Acheron, Meet Equestria!

I stood stock still, unmoving. Memories of Doctor Who, of a character with a giant beetle-like bug on their back, came back to mind. Sweat began to stream down my face as I stood there, shaking. Announcing that there was something on my back, without something being there, was, more or less, one of the worst things she could have said. I fell back into what seemed like a conveniently placed chair, panting. As I began to panic, Luna's face twisted into a smile. I calmed down, realizing what she was doing.

“Human, you are too easy to read. You seem to not fear death, nor pain, but you fear what you do not know, what you cannot see.” I leaned back, sighing. She was definitely right. Uncertainty was the very thing that would be my undoing in the long run, a fear of the unknown. I decided to stand, moving to the window where I stared out at the garden around the palace. There was a strange statue of something in a perpetual state of shock. Pointing, I gathered Luna's attention to what I was looking at.

“Might I ask just what in the heck that is?” Luna sighed. It seemed like a sore subject for her, as if she may have explained it more times than she would like to admit.

“Discord's prison. He is known as a draconequus, the most vile of-”

“Chimaeras? Yeah, I know what those are. Mythological creatures that were a combination of various parts of animals.” Luna stared at me, confused as to why I would know that.

“You are correct, human. Discord is a chimaera, but he is so much more. Pure Chaos-” An urge to shout a single phrase forced its way to my lips. For a small second, I lost control of my voice.

“Chaos falls this day!” With my hands, I covered my mouth. While I usually never had qualms about what I said, for some reason, that was something that I never even thought of saying. A laugh echoed through the room, my spine bristling as I clenched my mouth. Luna watched my face. Chrysalis seemed more occupied with how she viewed the world as a human, with human female hormones, and her curves- tearing my attention away, I faced Luna.

“You recognize the laughter?” I nodded. My voice came out with malice and wrath dripping in it.

“Discord. I don't think that stone prison is holding him.” The laughter returned.

“Once again, the human is astute in his observations! Oh, how wonderful! A pony could listen to what I said, and never understand! But a human-”

“A Knight of Balance, Discord.” The room went silent as I said that. It was as if they did not fully understand what I was talking about. Then Discord began to laugh.

“A Knight, you say? Oh, well, then I'm doomed! Ha! Whatever could you do to me, human? You're nothing but a simple beast, to be controlled, to be conquered, to be ruled.” I spat on the ground, glaring at the statue outside of the window. 'To be ruled.' Those words were one thing that I could not stand. I would never submit to the rule of a dictator.

“Discord, you killed my entire race! My friends, family, every single person I ever knew!” I felt a strange tingling sensation from behind me, on my back, then all over. My vision became red as my anger exploded, along with the flames that had gathered in my hand. Fire surrounded me in a vortex of fiery pain, swirling and shifting as my fists clenched tighter. With a few steps, the floor was left with burning footprints, ash swirling around me. Luna and Chrys had retreated to the far side of the room.

“And once more, human, you prove how destructive your race was! I did Equestria a favour by destroying them!” With an inhuman yell, I threw my hands up in front of me, fire blasting through the window, burning a large hole in the side of the palace. I panted, staring down at the hole I created. I could hear shouting behind me as the flames died out, but it was muffled. Something else was inside the room with myself, Luna and Chrys. Something else that was impossible. I saw a body of a snake, a chicken's leg, and a strange wing- I stared out at the statue in the garden, or where it had been before. Shattered stone remained on the ground. I froze. If what happened was true, I had accidentally freed the very being that was responsible for the destruction of my race. My anger returned, the swirling vortex surrounding me as I stepped forward. Ashes flew in front of me as I stood in front of Discord, who merely laughed at the sight.

“You really want to mock me? The human who, right now, is pissed-off enough to tear down buildings just to kill you?” I looked at my hand. “Hellfire. The very definition of anger. Ready to die?” With a leap, I jumped at Discord, swinging. Strange creatures rampaged through the room as I attempted to strike Discord at least once, my fire merely bouncing off of him as he blocked every single blow. I screamed, rage burning through me as I continued, in vain, to strike Discord. Laughing, he swatted me aside into an undamaged wall, the fire dissipating.

“Oh, poo. You're no fun anymore. Well, maybe I should just cause some chaos! Ta ta, for now!” He continued to chuckle as he left. Falling out of the wall, I felt the back of my head. Liquid was beginning to pool underneath me. I sniffed it. I was bleeding. Reaching out towards Luna and Chrys, I shouted out, in pain and grief.

“Help me!” With that I passed out.

“Once again, the human proves himself foolhardy. Unbelievably so, too. Discord appears, and he immediately attacks, never even considering he was fighting the Lord of Chaos himself.” I woke up slowly, unable to move. My eyes shifted around, scanning everywhere. I was inside a full-body cast, staring out as a drip slowly brought painkillers into my bloodstream. Wherever the voices came from, they were gone. Luna entered, followed by Trixie and Chrys. Chrys' eyes were red, as if she had been crying. Trixie had her hat low as Luna looked on with sadness.

“He tried to fight Discord. Without even a single clue as to how, he leaped in with everything he knew.” Chrys walked forward, laying her hand on my leg. Luna levitated a vase of flowers over to the side. Trixie placed my hat on my chest, smiling.

“Thank you. You were my first real friend. You never even asked who I was.” I smiled.

“I'm not dead yet. I swear, though. If you keep up with this mushy stuff, I'll probably have a heart attack.” Chrys and Trixie brightened up, the former squeezing me tightly in a hug. “Ow, ow ow! Ribs!” While I was sure that they would have hurt a lot more, it felt closer to bruising than being broken. Luna stood beside me, staring down.

“Discord has not been spotted since when you decided to fight him. Whatever he is planning, I have a feeling that it, in itself, will be horrifying.” I sighed. Shifting, I realized I could move. Luna's horn was glowing, the cast falling away as I sat up.

“How long was I out this time?” All three of them shifted uncomfortably as what I assumed was a doctor entered the room. He looked up, shocked I was out of the cast and walking around.

“Seven months, sir. You've been unconscious for seven months.” The window drew me in as something outside caught my attention. Staring out, all I could see was a giant hole in the sky. A hole... in the sky... chaotic-

“Seven months, and there's a giant hole in the sky. Anything else you forgot to tell me?” None of them answered. The area around Canterlot was surrounded by a giant blue sphere of energy.  There appeared to be various domes in the distance, light flashes sparking off each one. The world was very wrong. I turned back to Luna, who was smiling. Something had changed. Returning to the window, I stared out. Birds flew past, the sun was high in the sky, and there was no hole in the sky. The room shifted, rippling to become the personal quarters of Luna. Bookcases sprung up, while a large, luxurious bed swapped with the hospital bed.

“You are correct, human. Discord is a chimaera, but he is so much more.” Luna looked downtrodden. I stared down at my feet. That future... it was horrible. Why did the room change as it did?

“Acheron, the future itself is unwinding. You are here to protect Equestria from an unwound future. I am sorry I could not explain beforehand, but you needed to see that future, a world ruled by Chaos and fear. If you wish to find me, ask Luna about the Tree of Harmony.” I looked up at Luna, who seemed puzzled. Laughter echoed through the room as I pondered my course of action.

“Luna, we don't have much time. Discord might break out of his stone prison soon-” Luna held up a hoof, a look of confusion crossing her face.

“Acheron, I never told you about Discord.”

“Luna, we don't have time! What is the Tree of Harmony?!” Luna paused, her thoughts elsewhere, it seemed. Her horn charged, probably doing what I was now expecting.

“If you dare teleport me again, I swear I-” With a flash, she cut off my sentence.

Landing in a large pit, I assumed we were in the Everfree Forest. Luna stood behind me, frowning. A glow was emanating from a large cave near the end. Luna nudged me forwards, staying behind me as I slowly walked towards the light. Something inside drew my eye. There was a tree inside, but what it appeared to be was something beyond  my comprehension. I was expecting something with strange symbols, not the actual Norse World Tree to be planted right in front of me. A face turned from the front, staring down at me.

“Acheron, the Knight of Balance. You have come at last.” I approached her, falling to one knee out of respect. A branch reached out, tapping my shoulder.

“I never meant for any of this to happen. As long as I have existed, so has the primordial force of Chaos. Discord is merely the most recent in a long line of Lords of Chaos. However, you, Acheron, are the first time we have ever needed to bring in outside assistance to defeat Chaos. A legend surrounded the myth of the blood-red star.” A branch touched my chest as I stood there. Straightening myself, I looked up at the face, an uncomfortable feeling arcing along my back. The face... it was so familiar.

“So, what do I do now? Fight back? Build up some forces to fight against Discord?” She closed her eyes, shaking in a gesture similar to 'no.'

“Recruit the Changelings. They should be willing to follow you.” I turned around, Chrysalis walking into the cave. Her shoulders and torso were adorned with black armour. In her hands were small, black daggers that seemed to suck in light.

“Especially if their queen returns.” I smiled. She returned the smile with her own, coupled with a giggle. She reached behind her, removing my black pistol. With a quick motion, she tossed it to me, her daggers disappearing momentarily until she returned her hands to her sides.

“Let's go get us some changelings, shall we?” With that said, Luna's horn charged once more. “Luna, no! No tele-” And once more, I was interrupted while speaking. I was beginning to get that it was not very important what I tried to say, more or less.

With a flash, we appeared near where the Changeling hive was supposed to be, supposed being the operative word. There was a huge pit, with dead bodies littering the ground. My hand burned as I held it up, sliding down the side of the pit to the bottom to check for survivors. I moved from one corpse to the next, attempting to find signs of life, if any at all. Some would shift, but then just tumble around. Others seemed to breathe, but air was just simply escaping. My jaw tightened. It was senseless slaughter, cold-blooded murder of living, sentient creatures. As I began climbing up, some of the piles of bodies shifted, barely conscious Changelings dragging themselves out. One grasped my leg, dragging me close.

“Chrysalis! We've got survivors! Get down here!” Sliding down beside me, she helped the others out of their respective piles. I looked down at the one in front of me, frowning. There was lacerations along its side, bleeding deeply. Although they appeared like insects, they were not at all similar. Two red bags rolled down the side, landing behind me. Bags of supplies that were definitely not of Equestria. Human medical supplies. “All right, stay still. I'm going to get you bandaged up.” As I worked on one, Chrysalis would help others up, bandaging them as well. More than I had expected were still alive, some completely intact. A few, the poor souls, dragged themselves out, only to discover that they were without half of themselves. I could not bear to watch.

“Acheron, that looks like all of the survivors.” In front of us, there was what seemed to be somewhere around one hundred Changelings. Chrysalis frowned.

“Chrys, how many were there before?” Her silence was very unnerving. I turned around. She was on her knees, tears streaming down her face. Squatting down in front of her, I looked right into her eyes. “Chrys, I know. They're dead. You are not. Concentrate on the fact that you are still alive. How many were there before?” Her hand contacted my cheek, a loud slap ringing out through the Everfree Forest. I backed up, falling over in shock.

“You jerk!” She was definitely becoming more human. Something that would not have occurred to a pony, or a Changeling, had just occurred to her, at least, from my perspective. I held my hand on the wound, feeling a heat burn through as the stinging died down. She stood up, the daggers appearing in her hands. My fist was balled up, ready for a hasty retreat. With a scream of pure fury, she charged me, swinging wildly. I did the best I could have with the skill level I had, fire bursts barely deflecting her swings. One swing, however, was not a swing, but a stab. I deflected it directly into my stomach. With a sudden rush of pain, I fell backwards, my mouth open.

“Why...” The only word I could even muster before the pain shook me. The dagger was not long, so it had not pierced me completely through. The problem was, she had hit me directly in a kidney, and I was hemorrhaging internally. I could feel the toxins beginning to make their way through. Of all the things that had happened, it was the worst. Chrysalis, probably the first friend I had made in Equestria, had just stabbed me, and it was a deadly blow. She leaned over me, her brown hair tickling my chin.

“Y-You idiot! I wasn't trying to hurt you!” She slammed down on the ground beside me, screaming between sobs. “I never got to tell you! Acheron!” She leaned over, her lips meeting mine. “Acheron, you may never understand, you may never know, but I care deeply about you... and not just as friends.” Something inside me turned off. My organs were failing. “Luna!” I could barely hear the princess landing beside me. “I-I didn't m-mean to! I d-didn't mean to s-stab him! I just wanted him to recognize how I felt!” She moved away slowly. A cold sprinkle touched my deadening skin. It had begun to rain. Luna, sensing my imminent demise, must have done something at that point, because the dagger shot out, the wound sealing itself up quickly. As I stood, Luna fell over, unconscious. I rushed over to Chrysalis, helping her to her feet.

“Chrysalis, I heard everything. Okay, I was dying, but maybe I was trying to prove something.” I drew her in for a hug, holding her tightly. “Maybe... just maybe I was trying to prove that I am not a soulless monster. I don't know. But Luna- oh God!” I turned to Luna, who was struggling to get up. With a little assistance, I had her laying normally, her head laying weakly on my lap as I stared up at the rainclouds.

“So, it worked, then?” Luna was speaking, albeit very weakly. “I must be a fool, giving up some of my own life to heal you, Knight. At least it worked. My sister must have felt it by now.” A whistling overhead brought my attention to Celestia dropping in from what seemed like orbit, although slowing down considerably. Before she could even speak, I held up my hand.

“I know, reckless behaviour won't make friends. I'm not here to make friends. The fact that I did, especially considering what I am, is a fact that I will not live down lightly.” I lifted Luna to her feet, no easy task considering how heavy she was.

“Well, at least she is safe, Knight. I hope it is the same for you.” She motioned to my jacket, which was stained brown with the coagulated blood.

“Darn. I liked this jacket, too. Now, Celestia, take your sister. Chrysalis and I have some... things to attend to.” Celestia turned to witness an entire force of around one hundred Changelings staring at her. Nodding, she left with a flash, a smoking crater where she had once stood. Chrysalis stared at me with sorrow.

“There had been over ten thousand Changelings.” I whistled. Only about a single percentile had survived whatever had attacked them, and the signs seemed to point to Discord.

“Darn. He doesn't play around. Although... this isn't really Chaos. More like a targeted genocide.” A sick feeling took hold in my stomach as I realized what Discord was trying to do. Chaos was not enough. “That bastard.” Chrysalis looked at me, confused. “He's beginning a campaign of terror. Terror is the worst possible kind of chaos, the kind that gets people killed!” I stomped my foot, the changelings mirroring me. Confusion began to set in as I started walked around, their gaze never leaving me.

“Acheron?”

“Chrysalis, why are they following me like this? This isn't normal.” Chrysalis pointed at me, motioning for the Changelings to watch me.

“If you all can, become him!” With a flash, sickening pops, and the screaming of pain as their legs shifted, one hundred almost identical clones of myself, minus the bloodstain, were staring at me. I clasped my hands together, a chill running down my spine. I lifted my hand, gripping it until I felt the smolder. While my hand flamed, the hands of my clones were energized with a sickly green light.

“Perfect.” A flash of light startled me as something appeared behind me. The voice calmed me down. Trixie was there, her jaw metaphorically hitting the ground. “Impressed yet, Trixie?” I turned to watch her nod slowly. I smiled, throwing my fist in the air. “Discord will fall, and we shall make it happen! The Order will never fall, so long as one of us draws breath, so long as one of us still can speak, we shall never fall!” The rain pounded, hail beginning to pelt us. “We are a legend, a fairy tale told to young colts and fillies to reassure them that the world is not a horrible place! We are not a legend! We! Are! Forever!” With that, I turned, staring up at the sky. The rain continued, although the hail had stopped. Chrysalis placed her arms around me, drawing me close.

“Acheron, what's the plan now?” 'What's the plan now?' For once in my life, I felt like I had a calling. While Yggdrasil had let me know about my nature as a Knight of Balance, I never accepted it, until those four words were spoken to me. I was their leader, a man born out of fire and chaos to bring order to those who would strike me down. I turned around, my eyes glaring in the encroaching darkness.

“We kill Discord.”