Legends of Equestria: HeroSoul

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.