The Silent Guardian

by AvalonAva

Rating: teen
Tags: Crossover, Dark, Human, Lyra, Original Character, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Other, Adventure, Derpy Hooves
Length: 6476

The infamous GearMaster has wreaked havoc once more, and now NightWatcher, along with Dante are stuck inside a strange new land called Equestria.

NightWatcher led a simple life. Had a free place to live, saved the world a few times. But then an enemy long believed dead came back to haunt him: GearMaster.

Dante, the prestiged half demon, also had an uneventful life until recently. Him, along with Night, were sucked into a trans-dimensional rift caused by GearMaster, and now find themselves in Equestria. Will they be able to find a way back? Will they even want to after certain events transpire? The only thing for sure is that the Master are rising again, whether they like it or not.

Published 2013-11-05 11:10:02 UTC
Last updated 2014-02-23 18:53:20 UTC

NightWatcher

The Silent Guardian

Chapter 1

NightWatcher

Every hero has a story. Some are well known, the ones that have saved millions of lives, stopped an impending doom. Others, not so much. Some pass by, their deeds not remembered. Only when such a crisis that seems to have no positive outcome, these heroes return. And save the innocent people once more. But what happens when an outside force, acting for its own will, invades the world this hero lives in, and wreaks havoc? Of this, my friends, is this hero's story.

NightWatcher was a thing from legend. A tall savior, dark blue cape, black hat (like General Cross's hat in D. Gray Man) with a light blue feather, two great swords, and twin .50 handguns with similar properties to that of Dante's. Speaking of Dante, he often aided NightWatcher in pressing matters. A few years back, a madman created an army of mechanical monsters. These maniacal machines swarmed the city, and took hold of all the exits. NightWatcher, teaming up with Dante, took on this terror. They finally stopped the machines when both fired a barrage of bullets into the main computer. They shut down, and the madman apprehended. Peace was restored.

XXXX

A van came to a screeching halt outside a seemingly abandoned office building. The large back doors opened, and five heavily armed troops disembarked from the vehicle. They took defensive positions around the building's door, and the team leader went in. The others followed suit, and scanned the area. They moved upstairs, sweeping the hallways. Coming to a closed door, the team leader halted. He then kicked open the door stepped inside, and look around. He then let out a sigh.

"There you are." He said. The other four moved into the room, locking it down. A person sat at a wooden desk, feet propped up. He was eating an apple, and looked at the team leader.

"To what do I owe this pleasure?" He said, returning to the apple.

"Reports have come in about machines. The ones you and Dante stopped three years ago." He spoke. There was no reaction to these words.

"Sounds exciting. It's been way too long since I've had a job to do." Finishing the apple, he tossed it behind him. It sailed, and hit the trash can. It spun around the edge, and slowly fell inside. NightWatcher pulled his legs back, and almost clockwork, something burst through the wall. He kicked the desk, and it skidded over and slammed into the unknown assailant. Drawing Angst and Misery, a fury storm of bullets rained down upon the desk, and to a further extent, the poor soul trapped by the fine carved wood. Splinters and sparks exploded from the mess. Spinning the handguns, Night returned them to their holsters.

"Alright, the show's about to start." He said with a smile on his face. Before he could get up out of the chair though, a large metal hand burst from the window and grabbed Night into a tight grip, and pulled him from the office building. The behemoth stood a good 100 feet in the air. Unable to pull himself free from the vice grip, he reached back. In a flash of light, a great sword appeared in his right hand. Slashing at the steel hand, it loosened it's grip in surprise. That gave him just enough time to slip from the giant's steely grip. Running up the arm, and jumping onto the head, he stabbed his sword into the CPU housing. The metallic monstrosity began to flail, frantically grabbing for its head. NightWatcher jumped as the beast grabbed a hold of it’s own head. In the panicked frenzy, it accidentally tore its head clean off. The machine stopped moving, and slowly fell towards the ground. The ex-robot made contact with the ground right next to Night. As he removed his sword from the metal monstrosity's cranium, the troop leader came to a halt nearby.

"We need to get moving sir. There are more of them terrorizing the city." He looked onward at two more giant machines, ones that had yet to spot the two.

"We won't get anywhere by destroying them all one by one, albeit I enjoy it. No, we've got to find the source. Someone is controlling them. Either powerful or smart, I can't say. I'll search the old tower in the city center. Have adequate forces applied to the most crucial areas." NightWatcher ordered. The leader nodded, and Night took off towards the Lone tower.

XXXX

The Lone Tower got its name from the last war against the machines. It was the brain and nervous system for all the mechanical creatures. But last time, Night and Dante destroyed the motherboard, and the mad scientist along with it. During the battle outside, all of the nearby buildings collapsed due to concussions, explosions, or machines just falling into them. The one tower stood, and was aptly named the Lone Tower.

XXXX

After NightWatcher's short sprint to the tower, he came to a halt at the base. Looking at the door, it seemed as if it hadn't been touched for ages.

"Hmm. I doubt someone entered through the door. Maybe the motherboard revived itself somehow." He glanced upwards, and a glint caught his eye. "Or maybe they came from the roof." Jumping up, he grabbed ahold of a small ledge. Luckily, the entire side of the building had copious amounts of ledges to allow NightWatcher access to the roof. As he climbed, bits and pieces crumbled from his weight. Dirt and grime covered his fingers and palms while he progressed up the side. Nearing the top, whatever was glinting had moved. With a few more grabs, he pulled himself upwards and landed crouched, pistols unholstered. Just a few feet away from him, a man with a large grey and teal coat had his back turned to him. A gear was on his head, angled from the left down to the right. He had sea foam colored hair, which was somewhat on the wild side.

"So, you've come. I've been expecting your arrival." The unnamed person spoke, as if NightWatcher was an old friend. Raising an eyebrow, Night replied back.

"I'm sorry, have we met before? Your tone sounds oddly familiar." The stranger laughed.

"Met? You killed me. But it was such a long time ago that you've forgotten. A reincarnation, the ghost of Christmas past." He turned around, and grinned at Night. "It is I, the one and only GearMaster!" At these words the crouching hero had a face of astonishment. He stood up, his guard dropped slightly.

"What?? How could you be? You were slain hundreds upon thousands of years ago."

"Might I ask you the same question? The Old Universe was at its end. How did someone like you survive that? Unless...ah! I see! Your friend's brother was always paranoid about the end. He must have caused a temporal anomaly."

"But how are you here? You were killed." Night interjected. GearMaster sighed.

"Because, my body was dead, but not my spirit. It possessed some poor soul a long time ago. He was too weak to fight it, and mine consumed his. Now I walk among the living once more." He raised his hand, and a broad sword burst out of the floor, and he caught it. A gear was fixated on the tip of the sword. "I think we've had enough talk." Night returned his pistols to his sides and grabbed a hold of his swords.

"Let’s. This time I'll make sure I destroy you, body and soul." And almost instantly, both clashed against one another. Sparks flew from the metal grinding against metal. Night then kicked GearMaster, and the fiend stumbled. He ran towards the stunned assailant and slammed into him. Losing his balance, he fell off the tower. But he grabbed a hold of Night's arm tightly, and pulled him off with him. As they were falling, Night kicked GearMaster again. He whipped out his pistols and fired a volley into the falling enemy's body. Retaliating, he brought his sword up and slashed at the hero. His face was grazed, and NightWatcher returned one of the pistols to counter Gear with his own blade. Their swords met a few more times, and the ground was nearing. Thinking fast, Night shoved his sword into the building. It managed to slow him down, and then he came take an abrupt stop, only about 20 feet away from the ground. Hanging there, he watched GearMaster fall. He wasn't as fortunate. A massive cloud of dust and debris shrouded the Master. He pulled the sword from the building, and dropped down into the dust cloud. As the cloud settled, there was an impact crater. But the Master’s body was nowhere to be found. Then a shadow came over NightWatcher.

"I'm sorry we didn't have the chance to reminisce on old times!! But now you die!" Gear said, swinging his sword down at Night. But what should have been the sickening soft sound of blade on flesh was instead metal on metal. Someone saved the hero.

"Damn Night, we've gotta stop meeting like this." The savior had a red coat and white hair. He pushed back on GearMaster's blade, causing the Master to stumble, and blasted him back with a flurry of bullets. The white haired man smiled. "That was easier than I expected." He turned to NightWatcher.

"I was wondering when you would decide to show up."

"Hey! I wouldn't miss a party for the world." The two looked at GearMaster, who started to laugh. Dante sneered. "Shut up old timer." Both raised their guns and opened fire. Among their shots, a large stone pillar rose, with Gear on top.

"Take this, you overgrown parasites! Gear Storm!" And out of the pillar gears blasted out from the stone, randomly spraying the area. NightWatcher and Dante dogged around most of them, getting grazed and brushed once or twice. Night then raised his hand towards the fiend.

"Aura Blast!" A bright blue beam of light escaped from his hand and hit the top of the pillar, causing it to explode. As the dust cloud expanded, Gear jumped out of it.

"I may not be able to kill you two, but I can still screw you over!" He had a weird looking sphere in his hand, and threw it down towards the ground. It sat still for a few moments. Then it exploded. It began to suck the air inside it. A sphere of black engulfed the spot, and it began to pull more into its radius. Night and Dante both used their swords to gain leverage on the ground. GearMaster fell into the black sphere.

"See you fools later!!" He said, cackling as he disappeared. Dante grunted.

"We can't just let him run away!" He said, beginning to lose his grip. Night was in the same situation.

"Well, if we can't fight it, let's go and meet it!" He said, pulling his sword out. Dante followed suit.

"Let's not screw around then. This party is just getting started!!" He said as both ran into the sphere, and the black engulfed their bodies. It then disappeared as if it never existed.

XXXX

Darkness ensued. Everything was in a blur, blending in with one another. NightWatcher felt as if he was in free fall. Then, a massive jolt passed through his body like he hit something hard. He lay where he "landed", the breath knocked out of his body. He slowly sat up, dazed from the sudden change of scenery. Instead of it being daytime, night was present. He was surrounded by trees. Many trees. He felt an odd presence in the forest, like an old power still lingered and thrived in the plant life. The air was also charged with that same feeling.

"Hey Dante! You around?" He shouted, looking for his friend. No response was made. Sighing, NightWatcher started to walk. Tree among tree he passed, coming across a pond every now and then. Animal life seems to be scarce, but they may have been just hiding. As he walked, Night came across what looked like the crashed remnants of a Warthog. "This looks out of place, but it may be a sign of civilization." He inspected the ground, and saw that two sets of footprints led off to the northwest. He decided to follow the footsteps, certain that they would lead him to something helpful. He pushed past overgrown shrubbery and brush. Up ahead, light was faintly visible. His pace quickened as the light became more vibrant and bright. Twigs and leaves crunched underneath his feet, and he came to the forest's edge. A town was settled not too far from the forest. He looked down at the footprints, and saw that they led to a shed off in the distance, or at least he thought. "Maybe there's a local that could help me." He said, disregarding the footprints. He approached the town, and came under one of the streetlight that lined a road he now tread. Being nighttime, the town was seemingly empty. He now began to pass the first houses. Some lights remained on; maybe some residents were enjoying each other's company, or a good book. Other houses were dark, their owners lost in dreams. NightWatcher came to an abrupt stop. There, infront of him, stood something. The being wasn't tall or intimidating, but small and possibly seductive. It was maybe around 4 feet tall, had a teal colored body, with hair a few shades of green darker, along with some white. "A...pony?" He said, staring at her. The pony stared right back at him, gaping.

"Are you a human?" She asked quietly.

"Kind of...I'm more of like a precursor to humans, but we’re in the same boat." After he said this, the pony squeed and jumped at Night, tackling him to the ground.

"Oh my gosh!! A real life person! What's it like having hands? I bet it's amazing! You can do all sorts of things! Can I have a look?" She looked at one of his hands. "They really do have thumbs! Why is it different from the rest? Who cares, you're a person!" She said in a frenzied excitement. Night got back off the ground and took a step back from the pony.

"And you're a pony, and a unicorn one by the looks of it." He said. The unicorn nodded.

"Yep. My name's Lyra!" She suddenly had a look on her face like she remembered something dire. "Oh crap, I forgot! I was told to bring wandering beings like yourself to the base if we ever come across them!" An aura of magic appeared on her horn, and also on NightWatcher's hand. "Please, follow me."

XXXX

The two came to the same old abandoned shed the footprints led to. She opened the door, and allowed NightWatcher to enter. He stepped inside, and had to crouch slightly since the shed was a little bit on the small side.

"So what are we doing in this cramped shed?" He asked. Lyra made her way over to the other side, and opened a panel. She put her hoof on it, and it scanned it. There was also a retinal scanner, which scanned her eye.

"~Welcome, Agent Heartstrings. ~" An automated voice said.

"Please keep your hands and feet inside the vehicle at all times!" She said. Then the floor began to sink. NightWatcher smiled.

"So, there's more to this place than meets the eye. Tell me, where does this lead us to?" A small chink of light appeared above the floor.

"The secret headquarters of the Ponies in Black. We've come across people like you before. You're just the only that's looks just like a human." As the lift descended, the base came into full view. They caught the attention of few, while most focused on their work. The lift came to a stop, and Lyra disembarked. "Well come on! You need to see the Commander!" NightWatcher walked off of the lift, and it began to return to the abandoned shed above. He strode across the room, following Lyra. She stopped at a pony wearing an eye patch.

"Lyra, what have you brought into the base?" She asked in a concerning tone.

"What? You and Quin requested that anyone similar to who've we dealt before be taken straight to the base as soon as we meet them." She said, almost offended.

"I assumed in that situation the agent would contact us first before bringing them into our midst. What if he isn't friendly?"

"I have a good feeling about him." Lyra said.

"You always have a good feeling about people." The Commander said.

"But this one is different! He just wandered into town, and he has no idea where he is Derpy! That's enough for me to trust him." She said. Derpy sighed.

"Ok, fine. But if he causes any trouble it's your ass, not mine." Derpy said. The pony squeed again and took off.

"I see you around!" She said as she left. Derpy sighed, and shook her head.

"That girl acts more scattered than I pretend to be. So, what's your name?" She asked the tall man.

"I'm NightWatcher. I was formerly a guardian of a city, but someone brought me here."

"Does this someone have a name?" She asked with a curious tone.

"Yes, he does. It's GearMaster." As he said this a look of shock came over Derpy. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. I'm just surprised to find that you know him. We've been getting reports about this guy for a while now. He's been working in the dark, but it seems like he is getting ready to strike. We seem lucky, since two more similar to you came by just a few days ago." Night raised an eyebrow.

"Two more? Like what exactly?"

"One had a full suit of armor. Another had a katana and white hair. They helped a friend and I take out a shipyard that threatened out peaceful lands."

"The one sounds familiar. Can I meet them?"

"Not today. They work out of Canterlot now. You can see them in a few days travel. Until then, you should rest. You look like hell." Derpy said.

"I feel like hell." NightWatcher replied. Derpy whistled, and a pony in a black suit walked up to them.

"Show our guest to his room. And make sure it's a fairly sizable one too." The pony took Night and showed him the way to his room. Derpy stood there, and looked at the ground. "This is a strange turn of events. I have the sickening feeling something bad is coming to Equestria, whether we like it or not."

Dante

The Silent Guardian

Chapter 2

Dante

NightWatcher awoke in a bleak room. It was 50 shades of silver, and the sheets were white. Aside from the cushy mattress, the room was increasingly dull. He pulled back the covers, and stretched. He rubbed his face, and sat up.

"Well, once again I find myself stuck in a place unknown to me." He grabbed his boots and slipped then on. He pinned on his cape, and donned his hat. Making his way to he door, he pressed on the keypad. It opened, and Lyra stood outside.

"Hey! You're awake!" She said with a big smile. Night stared at her. He looked up and down the hallway, then back to her.

"How long have you been outside here?"

"Oh, I was waiting for you all night!" She still had a big smile.

"So did you get any sleep?"

"Yeah. I slept outside on that bench." He looked towards the bench.

"That looks uncomfortable."

"Nah, I didn't mind it much. I'm supposed to be sort of guarding/escorting you. So I figured I should sleep outside your room." She stepped aside. "The commander wants to have a talk with you. She's in the cafeteria." He walked out of the room, closed the door, and followed Lyra.

XXXX

He passed too many trees to count. Here a tree, there a tree. It wasn't all nice and cleared out either. Annoying brambles and humble bushes grew among the trees, making travel in this massive forest even more annoying. The tall person, very annoyed with his situation, sat down on a fallen tree.

"I'm lost. And in a damn forest. One moment I'm having the time of my life, then next this." Dante glanced upwards. The sky was blocked by mostly tree branches, but some light shone through. "I can't even tell if that's daylight or moonlight." He sighed, and stood back up. The white haired person shrugged. "Oh well. If I head in one direction I'll eventually run into something." He begun to walk foreword, not knowing where he was heading. It wasn't before long that he caught the attention of a few little forest explores. They had hidden themselves behind a tree, observing Dante.

"What in the hay is that?" The first one said, with a confused look.

"Maybe it's some kind of undiscovered animal? Did you here it talk?" The second one said, almost bouncing.

"Yeah! Maybe our special talent is discovering new animals!" The third said with glee.

"Oh! We could be the Cutie Mark Animal Discoverers!" The first chimed in, smiling. As they conversed, Dante paused.

"I assume the Cutie Mark Stalkers was taken?" He said with a smirk. "For something so small you're annoyingly loud. I couldn't hear myself think." As he said this, the three fell from behind their ex-protective tree.

"Hey! You don't have to be rude about it!" Applebloom said, getting on her hooves. The other two followed suit.

"Whatever then. At least I've found something in this godforsaken wood." Dante turned to them. Expecting little children, he instead found three little ponies. "Oh...well, whatever you are, I think I need some help."

"What do you mean, are you lost? Don't you live here?" Scootaloo said. Sweetiebell knocked her on the head.

"Of course he- you are a he right?" Sweetie asked Dante, who nodded. "Of course he doesn't you dolt! Just look at what he's wearing. He fits in here like a manticore in Canterlot!" The three bickered among themselves for a while. Dante sighed, and broke it up.

"Ok, can you just show me the way out of here? You can get back to your arguing then." As he said this, their disposition changed.

"You know, maybe we'll get our cutie marks in rescuing, not animal discovery!" Applebloom said

"Alright!" Scootaloo said, jumping up. "We could be the Cutie Mark Rescue Team!" They high fived and begun to run to the left.

"'Cmon! It's this way!" Sweetiebell shouted back. Dante waited for a moment.

"Shit, what have I gotten myself into this time." He asked himself before heading off into the three fillies direction.

XXXX

"So," Derpy began, munching on a breakfast muffin. "You're human? I can't say it's the first we've met creatures like yourself." She sat in a table, across from NightWatcher and Lyra. The cafeteria was busy with breakfast. PiB ponies were too focused on getting their first meal of the day to pay attention to the foreign presence.

"You can say I'm human. But on the matter of the others you've met, can you tell me their names? I many be aquatinted with them." He grabbed for a coffee that was offered to him earlier. Taking a drink, he enjoyed it. "Mmm, it's been a while since I've had coffee. The last place I was in didn't have it at all." As he talked, Derpy pulled up a clipboard.

"I only got a glance at a few of the others, save for two. There's Nestis, who was a fully armored mech. Then Maelstrom, who was until recently fighting on out side." Night put the cup down at these words.

"You've met Maelstrom? He's one I know. We've worked together before. Back when the war was in full swing."

"You mean the Paradox War?" Lyra interjected. He sharply looked at her.

"Yeah, thats what we'd called it. Tell me, who else have you met?" He said, looking concerned. Derpy looked back at the list.

"There's this guy Ino that came back with us after a mission, and then this guy called Blazeclaw." Night stood up.

"No way! Blaze? If he's here, someone really screwed up."

"And that's not all. I only read off the friendlies to you." She said sternly. Night slowly sat back down.

"Who?"

"One was called Cursed Orthanik. The other, Alice." An eerie silence fell among them.

"Alice. Which means DeathShadow could very well gain access here."

"Blazeclaw did mention somepony called DeathShadow. Is he here?" Lyra asked.

"No, we all would have felt it. His evil is a dark void that consumes all. Everything evil and dark in this world would awaken and get out of control. Let's just hope he never gets here. But there's more pressing matters we need to attend to." He said, taking a drink of his coffee and sitting back down. Derpy raised an eyebrow.

"And what may that be?" She asked.

"Listen. I'm here solely because someone wanted to toy with me and Dante, the other that is stuck here. He is called GearMaster. He is ruthless, and will not stop until he rebuilds his empire. And it looks like he's set his sights on...where exactly are we?" He asked.

"Equestria. The empire of the Princesses of the Sun and Moon." Lyra spoke up.

"Thanks." NightWatcher continued. "He will try to take this place, and force all of you under his tyrannical rule. Tell me, is there any place where he might set up?" The two ponies thought for a moment.

"The Ruin Castle in the Everfree?" Lyra asked. Derpy nodded.

"No, that may be a challenge. Even I wouldn't attempt to reconstruct that place. Maybe...Fortuna Evanesce? It's a large, abandoned city in the wastelands. But if so...the Princess Twilight is heading right for him!" Derpy stomped a hoof on the table. "She has no idea what she's up against!" The grey pegasi had a look of fear.

"But doesn't she have Shimmering Blade and Charon with her? I think they'd stand a chance and managed to get out safely." The teal mare said, attempting to calm Derpy.

"Unless they both pull some powerful magic out of their plots, and exceed far what Quin expected, they don't stand a chance." Derpy stood up. NightWatcher finished his coffee, and calmly stood up.

"Well, what're we waiting for? We need to get to your capital, what was it, Canterlot?" Both mares stared at him.

"I think I should assemble some Spartans to handle the situation."

"Listen to me. If Nestis and Ino are in Canterlot, then we could used their help. They don't sound like your average fighters. We should get them first." He stated. Derpy sighed.

"Fine, well go to Canterlot. Well have to walk though, our transportation is shot. Technical errors and all. Get some supplies ready Lyra, and assemble a team. You're coming too." As the pegasi said this, Lyra had another big smile.

"Alright!! Leave it to me ma'am, I'll make sure we have everything we need!" She took off, and left the two in he cafeteria.

"You better be something good. If you use me, you'll regret it." She turned around, and left. Night sat back down, and drummed his fingers.

"This is just weird. One moment I'm fighting an old enemy, the next here." He scratched his head, and got up once more. "I want some more coffee. They brew it nicely." He took his cup, and took a moment to locate the coffee machines. He eventually saw a brewing machine, which was not too far away. A curt smile flashed on his face, and he approached the machine. As he walked to it, a pony had the same desire. They bumped into each other, the equine recoiling more than Night.

"Oh, sorry about that." He apologized to the pony, who was a mare. She looked up at him with a face of discontent.

"Seheb, wohin du gehst du dumme kuh!" She spat at him, being a red mare with a short white mane.

"Hey! I'm not a cow, and you're the one who ran into me." He retorted. The mare's expression went from anger to bewilderment.

"You can understand?" She asked, her accent showing. NightWatcher nodded.

"Yeah, it's been a while since I've heard anyone use German." He took the last few steps to the coffee machine and pressed the cup to a lever, allowing the device to release it's caffeinated brew.

"I'm sorry about ze outburst. I'm just angry at somepony, and my Germaney roots show when I'm distressed."

"Germaney? Such a cleaver play on words. So, do they have names in Germaney?" He stopped the machine, and took the cup with his desired amount away from it.

"Sorry. It's Dread Harivelle. And yours would be?" She asked, holding out a hoof. He smiled, and took the coffee in his other hand.

"NightWatcher." He replied, accepting her hoof. "So I can assume, like the other two I've met, I'm not the first bipedal being you've come across." Dread shook her head.

"Zat is correct. Z'ere were others such as yourself." She stepped up to the machine and drew a cup in which to have her own drink reside in. "It's been an odd few months, zat is for sure."

"I've heard about it. So I'm due to visit your capital city Canterlot, so I'm told." He said, the mare's coffee pouring into her cup. Night took a sip of his own, and savored it.

"Yes, Lyra told me a minute ago. Me and a few other ponies will be part of an escort, which will accompanied you to the city. Z'ere you will meet the princesses, and will determine if you are truly on our side, and not some infiltrator." She took her cup, and drank the beverage. Night smiled.

"You're commander seems convinced that I'm going to wreak havoc or something. Might I ask, who're you mad at?" He said, walking to a nearby empty table. She followed, and grunted.

"Just a friend." She said with a scrunched face.

"Just a friend?" He pryed. She looked at him.

"Yeah. Just a..." She looked away. "Alright, more z'an a friend, damn you." They both sat at the empty table.

"So, mind telling me more about this so called "friend"?"

"It's just zat, well, we've been arguing. I've been wanting to talk about serious stuff, but zey have been avoiding it." They both sipped at the same time.

"Well, I'm not perfect with advice, but maybe they think you're moving too fast?" Night said, attempting to solve the mare's problem.

"Well, maybe."

"How long have you two been together?" He asked.

"It'll be two years next Wednesday." She blushed. He whistled.

"That's a long while. You aren't moving fast, they're just worried." He said with a smile. Dread's mood lightened significantly, and the two sat there and talked for a long while.

XXXX

Dante, following the three Crusaders, exited the Everfree Forest after an hour of trekking through the brush. They found themselves at a dirt road.

"See! I told you this was the right way!" Applebloom said, casting a triumphant glance at Sweetiebell.

"I'm sorry, I really thought that following that river would take us past the town." She said. Scootaloo snickered.

"Yea, that's the last time I take directions from you!" Said the little orange filly.

"Hey, you were no better. If I'm not mistaken, you lead us to a swamp." Dante said, stepping up to Sweetie's defense. As the group walked down the road, the old cabin came into view.

"Look!" Sweetie shouted. "A house!"

"I think it's more of a cabin." Apple looks said.

"It looks like no pony lives there." Scootaloo sneered.

"It doesn't matter if anything lives there." Dante shrugged. "I'm out of that forest." He started to walk away, heading down a separate road.

"Wait!"

"Don't go!"

"We didn't get our cutie marks yet!" The voices of the three fillies slowly faded as he walked away.

"Damn, I thought I would never get away from those pestering colorful...horse...things." He struggled, attempting to comprehend what they are. As he walked down the dirt road, something stalked him. It kept to the trees, following not too far.

"Ah. This creature looks like it'll put up good sport. I got tired of these ponies weeks ago, curse this job master gave me. At last something interesting walked by." It talked to itself, jumping from tree to tree. It had a body of full armor, which was a dark tint of steel. Gold-brown lines were formed on the edges of plates, and also used for design. On it's armored shoulder, a circle with two broadswords crossed laid in the same gold-brown color. It had steel wings, which allowed it to so easily move throughout the treetops. "I can almost hear that red creature's heartbeat. I need...to...kill!" It shouted the last word, breaking from its cover and striking at Dante. It unsheathed a sword, and swung it downwards. By now, Dante heard and already reacted. He drew Rebellion, and deflected the steel assailant's blade.

"Oh, so no dinner first? I like to have a good meal before I kill anything." Dante said, smiling. The attacker grunted.

"Cheeky little bastard! I won't have a creature like you insult me!" It pulled it's sword back, and slashed at him again. The white haired defender ducked, letting the blade pass over his head.

"Whoops! Missed me." He taunted. The assailant swung downward again, and Dante back stepped, swiftly dogging the swing. The attacker's sword stuck into the ground, and it lost footing. Falling to the ground, it landed face-first. It looked up, only to find itself looking into the barrel of Ebony.

"Any last words? Maybe you can tell me what your are." He said, voice void of emotion. The defeated assailant groaned.

"I'm a knight for my master, sent on a mission to kill any strong looking creatures. I've been picking off these ponies for weeks, but then I came across you." It said.

"Master? It wouldn't happen to be that guy GearMaster I ran into a while ago would it?" As Dante spoke, the thing laughed.

"GearMaster? I'm not some mindless unit produced by ignorant working bots. My master is SteamMaster."

"Fair enough." He began to pull back on the trigger. The steel fellow panicked.

"No! I can help you! I have information!" It said in desperation. "You need me! There's so much you don't know-" His voice was cut off by a loud gunshot, followed by the piercing sound of punctured metal. The strange steel assailant feel quiet, and collapsed. Dante spun around Ebony before putting her back in the holster.

"I don't need help. All I need to do is head towards that city." He said, pointing at one in the distance, which was on a mountainside. "I'll find out where I'm at there. I don't need the help of some Master's puppet." He walked away from the crippled body, which was slowly disintegrating. He laughed.

"Just another day in paradise." Dante kept walking, paying no mind to the few passerby ponies that were giving him strange and surprised looks.

XXXX

"Ok, your escort detail will be comprised of two Spartans and one agent. I would send more, but we're short staffed at the moment, missing two Spartans and a Head Director already. We can't afford more than three." Derpy briefed NightWatcher. Three ponies stood behind the grey pegasus. She turned around to list them off.

"There's Lyra Heartstrings, whom you're already acquainted with." She pointed at the green unicorn, who smiled and waved. "Then there's Dread Harivelle, our close-quarters specialist. Lastly we have Lancer, a born leader. She will be in charge of the operation." The third mare was a baby blue earth pony with a dark red mane. She stepped forward and offered a hoof.

"Hello Mr. Watcher." She said. Night smiled, accepting it.

"That's not my last name, just call me Night." He said with a smile. The mare took a step back, falling back into line with her fellow ponies.

"These three will accompany you to Canterlot. You leave in a few minutes. Dismissed, and good luck." Derpy nodded, and left them. Lancer lead them to the lift, which took them to the old cabin above. They left the faux building, and stepped out to the road. NightWatcher stretched.

"Ah! It feels good to be outside." He exclaimed. Lyra smiled.

"You were only in Headquarters for a night." The green mare laughed. Dread shot a glare Lyra.

"Oi! You need to keep a good demeanor. You don't want zhem to zink we're fool, do you?" The crimson mare snapped. Lyra blushed.

"Sorry. I'm just excited I get to go to Canterlot." The mare trotted in place.

"Well, the sooner we get moving, the sooner we'll get there." Lancer said, beginning to walk in the direction of the city. The rest followed her, and took down the same road Dante traveled earlier.

XXXX

The group passed bland scenery, only trees lining the road. A spare few passerby were seen, most avoiding eye contact from NightWatcher but greeting the ponies.

"Afraid much? It's not like I'm going to eat anyone." The tall person said with a smirk. Lyra turned to him.

"What do you eat?" She asked with a look of curiosity.

"Oh, you know, fruits and vegetables. Oh, and meats." Dread jumped, and took a few steps away from him.

"You mean to tell me you eat animals? What cruel beasts would do such a zing?" She said in a raised tone.

"Don't worry, if it's that much of a problem I'll just cut it outta my diet for a while. Maybe. Who knows, I might crave a steak one day." He teased. Dread kept her distance while Lyra and Night laughed. As they progressed down the trail, they came across a large pile of black ash. The group halted, staring at it.

"What is zat?" Dread asked. Lancer shrugged.

"Beats me. Lyra, take a sample of it. It doesn't look like any ordinary ash pile." After she finished her sentence, Lyra already had a vial out, levitating it with her magic. Taking a scoop of it, she put a stopper in the glass. She retrieved the vial, storing it in a saddle bag. "Such an odd substance." NightWatcher stepped forward, feeling the pile.

"It's cold. And real grainy. Almost feels like metal. Too weird." He stood up. "Let's keep moving. I don't wanna attract any unwanted travelers." The group continued to move, heading for Canterlot.