Shattered Dimensions: Obsidian Horizon

Chapters

Prologue
Here We Go Again
Searching for a Lead
I'm a Jerk, Not a Monster
A Taste of My Own Medicine
They're Starting to Grow On Me
There's Always Some Big, Scary Hole, Isn't There?
I Didn't See This One Coming
Against My Better Judgement
I Didn't Believe In Ghosts Until Now
The Memory Remains, Part 1
The Memory Remains, Part 2
The Memory Remains, Part 3
Time to Take Responsibility
All The Help We Can Get
There's No Stopping Me
Happily Ever After
I Don't Work For Free

Prologue

Several Weeks Earlier...

Nighttime in Canterlot. There is not one place in all of Equestria where a sight more beautiful than Luna’s moon can be found.

It was a shame that this was the night that events were set in motion to change the future of Equestria forever.

Allen Greathouse sat up in his bed, having fallen asleep beside his wife, Princess Luna. He looked around the room carefully, making sure nopony was watching, and looked down at the sleeping alicorn. He regretted this decision immediately, as her peaceful, sleeping face made his heart ache, and he even considered tossing his plan aside, and letting fate take its course.

No, he thought decisively. I won’t lose her again.

There was not a single being Allen loved more than Luna, and he still felt guilty about what he had done to her the night he saved Equestria for the second time.

How long has it been? he wondered as he stood up, stretching his wings and cracking his neck as he recalled the events of his last great adventure. Nearly three months ago, this powerful, grey alicorn had been an ordinary human boy, but the arrival of an ancient warlord changed all that. He was now an alicorn prince, married to one of the most powerful beings in the world, and had magical abilities that could possibly rival even Celestia herself. Looking down at his right foreleg, which was wrapped in white bandages, he realized that it was this fact that forced him to make such a decision.

Allen quietly made his way through the castle, careful to not disturb any of the guards, and let out a relieved sigh when he stepped out into the courtyard.

“Prince Allen!” he heard a friendly voice call, “what are you doing up so late?”
Allen turned to see one of the guards approaching him with a smile stretched across his muzzle. Allen shrugged. “I thought I would go for a walk,” he said nonchalantly, and continued on his way.

The guard ran to catch up with him. “Oh, I was just about to go out on patrol! Would you mind if I joined you?” he asked hopefully.
Allen cringed. “I’m sorry,” he said slowly, “but I’m afraid I’ll have to say no for tonight. Maybe some other time?” he suggested, feeling a powerful force building inside him at the guard’s presence.

Luna and Celestia were able to suppress Allen’s outbursts for a while, but they were starting to become too much for even the celestial sisters to handle.

“Oh, I insist!” the guard said stubbornly. “After all, you may need an escort! Who knows what could be lurking about this time of night,” he said ominously.
Allen felt his heart rate speed up a little, and he was feeling stressed. “No, I insist,” he replied through gritted teeth, “please leave me in peace. I’m sorry if I seem rude, but you must leave me be tonight.”
The guard huffed angrily. “Allen, this is outrageous! I cannot allow a member of the royal family to go out unprotected, regardless of their power! The primary duty of the royal guard is to ensure-”

Allen couldn’t hold it back anymore. “I said get away from me, you equine filth!” he roared, his voice suddenly becoming deep and distorted, and his irises flashed an icy blue for a moment. He stood there, breathing heavily as the guard stare at him in shock, until Allen realized what had happened.

“Oh, hell,” he muttered, and waved his horn at the armored pony, causing him to immediately drop into a magical slumber, and then broke into a mad dash, his bandaged leg slowing him only slightly.

It wasn’t until much later Allen found that in his rush, his bandages had fallen off, revealing what lay beneath. It was still covered in the coarse, grey fur that his pelt consisted of, but instead of an ordinary pony’s hoof, his foreleg now ended in a five-digited, human hand.

I have to hurry, he thought grimly, before it takes over completely. Then, no one will be able to save Equestria.

~-~-~-~-~

Present Day...

“Hey, asshole, I asked you a question: were you just trying to pick up my girl?”
The question came from a rather thuggish-looking individual, by which I mean he wore his cap at a ridiculous angle and had his pants sagging, exposing his black-and blue boxers. He had a tattoo of a teardrop just below his right eye, and his white tank-top gave me a good view of the words “Faith” and “Hope” tattooed across his shoulders.

I grinned slightly, staring intensely at the bottle I was tipping back and forth between my fingers, and glanced up at him.

“For your information, pal,” I said smugly as I bounced a glass bottle between my fingers, “I was not trying to ‘pick up your girl’. I was being a decent individual - something very rare for a man of my… temperament - and having a polite conversation with this lovely lady I saw sitting alone at the bar, that way no douchebags would come along and actually try to ‘pick her up’. Now that her boyfriend, who I am sure is an intelligent and respectful member of society, has returned, I shall depart from this establishment feeling like a good person,” I explained, the sarcasm and condescendence dripping from my voice like honey as I started to stand up.
This guy, however, was not as oblivious as his appearance made him look. He grabbed the collar of my shirt in a tight fist, keeping me from leaving. “Hey,” he growled, “are you making fun of me?” I noticed now his eyes looked kinda bloodshot; he was either drunk, or possibly insane.

Both of these meant bad news for me.

I glanced over at the bartender questioningly, and he gave me a nonchalant shrug, a sign that he did not care about what I was planning to do. After a quick scan of the room, I realized that the few other patrons had left; it was just me, the asshole holding me, and his girlfriend.

I looked back at my captor, my fingers wrapping tightly around the glass bottle I had been playing with moments before. “Well, it looks like you caught me,” I said apologetically. “I was, in fact, making fun of you. Good job on catching on to that, by the way; you have successfully changed my guess of your intelligence level from ‘sub-brick’ to ‘average domesticated dog’.”

The guy’s brow furrowed, and I saw him pull back his free hand to punch me, but I was already prepared. I swung my right arm outward, my glass weapon shattering right on his temple. Shards of glass flew everywhere, and my adversary was bleeding profusely and screaming in anger and pain. He charged at me like a bull, but I jumped and rolled over the counter, grabbing two other bottles and smashing the ends off. I held the two jagged bottles defensively, daring my attacker to make another move.

“I’ve fought scarier shit than you,” I growled, brushing a strand of blonde hair that was obstructing my vision to the side. I’ve been killed by scarier shit than you, I thought, realizing my statement was not entirely true.

He looked me in the eye for a long time, his gaze actually turning fearful for a few moments.
“Whatever, man,” he said with a roll of his eyes, “only a pussy would use a pair of glass bottle like that.”
I kept my intense stare. “That’s because I care more about staying alive than what other people think of me.”

The drunken and/or insane douchebag stared at me again. “You’re crazy, bro. Let’s go, babe,” he said to his female companion, who gave me an apologetic look before exiting the building with her boyfriend.

I stared at the pair until they were out of sight, and then let out a shaky breath. “Sorry about the mess, Gus,” I said, turning to the bartender.
The man waved a dismissive hand and grabbed a broom, sweeping away the shattered glass. “It’s no biggie, Drayke,” he said in a gruff voice as I hopped over the bar and returned to my seat.

I gave the man a concerned look. He was the first person I saw when I returned to Earth after my time in Equestria, and since then he had treated me like a son. He was a no-nonsense man who knew how to run a bar properly, but I was worried about him; he seemed to have lost that spark that kept him going through life and set him apart from everyone else. I glanced up at the clock, noticing it was almost closing time.

“You need any help closing tonight, Gus?” I asked gently. He shook his head and coughed in his elbow.
“I’m fine, Drayke,” he said nonchalantly. “You go on home and rest.”
I nodded obediently and headed for the exit, stopping in the doorway and looking back at the old man. “You sure you’ll be fine?” I inquired. “Sometimes I worry about you being here so late at night on your own.”

Gus gave me a small smile. “Drayke, you worry about me too much,” he said with a laugh. I looked down, embarrassed, but he went on: “That’s a good thing. You need people in your life to worry about, otherwise you turn into an animal. That’s why I’m glad to have you around; I worry about you as much as you worry about me.”

I nodded and chuckled quietly. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Gus,” I said, and walked out onto the New York sidewalk. It was a dreary night, and the sky was filled with clouds that looked like it might rain. I shuddered, remembering my fight with Sanguis. Before he killed me, he had brought up all of my old memories of my old life on Earth, and I realized that there was no point in running from my past; I had sworn off coming back long before, but a near-death experience can change that pretty damn quick.

I reached into my pocket and pulled out the crystal I had used to return to my world. It had no use here as anything other than a paperweight, but I still kept it as a good-luck charm. After all, the damn thing had brought me back to life twice. I stared at the black gem, entranced by it for a moment, until I quickly put it away and headed for my apartment.

I remembered all my time in Equestria, and the beings I had met. I wasn’t too excited about the ponies, but I wondered what Allen was up to. Although we met as enemies, I liked to think we parted as allies.

I wonder if I’ll ever see him again, I thought wistfully. There’s no way in hell I’m going back to Equestria, but maybe he would come to Earth. Only time will tell, I suppose.

Here We Go Again

Several Weeks Earlier...

Allen waited anxiously for his contact as he sat in the run-down ruins of the human stronghold. He knew this building rather well; it was where he first met Drayke, and he had made occasional trips here to discover the secrets of the ancient humans.

It was also where he discovered what was happening to him.

Allen perked his ears up at the sound of hoofsteps, and turned to see a lightly-armored pony, shrouded in darkness. A horn spiraled from its head, and it stared at him through a black visor.

“I was worried you wouldn’t come,” Allen said, breathing a sigh of relief.

The figure stepped forward, allowing Allen to see more of its features. The newcomer was rather slender, even with the armor, but not much else could be determined. It didn’t matter, though; Allen knew well enough who he was speaking to.

“Forgive me for being rude,” it said in a low, filtered voice, “but I have to ask you to be brief; it’s bad enough that I’ve been gone this long.”

Allen nodded. “I’ll try,” he said in a low voice. “I need to get as far away from Canterlot as possible.”

The figure laughed, the voice filtration making it sound somewhat horrifying. “Why not just go to the Crystal Empire instead of calling me down to a run-down fortress in the middle of the forest? That would be a much more convenient choice, don’t you think?” it asked incredulously.

The grey prince shook his head. “Not an option; I can’t be around any ponies. I’m heading for the Fissure,” he said ominously.
The other pony gasped. “Allen, nopony has been to the Fissure in thousands of years,” it said worriedly.
Allen nodded. “That’s the point,” he replied. “If I can make it there before my condition worsens, everypony will be safe from me.”

The figure nodded understandingly. “What exactly is your condition, if you don’t mind me asking?” it inquired.
Allen held up his right foreleg and removed the dirty bandages that enveloped it, revealing his now-human arm. Allen noticed that most of the dark-grey fur that covered his hand had receded, revealing the skin below.

The newcomer gasped again. “What’s happening to you?” it asked worriedly.

Allen sighed. “I’m changing back,” he said sadly, “and I have to be as far away from other ponies as possible when that happens. I need to ask one big favor of you; the fate of Equestria depends on it,” he begged.

The pony listened as Allen went on. “I need you to keep Twilight and the others from searching for me. I’ve already taken care of Luna and Celestia; they think I’m going on one of my research trips, and their royal responsibilities will keep them too busy to find me themselves,” he explained. “If anyone finds me, and I’m already completely human…” he trailed off, whatever consequences he saw too saddening to say aloud.

Allen’s contact moved it’s head slightly; Allen got the feeling that they were rolling their eyes. “I would be more than happy to help you,” it said regretfully, “but I have responsibilities of my own.”

Allen sighed sharply. “Can’t you get someone else to take your place? I’m sure there are tons of ponies that would gladly take over for you,” he said, starting to get that familiar dark feeling in his chest.

The figure shook its head sadly. “I’m sorry, Allen,” it said quietly, “but there’s nothing I can do.”

Allen suddenly snapped. “Were the lives lost in the Battle for the Crystal Empire not enough?!” he screamed, his irises suddenly turning light blue. “Was the death of Robert Greathouse and Shining Armor not enough? If you don’t help me, they will only be the beginning,” he said, his legs suddenly getting weak as the bright color faded from his eyes, and he collapsed to the ground.

“Please,” he begged tiredly, staring at the ground with sadness and pain, “do not let Twilight and the others find me, if not for me, than for all of Equestria.”

The armored pony stared for a moment, and then nodded slowly. “Okay, Allen,” it said gently. “I’ll do what I can.”
Allen laughed thankfully. “Thank you,” he said in a strained voice. “That’s all I need.. I’m just going to… rest here for a little bit, and then I’ll be on my way.”

The figure nodded, and then quietly exited the ruined fortress as Allen closed his eyes and struggled to sleep. He hadn’t slept in a few days, to busy trying to get away from Canterlot to rest, and fell into a quiet slumber.

~-~-~-~-~

Present Day…

“Hmm?” I mumbled as a loud blaring sound woke me from my sound sleep, and I looked over to see my alarm clock flashing. I glared angrily. “Asshole clock,” I muttered, slamming a hand on the alarm’s switch, “It’s Saturday! I don’t need to be up this early.”

I closed my eyes and rolled over, struggling to get back to sleep, when a quiet giggling caught my attention. I snapped open my eyes to see a sight that, to be completely honest, scared the shit out of me: a pony. Not an ordinary Earth pony; an Equestrian pony.

And out of all the ponies I had seen and couldn’t care less about, I knew this one ; we had met on Allen’s wedding night. A night that seemed so far away now...

“Hey, Drayke?” Allen asked slowly, “I need to ask you one more favor.”
I sighed heavily. Was it really not enough that I died for this kid? “I guess so,” I said with a roll of my eyes.
Allen pointed a hoof at a faraway table, where one of those unicorn-pegasus-things was sitting. Her body was bright pink, and her wings were tipped with a soft purple. She stared at the tabletop in front of her sadly as the music carried on in the background.

“You see that Alicorn over there? I want you to go over there and ask her to dance.”

My eyes got huge. “What?” I asked, bewildered that he would even think of asking me that, “No way, man. I’ll respect you being with a horse, but there’s no way I’m going down that road.”

I wanted nothing to do with these damn horses. I just wanted this night to end so I could ask Allen to send me home. No long goodbyes, no sappy last words, just me leaving, having to worry only about myself.

Allen gave me a serious look. “Drayke. She just lost her husband,” he said sternly.

Those words hit me like a sledgehammer. I knew all too well what it was like to lose the love of your life. I may have been a heartless asshole, but I wasn’t about to sit by and let someone else feel the way I did.

I also wasn’t about to admit I felt sorry for a horse, especially not to Allen.

“Oh. Well, in that case... sure” I said in forced nonchalance. “But only because I’m such a naturally nice guy,” I added.
Allen laughed. “Yeah, and I still have hands,” he replied with a roll of his eyes. “I’ll see you later!” he called, and ran back to the dance floor.

I looked straight ahead at the pink alicorn who gazed downward so sadly. I slowly crept up behind her and, after a slight hesitation, tapped her on the shoulder.

She looked back at me with confused, violet eyes. I caught myself thinking they looked beautiful, and gave myself a mental slap in the face.
“Um, I was wondering,” I said, nervously clearing my throat, “if you wanted to dance.”
She stared at me a moment more, he eyes scanning me as if she thought I was screwing with her, before she smiled thankfully.
“I would like that very much,” she said softly.

Most of the next song was spent figuring out how the mechanics of a human and a pony dancing would work, before we finally settled on her wrapping her forehooves around my neck and standing on her hind legs. The whole ordeal made me panic; I hadn’t even touched a girl in over two years. She seemed to enjoy my company, however, as we slowly drifted across the dance floor, the smooth melody taking us away from the crowd.

My mind flashed back to the present, where the apparition had vanished as soon as it appeared. I stared blankly at the empty spot in my bed for a long time, wondering why my mind had chosen to show me this particular illusion, before quickly getting up.
“Okay, I’m awake. Happy?” I asked no one in particular, and threw on a pair of jeans and a white t-shirt that lay on the floor right next to my feet.

Clean enough, I thought lazily, quickly shooting a blast of deodorant at my chest to cover the faint smell. A red flash caught my attention as I stepped forward, and I glanced to the right to see my crystal sitting on my nightstand. I walked over and picked it up, inspecting it closely.

“Did you just glow?” I asked the inanimate rock curiously, “or am I going crazy?” I stared curiously at the gleaming facets of the rock that I had used to take over Equestria, and eventually shrugged and stuck it in my back pocket. “I guess it’s the latter, then,” I said aloud as I headed to the bathroom.

I stared at my reflection in the mirror. After being stuck using medieval-esque weapons to sloppily trim my hair and beard for so long, I took pride in my appearance. Now, I made sure to keep my hair at a strict shoulder-length, and kept my facial hair rather short; right on that boundary between nonexistent and roughneck. I liked to think I looked kind of like a survivalist that lived in the woods for a few months, which was appropriate since I actually had spent a long time in the woods.

I squeezed some toothpaste onto my toothbrush, scrubbed away at my teeth, and leaned forward to spit in the sink. However, when I returned my gaze to my bathroom mirror, the entire room had changed. I was now staring at a massive pair of double doors with ornate, golden handles. I turned around slowly, tightly gripping my toothbrush, to see someone I honestly was hoping I would never see again.

“Hello, Drayke,” Princess Celestia said softly.

I screamed and threw the brush at her, which she responded by enveloping it in a magical grasp and lightly placing it in my pocket. “I was hoping your reaction would be a little more mature,” she said scoldingly as she stood up from her throne.

I stared in bewilderment. “Where… how… what am I doing here?!” I shouted angrily as the white horse drew near.
“Equestria needs you, Drayke,” she said simply.
I shook my head and laughed. “Oh, no, I’ve seen just how much ‘Equestria needs me’,” I said incredulously. “I’ve been hunted relentlessly by crystal statues, I’ve died - twice, I might add - and I’ve been forced to sacrifice myself for that ‘greater good’ crap. I’ve been through enough belittlement because of your world, and I would much appreciate it if you sent me home.”

Celestia straightened herself and glared at me. “Drayke,” she said sternly, “I know doing the right thing is not one of your strong suits, but you are our only hope! You must help us.”

I pulled my crystal from my back pocket. “Read my lips: fuck you!” I snapped, and held the black gem straight in front of me. “Take me home, you little asshole!” I commanded. “Friendship is magic!”

Searching for a Lead

I opened my eyes to find myself lying in a recliner, an open book resting on my chest. I looked around sleepily to find myself still in the Golden Oaks Library, where I had fallen asleep the previous night. Something seemed off, though, but I couldn’t quite place it.

“Looking for someone?” I heard a voice say behind me. I rolled over in the chair and peeked over the back to see a pink alicorn approaching me, smiling warmly as she did.

I stared in confusion. “Why do I keep seeing you?” I asked desperately. “Even on Earth, everywhere I look I would see you, or just around the corner I would hear your voice, or,” I broke off suddenly. “Look, I don’t know what you want from me, but you’re driving me insane. Please, leave me alone,” I asked kindly.

Cadence closed her eyes and shook her head slightly. “You will discover in due time why I haven’t left your thoughts,” she said quietly. “There is only one thing you have to do.”
I narrowed my eyes. “And what is that?” I asked suspiciously.

Cadence giggled lightly. “It’s time to wake up, Drayke,” she replied in a low voice.

I snapped my eyes open once again, finding myself still lying in the recliner I had fallen asleep in. “Drayke, it’s time to wake up!” Twilight called cheerfully. I looked behind me to see Twilight standing where Cadence had been moments before.

A dream? I wondered silently, staring at the purple pony in confusion.
Twilight laughed nervously under my gaze. “You okay in there?” she asked gently.
I blinked and shook my head. “Yeah, I’m fine,” I lied. “I just had a really weird dream.”
Twilight nodded. “Yeah, I heard! You were moaning and whimpering in your sleep. Sounded like you were saying ‘Gwen’,” she explained. “What's a 'Gwen'?”

I looked ahead sadly. “She’s nobody important,” I said quietly. “Come on; let’s get this over with so I can go home.” I stood up and headed for the door, with Twilight following close behind.

~-~-~-~-~

“Rarity, I told you to not make me look like a fruit,” I growled as we walked through the forest, stepping over fallen logs . The unicorn had made me some kind of black longcoat, with red and gold trimming. On my hands I wore a pair of red-trimmed fingerless gloves, and I also wore a pair of fur-lined buckled boots.

I looked ridiculous.

Rarity scoffed. “Nonsense, darling, you look absolutely heroic!” she exclaimed. “Just give it a little while to sink in.”
I rolled my eyes. “Whatever, at least the sword looks nice enough,” I growled, staring at the blade I held in my hands. It had an ornately crafted, golden handle with a ruby in the hilt, and the sword shined a brilliant silver. “Where exactly are we heading?” I asked no one in particular.

Twilight spoke up. “Before he disappeared, Allen would regularly come out here to do some research on the ancient humans. He said there was a stronghold from the days of the war that still had some information he wanted to decipher,” she explained. “Maybe we can use the notes in Starswirl the Bearded’s journal to investigate a little.”

I nodded. “Ah, yes, the stronghold. My little home for a whole year while I was hunted by crystal statues,” I said with false fondness. “Good times. Let’s check it out,” I said, leading the ponies forward, and after about an hour of what felt like aimless wandering, we eventually reached the stone structure I used to call home. The stronghold looked a lot like a medieval castle, but it was about the size of a standard single-story house, and most the ceiling had caved in long before I first arrived there. I carefully investigated the rooms as my equine companions followed close behind, and after a while I sighed defeatedly.

“I don’t know what to tell you,” I said apologetically as we stood in what I had assumed was some sort of meeting room, “but there’s nothing here. Trust me, I lived here for a while, and it doesn’t look like much is out of place since I left.”
Twilight shook her head, smiling. “Drayke, you really don’t pay attention, do you?” she asked condescendingly.

I glared at the purple alicorn. “What is that supposed to mean?” I asked sharply.
Twilight motioned towards a far wall, where a large rune was carved into the rock. It looked a lot like an alchemy circle, with smaller symbols surrounding it.

“Yeah, so?” I asked with a confused shrug. “I’ve seen that thing a million times, and not once has there been anything remotely special about it.”
Twilight rolled her eyes. “It may not have any meaning to a human, but this is an ancient Equestrian rune. It means ‘secret’,” she explained.

This caught my attention. “Secret? What’s it hiding?” I asked excitedly. I knew ruins like this were famous for hiding one thing: treasure.
The alicorn sighed hopelessly. “Do you not understand what this means?” she cried angrily, “there is a rune only a pony could know inside of a human stronghold. Which would mean…?” she asked hopefully.

I stared blankly.

Pinkie Pie bounced around excitedly, and I winced as she yelled in her high-pitched voice. “Oh! Maybe some of the humans were friends with the ponies?” she asked eagerly.
Twilight nodded. “Exactly. There must have been some sort of human-pony alliance during the war that was kept under wraps. Maybe whatever is behind this wall can give us a clue as to where Allen went!” she cried excitedly.

I nodded. “Uh-huh,” I said slowly, “and how exactly are we supposed to get past it? It’s a solid stone wall.”
Twilight turned to the rune and focused her magic on it. “These ancient runes have spells that correspond with them,” she explained. “If you use the right spell on a surface with a rune, it will open up like a door!”

I watched as the rune took on a bright violet glow, and a large split formed in the center of the wall. Slowly, the two halves shifted to the side, and a secret chamber was revealed beyond.
I whistled appreciatively. “Okay, that’s impressive,” I admitted, and slowly stepped forward into the newly-revealed room.

The wall was covered in ancient banners, displaying old writings and plans, and the floor was as smooth as marble. In the center there was a circular platform topped with a small pedestal, and stabbed into the pedestal was a sword. It had a golden handle with a black grip, and the blade was a shiny white.

Fluttershy squeaked when she saw what was draped over the sword. “A SKELETON!” she wailed, and hid behind Applejack, who rolled her eyes and smiled.
“It’s nothing to be sacred of, Sugarcube,” she said reassuringly. “It’s not going anywhere.”

Just then, the skeleton clattered to the floor in front of them, causing both mares to jump back and scream. I laughed mischievously as I stood behind the sword, and wrapped both hands around it.

“Let’s just hope this isn’t one of those swords that requires someone pure of heart, or this thing isn’t going anywhere,” I muttered, and tugged at the handle. After a few moments, I felt the blade give, and I tumbled backward and fell to the floor. The six ponies laughed as I stood and brushed myself off, blushing angrily.

"Hey, what's this?" I asked suddenly, spotting a tattered map on the far wall. It seemed to display all of Equestria, with some of the major cities and kingdoms marked.
Twilight stepped up to it and looked it over with narrowed eyes. "It's a map of ancient Equestria, not very long after it was first founded," she explained, sounding surprised. "I didn't know there were any of these left!"
I nodded, glancing at some of the capitol cities, when something caught my eye: a spot on the map circled in black ink, with no other markings around it. "What's that?" I asked curiously.

Twilight stared at it, just as confused as I was. "I don't know," she said slowly, "but it can't be a city. Could it be where Allen is going?" she suggested.
I shrugged. "That would be my guess," I said, comparing the circle to the other markings on the map; while the cities were labeled with bright red ink and smooth letters, the circle was sloppy and looked like it had dripped a little bit.

Just then, a shadow filled the doorway, and the mares turned around. Standing there was a slender pony dressed entirely in a lightly-plated suit of armor that masked it’s identity. It stared at us through a black visor, and spoke in a distorted tone.
“Do not seek the crystal prince,” it warned. “He has fled for good reason, and only harm will come your way if you follow him.”
Rainbow Dash took a defiant step forward. “Yeah? And what are you going to do to stop us?” she challenged.

Almost as soon as the words had left her mouth, the secret entrance we had entered through slammed shut, and I glared at the cyan pegasus.

“That is what he can do!” I shouted angrily. “How are we going to get out of here?”
Twilight focused her magic on the door for a moment, but nothing happened. “That’s odd,” she murmured, “he must have re-sealed the door with another spell. I can’t get it open.”

I looked down at my newly aquired sword and thought about all of the adventure games I had played in the past. “Usually when you get stuck in a dungeon,” I said slowly, “the secret treasure you find within is essential for getting further!”

With that, I ran at the door and slashed it with the white blade, and a loud clang echoed throughout the room. After a few moments of awkward silence, the wall suddenly reopened, and we were free to leave.
“Holy shit, it worked!” I cried, and rushed out into the main chamber of the stronghold. “Where the hell is that asshole?” I wondered aloud, and rushed off into the forest.

~-~-~-~-~

I sprinted through the endless miles of trees in what I assumed was the direction of my foe, tightly gripping a sword in either hand. My pursuit was interrupted, however, when my feet were knocked from beneath me, and I fell to the ground with a thud. I stood up, groaning, and saw the strange pony standing before me.

“Who are you?” I demanded. “Why are you doing this?”

He stared at me through that black visor. “My name is Black Heart,” he replied coldly. “Allen Greathouse has asked me to ensure that he is not sought after. I must admit, however, that I was not expecting you to be looking for him, Drayke.”

I narrowed my eyes. “How do you know my name?” I asked angrily.
Black Heart took a step back and hurled a bolt of magic from his horn to the ground, and disappeared in a flash of light. I stared at the spot he had been standing in until the sound of hoofsteps caught my attention. I turned to see my six companions rushing to meet me.

“Drayke, why’d you go after him like that?” Applejack demanded worriedly.
I glanced back at the spot. “I… don’t know,” I said slowly. “I wanted answers, I guess.”
Twilight nodded quickly. “Well, where do we go now?” she inquired.

"Well, that circle on the map was at the southernmost point in Equestria," I suggested, "so that's our only lead."
Applejack nodded. "Then it's settled; we go south!"

~-~-~-~-~

Black Heart stared into the distance defeatedly as he sat in a tree later that night, long after Drayke and the others had left the stronghold.
Why did Celestia and Luna have to send for him? he thought angrily as he reflected the encounter with Drayke. If he’s helping Twilight and her friends search for Allen, then there isn’t much else I can do to stop him.

Black Heart remembered Allen’s behavior when they met the previous month. He seemed so… worried. Panicked, even, like he knew something bad was on the horizon. But how could turning back into a human be a bad thing? Nearly everypony in Equestria knew who he really was, after all.

“I’m just over-thinking this,” he said aloud through the voice filter. “Allen must have had a perfectly good reason for leaving, and an even better one for wanting me to keep his whereabouts hidden.” Something still tugged at the back of Black Heart’s mind, though. “But what could that reason be? And why, out of all the places to hide, would he choose The Fissure?”

He sighed tiredly. “I’ll catch up with them in the morning,” he decided. “I may not be able to stop them, but I can still make sure they stay safe.”

I'm a Jerk, Not a Monster

“That was a complete waste of time!” I shouted angrily as we continued our trek through the woods. “Not only did we almost get stuck in that secret room back there, but we have next to no idea where Allen is headed!”
“Drayke, you really should calm down,” Twilight said gently. “After all, we have some idea as to which direction he went in.”

I rolled my eyes. “A direction isn’t good enough for me,” I pouted. “I would much rather have a destination. Why did he have to leave like that in the first place?” I wondered aloud. “At least he was getting help for whatever he was going through back at Canterlot. Why’d he run off?”

~-~-~-~-~

A Few Weeks Earlier…

Allen stumbled through the dense forest, every shadow the moon cast looking like some sort of enemy. Since meeting Black Heart at the stronghold, his entire right foreleg had returned to its human state, and his back-left hoof had begun its transformation into a foot. He looked around suspiciously, afraid he was being followed, when he heard a low chuckle. He had heard this voice before; it had been haunting him ever since his outbursts began.

“Why are you doing this?” Allen demanded. “Haven’t you done enough to Equestria?”
The voice laughed again, a low, cruel tone. “I’ve only gotten started, boy,” it growled, the mocking tone suddenly turning angry. “This world will be mine, as it should have been so long ago, and you will help me take it.”

Allen kept his pace as he began to feel that dark, twisted feeling suddenly growing in his chest. “The hell I will,” he muttered. “I would never help the likes of you, and once I get to the Fissure, I will no longer be of any use to you.”

The laughter continued. “We shall see,” it replied darkly. “Oh, how I shall enjoy hearing your screams as you destroy those ponies you claim to love so much.”

Suddenly, Allen fell to his knees and screamed, his irises glowing a bright blue and a white aura surrounding him. When he stood, all of the surrounding trees and ground had turned into masses of glimmering crystals.

“I won’t… give in,” he panted, glaring ahead at nothing. “I will never… harm my friends… ever.”

“Once you’ve outgrown that disgusting form,” the voice whispered, sounding as if its owner was right next to Allen’s ear, “you won’t have any choice.”

~-~-~-~-~

“Um, Mister Drayke?” a small voice asked beside me. I glanced down to see the yellow pegasus, Fluttershy, staring up at me with nervous eyes.
“Yes?” I asked slowly, and she squirmed a little under my gaze.
“I, um, wanted to ask, what you will be doing after we find Allen,” she whispered.

I narrowed my eyes for a moment, and returned my gaze to the trees ahead. “I’ll pack up my shit and leave,” I said flatly. “I don’t want to stay here any longer than I have to.”
“But why?” she asked, suddenly losing her shy tone and sounding genuinely concerned. “Why do you want to leave Equestria so badly?”

I rolled my eyes and looked back to the buttery pony. “I just don’t want to be here,” I sighed angrily. “For one, this place has a track record of getting me killed, which is a big no-no when it comes to finding a place to live. For another thing, everyone is too…” I struggled to find the right words, “friendly.”

Fluttershy kept up with her questions. “What’s wrong with a little kindness?” she asked.
I shrugged. “I’m not a very touchy-feely guy, in case you haven’t noticed,” I replied plainly. “Not anymore, at least,” I added under my breath.

Unfortunately for me, I had momentarily forgotten that Fluttershy wasn’t the only pony within earshot. “What do you mean, ‘not anymore’?” Applejack asked on my left. I winced, feeling stupid for not just keeping that last bit to myself.
“Nothing,” I said dismissively, and suddenly stopped walking. “Twilight, could you help me take a look at this sword?” I said, desperately changing the subject. During my stay at Canterlot, I quickly learned the purple alicorn was a sucker for history lessons, and knew she wouldn’t be one to resist a look at an ancient artifact.

Unfortunately for me, even she was willing to pass up that chance in favor of a look into my feelings.

“Maybe later,” she said dismissively. “I’m curious, too; why aren’t you so ‘touchy-feely’, Drayke?”
I suddenly continued walking. “On second thought, maybe we should keep going,” I said loudly, ignoring the ponies’ requests. “It would be a good idea to cover as much ground as we can while it’s still light out,” I added, glancing towards the now-setting sun.

Fluttershy was about to continue arguing, when she suddenly yelped and hid behind me. “What was that?” she asked, her voice trembling.
I looked around, confused. “What do you mean?” I asked in annoyance.
Fluttershy was shaking like a leaf. “Something growled,” she whispered in terror. The other ponies suddenly looked concerned, and began to nervously glance around.

I rolled my eyes. “Come on,” I moaned, “there’s nothing to be afraid of. You’re just overreacting.”

As soon as the words had left my mouth, a pair of strange creatures leapt out in front of us. They looked a lot like wolves, but they appeared to be made of sticks and branches, and were covered in leaves. One of them looked me in the eye and barked angrily.

“Timberwolves!” Rainbow Dash cried, and turned to run in the opposite direction, but two more of the beasts were waiting right behind us. Another pair of creatures emerged from the trees on either side of our group, completely surrounding us.
I pulled out the ancient sword and held it at the ready, menacingly thrusting it at the wolves. “Back!” I shouted, and the creatures took a hesitant step back with each jab as they circled us.

“Fluttershy, can you use your Stare on them?” Twilight asked calmly.
Fluttershy stepped forward. “I’ll try,” she said uncertainly, and suddenly widened her eyes at the beasts, staring them down intensely as they continued to stalk us like sharks.
“I don’t know what you’re trying to do,” I growled, “but it isn’t doing shit to these things. Anyone got a plan B?”

Twilight whirled her head, firing a bolt of purple energy from her horn that struck one of the creatures in the side. The beast staggered a little, but shook its head and growled menacingly.
“It didn’t do anything!” she gasped, panicking.

I sighed sharply. “Well, I have an idea,” I whispered, glancing to a nearby tree.
“What is it?” Twilight whispered.

“FUCKING RUN!” I screamed, suddenly sprinting for the tree and climbing the trunk like a pro, and I stared down from the branches. The others quickly jumped and dodged the creatures’ advances as they followed suit, and we all sat up in the tree as the timberwolves looked up at us in confusion.

Then I noticed someone was missing.

“Fluttershy!” Pinkie cried worriedly, and I looked down to see the yellow pegasus frozen in fear in the center of the pack. Her eyes were huge, and even with the significant distance between us, I could tell she was trembling violently.

“Fluttershy, get moving!” I bellowed, noticing one of the creatures had crept up behind her. It breathed heavily down the back of the mare’s neck, and I heard her whimper quietly.

I looked at the beasts as they continued to toy with their prey; taunting her with sudden rushes, seeing how she would react, before rejoining the circle.

At first, I was almost willing to just leave her there; let the wolves get her, and then they’d eventually grow bored of waiting for us and leave. But, I heard something that convinced me a hundred times over to not do that.

A quiet, helpless whimper came from Fluttershy’s barely-moving lips.

“Please, help.”

I suddenly lost control. I grabbed one of my swords in each hand and jumped from the tree, screaming angrily as I tore through one of the wolves the moment I landed. I looked up to see one of the creatures leaping at me, which I countered by stabbing it with both blades, then quickly tearing them outward and slicing my attacker in half. I spun around and whipped the ancient sword in my right hand, cutting the head off of one of the wolves that thought it could sneak up on me.

I turned to the remaining five, a dangerous gleam in my eyes as I held the swords defensively.
“Come on,” I dared them in a low voice, “try me.”

They stared back at me, uncertain of what to do, until ten tense second had passed and they ran off into the darkness of the forest, howling loudly. I stared after them before collapsing to my knees tiredly, laughing.

“Holy shit,” I breathed, “I can’t believe I did that.”

My rest was interrupted when a yellow mass tackled me and squeezed me in a death hug. “YOU SAVED ME!” Fluttershy cried as she tightly wrapped her forelegs around me and buried her face in my shoulder, sobbing happily. “I thought they were going to get me…”

I stood up sharply, causing Fluttershy to fall on her back. “Hey, I told you I’m not a touchy-feely guy!” I snapped, “that means hugs are off-limits!”

She stared up at me with wide teary eyes, and my glare slowly softened. “Sorry,” I said apologetically as helped her to her hooves. “You’re welcome.” As the pegasus stood up, I saw Twilight grinning at me.

“What the hell are you so proud of?” I snapped at the alicorn.
Twilight shrugged, still smiling. “Oh, nothing,” she said innocently, “it’s just you keep saying you aren’t a hero and you don’t like ponies, yet you just saved Fluttershy!”
I rolled my eyes. “I’m not such a monster that I’d watch her get devoured by wolves,” I said dismissively. “Now, why don’t we do what I said earlier and check out this sword? It was hidden in the stronghold; it could be connected to why Allen left.”

Twilight nodded. “That’s a good idea,” she said, and I held the sword for her to study. “This thing is covered in Equestrian runes,” she murmured. I gave it a close look, and saw she was right; the blade had some sort of inscription that looked like the same language as the rune we saw on the stronghold wall.
“What does it mean?” I asked curiously as Twilight levitated a ragged journal in front of her and looked between the tattered pages and the blade.
“It says ‘those who can master the Elements of Harmony shall be granted this blade’s true power’,” she read slowly.
I widened my eyes. “‘Elements of Harmony’? Aren’t those the gems that Allen used to kill me when we first met?” I asked.

Twilight nodded. “They are the most powerful known source of magic in all of Equestria,” she explained.
I laughed emptily. “They sure felt powerful getting stabbed through my chest,” I muttered. “What do those things have anything to do with a sword?”

Twilight shrugged. “In any case, we could go to the Tree of Harmony and see how the sword react to the Elements,” she suggested.
I shook my head and stood up. “No,” I said quickly, “we can’t be getting too far off the trail.”

Rarity cleared her throat. “In case you haven’t noticed,” she said with a yawn, “it’s nighttime! We need to stop and camp.”
I groaned. “You guys suck,” I complained, “don’t you have any sense of adventure? This shit gets even cooler at night!”

Rainbow Dash curled up at the foot of a tree and lied down. “Yeah, if by ‘cooler’ you mean ‘scarier’. We’ve already dealt with a pack of timberwolves tonight. What else could be waiting to take a shot at us?”

As she said this, I heard Fluttershy whimper quietly, and I sighed defeatedly. “Fine, we can stop for the night,” I agreed reluctantly, “but we get moving first thing in the morning!”

The others all sighed happily, and Twilight cast a spell that conjured up a tent in a nearby clearing. “Do you have a spell for pretty much anything?” I asked rhetorically.
Twilight shrugged. “Just about,” she said thoughtfully.
I looked at the tent, then back at her, and then sighed heavily. “Im not even going to argue,” I muttered as I headed for the clearing our shelter stood in. “What with all the tree-wolves and talking horses and who know how much bullshit I’ve gone through, I shouldn’t be questioning a magical tent.”

“Oh, and look at that; it’s bigger on the inside! How could I not have guessed?”

A Taste of My Own Medicine

Allen staggered into a dark cave after using his magic to clear the blocked entrance, tripping over a root and falling down the sloped floor. Black Heart had found him a couple of days earlier and warned him that Twilight and the others were already searching for him, and Drayke was with them.

“Why did Celestia have to send for him?” he asked aloud, mostly a pained groan than coherent words. He glanced down to check his body’s process in the transformation, and sighed hopelessly. One of his legs and arms had completely returned to their human forms, and because of certain... other parts of his body returning to their original state, he had been forced to make a makeshift loincloth that he could wear. He had found a few hours earlier that he could no longer effectively walk on all fours, and as a result was forced to stagger around on two differently-shaped legs.

He continued his venture into the cave for several minutes before finally stopping at the edge of a glittering pool. He had never seen it for himself before, but he remembered it from a particularly funny episode of the My Little Pony show when he lived on Earth. He held out a hand and dropped a tear-shaped crystal into the clear water, causing the pool to bubble violently.

Allen had learned about Spirit Crystals from Princess Cadence; they were powerful objects that could be used to mimic another being’s traits when needed, and could be created simply by thinking about that individual when conjuring it, giving the user a different voice, appearance, or even strength. But, even more significant is just how close they were to their original counterpart.

After a few moments, the pool returned to its original, flat state, before the surface was broken by a human emerging from the clear waters.
“What the hell, man?!” the Drayke doppelganger cried angrily, “I can’t breath underwater!”
Allen looked at the human commandingly. “You need to find the real Drayke Blackwood and keep him from following me,” the prince stated clearly. “Do not hurt anyone; just stall them.”

The Doppel-Drayke snorted. “And why should I listen to you?” he said angrily.
Allen rolled his eyes and fired a bolt of magic at the false human, hitting him in the shoulder and severing his arm. The limb fell to the ground behind its owner, and slowly turned into crystal dust. Doppel-Drayke stared at the glimmering spot his shoulder occupied as a crystal spike grew out of it, slowly taking on the form of a new arm.
“Because you can only do that a limited amount of times before you run out of regenerative power,” Allen said darkly, “and if you don’t do as you’re told, I’ll make you use it all right now.”

Taking the hint, Doppel-Drayke nodded and ran for the exit. “Whatever you say, man,” he called behind him. “With me on the job, Drayke will never reach you!”

Allen sighed, relieved, and proceeded to exit the cave. That won’t stop him forever, he thought, but it will buy me some time. And right now, time is the most valuable thing I have.

~-~-~-~-~

“No, Grandma, I don’t wanna wear the frilly shirt…” I mumbled sleepily as I slowly opened my eyes. I was laying in them middle of the clearing we had set up camp the previous night, but there was no sign of the ponies or the tent.

“God dammit!” I shouted as I jumped to my feet, “they ditched me!”

The sound of hoofsteps behind me made me turn, and I saw a midnight blue alicorn with a mane that looked like a wavy slice of the night sky; Princess Luna, Allen’s wife. I had learned rather quickly during my stay leading up to the wedding that she had the power to enter dreams, as she had tried to use the deepest parts of my mind to make me a better person.

It worked about as well as you would think.

“Are you the one that’s making Cadence show up in my dreams?” I snapped angrily. The princess looked confused by my accusation.
“What do you mean?” she asked with a questioning look. “I have already seen how resistant you are to my power; anything you have seen in your dreams is created by your own mind. Why don’t you tell me more about Cadence?” she asked gently.

I gave her a suspicious glare. “Why are you here, anyways?” I asked.
Luna looked down sadly. “I’m worried about Allen,” she said in a low voice. “I know he is more than capable of protecting himself, but I can’t help but think something has happened to him.”
I shrugged. “Well, I haven’t seen him at all,” I said apologetically, and sat down next to her. “Ever since I left Canterlot, the night of your guys’ wedding, I haven’t been able to get Cadence out of my head. I hear her voice when I’m alone, I see her in a crowd; hell, sometimes I even smell her,” I said with a laugh.

Luna looked at me curiously. “And how do you feel when you get these feelings?” she asked slowly.
I laughed softly. “To be honest, a little scared,” I admitted. “Whenever I feel like she’s around, I feel like I’m being followed by some force, and I have no idea what it wants. But…” I trailed off.

The princess looked down at me. “What is it?” she inquired.
I stood up. “I don’t know,” I muttered, slowly rising to my feet and walking away.
Luna followed close behind. “What were you thinking about just now?” she demanded gently.

I shook my head. “I don’t know,” I moaned, “whenever I get one of those feelings, I just… forget about my past. All the bad shit I’ve been through just fades away, and I only think about her. What does it mean?” I asked, giving her a hopeless look.

Luna looked down, closing her eyes and smiling. “I think I know exactly what you are feeling, Drayke,” she said with a giggle.
I stared, confused. “What?” I asked slowly.

The lunar princess brought her eyes to mine. “I get the same feeling whenever I’m around Allen,” she said teasingly. “Please, bring him back to me,” she said pleadingly, and suddenly she faded away.
“What?!” I shouted at the emptiness of the dream. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

I don’t know why I asked that; I knew the answer.

And it pissed me off.

Suddenly, I bolted up in my sleeping bag, fully conscious. “I’m not in love with a fucking horse!” I screamed angrily. I looked around to see the six ponies all staring at me like I was a lunatic.

“Um, Drayke,” Applejack asked slowly, “Is there something you wanna tell us?”
I looked at their worried faces, blushing slightly. “No,” I lied, and noticed sunlight was streaming through the tent flap. “Come on, let’s get moving,” I said, and walked outside.

~-~-~-~-~

“For the last time, I’m not talking about it!” I snapped. Applejack had been bugging me for the past ten minutes since we had started walking again to get me to talk about what I had said earlier.
“Come on, Sugarcube,” she said with a friendly nudge, “you’ll feel better if you talk about it!”
I stared ahead angrily. “Somehow I doubt that,” I muttered, and something caught my attention. “What in the hell is that?” I asked slowly. I saw a lone figure standing next to a tree, leaning with one arm propped against it. He had long blonde hair and green eyes, and a crazy smile stretched across his face,

“Another Drayke?” Pinkie asked, dumbfounded. “But Drayke is right here!”
I stared at the stranger. “Wait, that’s what I look like?” I asked, realizing she was right. “Jesus, I look like shit!”

My imposter straightened himself out and took a step forward. “You’re little quest stops here,” he said with a smug tone.
I laughed and pulled out the ancient sword. “Yeah, sure thing, pal,” I said coldly. “How about you just step aside, and I won’t hurt you.”

The other me held his arms straight outward, and they melted into long crystal blades. “I could ask you the same thing,” he said in an equally cold tone.
We stared at each other for a long time, daring one another to make the first move, before I finally spoke. “Holy shit, a UFO!” I cried, pointing urgently behind him. When he turned to investigate, I ran and planted a scissor kick right in his back, knocking him several feet away.

We both leaped to our feet and ran at each other, locking our blades in a struggle to overpower the other.
“Just give up already!” I growled.
Doppel-Drayke scoffed. “Like I would lose to someone as stupid looking as you!” he shot back.

I stared at him for a moment. “You do realize we’re the same person, right?” I asked slowly.

My imposter thought about this for a moment. “Yeah, well… fuck you!” he screamed finally, and pushed me backwards, causing me to stumble and fall. I heard a tearing sound as I fell, and found that he had cut my jacket off.

“Oh, you’re gonna get it now, asshole,” I growled as I tossed let the shreds fall from my arms and tackled my opponent, locking him in a strangle hold as we rolled around on the ground. Eventually, he broke free from my grasp, and we stood up, gasping.

“Hold it!” I heard a voice shout. We both turned to see the six ponies angrily staring us down, and Pinkie was aiming her signature party cannon between us.
“Now, you two step away from each other,” Applejack demanded. We quickly obeyed out of fear of being blasted by a pack of confetti at immeasurable force. “Now, I’m gonna ask you three questions, and whoever answers them right must be the real Drayke. Deal?” she asked loudly.

We both nodded obediently.

“Alright. Question one: what name did you go by when you took over Canterlot?”

Did she really have to bring that up?

“The Obsidian King!” my duplicate cried triumphantly, giving me a smug grin.
“Come on, Applejack,” I complained, “that guy’s the phony. Just blast him and we can continue our search,” I pleaded.
Applejack narrowed her eyes. “I dunno, Sugarcube,” she said slowly, “he sure seemed to know the answer to the question, while you’re sitting here making excuses. Question two!”

I sighed heavily as she asked the question. “Where in Equestria did you go with Allen to defeat Sanguis?” she asked.
I was just about to open my mouth, before that imposter shouted “The Crystal Empire!”

Applejack gave me a suspicious look. “Things aren’t looking good for you,” she said slowly. “This one will decide it. Question three: what were you dreaming about last night?”

I froze, unsure of what to say. I glanced over at the other me, and saw he had no idea what the answer was.
Well, looks like I’ve gotta come clean, I thought angrily. “Cadence,” I mumbled sadly as I stared at my feet.

Applejack glanced at me. “What was that?” she asked curiously.
I looked up at her, not moving my head. “I was dreaming about Princess Cadence,” I said, a little louder this time. “I've been seeing her in my dreams ever since I left Equestria after Allen’s wedding.”

The orange pony stared at me, her intense gaze slowly softening, before she turned to Pinkie and gestured to the Doppel-Drayke. “Blast him,” she said quickly. Before anyone could react, I heard a loud party-horn sound, and my impostor exploded into several shards of crystal that slowly turned to dust.

I let out a heavy, relieved sigh. “That was close,” I said.
Applejack laughed. “Not as close as you think,” she said teasingly. “I knew it was you the whole time; I just wanted you to open up about what’s been on your mind.”

I exploded. “WHAT?!” I screamed, my fingers curling like claws. “You mean to tell me that you knew I was the real Drayke the whole time? You lied to me!” I accused.
Applejack looked offended. “I did not!” she said defensively. “I made you think there was a risk of getting hurt so you'd come clean about your feelings.”

I stared and rambled incoherently at the ponies for a long time, before finally sighing and walking away.

“Where are you going?” Twilight called after me.
“Finishing this damn mission so I can go home!” I called without looking back. “You gonna come?”

~-~-~-~-~

Black Heart watched from the trees as Drayke continued on his quest, the six ponies following close behind. He was impressed that Allen actually used a Spirit Crystal to make a duplicate of Drayke, but that wasn’t what occupied the armored pony’s thoughts’ what the human had said caught him completely off guard.

“Dreaming… about Cadence?” he asked himself slowly, hardly able to comprehend this information. “What are the odds of that…”

He stared ahead for a few moments, entranced by his thoughts, before quickly shaking his head. “I wish he had just kept his mouth shut; this is going to be a lot harder than I thought.”
Saying this, he held his horn high in the air, and vanished in a flash of light.

They're Starting to Grow On Me

“So, Drayke, you’ve been having dreams about Princess Cadence?” Pinkie Pie asked as we continued our journey. A couple of hours before, the dark forest had slowly transitioned from endless miles of trees into a wide-open rocky plane. Nothing grew here, and nothing lived here; it was just us.

“Yes,” I said slowly, slightly afraid of what she would ask next. It had been a couple of days since the incident with the Doppel-Drayke, and the ponies had been rather quiet about my revelation about my dreams.
“Will you ask her to marry you like Allen did with Luna?!” she cried excitedly.
I scowled. “I’m not in love with Cadence,” I said angrily. “She probably used some kind of spell on me the last time I was here; that’s why I can’t stop seeing her.”

Pinkie lowered her head sadly. “Oh,” she said quietly, falling back with the others.
I stared ahead into the distance, where the heat of the endless planes had started to play tricks on my eyes; it was like when you’re driving on a really hot day, but in the distance it looks like the road is wet and rippling.
Trippy, I thought as I squinted at the mirage. “Hey, Twilight, where exactly are we?” I asked, glancing around at the vast emptiness. Here and there I saw some rocky pillars jutting out of the ground at varying heights, but nothing else.

Twilight took a deep breath. “Well,” she said, sounding a little uncertain, “if we’ve been going in the right direction this whole time, which I am certain we have, this should be the Badlands.” She took a nervous glance around, as if she was looking for something.
I raised an eyebrow at her shifting gaze. “Something on your mind?” I inquired.
She gave a confused look. “I’ve heard stories about this place; they say strange creatures live out here, rarely seen by ponies,” she explained. “But I look around, and there’s no signs of anything other than rocks.”

I shrugged. “Maybe they’re just tales to keep little kids from coming out here,” I suggested.

Just then, I saw a flash of light, and a dark shape flew towards me at high speeds. Before I could react, it slammed into me and carried me several yards away before dropping me on the ground. I quickly pulled out my sword and held it at the ready, and I saw my adversary circling above, just barely close enough to identify them.

“It’s Black Heart!” I cried, waving for the others to hide behind a nearby rock formation.
Twilight looked concerned. “He’s an alicorn?” she asked, panicking.
I looked up, struggling to focus on the armored pony. “I don’t think so,” I said slowly, “it looks like those wings are part of his suit or something.”
I heard Twilight sigh in relief, and I jumped to the side moments before Black Heart took another dive at me. He skidded across the ground, spinning to face me as he did, and his wings folded to his sides and locked into his armor.

“I told you to stay in Canterlot!” he shouted through his voice filter. “If you look for Allen, only danger and death will be waiting for you!”
I held my sword in front of me, glaring at Black Heart. “I’m on a mission,” I growled, “and if I don’t finish it, I can’t go home. So, if I were you, I’d stay out of my way.”

Black Heart laughed cleverly. “I knew you’d say that,” he said quietly. “That crystal you always carry around, do you still have it?” he asked curiously.
I nodded slowly. “Yeah, why?” I asked suspiciously.

Black Heart took a slow step forward. “What if I told you I could send you home?” he offered. “I could recharge your crystal, you could go home, and these ponies can go back where they will be safe.”
I stared at him, my expression transitioning from anger to disbelief. “You could do that?” I asked quietly.

Black Heart seemed to hesitate for a moment, but nodded. “Yes,” he said firmly. Either it was just me, or he sounded unsure about whether he wanted to do that.

I stared for a moment, deciding what to do, When I got an idea. Putting on a smug look, I pulled my crystal out from my back pocket. “Do it,” I demanded, holding the black gem straight in front of me.

Just then, something tackled me from my right. I looked up when I had stopped moving to see Rainbow Dash pinning me down, glaring angrily.
“You traitor!” she shouted angrily.
I glared back at her. “How am I a traitor?” I snapped. “You know I never wanted to sign up for this quest in the first place; I was only in it to get home. Now, I have a chance to get out of here without risking my life, and you really expect me to not take it?”

Rainbow pulled back a hoof menacingly. “I ought to clobber you right here,” she growled.
I grinned and looked her smoothly in the eyes. “Do it, then,” I challenged. “You don’t have the nerve.”
She stared at me, her gaze slowly losing its intensity as her hoof fell to her side. She looked down, defeated, and let me go.

“Fine then,” she pouted, “don’t help us find Allen.”

I looked at her over my shoulder. “That’s the plan,” I said nonchalantly, and turned back to Black Heart, once again presenting the crystal “Okay, charge it up,” I said eagerly.
Black Heart held his horn high in the air as a dark aura surrounded it, and fired a bolt of magic straight at the crystal. The gem seemed to hungrily absorb the energy, taking on a reddish glow as it recharged.

“It is done,” Black Heart said simply with a nod. “You can go home now.”

I nodded slowly. “‘Can’,” I said, pointing a now-glowing finger at the pony, “not ‘will’.”
Before he could react, a beam of black energy shot from my finger and struck Black Heart right in the chest. In an instant, he was encased in a shell of translucent, black crystal.

I turned back, smiling, as the six ponies stared at me with gaping mouths. Rainbow Dash was the first to speak.
“You jerk!” she said as she tackled me once again, but with a hug this time, “why’d you trick us like that?”
I froze up. “Hugs, HUGS!” I said angrily, and the pegasus quickly got off. “Anyways, I did that to prove that if I’m given a job, I’ll stick to it. I may not be the most morally stable person, but I’m good for my word,” I explained. “Let’s get out of here; this thing doesn’t have the insanely-powerful ancient magic I used on Celestia, so I doubt that shell will hold him long.” Saying this, I pointed a thumb at the crystal statue behind us.

~-~-~-~-~

A hoof nudged me awake as I lay on the rocky ground. I rolled over to see Rainbow Dash standing over me and eyeing me curiously.
“Hey,” she whispered, “can I talk to you?”

I groaned as I stood up. “Eh, sure,” I mumbled. “Make it quick, though; I’d like to actually get some sleep tonight.”
She motioned for me to follow her several yards away from the camp. I could still see the fire we had set up, but there was no way the others could see or hear us.

“So,” I said casually, “what is this about?”
She sighed heavily and sat down. “Why are you so angry all the time?” she asked.
I sat next to her. “Because I’ve had a shitty life,” I said honestly. I was too tired to be dodgy with her questions.

“What do you mean?” she inquired. “Your life couldn’t have been that bad.”
I chuckled sadly. “Oh, it could. My mother was a drug addict, my father was an abusive drunk, and my younger brother was a manipulative weasel. The greatest gift I ever received was turning 18 and being able to leave that place for good,” I explained.

Rainbow Dash looked surprised. “There must have been something good in your life, right?” she asked.
I smiled fondly, looking off in the distance. “There was,” I said happily. “I had a girlfriend, Gwen. Everyone who saw us said we were meant for each other; we had the same hobbies, we liked to go to the same places, we liked the same foods… it was perfect,” I explained, my happiness suddenly draining. “No… better.”

Rainbow knew where I was going with this. “What happened to her?” she asked gently.
I sighed sadly. “There was an accident,” I said. “We were driving down the street when a car came out of nowhere and slammed into us. I got out close to unharmed, but Gwen was crushed; it wasn’t until a few hours later they were finally able to get her out and into an ambulance.

I visited her every day,” I continued, my voice starting to get husky. “I brought her flowers; she loved snapdragons, so I made sure to bring her some whenever I could. The doctors said even if she ever woke from her coma, it would be a miracle if she would be able to walk again. But… she never woke up.”

Rainbow nodded sadly. “I had no idea you had been through so much,” she said apologetically. “I’m sorry I gave you such a hard time.”
I nodded thankfully. “I’m sorry for being such an asshole,” I said with a laugh.

We sat there silently for several moments, until Rainbow Dash finally spoke up.

“Hey, Drayke?”

“Yeah?”

“I... think I might know something that could make you feel better.”

“What’s that?”

“I don’t do this too often, but… would you like a hug?”

I stood up sharply and started to walk back to the camp. “Not happening,” I said firmly.
The pegasus flew past and landed in front of me. “Come on,” she complained, “I’m not the kind of pony to go giving out hugs like candy; if you want that, ask Pinkie Pie,” she said angrily. “I may not be the Element of Kindness, but I can tell when somepony is hurting. I know you like to pretend you're a tough guy who doesn’t need friends, but right now, I think we both know you want a hug,” she said with a slight hint of teasingness at the end.

“Lies!” I hissed dramatically. “You’ll never hug me!” With that, I sprinted for the camp. Just then, I felt something grab my feet, and I tripped and fell on my chest. I looked back to see Rainbow wrapping her forelegs around my feet.
“Trust me, Drayke, you need this!” she said in a strained voice as she struggled to hold me back.
“I do not need a hug!” I growled as I crawled across the flat, rocky plain, clawing at the ground below.

A couple of minutes later, Twilight, Pinkie, Rarity, Applejack, and Fluttershy were all standing over us as Rainbow Dash struggled to wrap her forelegs around me as I held her back with all my might.
“Oh, just let her give you a hug!” Twilight cried with a roll of her eyes.

“Never!” I screamed defiantly. I looked up to see Twilight and the others giving each other mysterious looks and smiling cleverly.

“Well, if that’s the way you want to be,” she said slowly, “then so be it!” Just then, all five ponies leaped at me and piled on top of me in a massive pile, tickling and hugging me.

“Stop!” I screamed, laughing crazily, “Come on, guys, stop it!” I kicked my legs and rolled around, but the ponies refused to let up with their torment. After several long minutes of this, we eventually lay on the ground in a big pile, laughing and hugging.

“See, that wasn’t so bad, was it?” Rainbow Dash asked teasingly.
I looked up at the starry sky, smiling happily. “I hate to admit it,” I said with a yawn, “but that was fun.”
We all sat there together for the rest of the night, a human and a group of ponies sleeping beneath an endless sky.

There's Always Some Big, Scary Hole, Isn't There?

At the border of the forest and the Badlands, Crystal Heart sighed from within his crystal prison. It had been nearly a day since Drayke had trapped him, and the shell had almost faded enough to allow the armored pony to break free. With some difficulty, he flexed his limbs and leaped forth from the shell with a triumphant cry.

“That idiot!” he yelled angrily, “why can’t he understand that if he finds Allen, this will only end badly?” He looked up at the sun, which appeared to be at it’s highest point in the sky. “Okay, they can’t have gotten far; I could still catch up to them!” With that, he jumped into the air as his wings folded away from his armor, and he soared off into the sky.

~-~-~-~-~

“Ugh, how long have we been walking?” I complained. The scorching sun was beating down on me heavily, and thanks to that duplicate I had fought the other day I didn’t have a jacket to protect myself from the harsh elements.

“Calm down, Drayke,” Twilight said cheerfully, “it isn’t that bad! It’s a nice, breezy day, the sun is out; how is this bad?”
I glared at her. “I’m tired, my neck is sunburned, and I’m thirsty,” I growled angrily. “This is not what I would call a ‘nice day’. This is the kind of weather people die in!”

Twilight rolled her eyes. “Rainbow Dash, could you get a raincloud for him?” she asked politely.
Rainbow saluted, and zipped off into the sky. A minute later, she came back carrying a dark-grey cloud in her forelegs. She gave the grey puff a hard smack with her forehoof, and in mere moments I was drenched in a torrent of rain.

I blew air through my nose to keep water from getting in my nostrils. “Thanks,” I mumbled, shaking myself like a wet dog. At least I wasn’t hot anymore.
Rarity cleared her throat quietly. “Um, Drayke,” she asked slowly, “I was wondering if, before you leave, you would like me to fix your jacket for you? It would be a waste to let such a fine piece of work to go to waste like that,” she added.

I shrugged. “It’s up to you,” I sighed nonchalantly. “I personally think it looks ridiculous, but I won’t stop you.”
Her eyes lit up. “Great!” she said excitedly, “I already have some ideas for improvements!” She rambled something about “jeweled shoulderpads” and “armored, fingerless gauntlets”, but I wasn’t paying attention. I saw something in the sky a few miles ahead of us, soaring at high speeds. It was big, red, and was covered in nasty-looking spikes. The creature soared towards us on massive, leathery wings, and glared at us with contempt-filled eyes.

“Dragon!” Twilight yelled, and the ponies ran for cover. I stared up at the massive beast in awe as it drew near and landed; I had never seen a dragon before, but ever since a kid I thought they were incredibly cool.

“Six ponies and a strange, bipedal creature? It isn’t often such a plentiful meal wanders into my territory,” it said, licking its lips hungrily.

If there’s one way I absolutely refuse to die, it’s getting eaten alive.

I pulled out my swords and held them at my sides. “Back off, pal,” I commanded loudly, “we aren’t some snack.”

The dragon roared with laughter. “And what, pray tell, will you do to stop me, little ape?” it growled humorously, poking a talon at my chest.
I smiled dangerously. “Something stupid,” I muttered, and charged at the creature, sliding across the rocky ground as it trailed me with a blast of fire. I tried to swing one of my swords at its stomach, but then I remembered: dragons gather precious gems to use as protection for the weaker parts of their body.
“Aw, shit!” I cried as my blade bounced off of the dragons diamond-hard makeshift armor.

The dragon laughed at my attempts to harm it. “It always brings a smile to my face when such small creatures fight so vainly,” he said, wiping a tear from his eye with a claw, “but that’s enough with the games! I haven’t eaten in months, so if you could make this simple, I would be eternally grateful.” The beast reared back its head for another gout of flame, but I was ready; I dropped the swords and pulled out my crystal, feeling its energy course through me as I wrapped my fingers around it, and I became encased in my signature Obsidian King armor as the dragon’s fire harmlessly passed over me.

“What sort of power do you posses, creature?” the dragon inquired at the sight of my newly-formed armor.
I held out my arm as a scythe-axe formed in the air beside me, and I twirled the weapon like a baton until the head was facing behind me. “I…” I trailed off, “I really can’t think of anything cool to follow that up with.”

I ran at the creature, leaping in the air as I drew near, and drove the blade of my scythe into the dragon’s eye. It roared in pain, whipping me back and forth as it flailed and screamed. I grabbed its nose to get a better grip, and climbed to the top of the dragon’s head.
“This is so fucking cool!” I cried as my armor receded, and I held the crystal downwards. “Let’s see if we can get some faster transportation out of here!”

A cluster of black chains shot from the crystal, enveloping the dragon like a harness, slowly restricting its movements until it fell to the ground, motionless.

“Alright, pal,” I said loudly, “you’re gonna give me and my friends a ride. Once we arrive at our destination, you can go free. Deal?”
The dragon pondered this for a moment. “Deal,” it finally muttered in shame. “Where do you wish me to take you?”

I took a heroic pose and stared off into the horizon. “I don’t know!” I said dramatically. “Hey, guys, I got us a ride!” I called to the cowering ponies. They ran excitedly to climb on the dragon as I muttered, “just head south, pal. I’m sure we’ll know it when we see it.”

~-~-~-~-~

“I feel just like Atreyu, man!” I cried from my position on the dragon’s neck, and threw my arms into the air and whooped loudly.
“Who’s ‘Atreyu’?” Applejack asked, confused.
Pinkie perked up her head. “Is he a friend of your’s? WILL WE GET TO MEET HIM?!” she asked excitedly.

I rubbed the bridge of my nose with my index finger and thumb. “Ponies,” I sighed tiredly. Just then, slightly covered by a veil of clouds, I saw something that looked promising. I patted the dragon's neck. “Bring us down, right there; I think that’s what we’re looking for!” I called over the roaring wind.

We descended slowly near a system of caves at the edge of a massive canyon. The sky overhead was a sickly black, like some kind of apocalyptic storm, and the temperature dropped several degrees.

“Thanks for the lift, big guy,” I said thankfully as I patted the dragon’s snout. The beast snorted in annoyance.
“Do not act so cheerful, ape,” it spat menacingly, “I could devour you right now, and there would be nothing you could do to stop me.”
I rolled my eyes. “I could just cut my way out of you,” I suggested nonchalantly. “Did you remember to line your stomach with diamonds on the inside, too?”

The dragon stared blankly with its good eye as the ponies jumped off of him, and he quickly took off in a mad scramble to get as far away from me as possible.
I laughed coldly. “That’ll teach him,” I muttered, and turned to the caves. “What is this place?” I asked, awestruck.

Twilight took a step forward, just as surprised as I was. “I don’t know,” she said quietly, “I think we may be the first ones here in a very long time.”
I glanced down and pointed near my feet. “Apparently not,” I mumbled, and Twilight followed my finger to see a set of fresh footprints pressed into the ground; bare, human feet.

“But… who could these belong to?” Fluttershy asked, bewildered. “You are the only human in Equestria; how can there be human footprints here?”
Rainbow Dash started walking forward into the cave’s mouth. “We won’t find out just standing around here!” she cried bravely, “let’s go!”

After a moment’s hesitation, we all followed her into the dark, twisting cave, with Twilight taking lead as she lit the way with a light emanating from her horn.

~-~-~-~-~

“How deep does this thing go?” I said aloud after what seemed like ages, hearing my voice echo off the walls. I looked around as we continued our descent, watching the light from Twilight’s spell reflect off of the rough walls of the cave.
“I don’t know,” Twilight responded slowly. “This place is very interesting, though, and I can feel a breeze coming from this direction, so this must lead out somewhere!”

She was right; I held my hand out to my side and felt a quiet breeze hit my palm. “Well, that’s good to know, but we still don’t know where this is leading us,” I mumbled. Just then, the cave darkened, and we all cried out in surprise. “Twilight, what gives?” I cried angrily.
“I don’t know!” Twilight cried, panicking, “my magic isn’t working!”

I pulled out my crystal and held it in front of me. “Nothing,” I muttered angrily as the crystal failed to produce even the smallest spark. “Well, looks like we’re wandering blindly.”
I heard Fluttershy whimper. “What if there’s a monster waiting for us?” she asked in a hushed whisper.
I squinted in the darkness, suddenly seeing something that looked too good to be true. “I don’t know about monsters,” I said, laughing, “but I do see the exit!” I broke into a sprint as the others followed me to the end of the depressingly dark cave.

~-~-~-~-~

We emerged into a dark, barren canyon, free of any trees or grass. I looked around at our new surroundings in confusion. The only source of light was the faintest hints of sunlight that seeped in through the canyon opening far above us, just barely illuminating our surroundings. If we hadn’t just been outside in the bright daylight, I would have thought it was evening.

“What is this place?” I asked aloud, just as I heard a violent coughing echoing from nearby.

“That sounded like Allen!” Rarity cried. I nodded and ran for the source of the sound, and my eyes grew wide at the sight. Standing there, with his back against a rock, was a human Allen. He was encased from his shoulders down in a thick shell of crystal, and he stared sadly at the ground.

“Allen!” I called, and the boy looked up, a hopeful smile suddenly spreading across his face.
“Drayke!” he cried happily, “oh, thank God you guys came! You have to get me out of here,” he begged.

I pulled out my swords and started using them to chip away at the crystal shell trapping Allen. “What the hell are you doing here, man?” I asked, pausing between every other word as my blades smashed into the shell.
“I… I don’t know anymore, actually,” he said sheepishly. “I started turning into a human again, and something I had read in the human stronghold made me think something bad was going to happen.” Although he couldn’t properly move at this point, I could tell he was trying to shrug.

“Well, I’m not in charge of you or anything, so I’m not going to yell at you for any of this. I can’t say the same about your friends, though…” I trailed off, glancing at the six ponies behind me.

Allen laughed nervously. “Sorry, girls,” he said quietly.

Twilight looked like she was about to start chewing the kid out for running off, but just then the ground started shaking beneath our feet. “What the hell is that?” I cried.
Allen looked around fearfully as I broke enough of the crystal trapping him to allow him to move. “It’s the Knights!” he cried, “we have to get out of here, now! This place completely cancels any powers anyone within may possess; Pinkie can’t even break the fourth wall while she’s here!”

Pinkie glared at him. “Hey, only I can do that!” she said angrily.

Just then, I heard the sound of rock breaking behind me. I turned around to see a crack had opened up in the ground, and a trio of crystal creatures were climbing out. They reminded me of Sentinels, but rather than the large, ogre-like creatures I was familiar with, these ones were much more humanoid. They still looked rather intimidating, and I took a hesitant step backward when each of them drew a sword and shield from their back.

“No one escapes the Fissure,” one of them whispered angrily, and the Crystal Knights attacked.

I Didn't See This One Coming

We all ran for the cave mouth from which we had entered the Fissure, myself in the lead, Allen and the six ponies close behind, and the Crystal Knights leading a relentless pursuit.
“Allen, what are those things?” I yelled behind me, “I thought the Crystal Guardians were history!”
“So did I,” he called back, “but these ones must be localized here; they weren’t awakened when you and I first arrived in Equestria!”

I don’t know why, but something seemed different about Allen. I didn’t know if it was the pitch of his voice, or maybe the color of his skin, but something about the kid didn’t seem right. Maybe it was my imagination; after all, I hadn’t seen his human form in over a month.
“Any way we can beat these things?” I asked desperately, leaping over a rock that jutted out in my path.

Allen shook his head. “No point, seeing as they outnumber us. Just keep running; I don’t think they are allowed to leave this place!” he yelled, sounding breathless.

I nodded and looked straight ahead, seeing a Knight had emerged from the ground ahead of me. I pulled out my swords and swung at the creature, the blade I found at the stronghold cleanly slicing off its head, but the sword Celestia had given me shattered. I glared at the broken handle and threw it to my right, and it bounced across the canyon floor.

I heard Pinkie scream, and I turned to see she had tripped over a Knight emerging from the ground. I skidded to a halt, motioning for the others to keep running as I sprinted to help the pink pony.
“Get away from her!” I screamed as I leaped into the air, driving my sword into the creature’s back as I descended. Another Knight tried using my distraction as an opportunity to strike me, but I quickly turned around, causing it to instead hit the Knight already impaled on my blade. I withdrew my weapon and quickly slashed at my attacker's abdomen, and then turned back to Pinkie.

“Let’s go!” I yelled, and we ran after the others. After more wild running, I noticed some Knights were emerging from the canyon wall above the exit, and had begun to chip away at the rocky face.

“They’re trying to cave it in!” Allen cried, and we all kicked our running into high gear. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy soared into the air and slammed their back hooves into the Knights above us, knocking them aside before they could do any more damage.

I stopped by the cave’s mouth, making sure everyone else got away alright, and continued to flee once they had gotten out of the canyon. I looked behind to see the Knights keeping up their pursuit, but the moment they entered the tunnel they were instantly disintegrated, becoming a pile of harmless crystal dust.

“Yeah!” I shouted triumphantly, “that’s what you get when you mess with me!” I whooped victoriously. “We did it, you guys!” I looked back at the others, but they weren’t looking at the decimated Knights; they were focusing on Allen. He was slowly walking away from the group, chuckling quietly as he headed back towards the surface.

“Allen, are you okay?” Twilight asked slowly.

Allen turned around and looked me in the eyes. “I’ve never been better,” he said in a low voice, and a cruel smile stretched across his lips. That may have been strange enough, but the one thing that I thought was odd was his eyes. Rather than being the dark-brown eyes of a nervous teenager, as they had been moments before, they were filled with cruelty and contempt, and seemed to glow an icy blue.

I knew those eyes well; after all, they were the last thing I saw the last time I died.

“Don’t let him escape!” I shouted, suddenly charging at the boy with my sword drawn. He quickly turned and sprinted down the tunnel, surprisingly fast despite the chase we had just had with the Knights. I widened my eyes and stopped as Allen suddenly turned around, holding his right hand straight outward. I tried to get closer, but I was held in an invisible grip that prevented movement.

“Good to see you again, Drayke,” Allen said, his voice suddenly growing deep and distorted. His brown hair slowly paled until it was a bleached white, and there was a whitish-blue aura surrounding him as a suit of black armor formed around him.

The same armor worn by an ancient warlord who tried to take over Equestria nearly a month earlier.

“Sanguis,” I growled, and tightened my grip on my sword, “how are you still alive?”
Allen laughed in Sanguis’s voice. “One of the many advantages of my curse; if I am not slain properly, I can simply latch onto a host, the easiest being the whoever killed me. Rather poetic, isn’t it?” he said, and waved his left hand. I turned and saw Twilight and her friends being levitated towards him as they struggled vainly against his magic.

“So, what’s the plan this time? Dominating Equestria, or something a little more ambitious?” I spat mockingly.
Allen shook his head. “Oh, no,” he said slowly, “I have something much bigger in mind. Of course, I will be taking this world as my own in due time, but I cannot do it by myself; I’ll need some like-minded individuals who would also like to take over,” he explained ominously.

I narrowed my eyes, noticing I was slowly being pushed back. “What do you mean?” I asked angrily.
Allen smirked maliciously. “When history repeats itself, things never go exactly the same way,” he mused, and released his grip on me. I was free to move, but an invisible wall still kept me from advancing on the possessed boy. As he turned to leave, a swirling, dark portal opened up behind him, and he started walking towards it, pulling the struggling ponies behind him.

“You won’t get away with this!” I yelled desperately, pushing against the invisible wall in a pointless effort to break through.
Allen looked over his shoulder. “Although this may sound cliched, I believe the only proper response to that threat is, ‘oh, but I already have’,” he said mockingly, and waved a hand as he and the others passed through the portal. Just then, the cave began to shake violently, and I turned and ran as the began to collapse, starting from the point Allen had disappeared from. I peered over my shoulder, widening my eyes as the crumbling rock got ever closer, and in my distraction, tripped on the uneven cave floor.

“Shit!” I yelled as I faceplanted into the hard ground, and had exactly one second to wince in pain before the wave of rubble buried me, sending me into an endless abyss of blackness.

~-~-~-~-~

“Luna,” the lunar princess heard a soothing voice call from the corner of her room. Luna sat up in her bed, gazing into the darkness curiously. She knew that voice, but could it really be who she thought it was?

“Allen,” she said hopefully, “is that you?”
There was a bit of movement, and Luna could just make out the shape of her husband standing in the shadows. “Yeah, it’s me,” he reassured her. “I… changed a little while I was gone, but it’s me.”

Luna jumped up and ran to him, sobbing happily as she nuzzled the boy’s neck. “Oh, I don’t care if you’re a human, a pony, or anything in between,” she cried, “I just don’t want you to ever leave me again.”
The boy chuckled quietly. “Don’t worry,” he said, his voice suddenly growing dark as he gripped her shoulder tightly, “you won’t have to worry about anything soon enough.”

Luna gasped and fell to the floor, her strength suddenly drained from her body. she struggled to cry out, but her voice wouldn’t obey her.
“What’s the matter?” the boy asked, his eyes suddenly glowing blue in the darkness as he leaned down next to her, “trying to call for help? Why don’t we go fetch your sister? I’m sure she would love to come with us,” he whispered in her ear, and stood up as he waved his hands, binding her in black chains with his magic, and dragged her down the hall towards the throne room, blasting any guards that tried to interfere aside with bolts of dark energy.

~-~-~-~-~

Celestia sighed as she gazed out of one of the many windows in the Castle Canterlot throne room. Everything seemed to be falling apart lately; her brother-in-law’s disappearance, her niece's distant attitude, and sending her former student and her friends with an unpredictable human on a dangerous quest. She prayed for some bit of good news to come her way.

The solar princess heard the throne room doors open, and turned to see Allen walking towards her. Her spirits were lifted for the briefest of moments, until she noticed two things: first, his strange appearance, for not only was he a human once again, but his hair was a snowy white, his eyes glowed a light blue, and he wore a suit of jet-black armor. What was worse than this, however, was who she saw he was dragging behind him.

“Allen!” she shouted angrily at the sight of her chained sister, suddenly leaping from her throne as her horn became bathed in a bright, golden glow, “what are you doing?”

The boy smirked wickedly and let the chain fall to the floor. “I think you have me mistaken for someone else,” he said, his voice deep and twisted, “but that is understandable; after all, isn’t this our first time meeting each other in person?”
Celestia narrowed her eyes. “Who are you, then, and why are you pretending to be Allen?” she asked coldly.

The man pretending to be Allen laughed. “Why I pretend to be this pathetic fool will be clear soon enough; as to who I am, I think you can recall a slight disturbance at the Crystal Empire a few weeks ago…” he said slowly, giving the princess of the sun a clever look.
Celestia gasped. “Sanguis Cruciatus,” she whispered with disbelief. “you say Allen is a fool, when you stand before an alicorn of my power and mock me?” she snapped, suddenly floating in the air as her eyes glowed a blinding white. “You are responsible for numerous deaths, both recently and long ago, and now you have given me the opportunity to avenge them!”

After saying this, she aimed her horn at the boy and fired a massive blast of energy at him, completely removing him from view as he became enveloped in a beam of magic as powerful as the sun itself. She concentrated the beam for several seconds before she stopped, certain she had defeated the enemy.

“Is that the best you can do?” Allen asked, who was, to Celestia’s surprise, completely unphased by the attack. “From what I can tell from this boy’s thoughts and memories, you are supposed to be a goddess. Your precursors would be ashamed if they saw what you just did!” he said, laughing cruelly.

Celestia took an uncertain step backward. “How is this possible?” she breathed, “what sort of power do you possess?”
“I have all of this boy’s powers,” he replied darkly as he conjured a web of black chains in front of him, “and my own, all fueled by the magic within his friends.” He waved his hand, causing the chains to fly forward and entangle Celestia, giving no opportunity to escape. She struggled to try and break free, but it felt as though her strength had been ripped from her body.

“Well, that’s three alicorns,” Allen said thoughtfully, “four if you count myself, I suppose, as well as the other five ponies. Now, we just need to wait for the last one.”
Celestia gasped for breath as she struggled under her prison. “You… will never find… Cadence… She will know that… we have fallen… and she will hide,” she said, glaring up at the human.

Allen smiled. “Oh, you don’t get it, do you?” he said with false sadness. “I don’t need to find Cadence; Drayke is going to bring her to me.”

Celestia narrowed her eyes. “What makes you think that?” she growled.

Allen grabbed the chains binding Celestia and started dragging her toward the doors. “I think we both know there is more to your niece's depression than the death of her husband,” he said smugly, and a group of guards burst in, blocking his exit.

“Stop right there!” one of them shouted as they surrounded him, each one daring the boy to move.
Allen sighed hopelessly and let his shoulders fall limply. “Oh, darn,” he said sarcastically, “my plan is ruined by the arrival of the heroic royal guard. I have no choice to submit and let you take me away,” he moaned, falling to his knees and holding out his arms expectantly. One guard approached to slap a pair of shackles on the boy’s wrists, but stopped when he noticed that Allen was… laughing.

“What’s so funny?” the guard pony asked slowly.

Allen reached out and grabbed the guard by his neck. “Sorry, but I’m a terrible actor,” he admitted, and threw the guard to the side, causing him to slam into two of his comrades. The rest of them charged, trying to subdue their princesses’ attacker, but he quickly jumped out of the way and stood by Luna’s barely-conscious form, summoning a black crystal sword and holding it against her neck as he did.

“Make another move and she dies!” he roared, all traces of Allen’s voice suddenly gone for a moment. Luna slowly looked up at him through pain-filled eyes.
“Allen, please,” she whispered, “don’t do this.”

The human glared down at her, putting a little bit more pressure on the blade. “Allen is dead,” he hissed. “and so will all of your wretched race in due time.” He looked back to the guards, who were still deciding whether or not to advance. “Well? What’s it going to be?” he demanded. “I would rather not kill her, as she is a vital part of my plan, but I can easily replace her if need be.”

The royal guard looked amongst themselves nervously, and finally stood down, regretfully allowing the human to take their beloved princesses.
Allen smiled. “Fools,” he spat, and waved his hand in front of him, materializing a wave of crystal spikes that immediately shot forward and impaled his enemies. Then, he walked over to Celestia and grabbed her chains, and dragged her and her sister to a swirling portal that had formed in front of the royal throne.

“Where do you plan on taking us?” Celestia said, clenching her teeth at the tremendous pain her prison was causing her.
Allen chuckled darkly, just one step away from the twisting abyss. “That is an interesting question, Princess,” he said quietly. “Technically, we are going nowhere.”

With that, he stepped into the portal, dragging the princesses of day and night with him to his final destination.

Against My Better Judgement

“Where… where am I?” I moaned, unable to see anything. I grabbed at my face and found my eyes were wrapped in bandages. I couldn’t properly move my left arm, and something about my shoulder didn’t seem right. I pulled off the fabric wrapping and looked at my surroundings. I was lying on some kind of cot in a treehouse, the walls lit by candlelight. The dancing flames illuminated the walls of the room, revealing the odd-looking masks that decorated the place. In the center of the room, I saw a zebra slowly stirring a pot as she added all kinds of herbs and strange objects to the brew; I remembered her from Allen’s wedding. Zecora, I thought hazily as I recalled her name. She turned and smiled gently when she saw my eyes were open.

“Ah, it is good to see you are awake,” she said quietly, “for being trapped where you were would be a terrible fate.”
I groaned as I sat up, gripping my numb shoulder. “What the hell is… Oh, crap,” I said, noticing my left arm stretched down just a little further than usual. “My arm!” I cried, panicking. “How’d I dislocate my shoulder?” I asked the zebra, bewildered.

Zecora stared, confused. “Whatever do you mean, injured one?” she asked, giving a hoof-full of spices a toss into the pot as she stirred the mixture quickly. “Do you not remember what happened before the setting of the sun?”
I peered out the window, surprised I didn’t notice it was nighttime. “Sanguis,” I whispered, clenching my good hand angrily. “I have to save them. I have to-” I cut off as I stood, my knees suddenly buckling as I fell to the floor. Zecora rushed over and helped me back into bed.

“You are not ready to walk yet, I’m afraid,” she said soothingly, “before you can leave, you will need proper aid.” She gave me a bowl of whatever she was mixing in the pot, and I drank it suspiciously. It tasted kinda like soap, and I gagged as it sloshed down my throat. I licked the inside of my mouth and grimaced, trying to get rid of the foul taste, and noticed my arm was moving on its own. I looked down, cringing at the sight of my shoulder slipping back into place, but for some reason I didn’t feel anything.

“There, now that you have been cured by the best, you should lie down and try to rest,” she said soothingly, and went back to her stirring.

I glared at her. “My…” I trailed off, uncertain which words I should use to describe the ponies, “companions have been captured. If I don’t find them, then they are going to die.”
Zecora closed her eyes and nodded sadly. “Believe you me, I fear for them too,” she said quietly, “but first there is somepony who wishes to speak with you.”

I heard hoofsteps behind her, and I looked to see a dark shape stepping towards the bed. I recognized the armored form almost instantly.
“Black Heart,” I growled, instinctively drawing back. “What do you want?”
A quiet laugh came from the voice filter. “I think a ‘thank you’ is in order, seeing as how I saved your life,” he said quietly. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you why I was keeping you from Allen, and I’m sorry I hid my true identity for so long,” he apologized sadly. “If I had just told you why Allen fled in the first place, Twilight and her friends would still be here.”

I narrowed my eyes. “‘True identity’?” I asked slowly.

Black Heart turned to Zecora. “Could you give us a moment alone, please?” he asked politely.
The zebra nodded and quickly exited the shack, disappearing into the darkness of the forest.

“Okay, so, who are you?” I asked expectantly.

Black Heart sighed. “Tell me, what you said about your dreams, was it true?” he asked, suddenly hopping up on the cot next to me.
I stared. “What do you mean?” I asked slowly.

“You said you were dreaming about Princess Cadence. Is that true?” he pressed.

I looked down sadly. “Yes,” I admitted. “Ever since I left this place, I’ve been seeing her. In my dreams, on the streets, next to me in bed...” I trailed off, and looked over to see the armored pony staring at me, his helmet hiding any signs of emotion. “What do you care?” I snapped suddenly.

Black Heart sighed. “Because I know Cadence has been the same way,” he said sadly. “She sees you everywhere, she hears your voice, she feels your presence, just as you do for her.” He placed a forehoof on his chest and I heard a click followed by a hiss as a few of the plates on his armor shifted around. Then, the black suit fell away peice by peice, revealing the pink fur that lay underneath. I stared as the pony’s horn glowed with a magical aura, but rather than the black one I had seen him use before, this one was a light blue. The helmet became surrounded in the same aura, and it lifted away to reveal a pair of violet eyes and a beautiful, three toned mane.

I suddenly felt very confused about thinking Black Heart was a guy for so long.

“Cadence,” I said quietly, the sudden revelation striking me like a blow. She nodded slowly, staring bravely into my eyes. As she did, I found myself looking back to the night of Allen’s wedding, as we drifted across the dance floor.

~-~-~-~-~

Okay, I thought slowly, I’m dancing with a magical talking horse. Not exactly where I thought I’d find myself when I escaped that crystal, but it’s a start.
For the first minute, I awkwardly tried avoiding eye contact with Cadence by scanning the dance floor around me. At one point, though she caught my gaze for a moment before looking down sadly.

“Someone asked you to dance with me, didn’t they?” she asked softly.
I opened my mouth, planning on telling her no, but I’m not the kind of guy that bullshits girls. “Yeah,” I admitted, “Allen saw you were sad, and asked me to cheer you up.”

Cadence giggled slightly. “That boy has such a big heart,” she said, “Luna is a lucky mare.”
I laughed. “I can’t say I can agree with that, since the last time we met, he ran me through with a broadsword,” I said lightly, “but I can’t deny he’s quite the hero.” My voice fell as I said this.

“What’s the matter?” she asked, concerned.

I glanced over my shoulder at Allen, who was sitting next to Luna at one of the tables. The two were giving each other goo-goo eyes, a sight that made me roll my eyes. “He’s got… everything,” I said said sadly. “He has a wife that loves him, he’s a hero, loved by everyone, and he’s a goddamn prince. Meanwhile, I’m one of the most hated things in this world, and I’ll probably always be remembered as the Obsidian King.”

Cadence stared at me with pity for a few moments. “You don’t know that,” she said cheerfully. “After all, you helped Allen save all of Equestria! I’m sure ponies will hear about that and change their mind about you.”
I shrugged. “You could be right,” I sighed, “but I don’t think I want to stick around and find out.”

Cadence looked confused. ‘What do you mean?” she asked.
I sighed. “I’m going to ask Allen to recharge my crystal, and then I’m going home,” I said with certainty.
My dancing partner nodded slowly. “I understand,” she said flatly, “but why wouldn’t you want to try a fresh start here?”
I laughed. “Pastel ponies aren’t my cup of tea, lady,” I said simply. “I prefer to be around other humans, and even if the kid hadn’t turned I’d still be on the first flight out of this place.”

Suddenly, Cadence sighed and placed her head on my shoulder. “If this is your last night in Equestria, you should at least make it a night worth remembering,” she whispered. “Have a good time with everyone, make peace with Allen, and then when the night is over, go home with good memories.”

I hated to admit it, but it was a good idea. Despite getting killed twice and being marked a villain, Equestria wasn’t too bad a place to hang out for a little while. So, I danced with Cadence a little while longer, chatted with Allen and Luna, and resisted the old high school urge to spike the punch. Before I knew it, I was headed up the stairs of the castle, where Allen and the others were spending the rest of their evening.

It was time for me to go home.

“Drayke,” a soft voice said from behind me. I turned and saw Cadence lightly walking behind me, looking a little nervous.
“Yeah?” I asked nonchalantly. Ever since our danced, she seemed to be acting really friendly around me. I suppose it made sense, since I was technically her date.

Wait, what?

“I was wondering if you were considering staying in Equestria,” she asked slowly, looking up at my eyes shyly.
I sighed. “I can’t,” I said simply. “A guy like me doesn’t belong in a place as happy and caring as Equestria. I have to go back to Earth.”
Cadence nodded sadly. “It was worth a shot,” she said with an empty laugh. I suddenly felt a little guilty. “But, for what it’s worth,” she added, stretching up and giving me a soft kiss on the cheek, “thank you.”

I stared after her as she walked away, brushing my cheek with my hand and staring at my fingers in shock. A part of me wanted to be disgusted, but another, happier part was too overjoyed at the fact I had been kissed by a girl.

“I’ve gotta get the fuck out of here,” I breathed, shaking my head in an attempt to clear my thoughts as I headed for the balcony.

~-~-~-~-~

My thoughts returned to the present, in Zecora’s house, where Cadence was still staring into my eyes. I suddenly noticed we had been slowly moving towards each other while I was having my flashback. I turned my head away sharply.

“I… I can’t,” I said sadly.

Cadence nodded dejectedly. “I forgot you don’t like ponies very much,” she said quietly.
I looked back to her. “No, that’s not what I meant,” I said quickly. “I can’t fall in love again. If I do… I’ll just end up back where I was in the first place; a bitter asshole that wants to destroy the world.”

Cadence looked confused. “What do you mean?” she asked.

I sighed and told her the story of my life, the same way I had told Allen and Rainbow Dash. My family, my time with Gwen, the accident, my arrival in Equestria… all from point A to point B.

“...And ever since then, I’ve tried to stay away from love, because I know that in the end, I would lose whoever I was with, and it’d ruin me all over again,” I finished sadly. I turned to see Cadence still staring at me, but now she was… smiling. Giggling, even.

“What’s so damn funny?” I growled, upset that she found my terrible past humorous.

“What’s funny,” she said, suppressing her laughter, “is that you think that you would lose me somehow. Drayke, I may be just a princess of love, but I can handle myself. I’ve been following you around for nearly a week disguised as some kind of assassin, and I handled myself just fine! And you, you’re the guy that took over Equestria in a day, and then died! And then, a year later, you went face to face with an enemy who threatened to destroy everything we ponies know, and you still lost!”

I was about to tell her to stop, but she went on: “My point is, Drayke, you’ve been through too much during your time here to become a bad person again, and I’m not some precious thing that you need to protect. We can be together without any danger; it’s all up to you.”

I stared at my feet for a long time. “I don’t know…” I sighed.

Suddenly, Cadence grabbed my shoulders and turned me to face her. “Okay, look, I love you, and it’s obvious that you love me. What are you so confused about?”

I had a million thoughts running through my head at that moment that I could have used to answer that question. A million different outcomes that may or may not have been better than the one I chose.

But, just because they would be better doesn’t mean I’m not happy with the way it turned out.

I smiled and shook my head, chuckling slightly, and looked Cadence in the eyes. “Oh, fuck it,” I sighed, and quickly wrapped my arms around her and pressed my lips against hers. In that moment, all my dislike for the ponies and judgement for Allen’s relationship choice melted away into pure, unfiltered happiness.

Cadence gasped in surprise at my advance, but slowly brought her forehooves to my neck and carefully cradled my head as we sat there, gently kissing under the the moonlight beaming through the window.

I Didn't Believe In Ghosts Until Now

I opened my eyes slowly, having fallen asleep on the cot in Zecora’s house. Cadence, who had been under my arm when I passed out the previous night, was nowhere to be seen, and I was left alone in the small room. I got to my feet and stretched, noticing that whatever potion Zecora had given me the previous day had worked better than I thought, and yawned loudly.

“Jesus, babies don’t sleep that well,” I said, scratching my chin. I took a quick glance around the room, getting a good glance at my surroundings, and gasped when my eyes fell on my sword. It sat on the floor next to the cot, broken into three pieces.

It must have shattered when the cave collapsed, I thought, clenching my fist angrily. Doesn’t matter, though, I realized, pulling my crystal from my back pocket, ‘cause I’ve got this!

Something about it seemed wrong, though. As I gazed at the black gem, I remembered what I had become when I gained the title and powers of the Obsidian King. After everything I had been through, using it didn’t seem like the right thing to do.

“Not like I have much choice, though,” I muttered, slipping the gem back into my pocket. “I’ll need all the help I can get to fight Sanguis and save Allen.” I grabbed the broken sword and quickly exited the house, hoping to find Cadence and Zecora and plan my next move.

~-~-~-~-~

I walked down an open path leading away from the house for a couple of minutes, holding my broken weapon under one arm, until I found Cadence and Zecora sitting on a couple of tree stumps in a small clearing and talking. Cadence glanced over as I approached and smiled.

“Drayke!” she said happily, “Zecora and I were just thinking about checking on you. Are you feeling okay?”
I nodded. “Yeah, I am,” I said with a laugh. “I haven’t slept that good in years. What were you guys just talking about?”

Zecora cleared her throat. “We believe the sword you that possess may be a key item in your quest,” she explained in her usual mystical-rhymey way.
I nodded thoughtfully. “Perhaps,” I said slowly, “but it’s broken; it isn’t going to be a key item in anyone’s quest anymore.”

Cadence took a step forward. “There is something we could do that might fix it,” she said cautiously. “I don’t know if it will work, but it’s worth a shot.”
I shrugged. “What is it?” I asked nonchalantly. “With Sanguis in control of Allen’s power, we can use all the help we can get.”

The princess of love explained her plan. “When Allen was studying the ancient humans, he said something about how warriors would form a strong bond with their weapons, and link their own spirits to the blades. I think if we can use the energy from your crystal, we could temporarily restore the spirit of whoever wielded that sword during the war. He could help us fix it!” she exclaimed.
I grinned. “Yeah, that’s a great idea!” I said, placing the blade fragments on the ground and lining them together, and then placed my crystal on top of the center piece and waited.

“Nothing’s happening,” I said dejectedly.
Cadence narrowed her eyes. “Give it time,” she said slowly.

Just then, the sword became bathed in a reddish glow, like an ethereal flame, and exploded upwards into the air like a pillar. When the flames cleared, there was an figure on his knees, kneeling before the blade. He wore a suit of silver armor trimmed with gold, and his helmet looked like a metal eagle’s head.

The man slowly rose to his feet, and I saw he had long, smooth blonde hair. He snapped his eyes open, revealing his bright, violet irises. He looked at me and the others in confusion.

“How am I alive?” he asked, “why have you brought me here?”

I held up my hands calmingly. “Hold on, buddy,” I said slowly, “we just wanna talk. Is that cool?” I asked, smiling kindly.
The stranger stared at me for a moment before nodding slightly. “Yes,” he replied gruffly, “we can speak.”

I nodded. “Great. My name is Drayke Blackwood. This is Cadence,” I said, gesturing to the pink alicorn to my left, “and Zecora,” I added, pointing to the zebra on my right. “We want to know more about your sword.”

The man studied us for a few seconds. “Drayke, Cadence, and Zecora,” he repeated slowly, “my name is Argentum Vindex. You say you know of my sword? How is that possible? I ordered it to be sealed away,” he said, sounding upset.

I nodded. “It was, but I found it. It’s been broken, and we want to know if there is a way to fix it,” I said, directing his attention to the blade fragments at his feet. He looked down and gasped.
“The Sword of Harmony,” he said quietly, leaning down and gently stroking the blade, “I never thought I would see this blade again…”

I stared as the man petted the sword like it was a cat. “Uh… yeah,” I said slowly, “anyways, we need it fixed so we can use it to save Equestria. Can you show us how?” I asked, trying to distract the man from his blatantly obvious weapon fetish.
Argentum glanced up at me, smiling like I was a fool. “‘Use it’? My friend, you do not ‘use’ the Sword of Harmony, for it is not some weapon to be blindly swung by barbaric oafs. No, it is a tool,” he said, standing proudly, “a tool to be used by a hero that can show the way through the darkest of times. It is a symbol to rally soldiers to bravely fight battles they will most certainly lose. It is-”

“Yeah, yeah,” I sighed, waving my hand in a circular motion, “I get it: the sword is a big deal. Can you tell us how to fix it?”
Argentum glared at me. “I can,” he said slowly, “but before you are able to wield it, you must first prove to me you are worthy of its power. Face me in battle, and I will decide if you are deserving of it.” As he said this, he held his hand over the broken blade, and it rose in the air, the pieces orbiting each other. The broken ends sparked with energy that connected to the proper edges they corresponded with, and they came closer and closer together until the sword was whole once again.

I looked over at Cadence and Zecora questioningly, and they responded with slow nods. I turned back to Argentum. “I accept your challenge,” I said, pulling out my crystal as my armor and scythe formed, “but I’ve gotta warn you; I don’t fall easily.” I charged at him with my scythe held at my side, tearing it upwards as I approached, but stopped when the blade caught empty air.

“You’re a little slow,” Argentum commented, now standing to my left. Before I could react, he caught my head with a roundhouse kick that sent me spiraling into a nearby tree. I shook my head to clear my daze, and decided to take another approach as I twirled the scythe around in my hands like a baton, the blade blurring in front of me as I spun it faster and faster. When I decided I had built up enough speed, I charged at my opponent, the whirlwind of death directly in front of me.

When I got close enough, however, Argentum began to quickly dodge every sweep I took with ease; I may as well have been moving in slow motion. I tried to quicken my pace and fake him out a few times, but he would always dodge my scythe with inches to spare. Eventually, he quickly brought his sword up and caught my blade, grappling with me as we struggled to overcome one another.

“I’m… not giving up…” I growled, pushing back on the sword. Even though I was putting all of my strength into the fight, it still felt like he was just a little stronger.

“Why is that?” Argentum inquired, raising one eyebrow.

I bared my teeth, grinding the jagged toes of my boots into the ground for more leverage. “Because if I don’t get that sword, my friends will die!” I shouted, and I felt the pressure of my muscles lessen; I realized my armor had taken on strength of its own, and was bearing the weight of the fight. “I’m not letting that happen,” I added, my voice vibrating as the crystal’s energy flowed through me, causing my armor to glow bright red between its plates. A red aura surrounded my scythe, and I saw Argentum’s boots begin to scrape the dirt as I finally started to push him backward.

When I figured the time was right, I quickly took a step back and slammed Argentum with the pole of my scythe, knocking him off of his feet. Before he could react, I whirled my weapon around so the jagged top of the blade was pressed against his neck. The warrior stared at me for a few seconds, and slowly smiled.

“Drayke,” he began, “you have proven you are ready to wield the Sword of Harmony. But, before I give it to you, I want to ask: how do you think you earned it?”
I shrugged. “Because I beat you?” I asked.

Argentum shook his head. “No; you could have lost to me, and there is still a chance I would have willingly passed the sword onto you. You are worthy of the sword, not because of how hard you fought for it, but why you fought for it,” he explained. “Any hero who fights with his friends as his main goal deserves to wield this blade with no restrictions.” He held the sword by the blade and presented the handle to me, which I took carefully.

“Thank you,” I said gratefully, “but how do I use it?”

Argentum raised an eyebrow. “Have you not read the inscription?” he asked slowly.

I shrugged. “A friend read it, but I’m a little fuzzy,” I said with a nervous laugh.

Argentum cleared his throat. “The inscription reads, ‘Those who can master the Elements of Harmony shall be granted this blade’s true power’,” he said.
I nodded. “So, I’ve gotta find the Elements,” I said decisively. “Cadence, do you know where they are?”

Cadence thought about this for a moment. “They should still be embedded in the Tree of Harmony,” she said. “I don’t think it’s very far from here; we can get them right now!”

I heard low laughter, and turned to see Argentum smiling and shaking his head slowly. “Something you wanna tell us?” I asked the warrior slowly.

Argentum looked at me with his bright, purple eyes. “You are taking the inscription too literally, Drayke; you cannot master the gemstones that embody the Elements, for they are pure, unsurpassed magic. The inscription is a little more metaphorical than that.”
I threw my arms down hopelessly. “Great, a riddle!” I cried angrily. “Just what I need when I’m trying to defeat Sanguis: a fucking riddle!”

Argentum looked shocked by my words. “What did you say?” he said quietly, stepping closer, “you’re fighting Sanguis? Sanguis Cruciatus?”
I nodded slowly. “Yeah. He’s possessed a friend of mine, and kidnapped several others,” I explained. “Why, do you know him?”

Argentum lowered his head and clenched his fists. “I did more than know him,” he said sadly. “I trusted him... I would have died for him, and he betrayed me.”
I stared at him. “What did he do?” I asked gently.

Argentum looked up at me. “I believe it would be better if I showed you myself,” he said slowly, and suddenly gripped my shoulder. At that moment, everything around me faded into blinding whiteness before my vision slowly reformed, and I could hear faint voices that sounded miles away...

The Memory Remains, Part 1

“...Argentum…? Argentum, are you okay?”

I groaned as I sat up. “What happened?” I asked, dazed, and looked around to find my five companions eyeing me worriedly. Magnus looked at the ground and let out a relieved laugh.
“Gods, Argentum, you scared us to death!” he cried with a hearty slap on my back. “You said you ‘could handle it’. Tell me, why exactly were you struggling to keep your sanity back there?” he asked smugly.

I tried to scowl, but couldn’t help but smirk at my friend’s teasing. “When the legends told of ‘sights not meant to be seen by mortal eyes’, I didn’t think they’d be that terrible,” I mumbled with embarrassment. “I see everyone else made it through okay; shall we explore a little?”

A quiet voice spoke from behind me. “Argentum, are you sure you’re well enough to start walking around?” I turned to see Aequani Spero, the quietest of our group, staring at me worriedly. She had short, black hair and bright green eyes, but it was hard to tell as she always wore a black hood that hid her face from view. Her outfit was a rather ironic one; it was a black and yellow coat with a stinger-like protrusion coming from one of her pauldrons, and the whole thing made her look like a wasp. However, despite the fact that she looked like an insect known for it’s terribly violent mannerisms, she herself was very gentle and soft-spoken, and avoided conflict whenever possible.

I smiled warmly. “I’m fine, Aequani,” I said reassuringly. “I just overestimated my strength, is all.”

A loud laugh sounded from over on my left, and I turned to scowl at Saevus Probitas. He was a bit of a wild card, as his personality was incredibly loud and somewhat obnoxious, but his preferred method of fighting was to hide in the shadows silently, until his unlucky enemy drew to close. He may have been an annoyance, but he was a great fighter to have on one’s side.

“No offense, Argentum, but - and I’m asking you honestly, here - has there ever been a time you haven’t underestimated your strength?” I watched as he flipped off of a nearby rock and did a handstand for several seconds, before flipping back to his feet and bowing dramatically. He liked to be simple with his apparel, and stuck with a neck-to-toe bandage wrap, and a pair of leather boots, gloves, and a mask that covered all of his face except for his mouth.

“Lay off of him, would you?” This was Ludus Aevum, who served as Saevus’s arch-rival. While Saevus liked to tease me, Ludus was always right there to protect me from his light insults. I didn’t need his help, but he still insisted in escalating each of Saevus’s jabs at me into a full fist-fight. “He’s obviously been through enough after our passing through the Void; he doesn’t need you bothering him the moment he regains consciousness.”

I glanced over to my left to see Liberalis Anima standing with her back against a tree, staring nonchalantly at the horizon. She was the more distant member of our group, usually keeping her thoughts to herself. She wasn’t shy like Aequani was, though; she just wasn’t a frequent conversationalist. Despite her coldness, she had a fierce spirit and was a valuable companion once you got to know her. When in battle, she prefered to be swift and clean with her attack, and thus wore a short, blue dress with a fur-lined collar, and wielded an elegant rapier. The others and I were concerned with her prefered outfit when we first fought together, but our fears were quickly dismissed when we saw just how good she was.
“Liberalis, what can you see?” I called.

Liberalis sighed deeply. “There appears to be some sort of castle in the distance,” she murmured just loud enough for us to hear. “Less than a day’s journey from where we are now, it would seem.”
I nodded. “Okay, we can go there and discover just where we are,” I decided, and started to lead the group in the direction Liberalis had said the castle was located. “Remember, we are guests in this world. If we find any creatures during our journey, regard them with peace unless they try to attack. Understood?”

The others nodded. “Okay. We must move quickly, for we do not know if anyone else followed us here. We must establish our presence before the situation gets out of hand.”

Magnus stood up, smiling eagerly. Magnus and I had known each other the longest out of all the members of our group, and were inseparable friends. He had smooth, shoulder-length white hair and brown eyes that could go from friendly to fierce in a moment’s notice. He wore a suit of armor that paralleled mine; while mine was silver with gold trim, his was an ebony-black with dark grey markings.

“What sort of inhabitants do you suppose we’ll meet, Argentum?” he asked curiously.
I looked over at my friend and smiled. “I do not know, Magnus,” I said honestly, “but what I do know is that the future is bright for our people. We are going to usher in a bright era for humanity, and we will all be honored as heroes.”

~-~-~-~-~

We arrived at the castle several hours later, our journey strangely uninterrupted by any inhabitants this world may possess.

That is, until we reached the castle town.

We stared around as we walked through the main gates, the market square filled with horses. They were not ordinary horses, however; they were all sorts of soft colors, and they were much smaller than any of the equines from earth. They all stared back at us with wide, bright eyes as we nervously strolled through the crowd, intent on reaching the castle.

Just then, a group of the creatures surrounded us. These ones wore radiant, golden armor around their torsos and forelegs, and their helmets had a long sail of blue fur coming from the top.
“Why are you here?” the one that stood directly before me demanded.

I held up my hands submissively. “We come from another world,” I explained calmingly. “We come with only good intentions, and wish to speak with your leaders.”
The guard eyed me suspiciously for a long time. “Come with me,” he growled finally and he and the group of guards began to lead us to the castle. As we walked through the streets, I looked around at the buildings around us. This place looked incredibly similar to one of the castle towns of our world, if not only slightly smaller. The horses all watched us from the streets and their windows as we passed, and they eyed us with only curiosity; not a single one seemed afraid of the large, armored, bipedal creatures that just strolled into their city. Some of the more brave creatures tried to actually approach us, but they were shooed away by the burly guards that escorted us.

After several minutes of marching through the streets, we eventually reached the castle, which was much larger up close than it appeared. It sat precariously close to the edge of a cliff, overlooking a massive forest. I saw straight ahead to see a strange sight, even compared to the miniature horses we saw back in the town.

Walking toward us from the entrance of the castle with a proud and powerful manner to his step was a horse. He studied us curiously, smiling warmly like a kind leader welcoming guests.
“So, a group of strange creatures appears in my kingdom with no explanation, and the first thing they want to do is speak with me? I must admit, I am humbled,” he said with a chuckle. Even though he had the appearance of an ordinary horse, he was just as different from the equines we were familiar with as the smaller ones we saw in the city. He stood tall and proud, like a noble leader, and his pelt shimmered like an endless night’s sky. A single, pointed horn spiraled from his head, and a pair of strange wings stretched from his back, which appeared solid for the most part, but waved and became transparent near the tips. His mane and tail had the same sky-like appearance as his pelt and the ethereal property as his wings, but they were more of a deep violet hue. His friendly eyes were the same shade, and regarded us as if we were his friends rather than strangers.

I took a step forward and kneeled, and the others followed suit. “My name is Argentum Vindex,” I said clearly, “and these are my companions: Magnus Acer, Aequani Spero, Saevus Probitas, Ludus Aevum, and Liberalis Anima. We come from a world much different from yours, and wish to hold council with you,” I explained.
The winged horse nodded thoughtfully. “Come with me,” he invited, motioning for us to follow him into the castle, “and you can tell us of your travels. I am King Cosmos, and this is my city of Canterlot.”

I nodded respectfully, and my friends and I followed the king into the towering castle.

~-~-~-~-~

“So, you say you come from a place you call ‘Earth’, and you creatures are called ‘humans’?” Cosmos asked, surprised. “This is fascinating! Tell me, how did you get here?”
We all sat at a long dining room table, my friends and I on one side, and the king on the other. Joining us was his wife, Queen Galaxia, who looked very similar to Cosmos but appeared to be a physical manifestation of the daytime. Her pelt looked like an early morning sunrise peeking through a cluster of clouds, with hints of white that slowly transitioned into a warm orange, and her mane was a gentle blue, with the same starry appearance as Cosmos’s. She sat to the king’s left, while his court wizard, Starswirl the Bearded, sat on his right. Starswirl had a dull-gray pelt and a white mane and tail, and even, as his name implied, a long, white beard. Like Cosmos and Galaxia, he too had a pointed horn protruding from his head, but he lacked the magnificent wings that the monarchs possesed. He studied my companions with his stern, yellow eyes, but as time went on he looked less like a gruff old man and more like a friendly elder.

“Cosmos,” Starswirl suddenly said, “I think these ‘humans’ may be what we’ve been looking for to test our… relics.”
Cosmos nodded slowly. “I do believe you’re right,” he said thoughtfully. “Would you fetch the Elements for me?” he asked kindly. Starswirl nodded respectfully, and rushed off. A few moments later, he reentered the room, levitating a large box in front of him.

“These,” Cosmos explained, “are the Elements of Harmony. We are unsure as to their true purpose, but we believe they are to be used by a group of mighty heroes who would be able to keep balance in Equestria. I want you to take these, as a symbol of the trust between our species.”

We all stared at them; there were five of them, all lined up and shining in a way that would shame a diamond.
Magnus spoke up. “But, there are five of them, and six of us!” he murmured. “One of us will be left without one.”
I walked over to Starswirl and took the chest. “My friends,” I said slowly, “what kind of leader would I be if I were to let one of you go without a treasure like this, while I kept one for myself?” I reached into the chest and pulled out a dark purple jewel. “Liberalis,” I said as I approached, “I give you this, for your generous spirit. Even when you have little, you put the needs of your companions first, and now I return the favor.” I placed the gem in her hand, and she nodded thankfully.

I marched over to Saevus and gave him a teasing grin. “Saevus, you may not be my favorite companion,” I said, trying to stay professional as he glared at me, “but I cannot deny that you are the most honest person I have ever met, and a good man to fight alongside.” I gave him a vibrant orange jewel, and his scowl turned to a pleased smile as I continued to Ludus.

“Ludus,” I began, “you are a much-needed member of this group. While the rest of us have been hardened by battle, your humorous and laughing attitude have not been broken. Even with all of the terrible hardships we have endured, you refuse to stop smiling.” I held out my arm, and Ludus took the soft blue crystal I presented him.

I smiled gently at Aequani as I stood before her. “It takes a powerful spirit to be as gentle as you and still be able to survive all the challenges we have faced. Never before have I encountered a more versatile warrior; kind and caring at rest, but tactical and merciless in battle.” She looked away and smiled shyly as I placed a pink jewel in her hand.

“Magnus,” I laughed as I stood before my good friend, “I couldn’t ask for a more loyal companion. You and I were the first of this group to meet, and ever since then we have been inseparable. I know you may say my friendship is reward enough, but today I repay you for your undying loyalty.” I gave him a powerful red jewel, and Sanguis nodded appreciatively.

I noticed now that the crystals I had given my friends were now glowing brightly, and their owner’s irises had changed color and intensity; Ludus’s were now pink, Saevus’s were orange, Liberalis’s were white, Aequani’s were yellow, and Magnus’s were a light blue. King Cosmos stood by my side and cleared his throat.
“Humans,” he said proudly, “bear your gifts proudly. You are now physical embodiments of the Elements of Harmony, and with the bond that your friendship holds, no evil will ever best you.”

Cosmos then turned to me, an apologetic look in his eyes. “I am sorry we were unable to provide an Element for you, Argentum,” he said, “but, as your friend stated, there are only five elements to be given.”
I nodded. “I understand,” I said simply. “As long as my kind can live in peace with yours, I have no regrets.”

Cosmos led us up to the balcony atop the castle that overlooked the town, and called to the citizens below. “Ponies of Canterlot!” he called proudly, “a new age of peace and prosperity has dawned! The Elements of Harmony have found their destined owners, and they will teach us the ways of their world, as we will teach them ours!”

The crowd below cheered wildly, and I couldn’t help but smile; the future was bright, and my friends and I would be the ones leading the way to it.

The Memory Remains, Part 2

I stood atop a cliff, watching the two massive armies fight. On the side nearest me, there was a group of hundreds, perhaps thousands, of human soldiers, fighting against a nearly powerless army of ponies. I frowned at the sight; what had gone wrong? My friends had shown they were quite capable of wielding the Elements of Harmony when they received them so long ago, but as the years went by, they seemed to develop a thirst for the power the five stones held. They went to Earth and returned to Equestria some time later, each with an army of their own to try and bring down the mighty Equestrian Empire and take the country for humanity.

I was not about to let that happen without a fight; they may have been my friends, but I had an oath to fulfil.

I heard a branch crack behind me, and dove out of the way just as Saevus leaped forward in an attempt to impale me on his blades. His eyes may have been unseeable due to his mask, I could clearly see that his teeth were bared in rage.
“Traitor!” he hissed, his voice heavily distorted by the power coursing through him. I narrowed my eyes.
“How dare you call me a traitor!” I said, brandishing my sword. “You turned your back on your friends! You turned your back on Equestria! You gave up the right to be called the Element of Honesty!” I shouted.
Saevus smiled. “If deception is what it takes to gain power, then so be it!” he screamed, and charged at me. I stopped his charge by holding my sword out in front of me, and quickly pushed him aside.

“Does everything we’ve been through mean nothing to you?” I asked angrily “We had an oath to King Cosmos: bring harmony to Equestria and her peoples, and uphold justice! Instead, you and the others have brought nothing but death and destruction!”
Saevus pulled off his mask, and revealed his face. It was badly scarred, as if he had been in a fire, and he no longer had any hair. His irises glowed a bright orange, just as they had since the day I gave him his Element, and they looked full of pain.

“I know what I have caused,” he said sadly, “but the Elements of Harmony showed us more power than we could have ever hoped for. You would have done the same in our position!” he accused, pointing a blade at my chest.
I nodded sadly. “You may be right, Saevus,” I said quietly. “I am only human, after all. But I still have goodness in my heart, just as you do.” As I said this, I dropped my sword and slowly stepped over to my old friend’s side. “I know who you are, Saevus. You are not a power-hungry monster; you are a good person, and a loyal friend. If you help me, we can restore order to Equestria, and try this all again! Our races can still live together in harmony,” I begged.

Saevus stared at me, unblinking as I approached. “You’re right,” he admitted, “there is still a chance for harmony to exist between Earth and Equestria.”

I sighed with relief at his words.

“But I’m not the one to bring it.”

Just then, he released his grip on his blades, causing them to fall and bury their tips in the dirt, and he broke into a wild sprint for the cliff.

“SAEVUS, NO!”

I jogged over to the edge and looked down, gasping at the sight of my friend’s mangled body on the ground far below. I was able to clear his mind of his selfish desires, but all it had done was show him the monster he had become.

I stared sadly for a long time, before suddenly snapping to my senses. “I have to get to Canterlot,” I whispered. “Cosmos may know what to do.”

~-~-~-~-~

Saevus was not the first of my friends to find me. Before him, Aequani, Ludus, and Liberalis had all sought for me, hoping to earn my favor and recruit me. When I refused, they attacked me in their outrage, and I was forced to slay them. Liberalis had fought me in the forest where we dueled atop the trees, and when she lost her footing she was devoured by a pack of Timberwolves waiting on the ground below. Ludus confronted me in his armory, and fought me with all sorts of weapons. He died painfully, still struggling to get one last blow as he crawled towards me with various weapons protruding from his badly beaten form. Aequani, however, was the hardest to watch; we had battled in a narrow canyon, and a rockfall had buried her alive. I was able to dig her out, but she died in my arms, tearfully apologizing for what she had done.

Now, Saevus was dead, and the last of the Elements of Harmony lay with Magnus. As each of my friends fell, I had taken their respective Element in hope that uniting them would stop this senseless war. I pried the Element of Honesty from its resting place on Saevus’s blade and stuck it in a ragged backpack I wore.

Four down, I thought bitterly, one to go.

~-~-~-~-~

I found myself at Canterlot a few days later, and was shocked to find the city under seige.
“If Canterlot falls,” I murmured, horrified, “then Equestria will have no rulers to guide its people!”
Using my advantage of being human, I snuck past the battalions of soldiers that circled the city, barraging the magical force field with catapults and arrowfire. Using the Elements I possessed, I was able to bypass the magical barrier that prevented the other humans’ entry, and ran to the castle.

When I reaced the throne room, the sight that awaited me left me stunned. King Cosmos lay on the ground before his throne, while Queen Galaxia sat in the corner, watching helplessly. I looked up to see Magnus standing before the golden throne, laughing mockingly at the fallen king.

“You ponies think you are so much more powerful than humans,” he taunted, “but my army surrounds your city, getting closer to breaking your last line of defense with every passing moment. Who is the weak one now, Cosmos?” he asked maliciously as he pulled his massive sword over his head.

“MAGNUS!” I bellowed from the doorway, and my friend looked over and brought his blade to his side.
“Argentum, my old friend!” he cried, rushing over to greet me. “It’s so good to see you! How have you been?” he asked, overjoyed.
I stared at him, my face blank. “I have been well,” I said in a low voice.
Sanguis patted me heartily on the shoulder. “That’s good to hear! Tell me, however did you get in?”
“The Elements of Harmony allowed me to pass through the shield harmlessly,” I replied.

Magnus raised an eyebrow. “Elements of Harmony? However did you get those? To my knowledge, only our old friends possessed them. How are they, by the way?” he inquired.

“Aequani lies dead in a canyon. Ludus died by his own arsenal of weapons. Liberalis was devoured by a pack of Timberwolves. Saevus threw himself off of a cliff.”

Sanguis’s joyful expression faded. “What? Who killed them?” he demanded.

I looked deep into his light-blue irises. “I did,” I whispered.

Magnus stared for a long time, before screaming and throwing me against the wall. “You traitor!” he shouted, pulling me away from the wall and slamming me into the floor. “You would side with these disgusting horses than your own friends?! They trusted you! They loved you! And you repaid them with death!” With each accusation he hurled, he slammed a fist into my face, which was luckily unarmored at the moment. By the end of his rant, my nose had been broken, my left eye swollen and bruised, and my right cheek bleeding profusely. Sanguis pulled out a dagger and pressed it against my throat, breathing hard as he struggled to force himself to end me, before his shoulders suddenly fell, and he let the blade fall to the floor.

“...why?” he asked helplessly. “Why would you turn your back on us?”

I looked up at him with my one good eye. “Because you were supposed to lead humanity into an age of peace and prosperity,” I said in a choked voice.
Magnus looked me in the eyes sadly. “That’s what I’m doing!” he moaned. “Humanity will be more powerful than ever once we possess the magic of this world! There will never be any need for war ever again! There will only be peace…”

“And what of the ponies?” I asked angrily. “Will they die so we can further our own progress? Genocide is never worth power, Magnus. It only ends in sadness and death.”

Magnus stared at the floor for a few moments, before suddenly growling and pinning me against the wall. “You would betray your own people for these… these… horses?” he hissed. “It is only because of what we have been through that I don’t kill you right now for your actions!” he let me fall to the floor and stepped away, snapping his fingers as a portal opened up behind him. “I will order my army to retreat on this day,” he said clearly, “but I will return. And next time, nothing that opposes me, whether it be pony or human, will survive.”

And with that threat, he was gone.

Galaxia ran to Cosmos’s side, who was quickly regaining strength and staring at me angrily. “I trusted you,” he growled, “I trusted you and your people with the most powerful relics our kind possessed, and you turned them against us! Galaxia, tell Starswirl to activate the pillars! We have been merciful for far too long,” he said bitterly.

I widened my eyes. “Cosmos, please!” I begged as I struggled to stand, “if you summon the Guardians to fight, you will be doing no different to them than what the humans are doing to you!”
Cosmos glared at me. “So? You’re people attacked us unprovoked. This is merely a countermeasure. I will not allow my descendants to live in a world ravaged by a war you caused; this ends tonight!”
I stood, using my sword as a crutch. “Please, Cosmos, grant me one request before you activate the pillars,” I pleaded. “Let me fight Sanguis. If he falls, the Elements of Harmony will be under Equestrian control once again, and my people will be forced to leave. Our worlds will be separated once again, and we can forget any of this ever happened.”

Cosmos stared at me, his gaze slowly softening. “Fine,” he said quietly. “You have one week to find Sanguis and kill him. If the humans have not left Equestria by then, I will have no choice but to let the Guardians annihilate any remaining soldiers,” he said with a hint of regret. “This war will fade from memory, and we will both ensure neither of our races, human and pony alike, can recall what has happened.”
I nodded respectfully. “It will be done,” I said simply. “I will not be able to defeat Sanguis on my own; I must ask Starswirl for some kind of weapon to aid my endeavours,” I said slowly.

Cosmos nodded. “You have my blessing,” he said. “Speak with Starswirl, and leave my city. It is nothing personal; I don’t want my people to be panicked by the sight of a human.”

A small voice sounded from the enterance. “Daddy? What’s going on?”

I looked behind me and saw a small, white alicorn with a pink mane trotting carefully into the throne room. She looked around curiously at the destroyed windows and statues. “Are you redecorating?”
Cosmos laughed slightly. “Yes, Tia; I wanted it to be a surprise for you and your little sister.” I saw the alicorn was carrying a much smaller blue sibling on her back. She looked around and cooed happily, and I couldn’t help but smile warmly.

“Daddy, who is this?” she suddenly asked fearfully, having seen me standing off to the side.
Cosmos looked at me solemnly. “This is an old friend of mine,” he said, trying to sound friendly for his daughters. “He was just leaving us to take care of an errand he promised me. Take Luna back to your room, and your mother and I will be there shortly.”

The young pony nodded and trotted back to the hall as Cosmos glared at me. “I am sorry, but you cannot be here any longer. Speak to Starswirl if you must, but I’m afraid I cannot allow your presence in Canterlot to persist. I am not asking you this as a king, but as a friend: please, leave my people alone,” he asked simply.

I nodded slowly. “I will speak to Starswirl, and then you will never hear from me again.” I said sadly, and left the throne room without another word.

~-~-~-~-~

“Hey, mister!” a small voice called from behind me. I turned to see Cosmos’s daughters running to catch up with me. “Where are you going?” the older white pony asked.
I smiled warmly, which was hard with my injured face. “I have to go speak with Starswirl the Bearded, and then I need to leave,” I explained.
She stared at me in awe. “You’re going to go see Starswirl? You must be important,” she said, surprised. “Here, I’ll show you the way to his laboratory!” she offered, and ran ahead of me.

“No, that’s not…” I started to protest, but shrugged when it was clear she wouldn’t listen, and I followed her to the old wizard’s lab.

The Memory Remains, Part 3

It had been nearly ten years since I had first arrived in Equestria with my friends, and nearly eight since they had abandoned their responsibilities and started this mindless war. I sat in the stronghold I had built with my new allies; a shelter from the Guardians. See, I had been unable to find Magnus in the time Cosmos had given me, and was forced to go into hiding. Some ponies had found me, and when I explained my position on the war, they offered to assist me in any way I can. We formed the Equestrian Alliance, a resistance dedicated to ending the war and letting humans and ponies live together in harmony.

That was three years ago, and the likelihood of that goal succeeding became more and more slim as each day passed. Eventually, I gave up hope of our cause pulling through, and set off to find Sanguis like I was supposed to.

I stood at the entrance of the stronghold, staring sadly in the distance.
“So, you’re finally going to do it, hm?” a tired old voice said to my right. I looked over and saw Starswirl gazing with me, a thoughtful look on his face. He had joined us shortly after I had founded the Alliance, as he had seen firsthand that humans could be more than mindless savages bent on control and gaining power.

I nodded slowly. “Nothing gets passed you,” I said with a quiet, humorless laugh.
Starswirl looked up at me. “You know you aren’t going to make it back alive, right?” he asked. “Even if you somehow defeat him, the Guardians will find you before you can make it back to us.”
I sighed deeply. “That’s the idea,” I replied. “Magnus and I are the last humans in Equestria. With our death, there will be little sign that we were ever here, and Cosmos can lead your kind without worry.”

Starswirl nodded respectfully. “I’m not saying I want you to go off on a suicide mission, but I’m not going to try and stop you if you think this is what needs to be done. Before you leave, however, I have something that may prove useful to you,” he said, and quickly rushed into the stronghold.

Starswirl returned a few minutes later with a long object, wrapped in cloth. I took the gift carefully and unwrapped it, revealing a long, beautiful sword. It had a pure-white blade and a golden crossguard, and the handle was wrapped in black leather.
“What is this?” I asked slowly, awestruck by the craftsmanship this blade held.

Starswirl laughed at my response to the sword. “That is the Sword of Harmony,” he explained, “imbued with the power of the Elements of Harmony themselves. I’ve been working on it for some time, using the power of the Elements you received from your fallen friends, and I have come to an astonishing conclusion,” he said cleverly.

I stared at the old unicorn, confused. “What was it?” I asked urgently.

Starswirl looked me in the eyes. “I found a sixth Element,” he said excitedly. “If you can somehow separate Magnus from his Element and contact the blade with the gem, then you will possess the Element of Harmony more powerful than the others, but useless without its siblings.”

I nodded understandingly. “Thank you, Starswirl, for all of your help,” I said, kneeling down and hugging the old wizard. He let out a surprised grunt, and I could tell he was rolling his eyes; Starswirl may have been a relatively kind old horse, but he wasn’t one for showing physical affection.

“Yes, yes, that’s enough,” he said after a few moments, and I stood up. “Remember: without all six Elements of Harmony, you stand no chance of defeating Sanguis. Try to stall him for as long as you can until you can get the Element of Loyalty from him, and then you will be on even ground,” he explained. “Good luck to you, Argentum Vindex.”

I nodded thankfully. “And yo you, Starswirl the Bearded. If you speak to King Cosmos, tell him I am sorry for what I have put him through,” I said sadly.
Starswirl glared at me. “Don’t you dare hold yourself responsible for this war,” he snapped. “You could not have known your friends would be consumed by their lust for power; besides, if that’s the logic you want to go by, blame me. I willingly gave you the Elements without thinking of the consequences that would come from it, and now we are all being punished.

“But that is in the past,” he concluded sharply. “This war has gone on for too long to be bickering over who started it. What matters now is who ends it,” he said grimly.

I nodded. “Farewell, Starswirl,” I said sadly.

“Farewell, Argentum,” he replied.

~-~-~-~-~

After several days of wandering through wilderness and avoiding enemy armies, I was finally able to reach the frozen wastes of the north, where Magnus had established his base of operations. I marched grimly as his soldiers all surrounded me, taunting but unable to attack without their master’s consent.

“Argentum,” Magnus said mockingly, “what brings you here? You’re a long way from your precious ponies, aren’t you?”

I looked up at my former friend coolly. "I challenge you, Magnus Acer," I said clearly, my voice carrying through the blowing wind.

Sanguis stifled a laugh. “What?” he asked with disbelief.

“I said I challenge you, Magnus Acer,” I repeated. “Call off your dogs, and let’s fight one-on-one. The winner will decide the fate of Equestria.”
Magnus stared at me, his humorous face suddenly growing serious as he realized I wasn’t kidding. “You want to challenge me?” he said slowly. “You, a mere mortal, challenges one who was chosen by the Element of Loyalty?”

I suddenly snapped. “You lost the right to that Element the moment you betrayed me!” I screamed. “If you were worthy of the Element of Loyalty, you would have stayed by my side as I tried to stop our friends from destroying this place! You would have helped me deal with the grief of killing the ones who were practically our family!”

Sanguis suddenly stood up and walked right up to me, his scowling face inches from my own. “You betrayed me,” he hissed. “I was fighting for our people, and you have tried to stop me with every step. If anything, I have remained loyal to our friends, while you walked out on them,” he accused.

I stared back, unflinching. “So is that a yes? Or is the mighty Magnus Acer backing down from a challenge?” I whispered.
Sanguis stared back at me, his anger suddenly fading into a more professional demeanor. “My name is not Magnus Acer,” he hissed. “I gave up that name the moment you betrayed me. My name is Sanguis Cruciatus, and if you challenge me, you will die.”
I narrowed my eyes. “I’m still waiting for an answer, ‘Sanguis’,” I said quietly. “And remember, the Crystal Guardians more than likely on their way now; we’ll be lucky to even finish our fight before they attack us,” I reminded him.

Sanguis smirked. “I have a way around that: a special place where only you and I will exist, and we can fight without interruptions by your king’s defense measures.” As he said this, he snapped his fingers, and a black-and-purple vortex opened behind him. “Let’s hope you can hold your stomach this time!” he shouted mockingly as he dove into the portal. I looked around uncertainly as Sanguis’s numerous soldiers goaded me into following their leader, and I sprinted into the swirling void.

~-~-~-~-~

I looked around nervously, unsure of what would happen; the last time I had entered this place, I had nearly died of insanity. I saw I now stood on a solitary mass of rock, floating in an endless expanse of emptiness. In the distance, however far away that may have been, I could see massive, multicolored shapes twisting and shifting as if they were alive. Small points of light dotted the space like stars, and our solitary platform was surrounded by smaller, less stable pieces of rubble.

“Welcome back to the Void, Argentum,” Sanguis called out from an elevated platform. He jumped down and landed on his knees opposite me, burying a fist into the black rock. He pulled his massive sword from his back and held it at the ready as it took on a violent black aura.

I held the Sword of Harmony at my side. “Don’t make me do this, Magnus,” I pleaded. “We can end this madness now, and no one else has to die. Please, don’t make me kill any more friends.”

He stared back at me, narrowing his eyes. “You lost the right to call me ‘friend’ long ago,” he growled, and charged me at full speed. I held my sword sideways, blocking my enemy’s advance, but he kept pushing me back as my boots slide across the ground below. I was finally able to counter his strength when we were mere inches from the edge, and I looked back to see the literally endless drop beneath us.

“Watch your step!” Sanguis cried mockingly, “there’s nothing to save you if you fall.”
I glanced at the hilt of his blade and saw a red gem embedded within it, glowing brightly.

The Element of Loyalty! I thought, grinning dangerously. “Sanguis, I don’t think you understand just how powerful these Elements are,” I said slowly.
Sanguis laughed wickedly as he struggled to push me into the Void. “And how would you have any better idea?” he asked, “you were the only one of us not chosen!”

I quickly adjusted my stance and stepped to the side, grabbing the gem from Sanguis’s blade and tearing it out. Sanguis turned to face me and screamed in rage when he realized what I had done. “Give that back!” he demanded.

I tossed the Element of Loyalty in the air, and my pack shook as the other four Elements of Harmony flew from their resting place and orbited around me. “That’s where you are wrong, Sanguis,” I said triumphantly. “I had always been chosen by an Element; I was never able to wield it until now.”

Sanguis took an uncertain step back. “That’s impossible!” he shouted, “there are only five Elements! Aequni was given Kindness, Ludus was given Laughter, Liberalis was given Generosity, Saevus was given honesty, and I got Loyalty! How could you have an Element of your own?” he demanded.

I looked up at him as a purple, star-shaped gem slowly materialized in front of me and joined the other Elements in their orbit. “No, Sanguis; there were always six,” I said in a low voice, and held the Sword of Harmony over my head. “I was chosen by the Element most powerful of its siblings, but powerless without them: Magic!” I shouted, and drove the blade into the ground. A wave of multicolored crystals shot out of the ground and flew at Sanguis, trapping his legs in a crystal prison.

“Nice try, Argentum,” he growled, “but you cannot trap me.” With that, he snapped his fingers, and the Void around us slowly turned back into the frozen wasteland of northern Equestria. Sanguis held his arms at his sides as he became surrounded in a field of magical energy, preventing me from approaching.

“Be patient, Argentum,” he called as he rose into the air, “soon enough, your so-called ‘sixth Element’ will be powerless, and I will be immortal!” His body had become enveloped in a pulsing, black aura, and I tried vainly to break through his shield. Each strike I took, however, seemed to drain my strength, until I was on my knees, simply waiting for my old friend to end my misery.

No, I thought certainly, I cannot let it end like this.

I rose to my feet as the Elements of Harmony stopped their orbit and united into a single, six-colored gem, and united itself with the hilt of my sword.
“Sanguis, I’m giving you one last chance!” I shouted desperately as I felt the endless power coursing through my veins.

“I could say the same thing to you!” he shot back, laughing madly.

I narrowed my eyes and tightened my grip on the Sword of Harmony. “So be it, then,” I whispered, and charged at the magical barrier. The tip of my sword broke through, slowly cutting a hole in my obstacle as sparks of magic violently struck me and sapped even more of my power as I screamed in agony. Sanguis’s eyes grew wide as I finally broke through the vampiric shield and kept running, leaping into the air and burying the Sword of Harmony into Sanguis’s chest.

My old friend gasped as he suddenly fell to the ground, and the barrier that surrounded us suddenly vanished. Sanguis fell to his knees and coughed violently, spitting blood onto the snow.

“What… have you done?” he asked weakly, looking up at me with genuine fear in his eyes.
I looked down sadly. “I am sorry, old friend,” I said quietly, “but I have interrupted your immortality ritual. Goodbye, Sanguis,” I said, and pulled the Sword of Harmony from his chest.

“Argentum… no!” he begged weakly, but the curse had already taken hold. He suddenly fell limp in the snow, seemingly dead, but I knew better; he was to be locked in an eternal sleep, never to die, but never to truly live again.

I trudged out into the snow, slowly realizing I was no longer alone as several Crystal Sentinels surrounded me, holding their bladed arms at the ready.
“Stand down, human!” one of them screamed.
I gripped my sword tightly and screamed, swinging the blade in a full circle around me as a wave of energy hit the Sentinels, causing them to shatter into fragments. I stared ahead blankly, barely breathing for several moments, before the weight of my actions finally broke me, and I fell to my knees on the frozen ground, sobbing and beating the snow with my armored fist.

Time to Take Responsibility

The world slowly faded back into view around me, and I regained my senses as Argentum released me from his memories. I took a sudden step back, dropping to one knee and breathing hard.
“Drayke, are you okay?” Cadence asked, rushing to my side and placing a comforting hoof on my shoulder. I reached up and grabbed the friendly appendage, hoping it would speed my recovery from the ordeal I had just faced. I had done more than look into the warriors past; I had literally experienced his memories firsthand, as if it were me instead of him.

“So, now you know,” he said sadly, “the price that is to be paid in order to keep balance. Tell me, Drayke Blackwood, before I officially grant you my sword: are you willing to make that sacrifice?” He stared at me blankly, his face giving away nothing.

I stood up slowly as my thoughts cleared. “What happened next?” I asked slowly, “what happened after you killed Sanguis?”
Argentum looked to the side as if his past were right there. “I made my way back to the stronghold,” he said slowly, “where I informed some of the others that I had slain Sanguis. After word of his defeat spread, the other humans lost the little morale they had to keep fighting the Sentinels, and they retreated. Sanguis’s body was locked in a tomb in hopes he would never reawaken or be discovered, and I lived a long, healthy life, surrounded by good friends. My last act was to ensure the Sword of Harmony was safely hidden in our stronghold, and after that… you brought me here,” he finished simply.

I nodded, thinking about what I was about to agree to. Had it been several days ago, I would have outright said no to Argentum’s question. Hell, I probably wouldn’t even be talking to him right now if I had that same mindset, but things had changed since I arrived here. Allen’s friends had softened the cold shell that had formed around my heart, and Cadence delivered the final blow that set me free.

“I accept this responsibility,” I said cleary, stretching out a hand to take the blade, “and I am ready to wield the Sword of Harmony.”

Argentum nodded, smiling proudly. “Then, Drayke Blackwood, the Sword of Harmony is yours,” he said, placing the blade in my hand as I wrapped my fingers around the grip. “I should mention, you were not the only one to experience the thoughts and memories of another,” he added slyly. “I have seen your past and what you have done, and I know the uncertainty you hold about that gem you carry with you,” he gestured to my waist, and I pulled the black crystal out of my pocket.

“This thing is what I used to take over Equestria,” I said bitterly. “I don’t think I could use it knowing I would be capable of that again.”
Argentum frowned. “Drayke, power is neither good nor evil. Power is pure; it is only the one who uses it that determines what the power can be used for. Tell me, Drayke, will you use this power to destroy, or to save?” he asked seriously.

And just like that, he was gone. I blinked my eyes, and the armored man that stood before me was nowhere to be seen.

“Well… that was definitely the most intense thing that has happened to me in a while,” I breathed, and then turned to Cadence and Zecora. “Now what?” I asked.
Zecora spoke up. “I believe the best course right now would be to retrieve the Elements of Harmony,” she said quickly.
Cadence nodded. “Zecora’s right, Drayke,” she said, “we’re going to need all the help we can get if we want to stand a chance of defeating Sanguis. The Elements of Harmony are our best bet.”

I twirled the sword in my hand and struck a heroic pose. “Then let’s go get those Elements of Harmony!” I declared triumphantly.

~-~-~-~-~

Twilight slowly opened her eyes to find herself chained to a massive boulder that was floating in an endless void. She looked around to see each of her friends were also shackled to a rock of their own, as well as Princess Luna and Princess Celestia.

“Ah, so the first of the ponies has awakened,” a cruel voice said quietly. Twilight looked ahead to see Allen standing on a central platform that floated in the middle of each of her friends. “Twilight Sparkle, correct? forgive me if I make a mistake on your name; my access to this boy’s memories is limited,” he apologised.

Twilight struggled to stand, but she felt as if her strength had been completely drained from her body. “Who are you?” she growled, glaring at the man masquerading as her friend, “why are you doing this?”

Allen laughed. “Ah, that’s right, we haven’t officially met yet, have we?” he asked, drawing closer until his face was inches from hers. “I am the one who nearly killed Allen Greathouse and every pony living in the Crystal Empire. I am the one who killed your brother,” I whispered mockingly.

Twilight suddenly exploded, regaining some of her strength as her eyes flashed a bright white. “I’LL KILL YOU!” she screamed, struggling to break free from her prison, “I’LL FINISH WHAT ALLEN STARTED AND DESTROY YOU!”
Allen rolled his ice-blue eyes. “I doubt that,” he said with a bored tone. “After all, if you had the power to stop me, you wouldn’t have been trapped here in the first place, would you?”

Twilight’s eyes faded back to their normal violet hue, and she collapsed, gasping for breath as she stared at her tormentor with pure contempt. “So… what is your endgame? Conquering Equestria? Stealing our magic?” she asked, gasping for breath.

Allen laughed. “While those will be additional outcomes of my master plan, I have a much bolder goal in mind. Tell me, do you know where we are?” he asked, gesturing to the endless expanse surrounding them.

Twilight took a good look around. “The Void,” she said in a hushed whisper.

Allen nodded, suddenly smiling. “That’s right; The Void, and endless expanse that fills up the cracks between the dimensions. Tell me, pony, do you know what would happen if a large enough blast of energy would be released here?” he asked,

Twilight widened her eyes. “You’re insane!” she shouted, struggling to move once again, “that would kill anything here, including all of us!”
Allen shook his head. “No, all of you would die, but not me; I already have my own powers, this boy’s power, and a large portion of each of your powers; nothing short of a true god can kill me,” he boasted.

Twilight suddenly grinned dangerously as her horn fizzled weakly. “A god, huh?” she asked quietly, “it just so happens that I know one.”

Just then, a swirling portal violently opened before her, and the master of chaos himself, Discord, emerged into the void. “You called, Twilight?” he asked, and noticed Allen’s altered expression and look of disbelief. “Ah, Allen!” he cried joyously, but suddenly frowned. “No, wait… I know those eyes. Sanguis Cruciatus, is it really you?” he asked, floating around the boy to get a good look at him, “I just want you to know, I was rooting for you back in the days of the war,” he whispered as he leaned in close, but cleared his throat when he noticed Twilight giving him a disapproving glare. “I’m sorry to tell you this, but you’re going to have to stop this mad scheme of your’s,” he said heroically.

Allen shook his head, smiling sadly. “So, this is the ‘god’ you have chosen to fight me?” he asked, chuckling slightly as he conjured a black, crystal sword that he held a his side. “You’ll have to do better than that.”

Discord placed his hands together as a white robe and sash materialized around his body.
“Ah, not everything is as it seems, Sanguis-san!” Discord quipped as he held his hands before him in a prepared stance. “If you really can see into Allen’s memories, you might find that he and I have sparred with one another in the past!”

Allen frowned. “A ‘spar’ that ended with you two swatting each other like children,” he said, unimpressed, “and then your friend Fluttershy came along and interrupted you!”
Discord shrugged. “I still would have beaten him,” he mumbled.
Allen suddenly twitched. “No you wouldn’t have!” he snapped in an undistorted voice, the blue glow fading from his eyes for a few moments, before his head twitched again and he was back to normal.

“My apologies,” he said, his voice layered once again, “but this boy has quite the spirit, and occasionally breaks through my influence for a moment. Of course, I have my methods of keeping him in line…”

Just then, the shackles holding each pony prisoner in place glowed a violent red, and they all cried out in pain. “Do you see what happens to your friends when you defy me, Allen?!” he shouted, “do you see the pain that you are causing them?!”

Discord glared at the human, all of the humor suddenly fading from his eyes. “You’re going to pay for that,” he growled, and hurled a ball of purple-and-black magic at Allen. The boy quickly spun to the side, dodging the attack effortlessly.

“Try again,” he said smugly.

Discord began to unleash a barrage of attacks, rapidly throwing blast after blast of magic as Allen either dodged or deflected each and every one. Eventually, however, Discord was able to predict Allen’s movements, and threw a ball right in the path of his spin, knocking him to the ground. The draconequus still continued his assault for several seconds, pelting his adversary with shot after shot of his magic, until he was certain he had incapacitated the boy.

“That should do it,” Discord said smugly, and turned to start helping his friends out of their shackles, but he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned to see Allen standing behind him, his body surrounded in an aura that matched the attacks he had used moments before.

“Better,” he said slowly, “but not quite good enough.”

Just then, Allen thrust his hands forward, unleashing all of his stored energy on Discord and slamming him against the rock Twilight was chained to.

“Sorry, Twilight,” he said weakly as a group of chains suddenly appeared and shackled him next to his friend, “but it looks like we’re out of options.”
Twilight stared at Allen angrily. “No,” she said in a low voice, “we still have one more hope.”

~-~-~-~-~

I stared up at the glittering tree that Cadence and Zecora had led me to. It stood inside of a massive cavern, and glowed like a star. At the lengths of its branches were five different-colored gems, and one violet, star-shaped one in the center.

“Okay,” I said slowly, staring at the tree in confusion, “how exactly am I supposed to get those down?”

Cadence shrugged. “Try using the sword?” she suggested.

I held the sword with both hands, tip pointed down, and stood before the tree. “Let’s hope this works,” I said quietly, and stabbed the sword into the cave floor.

Nothing happened.

“Okay, screw figuring this out; Cadence, can you levitate me up there or something?” I asked the pink alicorn, scowling at the tree.
Cadence nodded and held her head high as her horn and my body became surrounded in a light-blue aura, and my feet were suddenly lifted off the ground.

“Come here, you little bastard,” I said as I stabbed the sword into the tree and pried one of the gems from it’s slot. It gave with a loud ‘pop’, and fell to the ground below with a thud. I did the same with the other five, and then gathered them up in my arms; each one was nearly the size of my hand!

“I remember these things being smaller when they were stabbed into me last year,” I said thoughtfully. “Maybe I was imagining things. Now what do we do?” I asked my equine companions.
Zecora stepped forward. “Something from Argentum’s past may be the key. Tell me, while you were in his memories, what did you see?” she asked.

I stared blankly for a moment, lost in thought. “The final battle with Sanguis,” I murmered.
Cadence raised an eyebrow. “What was that?” she asked quizzically.
I looked the princess of love in the eyes. “The Void!” I cried excitedly, “it’s where Argentum and Sanguis last fought! Before he left me in that cave, Sanguis said that history never goes the same way twice, which means…” I trailed off, my eyes growing wide. “Oh, shit.”

Cadence still looked confused. “What is it?” she asked, sounding a little fearful.

I suddenly began to run for the exit of the cave. “We’re going to need some backup!” I yelled back quickly. “If Sanguis’s plan is what I think it is, we need to make sure we stop him for good this time!”

Cadnece and Zecora rushed out after me, keeping pace just a few feet behind me. “Drayke, I don’t understand,” Cadence called out, “what is Sanguis planning?”
I skidded to a halt and spun around, staring straight at the ponies dramatically. “Sanguis is going to join our worlds again,” I said in a low voice, “and once he does, I don’t think even the Elements of Harmony are going to be much help.”

All The Help We Can Get

Being trapped in one’s own mind can be a horrifying experience, especially when that includes being forced to watch someone else hurt the ones you care about most.

For Allen Greathouse, this was the worst possible kind of hell he could imagine.

His prison was an endless, barren field covered with patches of tan grass. A cold wind blew across the landscape, and the sky was a dismal grey. Allen had seen this place once before, a few months ago in a nightmare where Sanguis had slain his friends. It appeared Sanguis wanted to bring that fear back to him, but now Allen believed this landscape fitted him, for it matched his now-dark personality and mood.

During the first few days of his imprisonment, he was certain that the crystal shell he had trapped himself in would be enough to keep Sanguis from gaining control over his powers, but Drayke and the others had shown up and freed him a few days later. At first, he begged Sanguis to spare his friends, but that only made the warlord more eager to hear their cries of pain.

Now, Allen sat in the center of the endless plain, grimly watching the display he could no longer control. He showed little emotion, except the slightest bit of anger when Sanguis would inflict pain on his friends. Other than that, however, he stayed silent.

“Come now, Allen,” Sanguis said as he walked toward the alicorn prince, an all-too-friendly smile on his face, “you aren’t making this any fun for me. How am I supposed to enjoy tormenting you if you don’t respond to it at all? Come on; scream, beg for me to spare your friends, cry out in agony, anything!”

Allen glanced up at Sanguis. “Why would I give you exactly what you want?” he asked coldly.
Sanguis looked confused. “You mean to tell me you no longer care about what happens to your friends?” he asked, sounding as if her were shaming the boy.

Allen stood up sharply and glared at the warlord. “I care for my friends more than anything in the world,” he growled, “and as soon as I get the chance, I’m going to make you pay for causing them harm.”

Sanguis smiled cruelly. “And just how are you going to do that?” he asked condescendingly, “in case you have forgotten, I am in control of your body.”
Allen smirked. “You won’t be fore long,” he replied cleverly. “Drayke is going to kick your ass out of my body, and then I’m going to kick your ass for real. And this time, you won’t be coming back.”
Sanguis narrowed his eyes. “We shall see,” he said seriously, and vanished before Allen’s eyes.

Allen’s face fell after the warlord disappeared. Although he had faith in Drayke, he was afraid there was still a chance that he would fall to Sanguis’s power. After all, he had defeated and captured his friends, Luna, Celestia, and Discord, all with hardly any effort.

If they couldn’t beat him, how could Drayke?

“I’ve just got to keep hoping,” he whispered sadly, “I’ve got to keep hoping that harmony will prevail.”

~-~-~-~-~

“Okay,” I said slowly, “how can we get to the Void?”

Cadence, Zecora, and I were back in Zecora’s hut. I sat on the bed I had woken up on earlier that day, Zecora was brewing one of her mysterious potions, and Cadence was pacing back and forth in front of me in her Black Heart jumpsuit, which, I have to admit, made her look insanely hot.

Wait, what?

“Well, Sanguis got there using a portal spell,” Zecora said, keeping her gaze on the cauldron before her, “could you do the same as well?”
Cadance shook her head. “Portal spells are ancient magic that only alicorns can perform, and only the most powerful could use one to travel to a place like the Void; I don’t think even Allen could perform a spell like that,” she said, sounding annoyed.

I nodded. “Okay, so that eliminates that possibility. Zecora, you wouldn’t happen to have a potion that could just ‘poof’ us there, would you?” I asked the busily stirring zebra.
Zecora sighed and looked up at me. “I’m sorry, Drayke, but I’m afraid there is nothing I can do,” she said apologetically. “While potions can be powerful, I can’t make one that does whatever you want it to!”

I sighed deeply and rubbed my fingers against my temples. “Okay, so we need a way to get into the void. What about when I was trapped in my crystal, and you kept it in that secret room beneath the Crystal Palace? There was all kinds of old books down there; maybe one has what we’re looking for!”

Cadence thought about this for a moment. “That may be our best lead,” she sighed. “Just hold still, and I’ll teleport us there.” She turned to Zecora. “Would you like to come with us?” she asked kindly.

Zecora shook her head. “Although I want to do what is right, I’m afraid this is not my fight,” she said sadly.
I took an angry step forward. “‘Not your fight’ my ass,” I growled, “if Sanguis wins, everyone in Equestria is screwed!” I was about to go on, but Cadence held a foreleg in front of me and shook her head slightly.

I sighed heavily. “Well, is there anyone we can trust enough to help us out?” I asked.
Cadence looked thoughtful for a moment. “Well, there is one individual who comes to mind,” she said slowly, and she held her head high as her horn took on a blue glow. “Hold still!” she cried, and there was a bright flash of white light.

~-~-~-~-~

Back at the Golden Oaks Library, Spike sat atop a ladder, grumbling as he shelved some of the many books the library was famous for providing.
“Why does Twilight get to go on so many cool and exciting adventures,” he asked aloud, “and I get stuck back here on cleanup duty?”

Just then, a loud thud sounded from the next room, and an angry voice yelped in pain.
“I told you to hold still!” the baby dragon heard a feminine say with a giggle.
“Yeah, but I didn’t think I would end up thrown into a wall!” the other voice snapped.

Spike ran into the room to see Twilight’s sister-in-law, Princess Cadence, standing over a rather angry looking, blonde-haired human. The man saw him and nodded acknowledgingly.

“This the guy we’re looking for?” he inquired.
Cadence nodded quickly. “Spike, we need you help. Twilight needs us,” she said urgently.
Spike crossed his arms. “No she doesn’t,” he mumbled sadly, “she can just ask that Allen guy for help.”

The human stood up and stared at Spike grimly. “Spike, Allen is the problem,” he said slowly.

Spike looked confused, but Cadence was already charging her spell. “No time; we’ll explain on the way!” she cried, and Spike, the human, and Cadence all vanished from the library.

~-~-~-~-~

“You really need to give more warning before you do that,” I grumbled, rising to my knees and rubbing my head, “I’m gonna get a concussion if that happens again!”

Cadence giggled lightly. “Okay, we need to find some sort of ancient spellbook; it should have what we’re looking for!” she said quickly, and she and Spike started scanning the rows of shelves that lined the room.

I sighed and turned to one of the bookshelves, lazily running my eyes over the titles emblazoned in fancy gold letters across the spines, until one of them caught my attention.
“‘Royal Courtship Rituals, Volume 2’?” I whispered incredulously, “What the hell is this?”
I flipped the book open and started skimming through the various paragraphs filled with cheesy romance tips, and gave a perverted smile when I saw the title of chapter 3. “Kinky,” I said aloud, and suddenly frowned when I realized I was staring happily what some might consider horse porn.

I may be in love with Cadence, but that doesn’t mean I had totally come to grips with my newfound attraction to female equines.

“What was that?” Cadence called from the other side of the room, and I quickly tossed the book aside.
“What? Oh, nothing,” I said quickly, glancing back to make sure she wasn’t looking. “I was just complaining about how long this could take.”

Cadence nodded. “I know this may seem hopeless, but we don’t have many other options,” she said apologetically. “Wait, here we go!” she suddenly cried, and Spike and I ran to see what the alicorn had found.
“‘Comprehensive Compendium of Forbidden Spells, First Edition’,” I read aloud. “You really think this will have the spell we need?”

Cadence shrugged. “All I know is the first edition was recalled several years ago, only a few days after its initial release on account of all the dangerous spells it contained. We made sure to keep one copy on reserve, just in case,” she explained, and opened the book to the table of contents. “Let’s see here… Mental Manipulation, Resurrection, Alchemy, oh, Portals!” she cried suddenly.

I raised an eyebrow. "With spells like these, why are there any problems in Equestria?" I asked slowly, "I mean, you can turn criminals good, bring back the dead, make gold... you could solve every problem you are faced with!"

Cadence nodded. “Yes, but in the wrong hands, these spells can have disastrous results; after the books were released, we had numerous cases of brainwashing, zombies, bank fraud, and disappearances,” she explained. "We had them discontinued, and the last copy was hidden away here in case of an emergency."
I stared blankly. “Yeah, there’s always the possibility of all that happening,” I agreed. “Well, shall we get this show on the road?”

Cadence took a few steps back. “I’m going to need some space for this, just in case something goes wrong,” she explained, and Spike and I ran to the edge of the room.
“So, is it true you tried to take over Equestria, and then you helped Allen save it?” Spike asked nonchalantly.
I sighed. “You bet your ass it is,” I said quietly. “And here I am, trying to save it again.”
Spike nodded as we watch Cadence close her eyes and float into the air as a circle of mystic runes appeared on the ground beneath her. “So even the Obsidian King has a heart,” I heard him murmur. “I guess anything is possible.”

Normally, I would have kicked the little guy for saying something like that, but I was too awestruck by the beauty of Cadence’s spellcasting. She waved her horn and spun in the air, creating a light blue trail around her as the runes began to glow brighter and brighter with each passing moment.

Suddenly, she snapped her eyes open and burst forward from her spot in the air as a beam of blue energy exploded upwards from the circle, the force knocking me and Spike off of our feet and blowing all of the books from their places on the shelves.
“Well, what are we waiting for?” she asked with a slight laugh, and Spike and I stood up and walked towards the newly opened portal.

“So, we just step into this, and we’ll be in the void?” Spike asked nervously.
“That’s right, Spike,” Cadence replied, nodding encouragingly. “It’s just like stepping into a doorway.”
I looked down and saw the Comprehensive Compendium laying on the floor, still open to that portal spell. “We should take this along, just in case,” I suggested, picking the book up and giving it to Cadence. “If the spells in here are as powerful as you say they are, then they may be a great advantage to have on our side.”

The alicorn princess nodded, using her magic to levitate the book into a black backpack she wore. “Good idea, Drayke,” she said, and turned back to the portal as her visor folded around her face. “We have no idea what’s waiting for us on the other side of this thing, so both of you need to be on your guard,” she warned us with her now-distorted voice.
I nodded, and she leaped into the blue pillar of energy and disappeared. Spike and I looked at each other uncertainly.
“After you,” the baby dragon said politely.
“No, no, I insist; after you,” I replied, taking a step back and holding out a inviting arm.
Spike sighed. “To think you and Allen are the same species,” he muttered, and sprinted into the portal before he could hesitate.

I ran over to a pile of books and, after a few moments of digging, found the Royal Courtship Rituals book. “I’m going to save you for later,” I said slyly, and realized I had nothing to keep the book in. “Just wait here for me, okay?” I asked finally, dropping the volume and diving into the portal without a second thought.

There's No Stopping Me

I landed on one knee on a stone platform as I materialized at my destination: the Void. I looked around and gasped in awe at the almost indescribable sight around me. In the distance, I could see what resembled swirling galaxies and all sorts of strange, twisting lights, like some kind of bad acid trip. It almost reminded me of when my old friends and I would play Super Smash Bros. on Final Destination; I half expected a giant, disembodied hand to suddenly show up out of nowhere and laugh menacingly.

“Well, we made it!” I turned to see Cadence standing on a slightly higher boulder behind me. “Now what?”
I looked around and saw a massive platform somewhere in the distance, much larger than all of the others and surrounded by a wall; the thing looked kind of like a coliseum. “I’d check there,” I said, pointing towards the structure. “If I were an evil overlord, and I was for a while, I’d be waiting in there.”

Cadence nodded in agreement and leaped down to join me on my rock. “Where’s Spike?” she asked, looking around in confusion. Just then, I heard a strange ‘poof’ sound, and Spike hit the ground in front of me.
“Ready to help,” he mumbled, dazed, before jumping up and shaking his head. “So, what’s the plan?”
I started hopping across the floating stone platforms in the direction of the coliseum. “We move forward,” I called behind me, and Cadence and Spike followed suit.

~-~-~-~-~

Twilight stared as Allen suddenly looked around in confusion. Just moments ago, he had been pacing back and forth, planning out his next move, when all of a sudden he started looking off in the distance with a worried expression.
“Is the mighty human warlord actually concerned about something?” she asked teasingly. Hearing this, the others all started watching Allen’s movements closely.
“Silence,” he growled, still watching the horizon. “That can’t be possible,” he murmured, “the secret to getting here was lost ages ago.”
Twilight narrowed her eyes. “What do you mean? What’s going on?” she asked quickly.

Allen took a flying leap, landing on the top of the wall of the coliseum he had built to keep his prisoners, and a smug grin slowly spread across his lips. “Well, well, well, looks like somebody has embraced his new role of hero,” he said with a light chuckle, and turned his gaze back to the lavender alicorn. “Sorry, princess,” he called as he waved a hand through the air, “but I’m afraid I can’t take any half-measures in this regard; Drayke is going to die here.”

As he spoke, several crystal spikes slowly materialized along the walls of the coliseum, each one shifting and twisting until it had the form of a Crystal Sentinel. Once they had fully formed, each one leaped from its spot and began to trek across the empty space to meet their target.

Princess Celestia laughed. “You fool; the Sentinels are nothing against a wielder of magic, and Drayke had a crystal that has the potential to match even my power,” she called out angrily.
Allen rolled his eyes. “I have seen firsthand what your ‘power’ can do,” he said with a dismissive wave. “If Drayke can match it at best, then this should be no problem.”

Suddenly, Rarity perked her ears up. “Girls, do you feel that?” she said, her eyes suddenly brimming with hope.
Applejack nodded. “I reckon I do,” she said happily, “and I think it’s just in time.”
“I think you may have overestimated your abilities, Sanguis,” Luna said wisely, “because I think Drayke may have an asset you didn’t think he would get his hands on.”

Allen stared at the ponies in confusion. “What is it?” he demanded, “What does he-” he suddenly stopped, his eyes growing uncertain for a moment. “No,” he breathed, “that can’t be right.”

Twilight smiled hopefully. “That’s right, Sanguis,” she said bravely, “the Elements of Harmony!”

Allen glared at the ponies, unable to think of something to say, before a calm look crossed his face, and he smiled pleasantly. “Well then,” he sighed, “I guess I will be able to find out just how powerful I have become, won’t I?” he asked aloud, and floated back to the wall where he could watch his crystalline servants battle his adversary.

~-~-~-~-~

“Uh, what’s that sound?” Spike asked fearfully as we continued jumping across the floating platforms towards the stone structure I had pointed out. I could hear something too, almost like a an angry mob was heading our way. I stared intently in the direction of our destination, and my eyes widened in surprise.

“Sentinels!” I cried, holding my sword out in front of me. There appeared to be about twenty of the things, all in a mad dash to meet us. Back before I became the Obsidian King, these things had kept me in hiding during my stay in Equestria, until I met Allen and he unwittingly gave me control over them. Now, it was my turn to go toe-to-toe with these assholes.

I looked over at Cadence worriedly. “Run!” I ordered, pulling out the Sword of Harmony and holding it at my side.
Cadence took a step forward and, I’m only assuming since she was wearing her visor, rolled her eyes. “After spending so much time around you and Allen, I think the only appropriate response to that is, ‘like hell I will’!” she cried, and a light blue glow surrounded her horn.
I smiled gently. “I figured as much,” I murmured lovingly, and turned back to see the Sentinels getting closer.

“Bring it on!” I cried as I charged forward, driving the sword into the lead Sentinel and jumping, tearing the creature in half as I ascended. I brought my blade back down on top of another, which parried my strike with its bladed arm. The beast tried to grab me with its fingered appendage, but a blast of blue magic blasted it into the endless void below. I rushed over to Cadence and we stood back to back as Spike stood between us.

“Any way I can help out?” Spike asked nervously.
“Not at the moment, but I’ll keep you up-to-date on that situation,” I growled as I severed a Sentinel’s sword arm, and promptly grabbed the limb and drove it into one of its companions.
“Nice one!” Cadence called as she fired off several shots at a Sentinel, sending it staggering backwards over the edge.

~-~-~-~-~

Allen smiled savagely at the sight of his Sentinels’ defeat. He knew this was a possible outcome; after all, the boy had beaten several of these creatures on his own with only a sword.
“I still have one last trick up my sleeve,” he whispered as he held his arms in front of him, a ball of jet-black magic forming between his hands as he did. Slowly, the orb began to take on a slid, multi-faceted form, like a black diamond the size of a softball. Then, with a mighty heave, he pitched the ball in the direction that Drayke and his allies were fighting the Sentinels.

“Try that one on for size,” he growled as the crystal ball began hovering in the air, and several larger crystals began to materialize and float around it.

~-~-~-~-~

“What the fuck is that?” I cried when I saw the massive thing forming on a massive rock plain several yards away from us; it looked like a giant mass of crystals had suddenly appeared and were mashed together wherever they would fit. I could see in the center there was a black crystal that was acting like a black hole and attracting the crystals it had generated, and the mass was starting to take on a final form. Around the main crystal, it had created a shell that had two massive arms growing out of it and sat atop a massive ball. At the ends of the arms were giant, spiked, club-like appendages that looked like they could deliver a pretty nasty blow; a point that was proven when it slammed one into the floor beneath it.

“Uh, I’m pretty sure it’s called “really bad news!” Spike cried as he ran to take cover behind a nearby rock.

I looked over at Cadence. “I think now would be a good time to use the Elements,” I said quickly, and she nodded as her backpack opened and the six Elements of Harmony floated out. I held the Sword of Harmony near them, and they flew into the slot on the hilt one by one until they were united into a single, white gem, just as I had seen in Argentum’s memories.

“Alright, you overgrown asshole, take this!” I cried as I slashed downward towards my enemy, and a wave of rainbow-hued energy blasted the creature and ripped one of its arms off.

The creature stopped for a moment and looked at its severed arm as the limb disintegrated, and then the jagged shoulder began to jut out as a mass of crystals grew out from it.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I muttered as the beast whipped its newly form arm, causing a new set of spikes to stab out of the end. Then, it slammed its fists down at me, which I barely avoided with a quick dash backward.

“Okay,” Cadence said uncertainly, “that thing can heal itself. Now what?”
I narrowed my eyes, taking note of the arcs of black magic emanating from the primary crystal and striking the surrounding pieces as they rotated around the core. “I need to get a height advantage,” I said tactically. “I may be able to knock out that main crystal and send this thing crumbling to the ground.

Cadence nodded and turned so her side was facing me. “Then get on!” she said urgently, motioning for me to get on her back.
I stared for a moment. “Seriously?” I asked, dumbstruck.
Cadence stamped a hoof. “We don’t have time for this!” she yelled, and I quickly ran and swung one leg over the armored alicorn, straddling her like… well, like a horse.

“You sure you can lift me?” I asked uncertainly as she started to take a running start before taking off.
Cadence huffed. “I’m a lot stronger than I look, you know,” she said teasingly, pretending to be offended, and took a great leap and soared into the air. “I’ll try and position us so you can get a good hit against that black crystal!” she cried, and I began to swing the Sword of Harmony every few seconds, firing a wave of energy at our massive foe. Unfortunately, the crystals that protected the creature’s heart moved so randomly that it was hard to predict when I would be able to get a direct shot.

“Can you get us any closer?” I asked, and suddenly found myself wrapping my arms around Cadence as she did a barrel roll to avoid a massive swing from the creature’s spiked fists.
“Does that answer your question?” the pink alicorn called in annoyance.

I suddenly got a bad idea. The chances of it working were slim at best, but we were already fighting a losing battle; how worse could it get from here? “Cadence,” I said slowly, pulling my crystal from my pocket, “get me directly above this asshole.”
Cadence peered back at me. “What are you thinking?” she inquired, starting to sound strained from the continuous flying.
I grinned dangerously. “At the risk of you refusing, I’m going to refrain from revealing the details of my plan. Just get me directly above that thing!”

Cadence swooped low to the ground, flying away from the crystal beast, and shot back in the air as she turned to face the creature again.
“Whenever you’re ready,” she said uncertainly as we drew closer to my desired point.
I narrowed my eyes as I watched our enemy’s position below us. “Roll, now!” I cried suddenly, and Cadence flipped over on her back as I slackened my grip on her, causing me to plummet directly towards our enemy.

I held the Sword of Harmony straight in front of me in my right hand as my crystal glowed red in my left, and my armor materialized over my body.
“Let’s hope this works!” I yelled as the wind rushed past me, and I flew past the protective crystals and struck the core of the beast dead-on, ripping it out with me as I hit the ground and rolled for several yards. I stood up as the creature let out a rumbling roar and fell to the ground, breaking into pieces that slowly turned to dust. I saw Cadence land a few feet away, her visor folding away as a look of relief crossed her face.

“Never, ever, scare me like that again!” she said angrily, suddenly rearing up on her hind legs and hugging me tightly as Spike ran out from his hiding spot to join us.
I laughed and returned the embrace. “I don’t think I can promise that,” I said apologetically, “but I’ll try my best.”
Cadence nodded as we parted, and turned to the coliseum. “Let’s go; we still have one more fight ahead of us,” she said grimly, and we quickly headed for our final destination.

~-~-~-~-~

Allen sighed deeply. “Well, I cannot say I didn’t see that coming,” he said quietly. “I suppose I should delay the inevitable no longer.”
With a mighty leap, the possessed boy dropped down from the coliseum's wall to where his prisoners were chained below. “Okay, everyone; it’s time for the grand finale!” he cried, and snapped his fingers as the chains enveloping the trapped ponies suddenly shot out and wrapped around his arms, directly transferring their magic into his body. They all cried out in pain as their strength was ripped from their bodies as Allen laughed maniacally.

“Hear their screams, boy!” he yelled, his voice becoming more and more distorted with every moment he spent gathering power, “Hear their screams and know you failed to protect them! The final battle for Equestria is coming, and you get a front row seat to watch everything you care about burn!”

Happily Ever After

I vaulted over a rocky ledge that jutted out of the long, flat plain that stretched before us, leading right up to the coliseum where we assumed Allen was waiting for us. It was hard to believe that after all I had been through in the past week, this crazy adventure was almost coming to an end.

Coincidentally, I wasn’t the only one thinking this.

“We’re almost done,” Cadence sighed as she trotted beside me, “soon we can all go back to how our lives were before.” I couldn’t help but pick up the slight pang of sadness in that statement, and I knew exactly what it was directed towards.
“Cadence,” I said, suddenly stopping and looking at her sadly, “you do realize I’m not going back to Earth after this, right?”

The pink princess actually looked surprised by this. “You’re not?” she asked slowly, “But the entire time you were searching for Allen, you’ve been insisting that you would return home as soon as he was back with my aunts.”
I smiled and shook my head. “That was before, when I still hated you guys and couldn’t wait to get back to my life,” I explained, “but now… well, just look at what I’ve done! I’ve traveled across a foreign land in search of a lost friend, risked my life for ponies I would have normally stranded, and even... fell in love,” I said, my voice suddenly softening as I blushed.

Cadence stared for a moment before smiling. “I suppose I should have realized that,” she replied quietly, and continued to trek towards the coliseum. “We can worry about all that more once we’ve saved the world, though,” she added.
I nodded. “Good point. Hey, what do you think I could squeeze out of Celestia now that I’m not going to be asking for another trip home?” I asked suddenly.
The alicorn shook her head and smiled. “Some things never change,” she sighed.

Just then, I saw a flash of movement ahead of us, and I dove into Cadence mere moments before a web of black chains struck the spot she had occupied an instant before. I looked up to see Allen hovering toward us, slowing to a halt several yards away.
“Damn, missed,” he said sadly. “It’s quite foolish of you, Drayke, to bring an alicorn directly to me; are you trying to help me, by any chance?” he asked hopefully, “Have you come to your senses and decided to join me and rule Equestria?”

I brandished the Sword of Harmony and glared at my possessed friend. “Not on your life,” I growled.

Allen smirked as a pair of crystal swords materialized in his hands. “Pity,” he replied darkly, and charged at me full speed. I ducked under one of the blades as it swept past, and quickly blocked the other with a parry. Allen slammed his fists together, causing the two swords to merge into a single, massive crystal claymore, and slammed it into the ground as I spun to the side and out of harm’s way. Rather than drawing his sword, however, Allen delivered a powerful kick that sent me rolling to the side.

I stood up, groaning, as Allen waved a hand over Cadence, and she became wrapped in a web of black chains that caused her to drop to her knees as her strength was ripped from her body.
“Drayke...” she pleaded weakly as Allen hovered her into the air and began to march back to the stone coliseum.

I felt my eyes burn as I pulled out my back crystal and screamed as my original suit of Obsidian King armor exploded around me, and its massive wings burst from my shoulders. I pulled my arm back as my signature scythe formed in my hand, and I threw the weapon spear-end first straight at Allen just in time for him to whirl around and catch it with his free hand.

“Do not oppose me,” he growled menacingly, “I have the magic of four alicorns, the god of chaos, and the ponies chosen by the Elements of Harmony, all on top of this boy’s and my own power. Facing me is practically suicide!” he boasted.

I stared for a moment, taking in his statement, until my gaze softened as my armor faded away from my body, making Allen smirk smugly.
“That’s better,” he said soothingly. “Perhaps I will consider letting these wretched creature simply live as slaves rather than killing them off. I won’t promise that, however,” he added as he continued to stalk back to his lair.

“I wasn’t giving up,” I called after him, which he turned and eyed me with confusion.
“What?” he asked slowly.
I held the crystal in my hand, picturing the outfit Rarity had made me for this adventure, as well as the improvements she had mentioned on the way to the Fissure. Just then, a black longcoat formed around my body, with a pair of black pauldrons with inlaid rubies in the center. A pair of armored fingerless gloves materialized on my hands, and a pair of slick boots appeared on my feet.

“I’m just getting started,” I said, holding the Sword of Harmony directly in front of me, “and I’m not letting you win!”

Allen stared at the sword for a moment. “I thought I recognized that blade,” he said quietly as he let Cadence fall to the ground with a heavy thud. “It never occurred to me that I would be faced with the sword my old friend tried to kill me with.”
I nodded slightly. “Well, behold,” I said sarcastically, “same sword, same ass that it’s gonna kick!” I cried, and charged at Allen full speed, bringing the blade down on his head as it glowed a bright white.

There was a loud, almost electric sound, and I looked ahead to see Allen holding a flat hand against the blade, preventing me from striking.
“I am far beyond the level I was at when Argentum face me with this blade,” he whispered, “and in case it isn’t obvious, he failed to kill me with it.”

Just then, he wrapped his fingers around the Sword of Harmony and threw me backwards, sending me sprawling into the coliseum. I staggered to my feet as Allen quickly charged me with his sword and slammed the flat end against me, slamming me into the wall. I turned and held the Sword of Harmony sideways as Allen brought his blade down, struggling to keep the edge from getting too close. I grimaced as the crystal sword pressed against my face, leaving a nasty cut over my left eye. I shoved forward, pushing Allen back a few feet, and we circled each other carefully in the center of the room.

“Come on, Drayke,” he hissed eagerly, “give up. You cannot defeat me, even with the Elements of Harmony.”
I glared at him for a moment, before my hard gaze broke for a moment when I noticed something odd: while his left eye glowed a bright blue, his right had returned to its usual shade of brown. On top of this, I could also see a few small patches of brown in his perfectly white hair.

I grinned when I realized what all of this could mean. “Getting a little tired there, pal?” I asked teasingly, “maybe you’re the one that needs to give up.”
Allen narrowed his eyes. “Enough of this,” he said clearly, suddenly dropping his sword and waving a hand over the ground as a circular rune appeared beneath his feet. “I’ve delayed long enough. Now, the Convergence begins.”

Just then, a bright beam shot from the circle as Allen stepped away, shooting straight up until it could no longer be seen. “Soon enough,” he boasted, “our worlds will become one again, and I shall be the sole ruler of them both. But first, now that that’s out of the way,” he added as his sword floated up into his hand, “I’m going to kill you once and for all.”

I looked up at the beam worriedly, and then back to Allen. “If the real Allen is in there, I could really use a distraction!” I called desperately.

Allen took a step forward, and his foot suddenly became encased in a shell of crystal that anchored him to the ground. He looked down angrily and tried smashing the shell with his free hand, but his arm became frozen as soon as it touched his frozen leg.
“You stupid boy!” he screamed angrily, and his entire body took on a smoky aura as his eye returned to normal and the patches of brown in his hair faded, “I warned you not to interfere; now your friends die!”

He tore his arm from the shell and smashed his leg free with his fist, and then waved a hand as the ponies around the room cried out in agony. I widened my eyes and charged forward, screaming, with my sword pointed directly at Allen’s chest. Just a few inches away, however, Allen reached out and stopped my movements with a telekinetic grasp.

“Equestria is mine,” he hissed, and a series of black cracks appeared across the Sword of Harmony’s blade. Allen tightened his fist, and the blade shattered into fragments that fell to the floor. Then, he swung his arm to the side, flinging me against the far wall with a heavy thud.

I lay there for a few moments, my mind clouded with grief. I failed them, I thought sadly, they were my only friends, and I failed them.

I remembered something Argentum had told me. “Drayke, power is neither good nor evil. Power is pure; it is only the one who uses it that determines what the power can be used for. Tell me, Drayke, will you use this power to destroy, or to save?”

I turned my head slightly to see my crystal and the broken Sword of Harmony laying side-by-side, and I noticed the white gem in the sword’s handle was no longer white, but cycling through the colors of the six Elements of Harmony. I reached out and pried the gem from its spot on the hilt, and it flashed brightly for a moment before separating into its six components.

Right then, I had an idea; it was dangerous, but I could save all of Equestria if it worked. I remembered what I had learned about magic’s effects on humans during my stay: that under normal circumstances, a human would need some sort of conduit to channel their power, like my crystal did for me. If a human were directly exposed to magic, it would kill them.

To save, I thought certainly, still laying on the ground, and grabbed my crystal and pointed it at the Elements as a beam of energy shot from each one, giving their power to my crystal. Then, when it had absorbed enough, I held my crystal to my chest and allowed all of its stored power to flow into me unimpeded.

Please, I prayed silently to the Elements, give me the strength I need to save my friends.

Nothing happened for a few seconds, until I suddenly felt a strange warmth spreading from my chest to my arms and legs. I felt my strength restored, and I rose to my feet as a rainbow-colored flame enveloped me.

“Sanguis!” I shouted, and Allen turned to face me once again. “This is your last warning; stop this now, or die.”
Allen laughed. “I already told you, you cannot kill me!” he shouted smugly. “But if you insist on having only one of us walk away from this fight,” he said, and a black fire that mirrored my own surrounded him, “so be it.”

I thrust my arms outward as a multi-colored blast shot from my hands, and Allen did the same as a black beam of energy fired at me. We sat there, the streams of energy endlessly colliding in the center of the coliseum as we struggled to overpower one another.

“I’ll never understand it,” Allen growled over the sound of magic exploding in the middle of the room, “why do you and this boy fight so valiantly for those you could easily destroy?”
I gritted my teeth as I readjusted my footing. “You know, I would have asked the same question myself a year ago,” I called back, “but now I know the answer.”

Allen laughed mockingly. “And what is that answer?” he inquired.

I looked around the room at the ponies who had helped me through this journey. Applejack and he honesty, Rarity and her generosity, Fluttershy and her kindness, Pinkie and her laughter, Rainbow Dash and her loyalty, and Twilight and her fierce friendship. I could see it perfectly clearly now, why Allen loved these horses so much and protected them at all costs, and I realized now that I was willing to do the same.

“Because friendship is magic,” I whispered, and swung both of my arms to the side, unleashing a wave of energy that canceled Allen’s beam and threw him backward, and disintegrated the chains that bound my friends. They all watched as I marched toward Allen, who was scrambling to his feet and harmlessly firing bolts of black energy at me.

“This is impossible!” he screamed angrily, “this cannot be!”

I grabbed the collar of the chainmail sticking out from under his armor and lifted him into the air. “Fuck you,” I growled, my voice vibrating, and the entire room became bathed in a sea of blinding light.

~-~-~-~-~

I opened my eyes to find myself lying on a balcony at Castle Canterlot, my six friends all eyeing me curiously and tackling me in a hug when they realized I was okay. It was nighttime, and the only light came from a couple of torches lit around the balcony.

“Woah, woah, calm down!” I laughed as I sat up, “what happened?”

I heard light footsteps behind me. “I think I can explain that one,” I heard a laughing voice say, and I turned to see Allen standing behind me in his alicorn form, free from Sanguis’s influence. “The blast you used to kill me tore a rip in the Void, sending us all back to Equestria. Celestia and Luna brought us back here while Twilight and the others returned the Elements of Harmony to their resting places,” he explained.

Allen stared in confusion as I slowly walked over to him, and after a few moments of awkward staring, I gave him a friendly hug, which made him let out a surprised noise.

“Well, Drayke, I knew you had changed during your adventure, but I didn’t think it was that severe!” he said with a laugh as he returned the gesture, and we parted with warm smiles. “It’s good to see you again,” he said with a relieved sigh, and I nodded in agreement.

Just then, Allen’s words hit me. “Wait, I killed you?” I asked, confused.
Allen laughed. “I’m surprised to see you so concerned about me; after all, what happened to you is more shocking,” he said, giving me a strange look.

I gasped. “I died?” I asked quietly.

Allen shrugged. “Well, you got better; if it hadn’t been for that book you and Cadence found in the library, we’d still be dead,” he said nonchalantly. “Speaking of which…”

I saw movement in the darkened hallway behind Allen, and Cadence stepped out onto the balcony, smiling cutely. I stared at the pink alicorn for several moments before running over and wrapping my arms around her and kissing her gently.

“Well, I’m glad to see your mission was a success, Drayke,” Celestia chuckled, and I quickly stood up at attention as she and her sister joined us. “You have saved Equestria, defeated an ancient evil once and for all, and reunited us with our lost friend. For that, I extend my most humble gratitude,” she said, bowing her head respectfully, which all of the others, even Allen, did as well.

“There is just one problem,” she said suddenly, and I raised an eyebrow as she went on: “Although you defeated Sanguis and banished his soul from Allen’s body, you were unable to stop his spell, and he was successful in tearing a hole in Equestria and Earth.”

I was about to speak, when a massive thundering interrupted me. We all rushed to the balcony and stared off into the distance as numerous beams of pink light shot up into the air. I glanced over at Allen. “Looks like we still have some work to do, huh?” he asked, his eyes wide.
I nodded. “Things are probably going to be a little weird around here from here on out, huh?” I inquired.
Allen laughed and shook his head. “Drayke, when aren’t things weird around here?” he asked.
I nodded. “You’ve got a point,” I admitted.

“So,” Twilight asked slowly, “now what?”
Pinkie jumped up excitedly. “Ooh! Ooh! We could throw them a party!” she cried excitedly.
Rarity rolled her eyes. “Honestly, Pinkie, we should give the humans a bit of time to adjust to our world before throwing them one of your parties,” she said.
Applejack sighed. “I wonder if this will mean good business for Sweet Apple Acres,” she wondered aloud.
“I just hope they’re nice to the animals,” Fluttershy said quietly.
Rainbow Dash smiled. “This is gonna be so awesome!” she said happily.

Allen shrugged. “Or, you know, there could be another war,” he pointed out.
Celestia laughed lightly. “Allen, after seeing what you and Drayke have done, I’m sure that will not happen.”
Luna nodded. “You need to look on the brighter side of things more often, Allen,” she said as she pressed her side against him affectionately, and he smiled and kissed her on the cheek.

Cadence looked at me with a warm smile. “What do you think, Drayke?” she asked gently.

I sighed and looked straight ahead at the horizon. “After everything we’ve been through,” I said slowly, “I think this is a pretty satisfying ending.”

I Don't Work For Free

I stared at my crystal angrily as I continued to stand in the Canterlot throne room rather than being whisked back to my apartment. “Didn’t you hear me? Friendship is magic!” I shouted, shaking the black rock furiously as if that would make it work. After about a minute of this, I sighed in defeat. “Want to tell me what the hell is wrong with this thing?” I asked the royal pony glaringly.

Celestia regarded me with a disappointed look. “Your crystal does not have enough power to return you to Earth; you are trapped here until your crystal is recharged,” she explained.
I thrust my arm out expectantly. “Well, recharge it, then!” I demanded. “I have no interest in being here, nor do I want to help you with your problem!”

Celestia sighed heavily. “Would you at least let me explain why I brought you here?” she asked with an annoyed tone.
I rolled my eyes. “Won’t do you any good, but there isn’t anything stopping you,” I said grouchily.

Celestia took a deep breath. “Shortly after you left, my sister and I noticed that Allen was having these strange… outbursts. We do not know what was causing them, but they would cause him to act violently; sometimes he would simply become angry for a moment, and others…” she trailed off, extending her left wing to reveal it was wrapped in a cast-like bandage.

This caught my interest. “Allen did this?” I asked quickly, “Why?”
Celestia hung her head. “I do not know,” she said sadly. “My sister is worried about him, and we were hoping you would be able to help us,” she explained.
I shrugged. “Well, I don’t think I’ll be much help, but I guess I can talk to him,” I said slowly.

Celestia looked up, confused. “Talk to him?” she repeated, “No, we don’t need you to talk to him. We need you to find him.”
I scowled. “What?” I snapped, “you’re telling me Allen that isn’t even here?”
The solar princess nodded. “He’s been gone for almost a month now,” she explained. “I want you to go find him.”

I crossed my arms angrily. “I don’t think you understand what I’m saying: I am not going on any crazy adventures for your sake. I’m done doing you favors.”

Celestia nodded respectfully. “There is nothing I can do to force you to help us,” she said sadly. “If you would follow me, there is one thing I must ask you to do before I send you home,” she added hopefully.

I stared at the white horse. “And that is…?” I asked expectantly.

Celestia smiled warmly. “Would you join me and some friends for a meal before you leave?” she asked.
I stared at her, confused, and shrugged. “Well, if it gets me home that much sooner, fine,” I sighed, and followed her to the dining hall.

Had I known what was waiting for me, I would have refused.

~-~-~-~-~

I stared uneasily at the other ponies that sat at the table, who stared back expectantly. I knew these seven well; Princess Luna - Allen’s wife - and his six friends: Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Twilight Sparkle.

“Celestia,” I said in a low voice, “why are they here?”

Twilight spoke up, breaking the awkward silence. “Drayke, how has your life on Earth been?” she asked kindly.
I shrugged. “It’s been pretty good,” I said nonchalantly. “I haven’t had to worry about talking horses, or getting killed,” I added bitterly.

Rainbow Dash suddenly slammed her hooves on the table and glared at me. “Why aren’t you going to help Allen?” she asked angrily.
I rolled my eyes. “Look, ponies, I already explained to your princess, I am done helping you!” I snapped. “I do not want to be here, and I would rather not risk my life for the sake of some miniature horses anymore.”

“Now what are you talking about?” Applejack asked in her trademark cowboy accent, which in all honesty kinda annoyed me, “Allen is the one you’re helping out here; we’re just worried about him, is all.”
Fluttershy nodded. “You have to help him!” she cried, and then quietly added, “if that’s okay with you.”

I glared up and down the table at the ponies seated before me. “No, it’s not okay with me!” I laughed emptily. “I already told you, I’m not helping you guys any more, and I want to go home!”

Twilight glanced over at Celestia questioningly, and the white horse nodded slightly. Just then, I found myself thrown from my chair and slammed against the wall by an invisible force as Twilight trotted up to me.

“Now, you listen up!” she demanded. “Sure, you went with Allen to the Crystal Empire when he defeated Sanguis, but have you forgotten what you did to Equestria before that?” she asked expectantly.

I tried to shrug, but found even that small movement was restricted. “So what? I lived in the forest for about a year and got a god complex. It happens to everyone,” I replied nonchalantly. “Look, are you going to guilt-trip me, or are you going to send me home?”

Twilight flipped me onto my stomach and brought my face inches from hers. “You have done next to nothing but cause trouble for Equestria, and it’s about time you made up for it! Besides,” she said, a crafty grin tugging at the edges of her mouth, “let’s face it: you may be a jerk who claims to not care about anypony, but Allen is the closest thing you have to a friend.”

I opened my mouth to argue, but no sound came out. I hated to admit it, but she was right in some strange, twisted way. Allen was, in a “we’ve-tried-to-kill-each-other-a-few-times” way, the only friend I had. If he hadn’t let bygones be bygones after defeating Sanguis, I don’t know where I would be right now.

I glared at the purple horse that was holding me hostage. “Fine,” I growled through gritted teeth, which made her smile and return me to solid ground, “I’ll help you find him. But don’t expect me to do this for nothing!” I added. “I have a few demands before I depart on this epic quest.”

Celestia nodded, unsurprised. “And those would be…?” she asked slowly.

I cleared my throat. “Okay. First off, I want a cool outfit; if I’m going to be some kind of hero, I want to look the part. I know prissy white horse over there,” I said as I pointed a thumb at Rarity, who scoffed and rolled her eyes, “is good with that sort of thing. Secondly, I’m going to need a sword.” I said flatly. “A really cool sword.”

Celestia stared at me. “Anything else you require?” she asked expectantly.

I glanced around the room. “Uh…” I scanned the table until my eyes fell on the golden, jewel-encrusted goblet I had been drinking from, which I immediately grabbed. “This!” I cried triumphantly. “I want this.”

Celestia looked confused. “You want… a goblet?” she asked slowly.
I shrugged. “It looks nice,” I said flatly. “It would be a cool decoration in my apartment.”

Celestia nodded, closing her eyes tightly in annoyance. “It is done,” she sighed. “Rarity, how long will it take you to put some sort of outfit together for Drayke?” she asked the white unicorn.
Rarity thought about this. “Well, if I get started as soon as we get back to Ponyville, I could have it done as early as tomorrow morning,” she said proudly.

I nodded, satisfied. “You had better not make me look like a fruit,” I said quickly.
Rarity glared at me. “Believe me, darling,” she said sarcastically as she stood up and trotted towards the door, “you do not need my help do do that.”

I huffed angrily as the others followed suit. “Why you little...” I sputtered, but shrugged it off. As I walked past the table, I glanced down at the tablecloth; it was a silky white with gold trim on the edges. “I want this, too!” I called, grabbing a corner and pulling the massive piece of fabric behind me, causing the several dishes that sat on top of it to fall over. I dragged it behind me like a child would hold his blanket, and followed Allen’s friends out the door.

~-~-~-~-~

“So, he is the one we are trusting Allen’s safety to?” Luna asked her sister dryly.
Celestia nodded. “He may be a crude human, but I know there is goodness in his heart,” she said with certainty.

Luna nodded, unconvinced. “I’m not sure about this, Celestia,” she said slowly. “After all, this is the same human who imprisoned us over a year ago.”
Celestia gave her younger sister a serious look. “Yes, and he is also the same human who died for the sake of your husband, and was somewhat well-behaved during his stay here at the castle,” she said sternly. “He will change in time; you’ll see.”

Luna nodded. “I suppose you’re right. After all, Cadence was able to sense the good inside him. There must be something inside him that will convince him to do the right thing.”
Celestia smiled warmly. “Yes, and with my student and her friends by his side, he will see it too. Where is Cadence, by the way?” she asked, glancing around. “I expected she would be here to greet Drayke. She may have been able to make convincing Drayke easier.”

Luna shook her head sadly. “She hasn’t been the same since the battle,” she said. When Shining Armor died during Sanguis’s assault on the Crystal Empire, Luna had seen the utter agony in her niece's eyes; it looked as if she was seeing the poor alicorn’s soul torn in two right there. “I’m sure we’ll see her soon,” she added cheerfully. “Maybe when Allen returns, it will cheer her up some.”

Celestia nodded slowly. “I hope so,” she said uncertainly.

~-~-~-~-~

“What are you doing in my bed?” Twilight demanded angrily. I opened one eye to see her staring at me furiously as I lay on top of a rather comfortable mattress, wrapped in a soft blanket.

“Going to bed, of course,” I yawned lazily. “We have an adventure tomorrow, and I would hate to be tired when it starts.” With that, I rolled over so my back was facing her and smiled contently.

My comfort was interrupted, however, when an invisible force pushed me over the edge and onto the floor. “Your bed is in the other room,” she said angrily. “You can sleep there, or you can sleep on the floor,” she muttered as she lied down where I had just been relaxing.

I scowled. “You know what?” I replied, “I’m not even that tired. “I think I’ll go read a book.”
Twilight laughed. “You read?” she asked teasingly.

“Fuck you,” I shot back as I headed for the stairs.