugh that had given life to death. After a long while, the skeletons fell back apart and the black dragon wiped a burning tear from his eye.

“Now that was not an answer that I would expect from one of our kind. Us dragons are defined by the sins of the flesh. I am a Gluttony Dragon. But there have been some dragons that escape our carnal natures and become a force of nature. You hold the smell of one who has begun the journey of carnality. Greed- yes. You have beat that but there are six more tests to weed out desire. And then I can teach you about your breath. Once you agree to my training there is a ritual of blood that ties us together in familial knowledge.”

Spike’s eyes widened. He was ready to finally learn about his heritage. “I accept.”

“Then I, Nidhogg, dragon of death and devourer of corpses, name you my student.” With a claw the black dragon slit his arm and his blood dripped onto the ground. He motioned for Spike to do the same. With some trepidation, the smaller dragon did so. His red blood mixed with the black blood of Nidhogg and the black blood slithered towards Spike and traveled into his cut. Spike waited for his body to melt but it didn't.

“The ceremony is complete. I shall respect our bargain, Alaric. I had heard of your egg being sent into the void between but I didn't think I would see you again.” To Spike’s surprise, Nidhogg did his best impression of a bow.

Discord calmly put his hands behind his back and chuckled. “Now this changes everything. I thought that the hybrid project was redacted. To think that Twilight’s tiny dragon holds a bloodline that makes mine look like a walk in the park...”

Twilight was puzzled. “What are you talking about?”

The jester turned and with a bounce he grabbed Twilight’s face in his hands. “Everything and nothing. You are looking at the surviving egg of a match made in haste. He holds so much potential. Your dragon is the son of the Destroyers. We tried once and only once to summon an Elder God for a peace agreement. We succeeded but we summoned Cthulhu and he had one demand: His morality was different and his reproduction was different as well. He saw the Midgard Serpent and touched it.”

“And?” Twilight was waiting for Discord’s punchline.

“I’m his uncle.” Twilight’s eye twitched as she let out all the rage that she had built up. She was getting tired of this convoluted family tree. Her hair began to pop up and her grin widened as her mind began to unhinge.

“Oops. Spike, I think I broke Twilight.”

Heretics And Protestant Scum

Rainbow Dash sat on a cloud. The fluffiest, most comfortable cloud ever. It hugged her body while she napped and she dreamed. She dreamed of the greatest trick she could perform: the Sonic Rainboom- but she dreamed of a better trick- the Double Rainboom. She smiled as she thought of the physically demanding trick. She could almost feel the Wonderbolt uniform that would hug her body once she completed the trick.

She smelled somepony coming towards her, and as she opened her eyes she saw who it was. ‘Is it that day already?’ she thought as she saw the yellow pegasus poke her with a hoof.

“What?” Dash rolled over to meet her attacked as she grabbed her in with her hooves. She knew that Fluttershy was ticklish and so she retaliated with her own tickle bomb. Rainbow Dash smirked as she saw her marefriend giggling. She always thought the yellow pegasus was the cutest when she was in this kind of state. 'I could just take a bite out of her. I am so hungry...'

Dash shook her head as she tried to get back into the mood. That thought was unnatural. Her fur stood on end as she smelled her meek friend. She could smell the barest hints of Want from her, a smell that she liked. She could also smell the faintest hint of frosting. This meant that she had just recently come from Sugarcube Corner.

A rhythm began to invade her mind. It was a sound that was both distant and close; a sound that beat with the rising and fall of Fluttershy’s chest.

‘Thump. Thump. Thump.’

Rainbow leaned into kiss her marefriend. She felt happy because she loved the days where she could be alone with Fluttershy. A strange itch began to spread through her mouth, but she forgot about it as the two pegasi locked lips. Her mind floated off into the stratosphere. Dash's wings flapped in time with the strange thumping that filled her mind more and more as she made out with Fluttershy.

Rainbow Dash was suddenly blinded by extreme pain. Her vision blurred as she saw blood mar the yellow coat of her friend. A metallic taste flooded her mouth as blood filled it. She liked the taste. It sated her hunger a bit and a new Want entered her mind. She looked into the eyes of her terrified friend. Fluttershy’s eyes were wet from crying. The tears left streaks of wetness on her yellow coat. The blood had dripped into her friend’s mane and Rainbow Dash bent down to lick her marefriend’s face.

Rainbow opened her mouth to speak. And her voice held power for her kind friend looked into her eyes with a blank stare. “Offer yourself.” Rainbow ordered her friend and Fluttershy was forced to comply. Dash tried to stop her friend from following the voice by trying to scream but nothing happened. The yellow pegasus pushed her pink mane out of the way and turned her head so her neck was exposed. The prize was in her grasp and the prey had given herself completely to her. Rainbow predatorily grinned. Dash's mind was fighting to stop it. She didn't want this. She just wanted to be with her friends.

She bit down on the yellow mare’s jugular and cries of ecstasy came from the quiet mare. Rainbow drained her prey of its blood and dropped its husk to the ground to wait for its rebirth. Rainbow looked down at her hooves stained a dark maroon with the lifeblood of Fluttershy. She stared down into the pool of blood and saw a grim face stare back. It was a monstrous face with blood red eyes and sharp canines that grinned back. She noticed that it

Rainbow could hear a deep chuckle escape from a nearby cloud. She looked over to see that man from her dream calmly sitting on a throne of blood. “Why, Acid Trip, if it isn’t the most idyllic place ever. U thought I had seen it all. Talking magical horses though, now that's something. Interesting. I see that you have the passion, but do you have the drive?” Alucard looked away, his glasses glinted orange in the light.

Rainbow Dash felt a tug and looked back. She held in a scream as she saw Fluttershy open her eyes and stare back at the blue pegasus. Her voice dripped with desire and Rainbow lost all restraint. “Oh Dashie, you have been such a bad mare. I think you deserve some sort of punishment. Don’t you agree?”

Rainbow felt her neck muscles involuntarily move up and down in a nod. She wondered where her special powers had gone. It was if she was helpless. Fluttershy pulled Rainbow’s head towards her to kiss it gently on the lips. The speedster couldn’t help but find this incredibly sexy and involuntarily had a wingboner.

Fluttershy pulled away from the kiss and bit hard on Dash’s neck. The pain was immediate. Burning pain shot through her and she screamed in fear as her surroundings became dark. A laugh echoed through her brain as she blacked out.

“Welcome Draculina to a new life.”

***

Rainbow’s eyes snapped wide open and she tried to breathe as slowly as possible. She blinked as she realized that her dream of being a human wasn’t such a dream. Her eyes widened as she couldn’t feel her wings. She reached back with a hand and felt bandages wrapping her wings tightly. “Great. Just great. I have no idea where I am and I have no Daring Do books to keep me entertained.”

The door creaked and Dash turned to see what had opened it. She was surprised to see that it was a young woman that stood at the door.Her most notable feature was her chest. 'She definitely isn’t an athlete not with that build.’ The visitor laughed once she saw Dash. Dash frowned until the girl stopped laughing at her. “Sorry, but when Walter told me that Alucard had found a helpless angel I thought he was kidding.”

Dash took offense at that. “Hey. Its not my fault I got thrown into this crazy world and something like this happened. Where I come from, there aren't any zombies or anything like that.”

“Oh so you’re a newcomer to our fair land. Well then I welcome you to the Hellsing Headquarters in England on the planet of Noctus.” With a flourish, the girl curtsied and looked back at Dash, “And from what I can tell Alucard must have found you while on one of his walks that he does every once in awhile.”

“Yeah, what makes you so sure of that?”

“Because I had the same thing happen to me.” Suddenly the girl’s eye color shifted from blue to red and Dash backed away. The girl appeared by Dash’s side without seemingly moving. “Oh, I never gave you my name. Seras Victoria at your service.” Dash readied herself to get attacked but Seras just poked her nose. And then Seras’s eyes changed back and she smiled at Dash. “If you could just follow me, our services are required.” With a skip, Seras bounced out the door.

Rainbow Dash lept out of bed and ran to catch up with her crazy visitor. ‘I hope Fluttershy is okay.’

***

“Sir Integra? If I may ask, what is on your mind?” A older man in a butler uniform tried to calmly ask his noble mistress a question. He waited patiently as he was wont to do since he had nothing better to do except serving the Hellsing foundation in their quest to wipe out the vampires.

“Mostly the usual, Walter. The budget is giving me a headache, the Queen wants to see me about allegations about a new vampire on our payroll, and I have to make sure those hacks in America don’t try and take our business from us.” The woman speaking was dressed in a dark suit and glasses and was the head of the Hellsing foundation.

Walter laughed. “You mean those Miskatonic professors are worrying you? You do realize that they run a school. We run a business that is backed by Her Majesty. And we have a vampire. They might have reason to believe that a cult is romping around in the hills of Devonshire but I believe we have jurisdiction in those matters. Now what is a more pressing matter is the Vatican and their lapdogs.”

Walter filled a cup on Integra’s desk with tea and waited for his next order. But before she could answer, the doors were opened by two very hot headed girls. “You know Dash that I am an athlete. I was a police officer before becoming a vampire.”

Dash scoffed. “Not with those things you weren’t.”

Seras crossed her arms in front of her chest and blushed. “Yeah well you are flat chested.” Seras called to attention the pony girl’s almost rail thin frame. “You might be just jealous...”

Dash’s eye twitched. “Okay it is on!” Dash was ready to brawl and she got into a lowered position that shifted her center of gravity towards the ground.

Walter cleared his throat and the two girls stopped their bickering. “Well if you two are done talking about your assets, Sir Integra has a mission for you two and Alucard- wherever he might be.”

“Right here, old man.” Alucard phased through the wall. His coat billowed out and Dash noticed that he was holding some very large weapons. She felt intimidated by the man as he felt older than he looked. Alucard noticed her looking and he grinned. “Hey, Acid Trip, did you have a nice nap?” Dash turned away in shame when he said that.

“Well then, I shall explain the situation. We have a problem in Ireland. The thing is that our troops dealt with the vampire but the ghouls are still moving around.”

Dash was lost. She slowly raised her hand and Walter noticed. “Yes, miss?”

“I- well- I don’t know what you are talking about.”

Walter chuckled. “Ah, yes, I had forgotten that you are a new vampire. Even Seras has a few months on you. A ghoul is created by a vampire. It is a monster that used to be human but because the vampire sucked out the blood of it- it has become a zombie.”

Dash took deep breaths as her mind tried to come to terms with vampires and zombies and other dark creatures that had only been legends.

***

The Vatican

The priest slowly walked towards his target. The Pope had told him to search for the greatest operative of the Iscariots. He just hoped the stories of the man were partial fabrications because from the stories, he could stand up to the Protestant vampires. The priest stood in front of the last known whereabouts of Alexander Anderson. An orphanage- how fitting of him to use the money the church gave the warrior to help the less fortunate.

“And what do we have here? Enrico, is that you? I believe you haven’t been here in years. I see that you wear the vestments of priesthood well, Enrico. What does His Holiness expect of me this time?”

Enrico smiled at his old friend- the man who had led him on the path of righteousness and let him into the orphanage to live while his family left him to die. His facial tic began acting up and his left eye couldn’t stop twitching as the memories flooded back. “The Hellsing organization is on the move. We know that they are hunting a vampire and you know our stance on vampires.”

Anderson began to grin. “As well as I know the Beatitudes. Kill all vampires because of what they represent. For they are part of the legions of Satan that shall never inherit the earth as long as the Catholic Church stands firm.”

“Good, good. Now go to Ireland and use your special talents on the heathens.”

***

Ireland

“So Dash why did you choose your weapons?” Seras waited for the pony girl’s answer since what she had chosen as weapons was a little odd in the times they lived in. Two swords were on Dash’s back. Her wings were extended enough so they fit neatly underneath. They were of some dark metal that the organization had found and crafted into the swords. They hadn’t been used in almost a century, yet they had stayed as sharp as the day they were first made.

Dash flapped her quickly healed wings. They had healed on the way to Ireland since vampiric healing was much quicker than normal. “They just seemed to call out to me. You mean that swords aren’t used that much?”

Seras shook her head no.

“Well ladies- we’re here.” Alucard readied his large gun and kicked open the doors of the monastery. “Police Girl, you shoot the ghouls. Acid Trip, you learn how to fight these things. I sense a different opponent for me.” Before Dash could object, Alucard disappeared.

Seras and Dash grinned. “Competition?” With a nod, both vampires began their rout of the ghouls. Dash grinned as ghouls fell by her hand and she felt more and more in control of the swords. They acted as extensions of her arms and they aided her in the dance of death that she performed with ease. She dodged Seras’s bullets with ease as her eyes shifted into red. Dash growled as a ghoul latched onto her arm and she grabbed its head with a claw and squeezed. With a snapping sound the ghoul fell dead to the ground.

Dash sliced and diced as she ran towards the stairs to the top of the monastery. Dash soon was overpowered by her want of blood and she stopped and she had begun to lean down. Suddenly, a bayonet came out of nowhere and hit Dash in the throat. Seras could only watch as Dash was impaled by bayonets. The pony girl slumped as blood gurgled from her mouth. Seras turned and tried to see where the attack had come from. Even though she had a few months of experience, she couldn’t help but shake just a bit since she hadn’t felt an intruder.

Echoing steps made her turn her head and shoot towards the sound. A body hit the ground and Seras took a breath of relief. She waited a while and she waited for Alucard to come back. Dash was trying to pull out the swords, but whenever she touched one it burned her skin. ‘So the blades are laced with holy water.’ Seras flipped as a bayonet almost stabbed her in the neck.

“Exodus 22:18. Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.” A priest slowly walked down the stairs. His hair was a spiky blonde and his face was tanned. He had a large scar on his cheek. He pulled out a few knives and he placed them in between his gloved fingers like claws. “Now girly I hope you have made your peace because you are going to die just like the vampire upstairs died.” Seras charged but the priest tossed his knives into her arm and she stopped and clutched her arm in pain.

Dash screamed as she pulled out the blades that had almost killed her. She was running on pure adrenaline as her wounds tried to heal as quickly as possible. They were smoking as her body tried to get out the holy water. “Seras! Go now. I’ll take care of this freak. Find Alucard now!” Seras looked at the new vampire but she saw that the pony girl was resolute in her ability to stop this man. Dash glanced over and Seras nodded and she picked herself up and ran off towards the upstairs.

Dash spread her wings and pulled out her black blades. “I don’t know who you are but I will stop you if i have to.” She flapped her wings and flew towards the crazy priest. He just started to laugh evilly.

“God’s in his heaven and this can not do. This pains me since our Iscariots would love to research the first angel that came to earth since the birth of Our Lord. But you are a false angel since you are poisoned with the blood of the vampire. I shall enjoy this, demon!” The man charged and crossed swords with Dash.

***

Seras looked through the halls of the monastery. She walked around the mounds of dead bodies that used to be ghouls and looked for a sign of Alucard. Usually she just had to follow the trail of dead bodies and search for the most destroyed room. Finally she found what she was looking for. What she walked into surprised her as Alucard’s body was limp and his head was staring at her from across the room. She had to chuckle a bit as she realized what the priest thought he did. Usually decapitation was enough to kill a vampire, but Alucard was no ordinary vampire for she had seen him seemingly die more times than she could count. She grabbed his head and ran back down towards the battle.

***

Dash and the priest stood even. Or as even as thy could be. Whenever she cut off his arms, they just grew back. This man strange. She couldn't feel a magical aura coming from him yet he was performing spells that only Twilight could do. She wiped blood away from her face and spit out a few teeth that she automatically grew back. (Not without a great deal of pain.) “Girly, I have to ask your name. I haven’t had this much fun in a while.”

Dash took a breath as the priest stopped attacking to wait for her answer. “Rainbow Dash at your service. Who are you?”

The priest chuckled as he sheathed his bayonets. “Alexander Anderson.” Dash charged for a surprise attack, but was stopped bare handed by the priest. “Now Miss Dash, that wasn’t fair. Let me show you what a fair fight might be.” He then proceeded to punch Dash in the stomach and toss her against the wall.

Dash couldn’t breathe. Lances of pain shot through her chest as she heard a few of her ribs snap in protest. She wanted to scream in pain but nothing could come. ‘This hurts. . .’

Anderson pulled a vial of holy water. “You know what this is? Its what gave you so much pain. Now what do you think will happen when I splash it in your face?” With a toss, the vial broke and hit Dash in the face. She couldn’t see out of one eye and the other was blurred. It was torture as she never knew that water could burn her skin. She blacked out once the pain became unbearable. Anderson readied a blade so he could kill the Draculina . The blood of the alpha vampire shouldn’t spread. The church wanted to find wherever he was hiding because with his death, a demon of unimaginable power would be purified. He plunged the knife towards Dash but it was shot out of his hand. He turned and looked up at the Protestants.

“Mr. Anderson, your presence violates the treaty that the Hellsing Organization set up with the Vatican. I hope that you stop killing my men.” Integra cocked her pistol and pointed it at the priest.

“Oh if it isn’t the Hellsing matriarch. I wish I could stop but I am on a mission to kill all vampires for what they do goes against all the teachings of the true Church. Your little Anglican sect does not scare a paladin of the Iscariot order.” Integra waved a hand and ordered her troops to shoot the priest. They fired their weapons and Anderson ran through the bullets and cut down the small army that Integra had brought. Integra crossed swords with him.

“I wish you had remembered the problems of fighting me. Your vampire, Alucard, forgot and I killed him.” The blonde priest laughed as he remembered how easy the fight had been.

“Oh so you decapitated our weapon. Did you then destroy every bit of his body?”

“What are you talking about?” Anderson was confused. He had killed the vampire. Decapitation usually was the way to kill a vampire. But if that didn't work that meant. . .

Seras appeared and threw Alucard’s head down at the floor. The light that had streamed in from the moon was darkened by a mass of bats that flew into the room and began to form around Alucard’s head. His head twitched and jumped as his body reformed. Alucard opened his mouth to let his teeth spring out of his mouth as blood ran down in rivulets. He flexed his arms as his trenchcoat formed around him and he laughed darkly as he looked at Anderson. “A Regenerator. I heard that the Vatican tried making holy warriors but you made my day.”

“I thought I killed you!”

“Yes, you incapacitated me. I wanted see how you fared when I wasn’t trying. You passed. Now it’s my turn!” Alucard pulled out his gun and pulled the trigger. With an explosion the gun shot its bullets into the body of the paladin. The vampire didn’t stop shooting until he ran out of bullets.The spent cartridge clattered onto the ground as Alucard turned away. Anderson’s body reformed as his healing powers ejected the bullets from his body and his limbs were regrown.

“You know what Alucard? When we see each other again it will be the last time. I think I’ve had enough fun for today.” The priest pulled out a bible and sheets of the Book flew around the room. Before anybody could react the priest disappeared in a flash.

Integra rubbed her temple. “And now we have a Church on our hands.”

***

Hellsing Headquarters

Dash could only hear she couldn’t see anything. The machines beeped as her vital signs were tracked and the nurses tried to stop the pain. It was the reaction of her vampiric blood to the holy water and it caused her face to break out it scars that marred her natural beauty. She heard the whispers of nurses that passed: ‘The patient has no ability to see...’ and it crushed the mare. Her dreams of flight, of being an athlete, of being anything was tied directly to two things; her wings and her eyes.

And now she wasn’t able to see. Her sense of time broke down. Seconds felt like hours and hours felt like a lifetime. She heard the door open and close repeatedly but if there were people entering her room...she couldn’t tell. Finally she just lay her head upon the pillow and dreamed.

***

Dash woke up in the dream and she saw that she was in a chamber. It was an ancient chamber that reeked of incense and mildew. Sconces that burned bluish light adorned the walls. Her eyes could see for it wa a dream and she saw a pool filled with black water. It was as close to a void that she knew. Swirling ripples broke the stillness of the water as a being rose out from the water. Its size was massive- a good twenty feet tall- and its features were aquatic, as if it was the connecting link between the fishes of the sea and humanity. It saw her and it grinned, its mouth full of shark teeth that could devour her in an instant. Before she could object, it spoke. Its voice sounded as if it was under the water and it echoed to her ears.

“You hold the blood of vampires and yet you are much more than that. You hold a skill that will help you later. I give you a gift that you will like just because you are the first to see my inner chambers...though I am confused how you did it.”

The fish-creature waved his hand in front of Dash’s eyes and smiled. “A blind one. I see...you stumbled upon my lair. Well, I still enjoy company so I will allow you a gift. You won’t be able to see as you once did but it will be a good substitute.”

Dash was going to ask what the creature meant when her head snapped back to let a previously hidden skill to surface. Her head felt dizzy and as she breathed, she felt ever-closer to the surface of the dream as if she was a diver and she was coming up for air.

“DAGON” the creature boomed. “my name is DAGON!”

Dash zoomed away from the large being and saw pinpricks of light enter her vision...

***

“No!” Dash screamed. As she heard the echo around the room, she realized that she could see. Not in the sense that she knew before, but an echoing that gave her world color. She stopped her deep breaths and the world went dark again.

“So Acid Trip, what did you see?” Dash knew Alucard when she heard the nickname. She turned and flinched as his shadow was larger than him as if he held a secret greater than being a vampire. “I felt an Elder Being’s presence. And I found you sitting here having a seizure-”

Dash held up a finger to stop the vampire and breathed deeply. Colors out of space and time entered her sight and she smiled as the feelings entered her conscious mind. “I can see...”

Alucard chuckled. “Well? And how should I care? We are vampires, so what if you can- wait Walter told me that your healing couldn’t heal your eyes!” Alucard had another laughing fit. “Bats! You have a sight that rivals even mine. So you saw him?”

“Him who?”

“Dagon- the fish god of many cultures and one of the Elder Gods. So you saw him.”

“Yes.”

“This changes everything. That means that the Elder Gods are on the move.” Alucard calmly walked out and Dash was confused. The name felt familiar and she tried to think back to where in Equestria she heard that name before. She felt like it had to do with the seaponies.

Shoo Bee Doo.

Sleep was hard to come by as she replayed the day. Her natural dislike of losing made her resolute. She needed to train more. A lot more. She finally fell asleep after she dreamed about her friends. And a little outside help didn’t hurt either. Alucard waited outside and heard the visitor enter.

He knew it was time to talk to the Elder God. Alucard quietly opened the door and cleared his throat. “Why hello there, Dagon lets have a talk about Acid Trip. Nice clothes. What? Thought the world couldn’t take your true form?”

Dagon smiled and turned. His bearing was of a king and his mantle of power was dressed around his body. His hair was flecked with barnacles and Alucard could see fish swimming through his blood. He was made out of water. Alucard still found the Elder God strange. What do you expect when you’re talking to the Man of the Sea. “I wanted to see how the girl slept. Do you want information?”

“No, let’s just go for a walk and talk about the good old days. . .”

***

Nyarlathotep walked down the lair of one of his acquaintances. He knew that his father would hate involving the demon because of what he stood for. His father was in it for the evil plot to kill all mortals. The feminine man that Nyarlathotep was trying to contact wanted to crush a few little girls. Those three had bested Him in all his plans. Except for a few times where he did win and Nyarlathotep had to hear about it in his weekly sessions with evil entities in the Inferno Bar on Angelus.

And that cross dressing demon was his closest friend. . .even though the two beings did try to kill each other on a yearly basis for the hell of it. Him’s voice echoed through the silent halls.

“Oh, Mr.Quackers, isn’t it fantastic that those Powerpuffs are somewhere far away from my plans?” A squeak. “Now that is unfair. You are saying that something else had to cause this?”

Squeak.”I have an idea what to do.”

Yes that infernal squeaky toy. The Messenger had almost forgot about that crazy character. Him had this idea that it talked to him. then to test out the stupid idea the Elder God had squeaked that little squeaky toy. Nyarlathotep though it was almost musical in hearing the screams of the damned; their choir sung the best songs on any of the planets. And that demon carried it with him everywhere. Its form had changed through the eons but its purpose stayed the same. That little yellow toy was his confidant. Nyarlathotep missed the original form of the duck. Now that struck fear into the fleshbags. He was surprised when the doors opened and Him waived him in.

“So nice to see you again. It feels as if its been years.since we last met. How’s your father?”

The Messenger grunted.

“I see that’s still a sore subject. Now what brought you into my territory in your human form?”

The man just sighed and began to speak. “You know of my father’s war with the gods. He wants the universe to be reborn in his own image.”

“Well, we can’t have that. I wouldn’t be able to get back at the Powerpuff Girls.”

The Powerpuff Girls. They were one of the magical girl teams spread across the star system. Him still was furious about his last defeat at the hands of the Utonium children. Maybe this was his chance to finally get back at the girls for beating his schemes.

“Is that a yes?” Him nodded. “Well then, I guess we are off. Ready to get the old team back together?” Him didn’t answer and Nyarlathotep snapped his fingers and the duo disappeared on their planetary journey.

***

Magistrum

“Girls? Did you just feel something?” Blossom asked her sisters. The redhead was wearing her red bow and a red dress.Her ponytail was hastily done up and was a little messy. She had just woken up and was quickly getting ready for her first day. It had been a few years since they had been created by Professor Utonium. As such they were no longer kindergarten students but they were old enough to enter the Academy where all sorts of children mingled. And Blossom was excited to enter the halls of learning.

Her sisters were not.

“Blossom, what are you talking about?” Buttercup was angrily rubbing her eyes as she trudged into the room. Her pajamas were the same color as her typical uniform. Green, green, and more green. Buttercup had got into a phase where she liked her hair being spiky and it had caused some debates in the Utonium household. “I don’t hear a thing.”

“Silly.” Bubbles bounced into the room wearing bunny pajamas. Her blonde hair was done up in buns after some movie character that Bubbles liked. “Blossom, you’re just nervous about school. Be like me.” Blossom remembered her sister’s plan about being calm. It had to do with something like a few hundred flowers, a petting zoo, and talking to animals. Oh and a couple gallons of ice cream as the blonde cried about the end of summer vacation.

“Nah, I’m fine. Must have just been something I forgot.” Blossom’s sisters found that to be totally acceptable and they quickly finished their morning routine in silence.