Darkness Incarnateby vexiusChaptersBeginningsShadows UnboundShadeslayerBeginningsThe darkness closed in around me. I walked slowly through the charred ruins of the Everfree forest, which was once green and lush. Nothing remained but a few blackened stumps and piles of ashes now, and I was eager to return to town. Then suddenly, a dark shadow fell across the ground in front of me, blotting out the low light of the giant, blood-red moon. I swiftly turned around, only to be met with the huge claws of a giant monster about the size of a small house. I instinctively threw my hand towards the hand-and-a-half sword strapped to my belt. The action was not quick enough however, and as I spun around to see my foe, I was met with the sight of claw rending flesh. I awoke suddenly, sweating. It was only a dream. I sat up in my bed, brushing my dark hair out of the way of my grey eyes. The house was quiet, and had been quiet since my parents had died. I didn't really have friends, and the only social interaction was at my shitty job. I had no money to pay for college and get a better job, considering the fact that I had bills to pay and food to buy to keep myself alive. I was your average high school graduate- Lots of bills to pay, and hardly enough money to pay them, he who hardly ever has time for himself. But I always had time to sink into a good episode of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. It always brought a smile to my face and made me forget about the hardships I faced in my life. I realized that I had fallen asleep after a long, twelve hour day of hard labor. I was still in my work clothes- A pair of hardened jeans, steel-toed work boots, and a neon yellow shirt. I lifted myself from the bed in my small apartment. Telling by the darkness outside, it was either night or very early morning. I opened the door of my small room, which led into my kitchen. I walked past the table and lazily opened the door to my small refrigerator, retrieving a half-drank bottle of water. I took a long drag on the cold drink, soothing my dry throat, and closed the refrigerator door. Walking into the living room, I sat down and flicked on the television. I lazily flicked through the list of programs, and nothing caught my attention. It was a little before dawn, after all, and nothing was on besides paid programming and cheap ads. Giving a small sigh, I got up from my chair and walked over to my computer, which was still on from yesterday. I powered the monitor on. I didn't know what I was going to do, maybe play Minecraft or Skyrim. Something wasn’t right though… The screen began shifting different colors, and grew extremely bright, to the point that I couldn’t see a thing. There was a loud 'boom', like the sound of a thunderclap, and I was thrown away from my screen. I opened my eyes, but I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. "R-Rainbow.... Dash..?" I managed to blurt out. In front of me was the rainbow-maned pony herself. She was laying on the ground. She looked up with a lost expression on her face. Her eyes met mine, and she adopted an expression of fear. "Wha- What the heck is going on?!" She sputtered. She got up extremely quick and pounced on me, driving me shoulders back into the floor from my half-upright position. "What are you?!" she asked fiercely. "I- I'm a human!" I quickly responded. "A... Human? What the hay is that? she asked me with a confused expression. "Uh..." I was at a complete loss. "Wait.... I remember Twilight mention something like 'human' before... I bet she knows!" Dash exclaimed in her energetic voice. "Uh.... What exactly are you doing here, in my world?" I asked cautiously. “That," she said, getting off of me, "is a good question." "How did you.... I mean, how is that you have come? My name is Volke, by the way." I said while pulling myself to a standing position, "I'm Rainbow Dash.... As to how I've come here, I'm not sure. I was helping my friend Twilight Sparkle find a few plants in the Everfree Forest. For some reason I blacked out and woke up here!" she told me, recounting what happened. "This can't be good..." I said hoarsely. If a pony was here in my world.... What could it mean? "No, this probably isn't good. I bet Twilight knows.... Come on, let's get back to Equestria!" She yelled. “Er.... How, exactly?” I asked her. “Um... How about there?” she suggested, pointing to the swirling rift which used to be my computer desk. "It's worth a try..." I replied. We walked to the rift, which was the area of the wall where my computer used to rest. The rift was a mass of swirling colors and pigments, almost like a blended kaleidoscope. We both touched it and I was instantly uncomfortable. It felt as though someone was trying to squeeze my body into a tiny rubber tube, and I couldn’t breathe. Just when I thought I was going to suffocate, I appeared in a pile of ash, surrounded by blackened stumps and the smell of charred wood. The moon was a deep blood red, which cast an eerie glow of the remains of what used to be the Everfree Forest. I had seen this before, from my dream... “What the......” Dash's jaw dropped at the sight. "No! Twilight..! Twilight!!" She screamed. “We need to get moving, Dash. Whatever, or whoever, did this might still be skulking around. “Right…. woah!” yelled Dash. I whipped around quickly, only to see a shadowy creature jumping at her, claws and fangs outstretched and ready to strike. It was an odd sight. It was about the size of a common house dog, and had bright red orbs for what I assumed were its eyes. It had a smooth body, like it was made of pure shadow, with long insect-like tendrils perched on it's forehead. Its claws and teeth were gruesome and jagged, like it could rend even the toughest hauberk. Drawing back my fist, I smashed it with the full force of my body, definitely shattering its jawbone and sending it flying away from Rainbow Dash. It let loose a wild yelp of pain, snarled loudly, and vaulted again, this time towards me. Its gruesome claws swiped my arm, leaving a deep and bloody wound. The force of it knocked me down, and Rainbow Dash bucked it to its back. "Thanks, Dash!" I yelled. The creature reared for one last jump, but I had already pulled myself up, bringing a thick, tough broken branch with me. The creature lunged, and I held steady. At the last moment, I lunged forward with extreme motion and drove the end of a broken stick I had picked from the ground into the shadow's head and neck. It let out a pained gargle, then disappeared in a burst of darkness. "That.... was intense...." I said, getting a firm handhold on the bit of wood.. "Let's go." "Yeah...." said Dash. We turned to leave, only to be met with more of the shadowy creatures. They began coming in swarms, and I couldn’t fight them all off with merely a stick. “Dash, run!” I yelled. The creatures began to overtake me, and I brandished the bit of wood furiously, beating back wave after wave of the shadows, but it seemed futile. I sank into the swarm of creatures, and thought surely that I would be devoured. Hand reached out to the sky, I felt something pulling on it. I opened my eyes, and Dash was there pulling. "I'm not letting these things get you!" she yelled. I beat most of the creatures away, and we flew to safety about a hundred yards away. The beasts gave up pursuit, and disappeared into darkness. and we could see Ponyville nearby. Shadows Unbound"Whew, THAT was way too close, Volke." Dash said. I looked over to Dash. "I'll say. Those things almost got me. Thanks for that, by the way," I said. "Well I couldn't just leave you hanging! What would that tell you about the bravest and fastest pegasus in all of Equestria?" she said. I just laughed, and we carried on, with Ponyville just in sight. We reached the town, but something was wrong. It wasn't burned down, but it seemed...... Quiet. Not a single thing moved, there was just an empty silence that replaced the usual happy and fast-moving spirit of the town. "Oh wait, you're hurt!" Dash said, looking at my arm. There was a deep gash with a plentiful flow of blood on my upper arm. "Ah, just a scratch........" I said calmly. I decided to leave it as it was, since I had nothing to mend it with. We walked through the town, and not a single thing moved, save for the wind. "Well, here we are, Dash. Where is everypony?" I asked, slightly disgruntled at the silence. "I dunno.... But they have gotta be around here somewhere! Let's go!" Dash said, taking off into the night. "Dash! Over here! Hurry!" I knew that voice well. It could only be one pony. "Twilight? Where are you?" Dash asked, stopping dead in midair. "Over here!" She replied. The voice came from Sugarcube Corner, and Dash and I rushed over. "Hurry, get in here!" Twilight said, holding the door wide. We rushed into the dark bakery. The lights flickered on, and my eyes adjusted quickly. "Dash! Look out behind you! It's a monster!" Pinkie Pie yelled, throwing a cake at me. I sidestepped the flying cake, letting it smash into the wall. "Wait, wait! I'm not a monster! I'm here to help!" I said. Pinkie Pie stopped in mid throw and set the next cake onto the shelf next to her. "OH! You must be a human then! I told they existed, guys!" she said energetically. "Yeah, that's me. So.... Why am I here?" I asked. "It's a long story...." Twilight said as she and Applejack dragged Fluttershy out of the other room. "Twilight, please don't make me go out there.... please.... don't..." Fluttershy squee'd. "Fluttershy, he isn't a monster that wants to eat you," Twilight said with a bored tone. "Well, introductions are in order....... I am Volke." I said to the ponies. "I'm Applejack, pleased ta meet ya!" Said AJ. "Twlight Sparkle, happy to make your acquaintance!" Twilight said. "Oh, my names is... um.. Fluttershy...." Fluttershy whispered softly. "Heehee! I'm Pinkie Pie!!" Pinkie said, grasping my arm and shaking it wildly. "Pleased to meet you all!" I replied with a grin. I was getting acquainted with the ponies when I noticed that something wasn't quite right. I looked around and knew almost instantaneously that there was somepony missing from the group. "Wait...... Where is Rarity?" I asked slowly. "That's just it...... A few days ago, while Rainbow Dash and I were in the forest looking for a new species of plant, she suddenly disappeared. I thought she had come back to Ponyville without telling me... But when I got back, Spike had grown into a full sized dragon. He made his way to the Everfree Forest, and.... Well, he burned it down. I thought I saw something wrapped up in Spike's tail.... It looked like Rarity." Twilight said darkly. "Where could they have gone....?" I thought out loud. I remembered my dream, and remembered fighting Spike in the Everfree forest. "Come on, everypony! We need to hurry!" I ran for the door, but Twilight stopped me. "Wait, we can't leave yet! We can't fight the monsters lurking out there! And I highly doubt you can take them all woth just your fists and nothing to protect you...." She said, standing in front of me. "You're right...... Where is the nearest blacksmith?" I asked the purple unicorn. A small crease crossed her brow as she thought. "On the other side of town." She said darkly. "Damn! How are we supposed to get over there?" I asked aloud. "Well ah think Rainbow could go over there and fetch ya a thing er two!" Applejack pitched in. "Yeah, no problem! Whatcha need, Volke?" Dash asked me. "I'm not letting you go alone. Pinkie, Fluttershy, Twilight, AJ. You stay here and make sure nothing gets in. Dash and I will go get what we need to fight from the blacksmith." I said to them. "Okay!" Pinkie said, bouncing around the room. "Be careful, okay? We don't need to lose you like we did Rarity..." Twilight said, obviously very concerned. "Well Volke, let's get this show on the road!" Dash said, opening the door. I followed her out as the ponies wished us luck with getting to the blacksmith. The door closed, and we were shut into darkness. We followed the road, with the moon our only source of light. It was quite bright, and we could clearly see where the path led. We walked for a good while, before I broke the silence. "We haven't been attacked yet. Maybe those things that attacked us before are bound to the forest?" Dash asked. We were quite far into town now, and we rounded the corner to the next street. "Maybe. But it's too soon to tell. We just need to keep our wits about us, and we shoul- DASH! WATCH OUT!" I screamed the last part of my sentence, as an overwhelmingly large shadow burst from an alleyway, straight towards Dash. It was gigantic, and obviously very muscular. It wasn't like the others, which were simple smooth shadow. No, this monster had a textured body to it, and large blood red fangs hanging from its jaw. It had a bearlike structure, and its yellow eyes stared at Dash, and it looked like it wanted to kill her. Badly. "CRUSH! KILL! DESTROY!" It shouted in a highly demonic voice. It tried bringing it's huge fist onto Dash, but she was much too quick for him. Instead of smashing his target, he got a face full of Dash's hooves. He screeched angrily and swung his arm wildly through the air, smashing a nearby house as Dash once again avoided the beast's huge fist. "Ha! Is that all you got, ya big oaf?" Dash leered happily. "CRUSH!!! CRUSH RAINBOW PONY!" It screeched. "Catch me if you can, slowpoke!" She laughed, flying just out of its reach. I sized the monster up. It was about two and a half times my height. I figured that if I got a good jump off, I could get onto his back and maybe subdue him. I was lost in thought though, and didn't realize its angry hand coming towards me until it was too late. I was thrown into a nearby house, splintering through the wooden walls. "Volke! Are you okay?!" Dash yelled, which I barely heard over the ringing in my ears. "Yeah.... I'm fine..." I spluttered, pulling a rather large shard of wood out of my arm, giving way to a waterfall of blood. I cringed as the wood scraped against the deep gash but I fought against it and got up. "CRUSH HUMAN!" The bearlike monster lunged into the hole in the building. I rolled sideways and dodged its outstretched and razor-sharp claws. I looked and saw that it was stuck in the hole, and I seized my chance for a strike. "Dash, try to attack him somehow! Use your lightning!" I yelled at Dash, who was laughing at the monster. "Right, I'm on it!" She said, snapping out of her laughing fit and flying away to obtain a cloud. 'It's just you and me now, monster.' I thought to myself. I lunged at it with a shard of wood and sliced its arm open at the shoulder. "GRAAAH!" It let out a wild yelp of pain, and it struggled to free itself. It got one arm free and tried to swing it at me. I jumped and did a midair flip over its arm. It kept going and smashed into the opposite wall. "MUST KILL HUMAN!" It screeched. I then realized that it said human. It knew what I was, but how was that possible....? I was snapped out of my thinking fit with a loud clap. Dash had come back with the storm cloud, and fired a lightning bolt right into the monster's hind quarters. "RAINBOW PONY DIE FOR THAT!" It roared, ripping itself out of the hole and swinging its monstrous leg airborne, right towards Dash. "Haha! Not today!" She said with a smile, dodging the huge leg. It lost its balance and fell backwards onto its back, roaring angrily. "Now! Dash, drop me onto his head!" I said loudly. RD picked me up and dropped me right onto his face. I drove the wooden shard right into the monster's gullet, and it began gargling and roaring with blood rushing out of its huge mouth. He calmed down a bit starting to twitch and breathe slower. It gave one last twitch, then died, evaporating into a cloud of pure darkness. "Oh my gosh Volke, look at your arm! You're losing so much blood......" Dash said, landing on the ground next to me and looking at my arm. I hadn't realized it at first, but the monster's fangs had torn into my arm along with the shard of wood from the wall of the house. Just then did I realize that my arm was beginning to feel numb. I had three wounds- One from the giant shadow, one from the wooden shard, and one from the smaller shadow. "It's..... nothing," I said with a sly grin. "We need to get to that blacksmith.... fast." "Right! It's just past this house!" She said eagerly. I caught up to her and ran inside the blacksmith. There was an old pony sitting in a chair near the fire. He was obviously quite old, and he looked up as we entered the house. His mane and tail were a dark bronze, his coat a rich, deep brown. He looked at us with deep purple eyes. "Metalhead, I need your help." Dash said to the old pony. "Really now, what can I do fer ya?" He said in a rough accent, picking his smithing hammer up. "I need some custom armor made. For this guy right here," she said, patting my shoulder. "Ah, you must be one a dem human folk that that old legend talks 'bout, right?" He asked gruffly. "Yeah, that's me. I need some armor and good weapon. A sword would be nice, if it isn't too much trouble." I said to him. "Naw, I been workin' metal long enough to make quick work o' this. But don't think yer gettin' a quality cut on this! Now get over here so I can take yer dimensions." He said, dragging me by the collar of my shirt. "I'll get ye somethin' for that there arm, too." He grabbed a bandage and helped me wrap my arm. Then, he walked over to his forge. It looked extremely old, and was surrounded by stone so his hut wouldn't catch fire. Metalhead picked up a piece of strange metal and began to clang away. It was about an hour before he was finished, in which Dash and I talked about several things. "Well here ya go, son. Try it on, see how it fits yer!" he said. I walked over to the workbenchand looked at my new armor. I quickly armored up. It fit like a glove- Perfect. It was of beautiful craft as well- The gauntlets, boots, and chest piece were all pure white and inscribed with the Elements of Harmony insignia. The chestplate had small spikes on the shoulders, with deep blue streaks forming an intricate pattern on all the pieces. A long, dark blue cape fell from the back of it, reaching to the tops of my calves. The gauntlets were simple wristguards, yet beautifully crafted. "Thanks, Metalhead! It's perfect!" I said happily. "Been a long time since I made armor fer a human like yerself. Almost forgot how to do it!" He replied with a chuckle. "Now, I also made yer a sword. Special craft, shouldn't never break!" Metalhead continued. I took the sword from him. It was a hand-and-a-half sword. It's pure silver blade sparkled in the low light of the forge. The intricate hilt held a sizable White Ruby- One of the rarest gems known to man. I opened my mouth to thank him, but Rainbow Dash cut me off. "Uh, Metalhead.... You said it has been a long time since you've crafted human armor.... But there hasn't been any humans for at least ten thousand years!" Dash said, answering my question. I was about to ask him about the 'Old Legend', but I was cut off by Metalhead's rugged voice. "Haha..... I'm older than ye might think, Rainbow Dash." He chuckled. Turning to me, he said, "Now you take care o' that armor, Volke. It's made of adamantine, a very rare and holy metal. It should guard ye against almost all offensive magic, save for those cast by extremely powerful spell casters. It'll also mend itself if it gets damaged..." With that, he vanished slowly, fading out of existence. My jaw dropped. Enchanted armor? A special sword? It was almost like a scene from my favorite RPG. "Wha...." Dash said, awestruck. "Offensive magic? I've never heard of offensive magic.... I bet Twilight knows! Come on, lets hurry!" She reeled, dragging me out the door of Metalhead's forge. Shadeslayer"Oh, you have what you needed! And..... that armor... Good.... Oh my, you like you got into a fight..." Said Twilight, her expression dropping as she noticed my arm, which was drenched in blood still. "Come here, I learned a healing spell while you were gone!" I walked up to her, and her horn began to glow bright purple. It got brighter and she surrounded my arm with its aura. The wound didn't change at all, just remained the way it was. "I don't understand! Why isn't it working?" she cried. "Don't overexert yourself! You can stop!" I said over the noise of the spell. She stopped and plopped onto the ground. "I don't understand! I practiced it a thousand times!" She said, putting her face into her hooves. "Try it on Dash. She got banged up a bit too," I told Twilight. She got up and went over to Dashie. The purple glow returned and it surrounded Dash's hoof, which had been cut from the splintering shards of wood when we fought the Shadow. It almost immediately sealed itself, and left no trace of being there at all. "But, I don't understand! It worked so well on Rainbow Dash, but it didn't do anything for you!" She stated loudly. "Maybe he needs a different spell, him bein' human an' all," Applejack said as she walked in from the other room with the other ponies. "Wow Volke, you look right good in that armor!" She added. I just cast her a smile. "Hmm.... Maybe, but it's too soon to tell. The spell I used on Dash was a low level spell." Twilight said in response. "Fluttershy, can you come here for a second?" She asked Fluttershy. "Oh...um... sure..." she said quietly. She got up off the couch she was sitting on and came over to Twilight and I. "Can you wrap his arm a bit better? This one was done rather..... sloppy." She said flatly. "Oh yes, that isn't a problem.... Just one second, please.." She said as she ran to get something out of the other room. She came back with a first aid kit and dropped at my feet, opening it. She wrapped my wound with a special type of bandage. It was coated in a substance known as Sanitatem Herbam- A forest plant with miraculous healing powers. I felt an instant soothing sensation just as she put it on my arm. "Wow.... that herb is.... amazing!" I moaned with delight. "Yes.... It is a special plant that only grows on the night of a lunar eclipse. It is quite rare..." Fluttershy said in her small voice. "Thank you, Fluttershy. I appreciate it," I said with a smile. "MONSTER! GET AWAY GET AWAY GET AWAY!" Pinkie screamed, as the door was smashed in by a dark figure- Not quite as large as the one we fought on the way to the blacksmith, and not as small as the ones Rainbow Dash and I encountered in the forest. It stood up straight. As I took in what I saw, I couldn't help but gasp. It was a humanoid figure, with a shock of long, crimson hair, and skin as pale as snow. He cast an evil grin in my direction, revealing pure white, razor sharp teeth. I caught a glimpse of his eyes, which were a deep blood red. His black leather armor and black steel boots finished his appearance, making him look even more ominous. "My master wishes for the human to see him. It would be wise not to disobey his commands, human.." It said in a low, growling voice. It was about as tall as me.... No, a little bit taller. It seemed to be in supreme physical shape, and was obviously much more intelligent than anything we had fought so far- That was going to be a problem. I reached for my blade slowly, but was caught in the act. "Not very smart, human. One more move and I will slice you open like a pig to the slaughter." It was too wary to be caught off guard. "Who exactly is this 'master' of yours? How does he know I am here?" I asked it. "Word travels quickly between my Master's warriors. How he knows you are here is not important, nor is his identity." It growled at me. "I refuse to go with you. One of us dies here." I said boldly. 'What am I doing?!' I thought to myself. The Shade looked angry, and I knew that this was going to be a struggle to the death. "So be it. My master said you might do something like this. He said you humans were quite stupid. I can now see why." It said smugly. "Now, you will feel the anger of a Shade. My name is Nazar. Feel my wrath! " 'Shade? This thing is no ordinary monster.... He's going to be powerful beyond belief!' I speculated. There was only one thing left to do- Fight to survive. Swifter than a bullet, Nazar zipped past Pinkie Pie and behind me, catching me off guard. Instinctively, I whipped around only to be met by the image of Fluttershy about to cry. Realizing he must have somehow gotten back around me again, I tried to spin again but was kicked in the back by Nazar's powerful legs, and I went flying into the wall, nearly bringing Fluttershy with me. "Oh my goodness, oh my goodness...!" Fluttershy whimpered. "Volke! Look out!" I heard Dash yell, as the Lieutenant tried to bring his large, greaved foot onto my head. I rolled, and the strike narrowly missed my head. Kicking him, I knocked Nazar to the ground, who quickly brought himself up again. I pulled my self out of the pile of wood and stone that was caused from flying into the wall, drew my blade, and he looked at me. "That kind of fight, hm? So be it, human!" He said. A wave of darkness surrounded his body, as a full suit of evil, spiked armor surrounded his figure. A large, serrated sword appeared in his hand, the hilt glowing faintly. It was the same color as blood. My adrenaline began pumping throughout my body, and I began to breathe faster. The demon lunged at me, nearly plunging the tip of his blade into my body. I dodged, but just barely.The serrated edge dug into my shoulder, leaving a deep wound. "Ouch!" I let loose a yelp of pain, the cut burned. "Haha! Your fate is sealed. This blade is poisoned with Nightshade. You are going to die within two minutes!" Nazar said with a sly, evil grin. I could already feel the effects of the poison working its way through my system, but I saw my chance. The demon was too distracted while gloating and laughing to realize what was about to happen. "Applejack, now!" I yelled, looking at AJ. She gave me a confused look, then realized as I shifted my glance to Twilight. "Take this, ya big ol' monster!" She yelled, bucking Nazar in Twilight's direction. Twilight was ready. With a flash of magic, a pure energy whip formed from her horn. Nazar was prepared though, and retaliated, with magic of his own. In a dark shadowy blast, he threw Twilight into the wall, tendrils of pure shadow restricting her movement. He drew a dagger from the sheathe on his back, and was about to stab her in the neck. Rushing forward, I drew my blade from the wooden floorboards and was about to slash. He sensed me, and backhanded me me into the opposite wall. "V-Volke..... help!" Twilight cried out in anguish. "Hold on, Twi! I'm coming!" Dash yelled, zooming towards the demon. She was smacked by the Tendrils of Darkness which had Twilight pinned. Applejack and Pinkie were met with the same outcome after trying to help. "No, no! Help! H- gmmhg!" Nazar put his hand over Twilight's mouth, silencing her. I felt a pang of anger flow through my body. Hands glowing, I got up out of the rubble of the wall opposite to Twilight and Nazar. "Hah! Silly pony! You can't defeat me, no matter how hard you try!" He said, lifting his knife higher, about to plunge it into Twilight's mouth and end her life. "This is where you meet your end!" "No. This is the end for you, not us." I said calmly, feeling power flow through my body. Lifting my hand , a charge of pure electricity formed around my arm. I looked at my free hand, which was glowing a deep blue, almost like a unicorn's horn lights up when casting magic. With my target dead in sight, I launched the Lightning Bolt towards Nazar, who turned around to be met with the bolt striking him in the chest. "Im......possible...." He said as the lightning hit home. I gave a sly grin, and closed my palm, releasing the magic and leaving the demon in a spluttering, dying heap on the floor. Twilight looked like she was about to cry, and the ponies rushed to comfort her. Except Fluttershy, who was furiously looking through her medical kit for something. My vision began to blur as I felt the full effects of the nightshade pulsing through me. "Quickly, where are you hurt?" Fluttershy asked frantically. I pointed to my arm and Fluttershy stuffed a plant into. It seared like a burning piece of iron, and I winced slightly. I instantly felt the effects of it, and the nightshade's influence fled my body. "Thank you, Fluttershy. That was too close for my comfort." I said with a slight laugh. "Oh, it's no problem at all!" She said with a smile. I smiled back, but I quickly dropped the happy expression. I walked over to the limp form of Nazar laying on the ground, spluttering. "Okay, demon. You will talk and answer my questions. Who is trying to destroy Equestria? Who are you? What is going on?" I reeled the questions off almost as quick as Pinkie could. "I...." He coughed. "I am Nazar, Lieutenant of my Master's Shadowlings. My master has come to seek revenge on Equestria. Why, I will not say. Who my master is, I will not say. The Shadowlings are an elite group of fighters that have been tasked to take Equestria and destroy Celestia. But now I have a question..... for you." He said, his life slipping away. "How.... How are you able to cast magic? You are but a human....." He spluttered. I thought about the question. I pondered hard, but could not explain it. "I...... I don't know. It just sort of.... happened." I said truthfully. "Then.... then I shall now take my leave. Goodbye, human....." He finally gave into Death's embrace, drawing his last breath and disappearing in a burst of light and flying spirits. The fight was over, and everyone had made it through. I rushed over to Twilight and the other ponies. "Twilight, are you alright?" I asked Twilight. "I... I'm.. fine..." She said darkly. She got up and walked over to me. "I still find it amazing that you were able to cast such a high level spell with virtually no training. You must really be the Hero of Equestria, then." She said, looking at me with intense interest. "Hero of Equestria?" I asked with a dumbfounded look. "Yes. Long ago, Equestria was threatened by a terrible evil. This evil threatened to consume all of Equestria, and eventually the entire world. The evil could control ponies and other beings, and turn them against one another('Which explains why Spike is angry'). But, one day, a mysterious being appeared in Equestria and fought to drive the evil out of our home. He was given the best armor made by the absolute best smith in the land. Also,the Hero was given extreme magical and fighting abilities, which he learned to control with extreme ease. That explains your use of Thunder, a high level electric spell. How you managed to conjure the spell is beyond me.... My books only say so much. But one thing is for certain, and that's the fact that the Ancient Evil of Equestria has returned. I have a Book of Legend about it. Hah, even now, you look just like the images in the book..." She explained. "But who is the evil that the legend speaks of?" I asked, still trying to take in what was just said to me. "I'm not sure..... My book didn't say. All we know is that he, or she, is an extremely powerful being who will take much training and a bit of luck to defeat. But I'm sure we can win, we have driven them off before this." She replied. She sounded very confident in her words, and I trusted her. "So.... Where can I learn to control my new abilities?" I thought aloud. "I don't know.... The Hero is said to be able to call on extreme power whenever he needs it... For now, you will just have to practice to control it..." She said, looking worried. I was still taking this all in at once, and found myself dumbfounded. "Wow, Hero of Equestria! This'll be one for the history books!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed, obviously completely psyched about getting to help in the struggle for Equestria. "Hero o' Equestria, huh? Then that evil don't stand a chance!" Applejack said encouragingly. I looked around at them all and smiled. "Yeah. Not a single chance." I said, confident. This was now more than simply a fight to calm Spike and save Rarity. It was a battle for all of Equestria.
BeginningsThe darkness closed in around me. I walked slowly through the charred ruins of the Everfree forest, which was once green and lush. Nothing remained but a few blackened stumps and piles of ashes now, and I was eager to return to town. Then suddenly, a dark shadow fell across the ground in front of me, blotting out the low light of the giant, blood-red moon. I swiftly turned around, only to be met with the huge claws of a giant monster about the size of a small house. I instinctively threw my hand towards the hand-and-a-half sword strapped to my belt. The action was not quick enough however, and as I spun around to see my foe, I was met with the sight of claw rending flesh. I awoke suddenly, sweating. It was only a dream. I sat up in my bed, brushing my dark hair out of the way of my grey eyes. The house was quiet, and had been quiet since my parents had died. I didn't really have friends, and the only social interaction was at my shitty job. I had no money to pay for college and get a better job, considering the fact that I had bills to pay and food to buy to keep myself alive. I was your average high school graduate- Lots of bills to pay, and hardly enough money to pay them, he who hardly ever has time for himself. But I always had time to sink into a good episode of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. It always brought a smile to my face and made me forget about the hardships I faced in my life. I realized that I had fallen asleep after a long, twelve hour day of hard labor. I was still in my work clothes- A pair of hardened jeans, steel-toed work boots, and a neon yellow shirt. I lifted myself from the bed in my small apartment. Telling by the darkness outside, it was either night or very early morning. I opened the door of my small room, which led into my kitchen. I walked past the table and lazily opened the door to my small refrigerator, retrieving a half-drank bottle of water. I took a long drag on the cold drink, soothing my dry throat, and closed the refrigerator door. Walking into the living room, I sat down and flicked on the television. I lazily flicked through the list of programs, and nothing caught my attention. It was a little before dawn, after all, and nothing was on besides paid programming and cheap ads. Giving a small sigh, I got up from my chair and walked over to my computer, which was still on from yesterday. I powered the monitor on. I didn't know what I was going to do, maybe play Minecraft or Skyrim. Something wasn’t right though… The screen began shifting different colors, and grew extremely bright, to the point that I couldn’t see a thing. There was a loud 'boom', like the sound of a thunderclap, and I was thrown away from my screen. I opened my eyes, but I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. "R-Rainbow.... Dash..?" I managed to blurt out. In front of me was the rainbow-maned pony herself. She was laying on the ground. She looked up with a lost expression on her face. Her eyes met mine, and she adopted an expression of fear. "Wha- What the heck is going on?!" She sputtered. She got up extremely quick and pounced on me, driving me shoulders back into the floor from my half-upright position. "What are you?!" she asked fiercely. "I- I'm a human!" I quickly responded. "A... Human? What the hay is that? she asked me with a confused expression. "Uh..." I was at a complete loss. "Wait.... I remember Twilight mention something like 'human' before... I bet she knows!" Dash exclaimed in her energetic voice. "Uh.... What exactly are you doing here, in my world?" I asked cautiously. “That," she said, getting off of me, "is a good question." "How did you.... I mean, how is that you have come? My name is Volke, by the way." I said while pulling myself to a standing position, "I'm Rainbow Dash.... As to how I've come here, I'm not sure. I was helping my friend Twilight Sparkle find a few plants in the Everfree Forest. For some reason I blacked out and woke up here!" she told me, recounting what happened. "This can't be good..." I said hoarsely. If a pony was here in my world.... What could it mean? "No, this probably isn't good. I bet Twilight knows.... Come on, let's get back to Equestria!" She yelled. “Er.... How, exactly?” I asked her. “Um... How about there?” she suggested, pointing to the swirling rift which used to be my computer desk. "It's worth a try..." I replied. We walked to the rift, which was the area of the wall where my computer used to rest. The rift was a mass of swirling colors and pigments, almost like a blended kaleidoscope. We both touched it and I was instantly uncomfortable. It felt as though someone was trying to squeeze my body into a tiny rubber tube, and I couldn’t breathe. Just when I thought I was going to suffocate, I appeared in a pile of ash, surrounded by blackened stumps and the smell of charred wood. The moon was a deep blood red, which cast an eerie glow of the remains of what used to be the Everfree Forest. I had seen this before, from my dream... “What the......” Dash's jaw dropped at the sight. "No! Twilight..! Twilight!!" She screamed. “We need to get moving, Dash. Whatever, or whoever, did this might still be skulking around. “Right…. woah!” yelled Dash. I whipped around quickly, only to see a shadowy creature jumping at her, claws and fangs outstretched and ready to strike. It was an odd sight. It was about the size of a common house dog, and had bright red orbs for what I assumed were its eyes. It had a smooth body, like it was made of pure shadow, with long insect-like tendrils perched on it's forehead. Its claws and teeth were gruesome and jagged, like it could rend even the toughest hauberk. Drawing back my fist, I smashed it with the full force of my body, definitely shattering its jawbone and sending it flying away from Rainbow Dash. It let loose a wild yelp of pain, snarled loudly, and vaulted again, this time towards me. Its gruesome claws swiped my arm, leaving a deep and bloody wound. The force of it knocked me down, and Rainbow Dash bucked it to its back. "Thanks, Dash!" I yelled. The creature reared for one last jump, but I had already pulled myself up, bringing a thick, tough broken branch with me. The creature lunged, and I held steady. At the last moment, I lunged forward with extreme motion and drove the end of a broken stick I had picked from the ground into the shadow's head and neck. It let out a pained gargle, then disappeared in a burst of darkness. "That.... was intense...." I said, getting a firm handhold on the bit of wood.. "Let's go." "Yeah...." said Dash. We turned to leave, only to be met with more of the shadowy creatures. They began coming in swarms, and I couldn’t fight them all off with merely a stick. “Dash, run!” I yelled. The creatures began to overtake me, and I brandished the bit of wood furiously, beating back wave after wave of the shadows, but it seemed futile. I sank into the swarm of creatures, and thought surely that I would be devoured. Hand reached out to the sky, I felt something pulling on it. I opened my eyes, and Dash was there pulling. "I'm not letting these things get you!" she yelled. I beat most of the creatures away, and we flew to safety about a hundred yards away. The beasts gave up pursuit, and disappeared into darkness. and we could see Ponyville nearby.
Shadows Unbound"Whew, THAT was way too close, Volke." Dash said. I looked over to Dash. "I'll say. Those things almost got me. Thanks for that, by the way," I said. "Well I couldn't just leave you hanging! What would that tell you about the bravest and fastest pegasus in all of Equestria?" she said. I just laughed, and we carried on, with Ponyville just in sight. We reached the town, but something was wrong. It wasn't burned down, but it seemed...... Quiet. Not a single thing moved, there was just an empty silence that replaced the usual happy and fast-moving spirit of the town. "Oh wait, you're hurt!" Dash said, looking at my arm. There was a deep gash with a plentiful flow of blood on my upper arm. "Ah, just a scratch........" I said calmly. I decided to leave it as it was, since I had nothing to mend it with. We walked through the town, and not a single thing moved, save for the wind. "Well, here we are, Dash. Where is everypony?" I asked, slightly disgruntled at the silence. "I dunno.... But they have gotta be around here somewhere! Let's go!" Dash said, taking off into the night. "Dash! Over here! Hurry!" I knew that voice well. It could only be one pony. "Twilight? Where are you?" Dash asked, stopping dead in midair. "Over here!" She replied. The voice came from Sugarcube Corner, and Dash and I rushed over. "Hurry, get in here!" Twilight said, holding the door wide. We rushed into the dark bakery. The lights flickered on, and my eyes adjusted quickly. "Dash! Look out behind you! It's a monster!" Pinkie Pie yelled, throwing a cake at me. I sidestepped the flying cake, letting it smash into the wall. "Wait, wait! I'm not a monster! I'm here to help!" I said. Pinkie Pie stopped in mid throw and set the next cake onto the shelf next to her. "OH! You must be a human then! I told they existed, guys!" she said energetically. "Yeah, that's me. So.... Why am I here?" I asked. "It's a long story...." Twilight said as she and Applejack dragged Fluttershy out of the other room. "Twilight, please don't make me go out there.... please.... don't..." Fluttershy squee'd. "Fluttershy, he isn't a monster that wants to eat you," Twilight said with a bored tone. "Well, introductions are in order....... I am Volke." I said to the ponies. "I'm Applejack, pleased ta meet ya!" Said AJ. "Twlight Sparkle, happy to make your acquaintance!" Twilight said. "Oh, my names is... um.. Fluttershy...." Fluttershy whispered softly. "Heehee! I'm Pinkie Pie!!" Pinkie said, grasping my arm and shaking it wildly. "Pleased to meet you all!" I replied with a grin. I was getting acquainted with the ponies when I noticed that something wasn't quite right. I looked around and knew almost instantaneously that there was somepony missing from the group. "Wait...... Where is Rarity?" I asked slowly. "That's just it...... A few days ago, while Rainbow Dash and I were in the forest looking for a new species of plant, she suddenly disappeared. I thought she had come back to Ponyville without telling me... But when I got back, Spike had grown into a full sized dragon. He made his way to the Everfree Forest, and.... Well, he burned it down. I thought I saw something wrapped up in Spike's tail.... It looked like Rarity." Twilight said darkly. "Where could they have gone....?" I thought out loud. I remembered my dream, and remembered fighting Spike in the Everfree forest. "Come on, everypony! We need to hurry!" I ran for the door, but Twilight stopped me. "Wait, we can't leave yet! We can't fight the monsters lurking out there! And I highly doubt you can take them all woth just your fists and nothing to protect you...." She said, standing in front of me. "You're right...... Where is the nearest blacksmith?" I asked the purple unicorn. A small crease crossed her brow as she thought. "On the other side of town." She said darkly. "Damn! How are we supposed to get over there?" I asked aloud. "Well ah think Rainbow could go over there and fetch ya a thing er two!" Applejack pitched in. "Yeah, no problem! Whatcha need, Volke?" Dash asked me. "I'm not letting you go alone. Pinkie, Fluttershy, Twilight, AJ. You stay here and make sure nothing gets in. Dash and I will go get what we need to fight from the blacksmith." I said to them. "Okay!" Pinkie said, bouncing around the room. "Be careful, okay? We don't need to lose you like we did Rarity..." Twilight said, obviously very concerned. "Well Volke, let's get this show on the road!" Dash said, opening the door. I followed her out as the ponies wished us luck with getting to the blacksmith. The door closed, and we were shut into darkness. We followed the road, with the moon our only source of light. It was quite bright, and we could clearly see where the path led. We walked for a good while, before I broke the silence. "We haven't been attacked yet. Maybe those things that attacked us before are bound to the forest?" Dash asked. We were quite far into town now, and we rounded the corner to the next street. "Maybe. But it's too soon to tell. We just need to keep our wits about us, and we shoul- DASH! WATCH OUT!" I screamed the last part of my sentence, as an overwhelmingly large shadow burst from an alleyway, straight towards Dash. It was gigantic, and obviously very muscular. It wasn't like the others, which were simple smooth shadow. No, this monster had a textured body to it, and large blood red fangs hanging from its jaw. It had a bearlike structure, and its yellow eyes stared at Dash, and it looked like it wanted to kill her. Badly. "CRUSH! KILL! DESTROY!" It shouted in a highly demonic voice. It tried bringing it's huge fist onto Dash, but she was much too quick for him. Instead of smashing his target, he got a face full of Dash's hooves. He screeched angrily and swung his arm wildly through the air, smashing a nearby house as Dash once again avoided the beast's huge fist. "Ha! Is that all you got, ya big oaf?" Dash leered happily. "CRUSH!!! CRUSH RAINBOW PONY!" It screeched. "Catch me if you can, slowpoke!" She laughed, flying just out of its reach. I sized the monster up. It was about two and a half times my height. I figured that if I got a good jump off, I could get onto his back and maybe subdue him. I was lost in thought though, and didn't realize its angry hand coming towards me until it was too late. I was thrown into a nearby house, splintering through the wooden walls. "Volke! Are you okay?!" Dash yelled, which I barely heard over the ringing in my ears. "Yeah.... I'm fine..." I spluttered, pulling a rather large shard of wood out of my arm, giving way to a waterfall of blood. I cringed as the wood scraped against the deep gash but I fought against it and got up. "CRUSH HUMAN!" The bearlike monster lunged into the hole in the building. I rolled sideways and dodged its outstretched and razor-sharp claws. I looked and saw that it was stuck in the hole, and I seized my chance for a strike. "Dash, try to attack him somehow! Use your lightning!" I yelled at Dash, who was laughing at the monster. "Right, I'm on it!" She said, snapping out of her laughing fit and flying away to obtain a cloud. 'It's just you and me now, monster.' I thought to myself. I lunged at it with a shard of wood and sliced its arm open at the shoulder. "GRAAAH!" It let out a wild yelp of pain, and it struggled to free itself. It got one arm free and tried to swing it at me. I jumped and did a midair flip over its arm. It kept going and smashed into the opposite wall. "MUST KILL HUMAN!" It screeched. I then realized that it said human. It knew what I was, but how was that possible....? I was snapped out of my thinking fit with a loud clap. Dash had come back with the storm cloud, and fired a lightning bolt right into the monster's hind quarters. "RAINBOW PONY DIE FOR THAT!" It roared, ripping itself out of the hole and swinging its monstrous leg airborne, right towards Dash. "Haha! Not today!" She said with a smile, dodging the huge leg. It lost its balance and fell backwards onto its back, roaring angrily. "Now! Dash, drop me onto his head!" I said loudly. RD picked me up and dropped me right onto his face. I drove the wooden shard right into the monster's gullet, and it began gargling and roaring with blood rushing out of its huge mouth. He calmed down a bit starting to twitch and breathe slower. It gave one last twitch, then died, evaporating into a cloud of pure darkness. "Oh my gosh Volke, look at your arm! You're losing so much blood......" Dash said, landing on the ground next to me and looking at my arm. I hadn't realized it at first, but the monster's fangs had torn into my arm along with the shard of wood from the wall of the house. Just then did I realize that my arm was beginning to feel numb. I had three wounds- One from the giant shadow, one from the wooden shard, and one from the smaller shadow. "It's..... nothing," I said with a sly grin. "We need to get to that blacksmith.... fast." "Right! It's just past this house!" She said eagerly. I caught up to her and ran inside the blacksmith. There was an old pony sitting in a chair near the fire. He was obviously quite old, and he looked up as we entered the house. His mane and tail were a dark bronze, his coat a rich, deep brown. He looked at us with deep purple eyes. "Metalhead, I need your help." Dash said to the old pony. "Really now, what can I do fer ya?" He said in a rough accent, picking his smithing hammer up. "I need some custom armor made. For this guy right here," she said, patting my shoulder. "Ah, you must be one a dem human folk that that old legend talks 'bout, right?" He asked gruffly. "Yeah, that's me. I need some armor and good weapon. A sword would be nice, if it isn't too much trouble." I said to him. "Naw, I been workin' metal long enough to make quick work o' this. But don't think yer gettin' a quality cut on this! Now get over here so I can take yer dimensions." He said, dragging me by the collar of my shirt. "I'll get ye somethin' for that there arm, too." He grabbed a bandage and helped me wrap my arm. Then, he walked over to his forge. It looked extremely old, and was surrounded by stone so his hut wouldn't catch fire. Metalhead picked up a piece of strange metal and began to clang away. It was about an hour before he was finished, in which Dash and I talked about several things. "Well here ya go, son. Try it on, see how it fits yer!" he said. I walked over to the workbenchand looked at my new armor. I quickly armored up. It fit like a glove- Perfect. It was of beautiful craft as well- The gauntlets, boots, and chest piece were all pure white and inscribed with the Elements of Harmony insignia. The chestplate had small spikes on the shoulders, with deep blue streaks forming an intricate pattern on all the pieces. A long, dark blue cape fell from the back of it, reaching to the tops of my calves. The gauntlets were simple wristguards, yet beautifully crafted. "Thanks, Metalhead! It's perfect!" I said happily. "Been a long time since I made armor fer a human like yerself. Almost forgot how to do it!" He replied with a chuckle. "Now, I also made yer a sword. Special craft, shouldn't never break!" Metalhead continued. I took the sword from him. It was a hand-and-a-half sword. It's pure silver blade sparkled in the low light of the forge. The intricate hilt held a sizable White Ruby- One of the rarest gems known to man. I opened my mouth to thank him, but Rainbow Dash cut me off. "Uh, Metalhead.... You said it has been a long time since you've crafted human armor.... But there hasn't been any humans for at least ten thousand years!" Dash said, answering my question. I was about to ask him about the 'Old Legend', but I was cut off by Metalhead's rugged voice. "Haha..... I'm older than ye might think, Rainbow Dash." He chuckled. Turning to me, he said, "Now you take care o' that armor, Volke. It's made of adamantine, a very rare and holy metal. It should guard ye against almost all offensive magic, save for those cast by extremely powerful spell casters. It'll also mend itself if it gets damaged..." With that, he vanished slowly, fading out of existence. My jaw dropped. Enchanted armor? A special sword? It was almost like a scene from my favorite RPG. "Wha...." Dash said, awestruck. "Offensive magic? I've never heard of offensive magic.... I bet Twilight knows! Come on, lets hurry!" She reeled, dragging me out the door of Metalhead's forge.
Shadeslayer"Oh, you have what you needed! And..... that armor... Good.... Oh my, you like you got into a fight..." Said Twilight, her expression dropping as she noticed my arm, which was drenched in blood still. "Come here, I learned a healing spell while you were gone!" I walked up to her, and her horn began to glow bright purple. It got brighter and she surrounded my arm with its aura. The wound didn't change at all, just remained the way it was. "I don't understand! Why isn't it working?" she cried. "Don't overexert yourself! You can stop!" I said over the noise of the spell. She stopped and plopped onto the ground. "I don't understand! I practiced it a thousand times!" She said, putting her face into her hooves. "Try it on Dash. She got banged up a bit too," I told Twilight. She got up and went over to Dashie. The purple glow returned and it surrounded Dash's hoof, which had been cut from the splintering shards of wood when we fought the Shadow. It almost immediately sealed itself, and left no trace of being there at all. "But, I don't understand! It worked so well on Rainbow Dash, but it didn't do anything for you!" She stated loudly. "Maybe he needs a different spell, him bein' human an' all," Applejack said as she walked in from the other room with the other ponies. "Wow Volke, you look right good in that armor!" She added. I just cast her a smile. "Hmm.... Maybe, but it's too soon to tell. The spell I used on Dash was a low level spell." Twilight said in response. "Fluttershy, can you come here for a second?" She asked Fluttershy. "Oh...um... sure..." she said quietly. She got up off the couch she was sitting on and came over to Twilight and I. "Can you wrap his arm a bit better? This one was done rather..... sloppy." She said flatly. "Oh yes, that isn't a problem.... Just one second, please.." She said as she ran to get something out of the other room. She came back with a first aid kit and dropped at my feet, opening it. She wrapped my wound with a special type of bandage. It was coated in a substance known as Sanitatem Herbam- A forest plant with miraculous healing powers. I felt an instant soothing sensation just as she put it on my arm. "Wow.... that herb is.... amazing!" I moaned with delight. "Yes.... It is a special plant that only grows on the night of a lunar eclipse. It is quite rare..." Fluttershy said in her small voice. "Thank you, Fluttershy. I appreciate it," I said with a smile. "MONSTER! GET AWAY GET AWAY GET AWAY!" Pinkie screamed, as the door was smashed in by a dark figure- Not quite as large as the one we fought on the way to the blacksmith, and not as small as the ones Rainbow Dash and I encountered in the forest. It stood up straight. As I took in what I saw, I couldn't help but gasp. It was a humanoid figure, with a shock of long, crimson hair, and skin as pale as snow. He cast an evil grin in my direction, revealing pure white, razor sharp teeth. I caught a glimpse of his eyes, which were a deep blood red. His black leather armor and black steel boots finished his appearance, making him look even more ominous. "My master wishes for the human to see him. It would be wise not to disobey his commands, human.." It said in a low, growling voice. It was about as tall as me.... No, a little bit taller. It seemed to be in supreme physical shape, and was obviously much more intelligent than anything we had fought so far- That was going to be a problem. I reached for my blade slowly, but was caught in the act. "Not very smart, human. One more move and I will slice you open like a pig to the slaughter." It was too wary to be caught off guard. "Who exactly is this 'master' of yours? How does he know I am here?" I asked it. "Word travels quickly between my Master's warriors. How he knows you are here is not important, nor is his identity." It growled at me. "I refuse to go with you. One of us dies here." I said boldly. 'What am I doing?!' I thought to myself. The Shade looked angry, and I knew that this was going to be a struggle to the death. "So be it. My master said you might do something like this. He said you humans were quite stupid. I can now see why." It said smugly. "Now, you will feel the anger of a Shade. My name is Nazar. Feel my wrath! " 'Shade? This thing is no ordinary monster.... He's going to be powerful beyond belief!' I speculated. There was only one thing left to do- Fight to survive. Swifter than a bullet, Nazar zipped past Pinkie Pie and behind me, catching me off guard. Instinctively, I whipped around only to be met by the image of Fluttershy about to cry. Realizing he must have somehow gotten back around me again, I tried to spin again but was kicked in the back by Nazar's powerful legs, and I went flying into the wall, nearly bringing Fluttershy with me. "Oh my goodness, oh my goodness...!" Fluttershy whimpered. "Volke! Look out!" I heard Dash yell, as the Lieutenant tried to bring his large, greaved foot onto my head. I rolled, and the strike narrowly missed my head. Kicking him, I knocked Nazar to the ground, who quickly brought himself up again. I pulled my self out of the pile of wood and stone that was caused from flying into the wall, drew my blade, and he looked at me. "That kind of fight, hm? So be it, human!" He said. A wave of darkness surrounded his body, as a full suit of evil, spiked armor surrounded his figure. A large, serrated sword appeared in his hand, the hilt glowing faintly. It was the same color as blood. My adrenaline began pumping throughout my body, and I began to breathe faster. The demon lunged at me, nearly plunging the tip of his blade into my body. I dodged, but just barely.The serrated edge dug into my shoulder, leaving a deep wound. "Ouch!" I let loose a yelp of pain, the cut burned. "Haha! Your fate is sealed. This blade is poisoned with Nightshade. You are going to die within two minutes!" Nazar said with a sly, evil grin. I could already feel the effects of the poison working its way through my system, but I saw my chance. The demon was too distracted while gloating and laughing to realize what was about to happen. "Applejack, now!" I yelled, looking at AJ. She gave me a confused look, then realized as I shifted my glance to Twilight. "Take this, ya big ol' monster!" She yelled, bucking Nazar in Twilight's direction. Twilight was ready. With a flash of magic, a pure energy whip formed from her horn. Nazar was prepared though, and retaliated, with magic of his own. In a dark shadowy blast, he threw Twilight into the wall, tendrils of pure shadow restricting her movement. He drew a dagger from the sheathe on his back, and was about to stab her in the neck. Rushing forward, I drew my blade from the wooden floorboards and was about to slash. He sensed me, and backhanded me me into the opposite wall. "V-Volke..... help!" Twilight cried out in anguish. "Hold on, Twi! I'm coming!" Dash yelled, zooming towards the demon. She was smacked by the Tendrils of Darkness which had Twilight pinned. Applejack and Pinkie were met with the same outcome after trying to help. "No, no! Help! H- gmmhg!" Nazar put his hand over Twilight's mouth, silencing her. I felt a pang of anger flow through my body. Hands glowing, I got up out of the rubble of the wall opposite to Twilight and Nazar. "Hah! Silly pony! You can't defeat me, no matter how hard you try!" He said, lifting his knife higher, about to plunge it into Twilight's mouth and end her life. "This is where you meet your end!" "No. This is the end for you, not us." I said calmly, feeling power flow through my body. Lifting my hand , a charge of pure electricity formed around my arm. I looked at my free hand, which was glowing a deep blue, almost like a unicorn's horn lights up when casting magic. With my target dead in sight, I launched the Lightning Bolt towards Nazar, who turned around to be met with the bolt striking him in the chest. "Im......possible...." He said as the lightning hit home. I gave a sly grin, and closed my palm, releasing the magic and leaving the demon in a spluttering, dying heap on the floor. Twilight looked like she was about to cry, and the ponies rushed to comfort her. Except Fluttershy, who was furiously looking through her medical kit for something. My vision began to blur as I felt the full effects of the nightshade pulsing through me. "Quickly, where are you hurt?" Fluttershy asked frantically. I pointed to my arm and Fluttershy stuffed a plant into. It seared like a burning piece of iron, and I winced slightly. I instantly felt the effects of it, and the nightshade's influence fled my body. "Thank you, Fluttershy. That was too close for my comfort." I said with a slight laugh. "Oh, it's no problem at all!" She said with a smile. I smiled back, but I quickly dropped the happy expression. I walked over to the limp form of Nazar laying on the ground, spluttering. "Okay, demon. You will talk and answer my questions. Who is trying to destroy Equestria? Who are you? What is going on?" I reeled the questions off almost as quick as Pinkie could. "I...." He coughed. "I am Nazar, Lieutenant of my Master's Shadowlings. My master has come to seek revenge on Equestria. Why, I will not say. Who my master is, I will not say. The Shadowlings are an elite group of fighters that have been tasked to take Equestria and destroy Celestia. But now I have a question..... for you." He said, his life slipping away. "How.... How are you able to cast magic? You are but a human....." He spluttered. I thought about the question. I pondered hard, but could not explain it. "I...... I don't know. It just sort of.... happened." I said truthfully. "Then.... then I shall now take my leave. Goodbye, human....." He finally gave into Death's embrace, drawing his last breath and disappearing in a burst of light and flying spirits. The fight was over, and everyone had made it through. I rushed over to Twilight and the other ponies. "Twilight, are you alright?" I asked Twilight. "I... I'm.. fine..." She said darkly. She got up and walked over to me. "I still find it amazing that you were able to cast such a high level spell with virtually no training. You must really be the Hero of Equestria, then." She said, looking at me with intense interest. "Hero of Equestria?" I asked with a dumbfounded look. "Yes. Long ago, Equestria was threatened by a terrible evil. This evil threatened to consume all of Equestria, and eventually the entire world. The evil could control ponies and other beings, and turn them against one another('Which explains why Spike is angry'). But, one day, a mysterious being appeared in Equestria and fought to drive the evil out of our home. He was given the best armor made by the absolute best smith in the land. Also,the Hero was given extreme magical and fighting abilities, which he learned to control with extreme ease. That explains your use of Thunder, a high level electric spell. How you managed to conjure the spell is beyond me.... My books only say so much. But one thing is for certain, and that's the fact that the Ancient Evil of Equestria has returned. I have a Book of Legend about it. Hah, even now, you look just like the images in the book..." She explained. "But who is the evil that the legend speaks of?" I asked, still trying to take in what was just said to me. "I'm not sure..... My book didn't say. All we know is that he, or she, is an extremely powerful being who will take much training and a bit of luck to defeat. But I'm sure we can win, we have driven them off before this." She replied. She sounded very confident in her words, and I trusted her. "So.... Where can I learn to control my new abilities?" I thought aloud. "I don't know.... The Hero is said to be able to call on extreme power whenever he needs it... For now, you will just have to practice to control it..." She said, looking worried. I was still taking this all in at once, and found myself dumbfounded. "Wow, Hero of Equestria! This'll be one for the history books!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed, obviously completely psyched about getting to help in the struggle for Equestria. "Hero o' Equestria, huh? Then that evil don't stand a chance!" Applejack said encouragingly. I looked around at them all and smiled. "Yeah. Not a single chance." I said, confident. This was now more than simply a fight to calm Spike and save Rarity. It was a battle for all of Equestria.
