Equestria's Greatest... NIGHTMARE!!!

I lost track of time. Dogs kept pouring into the room, and I kept swinging my sword. Backhanded slashes that left stalagmites in dust. Great slicing swings that gouged long and deep scars into the ground. Stabs that could embed me in rock for a moment, forcing me to use my claw arm. Oh, and what a lovely arm that was. I quickly learned that the claw alone was more than enough of a weapon against enemies with naught but flesh between me and their demise. That arm had the strength to throw even the biggest dog I had seen all the way over the dragon and into the opposite cave wall. The claw itself, which composed of three digits, was more than strong enough to crush skulls, snap limbs, collapse windpipes, or otherwise break whatever part of the enemy was too close to me.

Now, you might be wondering how I, personally, was coping with this bloodshed. Sure, I was a normal guy on Earth, never killed anyone, hell, I never broke any laws. And yet here I was, killing all who stood in my way, and you know what? I was glad to do it. And not for reasons you might expect. Sure, in the back of my mind I realized this was a slaving operation, and that getting rid of these captors would free the poor ponies forced to work here. But the main force driving me? That cursed sword.

Soul Edge had awoken. The eye in the center of the blade had come alive after killing the first dog, and had been whispering to me ever since. It instructed me on how to swing, when to dodge, when to counterattack, everything I needed right now to survive. But the sword was not concerned with my well-being, oh no. The sword THIRSTED. Thirsted for souls, which flashed through my mind each time I felled an enemy. Most of the dogs were green, which barely slaked the thirst of the blade, but an occasional teal soul put a noticeable joy into the blade. But the blue souls that sometimes showed up when a dog proved capable of holding me back for more than two strikes, those were souls the sword really craved. And I could see why. When I killed an enemy with my claw, the sword held in my other hand would suck the soul out, using me as a conduit. And for a brief moment, I could feel and taste that soul.

They were delicious.

After awhile, I noticed the numbers surrounding me were finally dwindling. And I started seeing the fear in the dogs' eyes as I cut them down. Some even threw their weapons down and tried to flee, only for the dragon to torch them like matchsticks. Oh yeah, did I mention the dragon didn't even flinch or try to attack me. It seemed almost amused that the dogs were falling so easily before me. And after all the dogs were dead or dying, it was only me and the dragon left, with cowering and terrified ponies all around us, watching in a stunned horror as we began to clash.

The dragon made the first advance, snaking its head in as I finished the last dog, trying to catch me off guard. But the eye of Soul Edge sees all, and I thrust my claw out and into the dragon's snout. With a bit more pressure than normal, I felt the razor claws of the digits pierce the dragon's hide, causing it to whip its head back and roar in pain and fury. The dragon's eyes blazed in rage, and it opened its mouth. Oh joy, fire breathing. Not wishing to become a black and armored crispy creme doughnut, I quickly rolled to the side as the fire bathed the area where I had just been standing.

Circling the dragon warily, I heard the voice of Soul Edge speaking to me.

"It seems this over-sized scaly flame cannon might stick to artillery now. But if you listen to me, and concentrate, we can turn that against it. It must have a most delectable soul within its body. And I want it."

Cocking my head and looking at the sword, whose eye was focused on me, I whispered quietly to it.

"What must I do?"

"Concentrate on the souls swirling within me. They fuel my power, and slake my thirst. But you can use them, as well. Gather them around you, and build them into a vortex. Then, right when the fire connects with them, let them loose! Show this pitiful creature the power of Soul Edge!"

I did as the sword commanded, and focused on the souls of the slain dogs. I watched as they were drawn from the sword, and began to concentrate on spinning them around me, faster and faster, until a greenish blue tornado swirled around me. I chanced a look at the dragon and noticed it was readying another fire attack. This had to be precisely done. Just like Just Impacting an opponent on Soul Calibur, I would have to expand this force exactly when the fire hits my soul field.

The dragon opened its mouth, and I could see as the fire burst from its maw. Time seemed to slow as the fire neared me. I took a calming breath, watching as the fire crept closer and closer, until right when it hit my shield. I felt myself grin wickedly with all three of my mouths, and I unleashed the vortex. The fire spun into the souls as they expanded, and a large bubble of fire expanded quickly from me. Right before connecting with the dragon, I saw its eyes widen in shock.

In the next moment, the force of my counter rushed into the dragon, and the large creature was sent flying backwards into the wall. Ponies near the landing point quickly scrambled out of the way, some barely making it in time before the creature came to a thudding halt against the wall. The explosion also caused a disturbance in the hoard of gems and coins, and a shower of gold and jewels came raining down around me as I walked towards the heavily bleeding and stunned dragon.

"Now... Give me... give me its soul!!!"

With a nod at the swirling and frantic eye of Soul Edge, I plunged the sword through the chest scales of the beast, and thrust until the entire sword, hilt and all, was embedded within its chest. The dragon's eyes snapped open, and an insanely loud wailing screech issued from its mouth. All the ponies within earshot covered their ears and closed their eyes against the noise, which rang like a sweet music within my ears.

The sword finished its drinking, and I could feel its joy at finding such a worthy and tasty soul that was capable of slaking its thirst for the moment. The only thing left now was for me to recollect the souls expended in my attack, along with the souls that were escaping the dying dogs. I walked to the center of the cavern, and lifted the sword straight into the air. With a single, loud command, the sword's eye blazed open once more.

"Blood... darkness... Come unto me!!!"

I thrust the sword into the ground and backed away from it, watching as the souls in the room began to be drawn into it. The eerie blue and green tornado that formed was beautiful and terrible to behold.

I looked behind me, and found that all of the ponies in the cave were huddled into a single group. I began to walk over to them, only for them to shrink back in fear.

"Look, little ponies, I'm not going to hurt you."

"Yeah, sure," a large dark grey stallion said, his horn pointed at me. "We all have souls, too, so you're going to kill us too!"

Sighing, I looked back at the sword behind me before speaking.

"Look, I know I probably scared you, but I swear I'm not going to harm any of you. I just want to leave this place."

"You aren't taking my baby's soul!!!" a dark purple mare with a grey mane shrieked at me, standing defiantly in front of a foal that still had a mining pick held in its mouth. Jesus, these mutts forced children to work. Now I was really glad to kill them.

I sighed in exasperation at the mother, but before I could speak, another voice spoke up. The same voice I remembered talking to the dragon about me earlier, to be precise.

"I trust him," the mare said, coming into the open. She was a light blue pony with a long white mane and tail, that was reminiscent of Fluttershy from the show. Earth pony, judging from the lack of wings and horn. "He woke up and saved us all. He could easily have killed us if he wanted, instead of simply walking over and talking to us like he's doing."

"Are you mad, Seafoam? He just slaughtered them so he could have us for himself! If he isn't going to kill us, he's going to make us mine for him instead."

The dark red pegasus who had just spoken up was irritating me already. Blowing a wisp of his orange mane out of his eye, he regarded me coldly.

With a sigh, I stood and began to turn before Seafoam spoke to me.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm finding a way out. You ponies can sit here and bicker all you want, but I am sick of this place already. I'm going to find a way out, find the nearest transportation I can, take as much of this dragon's treasure as I can carry, and I'm getting the hell away from here."

"I'm coming with you, then."

Turning around in shock, I noticed that she was standing right behind me, with the rest of the ponies regarding her with amazement as well. Chuckling softly, which was a terrifying noise that caused some of them to shuffle uncomfortably, I reached towards her with my claw. To her credit, she didn't run away, even as her eyes betrayed her fear, and the other ponies gasped and readied to run or attack me. But I simply picked her up gently, cradling her against my chest like a kitten.

"You're a cute pony. I wouldn't mind having some company. After all, I'm in quite a strange land."

Turning around, I walked to my sword, which had finished it's business, and picked it up. Without looking at the gaggle of ponies standing behind me, I began to walk towards the only hole that left this cavern.