The Last Pack

Slowly I phase into the body feeling as my thoughts and the warmth of the blanket covering me returns and the drowsiness along with it. I slowly started sitting up in the bed only to be pushed back down by a nurse who heard me rustling to life.

“Rest now, you are still in no condition to be up and moving.” she said her voice calm and soothing.

“What…what happened to me…” I trailed off feeling as soreness and nausea wash over me causing me to swallow some throw up.

“I am not exactly sure as the field report has yet to of come in, but when you came in your breathing was extremely shallow and your heartbeat was faint. You had us all worried you were going to die, looks like you pulled through, but right now you still need to rest so you can regain your strength.” she said jotting down the readings on the monitors that surrounded my bed. I felt pricks all over my body and when I looked down to where they were I froze.

The length of my body was covered in needles that were no doubt keeping me hydrated and recycling my blood.

“Nurse can you tell me something?” I asked to the pony. She turned around and raised an eyebrow to me. “You said that when I came in, I was terribly ill and you thought I was going to die, correct?” She simply nodded her head. “So, tell me this, how long was I out?” When I asked this she turned away immediately and sighed.

“Well, when you were brought in…It’s true, you were terribly ill, even more close to death than you were to life, but you were somehow barely clinging to a single thread of life. After running blood tests we found that you had both A and B blood running through your system, your own body was fighting itself, so we quickly started to use these needles to recycle the blood with a serum that would eliminate one type of blood, and considering most members of The Pack are B positive we chose to eliminate the A positive blood in your system and replace it with more B positive blood and continued to recycle it through this machine here.” she gestured towards the machine where I saw blood flowing in one end and out the other, at the top of the machine there was a clear glass ball containing a sapphire blue liquid, I guess that was the serum she was talking about.

“It’s been a full week since you have come in, the field report is still being written but I don’t expect it for a couple more days as the pony that saved you hardly cares for them and puts them off until last minute.” she said giving a slight smirk and giggle.

I shook my head in disappointment, “Honestly, I should’ve expected better from the pony that saved me and…” I stopped abruptly, my eyes widening in fear. “Where’s the other pony she brought in, is she okay? is she alive?!” I asked almost screaming increasing my heartbeat.

“She’s fine! Calm down, she is alright. She’s in the station over, she hasn’t woken up yet from what I can tell so don’t worry. She was in a much better condition than you were but seems to of been put into a coma from hitting her head on the ground too hard.” as she said this I felt both a wave of relief and a wave of regret wash over me. I sighed heavily.

“That’s a relief…” I said laying back into my bed. The nurse started to walk over to me with a stethoscope and started to feel around my chest looking for a heartbeat. She found it after about a minute of looking.

“Hmmm, that’s very odd…” She moved the stethoscope to another part of my body, then another. “What in the…” she said quietly taking a few steps back.

“What? What’s wrong?” I asked confused. She stopped and regained her composure.

“It’s nothing to worry about, at least not for now. Get some rest for now, I need to go talk to Glistening Star, please get some rest while I am away.” she said worriedly. That was very strange…also who is Glistening Star? Hmm…

Seems you’re finally awake Solstice, it’s been over a week your time, how do you feel?

How do I feel? Not too bad other than the nausea, the soreness and weakness is fine, I’m used to it. I hear her start to giggle a little.

Well that is quite good, it seems like you ought to be fine though, minor concussion and differentiated blood type. No big deal.

What do you mean no big deal? If it were no big deal I wouldn’t be in this hospital bed, now would I? I cross my arms and stare angrily at the wall hoping she could see it.

That tis true but for you it is nothing compared to what you have had before and had survived, so all is well. I would take her advice though, you might want to get some rest, telling by how fast you’re recovering right now you’ll be ready by tonight if you rest and allow your body to recover faster. As she finishes saying this I feel myself start to drift off.

*yawns* Let me guess...Sleep spells can reach here from the moon?

Yup…

I felt as everything slipped away in an instant and this time instead of being on the moon with Luna, I was in a house. I looked around to see where I was only to find myself alone at the end of an endless hallway. I slowly started to walk down the hallway looking at the pictures on the wall. They weren’t ordinary pictures, no. They were pictures of ponies, more precisely their history, from the dawn of the first ponies up to current times. I slowly walked past each painting allowing the history to flood through my mind taking in every note I could, mostly from the great discordian war with the god of chaos, Discord.

The world was twisted and distorted to a reality beyond comprehension as it went against any known laws of the universe. Time was distorted greatly, in some spots years would fly by in mere seconds destroying and eroding rocks, trees, and more importantly the poor ponies that were unlucky enough to of wandered into the vortexes of time. Some spots time would be so slow that when a pony exits it, to the ones on the outside it seems like only a second, while to them it felt like many great years of solitude and loneliness. Gravity was hardly an issue as Earth ponies floated around as if they were flying, defying all laws of physics set forth by the world. The clouds were made of gum and rained chocolate rain that distorted anything that it had touched.

I heard a thunderous boom from over the horizon and felt myself started to float towards the great explosion to find myself standing over the god of chaos and the goddesses of the sun and moon fight. Their clashes caused the earth to shake and the very air around them crack with thunder causing me to turn away from the light and sound. When I looked back to where they were, they were……...gone. They had disappeared from right in front of me, but how? No creature in the universe could move that fast. The magic in this world will forever be a mystery to me.

The world below me opened up to a pitch black, and from what I could tell, bottomless hole. I felt as the gravity of the world that had allowed me to float freely finally give way to normal gravity and I simply fell into the hole trying to get a hold of my descent by flapping my wings, sadly it was to no avail. I simply stopped and allowed myself to fall, I closed my eyes and started diving headfirst feeling as the wind rushed by my face and through my mane.

When I finally opened my eyes, I was rushing towards the ground over a town from what I could tell, hundreds, if not thousands of ponies, were gathered around below me watching in awe. Then something flew past me, it was a rainbow going about the speed of sound which threw me spiraling out of the sky and I landed inside of a tree. I looked around and there was no indication of me even breaking into it, something that caught my eye was that the entire room I was in, was covered in books.

“Spike! Can you bring me some quills?” I heard a voice call out. I looked around to see where the voice had come from only to find nothing. I got up and started to walk around when I saw a pure black figure start moving across the room and enter a doorway.

“Here you go T-” The voice had garbled at the end making what it said incomprehensible, but I chose to follow the figure into where it had entered. When I opened the door I had entered into what seemed to be a bakery, more specifically a sweets bakery. The counter in front of me had encased a large pink cake and what it had said scarred me more than anything. It had said, “Your life is over Solstice, just accept your fate. You’re dead.”

I slowly stepped away in fear only to find myself bumping into something, I didn’t want to turn around in fear of what I may of seen. I could hear it breathing overhead, it’s hot breath seeping over the back of my body, I slowly started to turn around to find myself inside of a new place, instead of staring into the face of an unknown creature. I looked around to see that the entirety of the room was covered in dresses on racks, and oddly saddles of various different design. I guess that this was some sort of dress shop for ponies.

I found myself starting to slowly look around, not for anything in particular, but just for the sake of seeing what the ponies would wear as normal attire. My wandering stopped when a figure in the middle of the room started to move, it was slowly walking towards where I was standing. I felt my heartbeat start to rise and my breathing got heavier as it approached me, I slowly started to back away.

“Don’t be afraid darling, I won’t hurt you.” I heard the figure say. It was both soothing and calming, I felt as my fears had left me. I felt my mouth move to try and say something, but no sound would come out of my mouth. I then felt as something behind me grabbed me and threw me into the wall.

When I opened my eyes this time, I found myself to be staring at the room of an empty cottage with some animals scampering around. I walked to the window of the cottage to look outside only to find that outside there was nothing but darkness. I turned around to see a yellow pony standing in the middle of the room, yet I couldn’t make out any features of this pony as her whole body including her mane and tail were encased in the brilliant yellow. I walked over to examine it more closely only for it to shy away from me. I felt as I mouthed, “It’s okay, I’m not going to hurt you.” the figure stopped and slowly started approaching me instead, it was a mere foot away from me when I felt a surge of energy rush through me throwing me out of the door of the cottage into the endless void of darkness.

I awoke to the howling of what sounded like wolves off in the distance, I looked around to see that I was in the middle of an...Apple Orchard? I was confused by this, but the wolves howled once more to bring me out of my confusion.

I started walking around to see if I could find any shelter as it was nighttime, and from what I could tell it was midnight. After searching around for what seemed like an hour, I found myself walking into a barn. I looked around slowly as to make sure that there was no-one around and laid down on some hay and felt as I drifted off to sleep, only to be awoken in what seemed like seconds later by a pure orange figure poking me with its hoof. I looked up quizzically only for it to turn around and buck me, knocking me out.

I awoke with a start, realizing that I was splayed out on a table, all four limbs strapped to the four corners of the table. I recollected myself quickly realizing finally that this was just a dream. As the thought crossed my mind, I wondered why I was on a table and not out doing what I want in a world that is of my creation. I was quickly given that answer.

“Yes this may be a dream Solstice, but you are not it’s controller nor are you its conceiver either. We are.” The voice was deep and stressed. Were they psychopaths that my mind created to keep this dream in check? No sooner had I thought about this had it responded. “We are not psychopaths, Solstice, we are the Order of Harmony. Many would call us gods, many would call us mortals, many would call us crazed and broken, but we consider ourselves, balancers, nothing more, and nothing less.”  This time when it spoke, it spoke with a normal voice causing me to question it even further.

“What do you mean, balancers? You’re nothing more than a figment of my imagination that was created by my mind, nothing more and nothing less, you aren’t a clan, group, guild, or anything else, just ima-” I was cut off by a sword landing itself in my left rear hoof, causing me to bit down to resist from screaming in pain.

“Imaginations? Then you should be interested to know, just how real we are Lionel, Azriel, Tiamat, Lost Solstice, or whatever you choose to be called now.” Another voice said, this time it belonged to what I assumed was a female. How did they know those names?

“Those names are just names, nothing more. As to who Sylvian is, you should already know, or have you not put one and one together?” The voice was the first one again. I thought about what he said for a minute trying to put it together. Tiamat…I know that name…but from what. “Oh come on, you know it, put it together, tick tock!”

“Don’t rush me! I’m thinking!” I yelled. It quickly went silent and I returned to my thoughts. This time I spoke in my mind towards Luna and Azriel.

Luna, and Azriel can you help me out here, do either of you know what myth Tiamat is from?

I don’t know exactly but I will think on it, it sounds familiar.

I know the name, and its origin.

I sighed in relief hearing him say this.

“What do you give up on it?” I heard the second voice speak again this time giggling.

“Nope, exactly the opposite.” I feel as I let Azriel take over and start to recite what the myth is and the meaning behind the name. Instead of my normal turning, we stay as a pony strapped to the table, the only noticeable difference was my eyes. I felt as I was pushed into the back of my mind allowing Azriel to take control and speak.

“What is this? You brought out Azriel to speak? Are you s-” Azriel quickly cut off the creature talking.

“Save your insults for one who wishes to be irritated by malevolent beings such as you, that won’t even show their faces to the one they claim to know everything of the pony they have captured in his dreams.” Azriel said extremely irritated. I felt as the anger burned his mind and our body.

“Now then, Tiamat is from an old Babylonian myth, it is the name of a sea goddess who was in turn a dragon and the mother of the first gods of the world. How this relates to us as name wise, I am unsure, but it seems you clearly know.” Azriel recited with ease. I was taken aback at this because I realized something just then. When I was in dragon form, no matter how loud my voice had gotten it was deep yet, it was still feminine, so this explained it perfectly.

“It seems you were not allowed in your maste-” the female voice was cut off by Azriel.

“If you dare call him my “master” I will find you and I will rip you apart, slowly by peeling away each layer of skin slowly while using a rusted dirk to carve off each layer making it tear in various places as it is torn away and cut then leave you to die a slow and painful death after placing a spell on you to make it so nothing can heal you. EVER!” I felt the anger grow in my body as Azriel said this, then I noticed something. My mane was flowing, just as it did in the legend, but it was impossible…I’m not a unicorn, so how can I have any magic? The room quickly grew silent as I returned my attention to the situation at hand.

“Know this Azriel, you are not long for this world if you speak like that to others. Yet we shall let you and your master go. You have entertained us for a good while now and your mind is growing restless, we can’t keep this up much longer, and with this, we shall bid you adieu.” All three of the voices said in unison. I felt Azriel breaking the chains that bound us to the table and start to rush at one of the voices. I felt as my hoof connected with a head, but before we could even get a good look the figure disappeared leaving behind a phantom image. It slowly dissipated cackling.

I was soon returned control of my body after asking Azriel more about the Babylonian myth, most of which he knew off the top of his head, and some he had to recall. As we had finished the floor below us vanished and once again we were falling.

My eyes slowly opened and I felt as my head was throbbing from my recent dream adventures. When I finally got my vision straight I realized I was surrounded by a great many ponies, all of which were in uniform and had the same insignia on their shirts. I slowly looked around looking at all the ponies who were gawking. I then heard one of the ponies next to me.

“He’s awake everypony!” he yelled right in my ear causing me to flinch at the sound. I sigh and look at him irritated.

“Hey! Do you mind not shouting in my ear? and what do you mean I’m awake? Of course I’m awake, it isn’t some big dang on occasion that we all gather around for, it’s quite creepy.” I said making him shy away a little bit in embarrassment. “Now then, can somepony tell me just what in the sam heck is going on here?” I asked hoping to get an answer.

“I can explain sir!” I heard one of the ponies next to me say. I recognized that voice, but who was it? I looked over at her and nodded.

“I don’t know if you remember me at all but formal introductions are in order, I am Glistening Star. The reason everypony is gathered around is because they had all heard of the legend when they were younger and had always dreamed of the day you would return and well, the day has finally come sir and its been a week since I had brought you in for medical attention and you are waking up finally. The nurse had told me that you were awake and were able to be seen finally. When I walked in you were already asleep again, so I sat here patiently waiting for you to wake up, then I guess my field report had gotten out when the generals hit the roof when they heard it was Lost Solstice that I brought in. It got everypony out here to see you when you woke up.” After she had finished I quickly gave her a hug.

“Glistening Star, eh? Thanks for bringing me and my wife in after that big ordeal over at that castle.” I said holding her tight, watching as all the other ponies and creatures gawked at the sight. I felt as she returned the hug. I let her go and continued to speak, “Now then, to everypony and from what I can tell a melting pot of other creatures as well, I am not the pony you want to think of me as, it is true, I am the reincarnation of Lost Solstice, but I am not him either, for one I don’t even remember that life and I had to hear it from your commander, Luna during the week I was out cold. She told me of the legend, but I can’t confirm that I am he, and may I point out, I am clearly a pegasi, not a unicorn as told in the legend.” I said aloud hoping everyone could hear me.

“I can’t say that I am Lost Solstice, nor can I say that was my life in the past. I can’t tell you anymore about myself then as I have no recollection of that life, or the life I had lived before it. Until all is sorted out, I don’t want any special treatment, I don’t want to be your “Vice-Commander” I just want to go through training and do what I need to survive my time in this world.”

“I will earn my name among all of you, not just be given it. As to the legend, I can confirm Luna will be back in two weeks and six days time. During that time, if you truly want to make her proud, if you truly want Lost Solstice’s name to not be in vain, train as hard as ever, work harder than ever, and fight harder than ever to bring down the Tyrant Queen.”

As I finished, the crowd just stood in silence, waiting for me to say more. Then I heard slowly as the crowd started to clippity clop the ground and start to retreat from the tent ecstatically. Then 7 ponies walked in. These ponies were different then the rest, they were about middle age and they wore capes, and on their shirts instead of the insignia, they each had different symbols, from my guess they were the symbols for what they were in charge of.

“Sergeant Star, please leave us, we have some things to discuss with Vic- I mean Recruit Solstice.” One of them spoke breaking the silence. Glistening star put her hoof over her insignia and said, “Sir, yes sir!” then walked out of the tent, closing it up behind her.

“So……You’re supposed to be the legendary Lost Solstice huh?” This time the pony with the Blue seal that resembled a ship asked. I simply nodded. “Well we have news for you, you aren’t, you’re just another pony who wishes to be something better than who he really is. Now why don’t you tell us who you really are?” He questioned this time with anger in his voice. The other ponies gathered around us, one of them pushed him off of me and said.

“Give him some space General Dusk.” He said glaring at him.

I sat up quickly and sighed, “My name here supposedly is Lost Solstice, I was called this by Princess Luna, Azriel, Commander Bolt, and Queen Celestia. Do I know why? I have no clue or I did have no clue. My real name in the world I come from is Lionel Varellian, son of Zachary Varellian and Beatrice Varellian. I was a Captain in the United States Marine Corps. I was betrayed during a trade for Major Lynn, who is my wife who is also here, still knocked out in the room over. I didn’t know who the Commander really was until I met him for the trade and I didn’t recognize the name at all, and still don’t other than him being the previous vice commander before Lost Solstice who turned out to be a traitor for Queen Celestia. I came here with another person, his name was Luis Vasquez, His rank was Staff Sergeant and was apart of my squad in the United States Marine Corps. He was unlucky enough to of gone to the trade with me to get my wife back. Now I have no clue where he is in this world, heck I bet he’s still trying to adjust to the idea of talking ponies who can fly using wings and unicorns who can use magic. I know I still am. As to you asking if I am thinking I am Lost Solstice, you heard what I just said so if you really want to get on me, then just kick me out and I’ll find out how to survive on my own here, because this war is not my’n and it never has been, I’m helping for Princess Luna and Azriel and to get my wife home. Also to kill the Tyrant Queen as she had killed my brother by using his blood and organs to adorn a closet.” As I finished saying this the generals around me slowly nodded and the one called General Dusk punched me.

“Don’t you ever call out your superior like tha-” I quickly sent him flying across the room with a resounding crack of hoof against skull.

“I am still strong enough to whoop your butt general, don’t lay a hand...errr… I mean hoof on me ever again or you will pay dearly for it.” I stood up taking out all the needles and removing the other attachments causing the machines to start beeping crazily. The general slowly got up and said.

“I think I’m going to like you, haven’t had a pony sock me since grade school.” He spit out a small thing of blood. “You sure know how to pack a punch. Now get some sleep, your training starts first thing in the morning, consider this your only lucky punch you’ll get on me.” He said laughing. The other generals say their introductions and goodbyes as the nurses come in to shut off the machines and try to usher me back into the bed.

“Rise and Shine recruits! The day ain’t going to be begin on it’s own!” I heard someone shouting. “Get up! Get up! Get up!” The voice repeated over and over until it finally reached its way over my bed. “Get u-” I quickly shot up glaring at the instructor.

“Say it one more time and I’ll rip that horn off and shove it where the sun don’t shine.” I said angrily causing the pony to stop. He then chuckled and continued yelling.

“So! It looks like we got a tough pony here! Know what that earns all of you? An Extra 3 miles on the morning jog!” He yells smirking at me. All the other recruits are already out of bed and I see as some of them are glaring at me. I smirk and decide to do some more damage.

“Five Miles sir? I think we can do better than that. Five miles, what do you take us for? Newborns?” I say laughing as I get up out of my bed and confront the Drill Sergeant. I stood a mere inch away from his face looking into his eyes until he finally turned away.

“Fine, you can do an extra 15 miles Recruit Solstice. The rest of you, you are to do 5 miles then go to your posted schedules in the mess hall!” He yelled, it was returned quickly with a big sigh of relief by everypony.

I looked around the room to find that everypony was glaring at me trying to burn holes into me only for me to smirk and start to walk out of the room and say, “Why don’t yall stop glaring and get to work? If you want to fight me, then do it instead of just standing idly by. Take a stand for what you believe and stick to it, no matter what others may say or do to you.” I then exit the building and put on my running gear along with an extra 5 pounds on each hoof, to compensate for the 20 pound ankle weights I used back on Earth.

It took only two and a half hours for me to complete my 20 miles. When I returned to the camp finally, the instructors believed I had cheated on my miles and did less than what I was told, so they made me redo them, this time with their supervision, and to their astonishment, I completed in another two and a half hours. I waited for about another hour and thirty minutes before they finally arrived at the designated point to end the 20 mile jog.

“Sweet Luna…How in the world can you run THAT fast for so long Recruit?” One of the instructors said through struggling breaths.

“Well for one sir, I did lots of endurance and speed training back in my world, usually with 20 pound weights on my legs. I did that for about 6 years straight and soon enough I jogged at the speed of someone who could run at the speed of 8 miles per hour. So what you saw me doing, wasn’t even running, it was simply jogging for me.” I said from the ground staring up to the sky. I looked at the instructors who had the best, “What in the sam heck”, faces I had ever seen which caused me to laugh.

“Well, recruit if that is jogging with weight, I am terrified to know what jogging without that weight is like.” The P.T. Instructor said gesturing towards my ankle weights.

“Well I’m thinking about going up to 40 pounds now since I have 4 legs instead of only two.” I quickly retorted, sitting straight up to see them shaking their heads and laughing. “What’s so funny?” I asked.

“You’re crazy, that’s what’s so dang on funny.” The flight instructor said between laughs. “Anyway’s we should all be on to our afternoon classes, you’re with me Recruit. Let’s see if that endurance and speed is any good in the air.” he said putting on a serious face and staring at me.

“Well the thing is sir, even though I am fast on the ground and strong, flying, I have absolutely no clue how to do. I’ve never flown a day in my- wait a minute - the only time I ever flew was in that dragon form when I was escaping Celestias castle, but it felt like the flying was being controlled by something else and I was just telling it where to go, but still my statement stands.” I said hoping to dodge the class so I could go and do some more research on Tiamat through Azriel.

“You honestly don’t know how to fly Solstice? Just exactly where did you grow up then?” He asked screwing up his face in disgust.

“You all did get the report as to who I was right? And where I’m from?” I asked to all of the instructors who simply shook their heads. “Seriously? Do the generals keep even that important information from you, the ones who are to instruct the new recruits? Including a pony who isn’t even really a pony?” I asked hoping that they were joking with me.

“Well I guess that might explain your crazy talk about, “In my world”, and “In dragon form”. Can you tell us everything?” one of the instructors stated aloud, he was met with a hoof to the back of the head by the fighting instructor.

“Don’t go askin-” I quickly cut him off.

“No no no, you all deserve to know, especially since you’re going to be the ones training me over the next couple months.” I said drifting off into who I was, where I came from and what my real name was and the reason for my existence as it has been told.

“Hmmm, I think we should use these ropes instead, they're more durable, and considering how strong that Solstice guy is, we need the most durable we can get.” one of the recruits said who was in on the prank.

“Yeah, I guess you’re right.” I said drifting off, taking the rope from his hooves. “Alright, is that all we need?” I asked to the 5 other ponies standing around me.

“Yeah that’s it Vasquez. You sure this will be enough to hold this guy?” one of the ponies asked me.

“Yeah it’s enough, no pony can withstand chains, and ropes. Tying him down without waking him will be tricky.” I said looking over to the recruit standing to my left.

“He sleeps like a dragon hibernating, nothing can wake him unless it is a yelling voice or an alarm.” said the bunkmate of Solstice who slept on the top bunk above Solstice. I quietly contemplated this thinking the plan out thoroughly for the sixth time.

“Well it will be risky, especially if he wakes up, but he keeps getting us extra miles every dang morning, are we going to continue to stand for this?” I asked to the five ponies around me. They responded with a silent no. “Is it worth latrine duty for the next 2 months because of him? Is it worth any of the punishment we get because of him?” I asked whispering harshly.

“NO!” They whispered harshly back to me. I snickered and held out my hoof and did our chant.

“Hey recruits! It’s time for lights out! Get to bed!” I heard Solstice call out as he entered the room. He was a Generals pet, pathetic. I looked over to each of the other ponies who were in on the prank and nodded. They all nodded in return.

We had waited for 2 hours until everypony was asleep. We slowly got off of our beds, being sure not to wake up anypony else, taking care to get the ropes and chains and stuffing our pillows with anything we could find.

I slowly walk over to Solstice with rope in hoof and jaw and throw it over to another recruit who was waiting. We did this process over and over tying Solstice to the length of the bed, then did the same thing with the chains. Not once did he even flinch. We tightened it and made sure he was securely fastened.

What is this crap? Do they even know how to make a real prank? This is nothing. I was thinking to myself as I heard each of them try to be silent as they threw the rope over and under me along with chains. What, was this amateur hour?

“Alright it’s tight, you ponies ready?” I heard one of them whisper. In unison they all said yes making sure to try and make it so I couldn’t hear them. As I heard the first sack being lifted, I released Azriels form shattering the chains and scaring the crap out of all the ponies who were trying to prank me. I howled as loud as I could sending them running with their tails between their legs out of the room while I was left to laugh on my now broken bunk bed.

The lights quickly turned on and everypony in the room was staring at me and I heard ponies from the tents over waking up to see what the source of the howling was. I saw as the instructors and generals ran into the tent yelling.

“What in the name of Luna happened in here?!” They yelled looking at the shattered pieces of chain on the ground and broken pieces of rope strewn across the floor. The thing that caught their eyes the most was me, all of them stopped immediately on me after they assessed everything else.

“GUARDS!” One of the generals yelled, my eyes quickly widened.

“Whoa whoa whoa! General Dusk! There’s no need to call the guards.” I said in Azriels voice. They looked back at me as if they had seen a ghost.

“Did...Did that thing just talk?” one of the generals said, I also heard a few ponies in the crowd ask that too. I snickered at it.

“Of course I talked, what didn’t you read in the reports who I supposedly was? I told you that I was able to turn into this form, guess none of you believed me.” I said shaking my head holding the bridge between my eyes with my forefingers.

“So… Recruit Solstice?” the instructors and generals asked in unison.

“Nooooo, I’m recruit imbecile! Reporting for duty!” I said sarcasticly, getting few giggles from the crowd gathered around. The generals and instructors started to glare at me.

“Well, turn back to normal, and report to my office NOW!” yelled General Dusk. I sighed and stood up, well over 3 heads taller than him. I looked around to see many scared and frightened faces, but one face caught my eye. The pony simply stared at me, no expression, just staring, straight through me. It made me shudder.

“Okay okay, but there are 6 other ponies you need to have come with us, as they are the source of this prank gone wrong. I was the expected victim of it, as they were not.” I said looking down at the general. I then saw as six ponies including the one who was staring at me start to move towards the door. “There they are!” I said chasing after each of them before they could get out of the door and heaving them over my shoulder on top of one another. “Alright lets go.” I said exiting the tent shortly followed by the instructors and generals. With the grumbled anger of the ponies I was carrying.

“If you all didn’t want this to happen, you should have just gone to bed instead of trying to pull a prank on the best recruit of your tent.” I heard one of the generals blurt out. He was met with silence, so I dropped all six of the ponies right in front of the generals tent, and reverted back to my pony form.

I turned around to see the generals and instructors gawking at me. “What? Is it really that amazing to see me transform, so to speak?” I asked, only to have one of them point to my head.

“You...You...You have….You have a horn?!” He practically yelled, I felt as my front right hoof moved its way towards the top of my head and felt something protruding out of it.

Oh great, this can’t possibly get any worse. “Your wings are gone too!” General Dusk yelled. Great, first I get a horn, now I lose my wings. There goes all my flying training I was doing.