Daneroka tik no Merunam: The Godkiller's Lament

Chapters

Prologue: Dispatch
A Jar-ring Outburst and Eerily Easy Politics'
Collars and Troopers'
A Note, and an Apology.

Prologue: Dispatch

At a round table, in the center of a large, golden domed room, the supporting pillars' giving a clear view of the void, spheres of light held by massive, glowing chains creating the illusion of stars' on all sides, sat a bipedal creature, fuzzy, undefined shapes making up its body.

It was looking at a chess set, the pieces modeled like strange, alien life forms, ranging from a large, lobster-like entity as the rooks to a small rodent wielding a sword and shield as pawns. It was grumbling to itself, looking over the board to find a way out, but seeing no solution.

After a few minutes it sighed, stood up, and flipped the board with an exclamation of 'Bull Shit!' and walked away.

"We agreed, “It said, it's voice almost mechanical, "on no official strategies’."

Another voice spoke, accompanied by a change in the beings form, becoming more uniform and natural.

"No, we agreed that anything goes," This voice was more organic and definitely male, with a slight click at the end of the sentence, "now give back dominance, someone’s' calling us on the intercom."

With that, the room shifted, the table disappearing as two orbs formed from the metal floor. Turning to face the control pillars, the entity changed completely, shrinking, and shifting until an average height, human male with semitransparent skin, faded black hair, and eyes of red, wearing a black suit with a small, cage like lantern at his hip stood were the tall, formless being had been.

"Thank you Five Forty-six," He walked over to the small towers and placed a hand on each, "now then, who wants’ to talk to the monster, eh?"

With a sharp crack, a hologram formed in front of him, depicting a crouched, long armed reptile, its head almost completely incased in bone, save its teeth and its piecing yellow eyes. In all respect to its frail appearance, the human shaped being should have been scared. Instead, he simply noted the bite marks on the creature’s hands and started laughing.

"Stop that," The hologram said, in a high pitched whistle underlying a monotone voice, a byproduct of translating a language that used nothing but music as a way to communicate, "And listen, Commander."

"S-Sorry, but, I," The human put a hand over his mouth, and pointed at the hologram, "I told you that kids were a pain in the ass."

"My children are actually quite well behaved," The creatures eyes twitched, blinking out of sync, "except for their-"

"Teeth." The human managed to look at the creature with a straight face, "Which your kind are born with in the extreme."

"Yes, but-" The creature stopped and smacked it forehead with an oversized hand and groaned. "Damn the Void, how do you manage to side track a conversation with such stupid, normal questions?"

"Talent, Solgen. Talent."

"Can I tell you what I was supposed to," Solgen said, irritation audible in both the translator and his own voice, "or do I have to talk in riddles like last time?"

"Fine, fine," He held up his hands and used his right to make a 'move on' gesture, "Talk, Register Solgen."

"Thank you." Solgen crossed his arms, doubling the width of his body, and spoke. "Although we are decommissioned, we still have a job to do." With a snap of his fingers, Solgen produced three spheres of light in three separate sizes, two orbiting the medium sized sphere. "Look familiar?"

"Yes," the human leaned in closer and followed the faint outline of continents on the center sphere with his right hand, "looks like the map that Scalpel gave me a few years back..."

"Then you know where you need to go." Solgen waved his left hand over the hologram, causing it to disappear. "The threat is simple, and shouldn't be much more then guard duty at this point, but be wary," Solgen's arm moved off screen and the image flickered out, "you tend to attract weird crap, and this probably won't be the one time shit doesn't hit the fan, as you put it."

"Alright." The human let the image fade before placing his palms over the pillars again. "Activate primary engine and plot course for universe Eq-4888."

The vessel, sleeping till this point came to life. The ring moved, aided by bare hydraulics and gears', until it was vertical, the sphere of liquid spinning until it formed a vortex, pointing to the aft of the ship, and driving it forward as the turbines extended from their bays', the booms' they were mounted upon resembling silver clouds. The center dome, the control for the entire flagship raised, the former first floor soon becoming the third as a small city sprung to life on the ship’s deck, empty rooms and corridors glowing as power flowed through the living metal.

Finally, with a massive crack, the Golden Cumulus shot forward, accelerating to it's full speed in an instant as kinetic dampeners' protected the vessel's infrastructure, maneuvering through the field of chains and orbs until it crashed into its intended target, slipping into a universe foreign both to the ship, and it's rather odd captain.

It was, colorful, to say the least, and the geocentric solar system less than a thousand miles away definitely fit the image Solgen had shown him.

"Well," with a smile, the human walked forward, shifting like sand. His suit turned into a long coat with metal pauldron’s, six hexagons' of steel spaced out on each forearm, seemingly bolted into place, and a fully armored upper torso, and marked with a faded symbol on the chest plate’s right side, leading to heavy, blocky poleyn's, greaves and sabatons' upon his legs, seemingly made of opaque glass(1).the lantern was the only thing unchanged Raising a hand as it shifted into needle like claws, made to hold together in a single point, he placed it over the planet in his view, “Equestria, here I come."

"Okay..." The human looked out at the planet with slight apprehension. "Find point for entry."

Immediately a circular reticule lined up, and hovered in the air in front of the human, super imposed over the continent marked as Equestria, "Zoom." The reticules now held the image of a forest, reminiscent of the ‘human’s’ home at the time of its death, but lacking the fog of toxic gasses.

"Good enough, but now," he raised his claw like limb and tapped the projection, "all sentient species', baring those deemed a threat to targets."

Multiple images appeared in a ring around him, each a simple, wire frame-image, depicting many of the sapient life forms native to the world. Looking through them he examined each one, before smashing the image like a wineglass.

"The dragon's out, for obvious reasons," he spun to look at the griffon as the former dragon hologram faded out, and clucked his tongue, "and being predatory, even if I don't have to eat, is a bad idea," turning again, he disregarded the cartoon like forms before him, and tapped the forehead of a Pegasus, "plus I would rather be able to fly then cast magic or grow tree's...or sing underwater for that matter"

And why do you care about trees? If you want a tree, just build one.

"Thank you, Five Ninety-one." he snapped his fingers and the wireframe image disappeared, replaced by a detailed schematic of the muscles and bone underneath what would have been skin, "Always the voice of reason, despite being one of my more insane pieces."

But of course, dear Reginald. One of us has to think before we act.

Ignoring the voice inside his head, 'Reginald' walked out of the control room and bypassed the pressure field, dropping to the deck without a sound. As the he moved to the edge of his ship, set to orbit behind the planets' moon, the Pegasus body spinning in his mind as it was analyzed and modified, he leaped from the desk to fall to the planet’s surface. Just as he entered the atmosphere, he broke apart, turning into a drifting cloud of material, save the lantern, anchored to what looked like a parachute made of sand...

Meanwhile, in an ally, in a city called Manehatten, in the abandoned factories that exist in every city, a grey earth-pony stallion was running for his life as the steady thud of metal on brick echoed, never more than a yard behind him behind him. He turned left, moving down another ally, and finding nothing but a brick wall and decrepit buildings'.

"Oh no." He turned to run, to find a different route, only to find the creature behind him. "P-Please n-no."

It stepped forward, cloaked in what appeared to be a trench coat, the thud as it's metal coated claws tread upon the stone deafening to the panicked pony in front of it. A small blade of light formed out of a groove in its forearm as it tilted its masked face, chittering like a cricket and wagging it's fish like tail. The glowing lines on the helms' surface cast an eerie, blue light in the cramped space, letting an unearthly fear into the fool’s heart. The stallion backed into the wall, having nowhere to go, and nothing to stop the being in front of him.

He closed his eyes, and prayed, to Celestia, to Luna, To anything that could hear him. Unfortunately, none were looking for a small speck like him.

In an instant, the creature’s weapon pierced his chest, severing his spine and rupturing his heart as the heat from the weapon boiled his blood. Then it sheathed the blade, stood at attention, and spoke, with the voice of someone hypnotized.

"Target: Neutralized." The creature grabbed the stallions neck, and began to drag him back the way they'd come, avoiding any source of light, soon coming to a manhole cover, still tilted from when the chase had started. Lifting it, the creature unceremoniously dropped the corpse into the waiting arms of its brethren, and hopped in after it, muttering in the same, dead tone, "Returning to base."

A Jar-ring Outburst and Eerily Easy Politics'

Chapter 1: A Jar-ring Outburst and Eerily Easy Politics'

Rats ran through the trees and brush, guided by the moon's light, leaving the forest and soon arriving at the edge of the small town, all of them unnaturally silent as they spread throughout the buildings.

They all had grey fur, blood red eyes and tails coated in spiked quills, and showed eerie intelligence as they moved, heading their master's order. After reaching the town square, they dispersed once more, spreading out in a circle as they entered homes and shops, looking at everything, looking for information.

One, having found what appeared to be a gingerbread house, stopped to relay a message, confusion evident over the link to both its brethren and its master.

Dwelling architecture not recognized. It cocked its head and relayed its opinion. Data indicates three option's of function: Bakery, celebratory-supply shop, or witches house...Third option deemed irrelevant, due to location. Awaiting order's.

The message was relayed through its brethren, a few of which stopped and face the general direction the message came from with the rodent equivalent to a deadpan expression, and squeaks of disbelief, and soon reached the mind behind them all.

Standing on a branch high in an ancient oak, sat 'Reginald', eyes closed, hands held together as though in prayer and legs slightly bent, his transparent skin giving a nearly perfect view of the blur's that were his eyes.

Upon receiving the message, he smirked and whispered a small poem, unheard by anything save his own mind, and sent his reply.

Three Eighty-eight, I will assume control and search the area.

Initiating mental absorption... In the town, the rodent collapsed into a pile of dust-like particles, before reforming into a small creature resembling a cross between an ant and a weasel. Absorption complete, shutting down A.I protocol three.

Instantly, the new drone stood on its cylindrical legs and scurried to a window and filtered it's body through a small crack were the window was set in its frame, forming on the other side, and glancing around with curiosity at the rather colorful décor of the shop it now found itself in. Rubbing its front legs together, it moved fast, climbing over a glass display case filled with everything from caramel apples to fruitcake, and moving into what it assumed would be the kitchen, and found it to indeed be the source of the cakes and confections in the display case.

It moved to a set of cabinets, and opened them, finding nothing but pots and pans, and what looked to a-

An alligator? The creature stared at the unmoving reptile, which blinked its right eye before opening its mouth. The creature slowly closed the cabinets, and turned around. I was not expecting that, and I have no idea what a bakery need's a carnivorous reptile for...

It shook it's head and continued its search, finding nothing remotely worth further thought...though the alligator was nagging at 'Reginald's' actual mind, but the portion in the drone couldn't care less, in all honesty. It moved back into the shop, and noted a flight of stairs leading to the second floor, and made its way to the base.

With a short jump, it landed on the first step, causing the wooden surface to give a sharp creak. The drone, frozen as it listened for any movement, ran through a series of escape routes in its mind, and abruptly decided, in hindsight, that it wasn't worth being found to go exploring a bakery of all things.

In the forest, a certain E.T. smacked his face with enough force to send a cloud of dust flying out the back of his skull.

As it turned and crawled off the steps, a message was relayed by the drones as a whole, stating that the necessary information had, to a degree, collected and that the return protocol had been enacted. Nodding to itself, the 'Reginald' drone moved to the door, only to be cut off by a pink blur with a smaller blue blur at eye level appearing in front of it without a sound. The drone backpedaled, and managed to focus on the much larger entity, which turned out to be a pink pony with blue eyes, and an eerily large smile.

"Gotcha'."

The drone moved like lightning as it turned to run, only to get caught in a mason jar, which was promptly sealed with an airtight cap by the pink pony. Glancing at the jar, it moved to filter through the seal as it had done with the window, only to find that there was no gap.

What the?! It squirmed, throwing itself into the jar's glass wall's only to bounce off of them. How is a glass jar holding me?!

"Because it's a single stretched molecule, silly." The pink pony had a smile on her face, and stared at the dumbfounded drone. "I mean, why would I let you go, you seem like you need help but." She shrugged before speaking again. "I think Twilight should meet you!" Her smile faded as she looked thoughtful. "Or is it Princess Sparkle..."

She shrugged and then put the jar behind her back, causing the world to go black for a short time as the drones' connection to 'Reginald' wavered, then flair bright as the pony appeared in a circular room, made entirely out of oak wood, and filled from floor to ceiling with books, scrolls, and what looked like a birds nest, but filled with burning coals rather than some form of litter, and had a round wooden table with a bust of a unicorn, more horse like then the ones 'Reginald' had observed so far, sitting in the center on a raised area.

Well, fuck...

After waking a lavender, winged unicorn (whose name was apparently Twilight Sparkle or something), the pink one started babbling away as the mare went into overdrive.

First she'd ran up the stairs she'd came down in the first place, and dragged what looked like a kid-friendly Licher Hound-'Reginald' shuddered a little at the thought, as those demonic rodent's had proven time and time again that size does not matter in a fight-that complained until being promised basket of gems, and was called 'Spike

After that, she'd proceeded to dictate no less than six rather long winded letter’s to the obviously disgruntled reptile. Said letters' were then burned to ash as Spike blew gout of emerald fire into the bundle of scrolls, and the ash in turn flew out of a nearby window before splitting into five streams. Twilight lifted the jar and held it in front of her, before her eyes suddenly went wide.

"Uhm, Pinkie, why are there no air holes?!"

"Because he doesn't breath."

"How do you know that?"

"I dunno...I just do!"

Ignoring the one called Pinkie, Twilight gulped a little and muttered 'I hope you're right about that' before setting the jar down gently, and pulling a book, titled 'Invertebrates of Equestria and the Surrounding nations' off the shelves and flipping through the entries at a fairly fast clip.

"Hey," The drone turned in the jar and looked at Pinkie, "what's your name, anyway?"

'Reginald' debated letting the drone die, but deemed it a waste of material. And a rather excellent conversationalist. He was about to alter the drone so it could speak, but was interrupted by someone knocking on the door, and a sudden burst of light.

After the light faded, he found two larger versions of Twilight, whom were noted in the information obtained by the other drones to be the immortal rulers' of the equine races, Princesses Celestia and Luna, barring a few notable exceptions, and four other ponies, coming colors such as orange and blue.

As for the other's, all female, he had no information on, and simply finished his edit of the drone and coughed loudly, attracting the attention of everyone in the room.

"Ms.? I believe you asked me a question a few moments ago, correct?"

While the others, royals included, jaws dropped, the pink mare bounced over and nodded, still smiling.

"Yep!" she picked up the jar and held it close to her face, "I asked what your name was, and then the Princesses teleported here, and then Rainbow, Applejack, Rarit-"

"Can you please let me answer the question then?"

"Sorry," She put the jar down and her constant grin turned a little sheepish, “go ahead."

"Thank you, and good night to you all," The drone faced the royal sisters, as the data collected had addressed them, and continued, "My name is 'Reginald' Thorn" The drone made air quotes with its front legs, "Former Captain of the Multi-Dimensional Universal Militia Star Ship, Golden Cumulus, and commanding officer of the unit native to it."

"You expect us to believe that something as small as you," The rainbow manned, blue coated mare, apparently a Pegasus judging from the wings, "is a soldier."

"Yes," The drone shuddered again, and pointed a leg at Spike, "After all, there are creature that look almost exactly like him, the same size as well, that can maul a creature nearly twelve times their size with only one of their kind, and suffer no injuries."

She blinked, and then looked at the reptile who shrugged.

"And we've never heard of those because...?"

"Their home world is three thousand years older than yours and their not native to this universe." The drone shrugged, mimicking Pinkies motions to a T. "They are called 'Licher Hound's'. Their closest relative on this planet would probably be a squirrel."

The Pegasus was about to speak again, but 'Reginald cut her off with the sharp crack of his head hitting the jar, causing her to rear back and up.

"Before you go on, I would like to make a request to the rulers standing less than a yard away from me, if I may?"

Celestia and Luna nodded at the drone, which stood up and gave a small bow in thanks.

"Thank you." It dropped back to the bottom of the jar. "And I’m well aware that you won't agree to the first request, at least not yet, but I digress."

"First, I'd like to be let out of the jar, since this isn't my entire body, and I don't particularly like it when pieces of me get separated for long periods of time."

"And you were right to assume that we would refuse," Celestia said, keeping an even tone, "But that may change depending on later events."

"Very well, on to number two." The drone turned it's grub like head, and addressed the group as a whole, "I would like to know your names, seeing as you know mine, and no" He face the blue Pegasus and glared at her as she shut her mouth with an audible click of teeth connecting, "that is my real name."

"Tis' a fair request," Luna motioned with a hoof to rest of the group, "And one that can easily be fulfilled."

Taking the cue, Pinkie shot forward and took a deep breath, then started on a small rant, none of which the drone, nor the rest of 'Reginald', could understand, and stopped with a grin on her face, and a hopeful smile.

"...I didn't understand a word you just said, Pinkie, but I did know your name already."

"What?!" She gasped then charged up to the jar and whispered, "Are you a mind reader?"

"No, I just heard you and Twilight." He faced the Sisters yet again, "And I know your name’s from a book."

"A book?" Twilight's ear's swiveled to face the drone, and her eyes gleamed, "What's the title? Do I have a copy? Do you know if I have a copy? Is-"

"It's on the third shelf up, three spines in, right behind you."

"Wait," she spun and pulled said book off the shelf, and winced as dust fell off the cover, "How did you read it?"

"The entire purpose of me sending part's of myself here tonight was to gather basic information about your kind so I could better blend in and observe." The drone collapsed into dust before reforming as a carbon copy of 'Reginald's' current form, minus the lantern and making Twilight drop the book as she realized what the 'dust' was, "I made the mistake of going into Pinkies home."

"Wait just ah darn minute," the orange pony, wearing a Stetson, stepped forward, "You mean there were more of yah here?!"

"Yes, though they were disguised as small mouse like creatures." He shrugged, his face remaining as void of emotion as when it was disguised. "The only reason this one looked different was because I too full control and moved it the same way as a puppeteer does his art; I pulled strings."

"So this is an important part of yah?"

"No, I could let it die at any point; I just don't like the feeling that comes with killing a part of my own mind, Ms...?"

"Mah name’s Applejack."

"Ms. Applejack, I have no ill will towards you and your kind, so the tension you're feeling is unnecessary."

"That has yet to be determined, unfortunately, we have reasons to suspect that you have harmed, or have aided those who have harmed me and my sister's subject." Celestia walked forward and lowered her head, looking mini-'Reginald' in the eyes', a smile forming as 'Reginald' felt his nonexistent heart grow warm. "But you do not seem to be the type that would harm an innocent, even in war."

'Reginald' nodded, and held his hands out to his side's as he stood up, allowing a sad smile to grace his features.

"Unfortunately, I have made mistakes in war, so you are only partially right, Princess." He sighed and shook his head, the smile fading. "I have killed those that could be called innocent. But those incidents were often out of my control, or unavoidable, in the literal sense of the words."

Celestial nodded, a knowing look on her face, and returned to her previous position by Luna’s side. 'Reginald looked at her, and gave a bow, understanding just what had happened.

"You used magic, to tell if I was lying, didn't you?"

Neither Princess responded, though the other six glanced between them and 'Reginald' curiously.

"Yes, though I suppose that it would fair to say I was within my right as a ruler to do so."

"I never said you weren't." 'Reginald' shrugged again, and motioned to the others again. "I would like to learn the rest of your names, since it seems we can't stay on topic."

The White unicorn stepped up.

"I am Rarity." She looked 'Reginald over with an apprehensive expression. "I would like to ask, why are you wearing grey?" She tapped her chin as she noticed that his red skin was actually muscle underneath. "Though I must say, it does fit the...interesting look you have."

"Thank you, though this wasn't grey originally." He motioned to the coat's material, lifting a corner to show the uniform grey. "I don't remember clearly, but it was less bland shade of orange or brown...I think..."

"Would you allow me to make a new one?" She seemed lost in thought, "I mean, the design is rather interesting, though the design could use a little flair..."

"I will have to turn down your offer, as the coat is a part of me, regardless of my actual form. But thank you, regardless."

Next up was the blue Pegasus, who had a rather sour look on her face.

"And you, my chromatic mare, are the one Pinkie called 'Rainbow' earlier, I presume?"

"Yeah, that's me, Rainbow Dash" She did a overtly fast flip and landed with her wings closed and a smug look, and continued in a prideful tone, "the fastest flyer in Equestria, and don't you forget it!"

'Reginald' just stared at her for a bit before putting a hand over his face for a few seconds, and huffed.

"And why would I care about you gloating?"

Rainbow's face showed shock and a small hint of indignation, then she snorted and charged up to the jar, almost knocking it from the table.

"What?!"

"I said, 'Why should I care about you gloating?" He looked at her, slight irritation, more at having to explain than anything else, in his eyes. "What have you done with said speed and skill?" He held up a hand to stop her from answering immediately, and continued his own train of thought, the other's shocked at the sudden change in his demeanor to the point where they couldn't react, "From the way you seemed proud when you said that, I’d assume you are an athlete, correct?" She nodded. "Have you entered any competitions?" She nodded. "Have you done anything to teach or aid others, without being praised?" She nodded yes, to which 'Reginald' shook his head. "Outside of being an Element of Harmony, and not to protect the obviously fearful mare behind Twilight, as the book described you?" She opened her mouth to say yes, but stopped when she thought about it. "That is my point. Remember that there is always someone or something that can do better then you, even if they choose not to."

"But-"

"I understand why you said it." He shook his head. "It's the amount of pride and boastful tone that bothers me."

"And why's that?"

"Because it's people like you that put me where I am today, in a sense, and I would kill them for that if they weren't dead already, and had not been warriors or soldiers in any sense of the word's."

She winced and backed away, his tone having turned to disgust and anger as he'd spoke. 'Reginald' saw the looks on the Ponies faces and took a deep breath, calming himself.

Why am I acting with emotion? He shook his head mentally. I haven't listened to them and now I’m snapping at someone who obviously hasn't done anything but be proud of skill they actually have...Damn this worlds laws...

"Sorry, that kind of thing is a..." He sighed and held out his right hand and made a vague gesture, "...sore topic for me, regardless of the person. I ask that you don't take it to personally, I haven't had much contact with anything other than myself for a rather long time, so my some of my social skills may have...decayed."

"It's okay..." Rainbow said, regaining her composure. "but, what did you mean by 'people like me'?"

"...Skill and talent don't mean much were I’m from, not unless they could be applied to combat, and I was one of the few who had no real skill at harming others." He sat down and crossed his legs, ignoring the grinding sound of the greaves' scrapping against each other. "I had no interest in the petty disputes' my people constantly put themselves in, so I put the skill's I had to other uses'." He laughed, the sound cold and desolate, "I paid for that for most of my life, despite the fact that most of the weapons and tools they used were made by me and a small group of others."

"Oh..." Then something occurred to her. "Wait, you made weapons?"

"I was a toymaker, for the most part, but I was skilled with crafting and building pretty much anything that could be built, except for buildings and the like..." He shook his head again, remembering the one time he had tried to build a house. "I felt bad for the material, more than myself, even though I had to sleep under a bridge that night."

"So you weren't always a soldier?"

"No, I got dragged into a conflict much more...destructive then the wars my people had, and I more or less turned into the one thing I truly hate." He waved a hand, and sighed, "But that does lead me to the reason I am here for. If you want to speak to me, the actual me, bring this jar to a clearing, thirty yards into the forest from her," He pointed at the butter yellow mare still cowering behind Twilight, "home, I will meet you there tomorrow night, and explain myself, rather than talk about myself."

"What about-"

"This part of me can sleep for now; just don't open the jar until you get to the clearing."

At that, 'Reginald' let the drone collapse into a pile of dust, ignoring the response from his little audience, and left it like that, before head butting the tree he was in hard enough to shatter the trunk.

"What in Alturians' name is making this place so...easy to deal with?" He head butted the tree again. "They shouldn't have trusted me so easily, and that outburst...What is it with this universe...?"

Sighing, he leapt from the branch and hit the ground thirty feat down with enough force to crack the dry soil like ice and began walking to the clearing.

He had some renovating to do, and anything he made had to be done right.(1)

Collars and Troopers'

Collars and Troopers'

Hopefully this is a little bit more interesting, and the italic's in the later half are the meeting 'Reginald' is having with the Elements and the Sisters', just to clarify.

To state the obvious, flying was something that made Rainbow Dash's life worthwhile, and today was no different.

With a beat of her wings, she shot into the sky, rising higher and higher. She flapped until Ponyville was a speck far below her, the townsfolk not even visible, and closed her eyes.

With her eyes still closed, she dove, pulling her wings in to lower drag, and tilted them, sending her into a spin. After a few seconds of freefall, her eyes shot open and her wings extended to their full span, catching the air and slowing her descent as she turned, rising in a diagonal arc which quickly became a series of loops and flips, ending with a pirouette that left here near her original altitude, and a little less worried.

But only a little.

What is with everyone? She shook her head and flew over to a stray cloud and landed with a small 'poof' of cloud. They trust him, and the Princesses didn't even do anything...

She dropped onto the surface, and sighed.

This was actually something she'd noticed earlier, how the others were more or less indifferent to the fact that an alien was right in front of them and had been sneaking around town. And the string of murders' that had been in the paper. Shuddering at one particular instance involving a Pegasus and a windmill with a working grindstone… She shook her head and gagged, pushing the thought out of her mind before coming back to the original problem.

She huffed and used her arms to make a pillow out of the fluffy material, and setting her chin on it.

"He's got something to do with it..." She looked up and saw it was around one in the afternoon, having learned how to tell time without a clock out of necessity; after all, a metal watch wouldn't go very well with lightning. "And I'm going to find out what..."

With that, she leaped from the cloud and fell, waiting until she was a few hundred feet from the ground to open her wings and pull up, flying towards clearing in the Everfree where the alien had told them to meet him.

As she entered the forest's airspace, Rainbow immediately regretted flying into someplace as unnatural as it was, a few stray lightning clouds' made themselves known by trying to electrocute her with their discharges'.

Quickly landing to avoid a rather painful crash, and electrical burns, Rainbow Dash began to walk, giving the brush and trees wary looks with each step.

Although she was known for her brash nature and largely confident demeanor, even she was nervous about the Everfree, especially when she was by herself. After all, she wasn't stupid, despite how many ponies said otherwise.

As it was, she starting to hate the roots and vines that criss-crossed her path, finally opening her wings again, and was about to take off when a loud creaking to her left drew her attention.

"What the hay..." she whispered, watching as trees, vines and bushes moved, creating a dirt path that quickly morphed into a road paved with rectangular stones and having simple stone lanterns spaced out along the edges. Then she saw a much larger version of the alien in the jar, standing a good two and a half feet taller than she did, walking down the path deeper into the forest, "Well, that was convenient..."

She waited for the alien to move further down the path, rather stunned as the trees in front of it changed as he neared, then she put her jaw back up and followed, staying twenty yards behind him to stay unseen. He moved rather quickly, the clang of his armored feet against stone echoing in the forest, and setting a rhythmic march, until the path formed an arch way, engraved with strange mechanical shapes'. He walked through and stopped on the other side, turning to face her, with a small grin.

"I figures one of you would come early." Rainbow opened her wings and crouched, ready to charge or flee, "If I wanted you dead, you wouldn't be posing right now."

She closed her wings and followed him, walking under the arch into a large, grassy clearing, untouched by the effect of his presence. With she looked to her left, to speak (more like yell, actually) at him, but there was nothing where he had been standing.

Instead he was standing in the center of the clearing, moving his right arm like a conductor, muttering as stone rose from the ground, quickly becoming a flat, circular table. He turned and walked towards her, giving her clear look at his face.

Rainbow nearly blew chunks.

In the light, the transparent skin was decidedly...wrong, and not because of the reptilian eyes. Individual muscle fibers could be seen, and patches of bone were visible on his fore head, and his jaw, a stark contrast to the red and pink tissue covering it and the dull black hair on his head. It was disgusting, but she managed to hold her lunch down, and speak.

"What have you done to my friends?"

"Wait a second," his smile faded and a look of confusion took its place, "You noticed something was wrong with them?"

"Yeah, now tell me what you did!" She flapped her wings and brought herself to eye level, glaring and holding her arms up, as though boxing, "or I'll knock your block off!"

He just blinked and then held up both his hands, palm's facing her.

"It wasn't me," He motioned to the table, which now had two chairs, on meant for a pony, the other for something else, "but I have an idea of what is doing it, and if you want I can explain some of it."

She glared at him, and moved to the table, neither of them looking away from the other, and hovered next to her chair, waiting until he sat down to do the same.

"I can help your friends, but," he reached into his coat, his right hand phasing through the metal, and pulled out a light blue metal ring, obviously meant to be worn around something(or someone's) neck, "You need to let me get one of these on them."

"Wait." She leaned forward and eyed the small device. "You want to put dog collars on the Princesses, and my friends?"

"That's half right," he twisted the ring and it opened, revealing pulsing circuits and padding, "if I'm right, these 'dog collars' will cancel out what's affecting them."

"And if you're wrong?"

"They'll have a headache while their wearing it."

Rainbow looked at the device and realized just how much this was over her head, i mean, the lights looked more complicated then Twilights lab.

"Give me a second..."

He nodded and got up, walking back to the archway.

Should I trust him...? She shook her head, and sighed, No, but it isn't like I have much of a choice... Putting her forehooves on the her temples she realized that there wasn't any other option at this point. Fine, but if he does anything, I'm going to make him pay...

"Fine."

He walked back to the table and sat down, face blank.

"So I have your permission?"

"I'll let you do it."

"Good." He crossed his arms on the table, and leaned forward. "I do need something, though, and it should be rather easy to get."

"What is it? A potion or something?”

"No.” He shook his head and smiled again, before letting his face go slack. “Just the newspaper's from the last few days." He stood, and Rainbow followed suit, still cautious of him, and opened her wings. "Bring them tonight, and I'll tell you everything I know."

She flapped once and flew back to town.

Amongst the dead trees and forgotten wastes' of the badlands hid a once long forgotten people, and they would have remained forgotten, save for a desperate action on their rulers behalf, and they were waiting for the end result, their extinction, at any point, soldiers armed to the wing and all points of entry guarded.

Thank you all for coming. Please, have a seat...

Unfortunately, the threat was far worse then what they had anticipated. Three heat shimmers, not uncommon during the blistering hot days, moved through the night. Each shimmer was twice a ponies size, and deathly silent, not even prints were left in the sand they tread upon.

Thank you. Now then, what-?!

What is the meaning of this?!

You would dare to collar the Princess of the Night?!

A sudden crack of thunder, the result of a multitude of force spells being fired at a single point in space, soon out shadowed by a chittering akin to a locust swarm.

The shimmers moved to a small hole, leading straight down, and crawled down, soon landing in a domed room, green crystals providing light in the otherwise pitch black cavern. They moved quickly, spreading through the tunnels, killing everything that got in their path, sending panic and surprise through the hive minded creatures'.

Now that you're all done blasting me to pieces, may I speak?

Silence as seven head's nod.

The few who stood up to the invisible monster's only fell apart, their bodies shattered beyond recognition, their blood splattering across every surface possible. One of the three shimmers stopped, at the entrance to the beings throne room, and dropped its cloaking.

I am, as I said, here to help you. The threat you and your planet now face is one much too strong for you to take on alone, and I intend to help you.

In the shimmers place was a massive biped, resembling a metal coated iguana, with a fish like head, gills along the sides of it, and a fluked tail, the thin webbing covered by razor-sharp plate-mail. it gave a few clicking call's to its brethren, and soon the other shimmers, their cloak made useless by the green blood splattered on their armor, stood by its side.

And the collars?

They opened the doors, carving through the heavy stone as though it wasn't there, and then sheathed the liquid metal blades.

If you remember, the last time we met, though you still looked through my mind, you didn't react the way a ruler of your merit should.

An outburst as multiple voices speak at once, cut off by a tom-boyish 'Hey!'.

There upon the throne, one foreleg missing, wings tattered and torn, breathing ragged, sat their target, panic clear in her cat like eyes. She spoke, the pleas falling on deaf ears, the creature fanning out to cut off any escape. More of the black shelled natives flooded into the room, holes and doorways unseen giving the small army a way in, even as their queen begged them to leave. Only a scant hundred twenty eight headed her , leaving with speed rivaling any other life form, leaving the hive and taking the young with them.

The monsters just hissed, unsheathing the four blades hidden in each arm, mimicking the talons of a griffon, and crouched waiting for the first move.

He's not lying. We need help for this.

Rainbow, you of all ponies should be-!

The slamming of hooves upon stone silencing the others

And you, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna just tore him apart and he got right back up, like it didn't do anything!

Silence once more as the words sink in.

The first blow came from an armored native, blue plates covering his back and head. Firing a force spell, he was cut down just as it left his horn, his head, barrel and hind quarters falling to the ground separately. The other's begged their queen to leave, sending the message through the hive; all of them asking her to save herself.

The three creatures tore through the desperate ‘army’, killing the natives’ faster than they could enter the room, spells and blows not even denting their metal hide, until the broken ruler was all that remained.

Save the mountain of corpses between them and her, her eyes focused on one place. Somewhere she hoped to never see again. The three began to carve through the bodies, as the Queen closed her eyes and charged her horn, sickly, weak light forming a nebulous cloud along its length.

Opening her eyes, seeing the dead, a single tear fell from her thin face.

“I’m…Sorry…”

Just as the beings charged her, a flash of green light signaled her departure, and the last bit of energy she had left, just as the blades touched her flesh.

He can help us, and while I'll be the first to say I don't trust him, we need his help.

Did you bring the papers?

A crinkling sound as a stack of print is thrown onto the table, and picked up, before being placed back down seconds later.

The three beings, their blades lodged in the stone floor as the throne fell to the ground, carved like a pumpkin on Nightmare Night, raised their head’s and screeched, the stone walls cracking as the sound went above any audible spectrum.

Well then, it seems we all are in more danger then I thought...

What do you mean, darling?

A quiet chuckle, followed by the spark of electricity.

Liquid metal, an equal part mixture of mercury and gold suspended as an unknown alloy, three foot deep gouge marks at the place of death...

Gasp's as a perfect replica of the monsters spun above the table, woven from light, depicting the feral might of the metal skinned creatures as recordings played in the air. All the ponies present turned away, tears dripping to the ground as unknown beings were slaughtered in seconds, nothing remotely resembling a body left behind

There are Shock Troopers here. Celestia, Luna call a council of all the sapient races, and I don't give a damn about the political relation you have with them, get a representative in your capital in two days, or...

Or what, Captain?

Then they might not ever come, till your planet dies and you meet them in whatever after-life awaits you...

"Stay where you are!"

Golden armored, white coated guards flanked the Black Queen, her ragged breathes undermined by the fierce will that allowed her to speak.

"Not...here....to fight" A burst of hacking and wheezing as her body began to fail and fall brought on of the guards, a unicorn mare with , to her side. "P-Please...L-Listen..."

"Hold on, just hold on..." The mare turned back to the other's and shouted for them to get doctors, before turning to the dying Changeling, whose eyes were closed in pain, tears leaking down her muzzle to pool with her own blood. "If you’re not here to fight then why are you here...?"

Her answer didn't come until the doctors arrived, casting spells and using every form of medicine available to keep the Queen alive. As the doctors placed her on a stretcher to move her from the throne room, and lifted the much larger mare, Chrysalis, The Queen of the Changelings', opened her eyes and gave a low, rattling chuckle as she wept, before responding with something that chilled the guards to the bones.

"Running...from...the...Demons'..."

The doctors brought her to the castle infirmary, finding the major causes of her condition to be a mixture of malnutrition, mercury poisoning, and magical exhaustion. They came to the decision that it was in their best efforts to keep her alive, despite how many of them personally wanted her dead.

Three hours later, a rather pale Princess Celestia, wearing a white and gold necklace, was told of the Queens arrival.

She only said that ‘It makes’ what I have to do that much easier’, her face grim and full of pity, not just for the Queen, but the many that had left this world in this night.

A Note, and an Apology.

I've only tried once, but I suceeded in walking myself into a rather terrible situation. The fic I intended to write is both out of my skill level, and woefully half done, despite the (very) few pparagraphs that actually hold ground, and the over-paced story line.

As much as I would like to keep at it, I think I'll try to make a simpler story, if only in the actual content, rather then the massively flawed scenario in .

I will rewrite and rebuild Daneroka tik no Merunam: The Godkiller's Lament when I feel I can do 'Reginald' justice, despite his purposely two-dimensionel character.

I will be submitting the Prolouge to my second attempt along side this, and i gize to the few who have shown an interest in , and offer my thanks for giving it a chance.

Any comment on my second attempt would be very appreciated, and would do good to keep me from walking in the same circle I did with Daneroka tik no Merunam: The Godkiller's Lament .

Thank you all again.