It was… crying.

We could hear it sniffling… growling occasionally and punching the wall, which made large dents in the solid rock. The armor had detached from the mutant soldier, observing its user as it continued to shudder and weep. I glanced to the girls, then to the princesses, and we all shared confused and unsure looks. Beside me, Rainbow nudged Fluttershy gently, encouraging her since she was good with animals. Even though this wasn't an animal, it looked as though it could use some kindness. Fluttershy gulped nervously, shying closer to the creature with us in tow, in case anything were to happen.

It may have saved us, but it could easily turn on us for its own reasons.

She gestured for us to stop a few feet away, and we waited with anticipation as she stood directly behind it. Slowly, she moved around to its side and got on her knees, watching it cry for a minute. Whether it let go of any tears or not, she placed a hoof on its shoulder, which had reverted back to blood soaked skin. The creature didn't do anything in response, just continued sobbing as she started to run her hoof over its back comfortingly. Soon, the silent whimpering softened, and it wiped its eyes before letting out a trembling sigh.

"Thank you," Fluttershy whispered, the silence allowing us to hear her gentle voice. "For saving us."

The creature glanced at her, staring at her I presumed, as it just looked at her for some time. It ran a hand through its short and ragged mane, then reached over to its dead adversary, taking the necklace and tossing it to the armor. It caught it in four spindly fingers, then absorbed it into the main mass. The creature took off its sword, placing the strap and sheathed weapon beside itself, then pulled a dagger out from its side, allowing the wound to heal itself.

Fluttershy, from the look of it, wasn't sure what to do next. "Are… are you okay?" She asked, putting on a warm and genuine smile.

The creature turned its head fully, giving us a view of its emotionless expression. Even with the neutral gaze… I could see its eyes puffed around lids and the small frown.

"I'm fine."

I gasped silently, forgetting momentarily it could speak. Fluttershy seemed a bit surprised as well, but she kept herself composed. "Um… we want to thank you for keeping us safe," she nodded softly.

The creature nodded as well, settling onto its rear as it sighed. "It was no trouble," it said, a deep and smooth voice deferring from the demonic roars it released minutes ago.

Since she was speaking to a sentient, intelligent being, I couldn't blame her for asking, "Are you a male or a female?"

The creature chuckled, which I took as a good sign. "Male," he laughed softly. He glanced to us, his eyes darting over each of us before he turned back to Fluttershy. "I presume you are all female, save for him," he said, gesturing to Big Macintosh.

"Yes," Fluttershy smiled. "Oh… um, I should introduce myself. My name is Fluttershy."

She held her hoof out, expecting it to bump her hoof. "Reku'un. Reku'un Alamonshuor," he nodded, taking her hoof and shaking it. Fluttershy twitched as he wrapped his large hand around her hoof and shook gently.

So… he was the Doshu'um. The owner of the sword. He obviously wasn't the leader of the horde. So then, what did his title mean?

Fluttershy gestured to us, then said, "Maybe they'd like to know you, too," she smiled.

Reku'un chuckled softly, then stood up. "Thank you, Fluttershy," he smiled, walking over to us with her at his side. His height completely overshadowed us, and he was at least a head taller than Celestia, forcing her to look up as well.

Princess Celestia took the initiative and cleared her throat. "I am Princess Celestia," she smiled, holding her hoof out but flinching as she remembered it was injured.

Suddenly, the creature shot out an arm and grabbed the hoof. We went on high alert, but our bodies were kept still against our will.

"What are you—?!" Fluttershy went silent as a blue aura emanated from the creatures palm and onto Celestia's hoof.

She watched incredulously as the slash marks on her foreleg sealed instantly, and the aura traveled up to her bleeding cheek, healing it as well. Reku'un freed us from the telekinetic grip he had us in. Celestia and Luna were shocked about as much as we were, but Reku'un only smiled and chuckled.

"Reku'un Alamonshuor, Your Highness," he chuckled, getting onto a knee and bowing. "From what I gather, she would be your… daughter?"

Luna rolled her eyes as Celestia giggled. "She isn't that much older than I," the Princess of the Night huffed. "I am her sister, and co-ruler of Equestria."

Reku'un noticed the firm tone, and he quickly lost his smile. "My mistake," he nodded respectfully.

"Don't mind her," Celestia smiled. "She can get very flustered at times."

Luna rolled her eyes, but Celestia nudged her to quit acting as she was. Reku'un took her broken hoof anyway and healed it as well, smiling softly as she thanked him. "And… who are you all?" He asked us.

Brash and bold as ever, Rainbow stepped up and shook his hand. "Rainbow Dash," she nodded. "Fastest pegasi around."

I didn't think she would actually use that old, self-given title. "Nice to meet you," he chuckled, gauging the self-confidence that Rainbow couldn't shake.

"Pinkie Pie," Pinkie smiled, shaking his hand next.

"Rarity," my fashionista friend greeted.

"Ah'm Applejack," AJ nodded, giving him a firm shake. "And this is mah brother, Big Macintosh."

The macintosh-red stallion gave him a knowing nod and firm shake. He finally moved to me, his nose twitching quickly and his eyes widening just a bit. He waited for me, and I swallowed the lump in my throat, then cleared it.

"My name is Twilight Sparkle," I said, extending a hoof out. "Princess Celestia's student."

He slowly took my hoof, then kneeled down. "You were the one who took the chains from my body," he said, earning surprise looks from us.

"So you were awake?" I asked, a bit more quickly and more rudely than I intended.

He shook his head. "I was… drifting," he sighed. "I… remember being chained inside… a fortress."

"We got you outta there," Rainbow told him. "And we got those things off of ya because of Tulip."

Reku'un turned back to the young mare to my right, and he smiled gratefully, but eyed the scars over her body. "Thank you," he nodded.

She nervously nodded. "I-It was… nothing," Tulip said.

It was then that I realized that he was still holding my hoof, and I think the others noticed as well. I withdrew my hoof from his hand, snapping his attention back to me.

"So… are they all dead?" I quickly asked.

Reku'un nodded, a frown forming as he glanced at the bodies. "I made sure of it," he snorted. "Are there more of you?"

"Yes, they've evacuated to another settlement," Celestia said. "Through the eastern tunnel."

"Then let's get you to safety," he said. "Nalo."

His armor whirred and sprinted over to him.

"Yungok i deget (Create a bridge)" He ordered.

The armor split into four pieces, two planting themselves across the small gorge while the other two planted themselves on our side. A flicker of light connected them, and a bridge of light formed.

"We should move quickly, before another horde comes," he warned.

We trotted cautiously over the bridge, then made our way out of the castle. Outside, even more bodies of dead soldiers laid around, piles of them here and there. Reku'un walked beside us, his armor following at the back as we made our way to the eastern tunnel. When we reached the exit, we discovered that it had collapsed on itself. We each reacted similarly, turning around and dreading the fact that we needed to go through the tunnel the soldiers had came through.

"Hold on," Reku'un said. He kneeled down and placed his palm on the ground, closing his eyes and slowing his breathing.

Another pulse of mana passed over me, as well as the princesses and Rarity. He stood back up, aimed his palm at the door, and fired a large beam straight through the pile of boulders. The beam brightened until it was blinding to look, but it only lasted for a few seconds. The mess of rocks had been cleared to nothing, a new hole having been carved to make sure it didn't collapse. He sighed softly, lowering his arm and clutching his head before he turned to us.

"This is where we part ways," he informed us.

"This is the only way to go," Luna told him. "The other entrance—"

"Is where the Arthanians poured through," he interrupted. "I know. And that is where I intend to go."

"WHAT?!" We all shouted, even Big Mac.

"You're not serious, right?!" Rainbow exclaimed.

"You could die!" Fluttershy added.

"There are thousands of those things!" I continued, stepping forward. "We have to leave before more come!"

He didn't answer, instead waiting for his armor to wait behind him. "Those neutralizers made me weak," he told us. "I've yet to fully understand what you all are, and I think you feel the same, but I can battle armies of those bastards and survive," he stated matter-of-factly. "My partner is being held still, and I won't leave her. Now, would you mind telling me where it was you found me?"

We stared at him with disbelieving and incredulous looks, unsure if he was arrogant, stubborn, stupid, or all three. "There are too many for me and my sister to handle, even together," Celestia said, trying to warn him. "You may have handled these soldiers, but there are much more in Canterlot."

Reku'un laughed, not mockingly, but we were still a bit offended. "I guess this is a reasonable time to tell you about my kind," he chuckled. "My planet is many star systems away. It is much bigger than this one, more than twice its size. My people train upon our third cycle to fight these abominations."

He drew his blade, looking over the symbols with pride.

"My father gave me this sword," he chuckled. "As his father did the same, and his father before him, and his father before him, and so on for four hundred and eighty-nine generations. They used this sword and that very same armor to guide my people, and now it is my turn."

That would mean…

"Each of my ancestors have cleansed planets of these things, for the past million years," Reku'un smiled. "My brothers are out right now, looking for me with my father. Their powers completely overshadow my own, and they aren't as merciful as I am. But… right now, my mission is to find Nyla, signal my kind, and hopefully bring in a fleet to save this planet before it is a barren wasteland."

His kind had been at war… for millions of years… and there were more like him… and they had lasted this long. And their mission was to kill these things?

"You are the Doshu'um!" Luna exclaimed. "I told you, Sister! I knew he was one of mother's vanguards! They weren't stories, and he is living proof of that fact!"

Reku'un looked surprised that she knew who he was, and what his title represented. "You… You said… your mother's vanguards?"

Celestia stepped forward, a more stern look on her face. "If your power is as plentiful as you say it is, then I am ordering you to help us," she said. "My little ponies have suffered for a decade, living in fear of those monsters and destroying any hope the foals can come up with."

Reku'un looked a bit angered by the fact that she had ordered him around, and he said as much. "There are races that have suffered for centuries," he shouted. "My own people lose millions of our own for the protection of each race! What gives you the idea that I should drop everything and help only you?!"

Luna stepped forward as well. "Because we are ordering you, as the daughters of Minira," she said.

Reku'un gasped softly, looking over each more thoroughly. He saw the sun and moon cutie marks, then the similarities in their faces and forms. To our surprise, he dropped to both knees and bowed with both hands resting on the ground.

"I-I… I apologize," he quickly said. "I… did not realize you existed on the mortal plane."

"Then make amends and help us," Celestia said, desperation settling in. "I want my ponies to see the sun again. To witness my sister's moon and stars. And to live as we once did."

"We need something, a glimmer even, to bring hope. And with you, we found a ray of light that has burned since the dawn of your kind," Luna added. "Please. Our mother has asked much, and she knows this better than either of us. But we ask again, that you help us protect our subjects and give our lands back to us."

Reku'un stood up, sheathing his blade and nodding with a new demeanor of loyalty. "I promise, Ichima and Limir, that I will free this planet," he stated. "But I still must find my partner before I am at full strength. And signaling my people would make this a short battle. But it will make the body count practically zero. So I ask you, will you allow me to find my partner?"

"We shall," Celestia said, placing a hoof on his right shoulder. "But after that, you must come into hiding with us, and protect our settlements. Just until we can figure out our next move. Understand?"

Reku'un nodded. "Clearly," he nodded. "Lead the way."

Me and the others were still completely unsure as to what they were talking about, but I felt that we would find out real soon.

For now, we needed to run.

But this would be the last time we ran. The last time we fled from our enemy.

Because now, we had met him.

Now, we had his trust and undying loyalty to his gods.

With him, we would become free.

With him, we would take back our world.

With him… we would reclaim our freedom.

Author's Note

Yep, that's who he is. Another alternate to my main story. But, as I said, this is my attempt at darker stuff. But now, we get into some lighter and meaningful writing. So, as always, like, fav, comment, and have an awesome day or night! Peaces!