Legends of Equestria: HeroSoul

Chapters

Solitude in Darkness (Prologue)
Along the Darkness
Beyond the Darkness
Knowledge of Darkness
Times of Darkness
Awaken the Darkness
Equestrian Darkness: Part I (Dash of heroes)
Equestrian Darkness Part II (Gateways)
Dreams in the Darkness
Trials of the Darkness (Part One Finale)
Part Two Intro
Afterthoughts and War
Storms and War
Horror and War
Silence and War
Slaughter and War: Part I (Lunar Falls)
Slaughter and War: Part II (Southern Star)
Slaughter and War: Part III (A Hero's Stand)
Part One [Reminder Chapter]

Solitude in Darkness (Prologue)

‘Long before Equestria, before anything, there was only darkness. Darkness that controlled everything, and was foretold to control the Multiverse again. It has been said many times that the Mo’ka weren’t the only creatures of the Void, let alone the worst. This, unfortunately is true. The Mo’ka were just children compared to what will one day overtake everything, bringing an end to all things good and peaceful. The Garonin are what we should have been focusing on, yes the Mo’ka were a threat and I am not judging you all in attempts to stop them, but we should have been finding a way to escape this threat that will destroy us all. Fight them? No, you cannot fight the Garonin and we will not survive the coming times. I say to you all ponies of Equestria, put your arms down and go be at peace, I will fight them along with anypony that wishes to join me, but if you do know this: You. Will. Not. Survive.’ – Queen Lauren Faust. Six days after the siege of the Void.

The Void, Unknown time since the war.

The Void was dark. As it always was. The three ponies and the knife were sitting silent staring into nothingness. Bright Haze, the reason they were trapped here sat on his rump staring at where the exit used to be. The blue Pegasus Siren had his wings out and spread, down with no strength left in them. His hair was longer than before and the red and blue colours of his mane were more mixed and blurred together. His tail was the same but much of it was trapped underneath the stallion for the little comfort that was left in a flat world of black.

Spectra Speed, the darker blue Pegasus was standing, pacing up and down quickly muttering to himself.

An Alicorn of white was what filled the last gap of the three ponies. He was also sitting, wings frozen in place as they had been since his arrival in Equestria. Heart Breaker was his name and had a hoof of his chin as he fought sleep. None of the ponies knew how long it has been in the Void but they all were becoming tired and hungry. Something they didn’t think would happen.

It had been thought that they would just wait for all eternity without aging or having to go through other activities that a pony normally goes through, but that was not to be so.

“So this is how it ends.” Heart muttered.

“Sorry?” Haze asked, not hearing his friend properly.

“This is it. This is how we die, starving and bored.” Heart replied quietly.

“I guess it is. I am so sorry. I fucked up.” Haze muttered sourly. The magical talking knife named Nick looked up at the three ponies. Haze and Heart having a stare-off and Spectra wondered in a circle.

“We could have left you Haze, but we didn’t, because you are our friend. We fight together and we die together. Get over it.” The knife muttered. Haze smiled a little but it still didn’t help the mood.

“If only we had the technology to build a portal.” Heart said quietly. It went over Haze’s head for a moment until he actually thought about it.

“Wait, what do you mean by that?” Haze asked quickly, a flood of ideas entering his mind.

“What I said, if only we could build a portal.” Heart replied, confused. Haze smiled for once in a while.

“Don’t you see? We could! On Terra we don’t have magic, we don’t hear either.”

“The fuck are you talking about?” Spectra asked.

“You’re right! If you can cast something like a lightning bolt or something we could open a portal, obviously at exactly the right voltage or it wouldn’t work. But the only thing is. We have no materials, no metal.” Heart Breaker replied shouting a little, clearly excited.

“Yes we do.” Haze muttered, looking at the armour they had been wearing, casually sitting on the floor in a pile.

“You really wanna destroy our armour? We have been through a lot with them, and the weapons in yours Haze could come in handy one day.” Heart replied, looking at the horse armour before them.

“And if we don’t do this now, there may not be a ‘one day’. I have been through a lot with the weapons yes, but we need to do this. Heart since you built the portal before. Do you think you could do it again?” Haze said, looking to the Alicorn.

“It will be hard with hooves and I would need a continuous supply of power to go into the metal itself, but it could be done.”

“Good, let’s get started, tell me the voltage level.” Haze was smiling, as was Heart. Spectra looked toward the two as they began to gather the armour out and fire cast out from Haze’s white horn to melt it onto the black floor, eventually giving a gold and iron coat of liquid spread across the ground.

Haze had a huge grin on his face as Heart ordered the Pegasus Siren how to form the metal. Slowly, but surely it began to form a semi-circle in their once dark world. They would be going home soon. However, back on Equestria, everypony was still in the aftermath of the war that had left so many dead.

Equestria, five days after the war.

Never in the history of Equestria had so many died, in so little time. Pyres of wood stretched out in front of the ruined walls of Canterlot city. There was no land on Equestria, nor materials for shovels that could bury all of these ponies. So they would all be burned, a survivor of the war, and dear friend to Haze and the others stuck in the Void, Dari Stillwater. Was one pony among hundreds walking up and down the isle of wooden structures with ponies, or bits of ponies underneath oil covered blankets. It was the plan that they would be burned that night, in Luna’s light they were to be freed. Freed from their bodies so they may peacefully go to the Paradise above.

The list of names of those who had died had come out less than a day after the fighting stopped. Celestia, Luna and their mother had been quick to find out everything they could about those who died. Dari had seen the list herself and read through every single name and attempted to remember them. Lest we forgot. She though sourly. Her daughter, Treeborn was trotting next to her, looking up at the wooden piles, not quite tall enough to see what was above them. The small Pegasus hadn’t said a word all morning, but not many ponies had said anything since the portal closed.

“Come on Tree, let’s go find the queen. See if she has any news.” Dari muttered, not really to her daughter, more to reassure herself, that Faust was still here, and hadn’t abandoned them in their darkest time. The now Earth pony and her daughter trotted back toward the walls of Canterlot where the queen and princesses normally were. Twilight Sparkle had gone down there in a rush after an urgent message from Celestia came to her, she hadn’t been seen since. Her five friends had been standing outside the royal tent for almost an hour now.

Dari could see the three banners from where she stood, Luna’s, Celestia’s, and of course Faust’s in the middle. Luna’s was her original one of a crescent moon facing upwards with a small blue star and two blue wings to either side. Celestia’s had been changed recently, nopony was sure exactly when, but the design had been constantly been changing for a while now. At the moment it was a yellow circle with two enclosed wings wrapped around it in orange. Faust’s was a mixture of the original flags. On a green and brown background were two outstretched blue wings, with a diamond in the centre and a unicorn horn coming out of it. Dari continued on, looking to the guards. Some of the Solar and Lunar guards had had an armour change to a more white metal set to start up a Faustian guard. There were five standing outside of the red and gold tent of the three royals, they saluted as Dari got near and one stepped forward, he seemed itching for a reason to use his spear, even after all this death. Dari looked down for a second in shame. The four other ponies looked up from where they sat.

“I am sorry Lady Dari; we have had specific orders by the Queen herself not to let anything inside that tent unless an enemy is to attack.” The guard said, putting a hoof out.

“I understand, just, Twilight Sparkle has been in there a rather long time and Í am beginning to worry. I would also like to find out if any knowledge has been found about restarting portal magic. But I can fully understand that those three have their hooves full right now. Thank you though sergeant. You are doing a fine job.” Dari replied. She took a step back and nodded; the pony smiled a little and also took a step back. “Do tell them I popped by though.” She said, trying to sound as close to Haze as possible, his accent was strange but memorable. The pony nodded again and they separated glares with a “Of course milady.”

Dari then walked over to the five ponies, Applejack and Rarity were looking at the closed flaps of the tent, not blinking. Pinkie was nervously eating some cotton candy that she seemingly materialized out of nowhere, as usual. Fluttershy, who would normally be hiding from all the bloodshed seemed to be thinking hard about something and was certainly in an inner conflict. Had Dari still been a Siren she could have seen into the Pegasus’ mind to see what’s wrong, but now Dari would have to find other means to help her friend. Dari looked to the yellow mare who seemed oblivious to her stare.

“Hey Fluttershy, a word please?” Dari asked, the other mare jumped a little and looked up, sadness in her eyes, she eventually nodded. “Stay with the girls Tree.” Dari ordered before leading Fluttershy away from the others.

Once they were out of earshot Dari looked at the other mare with sorrow and pity. “What’s wrong Flutters?” Dari asked; Fluttershy looked down a little before muttering something.

“I killed something Dari.” Fluttershy muttered again, Dari paused for a second and did a double take.

“S-sorry?” Dari asked.

“During the last battle, I killed one of those mean Mo’kas. They ran at Rainbow and I shot it with my crossbow. It just vanished. No screams, it didn’t do anything, just, vanish.”

“That’s how they die Flutters, you did indeed kill the creature, but you also saved your friend Fluttershy.” Dari could see the Pegasus was pained by her killing; Dari was surprised that it had been this long since she had killed an enemy, yes she had engaged in a few battles and knocked many out with blunt weaponry. But after all this bloodshed and destruction. Innocent, young Fluttershy was still not a killer.

“Tell me what it was like for you Dari.” Fluttershy muttered suddenly. Dari was confused, luckily Fluttershy saw this and rephrased the question. “Your first kill, what was it like?”

“Oh Fluttershy, this isn’t something to really talk about,-” Dari replied. The yellow mare looked up to the other with sadness in her eyes. “Fine. My first kill was when I was but six years old, the Sky Dwellers had begun their invasion against my people and my home was under great bombardment by their machinery and their ground forces were now landing. Our troops and their own were fighting fiercely all over the city. I watched as my closest friend was shot mercilessly by one of the Dwellers. I saw red. Fluttershy I lost it, and I was scared of myself because of it, I still am. I ran, charged at a fully armoured, and armed Dweller, picked up a fallen weapon and cut that asshole to pieces.” Dari replied, a few pauses here and there, but after she was finished a few tears were forming.

“I’m sorry.” Fluttershy said after a moment.

“It’s not your fault. I have seen a lot of things in my time Flutters, trust me when I say that day wasn’t my worst. Now, back to you. How do you feel?”

“Feel?”

“Yes, now you know you have killed, how do you feel?” Fluttershy looked to the ex-siren with confusion, but eventually answered.

“Terrible, horrible. Sad, angry at myself. I went against everything I have ever learnt in my life, trying to keep life is my job, instead I took it. I feel like a monster. Am I a monster Dari?” Fluttershy looked to the mare with hopeful eyes. Dari considered the question for a moment but looked down. Truth.

“Yes.” Dari replied slowly. Fluttershy looked as if she was about to cry. “But we all have our flaws Fluttershy dear; we are all our own monsters. Remember the old saying ‘we stop looking under the bed for monsters when we realise they are actually inside us’? Well that’s true. For some, one day those monsters will take over, bloodshed and war will be the only thing a pony can live for. Like, sadly, myself. Although I now have Tree, I will always be a warrior at heart. As will Haze, Heart, and now Spectra. They don’t have anything to fight for now except their friends. Heart was banished from his entire world for being different. Haze and Spectra both watched everything they had ever loved get ripped from them by this evil we have defeated. By you killing that creature, you brought us one closer to victory. You have that monster inside you now, you will live the rest of your life knowing you took a life, but will also have the knowledge by doing so, that you saved millions.” Dari added. Fluttershy looked up, less sad by that.

“It’s okay Fluttershy, let it out. I will be here till the end.” Dari muttered, before bracing for the hug that eventually came, she let the yellow Pegasus cry on her shoulder whilst looking toward the royal tent, now illuminating a powerful white light. Dari smiled as she knew what this meant. Time to bring hope to Equestria again my queen. Dari thought and pushed her nuzzle deep into the soft, pink hair of Fluttershy.

Lauren’s MindEye, five days after the war.

Luna, Celestia and Faust stood around Twilight, the pony had accepted the chance the three had given her and was now preparing for what was about to come.

“You realise though, you will live much longer than your friends after this?” Celestia asked.

“Yes. I don’t know how I could live without them, but I am sure I’ll have you all to help me through it. Plus I will still have Heart, and the children of my friends to be with.”

“Yes, well, despite being an Alicorn, Sir Heart Breaker will live the same amount of time as everypony else, however that will depend on how old Terrans can be with medieval era medicine. One thing we have though is magic.” Celestia replied quickly. Twilight nodded.

“Come now sister. Lethe be done with this, she hast friends to be with.” Luna said. Twilight looked confused, after the Nightmare Night incident Luna had spoken like that, but seemed to have quickly adjusted to modern Equestrian so why here does she speak so, funny.

“Yes. Now Twilight, before we being, could you take some vows for us?” Faust spoke up, looking down at the unicorn.

“Of course my queen.”

“Then repeat after us three.” Faust replied, smiling. “I haven’t done this since Cadence became an Alicorn.” She added giggling a little.

“Do you Twilight Sparkle, knight of Equestria and protege of Celestia, promise to uphold peace and freedom to Equestria?” Faust asked, with a dead serious face.

“I do.”

“And do you promise to act only in the good of the country, instead of the good of yourself. So long as you live?” Luna asked. Another “I do.”

“Promise to defend all that is right in this world and push back the darkness no matter the personal cost?” Celestia.

“Repeat these words Twilight Sparkle: I, Lady Twilight Sparkle, of Canterlot, Equestria. Will from this day forward watch over Equestria as an Alicorn. Now my watch begins, it shall not end until my death. I shall fight for the glory of Equestria and for all those I have loved, or ever will love. I shall live and die defending the world. I am the light in the dark, the watcher on the walls. I am the magic that saves many, but the mage that can end all. I am the shield that guards the realms of ponies, and all those beyond it. I pledge my life in the defense of the country, and to bring honour and love to the pony nation. For this day, and all days to come.” Faust said, pausing every now and again so Twilight can say her lines. After it was done, the three ponies looked down at her and made their horns glow. Yellow, white and blue the magic sparked out and absorbed Twilight, for a moment she panicked, but quickly relaxed as the magic overtook her. She was lifted into the air slightly and felt a tingle of pain rush through her body as unnatural changes took over.

She shut her eyes as a large jet of pain overtook her and she felt tears growing, but it was over nearly as quickly as it began and the magic cut off. Twilight dropped to the ground as the world they were in began to fade to black. The trip home took its toll and Twilight passed out, now a fully pledged princess of Equestria. Things were looking up.

Along the Darkness

The Void, unknown time after the war

The three ponies and knife had the portal ready before them, it was nothing special, just looked like a tall semi-circle made of gold and iron metal alloys with random lightning sparks coming out of it. Oh wait, that’s what it was. The sparks flow in random directions and Haze continued to pour magic into the magic, Heart was looking at a small piece of metal that he was supposedly using for a control, once the metal got to a certain colour, it would be Equestria. He hadn’t said which colour, just when it happened, they should run like crazy. Spectra had agreed to the idea pretty quickly; as soon as Heart sat him down to explain how it all worked, twice. Nick on the other-blade was not as impressed, being a tower of metal, he would be a perfect conductor of magical electricity, and since that’s what brought him to life in the first place, he’d rather not tempt fate. Haze had agreed that Nick was a good target for the wild lightning; he had no control over it.

“We are kind of in a rush though Heart, I don’t think the Void has much magic left in it.” Haze suddenly shouted over the lightning that was slowly becoming much louder than before. His eyes flinched at the flashes every time they sparked up; being in the darkness for so long they were reacting to sudden, bright lights terribly. It will only get worse when we get home. Haze thought. If we get home.

Haze continued to pour magic into the makeshift portal conductor whilst Heart stared at the ever changing colours of the metal. Spectra was still standing, looking ready to gallop into their exit as soon as the order was given. Nick had climbed onto the Pegasus' back and was holding tight onto the Grey mane of the stallion. The circle slowly began to hum that low, familiar sound and Heart looked up from the metal, stepping back to ready the next step.

"Haze, you can stop now. Be ready." Heart ordered, the other pony compiled and stepped forward. Slowly the purple colour of a portal formed inside the shell and instantly the three galloped forwards, not needing any orders from any of the group. Nick hung on tight as he was shot into the air, almost stabbing Spectra as he slides back. Haze's wings were out and flapping, as if he intended to fly as soon as he was out. Heart was almost crying as he and the others passed through into their home.

Equestria, five days after the war

The two princesses and queen had exited the tent, leaving the sleeping form of Twilight on a wool bed. Faust nodded to the ponies sitting outside and four of them entered, all but Dari. The queen looked to the dark blue pony with sadness; she knew what the question would be. It had been the same question asked for five days.

"My queen-" Dari begun, Faust then quickly interrupted her, not noticing the small ball of fluff which was Treeborn hiding behind her mother.

"I'm sorry Dari, I still have unicorns on the task, and still they have not found any answers. I promised you to give you news as soon as I received it. Since I haven't, then I haven't spoken to you." Faust quickly said, looking down at the made. Dari nodded in understanding, that was the worst part. She understood Faust was trying, yet still wished for her friend’s survival. The Pegasus walked away and noticed the sun slowly begin to descend the sky making way for night. The pyres would be burned soon and Tree needed food and bed before that happened. The royals had cleaned up the city best they could and gave homes to all those who now needed it in the direct aftermath of the war. Sadly, those houses once belonged to ponies that never made it back. Dari and her daughter had been given a key for a house near the wall apparently, but neither had gone in to their new home yet and had mostly been sleeping outside with a lot of other refugees unwilling to move into some other pony’s house. But Tree was restless outside and they both needed a good night sleep, not that after everything she'd been through, Dari would get one. The walls were still damaged enough that Dari and Tree could just walk over, much to the annoyance of the stone mason ponies. But after they decided to rebuild the gates, which later collapsed under its own weight, the walls were the only way into the still ruined city. Most of the damage had been cleared up; demon bodies did still litter the ground, but not as much as before. The ponies that had fallen had already been gathered for burning; the enemy had either been left or simply thrown off the side of the mountain. Some even used their guns to decay any remains left, leaving black marks of burn and acid.

Dari looked down at her daughter who stared at the dead laying in the rubble with an emotionless glance, either the war had broken her completely and she was too scared to even think about the implications dead ponies and other creatures meant, or Treeborn was a stronger mare Dari would ever be, which in a way was true.

Tree was strong during her infancy, where Dari was under the influence of a rebirth and in theory mother and daughter had grown up together.

Tree had been strong in the months and years Dari contemplated the fact her daughter was one of magic, rather than love. Thus Dari didn't care for her as much as she now knows she should have.

She was strong when her mother went to war, after that short time Haze had spoken to Dari and now understood she was ready for motherhood no matter how it had come to be.

Treeborn was even stronger when Dari came home powerless and wingless, a sacrifice to save one pony. Now however, it did not matter whether her mother had her powers or not, without the Heart of Equestria there was no way Tree would gain her powers. All she was was a Pegasus, much like how Dari is now an earth pony. With the Heart infused with both Haze and the atmosphere, and Haze being trapped and the atmosphere magic out of the question. There really would be no more Sirens. At first Dari and Tree could have rebuilt their race, but Haze was in control of that now, not them. And after watching his only daughter physically get turned to dust before his eyes and his wife also get shot, he probably wouldn't have any more children. That is if he ever returned.

The two made it into their house and stepped inside. The place was small and had little in the way of lighting. The only really light source that could be seen, besides the few blackened windows, was a small electric lamp in the kitchen. As if on cue Dari's stomach began to grumble and she realized how hungry she was. She looked to Treeborn who also held her stomach.

"Want some food daughter?" Dari asked, as casually as she could.

"Yes please mother." Tree replied looking into the kitchen, the older mare gave a small, warm, smile and made her way into the kitchen to fine bread, flowers and enough hay to last them a month. Dari began to make the sandwiches and watched her daughter explore the living room out of the corner of her vision. The filly seemed content with living here but wasn't really at home. Their house in Ponyville had been destroyed during the human invasion but they had been living with Spectra in his relatively untouched home. With three adults and three children it had been fairly cramped but otherwise livable. Despite this being Somepony else's hone Dari felt that she could at least survive up here with her daughter. But she would have to take the train to see everypony else. Except Twilight maybe who would certainly be here with the other royals doing her new found duties as Alicorn princess. The only issue was with the amount of princesses. With Luna keeping an eye on the Dweller kingdom there would be three princesses overlooking Canterlot. Which wasn't exactly a bad thing but tactically they could spread out the Princesses to overlook Equestrian's borders. Not that invasions had been coming from the world recently. But later on.

Equestria, six days after the war

Lauren Faust was walking around the torn battlefield outside of Canterlot. Great machines took over the skyline of the city as attempts to repair it went underway. The dead bodies of both the enemy and ponies had finally been dealt with. The ponies burnt over night with celebrations and an attempt at a party to remember the fallen in a good way, which failed miserably. The enemy, whether they be Demons or otherwise were simply thrown off the side of Canterlot mountain, many ponies spitting of shooting Decay at the already dead creatures. There was nothing of the Mo'ka to desecrate, since they simply turned to dust after death. Their remains had floated away in the wind, scattered across the world. Faust had three guards in the newest royal armour, with leg blades on their preferred legs, a metal sword-spear like blade attached to a guards helmet which could make a unicorn horn be used as a weapon with damaging the actual bone of the horn, and an exoskeleton of three small dagger-blades which attached to ones wings. The Faustian guard was certainly the more armed guard of the three, second only to Luna's. The castle blacksmiths had been working daily to create the perfect alloy for the armour and to get the right size for half a hundred guardsmen. As well as the queen herself. They hadn't been all that happy to be making more wartime armour and weapons considering the war had been declared over, but Faust knew better than to tempt fate.

The queen herself had thinner armour on than her guard but had different types of weaponry than the standard wear. Her horn was considerably longer than the average unicorn being an Alicorn, and the silver metal had a long, sharp Axe blade running alongside the smooth horn cover. She had a blade on one hoof, only a few inches longer than the others and on the other hoof a miniature Decay gun arm which shot when she pulled down on a metal bar. It was the remains of one of the pistols the commanders had been using and normally seemed too small for pony use. But with science, magic and smithing, the job had been complete for hoof guns. Much easier to use than the saddle guns and could be fired easier whilst moving. Much of Faust's wings were covered in the flexible metal with numerous blades just small enough to be mistaken for a reflection of light coming off the wings armour. Her helmet had two long wings on it that almost resembled ears, the queen wasn't wearing it and had it strapped across her back by a leather bond.

Three guardsmen had her sides and flank, all wearing gun saddles and the back also holding a Faustian banner. The queen wasn't going anywhere in particular, after just talking with the researchers on rebuilding the bridge between the Multiverse. Mainly, the Void and Equestria, she had gone to see Princess Twilight. But neither had particularly stunning results. The queen was therefore bored. She laughed at that realization. The queen, the creator who not only turned herself into one of the most powerful monarchs in the Multiverse, but created Equestria, created life. All from a childhood idea. A pony/human who created a history, a longing for this place by thousands of 'Bronies' back on Terra. She had done marvels people can only dream about, and now. She was bored.

"Are you alright? My prin-, my queen?" The guardsman to her right asked, still not quite used to any hierarchy above Celestia. Faust realized she had stopped just on the edge of Canterlot plains and was facing the dirt trail down into lower Equestria. She moved her head about to focus, flicking her ears a little and smiling at how adorable that might look if she were a filly.

"Ye-, yes. Sorry captain. Lost in my own thoughts. Do you have any reports?" Faust asked, then gave herself a strange face when she realized what a stupid question that was, the guard answered anyway.

"No Your Majesty, I have been following you since this morning, you would know what I know. More so in fact." The guard replied, Faust gave the guard a look, not sure if that last remark was sarcasm or not. She smiled at last, the guard looked away and the queen turned, guardsmen following close as Faust made her way up the hill back toward the city. A few Pegasi wagons were flying by showing that trade was beginning again for the great city. Faust stared up at the different ponies moving in and out of Canterlot as workers shouted out orders to each other, the noise had dimmed considerably with such little population but she could still hear the city's inner works from where she stood. Above the noise however, she did hear her daughters worried shouts.

"Mother! Mother!" The two were shouting from somewhere far away, Faust looked to her guards who were looking in the direction of the call, confirming that Lauren had heard her daughters' cries. She began to gallop at a fast pace, leaving her bewildered guards in the dust, who quickly sped after the now abandoned queen. Lauren gave little care for the risks she was supposedly taking from leaving her small party but her daughters sounded worried, almost, scared. Faust caught sight of Luna first, flying above the ground trying to scout for the missing Alicorn, then Celestia, galloping down the hill with a likewise guard party slowly running after her, holding onto helmets and weapons, tripping now and again. In another time, it would have been a comedic sight.

"Children. Luna, Celestia. What is the matter?" The Queen asked concerned for her Princesses.

"The, the gates. Come. Come with me." Celestia replied quickly, out of breather even after a short run. She had been eating a lot the last few days, but that shouldn't affect her health so badly so quickly. Should it? Faust ignored the panting princess and nodded, before running off toward the city gates. Guardsmen following far behind after only just catching up to her. Luna flow past in the air, surprisingly guardless. Only wearing a black metal helm and a rapier strapped to her side.

The gates were fine, still in one piece, very much being rebuilt, so nothing out of the ordinary. Except, those five ponies standing nearby. Three mares, two stallions. All in a line, one had a wonky eyed stare and another looked thoroughly pissed off. They all had various wounds inflicted onto them, which was the worrying thing. All of these ponies should be dead, or at least laying in some field somewhere bleeding out. The blue one alone had a large claw mark running from one end of her body to the next, she had been attacked during the Demon invasion, and if this pony really had received those wounds then it could explain the missing cutie mark. The Queen took a step backwards with the realization. These ponies were dead, and something big must have forced them out of Paradise. Faust slowed to approach the ponies and the wonky eyed one trotted toward her.

She had a bright blue mane and a light brown coat, short hair all over and strangely, no cutie mark. Which only encouraged Faust's thoughts, this mare was either a 'blank-flank' or had died, and that wound would certainly have killed her. The mare spoke, with a voice that didn't match the body.

"Queen Faust, I have heard legends about you, but never imagined to meet you. Especially like this." The mare said, gesturing to her body.

"Believe me little pony, I am very much real. But who is it I speak to?" Lauren Faust asked the strange mare. She’d heard the stories, and she had a hunch on this wall eyed mare with bright short hair. She may not be in her original body, but something was wrong for her to be, back.

"Ah yes, allow me to introduction my friends first. From the mare here leftwards. You have, Aeb, Shadow, Rainbow Dash, Professor-" The mare groaned in annoyance. "- Cockwhistle, and me. My friends call me Dee.

But my real name is Derpy Haze. Wife of Sir Bright Haze, now my Queen.

Where is my husband?"

Beyond the Darkness

Equestria, six days after the war

Lauren Faust was staring dumbstruck by what the brown mare had said even though she almost saw it coming. The queen was frozen for a moment contemplating what this would mean and called out for her daughters. The two quickly arrived, Celestia stay as far away from the Derpy reincarnation as possible, giving all five evil glares.

"Mother?" Was all Luna said, tilting her head in confusion.

"This is indeed Derpy Haze and other ponies from those who fell in the war. And if this is so-" Lauren began, looking to the two sisters. Then gulped down a breath. "-we are all dead." She finished and looked to Derpy again.

"What do you mean?" Luna asked, Faust looked to the older sister with a glare, who was facing the ground in what could only be shame. She knew, but hadn't told Luna. Or Cadence most likely.

"It means, the dead have be driven out of Paradise. That's what has happened isn't it?" Lauren replied, the looked to Dee who just nodded sadly.

"Paradise is everything we imagined, peaceful, loving. Painless. All I had felt those last moments of my life just escaped me and I felt, happy. Everything looks so surreal and bright. I was with Tage, I couldn't really see anything, just, brightness. But I knew I was with my daughter, I felt her. Right here." Derpy said, putting a hoof to her heart and looking concerned when it didn't beat. "But something, happened. I don't know how long ago, let alone how long I have been-" The made paused, then continued with a deep breath. "-Dead for, but something came into Paradise and attacked us. I don't know how to explain it, but something came and ripped apart our excistance. Many ponies were thrown into the Void. Their souls will ever remain their and never find peace." The made paused a second time, and looked as if she wanted to cry, but no tears came out.

"So what you are saying is, that Paradise has fallen to some unknown enemy? But surely, if Portal Technology has been shut down, then they couldn't make the jump, especially to some place like that." Luna asked, Faust held back tears and looked to her daughter.

"Luna. Please, what I am about to tell you, tell you all." The Queen started. "May break any courage you have remaining, but please. You all have to hear this." Faust added, then continued when nopony walked away.

"Long before Equestria, before anything, there was only darkness. Darkness that controlled everything, and was foretold to control the Multiverse again. It has been said many times that the Mo’ka weren’t the only creatures of the Void, let alone the worst. This, unfortunately is true. The Mo’ka were just children compared to what will one day overtake everything, bringing an end to all things good and peaceful. The Garonin are what we should have been focusing on, yes the Mo’ka were a threat and I am not judging you all in attempts to stop them, but we should have been finding a way to escape this threat that will destroy us all. Fight them? No, you cannot fight the Garonin and we will not survive the coming times. I say to you all ponies of Equestria, put your arms down and go be at peace, I will fight them along with anypony that wishes to join me, but if you do know this: You. Will. Not. Survive." She told the story slowly, dramatically to make sure the undead, princesses and few guards were indeed listening. Silence overtook the group.

"The Garonin have awesome power and can easily level this planet. But that won't, if they have taken Paradise then they will be here soon. They will harvest this land for magic and then move on into the Abyss from which they came."

"But surely they can't be that bad to just harvest magic? We could set up a trade system to give them magic." Luna pitched in, Faust gave half a smile.

"If only it were that simple young one. Magic resides in every living thing in the Multiverse. That means the Garonins will kill every living thing in the Multiverse. You, me, that plant pot you keep in your room. Everything organic has magic in it and everything that isn't organic is stripped apart and burned to fuel their harvesters. We cannot hope to defeat them, only delay them." Faust replied, silencing the night princess.

"What do we do then?" Derpy asked. "What's the plan?" She added.

"I don't know young one, but I have a felling Dari may know, the Sirens would most likely have some way to get us out of this Universe." Faust replied.

"What do you mean?" Celestia asked.

"We cannot hope to defeat them as I have said many times, but we can run, start anew. It will be hard but we can attempt to make contact with the other nations of this world and evacuate as many as possible." Faust replied quickly.

"So here we stand, on the brink of extinction. And Equestrias greatest heroes are divided. The Void, the Grave and the Living." Luna muttered. There was silence again for a moment, until a familiar humming sound began.

"But some may be closer than we think." Celestia added with a smile. The portal began to form.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Equestria, six days after the war

Light. I saw light. At first it was blinding, my eyes getting used to the burning after being so long in the darkness. I couldn't find my footing to start with a tripped on the soft grass. Grass! It almost felt alien to me, the uneven edges of the green stems of ground, after standing and sitting on hard stone-like flooring. I blinked a few times and realized somepony was leaning on me, helping me stand. I wasn't sure who it was, I could only presume Spectra and Heart were in a similar situation and if Nick held me up, I would know it. With a deep wound and blood flowing gently.

I blinked a few more times and saw Equestria better, a lot more bright and colourful than I remember and a lot more beautiful. I felt a genuine smile as I saw the lush green landscape of the tall hills and mountains, various flowers and bushes popping out all over, a remain of a rainbow could be seen on the side of a cliff where a silent and small waterfall fell with water droplets falling independently. I turned me head to see an unfamiliar sight of a seemingly random pony and many others looking at me with shock and excitement. The mare holding me up was a young looking one, of a bright brown coat and blue short hair and a walled eye stare. I smiled slightly, she reminded me of Dee. But she was long dead.

There were a few other ponies I didn't recognize, including a very pissed off looking mare staring at me with a half smile half glare. I looked around and saw the Queen, she was staring at me bewildered, Luna and Celestia stood either side, the older one looked out of breath and the younger blue princess was grinning from ear to ear.

"Welcome home." Was all that Faust could muster. I heard the familiar boom of giant footsteps as our Serpent friend ran toward the city. He hasn't grown as much since I'd last seen him, so I could only presume Steven had just stopped growing. I saw Nick run toward him, I still laughed at how the tiny hand knife dwarfed the colossal beast. It was Heart Breaker who spoke first.

"Its good to be back." He said, I smiled again and looked to the others, the brown mare had stopped holding me up and had walked over to the others.

"So, erm. Who are they?" I asked, most likely missing something, all of those who I had been fighting with were here, well those still alive. The only ones I couldn't see was Crystal and the children. I looked to Spectra who hadn't even moved from the now closing portal we had created.

"Yes, about that. I know you may have had a hard time in the Void, but if you could come with us into the castle, there are important matters to discuss." Celestia replied quickly, not missing a beat.

"Great, thirty seconds back a and the world is in danger again, we just can't catch a break." Heart muttered, I smiled again, just slightly. Both annoyed that I would obviously get no rest, but also thankful that whatever this threat was meant I wouldn't have time to mourn anypony like I should have been doing in the Void, but instead thought on how I had failed my friends, which being fair, in many cases I had.

"Fine,lead the way." I said the the princesses when I noticed nopony had acknowledged her apart from Hearts little complain. The princess only nodded and turned, walking toward Canterlot, an almost ruined city once again but undergoing reconstruction. Again.

As we walked I finally looked toward the mismatched group and noticed Twilight walking awkwardly ahead. She had grown some wings? Since when, she had in the show, but I never expected her to get them here, now. Celestia had little care for marketing, so what purpose was there in creating another princess? As far as I knew Cadence was real so there were already three known ones, plus the queen. Then all those minor ones like that frence Alicorn and Blueblood. Neither I had personally met, but there was more than enough reason to believe they were real. Or had been in case they had died in the many years of war since my arrival.

"Nice wings." I found myself muttering, the brown coated mare looked at me with a glare, then looked away and breathed slowly. What did I do?

"I still don't know how to use them." Twilight replied, still walking, not looking back. What did I do?

"How long have you had them?" I asked. Between booms of Stevens feet who had caught up to every pony. How he had been left behind was beyond me.

"Not long enough. Excuse me." Twilight replied sourly and picked up her pace. What. The. Buck. Did I do?! I looked to Heart Breaker who only laughed and mutters something about kittens? Maybe. I think he said "kittens man." But thinking about it it was probably 'bitches'. I only rolled my eyes at such language, because I never swore.

"Haze." I heard a familiar male voice ask. Impossible, he's dead. I turned and only saw a bright green mare with yellow and black hair in the pattern of a bumble bee staring at me. I looked away and kept walking, concerned about the random mare from the gates.

"Haze." The voice sounded again, louder, but still quiet, as if not to alert anypony. I turned to the mare again. She only nodded slightly and slowed down.

"You hear that?" I asked. Okay, outright. Dumbest question I have ever asked. I slowed a little to keep up to the mare.

"Of course I hear it its me you asshole." The mare replied, but her voice was male. And Aeb's. But. That's impossible, yet. Hear it is.

"Why do you have my dead friend's voice?" I asked, it came out louder than I meant to it and the mare only lowered a hoof as a gesture to be quiet.

"I am Aeb. Me and others have been, kicked out, as it were, from Paradise, that's why we're going to the castle. Something attacked us. And we came back, in somepony else's body. Look." The mare-Aeb replied, then turned and gave a perfect angle to see a long gap of burnt flesh which had clearly been hit by a Decay gun and had burnt through the ponies body, a few blackened ripcages could be seen and bits of burned flesh stillhung, dead from the gap. I would have held back some sick but all this war had corrupted me from being affected by all this. Was that a good thing? Gods no. I was broken and needed help. Help I would never get. I needed Dee.

"We?" I asked, suddenly realizing he/she had said that.

"Yes we. Rainbow Speed, some professor dude I don't know, Shadow, me obviously, and Her." The mare replied, pointing a hoof at the brown coated one who was far ahead of us both now.

"Who?" I asked, already knowing the answer and preparing for the coming reply.

"Derpy. That brown coated mare with the double stare is your wife Haze. Go to her. She's missed you." I didn't need a second telling and began to trot quickly toward her, not even thinking about if this pony had been bullshiting me, but there was no way an Earth pony could manipulate somepony else's voice. Especially a long since dead Changeling. It made sense why s/he seemed so pissed early. Being reincarnated as a ligit pony, a mare, no less, without the ability to alter your looks to your own preference would tick anypony off.

"Dee!" Ishouted, the pony turned and smiled and ran toward me. Our little party stopped and turned at my shout. When I finally embraced my wife I hugged her and gave her such a kiss I never wanted it to stop. When it did however we parted, a small trail of siliver still connecting us.

"Welcome home Haze. I missed you." She said, the exact same voice as I had remembered of her. I smiled and hugged her, yptears already formed and running down her back over the gruesome wound.

"I missed you too. My Derpy." I muttered into her. She began to nuzzle my hair and whispered something that made everything right again.

"I love you too."

So she did hereme. I smiled and cried into her mane. Then she began. Little did I know, but Spectra had figured out what this meant and tried to look for his own wife. Only for her to scare him from behind by jumping out and poking him with her new found horn. Everypony was together again, all we were missing was Crystal. Crystal, Tree and Tage.

I sorely hoped Tage was alright. Wherever she may be.

Knowledge of Darkness

Equestria, six days after the war

Besides the blown out windows, burn marks from Demon blood and Decay fire and the bits of rubble that had fallen from cracks in the walls and ceiling, Canterlot castle was very much the same since we had left. I don't know what I had expected, but the rest of the city seemed to have changed with all the construction going on, why hadn't the castle changed? I had walked the rest of the way with the brown coated mare who was my wife and apparently hadn't lost my smile. Aeb had also walked next to me, asking questions on what he had missed. I had lost my smile at a few.

"So Haze, what happened after that mage guy killed me. I'm sure you beat him." Aeb had asked, he seemed genuinely concerned as to what had happened, but not in a bad way, more like, upset in case he had missed a party or something along those lines.

"Once Kalmor was defeated, there as a lot of running around and passing out due to you dying, me wounded and Dari giving birth. Oh, yeah. She named her filly Aeb Treeborn." I replied, Aeb smiled at that and looked at the filly, still without her mother, where was she? Then it hit me.

"Tree, where's your mum?" I asked, the filly looked to me with a confused look.

"At the house I believe, she told me to go see the Queen." The filly replied, gods she could talk easily, especially for her age. I turned back to Aeb and continued.

"After all that, there was peace, just like you wanted. A three year peace in Equestria. I had a kid, little-" I paused, the memory still fresh in my mind. "-A little filly called Tage. Rainbow had two." I pointed a hoof at the reincarnated body of Rainbow Dash/Speed who was also catching up with Spectra.

"Well, where are they?" He asked, an innocent enough question, yet still held pain.

"Well the two belonging to Rainbow and Spectra lived with them, as did mine live with me and Dee. But recently their two have been looked after by ponies in Canterlot." I paused, not wanting to go any further just yet as to confuse the pony/Changeling.

"And yours?" S/he asked. I paused and Heart Breaker turned around. Derpy began to speed up her pace. "Oh." Was all he said.

"As I was saying, we had three years peace, I made a point to see you and the others who had fallen everyday. But eventually the pain just became too much. Slowly but surely, Equestria was suddenly producing huge, wild storms that the Pegasi couldn't control. Their magic draining, every pony thought nothing of it. But apparently Equestria's magic was dying but that's for latter." I began telling Aeb everything that had happened since his fall, up to my death wherein Heart continued, the the Mo'ka war and us getting trapped in the Void.

After the story was done we were more than ready for this meeting, having talked all the way into the castle. Aeb had been quiet, besides the occasional question. Now he just looked forward nodding every few seconds as if he was agreeing with thoughts in his head.

We entered the meeting room, a place many of us had already been in. Now every pony had been gathered.

Steven the giant Serpent was hanging from the window, old cracks still in place from the countless times he had done this, our Terran of the group, Crystal. Wore some Equestrian armour forged specially for him, his Decay Gun on his back, with a forest camouflage covering it, he also had a sword belt on with what looked like a hand-and-half hilt, so he had a bastard sword to his side, the cover was in a likewise camo. He had a large buff beard on, without the tools to shave it had just grown into a homeless look. His hair was messy as well but well kept.

The reincarnation of the insane professor Professor Cockwhistle was a very bazaar looking creature, it seemed like a spawn of some crazy necromancer, with different shape and colored body parts all stitched together. It kind of matched him, in a scary insane kind of way.

Shadow, our mysterious Everfree Forest dweller seemed to be the only pony with an almost matching body, the coat was now a dark purple and his mane was much shorter and jet black, he was also now a Pegasus, with shorter wings than me but much finer feathers. He now had sky blue eyes and two burn marks where the cutie mark should be. None of the resurrected had cutie marks anyway, besides Professor who had one of a screw stitched to his forehead. Ponies lose their cutie marks in death, the whole idea is to show ponies what you are good at. You can't well be a baker with a spear through your throat now can you?

Rainbow just looked like a pony, her hair had about twelve colors in, maybe more, but her coat was just pure yellow. Looking at her I imagined a little white S as the cutie mark and laughed a little.

Dari was the same as ever, longer mane maybe. A bright blue coat with a darker blue mane and tail, it was perfectly straight, much like Pinkie Pie's 'Pinkimenia' form.

Celestia had certainly changed, her mane was less, magical, and was much shorter than it used to be, scruffy too. It was either from her cutting it recently or the stress and was finally losing it, but I couldn't comment, mine was horrible too.

As always Luna and Cadence were missing, with Cadence the diplomat and costently out of the country talking with trade partners and potential allies, and Luna was in control of the annexing of the Sky Dweller kingdom.

The mane six were sitting together, despite Spectra being on the other side of the room, she had chosen to sit with her friends. The scene looked odd, with Twilight having her new found wings and with the skittles pony now in the group. The princesses were sitting next to each other followed by the group of once peaceful friends.fluttershy sat the furthest leftwards, followed by Dari, Tree, Shadow, Emerald Ray (Another resurrected pony in a Pegasus pony with one wing cut off), then Crystal, Spectra, Nick, Derpy, myself, Aeb, Heart, the Professor and finally Faust.

Faust was the only one standing now and waiting until everyone else was comfortable, it took her nearly a minute after everyone else had sat down to finally sit herself. Everyone was silent except the deep breathing of Steven, who held himself up unblinking toward the Queen. She cleared her throat and began.

"A long time ago, before Equestria, before Terra, before the Multiverse, there was just the Void. A place dark creatures breed and destroyed each other. Things like the Mo'ka, Dark Elves, Orcs, Necrons. All these races have always been, destructive and powerful yes, but not the worst, the worst race were the Garonins. They were created during the later years of the Voids rein and made an idea to destroy anything evil. For a time they could actually be considered good. Then the first worlds began to appear. The High Elves, for the humans among you they would a fantasy race, stuff of myth. For the ponies the Sirens were descendants of a Elf-pony hybrid. The Garonin instantly declared war, taking their old idea of wiping out all evil and turning into destroying everything. They are merciless and ruthless with a huge discrimination toward Elves. Since they are the only ones who have ever actually beaten them. And because of that. They are all dead. The Gar invaded the Elven home, twice. The first they failed, but the second time they won, and slaughtered every single one. They do not stop and they never lose." The Queen said. There was a long pause before Dari spoke up.

"But why are they important, portal tech is non-existent and everything in the Void is dead." She then looked toward me as if to make sure everything was dead. Well we hadn't seen anything.

'The way to see Gar movement is a few things. First, magic will fail." A wave of chill washed over everyone. Equestria's magic had already failed, and we had reset it, I always thought it was to do with the Mo'ka, but obviously not.

"Another way to figure out if they are incoming is the most worrying thing, the reason you are all here now. Is if the dead begin to rise in different bodies. Now, I need you all to remember what exactly happened to bring you all here. Exactly what you felt and how you came to be back on Equestria. Derpy, if you could start please." The Queen added, more silence. I had forgotten how kindly she spoke, I wasn't sure if that was good or bad. The only real time I had heard her speak was during the war.

"Well it feels, surreal. Like everything is perfect, but not at the same time, something was missing." She looked at me when she said that, despite me apparently dying twice. I didn't remember what being dead felt like, it was just, darkness. Maybe it was because I was Terran.

"Then suddenly, I say that because there is no way of knowing time, I was there for either a few minutes or a few centuries, I couldn't tell. But I avoid the story, suddenly nothing felt right, I felt wrong. Being cut by hundreds of blades all at once, constantly. I felt souls of other ponies vanish, just. Go. Thousands, millions just disappeared." She looked on the edge of tears, one eye closed.

"Then.-" She sobbed, everypony was looking at her and the other undead looked down, as if they had similar memories. "-Sorry, then, I felt so much pain. I hurt, so much. Faust I felt countless ponies fall into the Void and be lost forever. I saw what was happening and I saw everything. The Multiverse was just, there. Countless worlds and dead, all being lost at once." Derpy added, pausing now and again.

"I see. If that is the case, this may be worse than I already feared." The Queen muttered.

"What does that mean?" Nick asked. The queen just looked down, and gestured toward Derpy to continue her story. She opened her mouth and I lost it.

"Lauren!" I boomed, stopping anyone was thinking about talking. "What. Did. You. Mean." I asked. Slowly, quieter. "How in all the hells of the Multiverse can this be worse than you already feared, these Garonins will come here and they are going to slaughter everything they see. We have no hope of survival and no means of escape. How can this get worse?" She was silent for a second, a single tear forming, the first time I, well, anyone had seen the creator of all of Equestria even come close to tears. And I had done that? Shit.

"You are wrong on one account Haze." She muttered, almost a whisper. "We don't have any hope of defeating them, no." She paused again, all this dramatic effect was killing me. "But there is a way to escape them, which is another reason I have gathered you all here. You have a mission, the longest you have ever overcome." Faust said, every fucking word that came out of her mouth brought more questions than answers.

"I will answer your two questions you now have for me now, then we must continue with everypony's stories. First, it could get worse, because if your wife saw everything than not only does she have unlimited knowledge of the Multiverse stored somewhere in her brain, which could potentially kill her one day, but also the Gar are not only attacking this Equestria, they are attacking all Equestria's, and possibly every Terra and any world that resembles here. Just to get at us." Faust said. Shit just got worse.

"Secondly, there is an old stallion, a very old and wise stallion by the name of Serpin. He lives on what is only known as The Edge of All Things. It is the furthest part north before reaching the arctic, three thousand miles away he lives. Alone and secluded he will be very hard to find and harder still to convince him to help us, but if you do, he has the power to transport everypony to safety. If not, we are doomed." Faust added, I almost forgot how much she was the life of the party as well. I nodded instantly. Looking to my friends.

"Well I'm fucking going, ya'll coming?" I asked, simply.

"I will come, can't leave you for two seconds without you dying and coming back to life weeks later." Heart Breaker said, and nodded, he stood up and climbed behind his seat Smiling, one by one, the other ponies and creatures stood.

"Was there ever a doubt?" Nick asked and climbed onto the table.

"I'm a male Changeling in a Earth pony mare's body, I'll save some of the Garonins to you lot, maybe." Aeb added, also standing.

"I am not normally one for war, but it hurts too much being away from you Haze, not just mentally, it hurts." Dee muttered, also standing.

"I should take care of my daughter." Dari muttered, looking at Tree who only nodded.

"Mother, will be fine, I'm sure the queen or Princesses will look after me, go." The filly said, after a pause Dari nodded and stood up too.

"I'm coming, gotta take Red out for a spin against Siren here." Spectra muttered, smiling.

"Siren?" I asked.

"Well you never named you magic-kill-everything side so I'm calling it Siren."

"Fine." I replied and smiled. Everypony besides the royals agreed to come, all but the mane six (well Rainbow agreed, but not the others).

"I would come, but my duties fall upon me defending Equestria from here. I'm sorry Haze, I hope you all find Serpin without me." Twilight muttered, still sitting, her friends gathered round her, determined to stay, all but Rainbow who floated over to the gathered leaving party. Ouch, I had never particularly spoken to Twi or her group that much after the Discord incident, but being without any mage support other than myself felt, wrong. I felt we were considerably more exposed than we had been before.I presumed Rarity would stay with Twi which really did mean we were on our own. It used to be Shadow, Dari, Aeb, Rarity and Twi. When we were altogether anyway, then recently I had been added to the mix. There was no unicorn in the reincarnation group either, just Earth ponies and Pegasi, then whatever the fuck Cockwhistle was meant to be. Had Discord not been so demonic he would have been a good ally, and would have loved the Professor, in human form and his new pony mix-match. Maybe that's what someone was trying to do, make Discord a pony, bring him back. If that was the case I would have to keep an eye on Cockwhistle.

"I understand, we will miss your skills." Was all I could say, yes we would miss her, but her skills had a mage, especially now they had been intensified now she was an Alicorn, would have been a very valuable part of our group. I just hoped we met a friend on the way who could cast shields. Twilight nodded at that remark and looked to her horn sadly as if she had read my mind. I looked to the Queen when I noticed nothing was happening.

"We're ready, I take it you have supplies and gear for us?" I asked, sounding more of an arse than I meant. The queen nodded.

"The trip will be long-, Luna, if you could bring them in now." Faust said, interrupting herself and gesturing toward the door. The younger Alicorn nodded and it suddenly dawned on me she was here.

"Shouldn't she been with the Dwellers?" I asked as casually as possible. Faust looked to her daughter as she walked to the door. The Princess was smiling and only then did I notice the arm blade she was wearing.

"Shit." Was all Faust said before her horn began to glow, the Luna sprung forward with her arm sword and lunged toward the Queen. It was Celestia that shot, the Luna was hit in the chest and she flew back, fuzzing out of existence, only to be replaced by a small white pony with torn up wings and a burn mark cutie mark.

"What the fuck?" Somepony shouted, it sounded like Fluttershy but my mind was probably playing tricks on me. Whoever it was took the words right out of my mouth.

"For the New Dwellen Empire!" The pony shouted, standing again, the arm sword still there.

"What have you done to Luna!" Celestia shouted. The pony laughed.

"Nothing. yet, but she will die in good time." The Dweller replied, smiling broken teeth. "You see, our kingdom can never fall, yes a lot of us are dead, but more can been bred and more can fight. You forget, we escaped from the factory, we know all about Pegasi technology, including the Abundance Project. It hurts, but it is worth everything that will come soon." The ponies voice was twisted and pained, I actually felt sorry for whatever experiment this pony had gone through. Faust looked to Celestia instantly at the Projects name and gave her a dark look. "We up-rised, your little Princess is the only survivor, we have Equestrian weapons, armour and banners. No pony will see us cooominggg." The pony grunted, lunging forward, a bit of puss exploded from the burn mark, the creature didn't even pause.

I blew his head up.

Times of Darkness

Equestria, six days after the war

The gore of the twisted pony's head spread quickly across the marble floor, even his blood looked wrong, black and boiling, much like the demon blood, but less acidic. The creature was still moving slightly even without a head, baring in mind the fact the headless body had instantly dropped to the ground, it still spasmed waving the sword in an attempt to cut someponies legs, a battle the body was quickly losing. Silence had fallen in the meeting room again, everybody staring at the corpse. It was Twilight who broke the trance, lifting the arm sword off the pony and dragging it toward her. She was staring at the device and moving it around with her magic.

"He. It, was right. These are Equestrian markings, Celestia, My Queen, can either of you contact Luna?" Twilight asked slowly, despite myself, I giggled a bit, Twilight was giving more respect to Lauren than her mentor. Very strange of her.

"No, nothing, my magics being blocked." Faust replied after a moment of horn glowing, Celestia also nodded and looked down, despite her horn not actually have been glowing.

"Shit." Somepony grunted, again, sounding like Fluttershy, today was getting weird.

"We need to get a rescue party together, and to gather the remaining forces we own." Celestia muttered, looking to her mother who just nodded.

"I can get her out." I said, then looked to my friends. "Well, we can, the Pegasi anyway." I added after a look from the queen. She smiled at that then quickly lost it.

"As important as getting Luna back and stopping this invasion-rebellion before it festers. You already have your mission. I will personally lead my guard to get her back, and attempt diplomacy, last I checked as well as being very war-like, they were very religious, towards me." Faust replied. I double-backed. They had nothing shown of them being religious at all, the closest thing was that whole keep-what-you-kill crap.

"Fine. We still need supplies and a map, and anything else you have prepared." I said, looking to the dead creature, who was meant to 'bring them in'.

"Yes, bare with me." Faust replied and trotted to the large wood double door, she opened both without effort from her front hooves and six ponies walked in, one looking much like Rainbow before she was reincarnated, expect with black hair and a storm cloud cutie mark. I saw the Skittles pony winch at the almost reflection. Each pony had numerous crates and saddle bags, I also noticed a wagon full of gear as well sitting on the other side of the now open door.

"Now you won't need all of this, most of it is armour and weapons, but food, water and bits are certainly needed, it is nearly impossible to gather enough materials for such a long trip, especially in times like this, and even if not, keeping it fresh is pretty bucking hard without fridges." The Queen said, I looked in confusion with the swear, she barely ever did swear and doing the 'pony' version of it was even rarer. "So take saddles at the very least, grab your gear and go to the guest rooms, it may be hard to find a spare room but you should be able to, you'll need to leave in the morning."

"I call crossbow!" Rainbow Speed shouted and dashed towards the various weapons laid on the table. Everypony else soon followed, only Crystal stood still, he already had gear on, which was concerning. He didn't exactly have a backpack on though and I wasn't about to let him get away with not carrying anything.

"Hey Crystal, there's a saddle here large enough to strap on your back." I called and he began to walk forward. I picked out some nice enough armour, strapped a supply saddle on, filled it with food and drink and plenty of bits, two sword arms and, with help, some nice wing blades were also picked out. I dropped the helmet that came with the armour and obviously had to drop the foreleg armour for my swords. Everypony else had gone with a nice balance, a few had more supplies than weapons like myself whilst others (Aeb, Shadow, Rainbow and Spectra) were covered nearly mane to tail in heavy Equestrian armour and either had Decay Guns with long sword legs or axe saddles and crossbow legs. We looked like a mighty force whatever balance we had with supplies. Derpy seemed to be out of place, with incredibly light armour, a very thin sheet metal armour with one sword leg and a lot of supplies. She seemed scared and was already struggling with the weight. Gods she is not ready for this.

"Dee. Can we talk, in private?" I asked. She looked at me and dropped most of her bags and trotted over, everypony else was in their own personal conversations, but I caught Aeb look toward us in a conversation with Rainbow and Heart.

"What is it my love?" She asked, looking down at her armour and closing her eyes. They were straight, which was never a good sign.

"What are you trying to prove?" I asked, bluntly, more so than meant.

"Sorry?"

"All the supplies, the armour, the weapons. You have no idea what you are doing, so what are you doing?"

"I'm coming with you. Remember?" She replied, ignoring the whole point of the question.

"You still have no idea what you're doing, what are doing?" Derpy puffed some air out of her nose and looked down again.

"I don't know Haze, I don't want to fight but those things are pure evil. They fight the dead, whilst they're dead, we are were unarmed and so many ended up in the Void. Ponies I knew." She drifted off and started crying. I paused with realisation, dump realisation of the most important thing in my life, I had forgotten.

"What happened to Tage?" I asked, regretting it. "Actually, no. Don't tell me, I want to at least think somepony looked out for her." I quickly added, staring at Derpy.

"She's alive. Well, not in the Void." She said anyway, rather quickly. I looled to her and hugged the alien pony my wife was harboring and just whispered.

"Sorry I doubted you." I felt Dee nod slowly but not of forgiveness, something was wrong, but I wouldn't pry any more, yet.

"We better get some sleep, it will be a long day tomorrow and even longer away from a real bed." I muttered softly, Dee nodded again and left the hug. I looked to Aeb who kept staring at me, sadness in his eyes. I had an idea to why they were both upset but I really didn't want to believe it. Aeb trotted over to me as Dee left the room, following a convenient servant pony to her room, one of many lined up to wait for us.

"I hate being a mare." He muttered, trotting next to me as we headed to the door, more ponies began to follow as they noticed us and Steven could be heard crawling down the side of the castle. Small cracks forming where his claws broke into.

"Just wait until you need to pee. You won't be able to stand." I replied smiling slightly, the stallion at the door interrupted Aeb's reply with a simple: "Right this way, sir. And Ma'am." He pointed a hoof down the corridpr with a gold plated sign saying 'Guest Rooms', who would have though that's where we were heading.

"Well I don't think these bodies need to pee and shit." He replied, the stallion paused his trot with Aeb speaking like a fellow stallion. "At least I haven't found the need, nor been hungry or thirsty." He continued, before adding. "Still feels weird." What did?

"What a marehood?" I asked, about as casually as I could.

"Well that too, but not being able to, change. I mean, I did prefer my Earth pony form but not being able to alter this body, at ALL just feels wrong." He muttered back, lifting his tail a little and looking at his flank slightly.

"I'm never going to get a mare now." He grumbled.

"Because you had so many whilst you were alive." I paused. "The first time." I added with a smile.

"You know what I mean. Although I might be able to pull it off, maybe." He replied, thinking. I laughed out loud, making the stallion in front of us jump.

"With that body and that voice I think you will only attract a certain type of pony, maybe not even a mare." I said, winking. Aeb shuddered in disgust. Then smiled and turned slightly as he walked.

"Do you think I'm attractive Haze?" He said, with the best interpretation of a mares voice as possible.

"Fuck off." Was my blunt reply, he started laughing, pausing a bit to look himself over.

"Well, its alright. It still looks weird." He grunted, looking between his forelegs, neck at a horrible angle. I didn't even know ponies could twist like that. Maybe it was a mare thing. "And old." He added and coughed.

"Much use then?" I asked, instantly regretting it as Aeb did something unspeakable to his new body.

"I think?" You think? After what you just did?

"If it can take that it can take anything." I said, the stallion gagged a little. He wasn't being paid enough for this shit.

Equestria, one week after the war

I woke up and Derpy was already gone, I had hair over my eyes and the curtains were drawn as barely any light was in the room. I leant up to stand and crawled out of bed and just stood. My vision was blurry and I had the start of a headache from standing to quickly. I was off balance a little and had to grasp onto the side board to keep up. I wasn't sure about the time and looked to the door, to see it was already open and the stallion from last night was there.

"Are you ready for breakfast Miss Haze?" He muttered, wait. What.

"Excuse me?" I asked, actually surprised that my voice was still male, expecting something to have happened last time that would make me a made.

"Sorry, with your strange friend I expected you to be a made too." He muttered, I felt like laughing but decided to take the asshole approach.

"Do I look like a fucking mare?" I asked. The stallion stepped back.

"I'm sorry Mr Haze. Just-" He replied, bewildered. I expected him to ask about my use of swearing, before the Terran invasion swears was just the way I spoke, yes it spread between the mane six and other ponies of Equestria. But now, after their invasion, any swearing other than the Terrans of the group, since the invaders had swore, for ponies it was a kind of betrayal, speaking like the enemy and all. I just did it out of habit, I blew the assholes out of the sky. I can swear as much as I fucking like.

"Just nothing. And its Sir Haze. Now, take me to breakfast." I said quickly. He only nodded and stepped back, I trotted toward him and smiled. Heart was behind the door with a smile.

"Mornin'." He muttered, winking.

"Gods I hate mornings." I muttered back and we began to walk to breakfast.

"You ready?" He asked.

"For today? Nope. I thought we were done about three adventures back." I replied. He smiled.

"No, not today. Not our trip. I mean you ready for breakfast. Eating with the Princess is only reserved for those of very high reserve." He said. I laughed.

"Are you ready? Being in the same building as the Princess usually gets you, excited. This will be eating with her." I replied. "Not to mention her mother will be present, think you can woo them both?" I asked.

"Well I've seen you with the Queen, don't get started on me."

"Ha. I'm a married mane, besides she was thirty years older than me when she faked her death. Now, no idea." I muttered.

"I never asked, what year did you leave Earth?" He asked, the stallion paused and looked back. I winked and made a kissing gesture. He continued walking. Definitely not being paid for this shit.

"2020." I replied. "You?" I added. He smiled.

"You're older than me, I came in 2012. My friend had been working on the portal for years before, I always wondered why, he seemed to have started before the show was on."

"Strange."

"He was a strange man."

"Was?"

"He never made it. The portal created such a power surge we had the bloody army on top of us before we could blink. He pushed me through and from what I understand, destroyed the portal. I guess he believed ordinary humans weren't ready for ponies."

"From the invasion, they still aren't."

"But it was our fault."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, because of me, then later you came, torn the gap apart. With the Fall of the Worlds problem, they saw us. They twisted their future in the idea of taking Equestria, a planet that almost destroyed Earth." He replied, looking at the many doors we were passing to get to the main hall. "They invaded because of us."

"How do you know this?"

"Have you spoken to Crystal at all, ask him about Terran history." Heart muttered as the stallion opened some doors into the hall. Inside were various tables all dotted around the hall. Most were empty but some had nobles and other various wealthy ponies. Some were probably trade partners debating about what to do now the wars over. I was glad no military allies were here, I'd give them a piece of my mind. On a long, extremely extended table sat all of my friends. The Queen sat in the center and Celestia on her left, both looked royally pissed. I began to trot over, not looking to see if Heart was following.

"Good morning Princess. My Queen." I said, smiling and bowing.

"I hate mornings." Celestia grunted and blow a bit of her mane from her head, how ironic. Celestia hates mornings, let me guess. Luna loves them?

"Join the club. Whats for breakfast?" I asked. Lauren just pointed a hoof towards a buffet table and grumbled something. I began to trot over, noticing the empty seat on the right of the Queen. Probably Luna's seat. Aeb was at the end of the line, with two spare seats next to him. He looked pissed as well. Mornings are the spawn of Discord, every pony hates them.

"You look hungover." I heard Heart Breaker say as we walked past.

"That, my crippled Australian, is because I am." The mare-man replied. I laughed a little and noticed a bit of blue and red hair float down my face over my nose, making it itch.

"I need a hair cut. My mane is getting Aeb-like." I said, loud enough for the ex-changeling to hear. I doubled back.

"Wait, if you don't need to eat, how are you hungover?" I asked, worried he was some creature like Luna was.

"The dead don't eat, that doesn't mean we don't get affected by alcohol and the aftermath." Aeb replied. "What do you mean Aeb-like?"

"You were bored last night and looted the cellar didn't you?"

"Incredibly so, I had no idea we could get drunk anymore. Aye we don't, but we still get the effects."

"Ouch, no reward before the punishment. Must suck."

"You wouldn't believe the half of it."

"Oh, and the Aeb remark, I meant as in, you know. Feminine." I muttered and made a mad rush toward the food. I saw Aeb stand up to chase me and instantly regretted it, grasping his forehead and sitting back down.

"I will get you Bright Haze." He shouted. Despite everything, today would be a good day.

Awaken the Darkness

Equestria, seven days after the war

Today was not a good day. Within minutes of us all leaving the castle a pack of timberwolves attacked us, and it was a pretty big pack, they swarmed out of the forest and those of us used to attacks, drew weapons instantly. The Professor, Derpy and Shadow hesitated, either not used to their bodies or not used to fighting in general. I didntbthink that much about it, just drew my arm sword, galloped forward and spread my wings for an air assault. One kept up toward me only to fall back to the ground soon after, a crossbow bolt fired from what I could only presume as Rainbow's weapon. Out of instinct again, I quickly switched targets, cutting into the wooden skull of a wolf, the wood breaking and splintering in different directions with a satisfying crunch. Another lunged at me and I easily flew over it, trying to slice and missing when it dropped down to its stomach. I only managed to scrap across the bark. I still seemed to wound it however as it yelped out a bark and tripped. I flipped in the air, hair catching the grass a little. The wounded creature turned to face me only for me to already be charging. I flapped my wings to keep balance as I put my sword arm out, the wolf didn't even see it and the blade went right through its eye. The green magic flew freely from its cut and the body feel into a pile of wood.

It was then I noticed it, some of the wood was burned and ruined. Not by a lot, but enough to be clearly man made. Literally, this wolf had been shot by a Decay gun, a glancing shot yes, but enough to cause it, and the rest of it's family, to flee. So something, or more correctly, someone had deliberately shot these wolves to cause them to run. I looked to Heart Breaker who had a piece of burned wood in his mouth and was trotting over to me, he'd noticed it too obviously.

Despite the make shift ambush the timber wolves had made the battle was over quickly, all of the wolves either taking flight back into the Everfree or dying to various blades and bolts. I looked at the pile of wood before me, most had various burns and cuts. Some of the cuts weren't ours, deep spear wounds by the looks. The burns certainly weren't any of us.

"What do you suppose it means?" Rainbow asking, kicking one of the wolves as the last of the green magic slipped away from its eyes.

"I think it means what we all think it means." Nick said before I could reply. Every pony (and Serpent and Terran) looked to the knife. "It means the Terran have gathered themselves into a small force and still have some of their weaponry."

"How they have survived so long in there is amazing." Aeb grunted in reply, looking into the forest that seemed to beckon us in to find these humans. Branches on the outer trees moved in the wind like fingers curling into a fist. Leaves blew silentlydeeper into the forest and quiet howls of the retreating wolves could still be heard. I almost expected gunfire.

"We can't delay, this skirmish has already put us behind time. We should get moving." I said, trotting northwards, looking into the dark forest once more time. I swear I heard a shot, either way. The wolves stopped howling.

The Everfree Forest, seven days after the war.

The wooden wolves that had attacked the camp were either in retreat or dead. The wood would do good for kinderling when night feel and would help in cooking the small amount of food the group had left. Overall there were thirty Terran in this group and another two groups this side a mile in either direction. Everyone had met up and agreed, for the sake of survival of course, they would split up and have separate hunting grounds. Thankfully none of the three 'tribes' hadn't turned on each other yet. If they did, things would quickly become bloody, and each group were low on food. Things were getting desperate. There were no leaders in each group, it was a group effort to get everything done. But a man called Jenser did think himself as the leader, he was the highest rank in the ninety people and whose idea it was to come into the forest all those months ago. Was it months, or years? All time had lost meaning, since the Terran defeat nothing other than the guns, and strips of armour were the only things that had remained of the memories of Earth. Yes a few drop pods were still scattered around, but most had already been either stripped down of everything valuable or simply taken by the ponies.

How, how did a bunch of magical, colorful, ponies defeat a force such as Terra's? They had a huge fucking, warship! And it just simply, left. Rumours were that a pony had ordered it down a radio, but how High Command had believed a pony was a Terran with that much influence was outstanding. Shocking even.

Jenser was sitting on the corspe of a wolf when it happened. First came the whistle, a sign something was coming. He stood and drew his weapon, the other humans also followed suit, some only holding makeshift spears or crappy bows after they had lost their gun in the retreat. How they had managed that was beyond Jenser's thoughts and his only hope was that they were all recruits, grunts. Nothing more. Fodder.

It was Jenser who saw them first, or at least he thought he was. There was a tall, black? Or green pony?

Only, this was wrong, twisted, mutated. It had bug like wings and bright green eyes, holes could been seen all over its body and even it's horn seemed wrong. The only reason Jenser didn't shoot was the fact these 'ponies' hadn't actually attacked, just walked right in. There were five he could see, a big one flanked by two small ones on either side of it. The creature was staring at the human with big eyes and stuck in an unblinking state.

"Welcome to Equestria humansss." The creature hissed, smiling slightly. Or from the look of it was smiling.

"Thanks, and you are?" Jenser asked, lowering his gun and gesturing to the men to do the same, some didn't.

"That can be told at a later date. But first, diplomacy." The creature replied, the voice, sounded almost feminine? It was still an it to Jenser.

"Diplomacy?" He asked, confused as to what this creatures intent was. He was more surprised at how it spoke English. Let alone understood it as well.

"Yes. You see, our races are more similar than they my seem. Despite looks. We strive for the same goal." The creature said, moving closer to Jenser, guns were raised but it seemed untaxed by the amount of fire power aimed towards it. A few of the smaller creatures buzzed rather loudly in the sky and others were slowly surrounding the camp, probably expecting a fight, which was never good. Jenser itched his hand on the gun in his side pocket. Testing the safety.

"What would that goal be, pray tell?" He asked, moving his free hand around and likewise getting closer to the creature. go on, he thought. give my men a reason to shoot you.

"We both wish revenage on those who made us like this, starving and dying in the dark." The creature replied, checking its surroundings with keen, green eyes.

"Revenage on the ponies? They are nothing more than canon fodder, anything from here to Mars could kill them." Jenser replied, then remembered he wasn't on Terra anymore and blinked a few times in confusion, hoping the bug didn't question the reference. It didn't.

"Then why." It replied, not missing a beat. "Are you trapped in the most dangerous place in this country with most of your forces enslaved or dead?"

"We." Jenser paused and swore. "They tricked us." He added quietly.

"As they did with us, which is why we are similar, you and I." The bug paused and the small ones began to increase in numbers, more appearing out of the forest, some in black armour with spears or crossbows, primitive weaponry but none the less deadly. Their armour was thick enough to halt the immediate effects of Decay, luckily, most of the bugs present were un-armoured. "Which is why, my strange little creature. An alliance is necessary." The creature added, Jenser lifted an eye brow, the flat leather cap on his head rising slightly.

"And tell me, why is an alliance needed?" Jenser asked. "Surely you have the numbers to attack such a, crippled nation." He added. Smiling again. they cab always be killed when they are no longer required. He thought.

"Yes we have the numbers, but unfortunately, I cannot command my drones to tactically attack as I have seen yours do." The creature replied. "We also do not possess the technology you and the ponies harbour, which gives them, the advantage."

"I fail to see the good points of this alliance." Jenser replied, looking bored and ready to give the order to fire. Not that they had the men to win this fight, but if they could take out the leader, their morale would drop quickly. The Terrans though, they had no real leader and were fighting to survive, who cares what they kill. Or how many of their own die.

"With my army and your technology we could quickly take any minor cities, bleeding the capital of troops to rally during the final siege. Together we'd outnumber the ponies anyway, but once we slaughter the rest of the weaker pony scum, they will have no reinforcements."

"Nothing to stand in our way for total domination." Jenser added, letting go of his gun.

"Exactly, with every city we take, more of your numbers will grow, more guns, more men, whilst we grow stronger from feeding from the war. Nothing could stand in our way." The creature replied quickly, rather enthusiastic.

"An unstoppable force, growing all the way. And taking revenge on those who defeated us before." Jenser added again, smiling more. It could work, down with the old. In with the new.

"What do you say, commander? Do we have a deal?" The creature asked. Jenser looked to the bug-pony with an evil grin.

"Where are we going first commander?" He asked. The creature giggled a little.

The Sky Dweller Kingdom, nine days after the war.

Princess Luna was bored. Out of all the things she could have possibly felt at this moment of time, boredom ruled over them all. Being stuck in a small cell with a horn ring on to stop any magic and her wings tied to her sides with rope. She should have felt pain, anger, hatred, fear. They had stormed the castle and killed her guards, then thrown her in prison like a common thief. She'd lost count of the days Luna had been imprisoned like this but she didn't need to, her mane was a mess, she was hungry, thirsty and was angrily staring at a pudddle she had been forced to create herself, she made a point to not breath in the air or look at the other pile she had made. Certainly not something a princess should have to do. No pony had come to check on her, feed her or tell her why she is in prison. But she knew. Revolt. These rebels had taken up arms against a broken Equestria and were trying to bring back their twisted honour. Turning every pony non-dwellen into a rainbow wasn't exactly a common plan that evil partakes in but who was Luna to question a ponies preference, she had tried both sides of the argument numerous times. Neither were above the other. Luna blinked a few times and stared at the yellow puddle. Did she really just turn the Sky Dweller plan into a sexual innuendo, and why was she thinking of her sex life?

Faust she was bored.

The bed she had been given was no silk queen-sized bed of Canterlot castle, but it was more comfortable than her nights on the moon. Not that she was physically there to feel sleeping on moon rock, but she had figured it out by Nightmare Moon's attitude. Her erstwhile self was a lot of evil and hatred, but she still wasn't a morning person. Luna laughed a little at that, for hours at night and hours during wake up she was allowed a rest in her mental fight, as Nightmare Moon was too pissed and without coffee to fight properly, so they just threw insults at each other for a few hours, before the fighting began again. Had Luna been given more time, she probably could have learnt to control her other self. But it had been blasted into rainbows by Bright Haze and the other Elements.

She sneezed a little and silently watched the dust specs fall down from the room back into their original spots, littering the ground. Luna stared for a minute and sneezed again, then trotted over to the barred window and looked outside. The prison was in the lower part of the Dweller city so all Luna ever saw was rain, the clouds underneath the city constantly raining from all the waste the citizens created on a daily basis. She had always wondered how Pegasi could stay so long off the ground without food or water, but their technology was nothing to be looked over. The clouds themselves acted as a filter and turned anything with water in it into pure, fresh water. So ponies were practically drinking their own piss, but it wasn't affecting them in anyw , the water was clean. Food is another matter, certain areas have had specially designed microbes spread across them which gives an area of cloud a soil based texture, how the ground, plant the seed and there you go. Sustainable food. The water technology had always been in the Pegasi reach, but this food idea, seemed relatively new. Cloudscape itself had only just started commercially farming last time she visited. Which was about a year after Kalmor's defeat. So this tech had been made quickly and spread even quicker. Luna made a mental note to ask Celestia or Mother about the technology when she got out. If she got out. Luna had no way of knowing whether it was day or night down here. Her only way was that her horn began to instinctively glow when it was time to raise the moon, and lower it. It was also the only thing that told Celestia Luna was alive, the moon moved around the world. Luna smiled, she was alive at least. Starving and dehydrated. But alive.

She just sorely hoped somepony would get her out before her status of being alive changed.

Equestrian Darkness: Part I (Dash of heroes)

Twenty-three miles from Canterlot, nine days after the war.

This was taking too long. It had been two days since we had left Canterlot in search of Serpin and we were barely going over ten miles a day, I wasn't quite sure why we were moving so slowly, the land was flat and every pony walked practically in a line. We had managed to walk down the mountain on day one and day two we had made it this far, the sun was going down and camp was set up. I could still see The Tip of the World from here, along with various hills and mountains surrounding Ponyville and the other minor towns near Canterlot. We weren't moving fast enough to find this guy. From the looks of the map Lauren had given us and also the short briefing she'd given as we left Canterlot told me that this would take almost a month. Two months there and back.

At this pace, even more.

Ignoring the fact that we had no idea where this asshole was, just north. I looked to the ponies around me who already looked tired and ready to go home. It was September in Equestria and the temperature was already getting lower, by the time we would get there it would be mid October, then late November when we get home. Fucking wonderful.

"We're not moving fast enough are we." Heart Breaker muttered.

"No, at this rate we will be there and back again by fucking Hearts Warming. I don't understand how." I replied, sporting another strand of hair fall over my vision.

"A lot of our number are either dead or not used to trips like this." Heart replied, looking toward Dee and the other undead.

"That and we are getting old." I replied, that I knew was true, I had been running out of breath a lot more quickly than when I first came to Equestria. And my hair was actually losing colour. Shit.

"Old? Ha." Heart replied. Smiling. His hair was also losing its flow, and colour as well. His eyes even going more grey.

"Seriously, if I'm now forty and your were two years younger than me. Think about it. How long to ponies normally live?" I muttered, looking at the rest of our group. Spectra was losing colour, as was most of our living members, Shadow looked a lot older than us in his new body, but the other dead members looked rather young.

"Shit. We are old." He muttered, I simply nodded.

"Soon we will all be riding on Steven's back. Or in wheel chairs." I replied, trying to turn this into a joke, but if we really were slow due to our age, would we survive this fight with the Garonins?

"Do ponies have wheel chairs?" Heart asked, he looked away when Dee walked up to us, flanked by Aeb. Itching a certain area.

"Can you not?" I asked, looking away at the disgusting Stallion-mare who laughed, then made a strange face.

"I better stop that, nows not the time." He muttered, loud enough for me to hear. I laughed and looked to Derpy, she was not impressed.

"How far have we come?" Aeb asked, looking back toward Canterlot. I lost my smile.

"By my count, just over twenty miles." I grunted.

"Really? Fuck. We've gone nowhere." Aeb replied loudly, trotting round going off on a rant. "Seriously? Twenty miles in two days?" He continued his trot and screamed at nothing. "Why? We won't get anywhere at this rate. By the time we find Serpin everyone will have died of old age!" He shouted.

"Heart Breaker thinks we are getting old." I replied, Aeb stopped his movement, the whole group looking on us.

"That." He muttered. "Actually makes sense. You're what, fifty?" Aeb asked, looking to me, I stuck my hoof up, imagining a middle finger. He just stared at me and stuck his tongue out, Aeb needed to not be a mare, he was too cute.

"Forty. And fuck off." I replied, Derpy looked at me, she hadn't said anything thus far and she wanted to.

"Well, Changelings can keep living til the love stops, but I don't really know that much about Equine physiology." Aeb replied, smiling.

"Neither do we. Humans usually live til about one hundred in our generation." I said, looking to Heart Breaker. This caught Crystal's attention, the Terran got up and walked over to us.

"One hundred? Wow." He asked, I turned to face him, as did Heart Breaker, Derpy trotted of to talk to Rainbow.

"Yeah, why? Much different your generation?" I asked. He grunted something and looked to me.

"Yeah just a bit, most people don't live up to fifty. Those who do are people like army generals and country leaders. Health is shit compared to yours." He replied eventually, Heart Breaker grunted.

"Obviously." He muttered, I smiled a little. My leg felt a little dead and I decided to stand up, looking Crystal in the chest. For a human he wasn't very tall.

"Y'all really didn't focus on anything but war after the Fall did you?" I asked, Crystal said nothing but it was obvious I was right. Terra was a messed up place, and it was our fault. My fault, had I discovered it was Discord sooner, we wouldn't have cut it so short. I looked around at our little group and then looked to the sky, it was full of reds and yellows and oranges, so beautiful and full. But we were still moving too slow, no matter how pretty the scenery is. I turned and go the groups attention by hitting a rock with my hoof. Such a mismatched group, but I loved them all.

"We aren't moving fast enough, at this rate we will be home by December, and that's just the trip there and back, we still need to fight a war against the Garonins and get every pony to safety. So from now onwards. We will be galloping as much as we can, hopefully get our distance to double per day what it is now. We will be waking at sunrise tomorrow and leaving after breakfast, there is a town about two days gallop from here where we can rest and buy more provisions. So from now on, it's dawn, til dusk. We don't stop until the moon is rising. Understand?" I asked, most ponies nodded, a few just sat back down and ate.

An hour passed and I couldn't sleep, I had Derpy to one side of me, close but not snuggling up like she used to naturally, and Aeb. Muttering something in his sleep. I was staring at the moon, its light was dim and had been low all night. I wasn't sure what that meant exactly but I still worried for Luna. She would have gone through a lot being trapped with the Dwellers. Hell, I was their erstwhile king so I should know.

I still had my new arm sword on and hadn't bothered to take it off, other than that. I was naked. I lifted a hoof and released the blade, with an almost silent 'Whoosh' sound it came out, a pretty long, yet thin blade came out. It looked sturdy but wouldn't penetrate any thick armour, which was lucky since nothing we had already fought wore particularly thick armour. Even the Mo'ka. I remembered something Heart Breaker had said just before our return, something about keeping our armour and weapons. The thought had come into my head to name my blade, but everything seems so surreal in the midst of battle so I didn't exactly stop to think. But since I clearly couldn't sleep, I decided to think on a name.

"Dragon's Bane? No, we have fought with dragons, never against them." I found myself debating out loud, rather quietly. As to not wake the two sleeping mares near me. "Bringer of Harmony? No." Various names came into my head and I said them out loud to hear how they sounded. void Blade? Shimmer? Something Latin maybe? They know cool sounding words. But what Latin did I know? I barely spoke English at the best of times.

Then, I had it. A perfect blade for not only myself, but for Luna, the trapped princess. Aurora Lorem or, Blue Dawn. Why not? Sounds pretty cool, and I could always change it. I smiled and thought back to my gaming memories. 'Everyone has a Dragonsbane and a Widowmaker, but think of the last thoughts of the man cut in two with the sword Love Bringer or Rainbow Happiness.' As much as it sounded comedic, I wanted to strike some fear in whatever was coming when charging at them blindly, in case the glowing eyes, magic made horn and various titles I had either received or made for myself didn't do it. It would be a bit of a moment breaker talking about everything I, then we as a group had done. Just to ruin it with my sword called fucking 'Twinkle Toes'. Although...

"Aurora Lorem . Aurora Lorem. Aurora Lorem." I said the new name over and over to get in that habit. Sliding the blade in and out of its cast as I did. Eventually, just before the moon began to descend. I fell asleep. Derpy watching my silently, holding tears that only the dead would understand.

Manehatten, ten days after the war.

Heroes. Knights. Elements of Harmony. All these ponies that had been on everypony's tongue for so long now, were supposedly on another adventure! And what was local mage Dawn Star doing? Tending the new novices that had recently joined the Manehatten School for Gifted Unicorns. Dawn Star had always been top of her class and was always hoping on a mission that would take her to far away lands, and over seas to fight monsters and aliens like the legendary heroes like; Heart Breaker, the crippled Alicorn, Bright Haze, Siren-King, Dari Stillwater, last of her kind and that magic knife EVERYPONY knew.

But no, charcoal coloured unicorn made Dawn Star. Was tending the newbies. As much as she loved her status locally, she was always striving to add to that status. But no matter how she tried, it wouldn't work, nothing compared to Bright Haze and his band of knights. Sworn to protect Equestria.

Dawn Star was a charcoal coated made with black hair with a red strip down the middle of her tail and mane. Her horn was about average size and her cutie mark was a small bit of fire with a red crescent shape underneath. Resembling her knowledge of pyromancy spells. She had always loved using destructive spells, quickly throwing away any knowledge of healing based spells or protective shields. Destruction all the way. She had been at the school since she could lift a chair with her horn (telekinesis being quickly forgotten once destruction took over). And had been living and working in Manehatten at the school since she could get a job. The first few years were fun, with both her parents killed years ago through a horse-drawn horse-drawn accident where the horse drawing the carriage they were in stopped to pose for a horse horse drawer and ending up crashing into a drawer store when told to speed up and slipping on some hoarse paint. They had left no money for Dawn so she had slept, undercover, in the facility she worked in for almost a year before renting herself an apartment room five minutes walk from work. The pay was fairly good and she had a fairly happy life, but always had the need for adventure. Adventure and fire spells. Dawn grunted something to herself in a very male sounding mutter, but squeaked at the unfamiliar sound and decided to shut up and watch the clock as young mages set the non flamable and completely fire retardent stone under them. A few screams went off and Dawn trotted to find a pony who knew a water based spell. Putting more fire on an already impossible fire would certainly not help things. Today would be a long day.

Canterlot, twenty days after the war

One thing that truly caught Princess Celestia was this. Not the fact her sister had been captured, the Dwellers rebelling and the end of everything coming. Nor the fact her mother had locked herself in Canterlot's great library only to before open a secret door Celestia never knew about. Or the fact that the only hope for any survival was months away. No, the thing that truely shocked the princess was the fact a group of Changelings were outside the gate demanding to see any peaceful Changelings that may reside in the city. She had gathered what forces the city could spare and refused to let the armed and armoured fighters in. The shield around the city in full force. The twenty odd Changelings were screaming at the gate keeper to send the traitors out to be judged but under strict orders from Celestia, hadn't yet. The Changelings inside may not be pony kind, but they are still citizens of Equestria, many had earned that right after fighting the Mo'ka, Demons and Terrans.

Celestia made it a point to go talk to the creatures personally but as she reached the gate, a squad of gun wielding guards and her own armour on, flanked by various banner carriers. She felt that there was something more to this than reclaiming the traitors. The fact they were called that was concerning in its own right.

The princess reached the gate and nodded to the gate keeper, it opened, Celestia was now staring at a group of dark green, heavily armours warriors, all holding axes, crossbows or spears. The only thing stopping the two factions going to battle was the bright pink shield between them. One Changeling decided to touch it and received a burn. Something learnt from the last invasion was that the magic was incredibly hot so, in theory, the magic would burn away anything that touched it. Since the creature only had some contact, he would live.

"Improving your defences Celestia. No matter, it will not help you. Where are the traitors?" One Changeling asked, a male. They seemed to have more natural voices, unique too.

"I will not send out citizens of Equestria to you. There is no need for this, your queen made peace with us. The war is long over." Celestia replied, guards behind her aiming guns, they could penetrate the shield, but it still looked pretty threatening. Peace with the Changelings was never an option and Celestia knew it.

"We both know this was no peace. We are stronger now, whilst you still rebuild your broken kingdom. Who rules over rubble Celestia? Really." The Changeling said, the shield must have been given a new strength as the creatures voice was muffled by the magic barrier.

"We have no reason to go to war with the Changelings. We have bigger threats right now. A great evil is coming to these lands and they will purge all life from this world. Join with us and your race may survive. If you keep with this.-" The Princess paused, her eyes looking dark. "We will leave you here to burn. You will all die by this evil whilst we survive." She added. The Changeling looked genuinely scared and shook his head a little.

"You have three days to hand over the traitors and then there will be war." The Changeling said and began to fly off. The others followed, in the distance. Celestia could just make out the workings of a seige engine, next to it. A Changeling and a Terran. Equestria was at war. Again.

Celestia watched the massing Changelings appear out of the forest and begin cutting down Ever free trees. They knew Canterlot forces could never rally and fight outside the gates, a defensive position would work much better. But in doing so would cut off trade, supplies, and spread fear in those citizens still left. The Changelings knew what they were doing and seemed a lot more organized. Like they had a btpetter commander. They won before by just sheer numbers, but as soon as Equestria rallied, they fled. Now they may just win by tactical advantage. The princess knew the creatures were itching for war and would attack whatever happens. Why they had asked for the Equestrian Changelings was anypony's guess. But for now, Celestia had mages to talk to and shield duty to organize. Hopefully they had enough mages to rest and hold the shield for long enough for Haze and the others to return. Which could be months..

Celestia began to pray. She needed her mother. Who was currently looking for a spell or any knowledge that could help in case Serpin wasn't found. In the hidden areas of Canterlot Library where Faust had stored all her runes and scrolls from her war with the Void.

Equestrian Darkness Part II (Gateways)

The Town of Darci, on the borders of Equestria, Thirteen days after the war.

It had been four days since our rule of moving much further and it had worked, we were now coming up to a town on the northern borders of Equestria, the last town before the next land, which Celestia had told us was populated by ponies, but not of Equestria. She hadn't told us the name of this northern country. There was a sign on the road coming up to the town saying 'Darci' on top of a small rocky hill. There had been barely any vegetation the whole trip past the Everfree. But under the hill where the rather small town resided were trees spanning in every direction but backwards. I had never seen such a large forest, beyond that was an out crop of mountains and from the map, a small river that if there was no crossing, we could afford to go round. The forest seemed to have a road going through it and there was apparently a cave system all the way through the mountains. Things seemed to be staying easy, so far anyway.

As we made our way into the town I began to notice something strange, a lot more guards were posted, and not royal ones. It seemed ponies had just gathered arms and were preparing for. Something. We were getting more and more looks as we made it deeper and deeper into the town. The few conversations that had been going on between the townsfolk had all but haltered and more and more armed ponies walked out of buildings and houses. I had my wrist flexed as i walked, ready to send out Aurora Loren at a moments notice, I had a feeling we wouldn't be resting here. Then a few whispers broke out, loud enough for even my ears to hear.

"Celestina's knights, bah. They are tasked with defending the country but so far they defend their own homes and the capital. No protection for us, the normal working pony." Followed by:

"Look it's the crippled Alicorn, can do everything by the important things."

"At least he isn't black and red. Give him that."

"I hear he used to be a Terran, just like that guy near him. Both of them should be shot." I felt my eye begin to twitch and I felt Heart ready his weapon to. Dari coughed and punched my shoulder lightly. There was going to be a fight.

"I suggest we speed up, before something happens." I heard somepony behind me say, it sounded like Aeb but I couldn't be sure. I turned and looked at our strange group.

"Let's move, keep weapons ready, I think something will happen whatever. If we do, try to use the blunt end, I will do a lot but I'm not fighting another pony, this is exactly what they want." I replied, Skittles nodded and I laughed at myself for that nickname. As if on queue the townsfolk began to move forward, slowly surrounding us. I decided to attempt diplomacy and stopped walking.

"I thank you all for your warm welcome but we will just be passing through, saving the world again." I declared. I heard somepoby face hoof. Fuck, I am crap at keeping the peace, that probably didn't help. One elderly pony stepped forward, a mace in hoof.

"You have already disrupted this town and our plans. I'm afraid you won't be leaving." He cried back. Preparing to attack. Fuck.

"What plans would those be?" I asked, the ponies behind me preparing for battle.

"What does it matter? You will die soon." The stallion replied, he sounded like he had two voices, a higher pitched one above his own. This was getting weird.

"Then why hold back?" I said, winking. He growled.

"We will take Equestria." He replied.

"You and everyone else my friend." I muttered.

"But we have a power."

"Power?"

"Yes. The Void came to Equestria, well some it of. In our veins flows the darkness of the Void." He said, and black lightning began to spark from his hooves and slowly he began to rise into the air with sparks flying out of him, his eyes turned black, as did the other ponies. Their weapons burst into black fire and they began to walk forward, together.

"What the fuck did you do Haze?" Heart Breaker shouted as a pony charged at him, out of instinct he shoved his sword through the ponies chest. I screamed at him and he pulled out, looking at me with shock.

"I said no!" I shouted. Heart Breaker looked to the bleeding pony, but it wasn't dead. It was still moving and trying to attack. Great, ponies fused with the Void who wouldn't die.

"How about now?" He shouted back and swiped his sword again over the pony, more blood sprayed out but still it attacked. I looked away and found the snarling face of the old stallion from before, black clouds fell out of his mouth and I released Aurora straight into his eye. The blade zoomed out of the back of his skull and the pony let out a painful groan. So much for not killing ponies. I pulled the arm sword out and watched as the eye come out with it. Aurora Lorem was already crimson with blood and bits if eye. I waved the sword a bit flinging blood everywhere and pushed the pony away with my other hoof. I quickly brought my sword back and turned. As planned the stallion charged at me and I released a kick. I felt bone crunch under my kick and my left hoof began to ache. Turning again I swung my swordless hoof and punched, connected to the skull again, more crunching but this time my own. From the awkward angle I felt a shot of pain fly down my hoof and I stumbled. The stallion taking the advantage and falling on me, trying to bite at me. I pointed a hoof to his neck to keep him off and Aurora was released without meaning. Again the blade went straight through and took much of the neck with it. I swiped and cut the head clean off. Finally the body feel limp. Yet the head continued to bite and snarl.

"Cut off their heads!" I shouted to the group and stood up, limping on my bad hoof. I heard a cry and turned quickly, Derpy was on the grown, her weapon far out of her reach and a corrupt pony over her with a spear aiming downwards. Whatever the reason she had for not talking to me as much now, I would not lose her again. I charged, ignoring the growing pain and drew Aurora. Jumping up and flapping my wings I was above my target and made quick work as to behead the attacking pony. Derpy looked at me and the beheaded corpse and back again. I put my sword back again and put my hoof out to help her up, she blushed a little and climbed up, reaching for her sword as she did.

"You need an arm sword like me." I muttered, Derpy spat the sword out of her mouth to speak.

"But then I will want to name it, like you." She smiled.

"Bu-" I began.

"Don't even deny it Haze I heard you last night." She replied and kissed my forehead, just as a pony charged forward. I quickly beheaded it, getting blood on my blue coat. I found myself looking to my wife, in such an alien body, I found myself looking at the scarat her side and remembered our last real moments. She had no wings, was burning away and dying.

I could see it so clearing in my mind. We were winning the battle, driving them back. Then Tage. Gods my daughter ran toward me in fear and panic and those Terrans, had shot her. A defenceless, crying filly. Small by any idea so they knew it was a child. They shot and killed my little girl, right in front of me. Then I had to go get shot.

I came back to the real world and realized the battle was all but won, Derpy was staring at me with a confused look on her face. I had to look away.

With so few targets left I just jumped into the one-on-one frays that our group were having. I first helped Aeb who seemed off balance with his new body and cut the head off of a pony with one swipe. S/he nodded at me and began to look through his bags for healing supplies. My leg was killing me by the time I reached Skittles and helped her out. I decided not to fly when fighting with her as she seemed clearly upset about her lose of wing power.

"Thanks Haze." She muttered when the headless pony fell to the ground, the head roaring curses at us.

"No problem Skittles." I replied. She opened her mouth in, at first shock, then confusion.

"Skittles?" She asked, oh right. I had been making that joke for days now and of course Equestria didn't have them.

"Your new body just reminds me of a Skityle , which was a sweet on Earth and their slogan used to be 'taste the rainbow' or something like that." I explained. She smiled.

"Fitting, from now on I shall be forever known as Rainbow Dash Danger Responsibility Skittles Speed." She declared.

"You're middle name is Dash?" I asked.

"Yeah, my parent couldn't decide on a middle name so just went with my surname." She explained.

"So you're what? Rainbow Dash Dash?" I asked. Looking at the erstwhile Pegasus.

"Exactly. I did change my name shortly before moving to Ponyville, so legally I'm Rainbow Rainboom Dash Dash." She said, smiling with all seriousness.

"So let me get this straight. Your full name right now, would be Rainbow-Rainboom-Dash-Dash-Speed?" I asked, completely bewildered.

"Its Lady Rainbow Rainboom Dash Danger Responsibility Skittles Dash Speed. To you, Bright. Haze." She replied. I blinked a few times and backed away, only receiving a laugh from the pony. I turned away from the Greg coated made and came face to face with Aeb. S/he was standing right in front of me staring at me. I jumped back and he started laughing.

"The fuck what that about?" I asked. He just laughed.

"No idea." He admitted, then added. "Battle's over. We managed to take out a whole village. Congrats guys." He declared, before: "and girls, and undead. And wrong bodied manly mares." He drifted off a little toward the end. I smiled and looked to the group, a few were bloodied but nopony sustained serious injury. Crystal looked like he had a few more cuts than the rest but he was a big target, Steven didn't count since he was a fucking dragon now. And his scales broke most weapons used against him.

"Steven, why on Equestria do you grow so fucking fast?" I shouted up to him, his head, which was now bigger than me, looked down on me.

"I'm not entirely sure, possibly the fact I am getting a real diet out here. The berries of the Ever free weren't ever very tasty. Blue bugger's were always messing up my day." He replied. Blue bugger's? Posion joke?

"You ate Posion Joke?" I heard Shadow ask, his voice as gruff as ever. I hadn't heard him talk all that much so far, nor Spectra or Cockwhistle.

"Yes, it never seemed to effect me all that much, but they tasted horrible." Steven replied. Shadow, lord of the Ever free as always turned around with.

"I know right? These ponies always complain how Joke would change them in weird and sometimes hilarious ways, but I never seemed to be effected. Aeb were you?" Shadow asked, the ex-Changeling laughed and looked at him, feminine eyebrow raised and all.

"Im a Changeling remember, if I did get effected, I just change my looks. Something I very sorely miss." He replied quickly, sarcasm dripping from his mouth.

"Erstwhile Changeling. You died remember." I muttered, he barked a laugh. Followed by somepony grunt "The hell kind of laugh was that?"

"Yes. And if the living hadn't gone and fucked shit up. I'd still be resting, do you know how comfortable Paradise is? Its fucking sleeping on clouds all motherfucking day and eating rainbows and happiness." He replied quickly. "Bloody fun happy time rabbits run and jump around and try to amass an army of small fluff balls to suffercate you. You feel high and at peace all the time and there is no respite from the feelings of battle. That itch us true warriors get, will never. Fucking. Go."

"Good to be back with the living then?" I asked, laughing. Aeb sounded genuinely scared by death. He gave a quick glance over his body and I realized I would be riding on Aeb-as-a-woman being funny for the rest of my life. Finally he replied:

"Well, death had its perks. Not being an undead mare for one. Another not having to put up with your sass."

"You love it really." I replied. He looked at me and raised a hoof. Heart Breaker quickly ran between us laughing.

"Calm down girls." Heart said, then looked to me. "And boys, ya'know, real boys." He added, Aeb jumped on him from behind and the two sprawled across the ground, thankfully missing all the blood puddles and gore.

"Come on, we are still behind, the world is at stake here." I muttered, Aeb, now pinning Heart Breaker looked at me.

"When is the world not resting on her hooves. But your right, now isn't the place, after we find Septen." Aeb replied and stepped off Heart.

"Serpin." Heart muttered, out of breath.

"I will cut you Alicorn." Aeb threatened and smiled. I turned to my left after hearing a small conversation between the real mares of the group. Derpy started it.

"Are they always like this?" She asked. Rainbow looked to the made and laughed.

"Never this bad, their time away must have melted their brains. But yes, they always tease each other. Usually at parties though." Rainbow replied.

"Oh I did notice it during parties. Especially Heart's last Birthday." Derpy replied smiling. I smiled looking at her, despite it not being my wife's face, it was nice that her soul was smiling. Or at least making the body smile. Either way, it seemed real enough.

"Come on, grab any bits you can find, try to keep the heads away and let's get moving, suns setting." I ordered. As if on queue the sun began to descend down into the ground whilst the moon, painfully, took its place. Luna wasn't going to last much longer, I just hoped Twilight and the others reach her soon. Like we should have reached Serpin sooner.

This would end in fire and blood. Not rainbows and happiness. It all ends here.

Dreams in the Darkness

Borders of the New Dweller Republic, twelve days after the war.

Straight ahead and above the group sat the flying city of the Sky Dwellers. It looked a lot more menacing than how Bright Haze and Rainbow Dash had described it. From what they had said it was basically a copy of Cloudsdale. But no, this city seemed to be very evil and very battle ready. Even from this far away Twilight could see the various canons and steam powered weaponry dotted all around the cloud layer. It was also very mobile. The city was around a day earlier than it should have been and was slowly moving toward the general direction of Canterlot. The clouds of the huge city were dark and stormy, rain could be seen falling from the cloud layer and dots of Pegasi flew around the city. Twilight let out a very audible gulp and stepped forward, he wings spread.

"What's the plan Twi?" Applejack asked, the new princess dropped her wings as she realized a lot of her friends weren't able to fly. She looked to each, it was her and Fluttershy with wings, and the timid made didn't look to be very battle ready. None of the group had any weapons, or armour.

"What in Celestina's name were we thinking? We try to storm a flying city, which is at war with Equestria to save Princess Luna." Twilight muttered, a few of her friends gasped at her outbreak.

"Sorry, just. We brought no weapons, or armour and only two of us can fly. And no offense, I doubt Fluttershy would be able to be put across as a Dweller. I may be able to get up there and hide my horn with magic, but my Cutie Mark is a dead giveaway." Twilight added. Rarity ginned and her horn began to glow. Her saddle bags opened and a very regal looking cloak appeared. It looked way to royal to be Dweller. Twilight face hoofed.

"Come on girls, we came here to save the princess. Surely there is a way to get up there." Pinkie Pie said, she hasn't changed back to her party loving self for years now, her hair now completely deflated any insanity had been taken from her. So many ponies had been changed the last few years.

"I could try and disrupt the cloud layer underneath, but those. Things they have would start firing. Haze showed me a picture of them once, canons I believe they're called. Yeah- those canons would shot me down if I got anywhere near. You can't just simply walk into that city. Or fly, to be correct. If I could disrupt the layer, I don't know where to start." Twilight muttered. Applejack grinned.

"Can't you do some detection spell or something?" She asked. Twilight face hoofed again and her horn began to glow. For Twilights eyes only, a faint blue dot appeared near the back of the cloud, it was still pretty far off. But that was certainly the Alicorn they were looking for.

"I found her girls, now. How do we get her out?" Twilight asked. There was a laugh from an unfamiliar voice, the group turned, alarmed. Four Dweller soldiers were standing behind the group, wings outstretched, all wearing gold armour and a strange looking gun saddle. It wasn't something from the Terrans and it wasn't anything brought over during the fight with the Demons. It looked almost, pony made.

"You like our new weapons? Our blacksmith made them. They only shot once so far, before reloading. But it still kills ponies. Not as well as your Decay Guns, you understand. But these things rock." The Dweller said, looking at his gun. "Now, if I were to shoot you, it will probably kill you. But the back of this is fairly strong." The Dweller continues, then moved the end of the gun so fast nopony had time to react. Twilight fell without feeling the pain; blood dripped down her eyes and darkness over took her. There was a shout from somepony, a gunshot. And then, nothing.

________________________________________

Somewhere in The North, two weeks after the war.

After leaving Darcia the trip was just as interesting as it had been before. We had a couple mountains ahead of us and after restocking in the town, had plenty of food to clear them, but after that we would need to find a town. According to the map there was a griffin outpost just beyond the mountains, unless this was another Void corrupt town, we should get some welcome. I had never actually met a griffin so it should be interesting to see how they react to some random ponies, a knife, an Everfree Serpent and a Terran walking into their camp. Not mentioning how one pony is an Alicorn. Gods we were so weird.

"I don't suppose we can fly over the mountains." Skittles Dash asked. Then prepared to fly, before remembering she didn't have any wings in her new body. I flapped mine and began hovering above the group. Heart Breaker laughed and Rainbow just stuck her tongue out at me.

"Even if we could, it would still take days to get over it. Do you see the size of that shit?" I muttered. Rainbow laughed and replied with:

"Size matters now does it?" Rainbow replied. Heart Breaker, who had picked that one moment to take a drink, started choking on his water. I laughed at that.

"I don't get it." Dari replied. Everyone started laughing again. Whilst we laughed I began to notice figures ahead. Some looked fairly tall, others were smaller, a few small figures were flying in the air. I couldn't tell what they were, but they weren't griffins.

"Guys. Look!" I shouted, pointing a hoof. Everyone calmed down and looked ahead. Steven stepped back, surely his Serpent eyes saw what was ahead.

"What. What can you see?" I heard Nick asked. He was jumping up and down trying to get a view on what was ahead.

"Terrans, about thirty, and a lot of Changelings. There are two more groups like it, but further away, they won't reach us, nor do they look like they are." Steven replied, looking left and right, his vision was incredibly strong. Something I kept forgetting.

"And this group?" I asked.

"Coming towards us, weapons out." He muttered, I nodded and turned to everyone.

"Alright, ponies make a semi circle round Steven, Nick, up front. Crystal, take as many out from long range as you can, but wait till my signal." I ordered, everypony started moving, only Crystal stayed.

"What's the signal?" He asked, I smiled and clicked back my gun, it charged.

"You will know, don't worry about that. Just. Cover me." I replied after a second and set off. Nobody told me to stay back, they knew better than to tell me to stay safe. Yes, Heart Breaker was a human. Hell, so was I. But these, Terrans lost their humanity when they came to destroy Equestria. I half hoped they were like Crystal, but if they had the weaponry Steven was seeing as well as being with a Changeling war party. We certainly had a fight on our hands. I decided to actually try diplomacy first.

It took considerably less time for me to reach them as I had hoped, there were about thirty Terrans as Steven had said, and double the amount of Changelings. I made sure to very obviously check my gun once more. Only around ten of the Terrans had guns, the rest had make shift crossbows or spears.

"Hold up friends, where are you going?" I shouted, the group stopped like they hadn't even seen me. One Terran stepped forward. The rest raised weapons. Come on then.

"Stand aside pony. No more needs to die than already planned." The Terran said. Well that was ominous.

"And what does that mean, pray tell." I asked. Hoof twitching, ready to release Aurora.

"We are going to your capital, shooting the Princesses, and taking over Equestria." He replied, very proudly.

"I see, and ninety Terrans and a small army of Changelings are going to do that?" I asked. The man flinched at that, I smiled.

"Stand down or we will shoot. These men are obliged to do that, they all want revenge." The guy said, raising his gun, I didn't move.

"All Terrans? Well that's a lie. You see, a pony like me, will never be alone. My group of rather, mismatched, ponies. Harbour a Terran by the name of Crystal, and he is very proud to wear Equestrian colours. There is also a Changeling, who has saved my life more times than I have hooves." I paused and let that sink in, the guy was about to talk and I continued. "There is also an Alicorn, a Pegasus and unicorn mix. For those humans among you.-" that peaked his interest.

"How do you know the word human, everything here calls us Terrans?" He shouted, still had his gun risen.

"Because, I'm not finished asshole." That really got them pissed, if they could ready their weapons any further, they did. "This Alicorn, came from Earth, your world. Around the time of 2010 or something like that. I, yes me. Little old blue Pegasus me. Came from Earth a human, four years later. I have been fighting for Equestria for far longer than you have been alive. Behind me is enough fire power to destroy your war ship you brought here. Now, I suggest you stand down." I said, voice rising. A few actually stepped back. The leader laughed.

"If you have all that fire power in a small group, why not destroy the ship when we came?"

"Well that's easy, one; we didn't have your weaponry. And two; because we couldn't of destroyed it when we did since I sent it away." I replied. Now the guy was worried.

"Impossible, you couldn't do that. Only the general had that power."

"And I killed him. After you killed my daughter I shot your general with his own gun and ordered the war ship away, since 'we could handle this'. We had until sunset till the ship came back. If you were all at the battle you will remember that instead of reinforcements coming, something, or, somepony destroyed the rift between worlds. That was me."

"It would have killed you, the explosion we saw."

"Oh it did, then, through magical means. I returned. To tell you this.” I paused again; a few soldiers looked genuinely scared.

"I. Destroyed. Earth. All your families and friends. Are dead. Just like you killed my family, I destroyed the entire planet. Your corrupt, dying world. I destroyed it in a blink of an eye. Billions of people dead, all because you misjudged the power of the ponies." I said finally, before anyone could react to that lie. I raised a hoof and shot the leader; he began to scream and turn to dust. I shot a volley of shots into the crowd and flew away, gunshots behind me. This was going to be a big fight.

I got back to our group with a bit of burnt hair and tired wings. I hadn't stretched them in a while, let alone preening. I landed next to Heart Breaker and heard Crystal begin to fire.

“So...” Heart Breaker began and aimed his gun, firing a volley of before looking back at me. “Diplomacy?” He finally asked, I smiled but didn’t answer. It’s all the diplomacy they deserve. I thought, then released Aurora Lorem and flew up in the air, ignoring the pain in my wings. The Changelings were on us in a matter of moments. Steven managed to swipe a lot of them out of the air and they began to fall to the ground either crippled or dead. One charged at me and I shot it with the Decay Gun and stabbed another with my sword. We were being very quickly overrun by Changeling drones, but they were still as crap at fighting as before. Only a few were armed, the rest were attempting to use hooves. I honestly don’t know what I was thinking when we had that conversation about us all getting old, yes we were. But we were still moving faster than these bugs, easily dodging their attacks. I smiled at that thought and doubled my efforts. More began to fall as Aurora slowly became covered in Changeling blood.

I looked over to see everypony else in deep combat, all except Crystal and Spectra who were shooting at the Terrans trying to take pot shots at us. Aeb was running in-between Changeling targets with an arm sword on each front hoof, where s/he got them from I will never know. Aeb was cutting down dozens of his erstwhile brethren and doing some spins and shit. He seemed a lot more, wanting, to fight Changelings than he did back in Darcia. There was definitely a very concerning glare in his eye, as well as a half smile on the dead mare’s lips. I ran over to the ex-Changeling, struggling to keep up with him and take out any Changelings that tried to cross me, not many as it happened, they seemed reluctant to attack me head on, Aeb they had no trouble with. He didn’t seem to care, I wanted to know why.

“You seem happy.” I commented, catching up to the mare. He dropped his smile and slowed in his charge. Dropping a sword arm, he turned to me, I could actually see tears.

“Now isn’t the time Haze.” He muttered, I looked to him and stepped forward, he flinched.

“Talk to me Aeb.” Again, he flinched at the name but otherwise stepped backwards. The second sword going back into its holster.

“Seriously Haze, not now. I swear to you we will talk about this after the battle, but there are still bugs to kill.” He had never referred to Changelings like that, let alone with such a sour taste in his voice. I nodded, deciding not to push the subject, only adding the comment of:

“You are one of these bugs Aeb, find me after the fighting’s done.” He nodded, I properly shouldn’t have said that, but it needed saying. He muttered something which I swear was something like:

“Not anymore.” I trotted away, Aeb fought considerably harder after that, without a massive grin on his face either.

The battle quickly finished, with around twenty Terrans dead and double the amount of Changelings, there were still the two groups, as well as a couple Changeling reinforcements heading toward Canterlot that Steven apparently saw. But we were too far in to turn around now. I just hoped Celestia could deal with what is coming. After checking on wounds and doing a quick check on the sun for time, we could do at least another couple miles before sunset, I decided to talk to Aeb on the walk, if he was sincere about his earlier offer. I quickly found him alone, already walking north; I hoped the others took the hint to start walking when I followed, I didn’t even look back to find out. Just trotted to catch up to Aeb, he turned slightly at my approach but didn’t say anything.

“I lied.” He finally said. I paused in my step, but didn’t say anything until he put that sentence into context. “I didn’t go to Paradise when I died.” Okay then.

“Alright?” I asked. He turned to me.

“Paradise isn’t for Changelings, no matter how hard I tried to fit into Ponyville those few times we were given rest, I was still a Changeling, feeding off the love you all had for me, I hated it.” He paused, I didn’t say anything. What do I say to that?

“When Changelings die, since we are just drones, nothing more. We fade to nothing, that is exactly what I felt, nothing. I felt nothing and I saw nothing. Every second felt like a year, it was complete hell.” He muttered.

“So what was today about?” I asked, after a long pause.

“I figured, if I killed enough of the enemy, then maybe I will get accepted into pony Paradise. I hate being a Changeling, I hate being the enemy Haze. I saved you because I had had enough of Sap, enough of the Hive constantly in my head.” He began to actually cry. “Do you know what it feels like to have her voice in your head constantly, I fought her off for years after I joined you guys. She only just left the weeks before my death, which is why I was so scared. She just left. Like I was nothing, years of giving my orders, then. Gone. I honestly don’t know what was worse, her in my head, or when she just left. One day, this is going to get sorted out, and I’m going to have to go back in the ground. I don’t want to live forever, everypony has to die, but for me to go back to the nothing I have, whilst all my friends go to such a peaceful land. What I faced was not peace.” His voice was fading toward the end. I didn’t really know what to do here and hugged him.

“I can’t even begin to feel your pain Aeb, let me tell you something my friend.” I said, he looked down, after a few seconds nodded. “I don’t have much experience with Changeling lore or all that bullocks, but let me tell you something: The first time I died, and I mean truly died. Was when I fought and killed Discord. I saw, and felt nothing. Like you said. For two weeks I was a rotting corpse in some forsaken pit somewhere west of Canterlot. Then I woke up like you. Now, we both know I have died a lot more times since then, but when I fell during the Terran invasion, you know what happened?” I asked. He looked up, sadness seen easily in his eyes.

“What?” He asked.

“I went to Paradise, I was at rest with my wife and with my child, you say you’re a Changeling and don’t get to experience the peace ponies do? I’m a fucking human, that’s less of a pony than Changelings are mate. If you show, truly show I mean, that you are good and more pony than bug. I’m sure whoever decides who gets to go into Paradise will let you in.” I replied, after a while, Aeb nodded and smiled.

“Thank you Haze, I will remember that.” He said, nodding again. “Now come on, we got a long journey still ahead of us and it seems there is yet another force moving on our homes.” Aeb muttered and trotted faster, I fell back to see Heart looking at me.

“Did that really happen?” He asked.

“What, me go to Paradise after the invasion?” I asked. He nodded. “No. I felt nothing still, nothing changed, it is how it is. I’m human; I could never get into pony heaven. I don’t think Aeb will either. But if he at least thinks that, he may not go insane.” I replied, slowly. The question is though, will I go insane knowing what awaits in the future.

Trials of the Darkness (Part One Finale)

North of Equestria, 15 days after the war.

We cleared the mountains in record time, up and over in a couple hours, yeah we were a bit far behind with sleep and rest, but we had done it. Now onto the Griffin outpost, I had never met a Griffin in all my time here and was interested in how they fought, hopefully though. Not against us, they may just attack Crystal on site and then shoot at us for helping an enemy of the world. Not that the griffins had to deal with the Terrans, nor any other threat Equestria had been facing these past few years. The Demons maybe, as well as possibly the Dwellers, but I had personally heard nothing about either force moving so far north, and from the map and the land we had already passed, there wasn't much in the north to take. We were sitting down eating the few reserves of food we had left, I was sincerely hoping that the griffins had some sort of food, we had the money, just depends whether they will trade. And as much as I felt it would happen, I didn't really want an open fight with griffins of all races, I had never seen them in a fight no, but they are bloody lions and eagles together. I began to think on the fact that griffins would eat meat, I hadn't thought about it before, sticking to a diet of whatever I had that wasn't out of date back on Earth, I never really cared for meat, too much money. But as I sat and thought about it, the more I missed it, sure a vegetarian diet is all well and good, but I still wanted to try some. See if my pony body could take it at the very least.

Not the smartest decision I have ever done no, but fuck it. We're all going to die soon anyway.

"Hey Heart." I said, the Alicorn turned from his apple and looked at me with a death glare, no one gets between Heart Breaker and his food, or Heart Breaker and Celestia, or well, that's about it really. Food and Celestia, he had his loyalties set. After I didn't reply, he got up and trotted over, I waved a hoof to Aeb who was sitting near me before realizing he wouldn't really be offended if we talked about meat, putting my hoof down Aeb just shrugged and curled up into a ball.

"What is it Haze?" He asked, he was obviously pissed at being woken up so early, we all were. All but the dead, they only pretend to sleep. Why Aeb gets scarily close to me I will never know. I don't want to know.

"When was the last time you had any meat?" I asked. Aeb turned to us, a bad poker face on. "Oh come on, what's wrong with eating meat, you ate fucking emotions you psychopath." I shot at the mare-man. He grunted but still stayed to listen in. Heart just looked confused.

"I, I don't know. Holy shit. Now you mention it, I fucking miss the stuff. Why?" He asked.

"Same here, just, if we are going to a griffin outpost, they most likely eat meat there, I wanted to see if my body to handle it." I muttered back, Heart just nodded.

"Do you think you could?" Aeb asked. I shrugged.

"No idea, the worst that could happen is that I become a bit ill, it's not the first time I've eaten, otherwise I wouldn't miss it obviously. But it's been a long while, like, pre-Equestria times. My body would react badly to it, it's been so long since I tried any, plus I have a pony digestive system now, so I guess my body will just reject it and I'll catch a bit of food poisoning or something along those lines." I replied after a pause.

"So what, you're going to poison your body for the sake of eating meat?" Aeb asked, I thought about it and nodded. "Fine." He replied. Then eventually added. "Good thing this body doesn't need food, I would be so confused with eating it, I had some of those cupcakes and shit you have in Ponyville one time and they just tasted like dirt. I'm sure they didn't truly, but we Changelings don't have taste buds as ponies. Or humans do."

"I see something up ahead!" Steven called out, I looked ahead where the Serpent was looking and I saw a blob of brown heading our way, it looked like a party of griffins which would make sense but I didn't want us to be unprepared, releasing my sword and ordered everyone into a circle, it was obvious as the group neared that my thoughts were correct and about a dozen griffins had made their way to us.

They all seem armoured and armed, most holding swords or axes awkwardly in their talons. None had any sort of ranged weapon but from what I had heard, the griffins respect honour more than power so they would fight in ranks with honour, rather than afar. Personally I didn't really care, yes I was pretty good with a gun or crossbow, but I also knew how to use a sword. But these wouldn't be in armoured changelings or Terrans if we had a fight on our hands. I stepped forward, flanked by Heart Breaker and Aeb as three griffins landed and walked toward us. None looked to happy.

"Ponies of Equestria, so far from home, are you lost?" The left griffin grunted, making his beak move weirdly, possibly a smile?

"No we have a job to do, we just happened to be nearing your encampment, I don't suppose you have room for some ponies, undead, a serpent, a knife and a Terran do you?" I asked back, the right answered me.

"Those Terran beasts attacked us much like they attacked you ponies, only, you left survivors. We didn't." He muttered back, his voice sounding much like the other ones. They looked the same as well. Come on Lauren, I know the pony guards looked and sounded the same, but there is no excuse to make the griffins clones too.

"Well he can stay outside your camp if he must, although we will need to get supplies to him." I replied. Crystal looked rather upset toward that. I will say, it was bloody freezing already. Especially after the mountain range.

"That would be, acceptable, we would rather it be dead but I suppose you have your uses for it. Tell me pony, how long would you stay in our town, your serpent looks tired being held down by so many, supplies. I don't think you are here to stay no?" The left griffin asked.

"No we will not stay, we have a mission to do so at most we shall be here a day, maybe two, long enough to rest and resupply. I take it you take pony bits?" I asked, the right griffin laughed.

"No, but we do have a checkpoint at the gates where you will need to hand in your weapons and such, you can hand some bits in there and they shall give you the appropriate denars that we use." He replied quickly.

"Understood, what is with the guard by the way, surely a group of ponies, despite the odd members we also have, are no threat to ones such as yourselves." I asked, looking dead at the middle one. He made that same beak movement for a smile.

"Wherever the king goes, they go. And I would prefer to know all those who come to my lands." The griffin said after a pause, finally. He had a different voice, with a strange northern accent that sounded much like the characters in Skyrim.

"Sir Bright Haze, for as long as we are here, I am at your service." I replied, obviously that guy was the king. That whole scene was about as cliché as it can get. The king made a strange noise that may have been a grunt.

"A knight of Equestria, I take it you are on a mission from your god princesses?" The griffin king asked.

"More or less, we are looking for a pony by the name of Serpin, he is months away still, but if you happened to know anything about him, we would welcome the news." I replied. The griffin twitched his sword a little bit.

"I shall look into it myself, but if we find he is a criminal in these lands or a citizen in my kingdom, you must understand we cannot hand him over and will give whatever punishment we deem over him. This isn't Equestria anymore Sir Bright. If he is here, he is our problem."

"Oh no, you mistake me my king, he is no criminal that we know of, but finding him is our main goal, I fear for the world if he is not found, yet another invasion is looming and this Serpin is someone thought to be able to help." I said back quickly, then realized what I said and froze. The king stepped forward, the eleven guards moving with him, all having landed.

"You say someone? Not that rabble ponies usually say, why is that? I have heard about some Terrans being pawns of Celestia, killing whoever she wishes with no remorse. Terrans in pony form." Well shit.

"The only Terran we have is this Crystal fellow, we have an Alicorn in our number but he is no threat. I say everyone since we have, obviously, more than just ponies in our number, I seems more fitting to say -one, rather than -pony." I explained, the king moved forward again and I twitched at my sword gently, not enough to release it, but enough to show a threat. A few griffins readied weapons, but I stood still. After a moment, the king stepped back.

"Then welcome to Gryphus Sir Bright. I shall see to it the guards know you are coming and open the gates when they see you. I hope you find what you are looking for and enjoy your stay in our camp." The griffin said and took off, followed by the others. I turned to Heart and Aeb who hadn't moved a muscle. Aeb had a gun charged though.

"That could have gone a lot fucking worse." I muttered, Aeb just nodded, Heart said nothing, watching the king fly away. I watched the king and heard Heart mutter:

"He doesn't trust us and will most likely have us followed as soon as we get into the city; I suggest hiding a weapon or two. Expect trouble." I just nodded and began to move again. Not turning but called for Steven.

"I don't really expect you to be allowed in, but do you think you could hide some weapons for us?" I asked, we didn't have many though so it would be obvious if we hide all of them. I took Aurora off and gave it to Steven who nodded. He didn't put them in his mouth thank Luna, but held it in his claw where no one would see them. Nick also climbed onto Steven and I nodded to Heart and Aeb to hand in their weapons. Everyone else wouldn’t need them, I hope. We had two guns, a sword and a spear now. Our firepower had been drastically dropped but we should be able to retreat if need be.

The town, or rather city, caught up to us quicker than expected and I could see countless griffins flying around the cloud layer. Finally, after weeks of barren land with no clouds, we had reached a river, with clouds and trees and life! That had always bugged me, why is it outside of civilisation, there was fuck all? The griffin outpost looked a lot like a pony town, but with walls and considerably more metal, smoke was rising from some parts of the city and it looked very steampunk-y. That could be fun. First thing would obviously be to find a blacksmith and see what weapons or modifications I could get.

It wasn’t that long after where we reached the gates, and as thought. It was very steampunk. Giant bronze cogs opened the gates releasing a hiss and raising the metal gates, as we had predicted, we were searched and all weapons except the ones Steven had were taken. I swapped about half my bits for Griffin denars and we entered the city. They even let Steven in; how he is meant to get around I will never know.

"Will you be alright to leave the city at nightfall? I doubt we could get a room for you in an inn." I asked the serpent, he was getting plenty of looks from griffins but nothing had actually stopped him yet. Steven nodded and I looked to Aeb.

"Where first?" He asked. This was baring in mind we were being followed, Heart Breaker was right about them following us, it was obvious the two griffins behind us had been following us since the gates and had made no effort in hiding from our sight.

"I suggest we split up, Heart, Aeb, Skittles and I can go explore, since we are the only ones with weapons right now. Oh, Steven if you could-" I began, Steven nodded and dropped our weapons, we equipped them there and then in the street, no one said anything. I actually felt safer with Aurora on and Aeb and Heart looked like they did with their weapons on. I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. "-Yeah, we will go explore, this place looks pretty cool and I’d like to see if we can find a blacksmith before anything else, the rest of you go find food and supplies, then try to find an inn as close to a wall as possibly. Steven if you could possibly find a guard to climb over the wall near the inn they find, do that. If not, leave the city and come round. We will only be here a day, we need to move on.” I added, a few nods and everyone went off in the same direction we were in. It just left us four together now.

We quickly made our way to the nearest griffin to ask directions, after a rather long pause and a glare toward Heart Breaker, he pointed his way down some random alley and disappeared before we could ask any more. The two griffins were following us now but I didn't want to make a scene unless they did. The directions weren't actually that bad, the alley literally ended with a very bronze looking shop with a sigh with a cog and anvil on it. The door even automatically opened when we stepped near.

Inside the shop were countless weapon pieces and armour all on display, they were all in our price range and a few looked incredibly dangerous, and awesome. I wish I had been tasked to go this far north before. Griffins were awesome. However, it wasn't in fact, a griffin on the counter. But a very red looking pony. Red coat, darker red hair, and a hammer cutie mark.

"Welcome to my blacksmith, how may I help you?" The stallion asked, a very Canadian sounding accent to him. I waved the others off and they looked around, I noticed a steam punk looking rifle on the counter behind the blacksmith. It also looked pony ready. a button as the trigger like the Decay guns and a really cool looking scope to it. There were a few magazines next to it two, what looked to hold five or six shots. There was also a saddle attachment ready. Holy shit I'm getting this gun.

"Well, first off. Hi, great to see another pony this far north. Secondly, do you have anything like this?" I asked, and throw my arm sword hoof up to show him, the blacksmith's face actually lit up.

"Yes I do, but not out here, this is mainly griffin weapons, if you could follow me please." The pony replied, putting up the counter table so I could get past, he lead me down some stairs which Aeb quickly followed too. He just nodded when I saw him next to me and brought me into a workshop area. A lot of pony weapons were here, spears, crossbows, swords. There was a spear with springs all down the shaft that would presumably make it grow longer if a release button was pressed. There was also an automatic crossbow with four shots at once prepared. Then i found something I knew I was going to buy.

There was a small glass display case, inside was an arm sword, blade out. It was made of a light blue looking metal with a crescent moon on the blade. Some bronze cogs were seen for release and a muscle tenser was inside for easy access much like Aurora. I could just make out the words: 'Lunae pestem' written on the hoof protector, followed by: 'Luna Nos Custodit' underneath.

"Meet Lunar Bane Made from one of the strongest metals in Equestria, complete virgin blade, perfect for fights against near on anything, can cut through most metal and stone if you so wish, but I wouldn't suggest it." The blacksmith said, switching between the sword and me.

"How much?" I asked, I caught Aeb holding some strange looking gun, didn't look pony made, nor man made for that matter.

"What is that?" I asked, before the blacksmith gave me a price. He looked and Aeb had strapped it to his saddle and was testing the sight. The blacksmith looked worried but said nothing for a moment.

"That, I don't know, whilst on a trip east for some metal trading. I found it, in the sand, like that. I picked it up, tested it, developed it and now it is useful for ponies. As far as I know, the only one in existence. It also doesn't need anymore shots like the rifles do. Its like one of those Terran guns, only, safer." He said.

"How can a gun be safer?" I asked, looking at the object.

"Well for one, is doesn't shot that disgusting acid those other ones do, yeah it'll kill. But more merciful." Aeb looked like s/he would have blushed if blood was still being pumped, why I don't know. "And another, it does no damage to solid objects, only living matter. Useless against any kind of armour, but it'll tear through most magical shielding and skin."

"I'll take it." Aeb muttered, the blacksmith flinched a little at the voice but nodded. If he was worried about a voice change, just wait until he noticed Aeb's scar. The blacksmith looked at me.

"If you two could follow me, if you see anything you would like, feel free to take it, that gun alone will cost a lot though. For you though," He said, looking to me. "not so much. That sword may be master crafted but I can always make more."

"I also want that rifle you have above you're counter. Trust me when I say we have the money, the crown is funding us." I replied. The blacksmith nodded again.

"So you use your funding to buy weapons and gear?" The pony asked, I just smiled.

"Dude, I'm a fucking man, if I see something that looks fucking awesome, I'm gonna buy it. We shall pay for these and you will most likely have to show the other two down here. Case they want anything." I said, the guy just nodded and we entered back upstairs.

Well, doing that was a big fucking surprise, Skittles was being held by some tank of a griffin and Heart Breaker was knocked out on the floor, another griffin over him. The two looked to me, Aeb and the blacksmith. I opened my mouth to shout some curse and fight, but fucking Aeb of all people shot his carbine and downed the tank instantly, three shots of an orange light shot and hit deep into his feathers. It died screaming. The other one was about to throw his weapon down into Heart and I lunged at him. Smashing through the window and causing panic around the town.

"Who sent you!" I shouted at the griffin, completely pinning him, I had Aurora out and at his throat, my wings outstretched and I could feel the ghost horn of mine begin to appear. Hell, my vision in my left eye began to come alight again so anyone could have seen I was pissed. The griffin opened his beak after a pause, he looked fucking scared and I could smell something, strange, in the air.

"The king! He doen't like Equestria and has been killing travelers as they come, all since the Terran war! He wanted us to bring you all in, nothing more I swear." The griffin screamed, nearly crying.

"What of the others, those who went for supplies? Where are they!" I screamed, the griffin opened his beak and I punched him, cracking it. I could hear shouts for guards now and a few barking orders.

"They are fine, we followed you. You seemed like an easier target, only four of you." He cried back.

"Do I look like an easy target to you?" I shouted, the griffin whimpered. "Well?" I added.

"N-no." He muttered, I got off him slowly.

"Good." I said, and cut the assholes throat. The crowd started screaming and stattered. I turned to see the inside of the shop, the pony had the gun and Lunar Bane in his hooves. He looked completely shocked.

"You know what, take them." He said, and threw them to me, I nodded and began to walk. Aeb and Skittles followed, Aeb with his new gun and carrying Heart.

"Where to Haze?" Aeb asked, Rainbow just kept looking back at the dead griffin. I stopped and put Lunar on my other hoof, then got Aeb to help me with the gun. It was more of a sniper than a medium ranged rifle with the scope on it, but I'd need practice in shooting such long range targets. My left eye being blind didn't really help matters either, but at least I wouldn't have to close one eye to shoot through a scope anymore.

"Well isn't that obvious, we're going to kill a king." I replied, Rainbow looked shocked but Aeb just smiled.

"This is gun be good." He said, checking his damn gun again. Thank fuck we didn't have to pay for that, he would end up buying every attachment built for the damn thing. That wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Heart Breaker woke up along the road and Aeb helped him catch up. No griffins stopped us as we went.

Manehatten, Unknown days after the war.

Dawn Star woke up to screaming. She had gone to sleep in her lab sometime during the night, reading on some spell or another and had now been disrupted by what sounded like screams and explosions. The mare looked up from her work, hair drifting down her face and into her eyes.

"What in the heavenly voice of Celestia is that?" Dawn asked no pony but herself, she got up slowly, the noise continuing and stretched a little. She began to pace forward, feeling the artificial sunlight of the lab on her coat as she went to find the nearest window. Along her path she saw two other unicorns running the other way. They were screaming, one knocked into Dawn but said nothing, she turned to watch them run but the wall facing the outside city exploded in a ball of fire before Dawn could say anything. Two huge bulking figures, who looked a lot like the Terrans had, from what Dawn had seen in newspapers and such, but a lot. Darker, the few bits of skin Dawn could see were red and corrupt. There were three that ran in, all holding strange weapons. Upon seeing the two fleeing ponies, they aimed their weapons up.

"Surrender you're magic and come peacefully." The creature shouted, when the two ponies just stopped and stared up at the huge figures, the three aliens shared a look and fired. A huge fire ball shot out of the guns and the two ponies that were once standing there in fear. Were just two piles of blood. They didn't even get a scream out.

Dawn stood frozen as one of the tall aliens lent down and clicked something on its death weapon. The small flame on the end went from red to blue and he began to suck, something, from the gore piles. A non unicorn would never know what they were doing, but Dawn saw it, they were harbouring the magic from the two dead ponies.

This lasted a minute with Dawn completely frozen, watching, hearing the screams around her. Yesterday had gone so well. It took the aliens another minute for them to notice Dawn Star standing there with utter fear in her eyes. One pointed a red hand at her, holding the weapon in the other.

"Surrender your magic or die like your friends!" They shouted. Dawn didn't even think, she just turned and ran, hearing shots firing behind her, explosions ran out and she ran. She galloped and didn't look back. All she heard as she left the city was a cry from one of the enemy shout one phrase that would keep with her forever.

"The Garonins have taken this city, kill any prisoners." One had said as she ran past, there were countless ponies who had seemingly surrended, but these 'Garonins' were taking magic from everything, she could feel it become thin in the air around the city.

Equestria would fall to this threat. There were no heroes now.

Dawn just ran, she didn't make any sound, didn't stop, she just. Ran.

The three of us were standing outside what I sorely fucking hoped was the kings castle, there were a lot of guards standing outside and it looked like a castle, more like the Sky Dweller one than of Canterlot castle, again, mainly steam punk in looks. The city seemed so, futuristic for what I had previously seen but none of the guards had any 'new' weapons. Just spears and crossbows, they didn't even have any rifles that I had seen in the shop. I was most certainly bleeding as I had received plenty of looks on our way here, hell the griffin guards looked concerned at my arrival. With Aeb on one side and Heart on the other, but in armour and very armed. They must have expected trouble, an idiot would have, but they said nothing. Rainbow just stood behind me, I turned to her.

"Rainbow, go find Steven, get the others ready to leave. They better have fucking supplies." She just nodded and took off to fly, only to fall on her ass. Grunting, she walked off to find Steven, I could see the fucking giant from here above the city, it would be where most of the siege weapons were facing and where there was a lot of activity in the sky. I looked to one of the griffin guards who just shrugged, followed by:

"The king is an idiot anyway, be my guest." I nodded, gave the guard some griffin money and entered the castle the guard had casually opened for me. Before us I could see the king, sitting on a throne made of, fucking bones? Well, at least painted metal. I hoped. He was leaning over but sat upright when the three of us entered. Aeb checked his gun, Heart moved his head to crack his neck. I smiled.

"Ah, glad of you to join us Sir Bright, I hope you found my-" He began.

"Did you send troops after me and my friends?" I asked, the king stopped. Moving his beak.

"Y-yes, but listen to reaso-" His plea was halted by a round from my new sniper rifle going through his skull. Blood leaked onto the throne and I turned.

"We're done here." I said, the ringing of the gun shot still in my ear. Fuck the Decay Gun was quiet compared to this explosion of a gun. It wouldn't exactly help in stealth like I had thought, unless it was a fucking thunder storm of the apocalypse after just one shot it would alert every enemy in a ten mile radius of my position. Guess I didn't need that much practice then. We left the city the same way we entered, with eyes watching and twitching of weapons, nothing more.

Part Two Intro

Legends of Equestria

Part Two: War

With the Sky Dweller city harboring the Princess of the Night and ex-element bearers, they are prepared to take Equestria, in the north a small band of Terrans and the remains of the Changeling race are also marching on Equestria, close to the capital and preparing for war.

To the far east in the city of Manehatten, a young mare is trying to survive the beginnings of the Garonin invasion, huge bulky warriors with technology far above Equestria's.

Mean while, with the march to the Edge of the World only just truly beginning Haze and friends leave a twisted griffin town in search of Serpin. However, the Garonins didn't all appear in one place, and the group may have a fight on their hooves.

With war spreading across the land the only hope left remains in freeing Luna and finding Serpin. Neither look very promising right now..

(The two arm swords, Aurora Loren and Lunar Bane actually come from my adventures in Minecraft. I've started naming my gear so I feel the need to repair it constantly. The armour I have yet to think of, but I own two iron swords that I like. I also own Lunar Bane the ship on the game Guns of Icarus, and as a sword on Skyrim..)

Afterthoughts and War

Somewhere North, present day.

Our group was walking in silence, spread out and not saying anything. Naturally, those who went to get food and an inn wanted to know what happened, but after Heart and Aeb told them something I didn't catch, everyone was quite again. It didn't seem like the griffins were hunting us, but I kept looking back anyway. I doubted they would, none seemed overly upset when they figured I was going to kill their king, but honestly? He probably didn't deserve it, but he did threaten my friends. But still, a fucking sniper bullet through the face was a bit drastic? Had this war really corrupt me so much? Nah, I'd probably shoot the bastard anyway.

Turns out, there was a familiar blacksmith hut not to far from the town so we stopped by, looked around and a few of the others brought new gear. Mainly some sword arms and a few fire arms. The fact nearly everyone had swapped their Decay Guns to griffin built guns instead showed we cared more about style than damage. I mean, we still had the old weapons, but these new ones looked pretty good. Some even had armour piecing bullets to so we might do some damage against any threat. If not, back to Decay I guess.

Thinking about it, it probably wasn't because of style that we had stopped using Decay. Despite the modifications, these weapons had been used by our enemy. Those Terrans who killed my wife and daughter. I felt myself slow and caught Aeb look at me as we walked.

"I'm fine." I muttered, s/he nodded and continued, I felt a weight on my side and turned to see a still unfamiliar look of my undead wife.

"No you're not." She muttered, but said nothing more, just resting on my shoulder, we didn't go any faster than I was, but it felt. Warm, nice. Welcome. After a long pause, she finally looked up, eyes 'derped' like usual. "What's wrong Haze?" She asked. I blinked a couple times, but grunted finally. Ready for an answer.

"I've been walking here, thinking that we swapped our over powered, strong Decay guns for these more primitive ones because they look awesome." I grunted again. "But that's not it is is?" I asked. Derpy looked away for a second, eyeing the steam punk pistol she now owned, strapped to her side just above her wound. She looked back at me with sadness, and pain, in her eyes.

"Of course not, as helpful as those guns were for you all, from what you, Heart and Aeb have told me, they are still Terran weapons, there is still that feeling of holding a weapon of the enemy, than the weapon of your people." Dee asked. I laughed dryly.

"I'm human remember. Those two don't really work." I replied.

"But which one do you feel more comfortable with holding, that sniper of yours, or the gun that killed ponies?" Dee asked, she nearly said daughter there, I know it. "And besides, human and Terran are two different things. At least, that's what everypony is going to believe. For sanity's sake anyway." She added.

"I may be human, but I've been on Equestria longer than I have Earth now." I muttered after a pause. "And Crystal may be from Terra, but he is much of a human than any." I added. Looking to our Terran member of our group. He didn't notice, still holding a Decay Gun.

"I've been meaning to ask about him-" Dee started, I put a hoof to her mouth, then quickly moved it away when I noticed I was still wearing Aurora and Lunar. I looked away a little, not wanting to think about how that simple gesture could have killed a pony in another circumstance.

"He tried to save Tage." I said, Derpy stopped. I did to, turning to face her. "He was actually part of the squad who were going to shoot Tage, he killed the man who ordered her death, and ran. But apparently didn't do enough to actually save her. But Crystal was prepared to kill himself to save our girl." I muttered. Derpy spat on the ground, although nothing actually came out..

"It wasn't enough." She grunted. I just nodded.

"I know. But that's why he is with us, for trying." I replied after a pause, Dee didn't look any happier, but she didn't say anything else on the subject, instead opted to start a new conversation.

"So, new gun?" Dee asked, she was looking at it with one eye, and the other was facing the way we walked. Fuck Equestria is so depressing when you are outside of a town or any civilization, there is nothing out here!

"Yeah. Five shot rifle. I actually have to reload this, luckily the bullets look pretty easy to produce so I can just keep the empty shells and create new shots whenever we stop by at a town." I replied, happy to accept this change in tone.

"Well how many, bullets, do you have?" She asked, I hadn't actually checked, the one in it now, and at least three others that I knew of. But that wasn't going to be enough was it? I say the bullets are easy to rebuild. But I'd need a unicorn who knew fire or explosive spells. It was a sniper though, whether I was a good shot or not. I wouldn't be going crazy with ammunition usage. Hopefully.

"The five in the magazine already loaded in the gun, plus another three that I know of. So, about twenty shots. I figure one shot to the head would easily take most targets down. They are pretty heavy bullets. But will be a lot lighter when I rebuild them. Since the components will be different." I explained, Derpy nodded and looked to Aeb, who was still pissing about with his sight.

"So how come Aeb's gun is so..-" She trailed off trying to find the right words.

"Different?" I asked, she nodded.

"Yeah yeah! How come his looks like that, but yours is a different style?" She replied. Pointing a hoof at Aeb as s/he walked past. The ex-Changeling gripped his gun harder than before.

"Because, simply. His is a different type. Mine would be what you'd call a sniper, or a long range gun. It has a few shots because it's built for taking a single target out from far away. Not an open battle like the Decay Guns were made for. Mine is also pony built. Made for ponies, probably the highest level of technology you guys would get for a while here. Without the Decay Guns of course. Aeb's, his isn't pony made. I doubt it was made on Equestria. It looks too, Terran to be a pony design. Hell, the blacksmith even said he found it somewhere. Like it had fallen from the sky or something. But his is always what you would refer to as a carbine gun. Whereas the Decay is a medium ranged one shot gun. His carbine has a much shorter range and I wouldn't be surprised if it shot three or five shots in a burst fire." I explained Derpy nodded and paused. Slowing down her walk a little.

"So what, yours is long range, can shoot far away with no issue, but has trouble in close areas? And Aeb's is basically the opposite. Then the Decay in between?" She asked. I nodded.

"Exactly. Aeb, just fire your gun will ya. Away from any of us though." I replied, smiling that my wife understood guns. I wasn't American, but she was certainly from the Land of the Free now motherfuckers!!! Anyway, Aeb aimed down the sight. Which was pointless because he was just shooting air. After a phase he actually started moving a hoof about on the sight mechanism and getting it aligned. "Fucking today girl." I grunted after a pause. Aeb just glared at me and fired. As expected it let of three shots, what I didn't understand was that the three shots were blue lights. That certainly wasn't pony tech, hell; it didn't exactly look Terran either. What the fuck was this gun! It changed colour from the griffin town to here. Why?

"The fuck?" Aeb muttered. Everyone was fucking swearing now. What had I done? I stepped closer to Aeb and he fired again, this time the shots were fucking purple. "Oh wonderful. I have a fucking Rainbow powered gun." Aeb added.

"You are the embodiment of what every transexual wishes to be." I said. Bit harse but oh well. Aeb just looked at me and raised a dead eyebrow.

"An ex-changeling, something who has been the enemy to Equestria for so long now and renown so evil people run screaming when they see us in our true form. Not only been killed but now back, in the body of some dead pony. Walking around with a male voice and pissed out of his mind that he is in a girls body and would happily kill myself. Again. If it wasn't for the fact there is nowhere to go when you die now." Aeb half shouted back. "That's what transexuals aim to be is it?" He added. I just stuck my tongue out and he shot toward the ground at my feet. With a bright yellow light. He then began to swear. A lot.

"You know guys. I think it's my birthday today." I muttered, thinking on the day. It must've been around the time. Either today, yesterday or something around that, wasn't really sure. The group all looked at me.

"Happy birthday." Dari muttered, followed by another from Nick.

"How old are you?" I heard Rainbow asked. Shit, I wasn't prepared for that. How old was I? Forty something maybe. Hell, I might of been in my thirties for all I knew. I really didn't fucking know.

"Shit, er. Thirty-six I believe. I may have stopped keeping count." I truthfully said. A couple nods went through the group and a few bits of conversation came up. By not much else, Aeb stopped checking his gun.

The Ruins of Manehatten, ten days later.

Dawn had run all the rest of that day and much of the night. But Manehatten was laying in a rather large pit surrounded by mountains and rather steep hills. So the hours of running just left the mare tired and on top of a hill. With mountains to pass first. The sun was easily at its highest point by now and the city was burning. The great inferno below had started during the night and had yet to stop. She had watched a lot of the evening as the city she had grown up in a loved. Had been destroyed by those vile Garonin creatures. She began to think about the day before. They towered over those two scientists and would do so more against even the largest of earth ponies. The plating they wore all over their bodies looked thick and strong. Hard for any spell or weapon to cut through. They didn't seem to show much skin and the bits they had were corrupt, twisted and red.

Those bulking, huge figures had scared Dawn. A lot. They were harvesting magic and shooting ponies with their strange alien weapons. Where had they come from though, one moment they weren't there. Then the city was burning and Dawn was running. Now, looking back on the dead city. She realized she needed to go back in. In her rush to escape she hadn't brought any food or water, and the nearest city or even town was a four day walk in either direction. Not counting the mountains and ice she had to get through to get to the walk. The train probably wasn't running today.

Yes, those creatures scared her and would kill her if they found her. But it was either die by their weapons, or starve out in the cold and snow. Dawn refused to be beaten so easily. So here she was, standing over a once great city. Much larger than Canterlot since it had the size to expand, with various smaller towns in Manehatten's borders, there would have been tens, if not hundreds of thousands of ponies down there. So how many Garonins were there? Enough to level a city clearly.

Eventually, Dawn began to walk down the hill, ducking behind rocks or trees everytime she heard a noise. The sky was beginning to grow dark so she would at least have the advantage of the darkness of the night on her side. Which was one advantage of having a dark coat. Harder to see at night time. It wasn't usually an advantage per say, ponies would walk into Dawn if she went home late or went to a restaurant at night time. But now, for stealth and survival, she was counting her colours as an advantage.

Gunfire started and stopped as she descended down into the burning city and even from so far away, Dawn could see the red of the guns. Then the blue of the magic collection. She had to look away every time she saw blue, and flinched when she heard a shot and saw red. This wasn't the best idea, but the only one she had.

Without any extra ponies slowing the mare down. Dawn got into Manehatten pretty quickly, spotting a few of the aliens wondering around and some were shotting into empty buildings, and from what Dawn saw, it was only for the purpose for destruction. Some of the aliens were also wondering around with their guns on the blue setting and were stealing the magic from the atmosphere. She wondered through rubble and dodged into whatever remained of buildings to avoid the aliens. They seemed to be in groups of five. All searching the area for survivors and stealing the magic from the atmosphere. One group Dawn found herself near was surprising.

"This world should already be processed, how were these creatures able to use magic against us?" One alien had said. Dawn was still wondering how they spoke Equestrian, but after hearing about how the Terran had, she wasn't as surprised to find more races spoke the language.

"They must have reset it. Somehow. That just means more fuel for our efforts." Another replied. The first nodded and they carried on in silence. Dawn hid behind the windowsill she was watching from when they had finished. Already been processed? She thought. Are they behind Equestria losing it's magic? Everypony thought it was the demons. I suppose not now. She added and continued to search the ruins. She found few supplies but eventually she found enough to bypass the mountains. Now she needed enough to get to safety. If anywhere was safe anymore.

Suddenly, there was an earth shaking boom. Then a large, loud him sound. Dawn almost screamed at the random noise but stopped herself, instead looking out the window again. There she came face to face with, a monster. It had to be, it certainly wasn't natural.

The beatst had the colours if gray and red much like the other aliens and had blue lights in thin glass tubes all over the body. Black smoke bellowed from pipes coming from the beast and the whole thing vibrated and hummed calmly. Bits of flesh seemed to be melded with machine and the few bits of tissue remaining was pale and dead. Rust scarred the beast, at least. Dawn hoped it was rust. And a fire seemed to be going in the lower section of the beast.

Dawn also noticed the size, the thing was huge! At least the size of a two storey building if not more. And the 'Garonin' aliens dotted around the thing with their strange weapons.

After a minute of two, the thing began to move. Dawn covered her ears as a screech sound emitted from the machine beast as it tore across the land slowly. Buildings being destroyed by the sheer force of the creature. Dawn then screamed, not caring if she was caught, but the pain was just unbearable. She ran then, and didn't look back. Knowing she should have, she ran crying out. Her ears bleeding.

As the Garonin war beast ripped any fibre or protein or magic from the land, killing the once furtile beautiful land and leaving dust and ash as remains. Manehatten didn't stand a chance.

As Dawn ran, it began to rain over the city, but not water. The rain was made up of the blood of the ponies who were being torn apart, the ash from the beast and the wild magic too corrupt to be used by the Garonins.

Storms and War

Somewhere North, present day.

"Sweet mother of Celestia I hate walking." Aeb muttered from somewhere behind me. We had been on a very fast, long march for a while now. Openly I was saying that we had to get to the Edge of the World faster. But at this point I didn't give a ahit, and was just hoping we could find a town, or. Something to stay for a couple days. This was getting harder and harder. And fuck knows we all needed a break. I looked back and saw how far spread out everyone was. The dead were much further ahead, all behind me. Fuck knows why, I needed a great much like everyone else, but had to make it look like I was still in top condition.

"Me too. But we have to get north." I replied, slowly. It was also getting a lot colder but luckily we were still close to sea levels, so it could have been worse. A couple days back we had to cross over a fairly small, and easy to cross mountain and that was ice. It didn't help that the cold is slowing down the undead among us. They seemed more annoyed about it then anything, and couldn't speak much. But no one had said anything about it. And Derpy ignored the subject if I ever brought it up. We walked north in silence and I found Spectra next to me. Flanked by Rainbow.

"Yes?" I asked, hiding how tired I was.

"Why pretend you are okay Haze. We all aren't so there is no way you are okay." Spectra said. I looked to him but kept going.

"We have to do this or we will all die." I muttered.

"How do we know we aren't already dead?" Spectra asked. I turned and stopped. He looked at me and the others slowed, but soon carried on.

"What do you mean?" I asked. Spectra looked up for a second and took a breath.

"Celestia sent us away on this final mission. The third finale mission she's sent us on I will remind you. She sent us on this mission to the edge of the world to find this Serpin. My question is. What if he isn't there? What if he's dead. What if Haze. What if after all this!" Spectra shouted a little, waving his hoof around the vast expanse of nothing we were in. "What, if. We get no help, trek all the way home to just to find everything has been burned already." Spectra added. I nodded.

"Yes, there are a lot of what ifs Spectra. But what if he is there and helps. Or what if we go home empty hooves, or handed or whatever the fuck!" I shouted. "What if we go home now. With nothing. And we die because you doubted whether we would find anything. We have to try." I added, that did shut him up. However, it didn't stop Derpy who had materialized next to me. And was gripping my hoof with her forelegs.

"What if we die anyway?" She asked quietly. I turned to her.

"We take as many of these bastards as we can." I muttered.

"Will that save Equestria Haze? Have you ever thought of that?" Derpy asked. I looked to her confused. "Say, you sacrifice yourself killing half a dozen of these Garin somethings. And that does nothing? You die a needless death because you're mad at them." Dee muttered.

"I need you all in this together. If we run out of ideas. What can we do but fight?" I asked.

"We run." Derpy muttered.

"Where? Lauren said they would destroy this world and many more. Whilst we run and survive on a barren world. Countless other lives are being lost. We defeated the Mo'ka, we can at least cripple the Garonins." I replied.

"They have the power to send ponies into the Gap! Into a worse hell than the Void. The Void is solid, we've been there. But the Gap. The gap is hell. A soul drifts forever alone, in constant pain." Derpy muttered.

"How do you know so much about the Gap? I mean, you were dead but still." I asked. Derpy paused. I began to walk again, flapping my wings. Derpy ran after me and shouted my name but I heard nothing. We needed a rest. And now.

I flew above the cloud layer away from my friends, none made a move to go after me and none but Derpy called for my name. Landing softly on a cloud I could see for miles around it. Steven was moving on again, and the small dots around him did too. Were we really that obvious? No wonder the griffons found us so far from their city. Just look for a giant blue serpent.

I searched the horizon for, something. Just a small camp or town we could rest in for a few days. The sleep deprivation was slowly getting to us. And I didn't want to hear the answer from Derpy anyway, in fear of my actions. Either to Derpy (I would hate myself forever) or against the Garonins, which wouldn't be anymore than what's already planned.

I spent around five more minutes on the cloud before spotting something. Just east of us, was. Something. Something very metal. The sun was making its descent so its colours were faded from something during the day. But there was definitely something there. Something big. I spotted Steven and saw this metal would easily cover the serpent. I felt a smile on my face and shot out of the cloud. Almost hitting a snoic boom instantly.

So landing would be fun.

"Guys! Head east! Something!" I shouted. Through wing flaps. I saw a few heads turn as I headed toward then and instead of landing shot east away from the sun. A couple of the ponies began to gallop to keep up and Spectra flew up to meet me.

"What is it!" He asked. Through air and flying.

"Fuck knows. But its big and metal. Could be anything! Its better than sleeping on rock if its a dome or something." I replied. Spectra nodded, or got hair out of his face. I don't know.

We flew at high speeds for about a minute before the metal came into view. Another more minute and I saw what it was. I began to slow, a lot. Spectra did as well and began swearing.

"Those fuckers! What the fuck did they do!" Spectra shouted. We flew down and began to read weapons.

We had found a motherfucking Terran warship. Not the size of the one they had used to send the drop pods. But definitely a large troop carrier. The ship had certainly crashed, that was obvious from the trail that it had behind it. Followed by bits of rubble. Some holes had been dug and covered over, suggesting mines or something along those lines. So the crew could still be on board. Dead or alive.

"What do we do?" I asked. Spectra grinned, his eyes flashing red and aimed his Decay Gun down. I readied my sniper. Turning quickly. I saw Aeb and Heart had caught up, everyone else was still running. The four of us entered this downed foe. And I honestly wish I never learnt about this ship, let alone what downed it.

Somewhere East of Canterlot, two days later

Twilight Sparkle, new found princess to Equestria and defender of the realm was not a pony to give up. But when the guards who currently had her locked up didn't stop pointing their guns at the pony. With her horn useless and her wings shackled, each hoof also in some sort of bondage. One meal a day and a small bucket of water, some days ago fallen at too low a level for her to reach now. She was inclined to give up. She was meant to have a cell with her friends. But currently Rarity was missing, possibly in the factories the Dwellers had build so quickly in their flying fortress, wherein she had to help the machine works or face torture, Much like Twilight had, a lot. Applejack was currently in a 'session' and would most likely be passing in and out of consciousness for a few days after this. Fluttershy was asleep, forcibly because she wouldn't stop crying. Pinkie Pie had been missing for a good while now. The only company Twilight had was Luna. Who was likewise chained up in the cell opposite, likewise in pain and bleeding. Her hair had been cut off completely and her cutie mark burned over with the Sky Dweller banner. Like Twilight's and the others had. She had a ball gag on, unlike Twilight and had a guard on either side of her, wherein Twilight's guards were on the outside. Screens had been going on and off. Not a mare's so not Applejack, but some pony's. Twilight kept trying to close her eyes to pass out into sleep, but a guard kept firing his gun into the cloud layer. Waking her up with a startle. Luna also groaned every time they did and her horn glowed blue slightly. She sat staring ahead, the only direction she could with defeat in her eyes. Most of her wounds were itchy and scabbed and many of the new ones still bled.

The screaming stopped again, followed by a muffled gunshot. Then nothing. Twilight flinched at the thought and a chain rattled slightly. But the guards didn't move, they just stared. Unmoving. One aiming at their prisoner, one at the floor in case they fall asleep. Twilight had been through a lot with Haze. Bit this. This was hell. She would happily die to save herself from this. All she wanted to do was see Spike again, to go home and rest. To cry and heal. Not this.

Around an hour passed of Twilight staring and trying to sleep, only for it to be interrupted. Screaming had started again, from a different pony now, Twilight closed her eyes but no gunshot sounded from the guards. Only quiet laughter. Tears would form but she was way to dehydrated to cry. If she did she would desperately try to drink them. She couldn't even pee anymore. She was empty. It hurt so bad.

A humming was all Twilight had that kept her sane. A small, dim, him. The guards didn't seem to notice it.

Then it clicked. Twilight closed her eyes expecting the worst as the humming grew louder, Luna looked up slightly but made no attempt to look relived, the four guards began to notice and aimed weapons at different directions. It was almost a minute more of intensive humming where a black portal sparking white lightning began to crackle into existence, the humming changed to booming and strange noises unknown to any other portal Equestria had seen. Twilight tensed up. The portal grew to a pony size and stopped. When nothing came out Twilight relaxed, the guards looked at it in awe and one went close. Only to receive a very fast ball of light blue light, almost like a small fire ball in his face. The guard's head exploded and he fell, without a sound. A gunshot went off into the portal and two more ball followed. One hitting the back wall and puncturing the cloud layer, another hitting the side of Luna's cells. Who groaned in fear.

A second passed and suddenly a pony ran out, wielding an arm sword and holding up a strange gun with magic, so must of been a unicorn. The pony had a dark purple coat and blue and purple hair, the pony wore some strange black armour on it's main body and some of it's legs. The pony charged forward and shot the gun, a small blue orb fired out like a fire ball and hit a guard. He screamed and fell, the body where the shot hit was blackened and had small flames all over it. The remaining guards readied weapons and one fired straight away, the pony simply ducked down onto all fours and fired the gun again. Another guard fell. The pony stood back up and the arm sword was released and the pony stabbed into the third guard, then stood normally. The final guard looked to the two dead guards and then the third who was choking on his own blood underneath the pony's hoof. The strange pony looked to the last guard and he ran. The pony shot him as he did. Then, the pony turned.

"Twilight Sparkle." The pony said, in a soft voice of a mare. Twilight gulped and closed her eyes. There were two sounds that followed, two shots from the strange gun. When Twilight opened her eyes finally, Both Luna's and her own cell door had been shot open. The mare stepped forward. "I'm here to rescue you." The mare said and put her gun down. Then began to untie Twilight. The mare then looked to the Night Princess. "And you Princess." The mare said, Luna just stared as she had been for a while. After a moment of shock, Twilight managed to get a few words out. In her dehydrated state, it wasn't much.

"Who- who are you?" She asked, gulping a few times. Her throat was incredibly dry. As soon as she was out. She would drink the water she'd been teased with. She needed food as well. So hungry. So. Tired. The mare looked up from her word at Twilight.

"My name is Sapphire Wish. I was sent by the one you call Faust to save you. I worried that I was too late." The mare replied. Twilight tried to nod but was still bound. No alarms had been set off yet so maybe it was only the four guards that had been tasked with guarding two Princesses of Equestria. That didn't make sense to Twilight, but the more she thought about it, and remembering the looks of the city, maybe every pony had been tasked with keeping the city afloat, or the guns ready? Who knew.

"Which side are you on?" Twilight then asked. She said she had been sent by Faust, but how. Portal magic was dead. Apparently not though. Still, this could mean a number of things.

"The stars." Was all Sapphire said. Twilight was confused but the pony said no more. The last of Twilights bonds had been undone and she fell into a heap on the floor. Then began to drink from the bucket, the water tasted vile but it was all she had. Unrefined cloud water never tasted nice.

"Stay here Twilight Sparkle." Sapphire muttered and trotted of into Luna's cell. Then began to undo her bondage. The gag came off first.

"Thank you Sapphire Wish. We, we were in dire need of assistance." Was all Luna said, then stared again. Unmoving as her ropes were cut. Twilight tested her magic out on the bucket and found she could finally cast spells again after a quick levitation test on the now empty bucket. Twilight thought about going over to Luna's cell and helping but still didn't trust this Sapphire character so stayed put. Watching closely for the gun on the floor and the arm sword on the pony's hoof.

Horror and War

Xetesk, East of Manehatten. 16 days after the Destruction of Manehatten.

"So you're telling me that aliens have invaded Manehatten, the most powerful mage city besides Canterlot in Equestria, completely unprepared and wiped out the whole city but you?" The mage asked, Dawn had finally made her way east, into the city of Xetesk, she had instantly rushed to the mage tower and declared a state of emergency. But from how this stallion's tone that wasn't going to happen. She had been in the tower for over an hour now and was incredibly tired, hungry and low on magic, she had tried to teleport a lot of the way, but that had worn her out more than normal, being an offensive mage she knew very limited in the ways of the other magic classes. Dawn was tired of this pony's problems and was beginning to not care so much about warning other cities, Canterlot by all means. Since the Princesses were there. Including the Queen if rumours were true.

Dawn didn't really believe in rumours, not since those aliens came.

"Yes, by Celestia yes! Manehatten was attacked by aliens! They had weapons! Weapons like the Terrans had! They shot at ponies, killed them, drained their magic. I fled, I'm hungry. I'm tired. I need you to believe me, warn the city. Evacuate to Canterlot!" Dawn shouted back, the stallion smiled slightly. But said nothing, two other ponies ran into the room. The mage turned to them.

"Ah, Denser, Kal. Escort this mare out of my sight." The mage ordered, the two ponies stood still for a second.

"Lord Drew. There is, something. Here to see you, at the gates." One pony muttered, panting for breath, he was of a lavender coat with blue hair and a white orb as his cutie mark. Dawn looked away from the two figures toward the Lord Mage. He nodded.

"These your aliens you were warning me about?" The mage asked, trying to sound unworried but failing, he stormed out of the tower and Dawn follows, not looking for the other two ponies.

The mage tower was a couple seconds walk from the gates, which were now closed with a small battalion of guards, all holding spears toward the gates. Archers were on the walls and unicorns stood around idle, but spells prepared. Magic was thick here. Dawn stepped away from the Lord Mage, who walked toward the gates. On the other side. Stood three of the aliens. All unarmed. Smoke could be seen on the other side of the wall, one of the machines, Dawn presumed. She wanted to leave but was fixed in her spot to see how this panned out.

"Welcome to Xetesk visitor." The Lord Mage said to the alien. He had to look up due to the sheer size of the beast and seemed unfazed by the intimidating figure before him.

"We require donations." Was all the alien replied, its voice was hoarse and dry, it sounded forced, like these things didn't usually speak.

"Donations?" The mage asked, the alien gave a small nod.

"Magical donations. We. Require. Magic." It barked, sounding very annoyed.

"Ah magic, here in Xetesk we have plenty of magic to spare. I don't suppose you know how much you need do you?" The mage asked, he sounded scared now, his voice failing him as he neared the end of his sentence.

"We require all of it. Surrender your magic and prepare for harvesting." The Garonin muttered, raising its fist. The Lord Mage stepped back and raised a hoof up, the various archers prepared crossbows, and the guard contingent prepared spears. "We have fought an Xetesk before creature. This is just a village compared to that city. And we still harvested its core. Surrender your magic and die." The Garonin shouted after a pause, in its hand a few blue see through boxes began to appear out of, nothing. It wasn't magic, Dawn, and every other mage would be able to see the trails of it. No, the boxes just appeared and began to form a shape, appearing and disappearing randomly, until eventually. One of those alien weapons appeared, end light on red. Dawn screamed .

The fighting began.

Aboard a downed Terran Gunship, North, Present Day.

The inside of the ship wasnt very interesting. To begin with that is, the walls were metal and the flouring was metal. Nothing else out of place, well considering I had never seen a Terran ship it really wasn't up to me to say that everything was normal, but Crystal didn't seem at all fazed by the ship so I stayed quiet.

One thing that keep keep bugging me was the fact the ship seemed to have crashed at all, the back of the ship as we entered seemed in tact and everything inside was normal, well, no damage to be seen. So what had brought the ship down?

We walked down the ship in silence. One plan had been thought up by Nick to split up and scout the ship, but that thought was shot down by the worry of whatever was on the ship. Nothing so far, we eventually found a hanger with a door large enough to fit Steven through, just. And he entered. We decided to use the hanger as the fallback when stuff goes to shit. When, not if. Everyone knew by now shit was going to happen so we dealt with it accordingly. There isn't really much to say about the ship, it was fairly big, abandoned and nothing seemed to point out as to why the ship had been crashed. Until we reached the cockpit...

We walked down the dimly lit corridor with a couple sets of doors to our left and right, Crystal believed they were cabins but no one dared check. There was a large, white metal door ahead of us and everyone began to slow as we reached it.

"Its the cockpit, if we go in there I can check the black box for what downed the ship, see if power is still online and if it is, see if I can use this. Our trip would be halved if it is still flihht capable. Even if it isn't and the power is still up, even a bit. There are some Lightning's in the Hanger with Steven we can use. Much slower but still better than walking." Crystal muttered. I nodded and raised my sniper sight to my good eye. Aeb got his carbine out and Heart Breaker charged a Decay Gun. The three of us moved forward together in a line, flanked by everyone else. I reached the door first, with Aeb and Heart very close to me. There was a single red square in the door which I pressed and a small hiss came from the door. It creaked a little and opened, steam crept through the doorway as it opened. There was a strange noise that came from the room, that I couldn't really describe. A mixture of a cry and a wail. I wasn't quite sure what it was about that noise but it really didn't sound all that welcoming. We stayed by the door even as it became fully open. I couldn't really see into the room fully and wasn't sure whether I wanted to. A cold breeze was coming from the room and I readied my sniper, the others didn't seem that fazed by the room. Well, almost everyone in our group. I turned to Heart standing next to me and he looked as unsure as I was. Crystal looked the same. Everyone else however looked fine. Unfazed. Derpy looked to me and obviously saw fear, or something and began to ask me something. When that noise came again. It echoed through the walls of the ship and straight through me. Straight through my soul, and I stepped back. Crystal raised his weapon into the room.

"Haze, what is it?" Derpy asked. I looked to her.

"Can you not hear that? Feel that?" I asked. Another cry was let out and I jumped. Derpy did from my jump but I don't think she knew what I was talking about.

"We need to leave." Heart Breaker muttered. I nodded, as he said that however, the ship began to groan and scream again. Again the others didn't react but the three of us began to look around. The dim lighting of the ship began to flicker and suddenly. There was darkness.

"Dee!" I shouted. I couldn't see anything and all I could hear were screams.

"Haze!" I heard Heart Breaker shout. I couldn't tell from where but he was nearby.

"Sound off!" I cried back.

"Here!" I heard Crystal shout. His voice fairly distinctive compared to anyone else's, but Heart and Spectra I suppose.

"Here!" Heart shouted as well. I waited for a few seconds but nobody else spoke. Just us. Well, just me.

"Is that it? What the fuck is this?" I shouted. My voice echoed suddenly and there was no reply. Fuck. I tried to conjure up some sort of magic but nothing happened, I tried my wings and again, nothing happened. I tried to walk forward and just fell. My balance was wrong. I fell and put my front hooves out and found fingers moved. Fingers? Wait.

I was human again, my fingers hit the ground and felt metal. One finger made an audible click and I cried out. I tried to stand again and slipped on something wet behind me. My knee slammed into the ground and I felt pain, there was nothing between skin and the metal below me. I decided against standing and began to crawl, I cried out for Derpy or Aeb or Heart again but heard nothing. Nothing for a good minute of crawling.

Then something happened. I felt a cold breeze go through me and a cry again, there was a scream from somewhere next to me which sounded like Derpy. I began to crawl faster toward the sound crying out. I still couldn't see anything and the scream kept repeating.

"Haze!" Derpy shouted. I tried to stand again but couldn't, my legs just had no muscle. I crawled faster with my finger hurting and my knee scratched. I reached where the scream seemed to be and a light suddenly flickered on. The image in front of me made me crawl back and close my eyes.

Derpy was sitting there, a spear going from her mouth to the back of her body at a strange angle, the spear seemed to be connected to the floor, fused into the ground, one of Dee's back legs were fused into the ground as well, her skin stretched and mutated. Her mouth was open to hold the spear, looking like a scream, her eyes were wide and open. I opened my eyes after a pause hoping the image was gone. But she sat there, her eyes following me with tears falling down her face, tears of red. Her scream cried again and her eyes began to fucking bleed. Bleed and melt. I cried out again and crawled back. Shutting my eyes and crying. The light clicked and I presumed I was in darkness. I refused to open my eyes again and screams began to cry again. This continued for what could have been hours before there was silence.

"Haze." I heard a voice call, it was someone I knew well, but hadn't heard her voice in so long. Since before I can to Equestria. I still didn't open my eyes and crawled into a little ball, Derpy still in my mind.

"Haze. Listen to me." She said again, then repeated that, saying my real name. I opened my eyes to see a ghostly figure before me. It was her, from her hair down to her feet. Every detail was perfect. I knew her exactly. The ghost even had her missing toe. Her eye had that cute wrinkle thing that she had always had. Her hair seemed longer but was the same colour, beside the fact her hair was see through slightly.

"You know my face." She asked. I just nodded and she floated toward me, she had a white gown on and nothing else, hence I knew about her feet.

"You must listen to me. You will wake and you will be under attack. Get off this ship. Do not let them touch you. Behead them or they will keep coming. And please. They are not real." She said. I nodded not really understanding but she began to disappear.

"I love you." I muttered.

"You always have. I love you too." She muttered back, saying my name again before disappearing. I hadn't seen her in so long, and I doubt I would ever again. I closed my eyes again and called for Derpy, then Her. Noise suddenly began to begin again, the sounds of a battle. Gun shots were flying and cried were starting. I opened my eyes to see myself on the floor of the ship, Heart and Crystal were waking up as well. Aeb was standing near me firing his rainbow carbine. Swearing a lot.

"They just keep coming!" He shouted, firing three bursts as he did.

"They won't die!" Rainbow shouted back. "The Decay isn't working. They keep healing!" I jumped up suddenly, tears wet and my leg hurting. I began to look around to see some weird humanoid mutants coming toward the group. They were all twisted in unique ways, some had more arms and some had their jaws cut and stretched. One looked like a centuar with another huapman body fused to its back and the back legs walking in time with the front. They looked horrifying and many were bleeding white puss from random cuts and wounds. They all looked scared. Derpy looked to me and we met eyes. I looked away quickly and began to fire.

"We need to get out of here! Don't let them touch you!" I shouted and ran, conviently the mutants seemed to be coming out of the cock pit so we weren't exactly cornered. I swear I saw a glint of a knife blade run into the cock pit but Nick wouldn't be that stupid to run towards these horrors? Would he? I didn't really care.no ran and everyone else followed. Heart was shouting my name but I just wanted to get out of the ship. Derpy also shouted for me but I didn't pause in my run until I saw light. Then turned to see the others following me. They all passed and I paused a second before seeing the mutants running towards me. I aimed down the sniper sight and looked at the head of one mutant. I fired my gun and instantly regretted it. With the echo of this ship and the violence of the noise that comes from my gun I was deafened by the noise and cried out. Reached for my right ear with a hoof and feeling blood. I ignored it and ran. I didn't even see if my target was dead. Didn't care I was a bullet down and probably an ear down. I got outside and could just hear ringing. Everyone with a gun was lined up and I jumped out of the way as a volley of Aimts ran out. I heard none.

"Aim for the head!" I shouted, not hearing it at all. I couldn't hear anything at all but could see that everyone began to aim for the mutant's heads. I dropped my sniper and stood to watch, not daring to fire the weapon again in this state.

Every few seconds a mutant would fall and puss would fly out. Their screams were terrifying and I could see everyone looked scared and evrytime a mutant got closer from the pile of bodies that were slowly growing our group took a step back and the volley slowed slightly. Just the look of the things were scaring me. I finally decided to help and tried to prepare some magic, my horn began to appear and glow its ghostly white. Fire began to form in a ball around my head and I could feel the heat of the flame. The ball quickly grew and I shot the ball toward one of the mutants, the centaur one to be precise. He caught fire and screamed, but kept coming. Well fuck, I'd just created more of a threat. I quickly switched spells and created what I imaged as a sort of grenade. It was a spell I had never used but I had to try something.

The thing with magic, at least from what I understood. Was that certain unicorns, or Sirens like Dari or myself, so magic users. Certain magic users had a set skill toward schools of spell casting. Yes they could in theory learn other skill trees but they will always be more powerful in certain spells. Where Rarity was great with domestic spells, like that for her fashion crafting. So because of this she knew few, if any offensive spells, because that tree was so far away from domestic. However certain defensive spells the learnt from Twilight and was fairly good with them, however still struggled. Twilight was always a mixed school. Never crap of perfect at any which is very rare and both unlucky and lucky in some ways. Yes before Dari or me she was the only mage we had so it was perfect she could conjure up shields and fire spells at will. But she could never hold the shield for long, or fire devesating spells.

I never really knew Dari's focus, she killed herself before using any other magic around me and then was reborn and never used a spell besides the occasional heal of weak shield. So maybe healing? I on the other hand, was a clear offensive mage, I could easily cast a fire ball or plasma spell or whatever. But if I tried to heal someone they would most likely end up in four different pieces all either on fire or frozen, or both.

So this was basically going towards me saying that for myself, its much easier to learn and create offensive spells and I don't put myself at risk. I was still surprised when my yellow ball of explosion didn't go off in my face and I threw the ball toward the enemy and it exploded and killed a few. I began to re cast the spell using the same image and kept firing until the mutants began to fall in great numbers. I still couldn't hear anything and the ringing was getting much worse. My leg hurt and blood was dripping down my face, we had no healers with us so I bean to pray to Faust that I wouldn't collapse after this.

There were few mutants left coming out of the ship and they struggled to get through the bodies, none had gotten close but the sand was covered in white puss and blood. The ringing in my ear continued and I began to walk to my friends, killing the last two mutants with a grenade. Derpy said something and I turned away from her and asked her to reapeat it. I just caught it.

"What were those things?" She must have been shouting but I barely heard a whisper. It took me a few seconds to register what she had said.

"Twisted beings, they looked like humans, or Terran. Most likely the remains of Terran but I don't know nor want to know what made them that way. We should leave and not come back. We go around this place on the way home." I replied. Derpy flinched and I must have been shouting incredibly loud. After a moment Aeb came by and came close to my good ear.

"What the fuck do we do about your hearing Haze? What did you even do?" S/he asked.

"I don't know Aeb, I guess we will have to leave it and hope it gets better. I fired my gun inside the ship to hold them off but the echo was too much. I may be deaf in one ear, if I am permenantly then the ringing will pass and I'll be able to hear in my left ear at least." I muttered. Aeb smiled slightly.

"Blind in one eye and deaf in one ear. You'll lose a leg next." Derpy looked pissed by that and hit Aeb who said something I didn't catch. As the magic horn began to dissolve, so did my eye sight and I found Aeb was on my bad eye. So I could hear on my left, but see on my right. That's incredibly helpful.

"We should keep moving. Get as far away from here as possible before nightfall. Not just because of the mutants." I said. Derpy looked confused for a moment.

"What do you mean? What happened when you, Heart and Crystal passed out?" She asked. I paused and looked to Heart Breaker who shook his head.

"I don't want to talk about it. But I will never go in that ship again." I muttered. There was a gentle call suddenly and I turned toward the ship, preparing Lunar Bane and aiming my hoof toward the door I saw Nick run out of the ship with a black box in his two cartoonish hands. This would explain why the ship went down, and what caused all this mutation.

"Guy. I found this." Nick said, so he did go back into the cock pit. Someone must've replied as Nick began to continue but I couldn't hear it. "It looks strange but when I press this triangle here sound, voices come out of it. We should listen to it." Nick suggested. There was a long pause before I heard Aeb say:

"I agree. We should camp far from here and listen tomorrow. I'll take point, Dee look after Haze. Steven has some bandages you can use." The Changeling began to walk forward and Dee looked at me with sadness. We began to walk away from the horrible ship, eyes watching us from within. Our trails weren't over yet.

Silence and War

North, Present Day

It happened as I expected, the ringing died down but I found my right ear was still ringing, the bleeding had stopped at least, either from the bandage that Derpy had put on me or from its own will, but I couldn't hear anything to the right of me, at least not as well as my left. Aeb and Dee were on my right and were quietly talking to each other about the mutants. I wasn't really listening, the twisted corpse of Derpy still in my mind. Every time I blinked I saw it and I couldn't look to my wife for a second without being scared. I'd have to explain it eventually, just. Not now. My leg still hurt from something, maybe the wounds inflicted in the ship were real now? If that was the case I'd have a broken finger if I ever became human again, which I didn't particularly want to do.

The sun was just beginning its descent now and there looked like a storm was brewing ahead of us, huge black clouds were forming and thunder could already be heard. With no cover out here we would have to camp out under Steven. Which wasn't exactly idle, we could have slept in the ship but that is out of the question. I would rather drown in a million flash floods and die of hyperthermia before even thinking about going back there. So we continued, Rainbow Dash looked worried about going into the storm and Spectra questioned why we were heading for it instead of making camp now and finding a cave or something. I couldn't see anything in any direction that would resemble cover. But it was Heart Breaker who replied to Spectra's questioning.

"The further away from that place, the better." He muttered, I wondered what he had seen. But with the memory of my scene still fresh in my mind. I didn't ask, nor never would.

"What happened in there?" Spectra grunted "It was just some mutant things, they weren't that bad." He added, nearly everyone turned to look at him. Crystal, Heart and myself glaring at him. "Sorry I asked." He muttered and threw his hooves up in defeat. I turned back and we began moving again. Heart muttered something.

"We saw shit." He muttered, I said nothing, but that was an understatement. Shit would've been alright.

"Like?" Derpy asked, I looked to her but again said nothing. Nobody did that time. Derpy looked down a little and I found myself looking at the scar of the pony's body my wife was inhabiting, the long claw mark from a demon. It looked so wrong that a pony could just be walking around like that, but current times dictated that it was the norm apparently.

"I really don't want to talk about it Dee. Just please don't mention it again unless I bring it up." I muttered, was probably for the best, if she didn't mention it then I could maybe forget it. Hell, one day I'd tell her. Maybe. Not that we had many left.

Well, its been nearly two months I think since we were told the Garonins were coming and still nothing. Maybe there is a huge delay? Equestria is big as well, they would probably start south and move up or something. Or north. Which was worrying, because we would not only be walking into enemy lines, an enemy who will tear Equestria a new anus, but if we met them before we reached Serpin then we were definitely fucked. Royally fucked.

"Okay Haze, I'm sorry." Derpy muttered. I nodded and silence reigned again.

Somewhere East of Canterlot, two days later

Sapphire Wish, Twilight Sparkle and Princess Luna walked through the dungeons of the Sky Dweller fortress hoping for some kind of exit, the entire cloud layer was solid, solid enough even a unicorn like Sapphire could walk on it with no trouble, a dozen or so guards lay dead behind the trio from an attempt to recapture the Princess. But Sapphire managed to stop them.

"Sapphire. My friends are still in the dungeon, and the city. We need to save them!" Twilight shouted. The strange pony turned to Twilight as they walked.

"My job is to save the Princesses. Once you two are save and secure. Maybe I can claim your friends." Sapphire replied. Twilight didn't like the idea of leaving her friends for another second of this torture. But Sapphire seemed to know what she was doing. They began to claim down some stairs where more guards were posted. Sapphire ran forward and shot two, before using her knife to kill the others. It was a simple tactic, the pony aimed the gun, fired twice. Ran forward and stabbed the other two. Not as graceful as other ponies Twilight had seen fight, Dari for one was much more graceful and almost, beautiful when she was fighting. None of the guards even made a sound before they were all dead, so Sapphire had speed to her advantage over Dari.

There was a scream from somewhere, a mare's scream. Twilight stopped in her tracks and pushed open a door to her left. Sapphire, heading forward through the room turned to follow.

"Princess!" Sapphire shouted and followed. Luna was limping but kept close, looking around all over the place in fear of being spotted.

"That's Fluttershy!" Twilight shouted. She ran down a corridor and into a room she knew all to well from her imprisonment here. The torture room, screams kept coming from that room and a horrible smell came from there. Twilight stopped in her tracks again and looked as if to cry. Sapphire aimed her gun and kicked up another door to see the room. Two guards stood close and were shot with the plasma quickly, they feel and died. There was another pony, in a white lab coat and a crazy hair style standing over a bound and loodied fluttershy holding an empty syringe in his mouth.

"Twilight! Run!" Fluttershy cried, Sapphire shot the lab coated pony who exploded all over Fluttershy, the made screamed and closed her eyes. Twilight instantly ran over to help her friend.

Fluttershy was in the same state as Twilight and Luna, bald with a branded cutie mark as well as scars and cuts all over her. Her wings were missing and one side of her stomach had weird tumours of something growing on it, grey and puss filled. They seemed to bubble and move on their own but didn't seem to cause Fluttershy any extra discomfort to what she already had.

"Fluttershy what have they done to you?" Twilight shouted. Fluttershy was crying and he bubble exploded in blood and gore. She screamed out and cried more. Twilight began to unstrap her and a shout called from a guard.

"Princess. Hurry, we don't have much time." Sapphire grunted, she then looked to Luna. "How strong is your magic?"

"At the moment, not very. What do you need?" Luna replied, pain in her voice. It had been the first time Twilight had heard the Princess speak in a long time.

"Hold my knife. I will hold them off until Twilight is done." Sapphire replied, handing the knife to Luna who held it up with magic, the princess nodded and Sapphire ran up the stairs. Gunfire began instantly.

"Twilight. Please, leave me. They did things to me Twilight." Fluttershy cried.

"I'm not leaving you here. There was a sound of a Dwellen gun firing and another shout.

"Twilight please. There is a weak spot in the cloud in the corner, its where they enter without having to go through the entire dungeon to get here. Jump through and you're safe." Fluttershy muttered, weak.

"Come with us." Twilight replied, still undoing the ropes.

"I can't, got no wings. If I move this disease they've given me pops and I get so much pain Twilight. Please just go." Fluttershy muttered.

"I believe your friend may be right, any slight movement and those bubbles seem to move and bleed." Luna replied, more gunshots followed, as well as a small explosion, bits of pony came into the room.

"What about our friends?" Twilight shouted, crying.

"We're the only ones left Twilight. Pinkie killed herself a week ago, Rarity was turned into, something with one of those machines they have. Applejack, she tried to escape. They threw her off the fortress. Down some revine. Its just me and you." Fluttershy muttered. Twilight shut down, she fell onto the floor. Her friends? Gone. After all this. They were just, gone? Twilight felt lost. What would have happened had Haze come? Would this be any different? They still would have captured them, only Haze would be broken to.

Twilight was alone. All her friends were gone.

The new princess wanted to cry, to take vengeance on the Dwellers for what they did. But she couldn't. Twilight just stared at the tortured Fluttershy. Her heart broken and her spirit gone.

"Sapphire!" Twilight shouted, a few seconds passed and the pony ran in, firing behind her. "In that corner! Fire at the ground!" Twilight shouted. Sapphire nodded and fired, a large hole appearing in the cloud layer big enough for two ponies together. Twilight looked to Fluttershy.

"I'm sorry Fluttershy, sorry it ended like this." Twilight cried, the yellow Pegasus just nodded then looked to Sapphire.

"Will that be quick?" Fluttershy muttered, looking at the gun. Sapphire shook her head and Fluttershy looked down in sadness.

"I'm sorry friend of Twilight's. I will try to make it as painless though." Sapphire muttered. More shouts could be heard from behind. "Twilight how well can you fly?" Sapphire asked, Twilight couldn't even stretch her bared, broken wings. She just shook her head. "Okay, I have a plan. I must jump first, follow me after three seconds. One at a time." Sapphire said and began to walk to the hole. Luna stabbed a guard as he ran through the door.

"Go!" The Princess shouted. Sapphire nodded and ran toward the gap, shooting Fluttershy as she did, one final scream from the pony was heard before silence. Sapphire jumped, Twilight counted and ran.

One. Twilight was sprinting to the hole, Luna close behind. Two. The hole was getting much closer, the room wasn't very big. Three. Just as Twilight jumped in the air a gunshot sounded, Luna shouted and tripped.

Through the hole Twilight went, a second later. Luna came too.

The trio fell close together, the ground getting very close very quickly, Sapphire's horn was glowing and slowly a purple portal formed beneath the trio. Sapphire, then Twilight, then Luna went through.

A few seconds passed as the portal moved them and the trio came back through another, back into Equestria and face first into a grassy hill.

A minute passed before anyone moved, Sapphire stood up and groaned, shaking off the dirt from her body and looking around. The sun was going down incredibly fast suddenly and the sky was going dark.

Twilight soon stood and looked to the sky, a him off magic being heard, the young princess turned to see Luna on her back, blood in her mouth with a wphuge gunshot wound through her back and stomach. The princess looked to be in a lot of pain and Twilight yelled. Sapphire Wish quickly turned to see the downed princess.

"Twilight, I do not know any healing spells. What do you know?" Sapphire asked quickly, putting a Hoff on the wound, Luna groaned but continued to make it night time. The moon came out and was a right white as normal, but slowly began to go red as Luna lost more blood.

"I don't know any, not for this scale of wound. Rarity knew loads." Twilight cried, looking Luna in the eyes. "What is she doing?" Twilight asked quickly. Sapphire looked up and shook her head in sadness.

"Since Luna is so far from her sister and mother. This is the easiest way to send the message of her death." Sapphire muttered.

"No. Luna can't die. Nononono. Luna please! Don't die!" Twilight cried. Luna said nothing but spat some blood out, closing on eye and focusing on the moon. The stars seemed to fade slightly the redder the moon got and clouds drifted over the atmosphere to cover the nights sky.

All over Equestria ponies came out of their homes or jobs to see the forced night and watch as the moon died.

In Canterlot as Celestia cried out for her sister and cursed the Sky Dwellers for her death, deep beneath Canterlot Lauren Faust spasmed in pain as her Second Creation was lost to the Gap. To drift forever alone. Lauren had a huge nosebleed and bled all over her work, but she didn't care. It would be started again, her daughter was dying.

Somewhere North a group of warriors questioned why night had struck, but carried on their journey, only a few understanding.

The last of the dragons all sat in a circle to mourn the passing of the moon, and began to travel to Equestria to defend it from the threat of invasion once more. Until the last, following an ancient promise to the moon to protect and serve.

As the moon went red, the sky turned black and the the red moon cracked. As Luna drew her final breath. It exploded into pieces, drifting into space and the link between sun and moon. Lost forever.

Slaughter and War: Part I (Lunar Falls)

Somewhere North. Present Day.

It had now been nearly three days since that cursed fucking ship that we had gone into, and I hadn't slept in that time properly, the nightmares too real. On the second night I took a walk and had found Crystal and Heart both standing around staring at the beautiful night sky. Not that there was any landscape to look at, all barren and dull. A scene we all had gotten bored of months ago. Nobody said anything, and nothing happened. We just stayed up the remainder of the night watching the stars. Until Celestia ruined it all with her sun. Don't, don't tell her I said that.

It was about midday and we were no closer to our goal than three months ago, we had no way of knowing how close we were, nor if we were even going the right way. Let alone if everyone was still alive. Without any sort of communication back home we had no idea what was happening. Fucking Changelings could've invaded by now. We could be the only ones left alive in the world. There was no way of knowing, and I had great fears because of that. I didn't know any Communication spells and thus, we were lost. Dari might know some but she's not a Siren anymore. And apparently I'm the only one who can give her her powers back, if only I knew how. Fucking White Haze probably did.

Even as I said that and got more frustrated at myself and this quest, my white horn began to appear. I shut it off before anything happened, calm. All I needed was calm.

So destiny fucks me right up, as we walked the sun became dark, like night had fallen. But it was only midday. I stopped, the group did too, all staring at the sky above as the moon came round the planet into view. I began to question what was happening when the sky and moon began to turn red.

Then I knew. Then I understood.

I had read it somewhere, or been told it by Celestia. When one of the Alicorns dies without an heir. Their element also fails. The moon was going red, as if bleeding.

Somewhere, somehow. Luna had been killed.

I understood and held back mourning, I had mourned to much now. Luna wouldn't affect me too much, I hoped. Just another nightmare I suppose. The stars began to dim and die out as the moon went dimmer and redder.

"What is that?" I heard Rainbow ask. I ignored it and kept looking, waiting for the next step. I felt cold flesh next to me and saw Derpy standing there next to me.

"Haze. What's going on." Derpy asked. She would be one to panic, to mourn her Princess. I picked the cowards way out

"I don't know." I lied, the moon had fadded into nothing now, and in the silence of space, exploded. Into hundreds of small pieces, there was a small mumble of the explosion and a couple in our group cried out, the broken moon split apart and was stuck in the unnatural night sky. Luna had fallen, so the Dwellers were one step closer to their goal. I looked to the ground, unable to look at the moon's remains and silently thought about memories of the princess. I didn't know her much, but she was still a good pony. She hadn't needed me to constantly fight like Celestia, and the night was always my ground rather than the day. But I'd never really picked between the two sisters who was the best.

Celestia would be devastated, and if Luna was dead, that probably meant Twilight and the others had been defeated as well. I didn't look at the moon for a long time, and eventually we started moving again. Everyone seemed much quieter, rightly so. The moon had been destroyed, but did anyone but me understand the relevance. Heart probably did, as well as Dari, the others I'm not so sure about.

"Haze." I heard Rainbow mutter from behind me, I turned to her and she looked saddened, more so than most. She might have known then, my thoughts were confirmed with her next sentence. "Can we have a chat, in private?" She asked.

By private she meant a couple meters to the left of the group, far enough for us two to have a normal conversation but still in view of the others. Which wasn't hard with such flat terrain and with Steven leading the pack.

"What does that mean?" Rainbow asked after the longest time. She had a hoof pointed to the sky, most likely the moon. But I couldn't bring myself to look at it. Just stared at Rainbow Speed.

"What do you think it means?". I asked, there was a flash of anger in her eyes. But Rainbow said nothing for a time.

"Don't play games with me Haze." She grunted after a pause. I nodded.

"Sorry. From what I've been told, and what of that I can remember. Luna is dead." I muttered. Rainbow nodded, said nothing and trotted back towards the group. I stayed alone for a time but eventually went back. Standing next to Aeb who had his eyes fixed on the moon.

We had continued walking, stopped for rest and woken up and the moon was still in the sky. It seemed to be setting though, so maybe the balance was returning. But who knew. Who even knew how Equestria would be affected by the loss of the moon. Luckily, fucking ninety percent of the continent was barren wasteland. Which will forever elude me.

Not that we were in what anybody would call Equestria anymore. We had past the Griffon capital, I presumed already so where the fuck were we. North I guessed. Just, North.

Rainbow had been walking around last night, well why we rested. She had walked over to the little trio of Heart, Crystal and myself, a small band we had self consciously created. I didn't dream when I tried to sleep, which is what probably kept me up. Apparently Crystal still had the nightmares, as well as Heart Breaker. But since I was the only human-turned-pony with a strong magical background. With Heart crippled and Crystal still a human. Who knew why that was. I had asked Rainbow when she woke up but being undead she hadn't been dreaming since before her death. Something she seemed very casual about. Our little party was certainly breaking, all mourning over something and no one too happen to be doing this again. I was at breaking point and so we're many others. It used to be that Pinkie Pie would keep spirits up, but she had been falling into deep, deep depression last I saw her. Now, she was probably dead. I had a few ideas for a morale raiser, but who knew if any would work, or even if we had the supplies. If we reached another town then by all means I would buy whatever we needed, as well as a fuck ton of food to stockpile our enormous pile already. I was beginning to have to magically freeze some of the food we weren't using was the extent of how much we had. Steven wasn't happy having to carry around large blocks of ice, but he wasn't being weighed down at all and could easily carry twice the amount he was. That was from the Dragon-Serpent himself. Meteors had been falling constantly as pieces of the moon drifted into Equestria's gravity. Some had landed nearby, from the loud explosions we had heard. But no one had offered we go find any of the rocks. I'd like to find a piece. Just to keep a bit of the moon, and a bit of Luna close to me. To all of us. But I wasn't in the mood to be hunting meteors from a dead moon.

"How far do you think it is?" Aeb suddenly asked me, I turned to him quickly. I wasn't overly sure. It had been nearly four months now from what I remembered. But I couldn't be sure. We still hadn't reached the ocean, let alone a forest Celestia had told us about. We needed some sort of transport. This was getting ridiculous, maybe a mount? Like a horse. Oh. Wait.

"Maybe just over half way? From what Celestia said when we began this crap, it would take about seven months. So well have to go through fucking winter soon, it being sometime in Autumn, I think. I can't tell out here, fucking nothing here. We have some forest to go through, then an ocean we have to get across. Somehow, followed by more barren crap, well nothing I know of. Then some mountains, again, from Celestia. They are about four times the size of Equestrian ones and beyond them nobody had ever found out. Legend says Tartarus, but that's bullcrap because that's south. Underground." I replied. Well, I presumed it was south. Hell would be somewhere warm right?

I still found that prospect funny, how Hell was actually a place on Earth (sorry for the song reference) and Paradise was somewhere only the good and dead could go. If a pony, or anything wanted. They could just stroll right into Tartarus and met their evil, racist grandma or something.

"Fuck. We need a rest, a long one." Aeb grunted. I nodded.

"We don't have the time. Well, everyone could already be fucking dead. Who knows." I grunted. Aeb just nodded and was silent for a while.

"Hold up." Steven muttered. Shit. I stopped and looked up to the big guy. "About forty of them. Terran looking, in very dark armour. Weird guns, not like the Terran ones. We may have found the Garonins." Steven replied, before I could ask what was up. I clicked the sniper with my hoof and the sight went over my eyes. As said, a large group of weird humanoid creatures were walking towards up. All holding some weird SMG looking gun with red lights on. A couple were pointing towards us and the group began to form in a square formation of some kind. I had my sights on them but didn't wish to fire on them as the only sniper. Not until we needed to. They could be anything. Yes they looked very threatening. Ah fuck it.

"Diplomacy or death?" I asked, aiming on one of the creatures head. Or helmet I suppose.

"They look pretty evil. If we make a mistake then fuck it, we'll kill whatever comes at us. 'Cept an army maybe." Aeb grunted. Preparing his own gun. Fucking rainbow power to the rescue eh? I nodded and as my ghost horn charged, pulled the trigger with magic. After the initial explosion of the gun passed and everyone had stopped groaning from the sound, I noticed one had fallen to the grown. Orange-brown blood leaking from the wound. The group then started to run around, looking for cover that wasn't there. I aimed down the sight again and tried to muffle the gunshot with magic, fuck knows if it would work. Aiming was much harder now these fuckers were on the move. But another went down before I even readjusted the sight too much. I began to swerve where I stood to aim more left or more right. Looking for an easy target. Vision hadn't returned to my left eye so I was only using enough magic to pull the trigger, nothing major apparently. I thought of an idea quickly and aimed at the ground between two or three of the enemy's legs. They were getting very close now but this idea would be a good one to charge into. I pull the trigger and tried to connect to the bullet. Somehow, fucking. Some. How. I connected to it with magic and the bullet caught fire. Flying through the air towards the enemy, it hit the ground with a small ding. At first nothing happened, for about a second. Then a small explosion sounded and three figures were thrown into the air. Aeb had started firing now, as well as Rainbow and Shadow. The rest stood back in reserve. Most of the enemy were dead before they even got in range, firing red fire balls towards us. All flying over our heads and too far for accurate shots. The Decay Guns werent fearing any better. Only Aeb and me a actually hitting any. One got pretty close without me realizing and Spectra shot it in the leg, which caught fire and slowly Decayed. The body fell but didn't scream, much like the Mo'ka, except when these fuckers die. Their bodies stay down.

"Are you Garonin?" I shouted, aiming the sniper at the guy's head.

"We are. You have won here pony. But you shall not win, we will take your magic and harvest this world. You should have surrendered." The dying alien muttered. It had a deep voice, echoing in the helmet. I fired and smoke came from the helmet, followed by some blood. I pulled the empty clip out of the gun and dropped it. My initial idea was to just recreate the bullets but I hadnt brought any supplies to be able to do that. If I hadn't gotten any gunpowder, which I didn't. I had an idea to make this sniper a sort of nail gun or something. But still, I was without supplies. I'd have to melt down some metal for that. And I didn't want to use the Garonin armour. That shit looked evil. Cursed.

The rest feel with little problem and we moved on, nobody looking too much into the dead around us. That was certainly one of our shortest fights and not nearly enough to satisfy the itch of wanting a fight. But I could live with that. There were be more I'm sure.

Slaughter and War: Part II (Southern Star)

Xetesk, three weeks previous.

Dawn had made her way to the battlements of inner Xetesk, after the initial fighting at the gates between the Archmage, accompanied by his possy against the Garonin aliens had been such a slaughter, the defence had been put into the hooves of the remaining mages of the city college, barrage after barrage of fire and ice were being thrown over the stones walls as the Garonins attacked the countless citizens too slow to make it behind safety. A lot of the walls were damaged and there were already dozens of holes the aliens were pouring through, not to add to the fact that the mages were slowly draining themselves of magic, including Dawn, who was in the mist of the fighting, she had seen the aliens destructive power first hoof, but she still felt it her duty to avenge as many of her friends from Manehatten as best she could, even if it was a futile effort, which at this point, seemed to be the case. No matter how much magic and spells the pony defenders threw at the enemy, they kept coming, their numbers seemed to be increasing, a couple of those machines could be seen tearing apart buildings and landscape in and around the small city. Xetesk was one of the few cities in Equestria built to withstand a siege like this. With most races in Equestria being flyers, the prospect of walls and choke points had long been forgotten, as well as, until recent years, the prospect of war. But times had changed and now came the end of the world, the huge stone walls and tight buildings meant it was hard for a large army to get around unless they knew the terrain, luckily, the defenders did. Unluckily, the aliens didn't care and destroyed as they went.

Dawn looked down at the bombarding Garonin and the brave ponies trying to fight back at the latest opening in the wall, slowly, in a futile attempt to conserve magic, she conjured up a fire orb from her studies and dropped the thing on the enemy, the ball exploded and four of the enemy went down, only for their numbers to be soon recovered by the sheer amount in their charge, ponies either side of Dawn were dropping like flies, screaming out as the red lasers flew all over the field, Dawn was saddened by the battlefield before her, pony numbers were dropping rapidly and the Garonin looked no where close to running out of troops, they just. Kept. Coming.

"Hold them back until the reserve can prepare their spell!" Dawn heard somepony shout, she turned but everypony was so focused on the battle it could have been anyone, another explosion ran out and a piece of the wall next to the mare flew up in fire and blood. The charcoal mare was thrown back and hit her head on something on the muddy ground below.

She wasn't sure how long the mare had been knocked out for, but she knew she was being dragged, by somepony definitely. She looked up, groaning and saw a stallion of orange dragging her with magic, staying close to her and watching her.

"What happened?" Dawn asked, the sounds of battle still raging.

"My leg!" Somepony shouted, only to be silenced by a gunshot. Dawn shuddered at that.

"Wall collapsed, we're falling back behind the reserves." The stallion replied, his voice was boring and dull, but stern. Dawn just nodded, the stallion dropped her and helped her up with his hoof. "I would suggest falling back behind the line." The stallion added, pointing behind her at a long line of about forty pony unicorns, all conjuring some spell together.

"I want to fight." Dawn grunted. The stallion looked down at the battle.

"Everyone down there is about to die, I suggest running now so you don't have to see this. Get to Canterlot, warn the Princesses, save Equestria." The stallion grunted. Dawn looked at the remaining ponies down the hill and saw how little numbers were left compared to the alien horde, many of the Garonin had gotten their knives out, which likewise glowed red with laser, cutting straight through flesh and bone.

"What do you mean?" Dawn asked, the stallion shook his head but said nothing. For a time.

"Get behind the mage line and you'll see, don't say I didn't warn you though." The stallion grunted, Dawn nodded and ran behind the mage line.

"Are you all ready!" The stallion shouted to the mages, a couple unsure 'yes's' came from the crowd. "I know what this will mean for those ponies down there, but we can't let these monsters take Xetesk, our great city! Prepare FlameGlobe!" The stallion shouted, the mages began to cast heavily, their horns glowing brighter and a small red, flaming orb began to form above the stallion, it spun around and slowly got bigger, faster and faster it spun, and faster it grew.

"Prepare to fire!" The stallion shouted, a couple of horns were going out and the flame orb began to change colour to blue sparks began to form around the orb and the stallion began to falter in his own magic. Dawn's horn began to cast on it's own and she pulled back to stop being affected by the spell. The spell was corrupt, somepony had cast the spell wrong, or more, a few ponies had. Dawn seemed to notice before anyone else, and turned and ran. The spell was getting worse, brighter and bigger as every second passed, a couple cried came from unicorns casting, none could move, being forced into the black hole of the spell. with forty plus mages casting, it would easily consume the city within minutes. Dawn kept running and tried desperately to find an exit of some kind, nothing was coming up, she had no way to defend herself from such a blast and began to hyperventilate as panic took over her. In the end she found a stairwell and ran up it, the wall was one of the tallest in the city and had nothing but hard ground below, Dawn's horn began to glow and the orb had completely covered the mages, burning into the ground, the fighting seemed to have ended, but it might have been magic corruption causing fractures in the sound barrier, making it seem silent, except for the sparks and hums of the exploding spell.

"Come on Dawn, you have survived worse." Like Manehatten for example, closing her eyes and standing on the walls of the city, Dawn Star jumped. The blinding pain in her left leg was gone before she could fully register it, She made her way away from the city, crawling, too hurt to even cry out, staying conscious long enough to feel safe, but when the bomb went off, she was far from safe. Dawn passed out as searing heat hit her.

Somewhere North, Present Day

After the fight with the Garonin everyone was much more alert and prepared for a fight then before, Aeb was constantly checking his fucking gun again and Steven was looking all over the horizon, surprisingly he actually spotted a very fortified looking town in the distance, I didn't believe it for a while, but when huge stone walls and towers came into view, my heart skipped a couple beats. A fucking town, finally something different in this barren wasteland of the North. I could see some snow begin closer to the town and according to our giant serpent, the snow cover extended further beyond this town, so yeah, snow and ice and cold. but honestly, it was better than whatever the fuck kind of weather this was. The sun had risen, slowly, much slower than usually, and a lot less bright as well, the destroyed moon was still out but I couldn't bring myself to look at it anymore, Princess Luna was dead, Twilight was dead, all of my friends from so many years ago were dead. Most likely, I wanted to see their bodies to prove the fact that had been burning at the back of my mind, but at the same time, dreaded seeing their corpses. They would have reached the Dweller lands within a week, maybe less if they were fast. It had been months, what the hell had happened for Luna's death to take so long. The more I thought about possible answers, the more I didn't want to know the answers. The only worry, and fear i had, was due to the attack on Paradise, What of the pony dead? What would become of Luna, would she survive in death? Or get sent to the Gap? To drift alone, forever.

"Luna is in the Gap." I muttered finally, after a long think, it wasn't meant for anyone, unluckily for me, it was Derpy who heard that.

"What?" She asked. I jumped, not expecting an answer. I figured I had spilled enough lies to her thus far. She wasn't prepared for fighting, not like this. But she had seen enough war, even against my efforts to protect her. Her and Tage. My poor girl.

"Luna is dead. The moon exploding like that yesterday was the sign for a Princess passing. Luna has been killed." I muttered. Derpy looked shocked, and stopped. The others did for a second, only for a second, everyone wanted to get to that town as fast as possible. They all began to move again, except Derpy, Dari and myself.

"Without a Princess, the link between the Solar and Lunar elements, the Sun and Moon, are broken. Because the link was in place for thousands of years, tens of thousands, the Moon couldn't handle the efforts of not having that magical link, it was destroyed, as Luna's essence was destroyed. And as you can see, The Sun is weakened, Celestia will be in a lot of pain, and mourning, not as much as the Queen though." The Ex-Siren explained, I didn't know the exact lore as to why the moon had been destroyed, until now I suppose. So hats off to Dari. And poor Faust, I forgot her role in Luna and Celestia's lives for a second, she must have been linked with them when they were born, she would be broken, shit.

"So, the moon exploding, means that Luna never. Never-" Derpy stopped herself saying it, Dari did instead.

"Princess Luna, as of yesterday, is no more, her soul is trapped in the Gap to drift forever, in torment and pain."

"The moon would have exploded anyway though right?" I asked, trying to figure this out, not that it mattered, a fucking Princess was dead, best princess too.

"That is hard to say. Possibly, but there is no doubt, especially with current events, Luna never made it to Paradise." Dari muttered, saddened. I nodded and the three of us began to walk towards the town together. Derpy never said a word. None of us did.

"It's fucking empty!" I heard Spectra shout, I couldn't see him, but I could see Steven inside the town, his head over the thick walls. Aeb was on top of the walls, looking down on us.

"What's happening?" I asked. Aeb didn't look very happy, none of us did to be fair. He looked inside the fort and I walked in, Dari and Dee close behind. As Spectra had shouted, the town looked deserted, houses were dotted all over the place, many with boarded up windows and missing doors. Cracks were forming in the cobbled path and any torches that were once used to light the town, were long out. Bits of glass and rubble littered the pavements near the homes. What really perplexed me was the amount of siege weapons inside the town, three giant crossbows sat on top of a hill, aiming down towards the gates and catapults lined the top of the walls, all armed and looking very usable. There seemed to be a large castle in the centre of the town, with likewise contraptions. The oddest part possibly was how the town, or city, seemed to be slightly, bigger, than pony creations. Like tall enough for, well, humans. Which was very strange. I walked through the open gates, spotting two large wooden cogs with chains attached toward two large, reinforced doors. Spectra was screaming how nobody was here and the others were just looking around casually. I spotted a wooden rectangle next to a broken sign. After picking it up and blowing on it, I read it aloud.

"Fort Last Stand." It read.

"Well, that sounds ominous, we should probably rest here, if its abandoned, which it seems so. We might not have any trouble sleeping here." Heart Breaker grunted, as much as I hated to be in a place that we were so obviously going to have to fight in, eventually. I had to agree with Heart, who knew how long it would be until we reached another town, let alone until we reached Serpin.

"Alright. One night, we should rest at the castle, Aeb, Shadow, close the gates. Spectra, Heart. Check to see if the crossbows and catapults look to work, and yes, you can test ONE." I ordered, the four named ponies nodded and ran off into town. "Steven, Nick, Professor, move the food and supplies up to the castle, and find a well that isn't dried up, if there are any, to refill out water. Dari, Derpy, go into the castle with Steven and try to find some rooms that look fairly liveable." I ordered, again nods and they ran off, except Derpy.

"What will you do?" She asked, naturally.

"I'm going to keep watch, when the fighting begins, stay close to me, do exactly what I say." I replied, sternly. Derpy looked confused suddenly.

"You expect a fight?" She asked. I gave her a 'done face' look.

"You're not?" I asked. Derpy looked around and just nodded. "I've been doing this longer than you honey, trust me on this okay? Just, stay safe. If I look to be leading you into danger, fall back. I can't lose you again." I grunted. Derpy thought about it, then nodded quickly and ran to the castle. Just as the large gates closed, Aeb and Shadow ran to me.

"Now what Haze?" Aeb asked. I looked around.

"Try to find anything that will reinforce that gate. And expect trouble." I muttered, the Changeling and Everfree pony both nodded and began to break the barricades on the houses off. I began to walk towards a stairwell up onto the walls to spot for the enemy, who I was looking for I don't know, but I knew something was coming.

Slaughter and War: Part III (A Hero's Stand)

Outskirts of Xetesk, three weeks previous.

"Owww." Dawn found herself muttering, she felt pain all over her body, especially her head, the last thing she remembered was jumping from the ramparts of Xetesk as the FlameGlobe exploded, killing anything inside that city. Those poor ponies...

"You're lucky to be alive there." A soft, kind voice pierced through the darkness, Dawn opened her eyes slowly, to see a brown coated stallion wearing a black apron. He had no horn nor wings that Dawn could see.

"Wha- what happened?" She asked. The stallion looked confused.

"I heard a loud, boom, went out to check on the noise, went east for over an hour, at first I thought nothing of it, I have heard stranger noises from that dammed college. But when I saw the destruction, I panicked, I tried to climb into the ruins but most of the city was molten stone, do you know how hot stone needs to be to melt?" The stallion asked, when Dawn didn't answer immediately, he continued. "Sorry, moving on, I found ponies, fused into the stone, melting from flesh and bone. I found, figures. Dead figures, large monsters in black armour.-"

"Garonins." Dawn muttered.

"You know these creatures?" The stallion asked.

"I'm from Manehatten, they are aliens, invaders. They destroyed Manehatten and besieged Xetesk, I was part of the defence, until the mages tried to cast a huge fire ball to send the enemy back. It- it failed. The spell went mega and exploded. I don't remember much else, I jumped off the walls before it exploded." Dawn explained, the stallion nodded.

"I see, that makes a lot of sense, well. I never did trust magic, I don't have anything against it, just, you know. Though, you didn't exactly avoid the blast and I had to, replace some things." The stallion muttered. Dawn began to panic.

"What do you mean?" She asked quickly. She tried to get up but found she couldn't, bound to something soft, a bed?

"Calm down, you have to listen to me. You were caught in the blast slightly, your leg was burned off. But I managed to save it, somewhat." The stallion explained quickly, walking over to a wooden table and coming back with a mirror. Dawn looked at it and screamed. Her mane was a mess, it had been for a while, but was burnt and shorter than before. Her face was covered in boils and soot. The stallion aimed the mirror down and Dawn saw how raw her skin was, much brighter than before and stung as she noticed the burns. Her left back leg was gone, completely. Gone. Replaced with a wooden stump in the shape of a hoof, she couldn't move it, but it felt like it was there still. Dawn then began to cry.

"What is your name?" The stallion muttered, as Dawn wept quietly.

"Dawn, Dawn Star." She muttered, and continued to cry.

"Alright Dawn. My name is Iron Hammer, I'm going to look after you, take you to Canterlot, you have to warn The Princesses. If these aliens destroyed two cities, then there is little hope for pony survival." The stallion muttered, Dawn nodded and wept. Falling asleep at some point, she didn't remember.

Fort Last Stand, Present Day.

Not even a full day had past and my fears were answered, it had been me to see them, on the wall like I had been the day previous. Only this time, I had spotted something. There was a large force of those Garonin bastards heading towards the town. They weren't in range of the catapults yet but there was a lot of them. I didn't even try to count them but Steven was sure there were nearly three thousand of them. The main force was flanked by three huge tank looking machines, bellowing black smoke and tearing the ground apart as the army advanced. Everyone was now on the walls watching the enemy march towards us, the gates were reinforced as much as they could in the time we had and the walls were about ten foot thick of hard stone. They would be getting into the walks anytime soon. I hoped.

"Do we have enough boulders to take them out?" I asked Aeb, who had been spending all day looking over the mechanisms.

"No. If they stayed tight like they are maybe. But my guess is they will try and split of and let those machines of theirs tear down our defences. And from the looks of it. A couple rocks aren't going to take it down. We are better off pushing a couple boulders down off the walls over the gates to halt their advance and try to get a couple of those crossbows closer to the gates." Aeb replied, I just nodded.

"Then get pushing on some rocks, leave enough for the catapults though." I ordered, Aeb nodded and ran towards the huge weapons, shouting for help from Steven.

"Do we have a plan?" I heard Dari asked, she was standing next to me and had seemingly appeared from nowhere.

"Sort of." I muttered truthfully, I hadn't really been thinking much on a plan, since I didn't know who was going to attack.

"Sort of?" Dari asked, I nodded.

"We will hold them here for as long as possible, but as soon as the gate begins to fall, we retreat back into the town, I made some preparations last night." I explained, letting Dari think on that rather than tell her outright.

"You expect a dozen of us to hold an entire city against over three thousand?" Dari asked, panicked, honestly. So was I.

"We have to, if we run we can't outrun them, here at least we have some cover." I grunted.

"I don't want to die here, promise me you have an escape route planned." Dari replied quickly. I opened my mouth but before anything came out, she added. "Without you standing here to sacrifice yourself."

"I have placed fire wards all over the town, like a mine field. When we retreat, they will follow us to the crossbows, the mines will go off as they go over them and their numbers will dwindle. Shadow found a back exit of the castle last night so we have a way out, but we need to take down as many as possible for the retreat, or we will die when we run away from them." I explained, Dari paused, she still looked upset, or angry. But after a short time, she calmed and nodded.

"Where do you want me?" She asked.

"You can either arm a catapult, use a Decay Gun, or my gun." I replied.

"Yours? Won't you be using it?" She asked.

"Nah, not for a time anyway, I am the only mage here, living anyway, so I'll be bombarding the enemy with spells. Steven has the rest of the clips, you have 16 shots, not a lot I know, but each one should kill them. Try and aim for high targets, so anyone who seems to be giving orders or leading the force. If not, weapons free. When you run out of ammo, just grab a Decay, cuz by then they will be much closer. Stay behind the wall and try to cover your ears when you fire. At least one I suggest." I said, she nodded again and I unhooked my sniper from my saddle and helped Dari with hers. I also grabbed a Decay Gun from the small stockpile of our weapons we had put down and tied it to her free side. It was a bit awkward and would be very annoying, but it was the best we could do.

"Good luck Bright Haze." She muttered and ran up the wall and aimed down the sight to prepare.

"And you, Dari. Pray to Lauren we survive this." I muttered. I then turned and waited for the enemy to get closer before firing.

The gunshots had begun about five minutes later, Dari was the first to shoot, a target fell and the rest of the Garonin army began to fire their weapons, the lasers chipped the walls, but as expected, not much damage was down, one of the catapults, with Heart as the pilot, fired a boulder and as it flew, I sent magic into it, setting it ablaze as it spun toward the enemy, there was a large boom as it hit the ground and flung up a dozen or so Garonins. The army split and let the three tank things drive forward, I could see, and even smell the ground being torn apart and turned black like the Void.

"Fire on those machines!" I shouted, I heard another catapult swing as Aeb let the rock loose, again I set it on fire and it spun, hitting the tank square on the front, the metal crumpled and the thing exploded in fire and smoke. Mana seeping into the air. I heard a cheer and saw Heart smiling, this was much easier than I expected. For about two seconds. One of the tanks stopped, and a strange looking gun appeared on the top, literally just materialised, the turret aimed towards Aeb's catapult, I was about to shout for him, but the Changeling saw it already and ran towards me, a long, large red laser fired from the Garonin machine and the catapult exploded in fire and wood splinters. I looked away, not knowing an shields that would protect us, I felt a burn as a piece of burning splinter hit me on the hoof that had covered my eyes. I heard another sniper shot and a cling sound. I looked to Dari who was trying to take down the tank.

"Fire on the soldiers!" I shouted, I don't know if she heard me, but she aimed away and another soldier went down, so probably. Or she saw sniping a tank was fruitless. I heard another swing and Heart fired his catapult, after a long reload, which was a massive downfall to our defences, we weren't trained with these things, and they did take ages to pull down without a lot of strength or magic. The boulder went flying but just as I tried to magic it up, another blast from that tank fired and blow a part of the wall up, I was knocked down by Aeb tackling me and the part I had been standing on exploded and rubble flew everywhere. I coughed but stayed down in case the tank fired again.

In those few moments I looked up and down the wall to my friends. Rainbow and Derpy I could just see beyond the smoke bellowing out from the ruined catapult, the two of them both had a Decay Gun and were firing on the enemy. Nick was standing next to them, trying to look over the walls, but his main job was to wait until we were fighting in close combat. Steven was also missing, ready in the castle to charge down, he was with Spectra who was attaching some make shift armour to him. Crystal was another shooting, him and Shadow both had Decays too and were firing, ducking behind the cover of the ramparts. Aeb had his carbine attached and was firing over the walls. I prepared a fire ball and fired blindly, hearing another explosion. I wasn't overly sure what the tanks were doing so looked over the walls. One had been crushed by the boulder, but the gun one was still standing, aiming at Heart's catapult, which he had already abandoned and was firing his gun with Crystal and Shadow. I grabbed up a gun with magic and attached it quickly to my saddle, I was genuinely itching to use Lunar Bane and Aurora Lorem, but that could wait. I started firing at the Garonin and hid behind the wall as a barrage of lasers shot towards me, bits of the stone were chipped away but not much else. The enemy seemed to be at a standstill and the entire wall began to shake as the tank fired on the gates. Luckily, they held. How long for I couldn't be sure. I kept firing and ducking, the sounds of battle raging around me. I didn't need to order anything, somehow none of us had been hit but the two downed catapults were a problem, the third was round the side of the walls and wouldn't accurately hit anything, we needed the tank down but who knew how long it would take to bring that fucker down. The other two were still smoking and the first was still aflame.

We actually seemed to be doing well. Somehow.

Until one of us got hit. It was a mare who screamed, I heard it pierce the battle and turned to where Dari was, she was now using a Decay and a dozen empty bullet casings lay across the ground, my sniper had been thrown next to the mare, I would be upset but this was a full on battle. I would have been more pissed had she kept it safe, it was only a gun. With Dari okay, I checked Derpy, she was down in cover shouting something I couldn't hear, for a second I thought the worst. But she seemed unharmed, it was Rainbow who was burning red and screaming.

"Aeb! On me! Heart, cover us!" I shouted, Aeb heard, I don't know if Heart Breaker did though. I began to run down the walls, and jumped over some of the wreckage of the catapult. I ran towards Derpy and Rainbow, dropping behind cover, Aeb began to fire again towards the enemy. Rainbow had been hit right in the head and at least half of her face was now missing, she was crying out but no tears came, amongst all things, this was such a strange sight seeing an undead, well, die. Rainbow kept crying for Spectra and I shouted to Aeb to go get him, I doubt he would make it though.

"Rainbow. Rainbow Speed listen to me." I kept shouting, she kept screaming and panicking, heavily breathing, blood slowly ozzing from her brain. It was all rotten and decayed and looked disgusting. Derpy was trying to cry as well and hugged me.

"She, she saved me. The shot went for me." Derpy said, and kept saying "It came for me." Over and over, I hugged her and heard a loud whoosh as Spectra appeared next to me, his wings outstretched and a bit of metal in his teeth from Steven's armour I presumed. He spat it out and began to comfort Rainbow, I got out of the wall and kept close to Derpy.

"Rainbow, honey. Don't do this again, please. You're undead, you can survive this." Spectra shouted, crying already. I looked away and buried my face into Rainbow's hair, I was done watching ponies die. On my account. Rainbow seemed to stop screaming but was still getting spasms through her body.

"It's. It's- li-like those za-za-a zombie stories. A shot to the br-brain." Rainbow muttered, twitching violently. "I'll- I'll see you- see you in Pari-Paradise." Rainbow added and shut her eyes. At least it was a fairly quick death, I wasn't sure about pain though.

"Rainbow? Rainbow no. You can't die. Not again. You came back! You have to come back again!" Spectra shouted. I wanted to say something, but this guy had seen his wife die, twice now. I had seen mine die, and I know that feeling. I just wanted revenge. But the first time, that had broken him. He hadn't used Red Spectra in ages, I had forgotten the name nearly.

"Haze." Spectra muttered, he was very quiet, I barely heard him over the battle. I looked up, Derpy hugging tighter. "This is it." He added.

"Spectra-." I began.

"Don't. I have followed you from the Changeling Invasion and into the Void and back. I would follow you to the End of Time and hell, even to the end of the world. Literally, and geographically apparently. But they killed my wife, again. I can't live without her anymore Haze. You must understand?" He interrupted. I just nodded.

"Take as many of them out as you can." I muttered, Spectra smiled slightly, spread his wings and jumped off the walls. Charging toward the Garonins.

"COME AND GET ME YOU BASTARDS." He screamed. The tank turned it's turret and fired.

And that, was the last time I saw Spectra Speed alive. So long had he survived, fought and bled for and with me. Now.

He was gone.

We were eleven, now we were nine. Aeb kept firing even as Derpy made the sounds of crying into my bad ear. Her scar rubbing against my body as I looked down over the walls at the gore that was once one of my best friends.

Part One [Reminder Chapter]

Legends of Equestria: Fallout

Part One: Darkness

After the war in the Void the legendary heroes of Equestria, Sir Bright Haze, Sir Heartbreaker, Sir Nick the Knife and Sir Spectra Speed are all trapped with no food, water or hopes of survival. The war is over and peace has taken the reins of Equestria. With Queen Lauren Faust now stationed on Equestria due to all portal magic being destroyed, her and the other princesses must rebuild the burning world and regain any standings they had with the mourning and frightened ponies.

Another hero of Equestria, Dari Stillwater must now face a life of raising her daughter without any flight or magic after her Siren powers were transfered to Bright Haze during the Demon war. She is one of many who mourn for the fallen and can only hope that she can raise her child right after seeing so many of her friends, who both mother and daughter considered family, died almost in front of them.

With the rebuilding of Equestria well under way, Twilight Sparkle faces a major life issue, with the death of her close friend Rainbow (Dash) Speed, she is torn between staying strong in front of the others who all share scars from their years of war, or to break down and lose everything to remember her friend when she was alive.