Stronghold: Legends are Made!by Music within usChaptersChapter 1Chapter 2Chapter 3Chapter 4Mini Chapter 1Chapter 5Chapter 6Mini Chapter 2Chapter 7Chapter 8EpiloguePrologueChapter 1Chapter 1: HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU (again)! As I opened my eyes (Well, more like eye), I woke up in Fluttershy's cottage. I've gone back 100 years, just as I planned. That means it worked, and I have a second chance. I can't blow it. And if I remember it right, today was my 25th birthday. I got up, rubbed my face, stretched and went into the bathroom. I looked into the mirror. I looked like I went to the beach, which I had the day before to have a good time with my now seven year old son. I had a beard going on, so I took my hair trimmer and plugged it in. I then clipped on a number two over the blade. I made sure I had a bag under my chin so that I wouldn't clog the sink with my facial hair. I got to work on my face, which had lost it's youthful chubbiness over the past 8 years. I looked like my face was chiseled out of wood by a expert craftsman. But that doesn't matter to me. What matters is that I look good for the surprise party that waited for me downstairs. Because you see, the surprise party is also a mission meeting. But it's better to bombard someone with cake on their birthday first instead of manila folders filled with briefings. I have to make an impression for the people I'm trying to help. Otherwise, they won't take me seriously, and they'll doubt me. They'd think; should we really trust that a guy who can't keep his beard maintained can save us from Discord? Trust me, you'd be amazed at how one thing can relate to the other. Over the course of 8 years, my hair has gotten some color. For some reason, it's now a shade of yellow that you can see on the mane of Derpy Hooves, a leader of one of our Divisions. The division she leads is called the Destruction team. To be specific, Destruction team alpha D (yes, as in Derpy). I realized my hair was getting longer too, but all i did was remove the number two and put the number four on, since my hair was long enough to sport the number four on the sides and back. I then trimmed away. So as I now washed off the stray little hairs that stuck to my neck and chest I thought of what to wear. But before I can do that, I had to take a shower, so I strip down and put my pj's in the hamper. I turned on the shower and got in. I washed my body, then used some shampoo and conditioner (Fluttershy made me buy it) to wash my hair. I turned the shower water off and dried myself with my towel. I got out, and wrapped the towel around my waist, so as to make sure nopony (Especially Carrot Cake. It's bad enough that on her 12th birthday she asked about her real parents.) saw me in the nude. I walked up to my wardrobe, and saw my favorite (and only) birthday suit; a three piece suit with a dark blue tie and a pinstriped jacket and slacks. I put on my underwear and my socks, then the three piece, which was tailor-made by rarity. I found the leather loafers that went with it, and combed my hair in a fashion that waved over my left eye without looking ugly on me. I looked in the mirror and I looked like I was ready to go on a date. I went downstairs, grabbing the car keys because that same day was my 7 year old's first day of school among the ponies. And when I turned on the lights to the living room, I got shot with Pinkie Pie's Party Cannon. I grinned, remembering this from the first time. "Man, that never gets old." I muttered as all of Ponyville screamed "SURPRISE!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MAX!!!" "Aww, thanks, guys! I'm so glad you remembered!" I said, blushing. Twilight came up to me in human form and shook my hand, speaking in a calm manner, "Well, you deserved a little cheering up. After all you've done for us, you deserve it...besides, I don't want to make your day start out bad." She then added with a cheery little smile. I can't show that I'm from the future, so I acted as if I'm confused. So, I made a bewildered face and said, "What do you mean, Princess Twi?" She came up to my ear and whispered "We've got a mission for you after the party." I then whispered to her "But what about my kids? They need to get to school." "Fine. But either way, we need you to check this out as soon as possible." She then backed up and hugged me. It lasted a few minutes before she blushed and let go. "Good morning, Flutters." I said when I saw Fluttershy come up to me in gray jogging pants and a spaghetti strap tank top. "Oh, hey good morning, Max. Is that...is that cologne I smell?" she said as she sniffed me. "What? Oh, yeah. You see, I remembered it was my birthday, so I wanted to feel good about it." I told her with a smile. "Oh. Okay." returned Flutters. Then, out of nowhere, an overly hyper Pinkie Pie yelled "Come on, enough with the talking! Make a wish and blow out the candles, Max!" So I went up to the person holding the cake, who was Reggie. He smiled genuinely (something I see a lot of, lately) as he held out the cake. Ever since the day I interrogated him, he's been trying his hardest to regain the friendship he ended so long ago. It worked, and we're work buddies, in a way. So he told me as I looked at the cake, "Make a wish, Stronghold." I blew out the candles, my wish being that the events of the battle don't end the same way as before. "What did you wish for, huh huh huh!?! Oh, wait! Never mind, don't tell me!" yelled Pinkie. "Pinkie, you are too funny." I said as I got into the kitchen to make the kids' lunch. "But can I have some cake, dad?" said all three children in unison. "Yeah, sure. I'll pack it in a plastic container with your sandwiches. Just hurry up and get your backpacks ready. You're going to be late at this rate." I then turned around and said, "Alright, see you later, guys! Save me some cake, please!" And I took three slices and packed it with the lunch. Finally, I brought the kids out and put them into the carriage. With the manila folders in my suitcase, I hooked the carriage to the end of my electric motorcycle. I drove away, the kids having fun in the back. Chapter 2Chapter 2: Thud, dead? "Bye, dad! Have a nice day!" said Pound Cake as him, his younger brother and his sister headed towards Miss Cheerilee. I waved goodbye to them and said, "Thanks, son!" I officially adopted them, papers signed and everything, so I could call him that. Anyway, after that, I drove back home and enjoyed the party that Pinkie had thrown. I saw Applejack there drummin' up business for the farm (probably to fix that squeaky door). Rarity was giving out flyers for her new and improved Carousel Boutique. Rainbow Dash was talking to Soarin from The Wonderbolts, who I saved from a mission I had when I was eighteen (The briefing papers said they knew valuable information about what one of Discord's minions had planned. It was, of course, true). "Hey, Dashie! You actually flirting?" I said as I walked up to the two. Rainbow Dash said "No. You already know Jake and I got married. Besides, Soarin is seeing someone and judging by her description, I wouldn't even have a chance." "Of course, I know that! Feels good though to have fun at least once in a while. What with all the missions and briefings, I barely have enough time to smile at the slightest of funny jokes!" She laughed, agreeing that it was true, and went back to talking to Soarin. I saw Jake by the fruit punch bowl, filling two cups with the fruit juice. I walked up to him and scared the living daylights out of him. He jumped and got some punch all over his face. "Hah! that always gets me!" He said as he wiped his face off with a paper towel. He then turned and said to me, "Hey, slugger, how's your throwing arm?" "Not too bad, actually. Lotus has been helping with the pain and it seems to be working well, thank the Royal Sisters. It's funny though, because one day she brought in a pen and paper. The shoulder massage was over, so she asked if I could give her an autograph." "And did you sign it?" He asked. I then replied with a "Of course! after all she did to help with the pain, how could I not? So I signed it, and she said she was gonna put it up on a wall at her home." "Oh lord, the stuff that happens when I'm in town." Jake said. He was then about to say something, when I told him it'd have to wait. I was hearing the flapping noises of dragons. I ran out the house and saw I was right. There were dragons, all right. And they were trying to burn the entire village of Ponyville to the ground. I stepped forward and yelled, "Just what makes you think you can burn my home and get away with it!?!" The two dragons stopped and looked dead at me. I asked Austin, my clone, to get my mini gun and my uzis using the mindtouch. He went into my room, used the lock combination for my weapons vault, and threw it out the window. I jumped up, kicked my foot against the window, and grabbed the uzis (in their holsters). I then grabbed the mini gun, and put the strap for it on my side. I strapped on the uzis and landed on the floor. I grabbed the handles on the mini gun, and yelled, "NOT IN MY HOUSE!!!" as I squeezed the handle with the trigger. I aimed at the dragon on the right. I shot off it's right wing, and right before it fell on top of a house, I focused on it and froze it in mid-air. I then realized I forgot to reload it from the previous mission, and ran out of bullets using them on the dragon. So I dropped it and took out my uzis. I made my skin rip apart on my back and wings came out of the slits. I knelt down and then vaulted, flying upwards. "Wanna play a game called Human and Dragon? It's simple, really; I, the human, must kill you, the dragon." I said as I landed on his snout and put the guns in front of his eyes. "Turn around or you'll end up like your friend, Hokey Smoked!" I told him. He made a scared face and turned back. I then jumped off of him, my wings melting off. I didn't go too close to the sun, though. I start to panic as I try to remember if this happened before. When I realized it hadn't, I looked around to see if there were any tree branches to grab. There weren't, so I braced for impact. I Then hit the ground, and died. ...Or did I? Chapter 3Chapter 3: Stronghold Reborn. "No!!! Max!!!" Said a crying Fluttershy as she held Max in her arms. He had taken a hard blow against the ground. While it was that he had one time fallen forty feet from the sky, that was 8 years ago. He wasn't 17 years old, anymore. Max looked fine, except for a large gash on the side of his forehead. But either way, Fluttershy was tapping his face lightly, tears flowing down her cheeks and sliding along his beard. Meanwhile, Twilight cried. She couldn't believe that this happened. She felt as if she died on the inside. As did Fluttershy. Max, however, hadn't died on the inside. In fact, he was so far from death, he was at the edge...of rebirth. I'm surrounded by darkness. There's darkness all around me as I try to light my hand up. But it wouldn't work. "What the heck is going on?" I muttered as I tried again. Suddenly, I felt a sharp jab at my ribs. "It's time. It's time for you to assume your true form." said a female voice. "What are you talking about? It's not war time, yet. I don't need this. Release me to my home, whoever you are!" I yelled. Then, the surroundings changed, and I appeared in the middle of a luxurious room, with tea and pancakes. "Calm yourself, young one. It's me, Princess Celestia. And I brought your soul over with the help of a great sorcerer. He told me that your soul is summoned easiest when your on the verge of death or dying." "Well, then...never mind. But, what's this...true form you speak of? I've been fine with how I look, and that's not going to change. I've been a great warrior, and I think I don't need a 'true form' at all." I said. Celestia simply smiled at me and said "Let me rephrase; You have a greater power than you know. You had powers all along, since you were born. The waste Reggie dumped on you only unlocked the gates that kept them at bay." ...What? I'm not sure I heard that properly. Did she say I actually had powers this entire time. I don't recall that ever being true. I was mortal, inside and out. If I had powers, then how come I couldn't have joined my dad all those shows? I even said this to Celestia. She said in a calm and assuring voice, "There are times when heroes are late bloomers. There are also times, when a hero must unlock it with something to trigger it. Now, as of your 'true form.' That really means your form is constantly shifting. It changes and never stayed in one shape. "What I'm saying is, you can shapeshift. Your powers change depending on who or what you change into." "...How do you know this, Mom?" (Whoops, forgot to mention that Celestia's now my mother). "Long ago, when humans shared the world with us. Among them was a leader, whose name in the ancient language means 'Fortress,' or by today's term, 'Stronghold'. When his race was dying, he traveled the vacuum of outer space, taking with him the remaining survivors. It is said that he found a planet where they could repopulate and settle, for the planet was barren. "It is also said that he had these strange powers that lead to his becoming of a leader. He was worshiped as a God, and he was kind to his people. He healed the sick and brought forth justice to wrongdoers on an unimaginable scale. Years after the humans left and regrouped on earth, two Archaeologists discovered a prophecy of a human with unimaginable powers arriving on Equestria in our time of need. It was found in a temple where the humans once lived. The prophecy spoke of you, Max. "So, do you understand now, Max?" Celestia then asked, putting her hoof on my shoulder. I looked up at her, and said, "It's a lot to take in, but yeah. I think I do. "Good. Now, I'd suggest you return to consciousness. My time with you has run out." And then she shoved me, sending me into the darkness that was my mind. I woke up with the taste of blood in my mouth, as well as some grass and dirt from the face plantage. 'Man, that must've been one nasty fall,' I thought. I got up, and Fluttershy backed away. I realized that if I hadn't fallen, I would have never known this. I never learned of this the first time, and I'm glad that on my second chance I had fallen. I have an advantage I didn't before, and I'm sure as hell gonna use it. I touched my forehead, and felt a huge gash that had stopped bleeding. It had some dirt sprinkled in the wound, but I just made water trinkle down from my fingers. When the gash had been washed, I then used healing acceleration to close it, leaving a long white scar in its place. Fluttershy and her friends tackled me in a huge group hug, nearly knocking the wind out of me. "Oh, thank goodness, you're alright. I was worried that you..." Fluttershy said as she cried into my shoulder. Everyone but her had let go, so I held her close. "Shhh, it's alright, Flutters." I whispered into her ear. Rainbow Dash then ran up to me and got in my face, saying, "I'm sorry, did you say 'it's alright'? Your brain must be damaged, too. You just fell fifty feet from the air. You're lucky your body didn't go splat. And you're actually saying it's alright!?!" "Rainbow, I understand you're in disbelief, but you don't have to play me close. Please back up." I said to Dashie. "Now, I just le...why are you staring at me like that?" I asked as they stared with their jaws down to the floor. I looked down and saw that my three piece had been replaced with a black white beater tucked into armor-plated pants and arm guards made of iron. On my back was a short sword made of bones. the bones were connected, with razor-thin spikes jutting out on one end. I took it out from the holster on my back and the bones separated, held onto the handle by chains. It wasn't a short sword, it was a bone-whip. That apparently wasn't the only thing that changed, though. I walked up to a stream, and looked at my reflection. For starters, my left eye had been covered with an eye-patch. that wasn't what shocked me, though. What shocked me was that I looked like that artist Pitbull, from back when earth was still around. I still had my hair, but I looked nothing like myself. 'I hope this shape-shifting thing can help me change my face back,' I thought. I also had a voice that seemed to come out with a low hum. "Well, that settles it. I've been reborn." Chapter 4Chapter 4: Ready?...FIGHT!!! "Thank god, I changed my face back. I couldn't stand looking like someone I'm not." I said as me and Alisa were in the gym. She was using a yoga-ball, while I was doing bench-presses. "Uh huh. I personally thought Pitbull was a snob, so I'm glad, too. Also, thanks for coming with me to the gym. I needed a gym partner in order to take the fitness classes that take place fifteen minutes from now." She said as I moved over to the punching bag. The gym saved that particular one for me, and they taped a picture of Discord's ugly face on it. "yeah, sure. Friends help friends out, right?" "Yeah." She said as I punched and kicked the Discord-bag. Then she started talking to me about what Discord might do if we fail, which got me so angry my entire arm went on fire and my fist went through the bag all the way to the other end of it. I looked in surprise as the bag burned into ashes. she turned to me and asked "A little overkill, don't you think?" I smiled, looked at her, and said "It worked though, right?" "True. Anyways," she said as she grabbed my burning arm. "Session starts now." "If you're this excited, I have a feeling it's not because of the results you'll be seeing." I said as she practically dragged me across the floor to the fitness class room. Then, she put me on the mat next to hers as the trainer (a caramel-colored, strongly built guy with Jet Black hair and handsome features) comes in and greets the class with an austallion accent. "Hey, everyone. My name is Garret, and I'll be your fitness teacher. Now, first, before we do anything, I like to know my students and I like them to know me. Gives a feeling of security and friendship. So, who's up first?" Of course, it seems that I stick out like a sore thumb, because he pointed at me and said, "Hey, how's about you? In the black tank top and sweats. You seem like an interesting person. Come on up." So I got up, and everyone gasped as they looked at my face. "Whoa, mate. Max, right? First of all, your arm's on fire." he said, pointing at my left arm. "Yeah, um, I don't know why it's doing that...still." "Cool. Second, you're already very fit, so why are you here?" He then asked. So I answered with "My friend Alisa said she needed a partner and since she doesn't have many friends, I volunteered to come with her." He was then about to ask me another question, when I heard the noise of a wall crumbling down. He looked past me with a surprised look, then his surprise turned into anger as he said to the class, "USE THE EMERGENCY EXIT, CLASS!!! Max and I got this!" Wait, I must have gone deaf for a moment, because there's no way he said that. But, amazingly, that opinion changed as he ripped the skin off his arms, revealing arms made of ice. "What are you, Sub-zero?" I said, laughing nervously. He grinned and said "Actually, that's my code name, mate. And Ms. Hooves sent me to talk with you. I secretly tracked you. She told me to look out for a guy with tan skin and light blonde hair. Honor making your aquaintance, Mr. Stronghold." He was going to shake my hand, but then realized he'd probably give my fingers frostbite and took the hand back. He then smiled awkwardly and said "Yes, well...you get the point, mate. I was given intel that--" I put together the fact that my arm stopped burning the second that noise happened and finished his sentence with "A special task force was sent by Discord to kill me? Just a lucky guess, what with my arm's fire vanishing the second the wall crashed." He stared and whispered "...lucky guess, indeed, mate." Suddenly, a dark object was thrown through some smoke that filled the air and stuck to my chest. It then shocked me, but I laughed and yelled to whoever threw that, "You need to think things through and get your facts straight; I controlled electricity at eighteen!" and I took the thing off my chest, absorbing the electricity and turning it into fire as it ran along my arm. "You ready, Sub-zero?" I said as I took out my bone-whip. "If you are mate, then of course I am." He said as he took off his shirt and put on a bulletproof vest painted blue. The armor then formed around his face, forming a mask (also painted blue). "Yep, definitely a Mortal Kombat moment." I whispered to myself as a human came in disguised as a Changeling holding a gun came in the room. He grabbed a tazer and tried to taze me, but I just simply absorbed it's energy and yelled "NOT UP IN HERE!!!" as I whipped him with the bone-whip. I gained strength from the tazer, so I used the shape-shift skill and morphed into an my personal favorite--Scorpion. The Task Force came into the room, aiming their guns at me and Sub-zero. I just simply muttered to Sub-zero, "Get ready, Garret." He understood and a second before they pulled the trigger, I speared the first Human-changelings and yelled, "GET OVER HERE, BITCH!!!" I pulled him to me and ducked as he flew into Garret. Garret then grabbed his head, ripped out his skull and spine, and then threw it at another one of the Human-changelings. I burned the body of the victim of Garret's spine rip. Garret then froze half the Task Force and then broke all of them with his fists. I speared most of them except for one, tied the chains together, and brought them all towards me. While they tried to regain their senses, I punched all of them in a row, snapping their necks. I then walked up to the last one, who was looking up at me in anger. I let the spear fall onto the floor as I grabbed the chain. I stabbed the kunai into his sternum and brought him up to my face, asking, "Where is Discord?" He spat on my face. I then got ready to rip my face off and burn him, and I said, "Tell me where he is or I'll BURN YOU WHERE YOU STAND!!!" He finally said, "He's in the place your ancestors once lived." I let go of my neck and laughed, saying, "If you think that little info will save you, you're dead wrong." as I formed a portal behind him, wrapping the spear's chain around him, and kicked him into it. Another portal opened up above me as the corpse of the Human-Changeling dangling from it. "Holy shit, mate! That right there is mutilation as it is execution!...Lucky." I grinned and asked him, "Want to form an alliance, Garret? Fire and Ice working together has been rumored to be quite...deadly." He put his hand out and shook mine, grinning widely as he said, "Count me in, mate." 'Looks like new bonds are being formed, Max. Keep it up. You've made the bond of Brotherhood.' I thought before I heard coughing coming from a pile of rubble in the gym lobby. We ran to it, and I heard Alisa's voice from underneath the rubble. I stared at Garret and he instinctively put on his rubber arm skin. He then grabbed a few large pieces of cement and helped me dig out Alisa from under it. Mini Chapter 1Mini Chapter 1: What? "What?" said my seven year old as I explained to him that I had to leave. I had just told him and Pound Cake and Carrot Cake that I needed to go back to Mt. Ray-mare for one last time to train. I would be there for three months. "Listen, I know I promised I'd be there, Alex. But if I don't do this, there might not be a family to be there for. Besides," I said. "You have your mother. Now, just because I won't be nearby, doesn't mean I won't be with you, children. This sounds like a corny movie line, but I'll always be here," I said as I pointed to their hearts. "Be good, kids. Alright, I got to go. Good bye." I said as I got up, hugged Fluttershy, and walked out the door. "You ready?" Alisa asked me as I grabbed my things from Garret. "I packed my things and left the doorway, didn't I?" I asked as I walked up to her. "Well then," she said. "Let's go." Chapter 5Chapter 5: Training. "Is it just me or did the place get a little...chillier?" I asked Garret as I held my hands under my armpits to keep warm. He simply shrugged and passed by me saying "Meh...seems fine to me." I decided to use my power to bring up my body temperature, which made me feel toasty warm. I then caught up with Garret and Alisa, who were whooping it up with laughter. "Aww, well don't you two make a cute couple?" I asked out loud. Alisa turned her head towards me and mumbled through her teeth, "Don't ruin this for me." She then turned her head back forward and continued to laugh with Garret. Soon, we got to the top of the mountain and I was greeted by the monks who did so the first time I came. "Come on in to the temple. We can talk about your training then." Said Alisa as she opened the door to the temple. I stepped inside and lowered my temperature to normal as Garret held the door for Alisa. I sat down on one side of the square mat in the center of the floor. Then Garret sat down next to Alisa, and the mat revealed the Tsunami Clan's symbol of Power; A huge tidal wave large enough to level a city, drawn within a circle. "Look into the Tsunami wave to see where, in the hands of fate, the future lies." Said Alisa as she stuck her arm out towards the Symbol. 'This must be where her visions come from,' I thought and I leaned forward to see the future. I hoped it would be much more different than the future I came back from. I looked, and I saw a tombstone, engraved ln script on the front of it spelling out HERE LIES FLUTTERSHY. May your soul rest in peace, for one day, I will see you again. The tombstone was in the middle of a peaceful meadow, and the vision showed a hand placing flowers in front of the tombstone. The image then changed to me standing on a tall cliff with Twilight in human form by my side. I was wearing armor made of the toughest yet finest gold, which was somewhat covered by ceremonial robes. I held a staff in my hands, and I was staring out into the horizon. I was older, around my mid forties. My beard was grown out into the kind you see on lumberjacks, and my physique was lithe and muscular. I was smiling, as if I had finally brought peace to this land. I leaned back, and looked up at Alisa, and she asked what I saw. I explained to her, and she said, "Well, it looks to me as if you dealt with a hard sacrifice in the near future. I'm sorry. But we must train to give you a fighting chance...to give us a fighting chance." I got up, and exclaimed, "Bring it." Alisa smirked, and gestured me to come forward. I did, and she said "Your training starts...now." And I fell through a hole in the floor. "Wha...where the hell am I?" I asked as I looked around me. I was surrounded in darkness. I tried to get up, but something from the ground tugged at my arms, a clear sign that this was part of my training. A scenario appeared, and it showed I was chained, and about to be executed by Discord. He lifted up a sword, and said, "Any last words?" I tried to use my fire, but the chains were fireproof. So I tugged at the chains with all my might. Finally, my right arm was free, and I grabbed the chain. I looked up, and whipped the chain forward. It wrapped around the sword, and I tugged it out of his hands. I then whipped the chain around Discord and brought him forward. "Well done, hero." said Discord as he faded away. The area around me then vanished, revealing Alisa standing in front of me. She smiled, and said in a soothing tone, "That was to test your reflexes. You came a few seconds too close with your reflexes. A few months might do you some justice. Next is your fighting skill." I got up, the thing holding me gone. The area changed, revealing ten guards surrounding me. They charged, fists held high. Before I could do anything, I was punched in the back. I ducked as another tried to uppercut me. I then punched both his knees, causing him to fold over his newly shaped legs. I then grabbed him by the head and lifted him up, throwing him into another guard. I then back-flipped over the guard behind me and grabbed his chin and forehead. I snapped his neck so hard, the force applied to his head made his body twirl. I teleported in front of the fourth one, and said, "Surprise!" as I punched his face into his skull. Another guard charged me, but I ducked and threw him over me and off the cliff that had formed there when the fighting test began. I waited as the other five charged me, then disappeared, causing the guards to punch each other in the face. As they tried to regain their senses, I reappeared and punched them all in a row with such strength that their necks snapped with a sickening crack! The area then vanished, revealing Garret this time as he said, "Good, but not good enough. You shouldn't have to rely on your powers to win a fight. You should have the melee skills to kick ass, mate! Next, is stealth training." The area changed into a corridor, me hidden behind a section that intersects in between the corridor. I crouched down and waited for something that'd have to be part of my test. Finally, A guy walked past me. I melted into a shadow and followed him. Finally, when he stopped, I came out of the ground and snapped his neck. The area vanished and this time they both appeared, saying in unison, "At least you don't need help with something." I then flew up, and came out of the floor I fell through at the beginning of the tests. I smirked and said, "Talk about an early test." Alisa simply looked at me and said, "You'll need a lot of training." Chapter 6Chapter 6: Three months and a bottle of whoop-ass later... I've finally mastered Reflexes and melee and I'm ready to go home. So, I asked Alisa if she was coming to Ponyville, and she said yes. Garret was coming too, because me and him became like brothers. If one went, so did the other. That was our law, something we couldn't (or more like wouldn't) break. So we left the mountain and headed for the nearest village. When we found it, our train had just arrived. We got on and picked our seats. As we put our stuff away, I felt like something was up. So after everything was away, I lied by saying "Save my seat, please. I'm headed to the train's restroom." and walked out of the section we were in. I headed to the bathroom to further hide the lie and walked up to the mirror. I splashed some water on my face because I was also tired from training more than I slept. That's when I heard from the other end of the door a deep voice whisper "Don't worry. He's in the bathroom. I'll just slice his head off and run the water in the sink so that no one will see the blood. "If someone sees me, I'll bribe them. They will say nothing." After hearing this, I knew I was the one they spoke of. I was, after all, the only one in here. So I melted into a shadow and moved into a stall. I then came out of the ground and became invisible so when he checked the stalls, he wouldn't see my feet. I heard the door open, followed by the sound of a sword being unsheathed. I heard the clip, clop of a horse, which meant it was a male unicorn. He walked towards the stalls as he said, "No need to hide. I'm on your side. The sword is only for protection." Lie number one. I heard what his true intention was. He then said, "If you're hiding, it's really not neccessary." Lie number two. There was definitely a neccessity in hiding right then and there. Lie number three was when he said "Come on out. Reggie's with me, and he's getting aggitated from waiting." I also heard the person's voice that asked him what happened if someone saw. It was NOT Reggies' voice at all. I then heard him start slamming stalls open as he said, "DAMMIT, IF YOU WON'T BUCKING COME OUT, I'LL HAVE TO MAKE YOU!!!" Finally, he slammed open my stall, and just before he could stab me (for I had turned visible when he opened my stall) I jabbed him in the eys with my fingers. He backed up, holding his eyes and grunting in agony as I walked towards him. He randomly threw his fist in the air, for his eyes were shut. When the fist came in my direction, I stopped it with my hand and crushed the entire hand by squeezing at the knuckles. I heard the bones make the sound of a bag of chips being crushed into crumbs. He yelled as I then slammed him in the chest, his arm ripping off like the guard from eight years ago when I freed Celestia from her mind. He started to get up, but I grabbed his head and bashed it against the sink's counter-edge. He tried to get up again, but I did the brutal thing, and stuck my hands in his mouth. I hooked them around his upper and lower jaw. I dragged him over to the sink, and positioned his head over it. "Remember how you said you'd 'wash my blood out with running water?' That's funny, because last time I checked, you're the one bleeding out." I said. I then yelled, "DON'T FUCK WITH ME!!!" as I ripped his jaw off. I ran the water and watched the fucker's blood go down the drain. His friend came in, and before he could do anything, I used lightning speed to slice his head off and run back to the sink. He grabbed his neck and fell, his head rolling towards me. "How's that feel, dickheads?" I muttered as the last off the first guy's blood went down the drain. I let him slide to the floor and used my powers to make all the scene vanish permenantly. I then washed the blood off my hands and my boots, and left the bathroom. When I got to the section we were in, Garret had fallen alseep, Alisa in his arms resting. They were huddled together, and Alisa sat on Garret's lap. I sat down and looked out the window, watching the trees roll by as we headed back to Ponyville. Mini Chapter 2Mini Chapter 2: The foalnapping. While Max is sleeping on the train, Fluttershy is about to put the children to sleep. She put them in their beds and after she kissed all of them on the forehead, she was about to leave when Cody said, "Mommy? I have a bad feeling. I don't think we should be in this house right now." Fluttershy turned around and walked back towards the bed. She knelt down and put her hand in his bushy hair, gently rubbing her thumb against his forehead. She said, "We all have bad feelings as of late. These are dark times, Cody. But don't worry; your father will save us. Okay?" He nodded. Fluttershy then told him to try to go sleep. She then turned out the lights and went to her own bed, and slept. Little did she know that the 'bad feeling' meant that she would soon be taken captive "MOM!!!" Fluttershy heard as she was woken up from Cody screaming. She sat straight up, and put on a brave face. She wasn't going to let her children get hurt, so she did something really unexpected; she went into Max's weapons vault and took out a double-barrel shotgun. She crept towards the children's bedroom, and looked through the slight opening in the doorway. Suddenly, the teenage Colt trying to tie up Cody and the Cake twins walked towards the door. She positioned herself towards the door and aimed at the door. The colt opened the door with his horn and looked up as Fluttershy said, "Don't you DARE TOUCH MY BABIES!!!" and she pulled the trigger. The colt flew back so far he flew out the window. She ran towards her kids and tried to untie them...until a gun was put to her head and she was put in a van with her kids. The last thing she heard before they drugged her was, "Discord will be so pleased!" Chapter 7Chapter 7: Rage Level Overload. We've finally reached Ponyville. The trip took a day and a half, so I can't wait to see my wife and kids...and possibly make plans for Discord's downfall. I woke the lovebirds up, and then we grabbed all our luggage, finally leaving the train. We watched as the train left, and then headed to my house. I took out my keys ahead of time, and since the house is near the Everfree Forest, it was a two-hour walk. Finally, we got there and I unlocked the door. I opened the door and the lights were off. 'Strange,' I thought. 'By now, they'd be awake.' I turned on the lights, and the house was a mess. things were scattered all over the place. My first instinct was to go upstairs, and my shotgun was on the floor. "Flutters? Cody? Kids?" I asked as I slowly walked towards the bedroom. I opened the door, and the bed was a mess. My weapons vault was open, and my shotgun was missing. I then walked to the kids' bedroom. Clothes were all over the place. There was a note on Cody's bed. I grabbed it and it said; Fuck off, unless you love funerals. -Discord's helpers I became enraged, and I looked up at the sky. "DISCORD!!! I WILL HAVE YOUR HEAD!!!" "Are you sure you want to go it alone, mate?" asked Garret as I put on my battle suit. It was camoflauge cargos, a belt with 30 ammo clips and 2 desert eagles, and a double-edged sword made of bronze and gold. I Turned towards Garret, and said, "We've got to end it at some point. If not now, then when?" I then took a belt with 60 grenades (30 regular grenades, 30 flash grenades) holstered. He said, "If you 're in trouble, I will bring back up." I shook his hand, and melted into a shadow. I went all the way to the castle in Canterlot, where I told my mother and my aunt of my actions to come. They blessed me with the brilliance of the sun and the shadowy stealth of the night. "Go on, my son. You are ready. And when you see Discord, show him we're not fucking around." said Celestia before she smiled. 'Damn, she's obviously pissed at Discord if she's cursing,' I thought. But I bowed and took my leave. I used the mind-touch to speak to Reggie. When I came into contact, I told him, 'Reggie. I need to know the location of Discord.' His responce; 'What makes you think I know it?' 'Reggie, you were his bitch for two years. Obviously, you know his location.' He then relayed it to me, and I then thanked him. I broke the connection, and opened a nightly stealth portal. I thought the location as I stepped through. When my foot came down, my surroundings changed into the pits of Tartarus. More specifically, the castlegrounds of Discord's kingdom. 'Well,' I thought. 'Time to kick some chaotic ass.' And I released my rage, forming flames around me. the flames burned at 3000°, but to me, it felt like normal. I then melted into a shadow, the flames forming a trail behind me as I sped towards a soldier who was guarding the back entrance. I popped out of the ground and grabbed his head. I watched as his head burned off until it was gone. I then spat on his corpse and said, "That's what happens when you FUCK with fire!" My voice sounded just like Ghost Rider's; cold, gravelly, and unforgiving...good. Because I'm not going to forgive these people like I forgave Reggie. Reggie at least knew right from wrong. These people are like zombie movies; brainless idiots who only know how to kill. I then grabbed my desert eagles, and cocked them back. "Fuck yeah," I muttered as I kicked the back entrance down. "HERE'S MAXY!!!" I said. I then shot every guard in sight, then holstered my guns and took out the sword for the ones that just love to survive. the flames engulfed the blade. I sliced the head off of one of them who charged at me, the flames from the blade burning his head and body into ashes. I then used the butt of the sword, and smacked another on the temple real hard, and he died. The same butt of the sword made contact with the inside of another one's eye socket. "IS THAT ALL YOU GOT CORDSY!?! A FEW PISS-OFFS WHO CALL THEMSELVES GUARDS!!! WHY DON'T YOU COME AND FIGHT ME INSTEAD OF HAVING YOUR 'GUARDS' SHIELD YOU, BASTARD!!!" I was hoping that he'd show, but instead, a 10 foot tall cyclops jumped down from the top balcony and roared at me. I fanned my nose and said, "Did you eat roadkill, because your breath smells like rotten carcasses and asphalt." and I took out five flash grenades and threw them at his eyes. It must've worked, because he started to rub his eye. I took advantage of the moment, and jumped up on his head. I brought down the sword on his scalp and pulled it towards me like a lever. I then leaped off and kicked him in the eye, knocking him down. I bounced off the floor on my landing, sending me to the wall. I vaulted off the wall and twirled like a drill, my destination being the head of the second cyclops that appeared, and drilled through his eye. I then landed on the floor and ran to the staircase. I ran up two flights, killed a few guards without ceasing to run, and ran my way to the top, where a door had Discord engraved on it. I sheathed my sword and held out my hand. A Fireman's axe shot out of the ground and flew into my hand. I grabbed it and said, "HERE'S MAXY!!!" as I chopped the door in half. Chapter 8Chapter 8: Death...is Merely the Beginning. I ran up two flights, killed a few guards without ceasing to run, and ran my way to the top, where a door had Discord engraved on it. I sheathed my sword and held out my hand. A Fireman's axe shot out of the ground and flew into my hand. I grabbed it and said, "HERE'S MAXY!!!" as I chopped the door in half. And then blood spattered all over me. But it wasn't my own...nor was it Discord's. It was Fluttershy's. I watched as she dropped to the floor, the sword that impaled her gleaming red. "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!" I screamed as I ran to her. I dropped to my knees and slid my arms underneath her, lifting her up to me. I brought her in an embrace, feeling the life drain out of her. I looked in her eyes, and she opened her mouth. She said, in a hardly audible whisper, "Max...I-I lov..." and she closed her eyes, her mouth hanging open. She died. I bent my head down, letting a few tears escape my eyes and let them fall on Fluttershy as I tried to comprehend why she had to die. Finally, my tears dried up, and I gently put Fluttershy back on the ground. I then said "Now, Discord...you've picked a card you can't put back." I then turned around to see him walking away. "Bitch! Get your ass back her!" I yelled to Discord. He turned around and sprinted at me. He grabbed my neck and tried to crush my windpipe. But I grabbed his lion arm and twisted. "Auugh!" He said as he threw me. I hit my head against the wall, and my vision blurred. I looked as I saw a blurry Discord come towards me. He grabbed my shirt and said, "Her death...was merely the beginning. After you're dead, I'll rule, and you won't be able to stop me." I then sneakily took out a knife and said, "Well then, at least I'm gonna die trying." as I stabbed it in his gut. He let go and started to back up. I watched as he pulled the knife out and held the wound. I charged him and grabbed him by his fur. I ran towards a window and smashed through. I then locked on top of him and threw punches, aiming for the face and chest. Then, I held his arms and positioned my feet over his gut. I kicked him, sending him towards the ground with new speed. I then curled into a ball, and landed on the ground five feet away from Discord's twitching body. I walked up to him and knelt down next to him. I unsheathed my sword and said "Well then, if death is merely the beginning, then here's your death." And I stabbed him through the heart. I got up and walked away, not realizing he was still alive until he stabbed me with my own sword...through my back. I slowly melted into a shadow to make it look like I died, and appeared behind him in the form of himself. He turned around and saw himself. He then said "Oh, hello handsome. Caused any chaos lately?" as he stroked his goatee. I look at him and said, "Nope. Only justice." and I punched him in the snout. He fell and I grabbed his head. "In the end, Discord, we sometimes...betray ourselves." And using my foot, I held his body down while I tugged at his head. Finally, it came off, and I held it in the air for his guards to see. I yelled, "This is the fate that shall befall you! Death!" and as if on que, a portal opened, revealing Garret, Alisa, and a swarm of ponies in human form with guns blazing. When it was all over, Celestia and Luna offered me a place on the throne, but I simply said, "No. My place is as guardian of Equestria. As my descendant Stronghold would do, I would bring forth justice on an unimaginable scale. I will protect Equestria with my life. I only wish that I may see my sons and daughter." It was done as asked, and the cake twins ran and hugged me. Cody, however, looked at me with hatred. I tried to ask him what was wrong, but he shoved me away and said, "Why would you let her die?" and ran off. I never saw him until 20 years later. But let's not get into that story yet. I got depressed because Fluttershy died, and one day Twilight came to the Cottage and tried to make me feel better. Eventually, I felt better, talking turned to laughing, laughing turned to (I guess) flirting, and next thing I knew, I wound up in bed naked next to her with her in human form. I realized that I had feelings for Twilight. We got married, and we had a Daughter, whose name Anna Snow Dove Stronghold. EpilogueWARNING: WHILE YOU READ THIS, LISTEN TO THE VIDEO BELOW: Youtube Video Epilogue: "Come on, Max! Hurry up! I want you to see this!" Said an overly excited Twilight as Max got out of the shower. It's been a year since the day Max ripped the head of Discord off (which he keeps in his trophy room) and gained Equestria its freedom. He dried himself off and wrapped a towel around his waist, heading towards the bedroom. He picked out his guardian's uniform rarity made for him; a cloak made of the finest silk with armored shoulder guards stitched on, a sleeveless shirt tucked in to armor plated black cargo pants and combat boots. He grabbed his helmet and his staff, then walked out of the bedroom and hugged Twilight, who gave him a kiss and lead him to the backyard. Well, it was more like a cliff overlooking Ponyville and Canterlot and the Everfree Forest. Twilight asked Princess Celestia to let her stay with Max unless she was needed. Celestia gladly agreed, so they bought a house next to the cliff overlooking the kingdom. She opened the door to reveal a beautiful sunrise. Max walked up to the edge of the cliff holding Twilight's hand, and twilight leaned her head dreamily on his shoulder. For the first time in many years, he could feel the serenity of life. He knew it wouldn't last long, though. It never does. But even this little amount of time made him feel good. So as he watches the sunrise, a smile creeps slowly along his face, and he thanks the Royal Sisters silently for blessing him with his life. Finally, he hears the radio that sits next to the backdoor saying something about a robbery happening in the Kingdom of the Royal Sisters. He turns to Twilight and Kisses her, then asks her to please take the kids to school so they won't be late. She says yes, and with that, Max takes off, soaring through the air while his staff turns into a spear with a blade smoothed into the bottom. He remembers his past, because it put him where he is now. This...is his legacy. For sometimes, legends are made. ProloguePrologue: I've lost everything. My wife...my children...this stupid, no good battle...and for what? To live long to see my failure. I walk to the sight of the battlegrounds each year, put my hand on a tree that had the ashes from the flames that engulfed the battlefield. Leave my flowers on the front of the alter I made for all the lost souls from that bloody battle. And finally, I drop to my knees in front of the spot that Fluttershy was taken from me... I can't deal with the pain much longer. I must go back, and fix what mistakes I made. So as I use my magic one more time, I grab my hunter's dagger, and stab the right side of my gut, pulling it to the other side as I unleash my power of time. As my blood touches the floor, time goes in reverse. The land turns back from Barren and ashy to lush and green in a matter of hours. I see the events of the battle go in rewind motion. Finally, a second before I go back 100 years, my eyes roll back and I fall through the floor.
Chapter 1Chapter 1: HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU (again)! As I opened my eyes (Well, more like eye), I woke up in Fluttershy's cottage. I've gone back 100 years, just as I planned. That means it worked, and I have a second chance. I can't blow it. And if I remember it right, today was my 25th birthday. I got up, rubbed my face, stretched and went into the bathroom. I looked into the mirror. I looked like I went to the beach, which I had the day before to have a good time with my now seven year old son. I had a beard going on, so I took my hair trimmer and plugged it in. I then clipped on a number two over the blade. I made sure I had a bag under my chin so that I wouldn't clog the sink with my facial hair. I got to work on my face, which had lost it's youthful chubbiness over the past 8 years. I looked like my face was chiseled out of wood by a expert craftsman. But that doesn't matter to me. What matters is that I look good for the surprise party that waited for me downstairs. Because you see, the surprise party is also a mission meeting. But it's better to bombard someone with cake on their birthday first instead of manila folders filled with briefings. I have to make an impression for the people I'm trying to help. Otherwise, they won't take me seriously, and they'll doubt me. They'd think; should we really trust that a guy who can't keep his beard maintained can save us from Discord? Trust me, you'd be amazed at how one thing can relate to the other. Over the course of 8 years, my hair has gotten some color. For some reason, it's now a shade of yellow that you can see on the mane of Derpy Hooves, a leader of one of our Divisions. The division she leads is called the Destruction team. To be specific, Destruction team alpha D (yes, as in Derpy). I realized my hair was getting longer too, but all i did was remove the number two and put the number four on, since my hair was long enough to sport the number four on the sides and back. I then trimmed away. So as I now washed off the stray little hairs that stuck to my neck and chest I thought of what to wear. But before I can do that, I had to take a shower, so I strip down and put my pj's in the hamper. I turned on the shower and got in. I washed my body, then used some shampoo and conditioner (Fluttershy made me buy it) to wash my hair. I turned the shower water off and dried myself with my towel. I got out, and wrapped the towel around my waist, so as to make sure nopony (Especially Carrot Cake. It's bad enough that on her 12th birthday she asked about her real parents.) saw me in the nude. I walked up to my wardrobe, and saw my favorite (and only) birthday suit; a three piece suit with a dark blue tie and a pinstriped jacket and slacks. I put on my underwear and my socks, then the three piece, which was tailor-made by rarity. I found the leather loafers that went with it, and combed my hair in a fashion that waved over my left eye without looking ugly on me. I looked in the mirror and I looked like I was ready to go on a date. I went downstairs, grabbing the car keys because that same day was my 7 year old's first day of school among the ponies. And when I turned on the lights to the living room, I got shot with Pinkie Pie's Party Cannon. I grinned, remembering this from the first time. "Man, that never gets old." I muttered as all of Ponyville screamed "SURPRISE!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MAX!!!" "Aww, thanks, guys! I'm so glad you remembered!" I said, blushing. Twilight came up to me in human form and shook my hand, speaking in a calm manner, "Well, you deserved a little cheering up. After all you've done for us, you deserve it...besides, I don't want to make your day start out bad." She then added with a cheery little smile. I can't show that I'm from the future, so I acted as if I'm confused. So, I made a bewildered face and said, "What do you mean, Princess Twi?" She came up to my ear and whispered "We've got a mission for you after the party." I then whispered to her "But what about my kids? They need to get to school." "Fine. But either way, we need you to check this out as soon as possible." She then backed up and hugged me. It lasted a few minutes before she blushed and let go. "Good morning, Flutters." I said when I saw Fluttershy come up to me in gray jogging pants and a spaghetti strap tank top. "Oh, hey good morning, Max. Is that...is that cologne I smell?" she said as she sniffed me. "What? Oh, yeah. You see, I remembered it was my birthday, so I wanted to feel good about it." I told her with a smile. "Oh. Okay." returned Flutters. Then, out of nowhere, an overly hyper Pinkie Pie yelled "Come on, enough with the talking! Make a wish and blow out the candles, Max!" So I went up to the person holding the cake, who was Reggie. He smiled genuinely (something I see a lot of, lately) as he held out the cake. Ever since the day I interrogated him, he's been trying his hardest to regain the friendship he ended so long ago. It worked, and we're work buddies, in a way. So he told me as I looked at the cake, "Make a wish, Stronghold." I blew out the candles, my wish being that the events of the battle don't end the same way as before. "What did you wish for, huh huh huh!?! Oh, wait! Never mind, don't tell me!" yelled Pinkie. "Pinkie, you are too funny." I said as I got into the kitchen to make the kids' lunch. "But can I have some cake, dad?" said all three children in unison. "Yeah, sure. I'll pack it in a plastic container with your sandwiches. Just hurry up and get your backpacks ready. You're going to be late at this rate." I then turned around and said, "Alright, see you later, guys! Save me some cake, please!" And I took three slices and packed it with the lunch. Finally, I brought the kids out and put them into the carriage. With the manila folders in my suitcase, I hooked the carriage to the end of my electric motorcycle. I drove away, the kids having fun in the back.
Chapter 2Chapter 2: Thud, dead? "Bye, dad! Have a nice day!" said Pound Cake as him, his younger brother and his sister headed towards Miss Cheerilee. I waved goodbye to them and said, "Thanks, son!" I officially adopted them, papers signed and everything, so I could call him that. Anyway, after that, I drove back home and enjoyed the party that Pinkie had thrown. I saw Applejack there drummin' up business for the farm (probably to fix that squeaky door). Rarity was giving out flyers for her new and improved Carousel Boutique. Rainbow Dash was talking to Soarin from The Wonderbolts, who I saved from a mission I had when I was eighteen (The briefing papers said they knew valuable information about what one of Discord's minions had planned. It was, of course, true). "Hey, Dashie! You actually flirting?" I said as I walked up to the two. Rainbow Dash said "No. You already know Jake and I got married. Besides, Soarin is seeing someone and judging by her description, I wouldn't even have a chance." "Of course, I know that! Feels good though to have fun at least once in a while. What with all the missions and briefings, I barely have enough time to smile at the slightest of funny jokes!" She laughed, agreeing that it was true, and went back to talking to Soarin. I saw Jake by the fruit punch bowl, filling two cups with the fruit juice. I walked up to him and scared the living daylights out of him. He jumped and got some punch all over his face. "Hah! that always gets me!" He said as he wiped his face off with a paper towel. He then turned and said to me, "Hey, slugger, how's your throwing arm?" "Not too bad, actually. Lotus has been helping with the pain and it seems to be working well, thank the Royal Sisters. It's funny though, because one day she brought in a pen and paper. The shoulder massage was over, so she asked if I could give her an autograph." "And did you sign it?" He asked. I then replied with a "Of course! after all she did to help with the pain, how could I not? So I signed it, and she said she was gonna put it up on a wall at her home." "Oh lord, the stuff that happens when I'm in town." Jake said. He was then about to say something, when I told him it'd have to wait. I was hearing the flapping noises of dragons. I ran out the house and saw I was right. There were dragons, all right. And they were trying to burn the entire village of Ponyville to the ground. I stepped forward and yelled, "Just what makes you think you can burn my home and get away with it!?!" The two dragons stopped and looked dead at me. I asked Austin, my clone, to get my mini gun and my uzis using the mindtouch. He went into my room, used the lock combination for my weapons vault, and threw it out the window. I jumped up, kicked my foot against the window, and grabbed the uzis (in their holsters). I then grabbed the mini gun, and put the strap for it on my side. I strapped on the uzis and landed on the floor. I grabbed the handles on the mini gun, and yelled, "NOT IN MY HOUSE!!!" as I squeezed the handle with the trigger. I aimed at the dragon on the right. I shot off it's right wing, and right before it fell on top of a house, I focused on it and froze it in mid-air. I then realized I forgot to reload it from the previous mission, and ran out of bullets using them on the dragon. So I dropped it and took out my uzis. I made my skin rip apart on my back and wings came out of the slits. I knelt down and then vaulted, flying upwards. "Wanna play a game called Human and Dragon? It's simple, really; I, the human, must kill you, the dragon." I said as I landed on his snout and put the guns in front of his eyes. "Turn around or you'll end up like your friend, Hokey Smoked!" I told him. He made a scared face and turned back. I then jumped off of him, my wings melting off. I didn't go too close to the sun, though. I start to panic as I try to remember if this happened before. When I realized it hadn't, I looked around to see if there were any tree branches to grab. There weren't, so I braced for impact. I Then hit the ground, and died. ...Or did I?
Chapter 3Chapter 3: Stronghold Reborn. "No!!! Max!!!" Said a crying Fluttershy as she held Max in her arms. He had taken a hard blow against the ground. While it was that he had one time fallen forty feet from the sky, that was 8 years ago. He wasn't 17 years old, anymore. Max looked fine, except for a large gash on the side of his forehead. But either way, Fluttershy was tapping his face lightly, tears flowing down her cheeks and sliding along his beard. Meanwhile, Twilight cried. She couldn't believe that this happened. She felt as if she died on the inside. As did Fluttershy. Max, however, hadn't died on the inside. In fact, he was so far from death, he was at the edge...of rebirth. I'm surrounded by darkness. There's darkness all around me as I try to light my hand up. But it wouldn't work. "What the heck is going on?" I muttered as I tried again. Suddenly, I felt a sharp jab at my ribs. "It's time. It's time for you to assume your true form." said a female voice. "What are you talking about? It's not war time, yet. I don't need this. Release me to my home, whoever you are!" I yelled. Then, the surroundings changed, and I appeared in the middle of a luxurious room, with tea and pancakes. "Calm yourself, young one. It's me, Princess Celestia. And I brought your soul over with the help of a great sorcerer. He told me that your soul is summoned easiest when your on the verge of death or dying." "Well, then...never mind. But, what's this...true form you speak of? I've been fine with how I look, and that's not going to change. I've been a great warrior, and I think I don't need a 'true form' at all." I said. Celestia simply smiled at me and said "Let me rephrase; You have a greater power than you know. You had powers all along, since you were born. The waste Reggie dumped on you only unlocked the gates that kept them at bay." ...What? I'm not sure I heard that properly. Did she say I actually had powers this entire time. I don't recall that ever being true. I was mortal, inside and out. If I had powers, then how come I couldn't have joined my dad all those shows? I even said this to Celestia. She said in a calm and assuring voice, "There are times when heroes are late bloomers. There are also times, when a hero must unlock it with something to trigger it. Now, as of your 'true form.' That really means your form is constantly shifting. It changes and never stayed in one shape. "What I'm saying is, you can shapeshift. Your powers change depending on who or what you change into." "...How do you know this, Mom?" (Whoops, forgot to mention that Celestia's now my mother). "Long ago, when humans shared the world with us. Among them was a leader, whose name in the ancient language means 'Fortress,' or by today's term, 'Stronghold'. When his race was dying, he traveled the vacuum of outer space, taking with him the remaining survivors. It is said that he found a planet where they could repopulate and settle, for the planet was barren. "It is also said that he had these strange powers that lead to his becoming of a leader. He was worshiped as a God, and he was kind to his people. He healed the sick and brought forth justice to wrongdoers on an unimaginable scale. Years after the humans left and regrouped on earth, two Archaeologists discovered a prophecy of a human with unimaginable powers arriving on Equestria in our time of need. It was found in a temple where the humans once lived. The prophecy spoke of you, Max. "So, do you understand now, Max?" Celestia then asked, putting her hoof on my shoulder. I looked up at her, and said, "It's a lot to take in, but yeah. I think I do. "Good. Now, I'd suggest you return to consciousness. My time with you has run out." And then she shoved me, sending me into the darkness that was my mind. I woke up with the taste of blood in my mouth, as well as some grass and dirt from the face plantage. 'Man, that must've been one nasty fall,' I thought. I got up, and Fluttershy backed away. I realized that if I hadn't fallen, I would have never known this. I never learned of this the first time, and I'm glad that on my second chance I had fallen. I have an advantage I didn't before, and I'm sure as hell gonna use it. I touched my forehead, and felt a huge gash that had stopped bleeding. It had some dirt sprinkled in the wound, but I just made water trinkle down from my fingers. When the gash had been washed, I then used healing acceleration to close it, leaving a long white scar in its place. Fluttershy and her friends tackled me in a huge group hug, nearly knocking the wind out of me. "Oh, thank goodness, you're alright. I was worried that you..." Fluttershy said as she cried into my shoulder. Everyone but her had let go, so I held her close. "Shhh, it's alright, Flutters." I whispered into her ear. Rainbow Dash then ran up to me and got in my face, saying, "I'm sorry, did you say 'it's alright'? Your brain must be damaged, too. You just fell fifty feet from the air. You're lucky your body didn't go splat. And you're actually saying it's alright!?!" "Rainbow, I understand you're in disbelief, but you don't have to play me close. Please back up." I said to Dashie. "Now, I just le...why are you staring at me like that?" I asked as they stared with their jaws down to the floor. I looked down and saw that my three piece had been replaced with a black white beater tucked into armor-plated pants and arm guards made of iron. On my back was a short sword made of bones. the bones were connected, with razor-thin spikes jutting out on one end. I took it out from the holster on my back and the bones separated, held onto the handle by chains. It wasn't a short sword, it was a bone-whip. That apparently wasn't the only thing that changed, though. I walked up to a stream, and looked at my reflection. For starters, my left eye had been covered with an eye-patch. that wasn't what shocked me, though. What shocked me was that I looked like that artist Pitbull, from back when earth was still around. I still had my hair, but I looked nothing like myself. 'I hope this shape-shifting thing can help me change my face back,' I thought. I also had a voice that seemed to come out with a low hum. "Well, that settles it. I've been reborn."
Chapter 4Chapter 4: Ready?...FIGHT!!! "Thank god, I changed my face back. I couldn't stand looking like someone I'm not." I said as me and Alisa were in the gym. She was using a yoga-ball, while I was doing bench-presses. "Uh huh. I personally thought Pitbull was a snob, so I'm glad, too. Also, thanks for coming with me to the gym. I needed a gym partner in order to take the fitness classes that take place fifteen minutes from now." She said as I moved over to the punching bag. The gym saved that particular one for me, and they taped a picture of Discord's ugly face on it. "yeah, sure. Friends help friends out, right?" "Yeah." She said as I punched and kicked the Discord-bag. Then she started talking to me about what Discord might do if we fail, which got me so angry my entire arm went on fire and my fist went through the bag all the way to the other end of it. I looked in surprise as the bag burned into ashes. she turned to me and asked "A little overkill, don't you think?" I smiled, looked at her, and said "It worked though, right?" "True. Anyways," she said as she grabbed my burning arm. "Session starts now." "If you're this excited, I have a feeling it's not because of the results you'll be seeing." I said as she practically dragged me across the floor to the fitness class room. Then, she put me on the mat next to hers as the trainer (a caramel-colored, strongly built guy with Jet Black hair and handsome features) comes in and greets the class with an austallion accent. "Hey, everyone. My name is Garret, and I'll be your fitness teacher. Now, first, before we do anything, I like to know my students and I like them to know me. Gives a feeling of security and friendship. So, who's up first?" Of course, it seems that I stick out like a sore thumb, because he pointed at me and said, "Hey, how's about you? In the black tank top and sweats. You seem like an interesting person. Come on up." So I got up, and everyone gasped as they looked at my face. "Whoa, mate. Max, right? First of all, your arm's on fire." he said, pointing at my left arm. "Yeah, um, I don't know why it's doing that...still." "Cool. Second, you're already very fit, so why are you here?" He then asked. So I answered with "My friend Alisa said she needed a partner and since she doesn't have many friends, I volunteered to come with her." He was then about to ask me another question, when I heard the noise of a wall crumbling down. He looked past me with a surprised look, then his surprise turned into anger as he said to the class, "USE THE EMERGENCY EXIT, CLASS!!! Max and I got this!" Wait, I must have gone deaf for a moment, because there's no way he said that. But, amazingly, that opinion changed as he ripped the skin off his arms, revealing arms made of ice. "What are you, Sub-zero?" I said, laughing nervously. He grinned and said "Actually, that's my code name, mate. And Ms. Hooves sent me to talk with you. I secretly tracked you. She told me to look out for a guy with tan skin and light blonde hair. Honor making your aquaintance, Mr. Stronghold." He was going to shake my hand, but then realized he'd probably give my fingers frostbite and took the hand back. He then smiled awkwardly and said "Yes, well...you get the point, mate. I was given intel that--" I put together the fact that my arm stopped burning the second that noise happened and finished his sentence with "A special task force was sent by Discord to kill me? Just a lucky guess, what with my arm's fire vanishing the second the wall crashed." He stared and whispered "...lucky guess, indeed, mate." Suddenly, a dark object was thrown through some smoke that filled the air and stuck to my chest. It then shocked me, but I laughed and yelled to whoever threw that, "You need to think things through and get your facts straight; I controlled electricity at eighteen!" and I took the thing off my chest, absorbing the electricity and turning it into fire as it ran along my arm. "You ready, Sub-zero?" I said as I took out my bone-whip. "If you are mate, then of course I am." He said as he took off his shirt and put on a bulletproof vest painted blue. The armor then formed around his face, forming a mask (also painted blue). "Yep, definitely a Mortal Kombat moment." I whispered to myself as a human came in disguised as a Changeling holding a gun came in the room. He grabbed a tazer and tried to taze me, but I just simply absorbed it's energy and yelled "NOT UP IN HERE!!!" as I whipped him with the bone-whip. I gained strength from the tazer, so I used the shape-shift skill and morphed into an my personal favorite--Scorpion. The Task Force came into the room, aiming their guns at me and Sub-zero. I just simply muttered to Sub-zero, "Get ready, Garret." He understood and a second before they pulled the trigger, I speared the first Human-changelings and yelled, "GET OVER HERE, BITCH!!!" I pulled him to me and ducked as he flew into Garret. Garret then grabbed his head, ripped out his skull and spine, and then threw it at another one of the Human-changelings. I burned the body of the victim of Garret's spine rip. Garret then froze half the Task Force and then broke all of them with his fists. I speared most of them except for one, tied the chains together, and brought them all towards me. While they tried to regain their senses, I punched all of them in a row, snapping their necks. I then walked up to the last one, who was looking up at me in anger. I let the spear fall onto the floor as I grabbed the chain. I stabbed the kunai into his sternum and brought him up to my face, asking, "Where is Discord?" He spat on my face. I then got ready to rip my face off and burn him, and I said, "Tell me where he is or I'll BURN YOU WHERE YOU STAND!!!" He finally said, "He's in the place your ancestors once lived." I let go of my neck and laughed, saying, "If you think that little info will save you, you're dead wrong." as I formed a portal behind him, wrapping the spear's chain around him, and kicked him into it. Another portal opened up above me as the corpse of the Human-Changeling dangling from it. "Holy shit, mate! That right there is mutilation as it is execution!...Lucky." I grinned and asked him, "Want to form an alliance, Garret? Fire and Ice working together has been rumored to be quite...deadly." He put his hand out and shook mine, grinning widely as he said, "Count me in, mate." 'Looks like new bonds are being formed, Max. Keep it up. You've made the bond of Brotherhood.' I thought before I heard coughing coming from a pile of rubble in the gym lobby. We ran to it, and I heard Alisa's voice from underneath the rubble. I stared at Garret and he instinctively put on his rubber arm skin. He then grabbed a few large pieces of cement and helped me dig out Alisa from under it.
Mini Chapter 1Mini Chapter 1: What? "What?" said my seven year old as I explained to him that I had to leave. I had just told him and Pound Cake and Carrot Cake that I needed to go back to Mt. Ray-mare for one last time to train. I would be there for three months. "Listen, I know I promised I'd be there, Alex. But if I don't do this, there might not be a family to be there for. Besides," I said. "You have your mother. Now, just because I won't be nearby, doesn't mean I won't be with you, children. This sounds like a corny movie line, but I'll always be here," I said as I pointed to their hearts. "Be good, kids. Alright, I got to go. Good bye." I said as I got up, hugged Fluttershy, and walked out the door. "You ready?" Alisa asked me as I grabbed my things from Garret. "I packed my things and left the doorway, didn't I?" I asked as I walked up to her. "Well then," she said. "Let's go."
Chapter 5Chapter 5: Training. "Is it just me or did the place get a little...chillier?" I asked Garret as I held my hands under my armpits to keep warm. He simply shrugged and passed by me saying "Meh...seems fine to me." I decided to use my power to bring up my body temperature, which made me feel toasty warm. I then caught up with Garret and Alisa, who were whooping it up with laughter. "Aww, well don't you two make a cute couple?" I asked out loud. Alisa turned her head towards me and mumbled through her teeth, "Don't ruin this for me." She then turned her head back forward and continued to laugh with Garret. Soon, we got to the top of the mountain and I was greeted by the monks who did so the first time I came. "Come on in to the temple. We can talk about your training then." Said Alisa as she opened the door to the temple. I stepped inside and lowered my temperature to normal as Garret held the door for Alisa. I sat down on one side of the square mat in the center of the floor. Then Garret sat down next to Alisa, and the mat revealed the Tsunami Clan's symbol of Power; A huge tidal wave large enough to level a city, drawn within a circle. "Look into the Tsunami wave to see where, in the hands of fate, the future lies." Said Alisa as she stuck her arm out towards the Symbol. 'This must be where her visions come from,' I thought and I leaned forward to see the future. I hoped it would be much more different than the future I came back from. I looked, and I saw a tombstone, engraved ln script on the front of it spelling out HERE LIES FLUTTERSHY. May your soul rest in peace, for one day, I will see you again. The tombstone was in the middle of a peaceful meadow, and the vision showed a hand placing flowers in front of the tombstone. The image then changed to me standing on a tall cliff with Twilight in human form by my side. I was wearing armor made of the toughest yet finest gold, which was somewhat covered by ceremonial robes. I held a staff in my hands, and I was staring out into the horizon. I was older, around my mid forties. My beard was grown out into the kind you see on lumberjacks, and my physique was lithe and muscular. I was smiling, as if I had finally brought peace to this land. I leaned back, and looked up at Alisa, and she asked what I saw. I explained to her, and she said, "Well, it looks to me as if you dealt with a hard sacrifice in the near future. I'm sorry. But we must train to give you a fighting chance...to give us a fighting chance." I got up, and exclaimed, "Bring it." Alisa smirked, and gestured me to come forward. I did, and she said "Your training starts...now." And I fell through a hole in the floor. "Wha...where the hell am I?" I asked as I looked around me. I was surrounded in darkness. I tried to get up, but something from the ground tugged at my arms, a clear sign that this was part of my training. A scenario appeared, and it showed I was chained, and about to be executed by Discord. He lifted up a sword, and said, "Any last words?" I tried to use my fire, but the chains were fireproof. So I tugged at the chains with all my might. Finally, my right arm was free, and I grabbed the chain. I looked up, and whipped the chain forward. It wrapped around the sword, and I tugged it out of his hands. I then whipped the chain around Discord and brought him forward. "Well done, hero." said Discord as he faded away. The area around me then vanished, revealing Alisa standing in front of me. She smiled, and said in a soothing tone, "That was to test your reflexes. You came a few seconds too close with your reflexes. A few months might do you some justice. Next is your fighting skill." I got up, the thing holding me gone. The area changed, revealing ten guards surrounding me. They charged, fists held high. Before I could do anything, I was punched in the back. I ducked as another tried to uppercut me. I then punched both his knees, causing him to fold over his newly shaped legs. I then grabbed him by the head and lifted him up, throwing him into another guard. I then back-flipped over the guard behind me and grabbed his chin and forehead. I snapped his neck so hard, the force applied to his head made his body twirl. I teleported in front of the fourth one, and said, "Surprise!" as I punched his face into his skull. Another guard charged me, but I ducked and threw him over me and off the cliff that had formed there when the fighting test began. I waited as the other five charged me, then disappeared, causing the guards to punch each other in the face. As they tried to regain their senses, I reappeared and punched them all in a row with such strength that their necks snapped with a sickening crack! The area then vanished, revealing Garret this time as he said, "Good, but not good enough. You shouldn't have to rely on your powers to win a fight. You should have the melee skills to kick ass, mate! Next, is stealth training." The area changed into a corridor, me hidden behind a section that intersects in between the corridor. I crouched down and waited for something that'd have to be part of my test. Finally, A guy walked past me. I melted into a shadow and followed him. Finally, when he stopped, I came out of the ground and snapped his neck. The area vanished and this time they both appeared, saying in unison, "At least you don't need help with something." I then flew up, and came out of the floor I fell through at the beginning of the tests. I smirked and said, "Talk about an early test." Alisa simply looked at me and said, "You'll need a lot of training."
Chapter 6Chapter 6: Three months and a bottle of whoop-ass later... I've finally mastered Reflexes and melee and I'm ready to go home. So, I asked Alisa if she was coming to Ponyville, and she said yes. Garret was coming too, because me and him became like brothers. If one went, so did the other. That was our law, something we couldn't (or more like wouldn't) break. So we left the mountain and headed for the nearest village. When we found it, our train had just arrived. We got on and picked our seats. As we put our stuff away, I felt like something was up. So after everything was away, I lied by saying "Save my seat, please. I'm headed to the train's restroom." and walked out of the section we were in. I headed to the bathroom to further hide the lie and walked up to the mirror. I splashed some water on my face because I was also tired from training more than I slept. That's when I heard from the other end of the door a deep voice whisper "Don't worry. He's in the bathroom. I'll just slice his head off and run the water in the sink so that no one will see the blood. "If someone sees me, I'll bribe them. They will say nothing." After hearing this, I knew I was the one they spoke of. I was, after all, the only one in here. So I melted into a shadow and moved into a stall. I then came out of the ground and became invisible so when he checked the stalls, he wouldn't see my feet. I heard the door open, followed by the sound of a sword being unsheathed. I heard the clip, clop of a horse, which meant it was a male unicorn. He walked towards the stalls as he said, "No need to hide. I'm on your side. The sword is only for protection." Lie number one. I heard what his true intention was. He then said, "If you're hiding, it's really not neccessary." Lie number two. There was definitely a neccessity in hiding right then and there. Lie number three was when he said "Come on out. Reggie's with me, and he's getting aggitated from waiting." I also heard the person's voice that asked him what happened if someone saw. It was NOT Reggies' voice at all. I then heard him start slamming stalls open as he said, "DAMMIT, IF YOU WON'T BUCKING COME OUT, I'LL HAVE TO MAKE YOU!!!" Finally, he slammed open my stall, and just before he could stab me (for I had turned visible when he opened my stall) I jabbed him in the eys with my fingers. He backed up, holding his eyes and grunting in agony as I walked towards him. He randomly threw his fist in the air, for his eyes were shut. When the fist came in my direction, I stopped it with my hand and crushed the entire hand by squeezing at the knuckles. I heard the bones make the sound of a bag of chips being crushed into crumbs. He yelled as I then slammed him in the chest, his arm ripping off like the guard from eight years ago when I freed Celestia from her mind. He started to get up, but I grabbed his head and bashed it against the sink's counter-edge. He tried to get up again, but I did the brutal thing, and stuck my hands in his mouth. I hooked them around his upper and lower jaw. I dragged him over to the sink, and positioned his head over it. "Remember how you said you'd 'wash my blood out with running water?' That's funny, because last time I checked, you're the one bleeding out." I said. I then yelled, "DON'T FUCK WITH ME!!!" as I ripped his jaw off. I ran the water and watched the fucker's blood go down the drain. His friend came in, and before he could do anything, I used lightning speed to slice his head off and run back to the sink. He grabbed his neck and fell, his head rolling towards me. "How's that feel, dickheads?" I muttered as the last off the first guy's blood went down the drain. I let him slide to the floor and used my powers to make all the scene vanish permenantly. I then washed the blood off my hands and my boots, and left the bathroom. When I got to the section we were in, Garret had fallen alseep, Alisa in his arms resting. They were huddled together, and Alisa sat on Garret's lap. I sat down and looked out the window, watching the trees roll by as we headed back to Ponyville.
Mini Chapter 2Mini Chapter 2: The foalnapping. While Max is sleeping on the train, Fluttershy is about to put the children to sleep. She put them in their beds and after she kissed all of them on the forehead, she was about to leave when Cody said, "Mommy? I have a bad feeling. I don't think we should be in this house right now." Fluttershy turned around and walked back towards the bed. She knelt down and put her hand in his bushy hair, gently rubbing her thumb against his forehead. She said, "We all have bad feelings as of late. These are dark times, Cody. But don't worry; your father will save us. Okay?" He nodded. Fluttershy then told him to try to go sleep. She then turned out the lights and went to her own bed, and slept. Little did she know that the 'bad feeling' meant that she would soon be taken captive "MOM!!!" Fluttershy heard as she was woken up from Cody screaming. She sat straight up, and put on a brave face. She wasn't going to let her children get hurt, so she did something really unexpected; she went into Max's weapons vault and took out a double-barrel shotgun. She crept towards the children's bedroom, and looked through the slight opening in the doorway. Suddenly, the teenage Colt trying to tie up Cody and the Cake twins walked towards the door. She positioned herself towards the door and aimed at the door. The colt opened the door with his horn and looked up as Fluttershy said, "Don't you DARE TOUCH MY BABIES!!!" and she pulled the trigger. The colt flew back so far he flew out the window. She ran towards her kids and tried to untie them...until a gun was put to her head and she was put in a van with her kids. The last thing she heard before they drugged her was, "Discord will be so pleased!"
Chapter 7Chapter 7: Rage Level Overload. We've finally reached Ponyville. The trip took a day and a half, so I can't wait to see my wife and kids...and possibly make plans for Discord's downfall. I woke the lovebirds up, and then we grabbed all our luggage, finally leaving the train. We watched as the train left, and then headed to my house. I took out my keys ahead of time, and since the house is near the Everfree Forest, it was a two-hour walk. Finally, we got there and I unlocked the door. I opened the door and the lights were off. 'Strange,' I thought. 'By now, they'd be awake.' I turned on the lights, and the house was a mess. things were scattered all over the place. My first instinct was to go upstairs, and my shotgun was on the floor. "Flutters? Cody? Kids?" I asked as I slowly walked towards the bedroom. I opened the door, and the bed was a mess. My weapons vault was open, and my shotgun was missing. I then walked to the kids' bedroom. Clothes were all over the place. There was a note on Cody's bed. I grabbed it and it said; Fuck off, unless you love funerals. -Discord's helpers I became enraged, and I looked up at the sky. "DISCORD!!! I WILL HAVE YOUR HEAD!!!" "Are you sure you want to go it alone, mate?" asked Garret as I put on my battle suit. It was camoflauge cargos, a belt with 30 ammo clips and 2 desert eagles, and a double-edged sword made of bronze and gold. I Turned towards Garret, and said, "We've got to end it at some point. If not now, then when?" I then took a belt with 60 grenades (30 regular grenades, 30 flash grenades) holstered. He said, "If you 're in trouble, I will bring back up." I shook his hand, and melted into a shadow. I went all the way to the castle in Canterlot, where I told my mother and my aunt of my actions to come. They blessed me with the brilliance of the sun and the shadowy stealth of the night. "Go on, my son. You are ready. And when you see Discord, show him we're not fucking around." said Celestia before she smiled. 'Damn, she's obviously pissed at Discord if she's cursing,' I thought. But I bowed and took my leave. I used the mind-touch to speak to Reggie. When I came into contact, I told him, 'Reggie. I need to know the location of Discord.' His responce; 'What makes you think I know it?' 'Reggie, you were his bitch for two years. Obviously, you know his location.' He then relayed it to me, and I then thanked him. I broke the connection, and opened a nightly stealth portal. I thought the location as I stepped through. When my foot came down, my surroundings changed into the pits of Tartarus. More specifically, the castlegrounds of Discord's kingdom. 'Well,' I thought. 'Time to kick some chaotic ass.' And I released my rage, forming flames around me. the flames burned at 3000°, but to me, it felt like normal. I then melted into a shadow, the flames forming a trail behind me as I sped towards a soldier who was guarding the back entrance. I popped out of the ground and grabbed his head. I watched as his head burned off until it was gone. I then spat on his corpse and said, "That's what happens when you FUCK with fire!" My voice sounded just like Ghost Rider's; cold, gravelly, and unforgiving...good. Because I'm not going to forgive these people like I forgave Reggie. Reggie at least knew right from wrong. These people are like zombie movies; brainless idiots who only know how to kill. I then grabbed my desert eagles, and cocked them back. "Fuck yeah," I muttered as I kicked the back entrance down. "HERE'S MAXY!!!" I said. I then shot every guard in sight, then holstered my guns and took out the sword for the ones that just love to survive. the flames engulfed the blade. I sliced the head off of one of them who charged at me, the flames from the blade burning his head and body into ashes. I then used the butt of the sword, and smacked another on the temple real hard, and he died. The same butt of the sword made contact with the inside of another one's eye socket. "IS THAT ALL YOU GOT CORDSY!?! A FEW PISS-OFFS WHO CALL THEMSELVES GUARDS!!! WHY DON'T YOU COME AND FIGHT ME INSTEAD OF HAVING YOUR 'GUARDS' SHIELD YOU, BASTARD!!!" I was hoping that he'd show, but instead, a 10 foot tall cyclops jumped down from the top balcony and roared at me. I fanned my nose and said, "Did you eat roadkill, because your breath smells like rotten carcasses and asphalt." and I took out five flash grenades and threw them at his eyes. It must've worked, because he started to rub his eye. I took advantage of the moment, and jumped up on his head. I brought down the sword on his scalp and pulled it towards me like a lever. I then leaped off and kicked him in the eye, knocking him down. I bounced off the floor on my landing, sending me to the wall. I vaulted off the wall and twirled like a drill, my destination being the head of the second cyclops that appeared, and drilled through his eye. I then landed on the floor and ran to the staircase. I ran up two flights, killed a few guards without ceasing to run, and ran my way to the top, where a door had Discord engraved on it. I sheathed my sword and held out my hand. A Fireman's axe shot out of the ground and flew into my hand. I grabbed it and said, "HERE'S MAXY!!!" as I chopped the door in half.
Chapter 8Chapter 8: Death...is Merely the Beginning. I ran up two flights, killed a few guards without ceasing to run, and ran my way to the top, where a door had Discord engraved on it. I sheathed my sword and held out my hand. A Fireman's axe shot out of the ground and flew into my hand. I grabbed it and said, "HERE'S MAXY!!!" as I chopped the door in half. And then blood spattered all over me. But it wasn't my own...nor was it Discord's. It was Fluttershy's. I watched as she dropped to the floor, the sword that impaled her gleaming red. "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!" I screamed as I ran to her. I dropped to my knees and slid my arms underneath her, lifting her up to me. I brought her in an embrace, feeling the life drain out of her. I looked in her eyes, and she opened her mouth. She said, in a hardly audible whisper, "Max...I-I lov..." and she closed her eyes, her mouth hanging open. She died. I bent my head down, letting a few tears escape my eyes and let them fall on Fluttershy as I tried to comprehend why she had to die. Finally, my tears dried up, and I gently put Fluttershy back on the ground. I then said "Now, Discord...you've picked a card you can't put back." I then turned around to see him walking away. "Bitch! Get your ass back her!" I yelled to Discord. He turned around and sprinted at me. He grabbed my neck and tried to crush my windpipe. But I grabbed his lion arm and twisted. "Auugh!" He said as he threw me. I hit my head against the wall, and my vision blurred. I looked as I saw a blurry Discord come towards me. He grabbed my shirt and said, "Her death...was merely the beginning. After you're dead, I'll rule, and you won't be able to stop me." I then sneakily took out a knife and said, "Well then, at least I'm gonna die trying." as I stabbed it in his gut. He let go and started to back up. I watched as he pulled the knife out and held the wound. I charged him and grabbed him by his fur. I ran towards a window and smashed through. I then locked on top of him and threw punches, aiming for the face and chest. Then, I held his arms and positioned my feet over his gut. I kicked him, sending him towards the ground with new speed. I then curled into a ball, and landed on the ground five feet away from Discord's twitching body. I walked up to him and knelt down next to him. I unsheathed my sword and said "Well then, if death is merely the beginning, then here's your death." And I stabbed him through the heart. I got up and walked away, not realizing he was still alive until he stabbed me with my own sword...through my back. I slowly melted into a shadow to make it look like I died, and appeared behind him in the form of himself. He turned around and saw himself. He then said "Oh, hello handsome. Caused any chaos lately?" as he stroked his goatee. I look at him and said, "Nope. Only justice." and I punched him in the snout. He fell and I grabbed his head. "In the end, Discord, we sometimes...betray ourselves." And using my foot, I held his body down while I tugged at his head. Finally, it came off, and I held it in the air for his guards to see. I yelled, "This is the fate that shall befall you! Death!" and as if on que, a portal opened, revealing Garret, Alisa, and a swarm of ponies in human form with guns blazing. When it was all over, Celestia and Luna offered me a place on the throne, but I simply said, "No. My place is as guardian of Equestria. As my descendant Stronghold would do, I would bring forth justice on an unimaginable scale. I will protect Equestria with my life. I only wish that I may see my sons and daughter." It was done as asked, and the cake twins ran and hugged me. Cody, however, looked at me with hatred. I tried to ask him what was wrong, but he shoved me away and said, "Why would you let her die?" and ran off. I never saw him until 20 years later. But let's not get into that story yet. I got depressed because Fluttershy died, and one day Twilight came to the Cottage and tried to make me feel better. Eventually, I felt better, talking turned to laughing, laughing turned to (I guess) flirting, and next thing I knew, I wound up in bed naked next to her with her in human form. I realized that I had feelings for Twilight. We got married, and we had a Daughter, whose name Anna Snow Dove Stronghold.
EpilogueWARNING: WHILE YOU READ THIS, LISTEN TO THE VIDEO BELOW: Youtube Video Epilogue: "Come on, Max! Hurry up! I want you to see this!" Said an overly excited Twilight as Max got out of the shower. It's been a year since the day Max ripped the head of Discord off (which he keeps in his trophy room) and gained Equestria its freedom. He dried himself off and wrapped a towel around his waist, heading towards the bedroom. He picked out his guardian's uniform rarity made for him; a cloak made of the finest silk with armored shoulder guards stitched on, a sleeveless shirt tucked in to armor plated black cargo pants and combat boots. He grabbed his helmet and his staff, then walked out of the bedroom and hugged Twilight, who gave him a kiss and lead him to the backyard. Well, it was more like a cliff overlooking Ponyville and Canterlot and the Everfree Forest. Twilight asked Princess Celestia to let her stay with Max unless she was needed. Celestia gladly agreed, so they bought a house next to the cliff overlooking the kingdom. She opened the door to reveal a beautiful sunrise. Max walked up to the edge of the cliff holding Twilight's hand, and twilight leaned her head dreamily on his shoulder. For the first time in many years, he could feel the serenity of life. He knew it wouldn't last long, though. It never does. But even this little amount of time made him feel good. So as he watches the sunrise, a smile creeps slowly along his face, and he thanks the Royal Sisters silently for blessing him with his life. Finally, he hears the radio that sits next to the backdoor saying something about a robbery happening in the Kingdom of the Royal Sisters. He turns to Twilight and Kisses her, then asks her to please take the kids to school so they won't be late. She says yes, and with that, Max takes off, soaring through the air while his staff turns into a spear with a blade smoothed into the bottom. He remembers his past, because it put him where he is now. This...is his legacy. For sometimes, legends are made.
ProloguePrologue: I've lost everything. My wife...my children...this stupid, no good battle...and for what? To live long to see my failure. I walk to the sight of the battlegrounds each year, put my hand on a tree that had the ashes from the flames that engulfed the battlefield. Leave my flowers on the front of the alter I made for all the lost souls from that bloody battle. And finally, I drop to my knees in front of the spot that Fluttershy was taken from me... I can't deal with the pain much longer. I must go back, and fix what mistakes I made. So as I use my magic one more time, I grab my hunter's dagger, and stab the right side of my gut, pulling it to the other side as I unleash my power of time. As my blood touches the floor, time goes in reverse. The land turns back from Barren and ashy to lush and green in a matter of hours. I see the events of the battle go in rewind motion. Finally, a second before I go back 100 years, my eyes roll back and I fall through the floor.
