Chapters “Well I’m not sure if it will help, but this room has no walls.”
I didn’t even feel a tickle of panic. I have been in the difficult situations before and this one was no different.
Apart from the fact that this time I wasn’t shivering so badly. I looked at my hand. It wasn’t shaking. It was vibrating violently.
“What a …?”
“Later.” Shimmer had some exhaustion notes in her voice. “Look to your left. That’s the exit.”
“How can you be sure?” I was worried. And was I going to go through that wall?
“I’m inside your head. I see with your eyes, talk with you, but it drives me very tired. I won’t speak much from now on.” Sunset said these words and “disconnected” from me. I could feel it. A short pain in brain and I was on my own.
Could I trust her? Is she a friend or villain? That didn’t matter for now. She said Peter is in danger and that was all I needed.
Shake. Vibe. Trrr-trrrr-trrrr... My hand was going crazy. I tried to make a few steps. And I banged into the a wall. It was the wall Sunset told me was an exit.
But how did I do it? I moved across that room in a second’s fraction!
Later.
I have to find Sunset. She’s the only way to get to Peter.
“Well, lets hope it works.” I said to myself before closing my eyes and smashing a fist into the wall as hard as I could.
CLANG-BANG!!!
A loud sound reflected around the room. When I opened my eyes, something cut them.
“Argh!” I screamed.
Light! Of course! How could I be so stupid? The light hit me right into my eyes blinding me for a second.
“Harry! Where are you?” Sunset screamed inside my mind, putting me out of my pain.
“Me? I’m on my way. But could you say where should I go?” I was feeling annoyed. She didn’t even say me where she was!
“I’m in the central server room. I’ll guide you.” When she finished these words, she again disconnected.
“Great. Saying that she’ll guide me and leaving me alone God knows where.” I groaned to myself.
I walked out through the hole in the wall exiting into the wide corridor of some fictional spaceship. Or at least it looked like that.
“Left or right?” I tried to contact Sunset, but she didn’t answer. Well, now I was alone.
And as soon as I thought that, I heard screams and loud steps turning in from the right corridor. I waited. A few seconds later a large metallic robot appeared.
“Prisoner has escaped! Stand still, or you will be exterminated!” Practically screamed a machine, aiming it’s large hand-rifle onto me.
“Uh, okay?” I tried to reason with this robot.
“Command accepted, exterminate Prisoner.” Said the robot, clanging the rifle and charging it with some power.
“Oh Crap…” I said, but nothing happened.
I saw the robot take an aim, press the trigger, but rifle didn’t shoot. Or so I thought, before I understood that it was charging. I took few steps. Robot didn’t change his aim. The rifle made a long sound and I saw how plasma flew out of muzzle. But it shouldn’t be so slow. I felt a vibration. I looked down at my body and I understood one thing. It wasn’t going slow. The world didn’t slow down. It was me! I speeded up!
I took a few steps. Than took off running. I could feel how gravity’s pull weakened. I jumped on wall and ran some distance.
“ITS SO AWASOME!!!” I screamed and started running. I ran and ran and ran enjoying every moment of it.
I AM FAST! I AM STRONG!! Sunset Shimmer! How could I forget her? Few seconds might have passed, but it felt like minutes to me. I looked around for any sign’s or maps that could tell me where the central service room was. I used my speed to find it faster. It was really easy.
With just an idea I was switching my body speed like book’s pages.
Swift, soft vibration and I’m already faster than anything in the world! Central Server Room was just few floors away. I also felt how easier I could suck information in. It took me less than a second to memories the map. And I took off running. While moving along the Space Ship, I met several robots, but I was so fast that they couldn’t even sense me. In less than 5 seconds I came to the server room.
“Sunset, I’m here!” I screamed mentally to her, but realizing that she couldn’t hear me at this speed, I switched back into my “usual” speed.
“Sunset! I’m here!” I tried again.
“Help... please…” were the last words she told me telepathically and disappeared.
Chapter 3 - Fury, Rage and Heroism
Anger flashed through me. A pure anger. This door. I couldn’t brake it. Some different material. I angered, more and more. Until anger turned into rage. And rage turned into…
Clang! A quick, sharp pain pierced me in my knuckles. I looked at my hands and saw three long metal claws sticking out of my knuckles.
No time for coolness. Sunset is in danger! Intuitively I started piercing the door, combining my speed and claws together. In a second, I was on the other side. It was a battlefield. I show dozens of robots frozen in time shooting at a girl, that was lying on the floor. She had very bright red yellow hair, that were longer her shoulders. She was very young and if I had to take a guess, she was around nineteen years old.
My heart missed a beat.
Harry, later!! I saw that she had a barrier around her, but it faded faster than I imagined. There was a harpoon flying at her. It was just some centimeters away. I couldn’t move it, I was to late. But I ran, shielding Sunset with my body. Heroic, stupid. It didn’t matter at the moment. Saving Sunset was the priority. I felt cold metal piercing my back and world going from slow to it’s usual speed.
There was noise, CLASH!!! BANG!!!
In some distance an explosion faded.
“Hey there!” I said to Sunset, that was staring in my face, like she didn’t believe something.
Next second, she opened something like a portal just a few feet away.
A dash was all I needed. Just a dash.
“Faster!” Sunset’s voice was fading, but I couldn’t let myself pass out in the middle of the battlefield. At least not in front of a lady.
I concentrated, focusing on speeding myself up. Just in a fraction of a second, I pushed Sunset into the Portal, jumping after her myself.
Next moment, I felt a warm breeze hitting me. My body felt heavy.
“Sunset, you alright?” I tried to ask, but all that came out was a groan with few drops of blood flying out of my mouth. I fell on ground.
Someone’s screams. Sunset’s hair fell over me.
“Hold on, Harry! Hold on!” I heard the voice say, but I couldn’t reply. A sudden weakness fell over me. Then the darkness came, inviting me into it’s kingdom. And I limply fell into it.
Chapter 4 - Lost Memories and Heavy Tears
“Will he be ok?” a strong man’s voice sounded in some distance.
“We did our best sir. The damage was not as much as physical, as mental.” Another voice appeared.
“Mental, huh? And how do you explain this term?” A strong man spoke again. His voice is very familiar, but I can’t remember where did I hear it before.
“You see, sir, the Green Goblin is still in his brain. And it’s insanity does not let our patient’s brain work properly. It’s like a disease.”
“And can you cure this disease?”
“We are working on this. For now, I’ll have to turn him off.” A click followed doctor’s voice, and I blanked out.
“Experiment number one! Everyone get in your positions!” A loud lady’s voice echoed through my head.
I opened my eyes getting blinded almost immediately. Few seconds later, I looked around finding myself in a huge white polygon. I mean completely white. I tried to remember something, but apart from the conversation my head was empty.
“Beginning in 3…”
Wait what? What’s going on? What experiment?
“…2…”
And what is that countdown for?
“…1…”
Stop thinking, no matter what the countdown is for, it’s definitely to no good.
“Start!”
A loud clash of metal sounded around. I took a defensive state, looking for exit. There was no exit. A several robots appeared around. They looked like huge flying octopuses. But they also had something to shoot with. I felt it. A loud buzz through my head made me pay attention. Stop thinking. Just trust your senses and fight.
There were 7 robots all together. First launched at me, trying to get me with his tentacles. Not today my friend! I felt power in me that I had to release. I concentrated. C’mon old man, do this!
Rage filled my eyes. Heat, an immense heat came out, evaporating the enemy in less than a second. I closed my eyes and calmed down. 6 left. This time I didn’t wait for octo’s to come closer. Instead I used my speed advantage. The world slowed down. Sounds faded. Bullets were flying at me, but I walked past them to my enemy.
Just before blowing a hit I quit my speed just to enjoy the moment of power, when my punch exploded the octo #6. 5 left.
Can I do more? And what is the limit? I ran faster and faster towards the 3rd octo, gathering power in my hands. Quitting the speed once again, I took it’s tentacles, span it round, and letting it go into the enemies that were left. The flying octo #3 smashed into the #4, but before they could land, I dove under, catching them, spinning them round and setting them off into the #5. The loud crash would be heard, but I was faster. Faster than sound.
1 was left. It barely made a move, when I shot him with my eyes. A loud explosion could be heard, but somehow it brought peace to me.
“ 3.2 second. The new record established.” Told the lady’s voice. 3.2 seconds? I think I can do better.
“Experiment is finished. Turn him off.” This time it was the same strong man’s voice.
I didn’t want to be turned off again, however, I couldn’t do anything. I just blanked out.
Next time I woke up in the long dark room. Or, it was just a long thin bridge with tall walls around it.
“Look, Harry. 60 years of hard work, and finally my dream came true.”
The voice was coming from a throne in the end of the corridor. I heard that voice before. It was that strong’s man voice again. However, I knew it outside of these memories.
“Who are you?” I asked. My voice sounded robotic.
“Don’t you remember me? Well, that doesn’t matter now. You did your job just great. If you take a closer look at the walls, you might not even ask your second question.” The voice silenced, leaving me. However, I did as it said. I took a closer at the wall.
And I wish I didn’t. The whole had windows in it. And behind the windows were some relics, that I quickly recognized. Thor’s hammer, Captain’s America’s shield, with a huge crack that lasted from the edge to the middle, Iron Man’s mask with Tony’s atomic reactor, that he used as heart was lying under, Eagle’s bow, Black Widow’s bracelets and… Spider Man’s mask.
“NO! What happened?! It’s fake!!!” I was screaming on top of my lungs with tears rolling down my cheeks. Spider-Man, Peter… how did it happen?
The truth came just by itself.
“No. No, NO, NO, NOOO!!! IT WASN’T ME! PETER IT WASN’T ME!!”
A man’s voice send a jolt through me:
“Turn him off.”
And just when I was blanking out, his words pierced me through…
“What a disgrace you actually are, Dad.”
Chapter 5 - Meet the... Ponies!
"Aaahh!!!" I screamed breaking out the kingdom of darkness. A cold sweat was all over me and my claws sticking out of my... hooves?
Before I could think any more, a light pierced through room and I saw a yellow horse running into the room followed by a white one.The white horse had pink hair and was certainly unhappy about something, while the first one, completely ignoring her ran towards me. She also had a burning yellow and red mane and hair and had deep green eyes. She looked a lot like...
"Sunset?" My heart skipped several beats.
"He is not well yet! You cannot be here!" A white horse kept complaining. The fact that horses could talk somehow went unnoticed.
"Miss Redheart. If you say one more word of what I can or can't do... you won't like the consequences." Sunset's voice sounded melodic, but in the same time it carried danger with it.
Redheart closed her mouth and exited the room. As from what I understood she was a nurse.
"Well that was rough. You shouldn't be so aggressive." I tried to tell Sunset, but a glance on her face told me that it was better for me to keep my mouth shut.
"Okay. Let's try again. Hi, Sunset! How are you? How are things going?"
I tried to sound optimistic, but the thing that happened next completely shocked me.
Sunset's eyes started watering and next second she broke down into tears throwing herself on me.
"Harry, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry! It's all my mistake!" She continued to sob on me and I felt paralyzed. I hugged her back, letting her cry out, until she continued breathing slowly and, in the end, falling asleep.
"You have to excuse her. She didn't sleep for a long time."A tall and weird creature walked into the room. She had a main with colors of the rainbow glowing and flowing on its own. She also had wings.
"Excuse me?" It felt strange, but felt that i had to respect to her. She also radiated with power.
"Ever since you got here, pierced by spear, she didn't sleep for a moment, afraid that she will miss your recovery. Sorry, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Celestia and I am princess of Equestria." Her voice was friendly, but nevertheless it had power behind these friendly notes.
"Wait, wait wait. Pause it for a sec... What's going on? I wake up in some prison, getting rescued by a girl, traveled to parallel world and then blanked out. Then i wake up as a horse and I am surrounded by a bunch of talking horses and a princess. Is that right?"
I kept my voice quiet, considering the sleeping animal on my shoulder.
I expected the princess to be angry, but she smiled and answered in a calm voice.
"That sums it up. But let me point out that we are not horses. We are ponies."
"Ponies, huh? And Peter is a pony too?" I tried to put her in surprise, but she answered:
"Yes. He also is the prince of Equestria." But catching my surprised look she corrected herself "He is married to an other princess, not me.
We have systems that are different to yours on Earth what allows us to have multiple rulers. " She finished her sentence and smiled letting me know that it was my turn to talk.
"Miss Celestia, I'm in a rather difficult position to talk now, so can we please postpone our conversation?" I quietly said pointing at Sunset Shimmer that was still sobbing, but in a deep dream.
This caused Celestia to smile even wider and with a nod she exited the room. I still heard her outside talking to, what it seemed like, crying nurse Redheart. Poor nurse. I felt a tickle of sorrow, but it quickly disappeared as Sunset made a sleepy move letting me go and making herself comfortable on bed.
I smiled and stood up, making a note to myself that these ponies are very cute. A sudden image of a pony wearing socks came to my head, but I pushed it out almost immediately. Almost immediately. I stood up, mentioning that now I was using all my four legs, or hands, or God knows what to stand, put the blanked over Sunset, as I used to do to my son, Harry, and leaving the room and turning off the lights I whispered:
"Goodnight Sunset." And exited the room letting here at her peace.
When I exited the room, I felt was so happy...Happy..I thought i would never feel like that again. Sunset hugged me! I was ready to jump and scream from happiness, but seeing nurse Redheart whipped this feeling out clean.
"I'm sorry for her. She can be rather... nervous." I tried to apologize, but nurse Redheart just smiled and winked at me.
"I'm used to it. She hasn't slept for three days straight and after such a use of her powers,I'm surprised how she managed to do that."
Making a pause and sighing out Redheart continued "Also, when they got me to you, you had a spear sticking out of your side. How it got there is none of my business and I don't really care, but. How you heal so quickly. As a matter of fact, the spear ripped most of your eternal organs apart, but the had regenerated within minutes. Even Peter has slower regeneration!" Redheart finished her sentence and gave me a question look.
"I have tricks up my sleeves and I would like to keep it that way." I smiled to her. What else could I tell her? That I am the best killing machine for extermination of super heroes?
"Okay then. I have patient now, but it was nice talking with you." Redheart smiled and left. I felt that my heart started playing jokes on me. These are ponies, Harry!!!
But smiling to myself, I remembered that I was a pony myself. Also, I felt that Sunset had my heart. Full and whole. It's like having a crush on a girl. But very different. I knew she had some feelings towards me too, but I don't want to fuss about it. I don't even know her! So what? She is beautiful. And those green eyes... My heart sank in them.
"Getting hooked on ponies, are you, Greenie?" A familiar voice sounded behind me. And a single tear ran down my eye.
"Peter..." I forced my self to turn around and hug someone behind me. After a moment I realized my mistake but still made a joke
"Didn't I tell that purple isn't your color, Pete?"
"That's my wife, Harry." Said Peter laughingly.
A second after I realized his words I jumped back, feeling my faces temperature rise and my cheeks going red. I earned a rough look from a young lady pony. She was almost as tall as Peter. She had purple main with a stripe of pink, deep purple eyes. She also had a horn and wings. But it was time I apologized.
"I'm so sorry, miss Parker! I didn't mean to..."
"Apology accepted." Twilight cut me short and turned to Peter. "Are you sure we can trust him?"
Peter seemed to be thinking for a second, before saying anything.
"I think we can. But there is something wrong. 80 years passed on Earth, but you look like I just met with you yesterday. And that regeneration rate. Also, there is no shade of Green in him." Peter gave me a suspicious and questioning look.
"It's a long story, but I'll tell you what I know." I said. "But before that, is there anywhere I can eat? I'm starving!"
Twilight gave me such a look that any appetite disappeared in a flash of light.
"Okay, no food then." I murmured. "But never mind. I'll tell you all I know myself."
As we stood, I told them my dream. Lowering the part with "Dad", of course. And the fact that it was me who destroyed the Avengers.
I saw how Peter changed. Tears fell from his eyes and when I finished, he murmured
"It's all my fault. If I was there..."
But before he could finish, he and Twilight disappeared in a flash of light.
A second later, Twilight reappeared.
"See you tomorrow." She threw at me and disappeared.
Geez. How did Peter Peter manage to marry her? And could they possible have children? I was wondering how Peter would call his daughter. I guess it would be something like Mayday.
Still thinking I went downstairs, where I've mentioned a funny scene. A blue unicorn tried to catch a flying pony, screaming
"Mayday! Come down here! Don't make me use my magic!" A blue pony was shouting.
A little mare pegasi was flying under the ceiling and laughing with another blue colored pegasi with rainbow colored main.
"Rainbow Dash! Give me my hat back!"
"What about you trying yo get it back?" Asked Rainbow Dash in a cool voice.
"What's the matter Trixie? Can't fly?"
Continued laughing Rainbow, while blue Trixie turned red. A bright magic started to glow around her horn, but when she saw me, she quickly calmed down and smiled to me.
"Uh, I'm sorry for this, sir. I didn't mean to..." She couldn't finish her sentence.
Rainbow Dash flew past her at horrific speed. Especially for indoor building.
"Hey there! I'm Rainbow Dash, the fastest flyer in all of the Equestria!"
I was surprised by the change.
"Girls, lady, I'm new over here. And where did 'sir' come from?" I was surprised, but when Trixie shook her head, understanding what was going on."
"So you are the guy that Peter and Twilight were visiting. Where are they?"
She sounded worried, but firm.
"Twilight took Peter away, telling me that we will meet again tomorrow. And what's so weird about me?"
I wanted to know where that respect was coming from!
"Don't you have a mirror? You are an Alicorn! This means that you have and wings, and horn!" Rainbow Dash lost all her respect to me immediately, and I could see it. But it didn't matter quite now. I have wings and horn. So what?
"But isn't that usual? I mean Celestia has these, so does Twilight!" I said.
Trixie, Rainbow Dash and Mayday started laughing.My cheeks went red.
"Silly! This is one of the rarest type of ponies. There are just five of them. Well.. Six including you." Trixie looked at me like i was an idiot and added "Also this means that you will become a prince."
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Chapter 7 - Hush, little baby, don't you cry
"Me? Prince? But I just came here! I don't deserve this!" I tried to understand what was going on. I have wings and horn. That's good. I'm in parallel world. That's acceptable. Being a prince? No way!
"You are so much like Peter, that I doubt there is any difference between humans." Laughed Trixie and winked at me.
"You didn't know that you are an Alicorn? But that's stupid." Started Rainbowdash, but when Trixie shushed at her and pointed at Mayday which started laughing. She had Peter's pony form color of body and mane of her mother. But she had her own voice. And it was very cute.
"Trixie cool down! I know even harder words than that!" Mayday said, earning a rough look from Trixie and approval from Rainbowdash.
I started laughing, remembering that Harry behaved similar way.
"Oh, Harry. Stop it. Or Pete will be quite unhappy with you!" I said out loud.
"Harry? Are you talking about yourself?" Trixie asked looking at me in the surprised way.
"Did I say Harry? Sorry, I meant Mayday." I corrected myself. But the memory of Harry still hurt inside. What happened to him? Is he still alive?
"Who is Harry?" Asked Mayday. Not surprisingly though.
"Well, he was the one to me that you are to Peter." I said. What else could I say?
"You have a son?" Fired Rainbowdash.
I smiled remembering Harry. Little kid of 6 years old with usual school problems. My eyes turned watery.
"Yes. He made me the one I am today." I tried to be cryptic, so Mayday didn't understand, but she seemed to understand much more than Rainbowdash.
"He made you an Alicorn?" Asked Mayday. What a curious and clever child! Good job, Pete!
"He made me... A man who has nothing but missing memories, wound in heart and one way love. And it's purely my fault." I answered.
It was like shot in leg. I shot myself in a foot again. I think Trixie understood what I meant, by the look she gave me.
"Well. If Twilight took Peter, we are better to get going home. It was nice to meet you, Harry!" Trixie spoke quickly and with a fake emotion.
Rainbowdash should've mentioned this, because she didn't complain.
"What she said!" She said in her cool manner pointing at Trixie and left through window.
"Bye, Mister Harry! Good night!" Quickly said Mayday and took off after Trixie, who was on her way to the door.
"Bye, ladies!" I said quietly. And went to my room. I used my super speed to do that. It worked! But I have to get used to four legs. Otherwise further use of this skill might be potentially dangerous.
As I walked in the room, I saw Sunset quietly sleeping and sobbing in the dream. I came to the bed, hugged her until she calmed down and laid down by the bed. Just like a guard dog. But what was I? After what I did to Harry... I broke down. I cried and cried, until something warm went around my body, picking me up on bed. It was Sunset. Her huge green eyes looked at my very soul. And I sank in them.
"I didn't save him! It's all my fault... I never saw when he needed me. All he needed was father, but all I was a monster!" I spoke quietly and sobbing.
"It is not your fault. He made his choice." Said Sunset calmly in my head. No pain appeared this time. Just her voice that brought joy.
I continued to cry, but she hugged me even harder, breathing.
Her heart beat slow and peaceful, calming me down. I felt like a child in mother's hands. Safe and warm.
"Don't leave. Please..." I said in my head. Just an idea of Sunset leaving brought so much horror that I could scream just from an idea of that.
"Never." She answered, this time orally, bringing peace and calmness to my heart. Tears of joy continued to fall from my eyes while Shimmer was hushing and palming me.
Slowly, I fell asleep with Sunset by my side. I met her just a few days ago. I don't know her, but she felt as a friend that I lost so long ago and I finally found her. I found the peace of my heart. I found my love. We lied together, until the dream engulfed us into its kingdom.
Chapter 8 - It's a cold weather, isn't it?
"Harry... Wake up..."
A soft voice guided me out of the long sleep.
"Harry... It's time to wake up.."
The same voice said again, driving the last bits of dream out of me and filling my heart with warm feeling.
"Harry. You are awake. I can see it."
I carefully opened my eyes, expecting the hard light to hit them. Instead, a deep green eyes stared down at me. A bright yellow red hair were tickling my nose, forcing me to sneeze.
Sunset stared down at me, laughing.
"Finally I woke you up." She said quietly smiling.
We were lying together in bed. Sunset was lying horizontally on top of me, not letting me to move. A temperature was rising in my face.
"Good... Morning." I said, trying to ignore Sunset's weight on me.
"You are so beautiful in the morning." I told her quietly. "Even when you're lying on top of me." I added, smiling.
Shimmer smiled back, blushing.
"You're softer than the mattress. And warmer." Her soft voice, like honey, warmed me.
I hugged her trying gently trying to roll over, but she gently landed hoof in my chest, that way letting me know it's not a very good idea.
"Not yet, baby." She said with a smirk. "Before I'll let you go, I want you to understand few things."
Her voice changed dramatically, becoming cold and quiet. So cold that I felt a shiver go through my body.
I forced myself to nod. A cold sweat was pouring down my spine already.
Sunset though, smiled warmly and continued:
"First of all, remember, you are a pony now. Not a human. Any human ideals here might not be correctly understood. Still following?" She looked at me inquiringly.
I was so shocked that I swallowed and nodded. Continuing to smile, she continued.
"Secondly. Try to use your powers against any of my friends, including me, and you will dream you never got out of that prison." Making a pause, she continued.
"Third, if you will tell anyone, anything about what happened this night and no regeneration will heal your wounds." She said it in such a manner, that I was horrified, but still loved her.
"Very well than. I'll wait for you downstairs. We are still at hospital, remember?" And with a flash she reappeared standing in front of the bed, smiling at me.
I dared not to make a move a muscle, until she exited.
When she did, I remembered that I was not breathing at all. Struggling, I exhaled and said to myself:
"Even the roses have spikes. And this one has a lot of them." I murmured to myself, standing up and looking around on my surroundings.
I found myself in a little room with a large window, bed and a shelf with several books on it.
I used my speed to read them hoping they will let me get some information about Equestria. But they looked like adventure books. Something similar to the Indiana Jones, but a female pony version. In less then a minute I read all of these books and I had to admit. They were very well written.
The next five seconds I was busy brushing my teeth with the hooves. And it was very difficult. At last I ended up with throwing the tooth brush in the air and while it was falling, using my speed, I cleaned my teeth against it. Thank goodness I was alone and Sunset could not see that.
However, a voice through my head told me otherwise.
"You could use magic, you know?" Sunset's voice was calm, but she was laughing hard and I could feel it.
"You could tell me that earlier, you know?" I paid back.
"But then I wouldn't see how will you manage to clean your teeth. And it was... Intriguing." She parried and broke out laughing.
I couldn't be angry at her. Not even if I wanted to.
But it was time to go. Sunset made it clear. So, I exited the room at normal speed and walked down to the reception where Sunset was already waiting for me.
"That was quick." She told me, smiling. I smiled back, but didn't reply. Instead I met her eyes.
No matter how fast I am, was, or will ever be, I got paralyzed. Her eyes. Huge green eyes were glowing like a universe. Her black irises were like black holes, that got me. We stared at each other, feeling that a heart we had is now one.
"A-hem" a voice from reception made us to break our euphoria.
A grey serious old lady pony was looking at us from the reception. She had cold grey eyes and a similar smile.
She was looking at us, waiting.
"Oh, excuse us!" Said Sunset, like she just has woken up.
"You want to sign out?" A lady pony asked. Sunset nodded several times, but it wasn't necessary. "Name?"
"Harry. Harry Osborn." I told my name.
A shiver ran through a receptionist pony at hearing my surname.
"Osborn? He is His son?!"
She was asking Sunset, almost losing her breath.
"Calm down. Green goblin is no more and even if Harry is his son, that doesn't mean that he is like him." Sunset was almost angry, but her voice was calm.
"If you're talking about my father, he was not a good person. In fact, he was one of the many people that were more keen to kill me than love."
I added earning a look from Shimmer. I wasn't sure wether it was thankful or "I will kill you" look, but with ladies you can never be sure.
However, these words seemed to ease a receptionist a bit. She sighed and continued to look at the papers. But after finding me, she gave me a questionable look.
"You were speared 3 days ago and you are already walking. That's interesting. However, that's none of my concern. Have a good time, Harry. And try not to get yourself injured again." She finished. But it very clear that she meant completely opposite.
"I'll do my best, madam. I'll do my best." I told her, following Sunset to the exit.
"I'm hungry, I told Sunset mentally, but all she replied was:
"You'll survive." And continued walking.
I was hungry. After all, I didn't eat for 4 days in this world and God knows how much I wasn't eating in the prison.
But she was right. I'll survive.
Exiting the hospital, a shiver ran down me. It wasn't warm now outside, even though it was a morning. I shivered. An autumn was strengthening its claws on the Equestria, leading the last bits of summer out.
But I was surprised how happy everyone, or everypony, was. On earth people weren't so... bright. Every pony was busy, but none of them seemed to be bothered with the work they were doing. Smiles, laughter and friendship was so much, that even the air was full of it.
"Harry. Are you here?" Sunset's voice flew through my head. She sounded weaker than the last time.
"For you I'm always here." I replied.
Sunset smiled and without looking back, continued talking:
"How does it feel? First minutes in the other world?"
Question wasn't surprising, but even here I got lost with the answer.
"Well... It feels nice, but completely different from the Earth. At home there isn't this type of atmosphere. In New York there would be fights, noise, pollution, but here! It's quiet, peaceful place where ponies enjoy every minute of their lives."
My reply was long, but somehow, Sunset managed to listen to all of it and even reply.
"This little village is called Ponyville. And yeah, everypony is happy. But we are here not for long. We are leaving straight after visiting Peter and Twilight. They will come with us to Canterlot."
I felt not so happy about these news. I had a feel for this village and I wanted to stay. Also, if Peter and Twilight live here, I would like to stay closer to them and keep an eye on them.
"I know that you want to stay, but it's not possible for now. We still have to speak with princesses about what's going on and what should we do with you." As if reading my thoughts said Sunset. "As for now, let's get to treebrary."
Treebrary? That's something new!
"But before we get there I want to make you a present. Like a "welcome" present." She added, blushing.
"You already did by bringing me to hospital." I replied smiling.
"Well, I didn't plan it to work out this way." She parried, flamingly.
"Don't worry! You're alive and good. That's all that matters." I tried to calm the fire down. And it looks like I did just fine.
"Have I ever mentioned how sweet you are?" Sunset asked.
Stop! That's getting to close to a friendzone!
"Did I ever mention how beautiful you look?" I tried to escape. And I did!
She suddenly stopped, all red.
"Are you okay?" I got worried, but she started laughing and lightly hitting me into the shoulder. Letting her do that, I hugged her around her neck. My temperature rose, but temperature was a bit low, so I didn't mind.
When I hugged her, only than I understood that she was shivering. Her bright yellow fur was cold.
"God you're freezing!" I said, surprisingly. "Wait a second. I have an idea!"
Letting her go and entering my super speed mode, I concentrated on my horn. I tried to make a warm coat out of thin air. Concentrate. Not to much power. Not to little. Calm dow. Picture what you want. And on count of three, pass an energy through the horn.
I felt it warm up. Don't let anything bother you, concentrate. A bit more power.
Suddenly, with a quiet pop, an object appeared in front of my horn. I looked up and looked at my creation.
It was a sun hot yellow red color, matching Sunsets mane. It also had holes for four legs and a tail.
Exiting my speed mode, I caught a coat just before it could touch the ground.
Sunset looked at me with a weird look. A tear appeared, but it froze almost immediately.
"Harry... It's... How?" I saw that Sunset had many questions, but I put my hood to her lips, hushing.
"It's my "thank you" present."
And smilingly, I helped her to put it on.
Sunset looked gorgeous! A coat was thin, but warm. It was sitting on her tightly, not letting a single detail of her beauty to be lost, but it wasn't in any way naughty.
"You are gorgeous." I smiled to her and added "let's get going. Coat is warm, but no need to have hope in things."
We continued walking in silence, keeping close to each other until the very moment we came to the Treebrary.
"Wow!" I forced out in shock. "This is beautiful!"
I didn't lie. The castle was huge and no laws of physics could reply the question how is it stuck on a mountain.
"It's nothing. You have to see a Crystal Empire!" Peter told me friendly, without breaking his gaze from a castle.
"Well, now we are in Canterlot and try not to mess everything up. Especially you, Harry." Twilight gave me the annotation and added "And you Peter."
Peter laughing, turned around and gave his wife a hard hug, kissing.
At first Twilight tensed, but then relaxed and playing pushed Peter away, smiling.
"What a dushbag you can be, Peter." She laughed and they kissed one more time.
By the time they finished we were already in a city. I pointed them to Sunset and gave a questioning look, if she wants the same, I'll be happy to be her partner. But she just frowned and turned away blushing. When we were on our way out, Sunset, passing me, slapped lightly my face with her tale, without giving me a single explanation or even a look. Apart from "You deserve it." hint that she told me mentally.
"If it meant you looking so cute when you're blushing, I don't mind." I replied catching up with her and a second later earning a second slap with a tale, this time on the other side of the face. Even though it hurt a little, it made me smile. And looked like Shimmer too.
As we walked together, Sunset, me and Parkers I explored the city.
Thanks to my powers I had a plenty of time. Shops, restaurants and barbers could be seen all around with a mix of civil houses in between. I ran, observing every detail and memorizing the patterns of streets. Canterlot turned out to be a not very big city, but it was definitely high classed. All the ponies were dressed in extravagant clothes and had high manners. I'm used to that. My father was a leader of a huge company and was always surrounded by rich people like him. They were the reason why I dropped out of the private schools. Well, screw them. They were a reason why I met Peter.
Shop, barberry, hotel, wedding, park. After, what it felt for me, several hours of traveling around the city, I knew it all. I was returning to my company when some noise started in my head. Surprised, I exited the speed mode.
"Hay you are?!!" Sunset screamed to me. Ups, I guess they lost me.
"On my way to you, guys. Just had a stroll around the city. Gonna be by you in no time." I finished and before she could tell me something else, I switched back into speed mode and ran towards them. Right turn, left, and here they are. Three ponies looking in different positions, searching for me. I came right behind them and tapped their backs.
"Pick a boo!" I told them back in my normal speed mode, making Twilight and Sunset jump high in air alerted, while Peter and me where laughing on a ground.
"Peter!"
"Harry!"
Sunset and Twilight screamed in a same time and then looking at each other, before joining me and Peter in laughter.
Ponies around started looking at us.
But there is an hour for fun and a time for work. In the end, Sunset hit me lightly in the shoulder after I helped her to stand up.
"You're crazy." She told me mentally.
"You're beautiful." I replied making her blushing turn away.
"Are you coming already?" Twilight screamed to us.
"We didn't disturb you and Peter so don't hurry us." Sunset hissed back at her, a bit lowering her position.
"Girls! Calm down! We don't want to repair the Canterlot just because you have your own businesses." Peter did his great job of convincing ponies. Seconds later both ladies backed off, but still threw angry looks at each other. Not risking to say a word neither me, nor Peter, we followed the ladies and in silence we came to the castle. Castle was surprisingly huge. Around fifty meters high it spread wide into the mountains. Interesting, the castle like that must have dungeons.
"Well, here we are." Said Twilight. "Now all of you don't move and let me conc...."
Not letting her finish, Sunset teleported us into a huge room with a throne in the end.
"Hey!" Twilight was clearly angry with Sunset, but the second just threw
"Thank me later." And walked to the throne where Celestia was sitting.
And there was another Alicorn by her side. She was blue and black colored with night starlike mane that was floating. Even though she wasn't as tall as Celestia there was no doubt in her power. Nether the less she was still very cute!
"Sister, can you please tell me who is that new pony?" The blue black pony asked Celestia, but she just replied
"That's what we are going to find out."
"Sorry, you might not know me. My name is Harry Osborn and..."
Before I could finish my sentence a powerful beam of magic, this time blue, hit me right in a chest, sending me flying into the wall. I felt my back crack. At least it wasn't shoulder. But before I could make a move, blue pony reappeared right in front of me, sending one more beam of energy at me. Even though I was surprised by her warm "welcome" I entered my speed mode trying to escape the beam, but my back hurt badly, without letting me to make a move.
I could see how the beam was coming closer to me. I could feel the heat from it. Well, I guess it will hurt. I closed my eyes before it touched me but nothing happened.
When I opened them again, I saw Celestia standing in front of me. I shifted back into my usual speed.
Celestia send the beam of energy flying away into the ceiling, which a moment later exploded.
"Luna, calm down!" She screamed to her sister.
"No way! He is Osborn!" Luna screamed, focusing her energy in the horn again.
Suddenly, my back made a clack! sending a short pain through me and that way letting me know it had regenerated.
Now I was ready. Before Celestia could see it, I pushed her away from a beam, on a way getting my claws out and blocking with them the magic. This time it was more powerful, but I was ready. It sent me flying into the wall. Or it would if I was slower than the physic laws. But I wasn't! Using the push magic beam gave me I turned around, claws front, and met a wall with my face. Perfectly calculated, I pierced through wall with my claws and flew out on a street facing opponent again.
Adrenaline rushed through my veins as the air rushed into my face.
"You're quick." Mentioned Luna with a smirk. "But nothing I can't deal with!" A magic started glooming around her. First slowly, then faster and faster until it turned around ball of light around her. It started expanding until, the energy flew into Luna. Now, her image became blurry. I came into my speed mode just in time, dashing her attack just in time.
"Let's dance!" She laughed at me.
"You lead!" I parried. With a smirk she leaped onto me. Jump to the right. I dashed just in time. But when I thought that I dashed it, a pain jolted through me sending me flying into the air.
Luna was right under me, preparing for her next attack. My eyes were full of red and my side hurt badly. Later, Harry! Concentrate! She is fast. She has magic powers and she can kick your butt if you won't do something about it!
"You wanna dance? I'm going to give you a dance!" I screamed, on my back mind raising my speed. Sweat started pouring from me, but I did it! It was hard being this fast, but it was also very tiering. Concentrate! Lower physics, you are God! I had a plan. I didn't want to injure Luna, but I couldn't let myself get hurt even more. It was tiering. So I chose to take her out without harming her. I ran around her. Faster and faster and faster. I was starting to feel the pressure, but it didn't matter. Faster and faster I ran, without letting Luna make a move.
Slowly, a small hurricane started appear behind me. Faster Harry! I was getting tired. Doesn't matter! Continue running. Can't... No more...
I dashed aside from the hurricane that was now around Luna and stopped, literally falling out of my speed mode and feeling the gravity's pull again. I stood, looking the hurricane. Slowly, it disappeared, revealing emptiness inside it.
"Oh crap.." Was all I could say before powerful blue blur pierced me to the ground.
"Any last words, Osborn?" She asked concentrating on energy in her horn.
"You dance well for a pony." I laughed, earning a surprised look from Luna, but a second later it was gone.
"Die then." She said, letting go of the energy from her horn.
"No!!" A sound faded away, but an image of Sunset Shimmer stuck inside my head.
Second later... nothing happened.
I opened my eyes, realizing that I was still lying on a ground.
I looked around and saw Luna standing aside with weird look on her face. Then, slowly turning my head I saw Sunset running to me. Peter and Twilight stood back. Celestia was smiling for some reason at a distance.
"I thought I lost you! You idiot! Don't you ever do that again! You hear me? Never!" Sunset fell on me, tears running down her cheeks.
"Heh. If it will mean you hugging me like that I will do it over and over again." I replied her mentally. She hugged me even harder and let her tears run down her cheeks.
"Oh, hush now. I'm still alive as you can see." I told her out loud, earning a sob as a reply. Okay then. I don't mind her hugging me anyway. "Never mind." I added.
I saw Luna smirk at me at some distance.
"Sister, we have a lot of talking to do." She told to Celestia. And then threw at me "Not bad for a kid." And disappeared with her sister, leaving us at half destroyed garden, where already started gathering cleaners.
My body was regenerating rapidly. Bones already returned to their formal position and scratches with bruises were long gone.
Finally, last bone took its place, sending a short jolt through me. Sunset seemed to feel it and let me stand up. When I did, a strong blow made me jerk upwards.
"You idiot!" Sunset screamed and next moment pulling me back into the hug.
Oh these... Girls.
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Chapter 10 - Discovery of a Monster and the bad news
After the incident with Luna, me Twilight and Peter were left in a room. An awkward silence started, but I had a lot of questions and it was a perfect time to ask them.
"So, Peter. How did you get to this life? And how did you meet Twilight?"
Peter smiled, remembering the moments of the past.
"Well, I can say straight away that it wasn't my choice. It happened to be a usual day when a portal popped up in the midair of New York City and sucked me in with no way out. It was Twilight who summoned me. She was in quite a trouble with a dragon destroying Ponyville."
For over several hours Peter talked about his time and adventures in Equestria and how he traveled back to Earth.
"Wait! Is auntie May here too?" I asked surprised. I really liked her and she was a person that I would like to have by my side.
"Yeah... And she is Pegasus." Peter replied. Twilight burst out laughing by his side. "What? I want wings too! I want to fly!" I've never seen Peter whining, but it seemed to be his weak spot.
"Don't worry. One day I will carry you on my back." I joked over him, earning a push in a shoulder from Peter and smiles from ladies.
"I'd prefer to stay on ground, thank you very much." He murmured.
"Well, that seems great. But I wish I could beat my father myself. Family business." I added, after mentioning the look Sunset gave me.
"Harry. What about your son, Harry Jr.?" Peter asked, touching the wounded place of my heart.
"Um... Em..." I was lost and asked mentally Sunset for help. But it looked more like a S.O.S. scream.
Sunset smiled, but did nothing. Or I thought so, before she replied mentally
"You can't tell the truth yourself to your friend?"
It was a push I needed. Well, I won't die anyway.
"You see, after you saved him, he changed."
I started telling the story, but Peter cut me sharp.
"You couldn't have known. You died."
I could see pain in his face.
"He died? You told me he moved to abroad." Twilight gave Peter a sharp look, making him laugh panicky.
"You see... You were pregnant and I didn't... Well... Um.... I didn't want to tell you the truth when you weren't ready for it." Peter seemed to calm Twilight, but she gave him an "I will kill you" look and gave me a nod so I continued.
"Peter is right. I did die that day. But he didn't lie to you, Twilight. I was going to move abroad the day when that disaster happened." I sighed, remembering that day. "I sent him away. We were no longer friends. Even more, we were enemies. I was a new green goblin and he was Spiderman. I had family, he had job. I was married and had a son. But then things started to fall apart. Liz, my wife died of cancer, leaving Harry Jr. with me. Then was the time when I needed Peter's help. I was not a good father and I was a paranoid of anyone else looking after my son when I can't. So I asked Peter for help. He needed money, because bugle wasn't paying enough, so he agreed. Harry adored him!" I smiled remembering Harry's face when Peter was coming.
"Yeah. He used to call me Mommy!" Peter laughed. But no one seemed to be smiling. They were listening to me, so I continued.
"But then, we had to move, so I decided to push Peter away. That day when we were leaving, Peter went after Harry at school, for the last time. And that was the time I started going nuts. Green Goblin took over, pushing all the humanity out of me. By that time Peter was with the Harry at OSCORP. I was just destroying everything. Spiderman came to stop me, but he was a bit late. I threw the huge bomb into OSCORP where my son was. When I saw him, Green Goblin left, leaving me on a glider in the middle of the chaos and with a falling building. Spiderman went to save people in the building, but it was falling apart. I was the only one who could at least help Spiderman and my son. I tried to hold the building, pushing myself to the limits. But my glider... Well, it was to much for it. I tried to hold the building, just to give Spiderman some seconds, before building fell, burying me under it."
I made a pause. Everyone was listening and didn't interrupt, but I saw that there were some questions. "Last thing I saw, Spiderman taking out Harry Jr. I didn't really had a chance to thank you, Peter. I know it's a bit late, but thanks for kicking my butt and saving Harry." I smiled to him, as he scratched his back head, smiling.
"Well, it was my job after all."
"Harry?" Twilight looked at me questingly. "How did you survive it?"
Peter and Sunset looked at me with a similar gaze.
"Well, I know some parts. My brains are still a mess." I tried to escape, but it didn't quite work out. "In fact, it was Harry that saved me. I suspect that he took a charge over company, spinning off the medical wing, while I was in coma. It was long after I woke up. I suspect about twenty years." I sighed, remembering the man that was my son. How could I be so... Retarded?! "He cured the Green Goblin, but he also did something, so now I have super heroes powers. I suspect that with time, he hated me. I can't blame him. I betrayed him. He deserved a better father." A pause. I needed to take a breath. "However, he needed power in order to rule the company, so he went on Avengers. OSCORP was taking their powers, putting them into the one who could never threaten its director, but also could manage keeping their powers in one body. Apparently, the person they chose was me. They gave me super powers of other Avengers. The Avengers realized the betrayal to late and, well... It was a battle that they couldn't win." I sighed with a sudden pictures coming to my head. Captain America, Hawks Eye, Thor, Tony Stark and...
"Oh God..." I screamed in my head.
"Everyone! Get away from me!!" I said out loud, moving away from them.
"What happened? What's wrong?" Sunset tried to go after me, but Peter held her.
He understood.
"Don't. It's to dangerous. He is to dangerous." Peter said, letting her go.
"What's going on?" Twilight asked surprised by the situation.
"Looks like we have a trouble here. Harry has a ..." Peter tried to say, but a flash of light pushed him before he could finish his sentence.
Luna appeared, holding Celestia on her shoulder. Luna had a wounded leg and I could see it caused a lot of pain, but Celestia...
"Quick! We need help!!" She screamed, disappearing and reappearing closer to us.
Celestia looked awful. She had blood dripping down her lips on a floor. Her fur was scratched and dirty. Her left wing was bent the wrong way. But the worst of all...
"Oh no..." Twilight said before she fainted.
Celestia had a long sword sticking out of her side.
Chapter 11 - Attack On Canterlot Part 1
"Quick! Help me!" Luna shouted, dragging us back to reality.
Using my speed, I watched the wounds of hers and Celestia's. They were deep and serious and I doubted that I will find the equipment I need anywhere near. Remembering where it can be, I ran to the hospital I knew close by. As I ran, thousands questions flashed through my head. What happened? Where? How? I ran into the hospital and without hesitation took as many bandages and medicine I could carry, with an addition of several books that I thought could help me. I came back to castle, without not much change in anything. I put the medicine down and used several seconds to read and memorize the books I brought. Looked like an advanced medical stuff, but I understood it perfectly.
Before anyone could move or even make a sound, I worked on Celestia, cleaning the wounds and putting bandages around the sword. Now came the hard part. I had to take the sword out without ripping any internal organs of hers apart, but also I had to keep them inside. You can do it Harry. Just take a breath and one... two… thee! A sword went out leaving the open wound in the princess. I knew she was about to move, so I acted quickly. Bandage over bandage, not letting the wound bleed, nor any dirt get into it, I worked. The use of my speed started draining my stamina. Not now, Harry! Finally I was finished. Falling out of my speed I coughed and fell on floor. God I was exhausted! Everypony looked at me, surprised. Then I remembered that Luna needed help too. Forcing myself to the limits and reentering my speed, I patched Luna up. She had some cuts, but nothing serious, apart from her leg, that was broken severely wounded. Her bones inside the leg were smashed to dust. I knew that this wound would not heal anytime soon and could even stay for an awful lot of time. I guess it was my turn to use some magic. Calm down, breath slowly, concentrate. I put my horn close to Luna's leg and let energy flow from me into it. I didn't give to much energy, but I could see the leg straighten and click. Wait... If I can do stuff like this, why wouldn't I do the same to Celestia? My energies were down and I could barely breathe, but I had to do this. If someone or something that attacked them was still alive, they needed their best shape to fight it again. I turned around to the Sun goddess and let my energy pulse into her sword wound, healing it. But a jolt through my body that almost made me collapse let me know I used to much of my energy. Super speed, fight with Luna, double healing of a heavy wounds did suck me dry. I fell out of my speed mode once again, breathing heavily and collapsing on a cold floor as sweat pouring down all over me. Interesting, could I catch a cold? Twilight, Peter, Sunset and Luna looked at me clearly without a gist of what was going on.
"Debts paid." I forced out, smiling. But when I tried to stand up, exhaustion and pain struck me down. Well, I guess I could get a little sleep. Cold floor cooled me down. Sunset's voice was the last guidance to my sleep. "Harry! What are you doing? You'll catch a cold!" A warm woman's voice sounded through my head. "Debts paid, mommy. Debts paid..."
"Harry, don't!" A strong man's voice reaches me from behind. "Try to remember who you are! Don't do..." Captain America couldn't finish his sentence. I didn't let him.
I saw the light fade from his eyes, as I slashed his chest wide open. The blood started pouring out of it. I didn't care. 1 more Avenger killed. 3 to go.
"NOOOO!!" A high pitched scream reached my ears. I turned around and saw a woman in a black suit. The Black Widow. Well, now she was a widow. Again.
"NO!!" She screamed again, throwing a series of attacks and kicks at me.
What a pathetic girl! I didn't even try to dodge the attacks. Instead I put my claws on a way of her attacks.
"AAARGH!!" She screamed as her leg stuck on my claw. Her blood was dropping down my hands.
"Let me help you.." I quietly spoke into her ear, holding her leg on a level of my head as she screamed. Next moment screams faded, as I pierced my claws through her head, dropping her lifeless body on a ground.
"2 more..." I spoke quietly to myself, with a smirk. "I thought they were tougher."
"They were. Until you killed them." A man spoke behind me. "They were my friends. Now they are dead. I have nothing to lose... Again." I slowly turned around, seeing a Hawk's Eye standing behind me, his bow down, but with an arrow in it.
"It's my job. Like it was yours to protect the world." I spoke to him. I had nowhere to hurry, so why won't I let this fool a talk. "But you got old. Weak. Hopeless." I spoke quietly, enjoying every moment of it.
"Silence!" He screamed shooting an arrow in my chest. I didn't even dodge it. Why would I? The cold metal pierced through me, but I barely blinked at it. A wound healed almost immediately.
"You see? You're not original at all!" I spoke to him. He shot series of arrows at me. This time I dodged them, getting closer to the archer with each step.
At the last moment, I used my speed to get close enough to stick my claws in his chest.
"Last words?" A polite question, nothing else.
Instead of an answer, the avenger spit at my face with blood, laughing.
"Die then." I said calmly cutting his head off clean and blood pouring all around as his body as I dropped it on the ground. "Not so great are these Avengers. Just a pathetic couple of fools." I told out loud.
"Good job. You have completed the mission." A strong man that I remembered from behind told me. "Let's get you to the base." He added, turning me off from some sort of the device
But one thing was stuck in my head. I didn't want to kill them. I screamed and screamed inside my head, but nothing happened. "What are you doing!? Stop! STOP!!!" I tried to break the mental block, but it was pointless. Instead I fell into dark black hole, screaming in agony. Why? Why did I kill them?! I was no killer! I'm not a killer ! I'm not a killer! I'M NOT A KILLER!!!
"Harry! Harry, wake up! Harry! Snap out of it! Do you hear me? Snap out of it!" A strong voice broke the darkness.
I jumped up, breathing heavily, as strong light hit my eyes.
"Harry, it's okey. Calm down.." Sunset continued to talk to me, as a cold sweat poured down of me. I was shaking violently.
"Calm down..." She repeated again and again, holding me I'm a strong hug.
"Careful with those." Peter's voice sounded behind.
My claws were sticking out of my hooves, almost cutting Sunset.
I heavily breathed in, taking them back into my hooves. I almost cut her... Oh God..
"It's okey. Don't worry. I'm here." Repeated Sunset again, holding me even tighter, until I stopped shaking.
"It's okey..." She said before letting me go.
I looked around and found myself in a center of a hallway, partly destroyed by my and Luna's first meeting. Peter with Twilight stood behind me, Sunset kneeled by my side, standing up, whilst Luna was right in front, looking down at me. And I couldn't really read her face. It was surprised, thankful, hating and smiling at the same time.
"Thanks for helping us." Was all she said before giving a nod to Peter and disappearing in a flash of light, leaving an empty and awkward silence. I tried to stand up, but Sunset put her hoof down my chest, holding me down. And there was something I couldn't read from her eyes.
"What's going on?" I forced out of myself, finding it hard to say anything.
Peter and Twilight looked at me and I could see a clear disgust in their faces. They changed. She changed.
"You... You... You are a killer." Said Sunset, tears starting to run down her eyes, as disappointment and pain flashed through her eyes. "You killed them... And... And I will kill you." She said, tear rolling down her cheek and her voice choking.
"No! Sunset, No! I'm sorry! You don't understand! Please don't!" I was shocked and my voice was choking, until a wide void opened behind me, sucking into it. "No!" I screamed as I fell, her words ripping my soul to parts... "Killer... Killer... You're a killer."
"Stop! Stop this!" A loud voice pierced through me, making my head almost blow up to pieces. "You see he's hurt! Stop! STOP! STOP IT!!!" A scream pierced my head over and over, filling it with light.
Very next second it was all gone. And silence was all that was left.
"Arghhh... My head..." I groaned, opening my eyes. Cold air hit my face whilst the bright light filled the room I found myself in.
It was a long room, made of bright white stones the light reflected from. The window was wide open allowing the cold breeze fly into the room. But what surprised me was that the room was empty. To my right there was a table with a note.
My head aching I stood up from the bed I found myself in and, my eyes read the note.
"Good morning, Harry. When you'll wake up, if you'll wake up, we need you to find us. You are the only one who can help us. Please... Sunset Shimmer"
Well, that's weird. What was happening? Where am I? What on Earth is going on?
"HELP!!" A scream from outside broke my suspicions and sent a jolt through me. Someone is in danger...
CLASH BANG!!! A huge rock flew into the room, breaking through the wall.
Instinctively, I dodged it. Weird thing was that I didn't really enter my speed mode. I just balanced in between, resulting me feeling the friction, but feeling the speed I really able of.
However it was no time for me to think about my abilities. I ran to the created hole and looked outside. And it was a mess.
Warm air of heat reached me with a smell of burning wood and fire.
A whole Canterlot was in a fire. Small buildings were burning as the ponies were running all around in panic.
"What in a world..." I didn't finish my sentence, dodging the other boulder flying into the castle.
Looking into the direction it flew from I saw a huge flying machine. It was surrounded by the smaller planes, flying and dodging the storm of arrows, magic beams and rocks sent at them. An army of the white pegasi flying, their spears drawn and bright gold armor reflecting the sun. The other army, however fought against them. The black bug like ponies were attacking them. They were more mobile, however in a lighter armor. But they were clearly winning as white pegasi were falling down, one by one.
As I watched the fight, one more rock almost flew into me.
"Are you kidding me?!" I forced dodging the rock, annoyed. But it was time for action. I didn't want to stand and watch how the ponies were dying one by one.
I tried to open my wings, feeling them for the first time. Blood rushed through the little veins, feeling them with warm feeling.
"Time to Save the Day!" I screamed, taking a few steps back and them sprinting and jumping from the edge, head down. World shifted, changing completely as I fell down, my wings wide open. Warm air rushed through me, cooling my head down. Adrenaline rushed through my veins, as my heart gave a crazy beats, like it was about to jump out.
As the ground neared, I shifted the angle of my wings, feeling the strong effect of gravity and the energy of air flowing under my wings.
"Yeeehaaaa!!!" I screamed, rapidly changing the angle of my flight, speeding up with the gravity and air connecting together under my wings. In a flash, I was barely over the ground, slightly gaining the height, as I slowly flapped my wings, every time slashing higher and higher into the air.
But the happy feeling faded away quickly with a rock that almost hit me. I entered the speed mode, but as I started falling rapidly it became clear that the speed won't help.. I changed the angle of my wings and with it changing the angle of my body, so the rock slightly touched my main.
"That's closer than I'd like!" I screamed, barely hearing my voice over the sound of a rushing wind and sound of war below. I looked down, seeing the war underneath. White earth ponies were fighting against the bug like enemy. Screams and cries reached my ears. I lowered myself to the ground, mentioning the three white ponies trying to fight off five buggers. They seemed to be doing just fine, but a bugger slashed through one of them, turning the battle uneven. In a flash, I landed, using my wings just to lower the impact of my landing. I landed between the two forces, sending the cracks through the ground. As I looked up, I saw the buggers hiss, but back a little. Not loosing the surprise advantage and opening the claws I attacked them. Slash, dive, slash, speed and agility, pierce and no sound was made as my claws slashed through the enemy. In a second, three of the buggers were on ground, bleeding, as the other two, started fleeing. They didn't get far. The spears from the guards pierced through them, killing in an instant.
"Thanks.." One of the guards said, as the other tried to help their wounded friend. I knew he was dead, but didn't want the break their hopes. Using my speed, I checked him, but it was no use. The bugger went through him, leaving an open hole in his body.
Not saying a word, I opened my wings and flew off. I heard the scream behind, acknowledging that the ponies understood the loss. I felt sad, but I couldn't do anything against death. I was flying to the huge machine, but the scream jolted through my head.
"Harry!!!! Help!!" It was Sunset. Her voice was weak, but I still could hear her.
"Sunset! Where are you?!" I asked, but the next moment a beam of light flew straight into the air, followed by an explosion. "Never mind. I guess I found you!"
"Hurry!" Sunset said as her voice faded.
"Hold on!"
There was no time to lose. Even though I enjoyed flying, I understood that running will be quicker.
Switching speed modes, I dropped down no the ground, but just before hitting it, I exited my speed and using my wings, softening the landing, I took off running. I had a map in my head, so finding the place of fight was not a problem. But it took me a while getting there. Canterlot was in chaos, and I couldn't just run by ponies being slaughtered by the enemy. In anger and a flash, I killed everything that was endangering the citizens or guards. At last, when I came to the combat place, I saw how bad everything was. A huge, six handed monster opposed Celestia, Luna and Spiderman. But to complicate things for us, the monster had the long, sharp katanas in each of his hands which he used as his main weapons. I recognized the style of blades. One of these had almost killed Celestia.
I tried to find Sunset, but it took me some time to understand that she had teleported away to safety. At least I hoped so.
But it was time for action. My friends seemed exhausted by the long fight, but the monster hadn't even seem to be breaking his sweat.
Not for long though.
But then I mentioned something strange. Luna. She was wounded. And one of the monster's swords was flying into her.
I had no time to catch it. I'm still to slow to run, but. A heat in my eyes..
It was burning! It felt like my eyes were melting! A high pitched buzz reached my ears and a moment after I heard a loud metal clang. I closed my eyes, calming down the fire I felt.
When I opened them, I saw a sword, half molten, but broken in half frozen on its way to the ground, as heat cooled from it. Running as fast as I could, I took Luna away from the battlefield. It was her turn to let me fight.
Taking her in my hooves, I ran several quarters away with her. Exiting my speed mode, I left her down.
"Harry?! What are you…" I didn't let her finish her sentence.
"Stay out. You did enough." I dropped, before switching to my speed mode and running back to the fight.
Spiderman and Celestia seemed to be capable of fighting it, but it was clear that it wasn't for long. When I was back and before exiting my speed mode, I took the best position to fight the monster. I stood right in front of it and I was ready to fight it when something in the monster caught my eye. It had six hands, but only 5 swords. In his sixth hand he was holding... Oh no! Sunset! And he is ready to execute her!
Chapter 12 - Attack On Canterlot Part 2
Dash, open claws and cut its hand off! That was my first motive. But his joints were made of the same material as my claws were. Rush to Sunset and free her by force! But the grip was to strong. Pointless. I was sweating. The sword was just over my head, even though it seemed to barely move. Sword! Sword can be blocked!
Turning around, I put my claws on the way so it didn't injure Sunset. Now exit the speed. As I expected, the sword hit me with a great force. I laid, my back to Sunset and front to sword, my head over the edge of the monsters hand.
What I didn't expect was what came next. Instead of pushing me away, it threw 1 sword at Celestia and with free hand started pushing the sword I was blocking harder down on me.
"Aarghh!" I groaned as my claws shifted closer to me. And they were sharp.
Killed by my own weapon? No way! Using my speed, I turned my claws 180 degrees and that way piercing the sword to pieces. Clang-zing! And with that sound, the sword crashed to pieces. But these pieces flew straight into me. Cold metal pierced me, leaving lying on a monsters wrist with several long sharp pieces pierced through me. I felt no pain, but I knew it was to come. With a groan I rolled over from the hand, falling on the hard ground. Before touching the ground, I straightened my wings, in order to soften the impact on my body.
A sharp weird pain with a loud cracky sound let me know that my wings are out of order.
"God damn it!" I forced out, with a struggle rolling over in my stomach. Entering my speed to lose no time, I stood up and froze. I had not a scratch on my stomach where pieces flew, but I still felt the cold metal I inside. I felt like vomiting, but it wouldn't help the situation. With a sigh, I cut my stomach in half, as heavy metal fragments fell out with a few pieces of guts.
"Yeeeeaaarrrrrghhhh!!!" I screamed as a horrible pain pierced me every moment of this "self operation". A warm and burning pain came again and again all over me, as I screamed, but didn't stop.
When it was finished, pain slowly faded. I fell on my back, heavily breathing. My wings were already healed. But there was no time for rest. Sunset was still in the monster's hands. And as I laid, an idea came to my head. Eyes! The weakest part in any living organism! Very next moment after my wound was healed, I stood up, ready for battle. And just in time, because the blade monster has thrown in the Celestia seemed to be close to reaching its target. I didn't move. Heat in my head. Eyes! They melt and burn! Quick, but necessary pain. I closed my eyes, calming the pain down. It faded quickly and when I opened my eyes again, they felt all right. But the sword that flew in Celestia was now just a melted mess flying towards the ground.
I turned to the monster, looking at its features and details for the first time.
It was huge muscular body with a size of a three floored building. It has six muscular hands, but just three of them had swords. The swords were katana liked, but much longer and more fragile. The monster was wearing some sort of clothing. Black sleeveless shirt and short legged shorts provided him with mobility, but the thing that scarred the most was his mask. It was long, vertically triangular shaped and it looked identical to an old Earth's game, Mass Effect.
Sudden memory tried to disturb me, but I pushed it away. Not now. Sunset was still in its hand and I knew it could squeeze it anytime. No way that's happening!
There were three long V shaped cuts in a mask that provided vision and air supply to the monster. They gleamed with blood red color from inside. Even better. Easier to aim.
Exiting my speed, I stood in between the monster and my wounded friends. I'll heal them later.
"Go." I told Peter and Celestia without turning around. My eyes were pinned to the monster. It will be a difficult fight.
My fighter friends understood me. Without any questions they disappeared in a flash, reappearing far away on the flying machine high in the air.
"Let her go." Now I spoke to the monster. It was clear that it was tensed and ready for a fight.
"Harry... I waited for you." A deep and harsh voice came from under the mask. "In fact, I was hoping to meet you." It was clear it was smiling. "You want the girl? Take her. But only after you fight me."
I was surprised. It was giving away a hostage just like that.
"Fight me? You almost killed my friends and destroyed the peaceful home of friendly ponies! It's Me who will fight You! And I'll make sure it will be your last combat." I spoke. And with every word I said, the anger ignited in me. It grew stronger and stronger.
The monster laughed and using his hand, he put sunset on a roof of a building closest to him.
"Loud words, Harry. Just like always. My name is Equalizer #16. Now you will at least know the name of your death." And on that note he made just one move.
In fact, he didn't move at all. The color of light in his mask flicked from red to black.
I felt it was time to move. Dash to left just the moment before a black laser burst the ground right to me in an explosion, creating a deep hole.
I tried to attack, but the hands of his lashed and hit, changing the position of the swords in his hands all the time. Dodge, hit, dive, spin, hit, dodge, slash, jump, roll... An infinite number of moves I made, dashing, slashing and parrying his attacks.
I felt a little tickle of tiredness, whilst the monster, despite the numerous cuts and wounds didn't even break a sweat.
There is no way I could win this with using so much time and energy. And the longer we fought, the more damage we caused.
Suddenly, the Equalizer threw his sword at me. I dodged it without a wink.
"You suck at aiming!" I shouted to him, kicking him at chest, dealing no harm.
"I didn't." He replied, as cold metal cut my stomach.
What?! How did it?! Using my speed I looked how he did it and in a last moment I saw a portal closing under me. So he has portal abilities? That's even harder that I expected!
I pulled the sword out, sliced it to pieces, while the wound in me healed. I had to finish it faster. If he can teleport, he is much more dangerous than I could possibly think.
Without exiting my speed mode, I jumped to him, slicing his mask left and down. Using my moment, I jumped away out of reach of his martial attacks.
I turned around, exiting my speed mode, and looked on the result. The monster didn't make a move. The mask fell down in nine pieces, leaving his face open. It was a medium aged man with many scars all over his face, but...
"Nick Fury?" I forced. What a..?!
He didn't let me finish. He simply stroke attacked me again. I didn't react quickly enough. I was too shocked. He grabbed me by the throat with one of his hands and he pierced me with two of his sword simultaneously.
No pain came. Just cold tickle. And anger. Wave after wave it turned into a fire and with it, into uncontrollable monster. Power rushed through my veins as I felt my body change. It morphed more and more. I fell on ground. I heard the swords break and fall. Don't care. He dared to oppose me. He dared to touch my friends! HE DARED TO PIERCE ME WITH THE SWORDS!!!
I opened my eyes and felt them fill with rage and blood. Equalizer #16... My target and enemy. I saw him. Right in front of me. I looked straight into his eyes and saw fear in them.
"Hulk?" He forced out. "What a ..."
"HARRY SMASH!!!" I roared with anger and power flowing through me.
I grabbed him by the head. I saw the portal open under him, understanding that he might escape.
He shall not escape! He shall be smashed!!
He tried to hit me with his six hands. Fool! Holding his head with one hand, I grabbed his two left arms. Third was left free. When I held him tight on the left side, I let go of his head and instead grabbed his two right hands.
"No! DONT!!! NOOOO!!!!" He screamed, trying to break out, but I held him tight. Then I started pulling my hands away from each other.
"AAAARRGHHHHHRGHAAAA!!!" Equalizer screamed as his left hands ripped apart, spitting blood and metal bones apart.
"HARRY EQUALIZE!!!" I screamed with rage overcoming me, as I threw away its hands and grabbed his head again and let took hold of his legs. #16 screams where silenced by my hand, but it didn't make them less horrible.
With a little effort I pulled until something cracked. Equalizer tensed and started hitting my hands like a little girl.
"HARRY WIN!!" I screamed one more time, with my hands ripping Equalizer apart completely and dropping its lifeless pieces on the ground. As the time passed, rage left me. And so did my powers. And with all my energy gone, came my clear mind.
"Oh no...." I choked looking at what I've done. A wave of vomit came to my throat came and I had no power to hold it. Equalizer #16 was just a two left hands, torso with two dislocated right hands and crushed head, legs which where still twitching and worst of all, a mid spine. I couldn't hold another wave of vomit and tears. I cried, screamed, but nothing could correct my mistake. I let the rage take over and let the monster out.
"He doesn't seem so equal anymore." A voice behind echoed.
Luna...
"I... I killed him! I... I'm sorry! I.. Didn't... I didn't!!" I screamed in panic.
"You are killer. You did kill him in a very cruel way. We'll talk about your punishment later. Now we have a war going on." I didn't look at Luna, but I clearly heard the disgust. And she was right. I am wrong. "Before we leave, I need you to promise one thing." She said. And it wasn't a question. It was a demand.
"What?" I didn't think. I was angry, discussed, frustrated and tired.
"You will stay away from Peter, Twilight, Mayday, Sunset and all of my friends." She spoke, every word falling like a mountain at me.
I can't! I won't! They are my only friends! But I can't endanger them by being close.
"I will leave as soon as this will end." I replied.
I guess it satisfied Luna, because the very next moment she disappeared with the Equalizer's corpse, leaving me in the middle of half ruined by our battle area and unconscious Sunset on the roof.
Chapter 13 - Attack On Canterlot Part 3
Without loosing a moment, I ran to Sunset. I could barely move. The battle with the Equalizer sucked me dry. Step after step, I came closer to her. I could hear screaming and shouting around. The screams of cry and pain. The death and war spread over the Canterlot. Step after step.
Using my wings, I flew onto the roof where Sunset laid. With no more energy left, I collapsed by her. She had bruises and scars all over her, but nothing serious. I put my head on her chest, worried. A peaceful heartbeat filled my ears. Bum-bum-bum. And her breath started taking me away.
"Sir are you okay?" A pony stood to my left. He was tall middle aged unicorn. His face was familiar, but I couldn't remember where I've seen him.
But something didn't feel right. How did he get up here? I would've heard the hoof steps on the stairs, but there was no exit onto the roof...
A hiss reached me. I looked closer to this pony and saw how his teeth morphed into sharp fangs. Saliva fell from them as madness filled his eyes.
Bugger! But what? How?
I was slow to react. He threw itself on me, but a beam of orange light flew past me, slightly burning my fur. But it reached its target. Bugger laid on a ground, twitching and bleeding. Next second it stopped. The green blood pool was surrounding the lifeless body of bugger.
A soft warm hoof touched my shoulder.
"Morning, sleeping beauty." Sunset's voice like a warm spring rain washed me over.
"The only beauty here is you, Suny."
I turned around and...
My mouth met a warm Sunset's lips.
I was taken by surprise, but so far I liked it. Harry you are kissing a horse! Shut up, common sense! I'm the horse myself!
Slowly, need for air took its role. We parted and at the first time I saw how beautiful Sunset really is! Her bright red mane mixed with dirt was clumsy but never the less dashing. Her fur was dirty. All the scratches and bruises were somehow gone.
"Sunset..." I tried to say, but she just threw herself into one more kiss.
This time it was longer and more passionate. The taste of hers sent my head spinning down into the abyss of love.
Her warmth filled me within, becoming a part of me.
When we finally parted I could barely speak..
"...I'm sorry..."
"Oh, shut up!" She said, all blushing, but smiling.
"But next time I promise I'll do better!" I said, replying with a smile.
"You truly are an idiot!" Sunset poked me playfully.
I held her closer in a hug, kissing her one more time.
"Getting there, but needs more practice." Sunset parted, making it clear that the time for joy has come to end.
"Roger that, milady!" I lowered myself in an obeisance.
She hit me lightly on a shoulder, blushing again.
But the war wasn't finished. An explosion from a war machine in the sky put some worry in my heart.
"Peter and Celestia are there..." I spoke. "I have to help them."
"No way you're leaving without me." Sunset replied harshly, putting an end to this discussion.
I felt tired, but this feeling was leaving quickly.
"Okay then. But you stay safe!" I tried to trade with her, without much of the success whatsoever.
"Huh! A guy that blanked out about four times in a weak." She mentioned coldly.
"It was worth! If I didn't pass out, you would not ki..." I didn't finish my sentence. Shimmer knocked my blackhead quite strongly this time.
"Shut up."
A sudden idea came to my head. I didn't feel perfect, but I think I could do this.
"Hold on!"
I dived under Sunset in such a way, so she appeared on my back and opening my wings I jumped.
"HAAARRRYYYYY!!!!!" She screamed as we flew higher and higher.
"Hold on!" I said. I felt her tight on my back, as she squeezed my neck harder with each move I made.
A loud voice pushed into my head.
"I WILL KILL YOU!!!"
Sunset screamed loudly, putting a smile on my face.
"I'm fine with that as long as it is you." I replied.
It seemed to cool her. A little. Very little.
"You're an idiot."
"Enjoy the view."
I flew higher and higher, but the machine didn't to seem to come any closer. But a danger was getting dense.
Some buggers with chaotic look on their faces and their tongues out were on my tail. And in front there was a plane. It didn't look any friendlier.
"Hold on." I told Sunset mentally.
"Harry! What's going on?" Sunset asked desperately.
"Don't you see?" I was surprised.
"I'm afraid of heights! I closed my eyes and I can't see anything!" She sounded annoyed and scared.
Of course! She would already shoot these things if she could see them.
"Just hold me tight. It will be rough." I said, feeling Sunset's suspicion.
No time for that. The buggers were closing in and the plane was getting closer. It was very similar to the planes people used in First World War. It was funny to see it a museum, but here it was another story. A massive slow and loud machine was getting closer.
I dove, predicting the possible machine fire and I was right. Bullets swirled high above me, hitting the buggers that were slower with a reaction.
Well, it was getting a bit easier.
"HARRY!! Was that a machine fire?!" The poor girl pony screamed on me. I felt how she shivered.
"Later!" I replied, exiting the dive and with it a line of machine gun bullets.
"HARRY!!!" Sunset screamed, this time out loud.
But it was impossible to hear her over the wind flowing through my ears.
A line of bullets swirled right next to me. Closer than I'd like it to be. And the plane was getting on my nerves.
Shifting the angle of my wings, wind carried me upwards. The weight on my back and laws of physics did its job, making me do the loop.
Now, the plane was under me and the next moment, in front. Time to take it down.
Pulsation in my eyes. It didn't hurt as much as it did before. I felt the heat from my eyes in my face. When I heard an explosion, I knew the airplane was no more.
"Harry! Watch out!" Shimmer's scream went through my head. I reopened my eyes, this time so they didn't shoot lasers, and saw how a wing from a plane flew into me. It must have been thrown away by an explosion.
"You ok over there?" I asked Sunset, worried.
"Despite the fact it's freezing and I'm afraid of heights, everything is perfect!" She said annoyed. By her voice I knew she wasn't perfect at all.
"Hold on, Sunny! We're almost there."
It seemed to work. She calmed down, but the shivering if hers made me to hurry.
With a several turns around I tried to find out where was this machine. But then the shadow fell over me, blackening a huge area. Astonished,
I looked up and saw a huge black airship over my head. It was huge enough for its shadow to cover the whole Canterlot. It was close. In na few swings of my wing I finally got on it. A small trap had its door inside broken to pieces.
Without hesitation I flew inside. A warm air washed over me as I landed in a long corridor with many doors in a line.
"We have landed, baby. You can climb down now." I told Sunset softly and dropped to the floor, closing the gap between the floor and myself as much as possible, making it easier for Sunset to climb down. I felt how she softly let her blacklegs slide from me, but still not letting my neck go. I looked at her and she had her eyes still closed, but tears running down her cheeks.
"Hooooo baby. It's okay... We landed and its all good... " I hushed at Sunset taking her into my embrace.
Her hair was punk styled and stood under a weird 90 degree angle.
She held me even tighter, and I felt how my fur got wet. I didn't mind. I held her tighter, hushing and calming her down.
"Why.? Harry, why?" She asked into my coat.
"There was no other way of getting up here. And there is no way I would let you use teleportation because its too far and you would use to much energy."
She sobbed and cried for a minute more, calming down softly. When we finally parted, a strong hit in my jaw almost sent me flying.
Not that I couldn't predict that, but I let it happen. Sunset was calm but in her eyes i saw fury.
"You deserved it." She said, turning her back on me.
I felt a pain in a chest. I knew I deserved it, but it still hit me kinda hard. Pain jaw left the very next moment, but the other pain was there.
But now it was no time for a love games. We were on enemy's territory. And as I thought that, I heard a fight.
"Peter..." I sighed and switching into speed mode, I took Sunset into my hooves and ran towards it. When I came closer, the following scene was in front of me: Celestia was aside with a bleeding wound, while Peter was fighting five buggers and one of them seemed to be the Quinn. She was an alicorn, taller than Celestia and seemed to be much more powerful. She held a weapon with her magic. It was a long, green sword which seemed to be like a fang. Other four buggers were usual soldiers, but they wore a light black armor, guaranteeing some protection. Peter in other hand, had strange gloves in his front hooves. They gleamed with blue light. Not bad.
I left Sunset near Celestia, healing her wound a little, so there was no danger of any disease or fatality. And then I joined Peter. I came to the fang sword and used my claws to pierce it to pieces.
When I did, I exited my speed mode, slashing the most annoying from my point of view buggers throat.
"Arrghhh.. Ble..." The monster tried to say something, but green blood poured from his mouth and throat as his lifeless body fell on ground.
"What took you so long?!" Screamed Peter, dodging the attack of the other buggers, as I took the Quinn on me.
"Long story!" I replied dodging the pieces of the shattered sword.
The Quinn didn't quite seemed to enjoy the change of situation. With a scream, she attacked me with everything she had. Fangs, short daggers, her legs and magic. I dodged every single attack swiftly and quickly. But a moment I felt magic around me, I used my speed to shift away. And just in time because the very next moment the area in front of me exploded in poisonous green flames.
"Is that all you've got, lady?" I laughed, seeing that this made her almost mad.
She laughed, as the air around me started warming. I ran again, as the area exploded.
"You can't run forever, fool." She laughed, sending series of pulse energy into me. I dodged and dodged, but tiredness came again. It was time she started to become annoying.
"You won't be able to make magic forever!" I screamed and with it, closing the gap between me and her.
Flames burned my body, but I hit my target. Her horn, in peaches fell on ground, as the green blood and energy escaped from it.
A high pitched scream pierced my ears, as I fell, my nose bleeding and eyes out of focus.
When they finally came back into focus and the ringing in my ears stopped, I looked around. All buggers were gone with their Quinn. Peter, Sunset and Celestia laid around me, unconscious. It was all good, until the floor shifted down.
"Oh no..." I murmured, as the explosion faded at the back.
The airship was falling to pieces. And my friends were immobilized.
The floor turned to a bigger angle. It was time to get out of here!
Struggling, I stood up and switched into y speed mode. I had an idea how to get them out of here, but was risky. Very risky.
Using my speed I carried my friends to the tramp through which me and Sunset entered earlier. When all of my friends were close to the exit, I did what I will never forgive myself.
The pegasi guards were just few meters away from the airship and, when they finally saw me, I passed my friends into their hands.
"Get them to the ground!!" I shouted.
It seemed like they understood, because next moment they were flying to the castle.
But the other problem appeared. The airship was falling on the city.
Chapter 14 - Attack On Canterlot Part 4
A heavy feeling fell over me. Its too similar to what happened on Earth so long ago.
"Guess that's just how it is." I said to myself quietly, before jumping down. When I fell on the lowest level of the airship, I dove under, putting myself under it, so it appeared on my shoulders. Wings, please don't let me down this time. Slowly, I took the weight of the airship on me. My spine screamed and shouted, as sweat poured down my head and chest.
Balancing on my speed mode, I made my wings flap as fast as possible, creating little hurricane under them. But it worked. The ship slowed its fall, but never stopped.
I looked down and saw ponies underneath. I couldn't let them down. Not now.
A crazy idea came into my head. It was impossible. But I think I could do that.
"YEEAAAARRGGHHH!!!" I screamed, slowly moving to the city's edge. Meter by meter, slowly, I moved.
My wings were aching badly. I felt the bones bend and repair over and over again. Each meter drained my energy. Slowly and painfully, the edge came closer and closer.
You can do it, Harry! You can do it!
"Harry, what a hay are you doing?!" Sunset's scream came through my head.
"Sorry... Suny! It's the only way to save the city!" I told her.
I felt that she knew what I was doing. She just didn't want to accept it.
"Harry, no! It's to dangerous! You might die!" She screamed, crying.
My heart ached stronger than my wings did.
A wall. I barely flew over it. No more houses where under me. Just an empty space that went all the way down.
"Sunset?" I could barely hold. I had just few seconds.
"Yes?!" She screamed. She knew. She knew there was very little possibility I would survive that.
"You have beautiful eyes.." I said as the last drop of energy left my body.
"Bye..." I added, letting go. The air rushed through my mane, as I flew down, unable to move away from the airship.
A scream filled my ears and agony filled my heart.
A bump hit me in a spine, crushing all the air out of me. I closed my eyes not to see the ugly airship fall on me. The moment when I expected a collision... Nothing happened.
About to fall apart, I opened my eyes. The airship hanged millimeters from my face. It glee med with dark blue light. Next second, it got shrunken by magic and thrown away.
A bright blue angel landed by me and I felt her whisper:
"Don't die on me, boy. Sunset will kill me if you do."
It wasn't Luna's voice. It was younger and higher. My bones, shattered by the fall impact slowly came together, moving the nerves and muscles away from their way.
Blood came to my mouth and coughed with the little bits of air left in my lungs.
"Hooouuuu boy... Let me help you a little." The same voice said. My eyes were out of focus and I didn't see my savior's face. She came closer to me and helped me to breath with a mouth to mouth way. A warm air rushed into my lungs. They were crushed by the ribs, but it was getting better with more air rushing into them. Slowly, I could feel my body again. My heart gave a beat after a beat, gracefully speeding up.
"Ughh.." I tried to say something, but it caused more blood coming to my mouth. The pony parted, spitting my blood out of her mouth.
"Easy there!" She said laughing. It became significantly harder to breathe without her, but now I could more or less manage that.
"...s..so...sorry..." I murmured, coughing blood again.
"Shut up, will you?" She said. "I'm trying to save you here."
My eyes finally came more or less into focus. I saw a dark blue pony on top of me.
But she wasn't exactly a pony. She had a weird bat-liked ears, slightly visible fangs and star shaped irises in her light gold eyes. An idea of vampires came to my mind, but I quickly rejected it. I doubt the vampire would save a ninety percent dead pony.
"..ho...a...ou.." I forced out of myself, still unable to speak properly.
"I said shut up." She said smiling and put some cloth into my mouth. "It will hurt a little. Try not to scream to loud." She warned, ripping something out of me.
A shockwave of pain went through me, but I bit the cloth, not letting any sounds to escape. Not in front of the lady.
"One more." She said serious, repeating the same process again and again.
Few minutes later, a wave of pain washed over me, as she ripped pith the last thing.
"And.. Done!" She said, a brushing a hoof against a sweating forehead. "Sorry for that, but it was necessary. You had glass and metal fragments all over your body. I mean All over your body." She gave me a playful glance and added "Looks like your friends are coming. I'd better get going. Don't want any awkward questions from my princess." And on that note, she swiftly jumped into the shadows, disappearing in them.
My head aches a little. When my friends came closer, I recognized Luna, Peter, Celestia and Sunset.
Sunset, without saying a word ran to me, slapping me in a face straight away. It burned a little. But the slap hurt my heart. But what broke me down was when she fell on me, holding tightly. Choking on tears she asked me
"Why? Why did you do that? I could've lost you! I almost lost you, you idiot!" A wave of new tears came down on her.
I hugged her back, holding tightly and quietly whispered to her ear:
"Because I love you. And if it meant me dying over a thousand times to save you, I wouldn't hesitate a second." I spoke. Truth is always truth and it cannot be misunderstood.
"I... I.. I love you too, Harry! But promise you will not do that again!" She scoffed and cried, but that was the one thing I could not promise her.
"I promise you that sacrificing my life will save you, I will do that without a single hesitation." I softly whispered into her ear.
She cried a little more, but then her breaths became more equal and instead of crying she breathed softly into my fur. She was sound asleep. Again, she fell asleep on me. Not that I mind, but I'm not the best pillow.
"Looks like our girl is sound asleep again." Celestia spoke with a mothers smile. "Thanks, Harry." You saved us all, but most importantly, you prevented Chrysalis's attack and saved Canterlot from complete destruction." She spoke calmly, but I heard an admiration in her voice.
"I have to correct the past sins of mine somehow. And this is the smallest I should do." I spoke openly, but quietly, not to wake up Sunset.
Princesses smiled and Peter gave me a short nod.
"To correct the past sins of yours will require you to do more than that, but it's a good start." He smiled.
His smile gave me the confidence. Which, however was taken away almost immediately by the Luna's glaze.
"You did a great job, Harry. But the war is far from an end. You might've defeated Chrysalis, but it's not for long. She misfired this time, but next time we might not be so lucky." Her voice was low and cold. "If you'll excuse me, there is a city in ruins." And a very next moment she disappeared in a flash.
Celestia shook her head, but said nothing.
After a pause in which just Sunset's measured breathing could be heard, Celestia finally said:
"Peter. I will teleport you to Twilight now. Tell her to come to the city. It's urgent."
"Yes, auntie! I'll be right back." Peter seemed to be eager to say something, but in a flash he was gone.
"God, he truly has a long tongue." Celestia laughed a bit and then she spoke to me.
"Harry. It was a hard day for both of you, so let me help you a little."
I wanted to go against it, but Sunset murmured something in a sleep, bringing a smile upon my face.
"That would be great, my highness."
She gave me a nod and next moment we reappeared in a bedroom. Celestia was gone.
I put Sunset on the bed and stroking her mane, I put a duvet onto her.
She murmured something in her sleep, but I laid down by her. Hugging lightly with my wing, I laid closely to her spine. And the moment my head touched the pillow, I crashed into a deep sleep.
Chapter 15 - The Meeting Of Canterlot
"Harry... Wake up... I need you." A soft voice slipped into my head.
I moaned something, but I opened my eyes. Sunset's green eyes were right in front of my face, covering everything else. I didn't mind. I just swam through them like through the bright lake.
"Good morning, sleeping beauty."
I whispered quietly, kissing her in a forehead.
She smiled, and replied with a swift kiss.
"You are getting better!" She whispered back.
I felt red paint fill my face, but in the dark I hope it wasn't visible.
"What did you need me for?" I aksed, striking her mane and neck.
"I just wanted to say thanks..." She whispered, this time getting closer my ear.
She shifted her weight, appearing on top of me.
Now my face burned like lava. I could feel her heat. She lowered her head to mine and said "Any last words, hero?"
I was speech less. But finally I forced something like "Mama Mia..." Before the time of love came.
The following part of night I decided to keep private. Otherwise memories wouldn't be so warm.
"Thanks..." Quietly whispered Sunset into my ear, before slipping into sleep on my shoulder.
"I love you." I quietly whispered into her ear, joining her in her dream.
I didn't know, but that night two bright stars were dancing in the deep of night.
The singing of birds woke me up slowly. Their singing was truly beautiful. My hair fell on my face, being annoying, but a warm hoof brushed them off.
"Good morning, Harry." A quiet voice filled my head with peace, like a soft spring's song.
"With you it's always good, Suny. With you it's always good." I repeated, pieces of the night still swimming trough my head.
I felt her smile, but I also felt the weight of her body on my chest. Her hair were slightly tickling me, but I was perfectly fine with that.
"Harry, may I ask you a question?" Sunset asked and I felt how she started blushing.
"Of course, Suny! What is it?" I asked
"I'm sure your wife was a happy and
truly satisfied woman..." She whispered.
Her comment made me smile. My wife truly was satisfied...
"When I found out about her sickness, I did my best to make the time we had left together count. I don't know wether I succeeded or not, but she passed away with a smile on her face." I remembered how the doctor gave the child into my hands and Lucy's smile was her last back then.
"Lucy, look! Look what we have done! We have done it together, Lucy! We are family!" I spoke to her as tears ran down my cheeks.
"Thanks... Harry. We... are... fa...mi...l..." Her sentence broke, changed by the monitors one long sound.
Harry cried and so did I. We cried together as we have been pushed out by the nun.
"...ry? Harry, are you here?" Sunsets voice dissolved the memory, returning me to reality.
"Huh? Yeah.. Yeah I'm here!"
I replied quickly. A bit to quickly I guess.
Sunset gave me a look and gracefully stood up. Her movements were long and royal, making me push away the memories.
"It was long ago, Harry. You have a new girl. New life! Let go already!"
"I'm trying! Common sense, I really do!"
"Try better then!" And with it my second me was gone deep in me, leaving me staring at Sunset mouth wide open.
She looked back, with a playful smile winked and with a words
"Bathroom is on the right. We have a meeting with the Princesses in an hour so get yourself cleaned up. I'll be back soon." she was gone.
Standing up without a second effort, I took a stroll around the room. It was square room with a big window facing into the gardens and the door on the right. I walked into it and saw a huge bath.
I opened all the hot taps an while the bath was filling I brushed my teeth. This time I used magic to hold the toothbrush, so the progress was made. When the bath was finally fool, I threw some soap in it and using my speed made lost of bobbles. With a small childish "Yeek!" I jumped in, completely going underwater. the past few days were washed away, leaving me with a fun personal time. Not risking to open my eyes I cleaned the soap off them and opened.
I took my time in bath and when I was done, I brushed all water off me, using my speed.
"HARRY!!!" Sunset shouted from the door.
She had bubbly soap all over her and she was quite wet. And I guess she was furious.
"Ups." I dropped. She might have walked in when I was cleaning water off. "Sunset, sorry... I didn't mean to..." I tried to say, breaking a laugh after every word.
Sunset didn't say a word. Just a steam went off her, evaporating all water completely. A second she was finished, she foxy smiled and using some spell, she turned the wet floor under me into ice.
"I'll wait for you outside." She said, as I slipped on my four legs and fell down over and over again.
Finally I managed to stand up, and using my claws I got to the door.
When I exited the bathroom I took a glance around. Sunset was waiting in a room and some white pony with deep purple and very curled mane and tail, by her side. As I moved to them, I felt I've been measured and calculated over and over.
"Hmmm... I think a little bold style will be just fine." The unknown pony murmured to herself.
"Good day, madame." I bound slightly in an obeisance.
A light smile touched the pony's lips as she replied
"Good morning, milord." Her voice was mid pitched, but in a full control of its owner. "My name is Rarity and your friend, miss Sunset, asked me to design a costume for you. If you would just help me a little.." She asked taking my front leg and straightening it. "Long legs... Guess I will have to add some adjustments." She turned her head to Sunset. "May I borrow him for a little?"
Sunset replied with a short nod and added "We don't have much time so if you took him straight to the hall it would be useful indeed." And with that, in a slash of light, she disappeared.
"Excuse her. She had quite tiring day yesterday." And rather fun night, I added in my head, but it was personal.
Rarity seemed to understand and smiled.
"It's alright. But we have to get moving." And with it she went out of the door, leading me to the other tower. We passed long corridors. They weren't almost damaged, but I could see nurses running around.
"What happened? Why are so many nurses here?" I asked Rarity.
She glanced back and replied
"Yesterday, while an attack, a lot of homes got damaged. And so did some ponies..." She added, her face darkening. "Princesses took all the ponies who lost their homes into the castle, giving them shelter, help and food."
"Celestia and Luna seem to be nice rulers." I said to Rarity, bringing smile back to her face.
"They ruled Equestria for over a thousand years. We love them and they love us. We respect them and they respect us." She spoke.
The rest of the way we spent in silence. There were a lot of stairs and I used my speed to help me and Rarity to get pass them. Designer gave me a surprised look, but didn't say anything.
When we finally came to the doorway, she opened it letting me in.
And I was absolutely dashed.
Beautiful costumes were around me, but what amazed me the most was the suit in the center of the room.
"If you give me a second..." Rarity ran past me and using the perfectly organized tools on the table, she lengthened the suit's front sleeves a little.
"Wow..." I exhaled as Rarity laughed at me. "That's great!" I told her.
"Glad you liked it. Try it on. I'll help you." Soft swoosh of material and I didn't have time to blink as I was in the costume. "Sits properly. Harry, try to open your wings!"
I was afraid to, but slowly I opened them. They were a part of the suit too. Black material covered them, blending smoothly with the rest of the suit.
"Oh my God..." I exhaled, bowing to the Rarity. "It's perfect!"
"Not perfect, but it is not bad at all."
After few more seconds she added
"Let's go."
After fifteen minute walk through the castle, we finally got the place where I first met Luna. It was already repaired, but the cracks in wall where still visible.
"Follow me." Rarity spoke shortly, leading me past the throne and to the room behind it. There was a round table with twelve chairs around it. The idea of King Arthur forcefully came to my mind.
Luna, Celestia, Twilight, Peter and Sunset where already there. They seemed to be waiting for me.
"Good morning, Harry. Please sit down." Celestia spoke firmly and calmly, but there was something weird in her voice. She sounded a little worried, but I couldn't tell exactly. Thousands years of being a politician did give its effect. "Now we are just waiting for Shining armor and Cade.."
She was distracted by a flash of light and on the table appeared a heavily builded stallion and with him a bit disorientated pink Alicorn.
"Call of the Devil..." Murmured Luna.
"Sorry for our delay. Somepony had a little too much party yesterday." Spoke Shining Armor giving his, what it seemed, wife, a former look.
Cadence, in other hand almost fell from the table, but Shining's magic caught her in the last moment, putting her back on steady ground.
Twilight giggled, but no one seemed to share her emotions.
When everypony seemed to have settled down, Celestia started her speech.
"Everypony. We came here today by the very serious matter. As you know, Canterlot was attacked yesterday. We carried losses. And if it wasn't to our guest over here..." Celestia waved her hoof at me "We wouldn't be meeting here today." A dramatic pause to gain attention. It didn't seem to be needed, because everypony was already staring at me.
However when Cadence looked at me, I felt like I've been scanned. And not scanned physically, but my emotions and feelings.
"Harry, don't be nervous. We don't bite." She commented and giggled, earning one more look from Shining Armor. He, however, looked like a pony that did bite. I made a note to myself to stay away from him for as much possibility as possible.
Cadence gave a wink to Sunset, as the orange pony went all red.
"Good day, everypony. As our princess has already mentioned, my name is Harry and I am nervous. I know you might not know me, but you might know my father, Norman Osborn."
The shiver went through table. Knowing that making to big pause I will not make anything better, I continued. "However, my father was no good man. I dont even know what he really was. But he is far gone and I do not want to continue talking about him. As you know, I came from earth. I was brought here by the pony you know as Sunset. She saved me from my own son and my own company. Times on Earth had changed. OSCORP controls everything. Avengers are no more and I am to blame for then. After an accident in which I died, my son took over the company and in seventeen years he developed a program which helped him to revive people. He also found a way to put superheroes's powers in one body, making an invulnerable soldier. I was the strongest one. I still don't know the full potential of my powers. Yesterday, I fought an Equalizer #16. In my shattered memories, he had an ability to teleport. He is no more. I defeated him and rushed to airship to help my friends to fight a strong opponent. You called her Chrysalis as I recall. Unfortunately she and her army escaped." I finished my speech and mentioned that I was standing. With exhaling I sat down. Even though I was the director of OSCORP, I didn't enjoy meetings at all.
"Thanks, Harry. Now we have to discuss the possibility of the other attack. Thanks to Harry, we have some extra time." Celestia said, shifting an attention from me onto herself.
"How much have we got?" Shining Armor asked.
"About five months. Maybe six." Celestia said with a reassuring smile.
"If you'll excuse me, but it's not enough to replace the losses and to rebuild the city." Shining spoke.
"I know, Captain. Because of that, I will give you a set of unicorns from the school to speed things up. But don't concern yourself about the city for now. You need to put your focus into soldiers. Now, do you have any questions?" Celestia looked at Shining and he asked one question.
"Can I start straight away?"
"Yes, Captain. You are free to go." Celestia nodded. Shining saluted and left the room.
"Cadence. You will take the charge of enforcing defenses in the Crystal Empire. We can't afford loosing that." Celestia told to the pink princess.
"As you wish, auntie. I will depart straight after the meeting's end." Replied Cadence.
"Luna. We will need all of our forces. I mean All of the forces." Celestia spoke to Luna.
The moon goddess shrugged.
"Yes, sister. Children of the Night will fight with us."
"If you excuse me, but who are the "Children of the Night"?" Asked Twilight.
"Secret clan of highly trained assassins. They have the advantages of all three classes of the ponies. Pegasi, earth ponies and unicorns." Explained Luna. "One more word to anyone of their existence might be your last." Luna spoke quietly and harshly. She openly challenged Twilight. The younger princess did nothing. Just shrugged her shoulders. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go." And on that point, Luna disappeared in a blue flash of light.
Celestia just exhaled.
"Peter and Twilight. Your job is to prepare the elements of harmony and to keep Poniville secured."
"Yes, princess. We will do our best."
Said Peter.
"Go then. Don't want to take any time from you." And when Celestia finished her sentence, Twilight and Peter disappeared in a flash of light.
"The meeting is over. But Harry, we need to speak from eye to eye." The sun goddess spoke to me.
"As you wish, your highness." And with that, a flash of light in front of the eyes.
My head felt dizzy a little, but the salty smell of water pushed the dizziness away.
I looked around. Celestia was on my right. We were standing together on the rock in front of the cave. There was no chance of entering it by feet and because we were surrounded by sea, there was no way we would swim this. It was storming and the weather was cold.
Thank God we had wings.
"Follow me!" Celestia screamed to me over the sound of the sea, flying straight into the cave, as I followed her. The
Darkness of the cave was so deep, that I began to doubt the direction I was flying. Thankfully, Celestia lit her horn, brightening every single corner of the cave.
The sound of storm was muted by the thick mountain rock, but the cold breeze made me shiver.
"Don't fall back!" The princess screamed, when I started to look at the parts of the cave. I licked it. And regretted my decision. The walls were pure crystallized salt.
I followed Celestia deeper down into the mouth of the cave.
We went on, not saying a word. I saw some fragments in the crystal walls.
"This is the grave for the many heroes of Equestria." Predicting my question, replied Celestia.
The atmosphere was calm and peaceful. We entered a huge hall. The sea was over us, flowing and washing over the invisible ceiling.
"Wow..." I forced the breath out.
There was a statue in the center of the room. It was about ten times taller than Celestia, made of pure metal. It didn't seem to have statable color. It shifted and gleamed with thousands different colors. This was a statue of a pony. A warrior. Male warrior with fearless face.
"Who is it?" I asked Celestia.
I was surprised when I saw her bowing to the statue. When she stood up, I saw a single tear running down her eye.
"He was my brother. He was a warrior no world has ever seen." She spoke quietly. "You must be wondering why I brought you here, Harry. The thing is, when he was... leaving, he left a message. It was his sword with a short letter that said that another warrior will come and take his place."
I thought these words in. I let them sink in.
"You mean... You want to say that I am that warrior?" I asked her, but she just shook her head.
"It's not me who will decide." A light shone from her horn and my secret horror came true. The statue came to life.
I was paralyzed, I couldn't move. It bent down and looked into my eyes.
I felt how something inside of them burned. The wall went red, and I found myself in a corridor made of red glass.
"Harry..." A voice came from an other end. I looked there and saw the pony that the statue presented. It was a tall Alicorn. I remembered his face! He was the one whose shape took the bugger on a roof!
"Hello... Sir." I added.
The pony burst laughing, but next moment his face became serious again.
"Hello, Harry. My time is short. The part of my soul in this statue is fading every moment. Listen carefully now. In your life, there will be changes. They will be different. Good or bad, it's for you to decide. But there is one thing I still have to do before I say goodbye. You see, when my mortal form was destroyed, I let the parts of my soul fly into everyone who was strong enough to hold them. One of the pieces chose you. I know you inside out. I feel you. The piece you carry bounded with your soul, not body. You lived hundreds of lives. But it all came down to this." The pony that talked was slowly fading away and his voice was becoming more and more distant. "Take my sword, Harry. And may it serve you well."
With this, the corridor we stood in shattered, breaking into atoms.
"Look after my little sisters!.." A distance voice faded, with a laugh, leaving his existence. I felt the heavy weight being lifted from my shoulders.
I didn't run. Something broke in me. Energy flowed into me, filling with light, energy and knowledge of the thousands lives I lived. Thousands of faces, thousands of people, animals and things at furious speed rushed through my head. It didn't hurt. Just filled with more power and light.
It was over as quickly as it started.
I stood in front of the statue, looking into its eyes. But now the colors of its had faded, becoming one deep grey mass of metal.
Something hit a floor in front of me. I broke out of trance and took a look at that thing. It was a long sword. It was deep red at the end shifting to the deep night blue closer to the handle. Words on the blade where written in some ancient language that was long gone, but I could easily read it.
"The Last Dawn" it said on blade.
Just for the interest, I put my claws out and tried to cut the sword.
Instead, a horrible pain, similar to breaking a tooth, pierced my claws. Three long claws of mine helplessly fell on floor as the sword stayed undamaged.
I picked up my claws and put them to the place they were before. Few seconds later they grew back.
"Thank you, brother." I spoke. The part of my soul knew the sword.
I took it with my magic without any effort. It just happened.
Swing right, swing left. A soft glow went after the sword. It was burning like light saber from Star Wars. But it was much more sharp. And hot.
I felt the connection with the sword. It was a part of me. And every moment I held it using my magic, it grew closer to me.
Finally, I exited my speed mode and saw Celestia staring at me.
"He asked to look after you, sis." I smiled to her. Tears ran down her cheeks. I hugged her. I didn't even understand it, but I got height. If before Celestia was few inches taller than me, now she was little bit shorter.
But it was time to leave. The ocean ceiling started to lower itself. At first the movement was gentle, but now it simply collapsed on us. Using my sword, with a single swing, I made a long line through the sea to the open air. We were deep under water, but it took no effort to fly. We flew up as the water came together behind as.
"Faster!" I shouted to Celestia making a final dash onto the open air. But Celestia wasn't fast enough. Before the water was about to crush her, intuitively I used my magic to pull her out, throwing her high into the air. We flew to the mountain edge and sat down.
"Thanks... Nice armor, Harry." Celestia told me. "Last time I saw it was eons ago..."
I looked at myself, in surprise. I wore black tight armor which covered my whole body, even wings. It was extremely light, but I had no doubt about its durability.
A long sheath were tightly integrated into my armor. I put "The Last Down" in them and on top the sheathes was something short, but thick. I took it in front of my eyes, examining. Using magic became natural, like I've done it all my life. It was cone shaped piece of some light material. I pressed an energy button I felt. I jumped in light surprise when it turned into the round shield, similar to Captain's America's.
When I was done examining it, I put it away.
A long red light spread over the horizon, as Celestia put her sun down.
"It is beautiful." I said to Celestia.
She smiled and when she was done, we reappeared in the castle.
It was in the main hall.
Sunset was standing on her own, reading some book.
When she saw me coming, the book disappeared with a speed of light.
Of course I used my speed to look at it. "The Ponysutra" it read on the back. I returned to my position I changed into my speed mode and came back into my usual speed.
"Hey!" I told Sunset smiling.
She looked shocked by my look.
"Where were you?" She asked demandingly.
"What were you reading?" I parried.
"Nothing!" She squeaked, blushing. "Just a book Cadence gave me. Now it's your turn!"
Cadence, huh? "She is princess of love..." The voice in me told me. Now it sounded much older and more experienced. "I can see that." I replied, returning to reality.
"I went into the underwater grave with Celestia where all the great ponies laid. One big statue gave me this armor, sword and shield."
I told her.
"Underwater cave, huh? Well, I will make some research on it. But... It's late. Are you hungry?" She asked.
I was about to disagree, but my belly betrayed me, making weird answer.
Sunset almost fell crying from laughter.
"Let's go! I will show you some of our foods." She said turning her back, hitting me slightly with her tail, more like playfully. Walking in front of me, she led me into the room, but it had no tables or any food in it either. Just a big bed in the middle.
"I guess it will be meal number 35?" I joked, trying to push the red paint off my face.
The door clicked locked and Sunset slowly pushed me towards the bed...
"Shut up. It's my time now...." Sunset whispered, taking the armor off me with her magic and placing it on the table. She pushed me on the bed, as we fell in a deep kiss and even deeper love.
Some time later we ordered food into the room. It was castle anyway and servants cooked amazingly well.
Love lasted all night. My second me inside gave me some advices from time to time. By the morning we both, not breaking our warm embrace fell asleep.
Chapter 16 - November Rain
The heavy rain drops fell on a warm window, creating a foggy view outside. There was nothing much to see outside anyway. The dark autumn nights came into power and it was their rule now. In any world, any life the year cycle was the same. In any life I lived as I recall.
"What do you think, is it possible to somehow make the world a better place?" I asked myself.
"Lots of people tried. And so did ponies. But it all came down onto one result. The human nature cannot be changed. The ponies are similar, but they have a bit lower specter of negative emotions." The inner voice replied. He was the second me. But he was the one who knew everything. I felt comfortable of having him by my side. My second me always helped me out with an advice, or a good joke. Sometimes, I when I couldn't do something, I let him take over me, so he could show how to do this or that. It came fancy a lot while trainings.
It's been a month since the Battle for Canterlot. Since then a lot of things changed. I kept my promise to Luna. I left the town, taking away the risk of me hurting our friends. Sunset was quite upset with these news, but I promised her that I will return soon. We also have our mental connection. What is amazing about it is that the distance doesn't matter, so any time I could speak to Sunset.
Right now I was in my little hut in the Everfree Forest. I spent living here for just a while, but I already had to fight monsters for a few times. They were no trouble. My second me, I call him Ziggy, just for the sake of it, helped me with building a wooden hut and putting some useful stuff in it. I also put a small fence around it, just in case. I'm not afraid of anything, but still... Better safe then sorry.
I lived more or less into the forest. The closest neighbor of mine was a pale yellow pony with bright pink hair and a very big tail. Even by the pony's standards. I didn't speak with her a lot. In fact, I spoke with her only once. It didn't really work out. She was following me for little. The moment I was fed up with it, I ran in my speed mode straight into her face. When I exited, she almost fell with a little squeak.
"Oh, sorry! I didn't mean to scare you!" I apologized, helping her to stand up.
That moment it looked like she swallowed her tongue. It took me quite a while to talk her out of her trance. When I did...
"My name is Harry. What is yours?"
Silence...
"Okay, one more time. Hi, my name is Harry. What is your name?"
She squeaked something, but I didn't really hear what it was...
"One more time?" I asked, but when I saw her eyes... She was about to cry.
"Sorry... I didn't mean to..."
"Watch out!" She suddenly screamed, pushing me out of the way.
The heavy tree almost fell on place where I just stood. The yellow pony was still under it.
Using my speed and momentum, I took her of the danger.
When I exited my speed mode, she was with closed eyes, covering her face with hooves.
"You all right?" I asked.
She nodded, still with closed eyes.
I looked around. The tree was thick and strong. No way it could fall on its own. And it didn't...
Huge six headed monster stood, shaking it's ugly heads.
"Hydra. Watch out. One scratch of hers will poison you." Said Ziggy, calmly.
"Got it. And how can I shield her?" I asked him pointing at the girl.
"Give me a second." He replied.
A light flashed in my eyes. But with it, a spell came. It wasn't difficult, but required a lot of power.
"Do it. It needs a lot of power, but you don't need much to defeat this Hydra." Ziggy told, before leaving deeper inside my head me.
I used a pulse of magic to push Hydra away and the time I got was enough to put a sphere around yellow pony.
"Stay calm. I got this." I told her, as she was shivering from fear. I let my energy flow into the ground around the pony, making a barely visible sphere. That should do it.
A roar from behind let me know my enemy was back. And it looked furious.
"I give you the count of three." I spoke in the extra loud voice. A simple spell to scare away opponents.
"One..." I spoke slowly. The clang of my claws was heard loudly. Wind swirled under my wings as I opened them.
"...Two..." I filled myself with energy, bits of it evaporating from my fur in a blue fountain.
Hydra seemed confused. Two ponies seemed a nice meal, but something told it to run.
"...Three." I ended my count, as the bright red color with heat filled my eyes. Ground gave in under my hooves with the energy filled me, looking for the way out.
Hydra, scared off, ran. Not retreated. Ran. I didn't chase. She was just a creature that made a mistake.
I let magic inside me fade away. The claws went back into place with a loud noise. My eyes returned to the normal color and my wings lowered to the normal position.
"As I thought." I murmured to myself.
I looked back to the yellow pony. She had her eyes closed shut, like she was expecting something different to happen.
I sighed, taking the shield away. It returned me bits of my energy back.
"You alright?" I asked the girl.
She opened her eyes, but when she saw me, she closed them shut, weeping, as tears ran down her cheeks. She was afraid of me!
"Sorry... I didn't mean to scare you... I wanted to..." I almost cried. What did I do wrong? "Sorry, I have to go." I said, entering my speed, as tears ran down my cheeks.
I scared her. I was the danger. Even Hydra ran! I ran around to make sure the place was safe, but I saw no more monsters, apart from fleeing Hydra.
I was about to exit my speed mode and attack her, but Ziggy's voice can from inside.
"DON'T!"
"Why? It's because of her I didn't get chance to speak with the pony! It's because of her I scared that girl!" I shouted. My heart ached as tears ran down my face.
"If you kill the fleeing enemies of yours, than what kind of a warrior you are?" Ziggy spoke calmly, but surely. "Listen to me boy. The mistake you are about to make now will never be washed from your soul. You are no warrior, but a pushover if you kill that creature now."
His words sank in. I knew he was right. I let my anger fade as I exhaled. I turned away and ran deeper into the forest, until I was left alone.
I exited my speed and started to cry. I was a monster... Luna saw it straight away. And made me go.
"Sunset?" I spoke in my mind.
A tear ran down my face. Even my friend didn't reply.
Something warm touched my shoulder. I cried even more. Somepony's hooves fell over me, warming me up.
"Hey, little boy. No need to cry." Soft Sunset's voice cocooned me. I fell into her hooves, crying hard.
"I... I... Ah'm a monster! The monster!" I whispered, as she held me tighter, stroking my main.
She took my chin and put my face upwards, so my eyes met with hers. Tears rolled down and down my head now, but I didn't care. The deep green eyes of Sunset filled my head, pushing everything away.
"Harry, look at me." She spoke calmly as I tried to gaze away. I didn't, though. "Like that. Listen. We choose who we want to be. Monster or a hero... In my eyes you are my best friend who needs help. And a greatest hero I could ever think of." She made a pause to smile, closing her eyes for a second. When she opened them again, she said "I love you."
Her words cut my heart to pieces, as tears ran down my eyes, more and more.
She hugged me even tighter, breaking our gaze.
"I love you too..." I whispered in her ear, breathing in the smell of her mane.
She pulled away a little, just to break into the deep long kiss which lifted the pain off my heart.
I fell on my back with her weight over me.
A light filled my horn, as happiness made our hearts beat in one rhythm. Bum-Bum-Bum.
Each beat filled me with magic. My heart flew, as butterflies filled my stomach.
A soft connection appeared between our horns. Green light of mine, connected with red light of hers.
We broke our kiss, just to get into one more, over and over again.
Pain and weight left my heart, dissolving in a pool of love.
The time flew. It became colder as the moon changed the sun. We didn't care. It was our time. The time of love and joy.
Breaking for a second, in a flash of light, we reappeared in my little hut. The fire was long gone, but with a little spell I made it burn again. Warmth spread over the hut, as me and Sunset fell in bed. The bed was small, but we didn't need much space.
"You learned something new?" I asked Sunset, as she was on top of me.
"You bet! Just leave it to me." She said with the smirk only she could do.
I smiled as the joy filled me over and over me.
The heavy breathing and moans of ours filled the little room, as the fire filled the room with the dim lights.
Time after time we changed positions, enjoying every moment of our time. Her body burned and warmed me.
The finale was close and we both could feel it. We broke together into strong tight french kiss. She let my tongue explore her mouth further.
"Harry! Don't stop!" She screamed mentally, as the tension rose in between of us.
I didn't reply. I didn't slow down. A wave of joy filled my very soul.
"Aaaahhh!" Sunset moaned mentally and physically.
Tension and heat rose and very next moment, when I could hold no more, I let go.
The shiver went through me one final time. Shimmer flinched in my hooves and relaxed, falling on me, heavily breathing.
Minutes passed as we breathed heavily in a tight embrace.
"Wow..." I forced.
"Thanks." She whispered weakly into my ear, before she passed into deep sleep, smiling happily.
I smiled inwardly.
"Good night, love." I whispered into her ear, knowing she doesn't hear me, before slipping into sleep myself.
A loud bang on the door broke me out of my thoughts. I was back in reality. Heavy raindrops banged against the window. I fell in memories a bit too deep, but now it was time to return into reality.
"I'm coming..." I said, standing up from the chair heavily.
Who could it be? It doesn't matter now.
I opened the door as the cold rain rushed in. A dark figure stood outside. It was a pony.
"Hello?" I asked stranger.
Newcomer didn't reply. A figure just collapsed into my hut. It was a female pony with bright red hair sticking from under the dark ripped cloak.
"..elp...ah..eee..." She tried to say.
She had a long cut down her spine.
Not losing a second I picked her up, using my magic to close the door and throwing everything from the dinning table.
"Sunset. I need your help. It serious. Bring someone with you." I spoke to Sunset and turned my attention back into the wounded pony.
I ripped the useless cloak off her to take a closer look at the wound. It was a long deep cut. But it seemed to be made by something poisonous, because it was starting to get a green color from the wound.
I didn't panic. I just let Ziggy take over. He acted quickly and swiftly. He took the potions from the shelves we created earlier and combined some of them together, in the same time whispering some spells. Light emitted from my horn, and series of flashes went through the room, as the magic bond appeared between me and the pony's wound. The bond had little spheres of light in it and as each of them slowly went throughout the wound. The girl twitched and screamed, but the poison started to fly upwards slowly. Something flashed to my right, but Ziggy ignored it.
"Hold her by the hooves!" He screamed, pouring the potions on the wound, making more of poison to fly out.
Now over the unknown pony was a small pool of poison, floating and trying to return to the wound. I held it tight.
When all there was no more poison left in her wound, I burned it to the atoms.
Sweat was rolling over my eyes, but I didn't stop the flow of energy into the poison as it twisted and twitched, trying to return into the patient's wound.
Suddenly, it was over. But I didn't slow down. The wound was still deep and serious. Ziggy left me on this moment.
"Your turn." He said and I grinned.
"Thanks."
I let the last bits of my energy flow into the deep wound.
"Aaahhh..." The poor pony lost her voice of screaming, but now the worst was past. The cool beam of silver healing energy flowed from my horn into her wound, tissues slowly getting together. Finally, nothing was left on her back.
"...aaahhhh..." She moaned. "Watch... Arghh!... Out!... The... Ah... Monster... Is... Reeaaiighh!! close..." She forced, before slipping into sleep.
I felt dizzy and I would fall on floor, but Sunset was by my side.
"The Monster? What a hay should that supposed to be?" Asked Shimmer, but the loud bang on a door stopped her.
Three strong knocks. They stopped as suddenly as they started. Or, at least, that's what we thought.
Instead of fourth knock, the door flew inside the hut almost hitting us, nut Celestia's beam made it explode into the little pieces. And in the doorway the huge shape appeared. Just a shadow of it, but it was enough.
The Monster has come...
Chapter 17 - Run All Night
The Monster stood on the doorstep of my little hut. And I wasn't even able to fight him!
But instead of rushing in, the monster held still. Something cold brushed my leg. I looked down, but all I saw were shadows. They slipped in, darkening the room and filling it with cold. I felt notes of agony, sadness and feel of loss driving me down. The hut went dark and cold. Why wasn't any pony doing something? I looked around and my heart fell. I was alone. Almost alone. I was no longer in my hut. I was on a place where I fought Equalizer #16. But that was a month ago! Equalizer was no more!
"Ziggy? Ziggy, help!" I tried to ask for help of my friend, but inside it was empty.
The Equalizer had Sunset in his arms, simultaneously fighting Peter and Celestia. I knew what was about to come. I tried to shift into my speed mode, but it didn't happen. The sword was getting closer to Sunset. I tried to do anything! Speed, lasers, claws! It didn't work. All I could do was just stand and watch, with my heart dying every moment.
"NOOO!!" I screamed. I didn't hear myself. My voice was muted, like I wasn't even there.
All I could here was a heart beat. Bum-Bum-Bum.
Sunset, no....
Bum-Bum-Bum... Silence cut my ears, as Equalizer executed Sunset.
Bum-Bum-Bum a head of hers fell and rolled to me, a light from her green eyes fading away.
I choked and screamed, as burning tears falling down my eyes.
"Sunset... No! Sunset... Love.. Please... Don't.. Don't... No! Love... C'mon, girl... Sunny... Please..." I shook her head and hugged... Knowing that she was gone. She was dead. Gone forever.
I heard a loud scream. Peter, with a sword sticking out of his leg fell on ground. Not stopping the fight with the Celestia, Equalizer...
"Oh no..." Was all I could say, before Peter's head fell on ground.
"Please no!!! NOOOOOOO!!! Aaaarghhhaaa!" I coked and screamed, as Peters eyes wide open looked on me.
Then Celestia fell. Slipped on something. Just one mistake that Equalizer used to win the fight. The sun over Equestria dimmed slightly, before fading completely, putting the world into darkness. Into shadows...
"Harry..." A voice spoke to me. "You could have saved me..." Sunset's head spoke to me, smashing me to pieces with every sound she made.
"Harry... Friend... Brother... I trusted you... I thought... You betrayed me." Peter's voice, calm and cold spoke to me.
"Sunset... Peter.. I tried! I did!"
I tried to reply, but the shadows enclosed tighter, suffocating and tearing me apart, while Peter's and Sunset voices tore my very heart apart.
In the last moment, before I died, big green Chrysalis's eyes looked on me, as her loud laugh was the last thing I heard.
"Aaaaarhhhh!!" I screamed jumping up in cold sweat. A pictures of the dream still haunted my aching head.
"Careful with those." Ziggy told me.
I knew what he meant. I put my claws back in.
"What happened?" I asked him, wondering.
"The body of yours used a bit of too much of its power capacity, healing the girls wounds. In order not to spend even more energy on your movement or seeing, you passed out." Ziggy spoke, but I could hear that he was worried.
"Did you see my dream?" I asked him.
"Partly. But that was enough. You see, this dream wasn't natural. When you slashed Chrysalis's horn, a lot of magic energy passed through you, combining with yours. Now, when you used them up to such an extent, this magic of hers started to leave you, like toxins."
"Are there any more left?" I asked him, but I already knew the answer.
"There are different types of magic. When hers combined with yours, your body could no longer tell which one is your's, so..."
"It started producing the compound of both of them." A soft voice joined into our mental conversation. Sunset...
"Sunset!!" I screamed, my heart aching, without possibility to feel her warmth.
"Wait a little, I'm coming!" She spoke worried, but happy.
Next moment, a door opened and a pony came into the room. A very next moment, Sunset fell on my shoulder.
Her smell drove me into the happiness abyss. I hugged her tightly. God, I was afraid to lose her... Not just afraid... She became almost everything in my life.
She pulled back a little, just to enclose again in a kiss.
"Happy to see you awake..." She whispered quietly into my ear.
"Happy to make you smile again..." I whispered back, taking one more kiss. We enjoyed our time a little, but there were questions we had to find the answers on.
"Sunset... How do we communicate in our heads... And how could you hear Ziggy? He is just a part of my brain..." I asked her when we were finished.
"Harry... It's quite simple. If you imagine that everything is made up of vibrations, you..."
"Just have to find the right one." Ziggy finished her sentence. "But it's not that simple. The nuance is that..."
"You can do it only once with one body." Sunset spoke quietly.
It made me think. If I could communicate with her since prison then...
"So you chose as the only one you can mentally communicate with... But that's... Sunset! You didn't even know me back then! What if I was not what..."
"Silly." She whispered, pulling me into the tight kiss. "I chose you, because it was the right thing to do. When I was in that prison, I had to find something... Someone that was capable of keeping Equestria safe. When I was looking through the journal, your name was the only one which was stuck in my head. I felt you. I knew you! I put a lot on the table, but I won... And the..."
"Prize was you." I replied to her, putting an index on you. And I was right. We chose each other. And we were happy with what we had got.
The dream was still in my had, but I made it leave. Enough of that! I have love. I have life. And I will not lose it this time.
"What about that magic compound? Is there a way I can cure it?" I asked both Sunset and Ziggy.
Sunset lowered her head, shaking it.
But Ziggy replied.
"It is too dangerous. In order to push the magic away, you have to restart the process. And this includes..."
"Restarting myself." I finished. I knew it. But I didn't want to accept it.
"I'm sorry, Harry." Sunset hugged me, taking some of the pain away.
The silence overtook the bedroom I was in. I recognized the swift shapes of Canterlot. Slowly, one question pushed in.
"How is the pony I saved? And how did you make The Monster leave?"
I asked Sunset.
"What monster? There was no monster. You passed out straight after that pony. And she is quite interesting. You might be interested to have a talk with her, when she wakes up, of course. It was you who saved her after all." Sunset spoke sharply and I felt the weird notes in her voice was she...
"Harry! Keep your mouth shut." Ziggy interrupted the idea of asking a question.
"Yeah... I will." I replied.
The night was long... We got tired of talking. We needed some rest. Slowly, Sunset showed me her new knowledge from the book. She was getting better and so was I. When the morning came, we were sound asleep in our tight embrace.
A slight tap on shoulder woke me up. I opened my eyes slowly, the sour taste filling my mouth. Sunset was sound asleep by my side. Who woke me up then? My eyes shot wide open, but a hoof fell over my mouth and quiet sharp whisper reached my ears.
"It's a friend. Stand up. We need to talk." Luna's voice was sharp, but worried. Putting her hoof away, she added "Follow me." And with it she quietly exited the room.
I looked around. I was in a medium sized room with huge windows which were covered with blankets.
Sunset was snoring quietly, making me smile. Sleepiness of mine was gone. I shouldn't keep Luna waiting. I was better get going.
Using my speed and that way muting the sound of my movements I exited the room.
Luna was already walking down the corridor.
"Where are we going?" I asked her.
"Just follow me. I might explain later." She replied without looking back.
Arrogant, strong on the outside and clever. These were the three words I could describe Luna with.
We walked down the corridors and stairs deeper into the castle, our hooves quietly echoing from the walls. The darkness spread through the corridors, but outside it was much worse... The snow howled, insuring the winter's rule. I even felt a tickle of fear to nature. And I thought I might have seen something... someone in the flying snow.
"The dark spirits. They bring winter. It's a bad sign..." Murmured quietly Ziggy.
"Dark spirits? I thought Equestria is a peaceful world!" I replied to him.
"It was... But even the most peaceful worlds have their mysteries. And Equestria is no different." He replied philosophically, putting me into silence. Maybe my world was peaceful before...
A cold shiver broke me out of the thoughts. Luna stood in front of the huge wall. Her horn started glowing as the bricks slowly came apart without making a sound, opening a long steep passage down.
"Watch her step." Luna threw at me, lightening her horn slightly. As we walked in, the hole behind us came back in one peace.
"Canterlot's basements... Not a such great place to be. They were used as prisons in more... difficult times of Equestria." Spoke Ziggy and I felt him shiver.
"Have you been here?" I asked him. He smirked and without hesitation spoke his story
"I was young. Thought law is nothing. Life was hard back then. I stole and fought to survive. But I got caught and put in here. My health wasn't so great and... yeah... I passed away just a few hours before my freedom." He finished. "That taught me a valuable lesson."
"Not to break the law?" I asked, already knowing that I'm wrong.
"Not to get caught." He replied laughingly. "But this place still gives me creeps."
"Watch your head." Said Luna, delayed. A steep ceiling rose in front
of my face.
Intuitively I lowered my head.
"Not bad..." She said, surprised a little.
"I was here before..." I replied. The place looked familiar. Cold thick stone walls led us downwards.
"Really? And what was your name?" She asked, without much interest in her voice.
"What was your name back then?" I asked Ziggy.
"My name was Trickster." He replied without much enthusiasm.
"My name was Trickster, if it says anything." I told Luna. She froze as shiver ran down her body. "Something's wrong?" I got surprised by her reaction.
"Trickster, huh? The last prisoner. You didn't make it to the end. Pity honestly. You would make a great warrior." She spoke coldly.
"Can I take over for a minute?" Ziggy asked.
I gave him the control and spectated.
"I would make an ever better father if you put extra defenses on the walls. Your soldiers fell like toys under the Sombra's attacks!" Ziggy spoke, his voice rising.
Luna stopped. She slowly turned around and I saw fury in her eyes. The cold dark fury. Slowly it faded.
A glimpse of sadness ran through her face. But the very next moment it was gone, leaving rage.
She didn't say anything. Just turned around and kept walking.
"That was rough." I told Ziggy.
"That is true. And it doesn't often matter wether you like it or not." He replied slipping deeper into my head. We walked the rest of the way in silence. We finally came to the big door. It opened by itself just like the brick wall did. When the door opened a slight light started glowing from it.
I followed Luna into the room where two other ponies were waiting for us already.
"Harry. This are your companions. You have a mission. The goal is to find Chrysalis's camp in the forest." Spoke Luna. "Your armor and sword are already here." She nodded towards the stand. My armor and sword seemed to be asleep on it. "Do not get into fight. Your goal is to find them." And with these words she disappeared.
My companions were white tall stallion pegasi and the...
"Hey, Harry! I'm glad to see in one piece." The black female vamp pony told me. She was the one who helped me a lot when I fell from the mountain.
"It's nice to see you, but I'd also would be glad to know your name."
I replied, smiling.
"Yeah, sorry totally forgot. My name is Midnight Blossom and this is Cloud Skipper." She pointed at the stallion, which however wasn't so enthusiastic.
"My name is Harry. It's nice to meet you." I shore his hoof.
"The feeling is mutual." And with that he pointed at my armor. "Nice armor. Haven't seen it for quite a time."
His comment surprised me. The armor was missing for over a thousand years!
"Oh c'mon brother! Don't scare Harry with our age." Midnight turned around with a smile and said. "But we have to get going. Put on that armor of yours and move..."
Before she could finish I entered my speed and took my armor.
"Nice speed." The Skipper's voice appeared behind me.
"You too." I got surprised at first, but then I remembered that I'm not the only one with super powers. When I finished, I exited my speed mode joining Midnight and her brother.
"That was quick! Looks like you and Skipper have something in common!" Mentioned Midnight and smiled. "Follow me. It's gonna be a long night."
She swiftly turned around and moved to the door. Skipper and I traded looks and followed her.
Using her magic, Midnight opened a wide black door. Cold air with swift darkness hit me in a face. I remembered the spirit I saw before and shivered. What if we will have to oppose it?
"Don't worry. Spirits won't risking attacking a group of an Alicorn and two members of Children of The Night Clan." Calmed me Ziggy.
"Hope so. And what is this Children of The Night Clan? It's the second time I hear about it." I asked Ziggy.
"When spirit and God of Chaos, Discord was defeated, Equestria was a mess. Civil wars hurt the citizens, especially children. Luna couldn't bare with it. She looks strong and arrogant, but on the inside she is lost, trying to help everybody pony. She made mistakes. She corrected them. But you lost my point. Luna "collected" all the children with no parents and got them a new home and with it, hope. She grew them up and looked after them, training different styles of battle, magic and flight. Her own personal little army that she didn't expect to have. But after Nightmare Moon took over her, she lost connection with this army, living it to the wind. Nightmare Moon is a different story that I will tell you later. But this incident sent Luna on the moon for over a thousand years. In this period of time, the clan grew and got stronger. Now these are the highly trained warriors and assassins with an ability to use powers of all three pony types. They can fly, use magic and they are very physically developed." After a small pause Ziggy added "They also have an incredible lifespan. In fact they can live as long as Luna does, but they can be killed. Midnight Blossom and Cloud Skipper are brother and sister. They were the first of the Children of the Night. In fact they are also the best."
"If Luna sends her best warriors than the matter is really serious." I replied, but Ziggy didn't reply.
We walked from the castle slowly, but when we exited the exposed area we took off running. Midnight ran in front whilst me and Skipper covered the back. A sun started to rise, but we continued running. The rhythmic armor sound brought some noise into our movement. While we were running, I examined Midnight's and Skipper's weapons. Midnight had bracelets on her front hooves and some dark matter was attached to it. Half visible, like a rope it rose from hooves to her spine where two sword sheaths held. The swords seemed to be short but thick. Skipper, in the other hoof, had something compact like a rifle, but I wasn't sure.
"Skipper... What is that weapon of yours?" I asked him, without breaking the pace.
"It's a scythe. Highly mobile scythe." He replied with a smile.
We ran over the fields, but luckily for us, everypony seemed asleep. The heavy clouds hang over us and small snowflakes fell in a heavy waves of wind. The armor guaranteed a nice weather protection, so I felt alright.
Slowly, huge but barely visible sun disc did made its way through the sky. More and more trees started appearing in our way. Finally, the forest started becoming more and more dense. I started remembering places where I was living some time ago. Interesting, what happened to my hut?
"I have a hut few miles from here. If you want we can stay there." I told to the Skipper. He nodded.
"Lead the way." Said Midnight, slowing a little and letting me pass.
I led them to the place where my hut was. But something didn't feel right.
"Slow down. Something doesn't feel right." I told them. But no reply follower. I turned around, but I saw no one. Calling for them would be a bad idea.
"Ziggy, is there a spell for an infrared vision?" I asked.
"One second." He replied and a small flash in my eyes let me know that the spell is in my memory now.
"Thanks." I replied to myself. I found the vision spell and when I used it, everything lost its muddy black and brown colors, switched by the black, grey and white. I looked around again and saw some white movement to my right. I turned that way in my speed and saw a bird. At least the vision is working. I need a higher ground. I flew up and looked on the forest around me. It spread wide, but there was almost no heat in it. I looked closer and saw a white foggy cloud. Heat waves! I flew closer and saw two ponies surrounded by the large number of enemies. Without hesitation, I leaped, switching to my usual sight. I dropped onto the ground creating a shockwave.
I looked around. Midnight and Skipper stood behind me, with weapons ready. Midnight held her swords with magic, whilst Skipper held his scythe between the shoulder and the hoof. There were about dozen of buggers around us, hissing and their saliva dropping onto the ground. Suddenly, they started morphing into different ponies. Peter, Twilight, Trixie and some other ponies I didn't know, but they seemed familiar.
"Buggers..." I murmured.
"Harry." Midnight said and I turned around. On my eyes she made short cuts on her hoof, as Skipper did the same.
"What are you doing?!" I asked, shocked.
"This way you will know whom not to kill. They morph almost into anyone, unless it's a more powerful creature than their queen. Just don't kill us while the fight." Said Midnight and disappeared in the wave of buggers. Skipper just nodded and was gone in speed. My enemies were slowly coming towards me, saliva dripping down their wide open mouths.
"Wanna piece of me, huh? Come and get it then!!" I screamed, taking my sword and shield out.
"Hiiiiiiaaaaassseahhhaaa.!!!" They loudly screamed, jumping on me.
The Last Dawn glimpsed slightly, before changing whole red. I hit dash and pierce through buggers. Their screams of pain filled the quiet of the forest. Slash hit dive, jump slash dash. The monatomic ancient dance of war continued. Green blood painted the ground, as the bugger's bodies fell. The Last Dawn was just burning through the enemy, not giving them any chance. Switching into my speed mode I looked how was Midnight doing. Gracefully, she danced, her swords swirling at insane speed around her without letting buggers get close enough to do at least something. When one of them jumped on her, Midnight simply disappeared in the shadow, reappearing behind the crowd and starting again.
Skipper in the other hand used more rough fighting style. He seemed to be heavily outnumbered, but this changed quickly. He threw himself in battle, throwing all of his enemies in air and before they could react, he used his speed to cut them to pieces while the buggers were still in the air. When he landed, just small bloody pieces fell around him. But Skipper's face remained calm.
Midnight executed her last enemy and came to us, spinning her blades clean of blood. Unlike other double swords these had severe differences. One of them was silver colored, long and thin, while the other one was short, it had sharp sides, but instead of the point it ended flat. When i looked a bit closer, I saw a hole in the short sword's ending. So it also was a ranged weapon, huh? With a smile, Midnight folded her longer sword in half and put it back together with the second one into the sheaths.
"Nice warm up." She dropped, but Skipper didn't share her enthusiasm.
"It was a set up. They already know we are here. There are two possibilities what will happen now. They will change their camp setup, or..."
Without finishing his sentence, he pushed Midnight away.
"Argh..." He choked as a small dagger pierced his chest.
"NO!!" Midnight screamed throwing herself on him, but I entered my speed mode to understand the situation.
Skipper's voice called me off.
"Harry..." I came towards him. He was shaking. The small green dagger was poisoned and the little rays of green poison spread from the wound.
I sat down he was lying now. I took his hoof, feeling the life fading away from him. "Take my... scythe. Only the one... with my blood... will... open.… it... And look... after... Midnig…" passed away. A heavy feeling fell over me. I didn't know him much, but...
"Harry, later! Take care of Midnight!" Ziggy screamed. I felt he was crying.
I saw two more daggers frozen in mid air. Chrysalis stood a bit further away. I closed Skippers hard open eyes and, with a tear running down my eye, stood up. Slowly, I walked to Chrysalis, breaking flying daggers on my way to her with my claws. When I was right front of her, i exited the speed mode, slashing my claws deep into her chest. She didn't even blink.
"See you later, brother." And with the smirk, she disappeared.
I screamed in agony, while Midnight fell beside her brother, crying and choking over his lifeless body.
"Stand up! Skipper, do you hear me?! Stand up, you idiot! Don't go, brother! Don't!!" She fell over him, shaking and tears flowing from her eyes.
Then they came...
Buggers... Thousands of them flew above us, ready to attack. I wanted to fight them. I was ready to fight them! I wanted to fight them!
"Harry, retreat!" Ziggy screamed, pulling me away from the buggers.
"I don't want to retreat! They killed Skipper! I won't retreat!" I screamed, trying to shut him off.
"Harry, retreat! You want blood and revenge. And that is what differs a warrior from a monster! You will be able to fight them, but what about Midnight? Now take Skipper's scythe with Midnight and get the hell out of here!!" And with this he shut himself off.
With a groan of frustration and pain I turned away, switching into my speed mode and taking crying Midnight and Skipper's I ran, balancing on my speeds, as tears ran down my cheeks.
"Let me go! I want to stay! Let me go you fool!!" Screamed Midnight as we ran, changelings staying far behind.
I didn't reply. Just ran on and on.
It was under the mountain when we we're enclosing Canterlot. Heavily breathing, I let Midnight go.
The moment she touched the ground, she kicked me in a chin with her back hoof. Disorientated, almost fell, but I just dodged her next attacks.
"Idiot! Fool! Bastard!!" She screamed and swore at me, without stopping her impulse and tears running down her eyes.
I just dodger her attacks and, when the moment was right, I gave her a light push. Helpless she fell on ground.
"So you want to play it like this, do you?!" With a flip, she jumped on her legs, taking the swords out. "Do you?!!" And she threw a set of attacks on me. Her anger made her weak. I didn't even attack her. I knew what it was like to lose a close person. She needed time.
"ENOUGH!!!" Screamed third voice, sending a blast of energy at Midnight.
Intuitively, I opened my shield and protected her.
Slowly, Luna came down from the sky. There was fury in her eyes. And apart from fury... There was sadness.
"I CLEARLY TOLD YOU TO NOT INTERFERE!!!" She screamed at us.
"We were ambushed." I said shortly.
"You, Harry, will have a lot of explanation to do to Celestia." She said shortly.
"Celestia?"
"You will have to explain her why she won't see her son again." She told me. Then she turned to Midnight Blossom that shrank in size and hid her eyes from the princess. "You..." And on that note they disappeared.
I sighed. A tear ran down my eye.
"I'm sorry, my princess. But your son didn't make it." I slowly turned around and saw what I was expecting to see. Celestia, the Sun Goddess, had tears pouring down her eyes.
"I couldn't do anything. And that was my fault. The dagger hit him right in a chest. It was poisoned." I said and felt tears ran down my eyes.
Celestia didn't reply. Just turned away and flew away.
Heavy hearted I returned into the castle. I felt empty. I let down every one who counted on me.
"Harry..." Sunset stood behind me. "What happened?"
I tried to think of an answer, but instead I broke down. I didn't cry. I just told her everything.
Heavy snowflakes fell on ground, brightened by the moon's gaze. There was no wind, just silent cries. We stood in front of the dark emerald coffin. It didn't lie on ground. It levitated slightly over the ground, standing. Celestia stood to my left, her eyes wide open, empty on the inside. Tears ran down her cheeks, but she didn't try to stop them. She wasn't present here, at least not her soul. Usually tall, full of pride and glory princess seemed shrunk and destroyed. The colors of her mane now faded and stopped their flow.
Midnight Blossom stood to my right. She didn't talk to me. Instead she just sobbed, smiled glazing at the stars, but when her look returned to the coffin, the smile faded bringing a new wave of tears and sobs.
There were some other ponies which I didn't recognize, but I didn't care about them. My heart and soul bled. Ziggy didn't reply. I felt his pain. It was my pain also...
"…savior... friend… son… father. Good bye, my friend. I will guard your dreams." Luna finished her distant speech. She didn't cry. Not on the outside at least.
Her horn gleamed slightly and a second after, the coffin changed its color to piercing white glow. Slowly, the coffin started to rotate, gradually increasing its speed. Midnight cried out, falling on her hooves is agony. The coffin span faster and faster, until at some moment, it flew straight into the night sky. It flew up and up, taking its place in between the stars.
"Goodbye, Agenali. May the stars be kind to you." Ziggy spoke quietly, his voice shaking.
A tear ran down my eye, when I saw the coffin burst into thousands of little sparkles… the most beautiful fireworks any world has ever seen.
Slowly Celestia rose the sun. She didn't make a single move.
"Can I?" Asked Ziggy...
"Yes you do." I replied, giving him control.
I felt magic pulsate through me. More and more, energy concentrated in me, mixed with pain. When I could hold no longer, he let it go. A huge ray of energy beamed from my horn, as I let my tears roll down the cheeks.
Celestia looked at me and did the same. Then Luna… Then Midnight… Then everypony let their magic flow into the twilight sky. With the energy, pain and agony faded, leaving only memories of my friend… Cloud Skipper. Or what his soul's name was, Agenali.
Celestia's beam was the brightest. She let her emotions flow into it, as it flew high into the space. Midnight had no horn, but magic erupted from her eyes, evaporating all the tears.
When I felt empty of negative emotions, I stopped. Almost everypony was already finished and were leaving. Midnight, Luna and Celestia were still letting their feelings out. The air vibrated, filling with heat not just the air, but also our hearts.
The moon goddess finished. Then Midnight let her beam fade. But Celestia stood and stood. Tears ran down her face, but she didn't stop. Finally, she collapsed, tearing the beam apart.
"Goodbye, my boy." She murmured, and passed out, with a smile on her face and tear rolling down her cheek.
I waited impatiently outside of the office room. It's been several hours since we led Cloud Skipper into his last journey. I felt exhausted and I went straight into the garden where I could have a rest. Also apart from the old gardener no one seemed to be there, so I could have some peace at last.
I set under the tree and let my mind flow. Sun's last light was giving away its last autumn warm, but it shone brightly. I didn't feel cold. I didn't care about it. I just fell asleep under the lone tree.
A warm stinky smell woke me up. I opened my eyes, but I wish I hadn't. Two burning hot red eyes were staring at me. When all the dream was gone I looked at the creature in front of me. It was horse's skeleton with tight skin around it. A horror paralyzed me. I couldn't move. The cold spread from my chest, slowly reaching towards the head.
"Harry! Don't move. Remain calm." Ziggy told me.
"If I won't do anything, that heck is going to turn me into its ice cream!" I replied. The cold took over my neck. I was freezing! I tried to use my laser eyes, but I needed some warmth for that.
"Ugh…" I breathed out last remains of warm that I had remained.
"Suns…" I tried to talk, but the monster seemed to have been blocking the signal.
It frowned and hissed, getting closer.
"Yeeeaaahhhh!" Some pony screamed, jumping onto the monster and pushing it away. My savior had bright red hair and brownish body. She looked very similar to the…
"C'mon ya lazy bones! Stand up!" She screamed with a slight Mexican accent. I didn't believe what I saw, but she had Skipper's scythe in her hooves!
"Where did you…?" I was about to ask her, but she pulled me from a freezing cold beam shot by the monster.
"It found me! Later!" She frowned, blocking the sharp pieces of ice with a scythe. She looked like she had it all her life!
Slowly, I felt cold leave me. I breathed in deeply and exhaled. Now I was ready!
The pony was fighting well against the spirit, however the spirit had an advantage in the ranged attacks. Or I thought so. When monster jumped away from the relentless pulse of attacks, instead of chasing after it, she transformed her scythe into the carrying form. Or almost carrying form. When I looked closer, it was a rifle. The line of bullets chose after the monster. He didn't expect that and started fleeing.
"Let him go." Ziggy said. "It's just a spirit. You won't kill it. It doesn't even bleed."
"I thought it was fleeing because it was afraid of death…" I replied.
The fighting pony put her scythe behind her back and smiling came to me.
"Well that was fun! I wish they didn't flee as fast!" She grinned and a part of her positive pushed onto me.
"It was you who was fighting, so yeah. Thanks. You really saved my life!" I said, smilingly.
"It was the right thing to do. It was you who saved me after all. My name is Rose Wind, by the way." She gave me a hoof and I gladly shoke it. It was rather warm despite the weather was getting colder and colder.
Rose Wind deserved her name for the red and black hair. She had long tail, but not to long to get under her hooves. She had brownish body color. She was pegasi. The wings of hers were brownish with red feathers. Energy radiated from her.
"My name is Harry. I'm sort of new over here." I replied shaking the hoof one more time before letting it go.
Slowly, we went inside. On the way there Rose Wind told me her story.
"When I was small, I lived with my mother in a small house in the mountains. Life was not easy, but I guess it could have been much harder. My father came to us sometimes, but not very often. My mother loved him and he loved her. She told me he was a warrior and I believed her. My dad has shown me his scythe and even taught me the basics! But then they came… in time of one happy family dinners, we were attacked. My father gave us time to go, fighting the monster. I remember crying as my father just stood there... Well, we ran a lot to the safe house, where we agreed to meet with my father. He never came. Instead, that monster crouched to us. My mother made me go. She sent a letter by magic to someone and after, she opposed the monster, giving me time for escape. I was horrified. I knew I will never see her again. "Fly like a wind." She told me. And I did! For my age I was very fast! So I flew, leaving her to fight. When I finally ran out of energy, I fell on ground and cried. The monster chose after me. I could feel it. I stood in front of it, huge terrifying monster. But before it laid a scratch on me, a princess appeared and saved me. It was Luna. She turned the monster fleeing and took me into the clan of hers. There were similar weapons to this scythe and there I learned to fight and be the warrior I am today. When I thought in ready, I left the clan and went to take my revenge on the monster. You saw the result." She sighed taking a deep breath. "I'm not even sure if I will ever be able to defeat it. It's just to powerful!" I saw tears appear on her eyes.
"Seek for revenge, huh? If you will stop calling it revenge, I might help you with that quest of yours." I smiled to her.
"Guess you got a deal there!" She replied, her face brighten and a weird fire appearing in her eyes.
Warm air hit us as we walked into the castle. To my surprise, Sunset was waiting for me.
"Harry! The pony you saved is mis… ah, never mind. Guess you found her." She skeptically smiled and in mind added "If you will try to cheat on me, I will rip your balls off and no regeneration will help you." On the outside she just made a cute smile that only she could make.
"Wouldn't even think of it! I'd hate to make you feel even a little down! Also cheating on you… I would never forgive myself such a deed."
Sunset blushed a little and turned away.
"Follow me. We have a lot to discuss." And with these words we went into some office.
Rose Wind threw questioning looks on me and Sunset, then shrugged her shoulders slightly and followed us.
"Thanks to your operation on which Luna sent you, we were able to get the possible position of their battle camp." Spoke Sunset, telepathically putting and opening a big map on the working desk.
"But we didn't find it! We were ambushed." I replied, earning a serious look from Shimmer.
"That is the reason why the Skipper is … was the best at his specialty. When you forgot to accomplish your mission, he used a tracking spell from a bugger to the Quinn and we found the camp." She spoke with a voice of a general. Well… I always was a soldier, after all. "No offense." She added mentally.
"None taken." I shrugged. All the offense I could possibly have faded away in seconds when I looked into her eyes.
"And… what do you want from us?" Rose Wind asked.
"We need to organize some sort of protection to the closest to the camp areas. This also includes Poniville." Explained love of my heart, giving me a nod.
Poniville… Peter and his family lives there! I can't let anything happen to that place!
"But it didn't seem like we could hold defenses in Canterlot! How can we guarantee safety in all of these areas?" I asked.
"We are working on it. But we will need a small operative group, powerful enough to fight off a village." She gave me an affirmative look.
"So let me guess… I am the team leader." I said, smiling.
"Nice try, honey. But you are not the team leader..." She laughed as my smile faded away. "Oh... Don't be so grim! I might give you a chance to be the leader from time to time." Sunset smiled to me with a smile only she could make.
"Guys… look. I feel that you two are a sweet pair, but let's get to the business. I can foresee your question of me joining this group of yours. Am I right?" Rose Wind took initiative and gave us a serious look.
I shrugged, knowing that she was right. Sunset replied for me.
"Yes you are. But if it is your will to leave we won't hold you. It's your choice to help us save the Equestria, or not." Shimmer's voice was slow, quiet but firm. Firm enough to make me shiver.
Rose Wind didn't reply. She just smiled.
"Harry. Don't fall asleep in the gardens anymore. It's dangerous for your health. Good luck with that Equestria business of your's. I don't want to be a part of it. Risking my life for a dictatorship… sorry, no way." She saluted and was on her way to exit the door, but froze. Shiver ran through her. She stood about to exit for about half a minute. She breathed heavily. I could tell that something wasn't right. Suddenly, she spoke, broken and almost crying.
"Okay, mother. I will." Red Wind slowly turned around. I saw something in her eyes… something strange. Her irises changed their shape into starlike and her eyes seemed to gleam. She blinked at it was gone. "Looks like I have no choice, but to join you. But I would like to make a condition."
Me and Sunset were surprised with the change, but we both nodded at the same time.
"I want to see my father, Cloud Skipper."
Chapter 19 - Team Starburn
"I want to see my father!" Rose Wind cried, holding back the tears.
I sighed. It was my fault Cloud Skipper wasn't here.
"I'm not sure wether it is possible, Rose. Your father isn't here." I said, feeling a needle in my heart.
Rose shrugged, taking a harsh breath.
"Where is my father?" Her voice was demanding, but with it, it was weak. The energetic pony warrior changed into the little filly looking for her father...
"Rose. I'm sorry, but your father isn't here. And he won't be coming back soon. He will not coming back." I spoke openly. I didn't want to hurt her, but there was no other way.
"No… no, no No!" She screamed, tears rolling down her eyes. She fell on her knees, crying in agony.
I also felt like crying. But I remembered him as a friend. Not as a family…
I looked at Sunset, but her face was unreadable and I didn't risk to communicate with her. I heard a crack.
I looked back at Rose Wind. The air around her stopped moving. It was still. She was low on the floor, her eyes wide open, gleaming with burning white light. The floor under her gave in.
Crack after crack… the floor was breaking.
Rose Wind screamed, opening her scythe. She looked upwards to the ceiling, making a hole in it. Second after, she fell low on floor, her eyes wide open, burning with piercing white light. The floor under her gave in, cracking to pieces.
"NOOO!!" She screamed over and over again.
I wanted to speak to her, but Ziggy interrupted me.
"Let her. Shield Sunset, so she didn't get injured." He was calm, but there was sadness in his voice.
I used the same spell to shield Sunset like I did with the pony in the forest. At first Sunset tried to say something, but I put hoof to her lips, in the same time creating a sphere around her.
An explosion happened behind me. I looked back and froze. Rose Wind was levitating, her scythe was in fighting stance. Her wings increased in size. The books in the shelves in the office started falling on the floor wide open.
I felt a magnetic resonance increase, dragging me towards the Rose.
"I have to get her out of hear." I said to Ziggy.
Using my speed, I took Rose into my hooves. She was burning hot. I had to hurry. Something hit me in the back, burning awfully.
"LET ME GO!!" A horrifying scream of hers reached my ears.
Not now, girl. Not now. I ran, pain aching at my back and Rose bucking in my hooves. The castle was left behind and so was the city. When I felt it was far enough, I let Rose go. I barely held on hooves. My spine felt like it was falling apart.
Suddenly, I felt something. Something dragged through my back. I couldn't hear my screams as the horrific pain tore me apart.
Suddenly, it all ended, leaving just an annoying ache.
"Hnnngg…" I forced. Red paint that filled my eyes was slowly fading away, letting me see more clearly. Rose Wind stood in front of me. She held her scythe by her. It was covered in blood. My spine gave an ache.
Slowly Rose wind walked to me. I harshly breathed. The eyes of hers, gleaming with the light, didn't predict any good.
Something moved behind her. Something big. I tried to stand up, but a harsh kick in the head completely disorientated me.
"Stay down!" She screamed, pain filled her voice as she rose her scythe.
"Harry, let me." Ziggy spoke calmly.
"Go ahead." I replied, my mental voice still hazy.
Suddenly, I rolled, avoiding the scythe inches away.
"I said… STAY DOWN!!" She screamed, throwing herself on me. Ziggy just grinned. But instead of fighting her, he dashed first few attacks and pushed her away. The sharp claw almost fell on me, or Ziggy, but we are one. Using speed, I jumped away. Not slowing down I took a look at situation. The huge paw laid in front of me, huge claws sticking out of its ends. Rose Wind was falling few feet away from me, but Ziggy ignored her.
He focused on the monster. It look like a huge fox. But it had many tails. I counted seven. The fox was deep brown colored and could be quite cute if it hadn't the long sharp fangs. Monster was about five times higher than me...
"Can I?" I asked, but Ziggy replied
"Only if you want to get us killed. Leave it to me." He spoke.
I didn't worry. He was me. I trusted him. I was spectating. But if something happened to him, it happened to me.
Ziggy casted some spell, but I didn't understand it. After that, he exited the speed mode, facing the monster.
Rose Wind fell on the side, but it took a second for her to stand up. She look confused. The light that her eyes were glowing with was gone, leaving her without any energy.
The monster's eyes were scanning the situation. Or, just an eye. The second one had been split apart with a long scar. But his normal eye looked around… slowly, without missing any detail.
It opened its mouth and a deep bass came from the very chest of its.
"Accipiter…" he spoke to me.
"Dork... How is the eye of your's?" Ziggy spoke with a grin.
"Stay out, Accipiter. It's all about me and that girl." The Dork's voice was loud and angry.
"Really? You are chasing after her for all her life. And for what?" Ziggy took his time. I knew there was something behind this conversation.
"You have just seen it. The power of her's is incredible! But she doesn't know how to use it..." Dork spoke viciously.
"And for that power you took away her mother's life? You are chasing after her to get her power. To consume it... Last time I met you, you had just a drop of honor left in you, Dork." A whistle could be heard from my back. Ziggy smiled.
"It is said by the one who destroyed his sister, betrayed his loving family for power and now preaches about honor?" Dork smiled, his tongue running over the lips.
Whilst we spoke, we shifted in a circular motion in such a way that Rose Wind appeared behind me.
Rose Wind moaned. She was on the ground, grasping for air.
Ziggy grinned. A needle touched my heart. There was something…
A sound of piercing air appeared from my back. Dork shifted his gaze on behind me.
"You don't understand me Dork." Ziggy spoke with a wide smile. My armor, pice by pice flew onto me, taking its place straight away. "I betrayed my family's love…" the leg took their place, clinging "for the power" a chest piece of the armor took its place, joining with the spine defense, "so I could protect them." Ziggy took the shield, opening it. I mentioned a smirk, mixed with fear, in Dork's eyes. "I never destroyed my sister..." A helmet slight on my head "…she made her choice." The Last Dawn fell in front of me, glowing with soft red light. "Now I will ask you, Dork. What is your choice... You leave this girl and never attack anyone again, you join us…" Ziggy smirked, seeing how Dork made a step back "Or you die." Ziggy finished his speech, opening wings and shielding Rose Wind, which started opening her eyes slightly.
Dork hissed, backing of slightly, his tails swinging violently. The loud growl started from inside his chest.
Ziggy tensed.
The ground gave in between where we were standing. With a roar, Indignos jumped on me, attacking with its tails. Ziggy didn't make a move. When the enemy was just few centimeters away, Ziggy switched into speed mode.
"Ziggy, now it's my turn." I tried to speak with him, but instead he shut me off with the words,
"I fought with him before. You are not experienced enough."
All I could do was to watch.
Ziggy didn't fight straight away. He didn't even touch Ferino. He waited until the monster was close enough. Using his speed, Ziggy jumped, cutting the second Ferino's eye in half, the next moment jumping away. The scream reached my ears, as the Ferino's eye bled on ground.
"You… you blinded me!!" He screamed and cried.
"You didn't reply. What is your choice? Leave?" Dash the claw "Join?" A tail almost hit me "Or die?" Ziggy spoke calmly, dodging all the attacks that the enemy has thrown into us.
Ferino breathed heavily, blood dripping through his closed eye. Suddenly, he stopped.
"What warrior am I? I was him before. The best one. The power corrupted me." What it seemed a monster sit and put his huge paw to the place where his eye was before. "I chose down and killed in seek of power. Now, when I'm blind I can see." I saw how his fur slightly changed color to the brighter one. When I looked close enough, I saw that the spikes closing in his fur. This type of spike almost killed Rose Wind! "Accipiter. You still here?"
"Yes, Ferino." Ziggy's voice was calm, but understanding.
"I will be no use to you in the team of your's. I'm blind. Leaving after a defeat… no way. Not anymore." Ferino spoke calmly, with full understanding of his words.
"You choose death?" Ziggy asked, but there was no surprise in his voice.
"I choose warrior's death." Ferino spoke.
A movement behind alerted me.
"You don't deserve one! You chose and killed my mother! You took everything away from me!" Rose Wind was shaking on her legs. And so did her voice.
Ferino sighed.
"You are right girl."
"Ferino. You will suffer! Death is just an easy way out! And I am not going to give it to you." Rose Wind spoke and I could hear tears in her voice. "You are joining the team. No matter how much use you are. You will have to hear me everyday, reminding about what you've done."
"Fair enough. But aren't you going to regret your decision, girl?" Ferino spoke directly to Rose.
"I will cope with it." She replied, turning around. "See you in the castle." And with these words she tried to fly away, but almost fell.
One of Ferino's tails caught her just in time as she grasped.
"I guess you need help." He spoke softly, as Rose hit him and jumped off on ground.
"Shut up! I don't need no your help!" She replied before running off back to the castle.
I sighed, feeling that it will be difficult for both of them.
Ferino was the walking slowly behind me. Each step of his was like an earthquake.
"Ferino… try to be nice to everypony around you." I spoke to him, but all I got in reply was a grin.
"Accipiter… I was a warrior once. A great warrior. Almost like you were." He laughed a little. "But times changed. I wanted power. I needed it. More power means more tails, but that is just a funny addition. I am like a sponge. I can take in powers of anyone, becoming stronger each time I do so. I was eager for more... I was blind... When I became too dangerous, you took my eye and sent me out into isolation. I wanted revenge." He sighed, as heavy drop of blood fell from his wound. "I feel powers... And Rose had most I felt in centuries! I needed that power! But now… I lost so much by chasing after my own tails." He smirked and continued his story "I chose after her year after year. The stronger she became the more I needed her power, ignoring the things I already have… hope I will be some use for you."
The rest of the way we walked in silence. I really liked Ferino. He seemed to be a nice guy.
But he was fox, and I had no right to believe it.
Slowly, we were coming to the city.
"Stop here. I don't want to cause panic..." Said Ferino.
I had a feeling Ziggy wanted to take over and I let him.
In several seconds, using my body he built a barn.
"Home sweet home..." Murmured Ferino, taking a step in and almost hitting his head on the doorway.
But Ziggy didn't finish on this... He put a spell on the barn, to make it invisible for most of the ponies. After that, using the speed, Ziggy made several tools in the air.
Using magic, he worked, creating two identical spheres. They had difficult mechanism inside.
"Come here, Feri." He spoke softly.
"Don't call me that. I mean it!" Ferino seemed to be annoyed, but he smiled with Ziggy.
"It will hurt." Said Ziggy, but that didn't seem to have any affect on Ferino.
"Pain… is a friend." He spoke slowly.
"As you said." Agreed Ziggy, using his magic to open the Fox's eye sacks. "Hold on." And with these words he cleaned all the bits of dirt and eye yolk.
"Aaarrgghh!" Screamed Ferino, but held tight.
Ziggy, ignoring the tensions Ferino made, started to put the spheres in. Using magic he softened their entrance into eye sockets, but that didn't really help.
Ferino screamed and twitched, but held his head still.
Finally the spheres where in their places. But it was not the end yet.
"Hold on." Ziggy spoke, but that barely had any effect on the monster.
Using light energy, Ziggy started to send rays of light into the artificial eyes, trying to get the Ferino's brain to react. Slowly, the soft red light appeared in the deep of both eyes. Ferino seemed to pass out little while ago, but now he was standing
Chapter 20 - Deep Dive Into Memories
Midnight surprisingly looked at Rose Wind, which was crying now.
Midnight surprisingly looked at Rose Wind, which was crying now.
"Mom! You're alive! Mommy, you live! Don't you remember me?" Rose Wind whimpered, coming towards Midnight which backed away slowly.
"What? I am no mom of your's!" Midnight didn't try to be soft or polite.
The fires of hope in Rose's eyes started fading away with the the smile happy smile of her's.
"But, mom! Don't you remember me? My name is Rose Wind... Mommy... Midnight Blossom!" She shouted through tears, stopping in place.
Midnight Blossom shivered when Rose told her name.
"How do you know…" she tried to say, but I didn't hear the rest.
A low Ziggy's voice murmured
"Midnight is the mother. But she doesn't remember Rose."
"Can we do something?" I asked, my heart aching looking how the mother didn't recognize her crying daughter.
"It's risky. Risky in a sense you will lose trust of some of the team members." Ziggy spoke quietly after a short pause.
"If that is what it takes..." I replied, mentioning how the last hope faded away from Rose's eyes, changed by the small fury fires.
Ziggy sighed, taking the control over my body. Entering my speed mode, I neared Midnight. My hoof touched her head, as the hurricane of memories, feelings and emotions flowed over me.
I opened my eyes and saw the two fillies fighting over the toy. The surroundings were not clear, but the two ponies were crystal clear. White Pegasus held the toy, without giving it to the weird black creature which I understood was Midnight. But she was different. She was small pony with some weird spots all over her. She had blank irises and limp ears.
"Give it to me!" High pitched voice of Midnight's echoed through my brain.
"No! It's my toy! You're gonna break it!" Replied small Cloud Skipper. "You always break everything!" He screamed pushing weak Midnight away.
Struggling, Midnight screamed of pain, but after, in tears turned around and seemed to leave.
Cloud Skipper seemed to understand what he had done. He put a hoof on Midnight's shoulder and slowly pushed the toy towards the crying girl.
"Sorry... I didn't mean too. Here, you can have it." He spoke, as the light started shining through Midnight's eyes.
"Leave it to me." Now, the next memory fades into my head. Midnight and Skipper stood in the small yard. There were many shadows around, but there were clear figures of bulky big ponies, laughing at the weak, now a little older Midnight. She was about to break in tears. The spots on her body now grew into big burns and her legs didn't seem to hold her at all.
Cloud Skipper, quite big for his age slowly walked past Midnight, standing in front of her and opening his wings in the protection state from the bully ponies which were laughing even harder now. Their words were muffled, so I couldn't hear what they said.
"Three..." Spoke Skipper calmly.
"Two..." The bullies didn't make a move.
"One..." Skipper spoke without a smile, but small grin appeared on his face.
"I warned you." And with this, small hurricane appeared in Skipper's eyes, as his body started to vibrate with a horrific speed.
"Skip, don't…" tried to say Midnight, but it was to late.
Skipper with a flash of light has beaten the horrified bullies to a plump. When the last one fell heavily breathing, Cloud turned around with a smile to Midnight.
"They will be fine, maybe." And with it, the memory shifted into the other one.
This time I found myself in a hospital part of some weird place.
"Sister castle. The one Celestia and Luna used to live in." Explained Ziggy.
I looked around. Midnight was lying on a floor, her nose, eyes and ears bleeding. The doctors didn't seem to be able to do anything, as she coughed more of the blood on the floor.
"Midnight!" I rushed to help her, but my hooves just sank through her body.
"It's just a memory, Harry. You can't do anything but watch." Ziggy told me with a light pain in his voice.
"It hurts. To see and feel, but being unable to do anything. It's… empty." I spoke, feeling emotions breaking through.
"You chose to come here. Now bear with it." Ziggy told me off before shutting himself off.
"Midnight!!" Another voice broke into the room. A loud bangs at the door almost broke it, but it seemed to hold.
"Skipper… help..." Midnight tried to speak, but just more blood escaped her mouth. "hel…p.."
"Midnight!!" Skipper screamed again, but the door held.
Doctors weren't panicking. They just stood their faces low in shadows.
A blue gleam appeared in the middle of the room, widening into the crack.
A tall princess walked through it. Luna stood over Midnight with a worried smirk.
"Will you join my army?" She spoke straight to the dying pony.
Midnight, with horror in her eyes nodded violently.
Luna smiled widely. A low gleam from her horn forming into the dark matter.
"It will hurt." She spoke, levitating the increasing amount of the matter and slowly moving it towards Midnight. "Don't hold the scream. It won't help." And with a smirk she pushed the matter into the Midnight as she twitched and screamed, the matter taking over her.
"Aaaaaaa!!!! AAAAA!!!" Her screams filled the room, as the door finally blew to pieces and Skipper hurricaned in.
"Midnight!!" He tried to rush to her, but the doctors held him.
The dark matter completely took over Midnight, covering her whole body, including the eyes. It cocooned over her, as she couldn't even breathe.
I simply stood there, horrified by the formed picture.
Suddenly, the silence took over the room.
Doctors let Skipper free as he dashed in a flash to the black cocoon.
"Midnight… no... I'm sorry... I'm so sorry!" He choked as tears ran down his face.
He touched Midnight's head. I saw how the matter started to move onto him, but using his vibration speed, he shook it off.
Suddenly, the dark matter repelled, pushing Skipper away with a powerful shockwave. And then the other one. And other one. The energy emitted from the cocoon, sending powerful shockwaves through the room. Skipper hit the wall and fell unconscious. The other doctors burst into atoms. Luna just stood there with a wicked smile on her face.
"Stronger than I expected." She smirked.
Midnight's body slowly levitated over the ground, dark matter letting go off some parts of her body and shifting towards her spine. A powerful scream almost exploded my eardrums, but I didn't rip my eyes off the scene.
The dark matter morphed into the wing form on the Midnight's back, leaving the gray fur after it. When all the matter was on the back, the Midnight's head slowly showed. She had her eyes wide open, clearly showing the starlike irises. The mouth of her's had a little fangs sticking out.
Finally, it all ended. The shockwaves started going backwards, hitting into the Midnight, as she just laid there.
Silence followed. I thought something was wrong, but then I remembered that I was in Midnight's memories, so she was alright.
"Aaahh…" Suddenly, the pony sucked the air in desperately.
Luna smiled. Slowly turning around she dropped "Welcome to the Children Of The Night, Midnight Blossom." and exited the room through the wide blast door, replacing it with her magic behing her.
The memory flow slowly shifted into the long line of battles and trainings, interupted just by the Midnight's growing feelings towards Cloud Skipper. The personal life didn't really exist for Midnight. She was in battles all the time.
"These swords are hard to master, but if… when you do, you will be unstopable. Watch after them and never back down in the fight." The tall old pony handed Midnight the weapon of her's. Cloud Skipper stood with his scythe to her left, his face cold like stone. "Our goal is to keep Equestria safe and balanced. Its our duty."
The memory faded in the long line of memories. Midnight and Skipper left the clan. Midnight was pregnant and she could fight no more. Cloud Skipper made a deal with other clan masters that he will be able to visit them twelve full days and nights a year. And only if they were in danger he will be able to leave.
Monster chasing after Midnight in dark mountain. The newborn girl with black and red hair was lying on her back.
"We are almost there!" She screamed, jumping into the shadow.
But the monster was too quick. It shifted its massive figure in front of Midnight, blocking her the way to safety.
"What do you want?!" Midnight screamed, taking the swords from under the place filly was liyng on. The purple light echoed through the night's darkness.
"Power. Your child's power…" Ferino's voice echoed in the dark. One orange eye looked over Midninght.
"Suck on it!" Midnight replied, energy pulsating around her. Rose Wind started crying, but Midnight put her on a soft grass behind her. She was ready to stand up to anything to protect the child of hers. Even if it meant dying. "Fly like a wind… your mother got this." And with it Midnight pushed crying Rose away, making sure she followed her comand. "Now it's your turn, dog." She murmured, turning around to her foe.
Ferino's long tongue licked his lips, as saliva dropped of his long teeth. A long low growl escaped from under his chest as he jumped on Midnight.
"Stupid girl…" he murmured, before jumping onto Midnight, which had already dissapeared in shadow, reappearing under the monster's belly, driving her swirds deep into it.
Ferino's tales hit her in the back, pushing away from the under him. He tried to drive his enormous paw into Midnight's figure, but instead she dodget it, dashing towards his head, leaving a long deep cut on Ferino's leg.
He screamed and backed away, just to use a second for healing his wounds up. Midnight let him do that. I saw that she was gaining time. She had no chance against one eyed beast, but the time was all she needed.
"Not so scary, are you?" Midnight tried to break beast's concentration and use it as a weakness, but he ignored it.
A different light in his eye drew my attention. He was concentrating power!
Midnight didnt seem to mention it. Instead, she tried to land a series of attacks on Ferino, which he simply backed away from.
"Midnight, STOOOP!!!" I shouted, seeing the smirk on the monsters face.
But she couldnt hear me. I ran to her, tried to push her away, our of the trap! But it was just a memory, I was helpless… and she feel right into it.
Midnight just forced a short scream, before the cage closed. The pulse of energy rooted her on place, not giving her a chance to move.
"What a…." She spoke, but a strong hit to the face didnt let her finish. She was supposed to be sent flying, but instead, her head shifted just for a centimeter. A drops of blood froze in mid air.
Ferino smirked. He used his tales to pick her up from a ground.
"Not so loud now, are you?" Beast's voice made me shiver.
Unexpectedly, he smashed Midnight into ground, sending powerful shockwave through ground. I felt a strong pain in me. I was connected to Midnight in her memories, so I felt her pain.
I felt every bone in my body shatter, breaking and dislocating.
I opened my eyes, just to see Ferino over me. I was immobilised, I couldnt move!
"Just in case you will try to chase after me…" monster's voice floated over me, filling with horror.
Suddenly strong pain jolted through my leg. I screamed and twitched, as long sound of tearing tissue came to my ears. I felt warm blood pour out of the wound .
Then the second time… I couldn't hear my screams over the pain echoing through my head.
Something fell by me. In front of my eyes. I didnt see what it was. I didn't want to see!
I didnt know how long it lasted. I felt cold run through my veins, slowly coming to my heart. I cried. Suddenly, the memory shifted into the other one. I departed from Midnight's body. She looked horrible! Left front and and back right legs of hers where missing. A long scar dragged through her jaw.
"The only way we can save her is the time shift." A doctor pony in a long white robs. "She might die any minute and we have to hurry!"
"Do whatever is necessary to save her life. Costs do not matter." Cloud Skipper stood by Midnight's limp figure. "What will the consequences be?"
"Memory shift. Her memories will change in the very unpredictable ways." Doctor said gravely.
Slowly, I understood that it was all I needed.
"Ziggy… get us out of here." I asked him, with the heavy feeling in my heart.
"As you wish." And with it Midnight's memory line started fading. When i thought the eternal darkness has come over us, a soft light of day shone into my eyes.
I found myself standing by Midnight. I was still in my speed mode.
Ferino, Sunset, Rose Wind and me where still in the garden.
I felt exhausted. Heavy sweat rolled over my eyes.
I fell out of my speed mode.
"I'm sorry girl, but I have no idea who you are." Midnight spoke. I saw shiver run down her spine. "Harry?"
My legs gave in. I fell on ground, feeling the blood dripping down my nose.
"Harry!!" Sunset rushed towards me, but I passed out the second her hoof softly touched my cheek.
Chapter 21 - Dark Times Begin
"You did what?!" Midnight looked at me, her eyes shining with rage and weakness. "You looked at my memories?!"
"Not at the memories of your's. We… I looked at the memories of your soul." Ziggy took a second of hesitation to take control. I didn’t really mind. Ever since I have woken up it's been a nightmare. Sunset threw her angered gazes at me, but kept her silence what was the worst of all. "You see, when your body was damaged so badly, that there was no way medicine could help you. Instead they used magic to bring your body from the past, and transparenting your mind into the "healthier"
version of you." Midnight kept staring at me in desbilieve. "This, however damaged the memories and… mentality of a new you."
Ziggy finished talking, returning the control over the body back to me.
Sunset broke the awkward silence.
"I have heard something about this type of spell, but I never imagined it was possible."
Midnight fell on floor, putting her hooves behind her head, shaking it in desbilieve.
"Nononono… it.. it's not possible! I… I can't believe it.. everything is a lie." She shook her head once more. "Is it possible to return them into the original state? Like they were before… this operation?"
Ziggy spoke before I did.
"You will have to feel so much pain it can possibly kill you. These type of operations were carried out just twice and when memories were attempted to put back together, it was just too much for the patient.. her, to bear."
Ziggy sighed, putting room in silence. I felt a slight needle in my heart. After a minute, Midnight finaly brome the silence.
"I… I guess I can make it. After all, maybe it will bring me joy." She sighed as Rose Wind touched her shoulder.
"I lost you once, I don't want to lose you again." A tear ran down her cheek. "Please, don't do that… for me."
Midnight's eyes flashed with a soft light. I somehow felt the warmth spreading in her.
"Don't worry. I will be alright." And with it she turned to me. "Lets start."
Ziggy sighed. He didn't like the way it was going and didn't try to hide it.
"I don't want to lose a friend just over her ambitions, but I want a happiness for my friend." And with it, he nodded. A soft gleam from my horn turned into the line of energy. It floated through the air, vibrating and zigzagging, floating into the Midnight’s dark irises.
A soft smile touched her face, brightening it.
"What is happening?" Asked Sunset surprised, as Rose Wind stared in desbilieve.
"Memories… combination together. Memories of her both lives."
"Pain comes with it?" Hesitated my love, but I saw she knew the answer.
Softly, the line between me and Midnight started to change it's shape and colour. If before it was soft gleaming white, calmly floating through the air, now it got slightly red colour, as Midnight shivered slightly.
Gradually, the magic line changed into the straight burning red laser's, pointing at Midnight's eyes.
Blood started pouring down her nose, but I knew I couldn't stop. If I stopped now, it could easily kill her.
Midnight fell on ground, shivering and her body twiching violently.
"MOM!!!" Rose Wind rushed to her, tears running down her face. "Mom, hold on!! Can you hear me? Listen to me!! Just hold on!" She brushed her head over Midnight's side, brushing off the blood droplets off her mother's nose, cheeks and lips.
Midnight's screams pierced the silence of a day. Thin bloody trace stretched down her side mouth.
Her eyes were wide open, as the strong magic pulsate straight into her brain.
Sunset stood at the side, paralysed. She didn't know what was happening. Or, she didn't want to know.
Slowly, the connection between me and Midnight started to fade, turning into a limp line of black matter, which dissapeared a little while later.
Midnight laid on the soft grass as I set by her. I was exhausted from performing this spell. It felt like recreating a personality and joining it with another element. Rose Wind took Midnight's hoof into her's and took away the blood and sweat from Midnight's face. Sunset looked at me in disbelieve, before turning and walking away, mentally adding short "we will talk later."
I shrugged. Even Ferino wasn't here. I g uses he left as soon as I passed out. The cold evening's breeze ran over Rose Wind's back, making her shiver.
"Lets take you inside." I told her, taking Midnight with my magic and softly lifting her from the ground.
Rose Wind follow me to the castle's half empty hospital. Even though it's been a month since the Battle Over Canterlot, there were still ponies with serious medical state. I would help them right now, if I didn't feel so exhausted.
Gently, I put Midnight down on the soft bed, tucking duvet over her.
"Are you going?" I asked Rose Wind, but she simply shook her head.
"She might wake up. And when she does, I want to be by her."
I nodded, before leaving them together. Rose Wind sat by her mother on a bed, patting Midnight's calm pale face.
As I took a step outside, a hurricane of thoughts took over me. Did I do the right thing? Was she ready for this? Will we ever be friends again?
I didn't mention how I came out into garden, slowly walking towards the city's edge. I was so deep in my thoughts that I didn't mention a loud wing fap to my side.
"Mind if I join you?" A surprisingly loud female voice send shivers down my spine.
I smiled inwardly. Dark blue alicorn princess wasn't asking a question, but demanding.
"Will you kick my ass into the concrete wall again?" I laughed, remembering our first encounter.
"Only if you encourage me to do so." Her reply was cold, but I felt a note of friendliness in it.
We continued walking in silence, both thinking our own thoughts. There seemed to be nopony around. It was turning dark.
"You decided to return Midnight the memories of her past?" Suddenly asked Luna. Her voice was as cold as the breeze brushing through her magic starlike mane.
I shrugged. Midnight was in Luna's clan. One of the first ones.
"Yes. I think it was the right thing to do. Rose Wind recognised her. From there it just turned crazy." I soke letting my thoughts out. "I took a glance at her memories, before she… they turned on me. I want them to be happy. They are my team after all. But what if I've done a wrong thing? What if it will simply turn into a crazy nightmare?"
I sighed. I knew I've done a mistake at some point, but I just couldn't catch where exactly..
"If it doesn't go the right way I'll make sure of that." Luna smiled, however her smile didn't pass onto me. "You see, it was me who carried the operation out."
"But you were on the moon!" I spoke out.
In order to carry this operation out, my clan needed more power, so they summoned me and a gist of my power. It was enough. But if I left Midnight like that, she would rage into the Battle and this time I would not be there to help."
I sighed. That was what I would do. But there was one more thing that didn't quite add up.
"Rose Wind… She told that you saved her from Ferino. But you were helping Midnight. How did you manage to pull that out?"
My question brought a smile on Luna's face. She felt flattered and I could see that.
"Oh, that one. That's a simple divisional spell. You split a body and it's energy into two, or more, equal, or not really equal pieces. It takes a lot of practice, but when you manage to master it… it is a really powerful spell."
She smiled once again and this time it was a warm and friendly smile. And this time I could finaly reply with a smile back.
The dark full of stars sky hanged over us. It was getting cold and I was starting to miss Sunset.
"Thanks… for a walk." I told Luna. She nodded smiling sadly.
"Sorry for kicking you like that last time. Next time I promise to be softer. " And with a loud flap of wings, she flew off into her night sky.
Now it was time to get together with Sunset. Hope she is not that mad at me.
"You have a lot of explaining to do." Ziggy laughed at me.
"You are not helping." I replied, grinning at him. "Any ideas how I can get it all together?"
"First of all, you have to do it with a style. Secondly, dragging Sunset out of her bed will not give you any
positive points." Ziggy replied, waiting for my reaction.
"Is she asleep?" I asked, but then I realised how stupid I am. I closed my eyes and tried to mentally find Sunset. I felt her softly breathing in our room. I smiled. In a flash, I ran to the room entrance and silently opened the door, entering it.
Sunset softly breathed, curled in a cute position. Her orange hair fell over her nose, moving in tact with her breathing. She held her fluffy orange tail in a tight hug.
My heart ached. How could I make her even slightly upset?
My love shivered. She seemed to have a nightmare. I rushed to her. I hugged her tightly, but not too tight to wake her up. Accidentaly, our horns came in contact. With a spark, a light filled my eyes, in a moment taking me away.
"No! I am no monster!" Sunset backed away from some figure.
In a swift I ran to her. Her eyes were full of tears and fear. A loud whiplash sounded in the air, almost hitting Sunset. It would hit her if I didn't move her aside.
Rage filled me withing. I looked at the shadowy figure and… no way. It was a Green Goblin, my father.
I felt paralysed. A heavy heart of mine dragged me down.
"Look who joined a party!" Green Goblin laughed loudly, pointing his horrifying whip at me. "Harry Osborne, the biggest mistake I have ever made."
I grinned. It wasn't a first time I met with my father as enemies. And I knew he was still trying to motivate me on the actions that cannot be forgiven or forgotten.
"The biggest mistake you made was that you came here today!" I replied taking a defence stance, feeling how Sunset shivered behind me. But if I was in Sunset's head, what was my father doing here?
Green Goblin seemed to read my thoughts. He loughed loudly.
"Loud mouth as always. Peter has a bad influence on you." He loughed again, before continuing his speech. "But you must be wondering what I am doing here. You see, the new girlfriend of your's was my ally. She was one of the most powerful of my subjects. And it's time I take her back." Father brought up his whip for a hit.
Sunset squeaked, covering her head as a tear ran down her eye.
I felt confused. How did it happen? How could someone as Sunset be a subject of such a horrible person as my father? It doesn't matter right now.
I conjured a shield spell, creating a sphere around Sunset. A loud bang of energy exploded from a shelf, as whip hit it. But it held. A long angry grin spread over his face. I have to take on my father.
Before dashing into battle, I used a spell, like the one Ziggy used before fighting with a Ferino.
It would take time for my weapons and suit to come, so I had to prolong a fight.
"No you don't." I told him strongly.
"Don't get into this, son." Norman backed a little. His huge green body with a horn was somewhat of transparent, but nether the less horrifying.
"You aren't taking her back. There is no way you will do anything bad until I am breathing." I felt rage. And strength.
Goblin growled. His whip shifted in form. It lost its flexibilit, shifting into a long sword.
"Then I'll have to make it stop." And with these words, Green Goblin threw onto me.
My armor came just in time. Th moment he was near me, my armor hit him in a head, completely dissorientating. In a flash, it was on me. The Last Dawn laid into my magic, vibrating softly. It changed its light to bright red. It's heat spread through the air, filling me with confidence.
"Time to put you down." I didn't recognise my voice as I said these words, but they passed confidence into me. After all, it's just Green Goblin. I almost beat him before. Now, I'm so much stronger. And this time I won't hesitate to take his life away.
My enemy growled. His eyes filled with poisonous gold color and his body shoke.
He was gaining power! It was my moment to strike.
Hit your opponent from the point they don't expect you to. Using my magic, I turned air around him into freezing fog. It gave me time.
With his hands, Goblin brushed it away, hissing. But I was no longer there. Using his weakness I buried underground. The usually hard ground now felt like water.
"Thermic vision!" I mentally screamed to Ziggy, but he was already passing it into my brain. Moment later, I looked at the point where my father was supposed to be.
Now, it was my moment to strike! I need to change the amount of force I apply on the rocks under me, so I could accelerate upwards.
I concentrated, lessening with magic amount of force I apply on the Rock under me. "Wait." Ziggy told me. "You are going to fast. Fast enough to go through rocks. You will go through Green Goblin and he won't feel a thing."
I thought for a second.
"Good boy." Ziggy wispered, before letting me do anything.
I didn't feel how fast I was going. Gradually, I went slower and slower, feeling how the rocks started painfully hurting me.
"Now!!" I screamed to myself, letting go of the ground.
Rocks cut and hurt me, but I accelerated upwards with an amazing speed.
Suddenly, I flew out right behind Norman.
He was slowly turning around, but at the speed I had, I simply dragged him on his back, breaking him into ground. Do not lose momentum. Slight push upwards with my wings for extra height before crushing on the my father's body and burying it deeper under rocks debris. I heard his chest crack, I felt his heart beat. It was so slow… I was going so fast, I didn't give him a second. And it was right thing to do.
A swift sound reached my ear. The Last Dawn froze in mid air right front of me.
"Good bye, monster." I spoke, as a sword went right into the what used to be Norman's face. Now it was just a broken carkas of the monster he became.
My sword made no sound at first. Moment after, it started hissing as the blood from it burned and evaporated. Lifeless body laid under me. I switched off my second thermo vision. Green Goblin's face was just a troll's ugly dace with a short burned through hole.
I felt nothing. Slowly turned around and watched where Sunset had to be. She laid there, inside a fading sphere, her eyes slightly open and a tear trace on the sides. In her hooves laid something.
I rushed to her, my heart slowly dying.
"No.. not again. No. Look at me Sunset. STAY WITH ME!!!" I shoke her lifeless body knowing she was gone. I touched her head with mine and my sight fell on something she was holding. I couldn't believe it. It was a little girl! Little human girl! Her bright orange hair and deep hazel green eyes were so much like Sunset's.
"God…" an understanding finaly came to me.
It was my daughter. I took her into my hands. My form shifted. I was a human again. I held a little girl in my hands, ready to sacrifice anything for her.
Slowly, she started crying.
"Hey. . . Hush now. It's alright. Daddy's here." I tried to calm her down, but she cried louder and louder.
"You lost, monster." Goblin's head hissed into my ear before jumping into the fire his body was in.
My daughter twitched and froze, little blood trace running down her cheek.
"Nononono. .. NONONONO! !!" I screamed, falling down my knees.
How… why?
My soul felt like falling apart. Everything around me turned black and dark. The only thing giving light off was the dead child in my arms… my child... my little girl! That I failed to save. "You lost. Monster…"
That I didn't attempt to save, chasing after my revenge! "You lost. Monster…"
That… that…
"Stop." A loud voice echoed through the space I found myself in. "You are in my Kingdom, Norman. And it's time for you to leave."
Luna's figure rose behind me. I felt her and that feeling spread some sort of calm through my chest.
My eyes started gleaming slightly. The light tickled them from inside. I looked at my child again, but it was no longer there. Just ashes.
A shadow fell over me. A sound of metal clang against metal reached my ears. Slowly, I lifted my eyes up. Luna stood her back to me, her sword holding a long whiplike sword of Norman's, which was held by a huge, three floor building high shadow figure.
A light erupted from Luna's weapon, beaming onto shadow, as it screaming faded into the darkness it came from.
"Stay there. Or you will regret you ever returned." Luna spoke, swinging her bright silver gleaming weapon before turning back to me. A heavy smile fell on her lips, as she nodded her head. "Got your back, baby boy."
A light warm hoof touched my shoulder, before shifting onto my eyes and falling over them with both hooves.
"Guess who's there?" A voice I never thought I'd hear again. A hurricane of emotions flew through my heart, bringing broken pieces back together.
Tears, like waterfall washed through my tired eyes. She couldn't…
I turned around in a flash. The deep green eyes… the ones that saved me again.
"God… ughh." I threw myself into Sunset's hooves, burying my wet face into her warm, soft chest, hearing every beat of her heart. It was like music that washed over and over again through me, calming my brought together heart.
"Hey there boy..." Her voice like young spring's river flowed into my ears, bringing calm to my torn brain.
The minutes passed as we stood still, enjoying each other.
"I know you are a love couple and everything but we need to leave this dream." Luna spoke firmly. "Or we might stay here forever."
Me and Sunset nodded, without breaking a gaze from each other's eyes. A big swirl of energy emitting from Luna's horn shifted into a portal which led back out into the world of livers.
I let Sunset pass first and I wanted Luna to pass next, but she simply threw me in with her magic before jumping in after me.
A short twist of energies shook my head around as I fell onto the hard concrete floor. It seems to be the castle's private chambers where I never was.
Luna calmly exited the portal with her usual royal manner. She looked at me and Sunset like mother who looks on children after they broke something. With a sigh she started speaking.
"Looks like the old bastard is back."
"Didn't we defeat him?" I asked, but then remember the stuff I saw and felt in dream. He couldn't be dead. It also was just a world of dreams.
"Doesn't look like it. But today's… tonight's encounter with him gave us a lot of time." She smiled slightly.
Suddenly, a door burst open and a bright blue bird with silver feather endings flew in.
"What is…" Luna didn't finish her sentence as a bird landed on her should and quietly… whispered?
"This is phoenix. Luna's phoenix. They can speak, whisper and use magic." Ziggy spoke like a Wikipedia, but I gazed at the bird in astonishment.
"I want one too…" I told him like a little kid.
"Well… you don't choose phoenix. Phoenix chooses you. And it doesn't happen very often."
"How often?" I tried to get some hope of getting a bird like that.
"Once a thousand years. Maybe even once in five thousand." Ziggy laughingly broke all my hope about getting a phoenix. I almost cried, but Luna's face changed drastically.
Her eyes filled with pain and sadness.
"What happened?" Sunset spoke for the first time since coming from a dream.
"Midnight... Blossom is… she's… dead."
Chapter 1 - Good Morning, Harry
"Harry. Harry, wake up. Wake up, Harry! Harry, Wake UP!!"
Girl's voice buzzed through my head. Weird. It wasn't Greenies voice. It was soft, girly voice. Also it was coming outside my head. But if she could comunicate straight to my head, than she had gotten an access to it. And if she did get access to my head, then its possible that she can control me. And thats what she possibly tried to do, because the moment I tried to do anything, a sudden pain struck through my body.
"Hey! What a heck are you doing in my head!?" I didn’t mean to be rude.
"You are awake. Good. Try not to move, I'm trying to get into your head in order to get your coordinates."
Ignoring my question, girl continued to do something in my head and I could feel a light pain in different parts of my brain.
"If your talking to me through mental connection, doesn't that mean that you already found me?" I was going to try and brake that mental connection, however, I had to understand what was going on. I also had to gain time.
"I can sense the magic around me and it took me quite a while to find you. What about what is going on, I'll tell you later. For now all I can say is that the more we chat, in the bigger danger we are." She made a pause, either concentrating or thinking. "And so is Peter."
The mentioning of Peter struck me like a lightning, giving me a very weird feel.
"Peter? What a heck has this guy has to do with all of this? And hasn't he been killed?" I tried to force memories out of my head, however this action made it to hurt even more. But Peter....
Every time I was saying this name, more and more memories of us came back to me. Me helping him from bullies. Him helping him with homework. Me founding out that Peter was Spider-Man. Him saving my son from.... me?
"Who are you? What do you want?" I was losing myself. I started sweating. I was shaking violently.
“My name is Sunset Shimmer. I am a friend and I’m trying to help you.”
Sunset Shimmer? What kind of the name was that?
“What is going on with me?” Never mind about the names, I didn’t like the way I felt. And I felt like I’m about to vomit.
“Harry. I don’t know what’s going on with you, but it’s purely mental. I will help you. First, open your eyes and tell me where you are.” Sunset was worried. I could sense it. And part of her worries passed onto me.
Just now I realized that I had my eyes all this time closed. I opened them and looked around. I found myself in the middle of square room. And it didn’t seem to have doors.
