Broken Era:New Age

Chapters

Prologue
Entering from beyond
Memories of old

Prologue

A single man stood in the field of death. His armor that was once black now dripping red with blood. As he moved across the field he saw all the eyes wide open and mouths agape. Allies, innocent, enemies were all strewn across this godforsaken land. He however stood at the center to take in what had just happened here. Some would call it a slaughter and others would say it was a suicide mission, but he knew exactly what this was. It was victory. At long last after twenty-five long years the war was at a close and he was the commander in this final battle. He looked up toward the blackened sky and watch the dark clouds swirl with one another. The rain now starting to fall on him as if to clean off the sins committed here today, but he knew no matter how hard or long he washed that the sins would never come off. After all he was the one to kill his brethren and trap their souls to give him the power he unleashed here.

He began to walk through the field carefully. Making sure to not disturb the souls of those that were still here. At a brisk pace he began to go over to the tents on the far side of the field. The stomping of his armored boots across the ground filled his ears as he looked at the ripped tents. They were full of holes from arrows and cut open with swords. The rippling noise that came from the breeze on them as they danced. He pulled out his broadsword and kept it steady as he listened to the area around him. He stealthily moved across the rows of tents and finally came across a large tent that acted as a forward operating base.

Upon entering the tent he found a dozen bodies lying in pools of blood. Some had their throats cut while others had limbs detached from them. The stench was unbelievable as it assaulted his nose. However despite this he scanned the room and found one man propped up on the side of a table that was tipped over for cover. The man was fairly old, looking to be somewhere in his seventies. Dozens of cuts from his torso up to his neck covered him as his entire body was seeping blood. His beard was matted down his neck as it soaked the blood on his body. His usual bright white hair was now looking black with soot and ash. The old man took a deep breath and looked over with his ocean blue eyes. They went wide with shock as he saw the dark armored figure stand over him with his weapon drawn. He coughed out the words "I see...you've finally come to take me."

The man in black armor looked at him as he sheathed his sword. He talked in a deep voice. "Death comes for us all...I am merely here to take you to where you belong now."

"Where I belong? You mean in that place you call home?" The man took a raspy breath and coughed once more. "You dare speak to me with such insolence!"

"You were a fool...you know just as well as I that I'm the protector of the mortals, but you still tried to kill them all."

"They will hurt you just as they did to all of us! They used you and made you kill your brothers and sisters!"

The armored man took a step forward and pulled out a dagger. The handle ornately decorated with a skull that had rubies for eyes. The blade was long and thin. It glowed faintly in the dark tent. "I was made by Terra to protect the mortals. She gave me life and power to make sure that they would never be destroyed by the likes of you."

"She made us to govern the world as we saw fit. We've all seen how the mortals try to trick and deceive us. You are the prime example!" After his shouting the man went into another coughing fit. This time blood began to coat his beard near his mouth. "You fell in love with them. They used that against you. Made you think we were evil, but we were simply trying to make you understand."

"Understand? Don't make me laugh you old geezer. You wanted me to be your little obedient puppet. You wanted me to throw down my humanity. You never even liked me because of that fact!" The armored man bellowed. His eyes beginning to become red as he looked down to the pitiful man.

"Terra made you to keep us in line...but don't ever say that I never liked you. I loved you. You were my son! You may have not been born from my loins or even made as one of us originally, but I always loved you. I may have been hard on you but that was because I knew you were destined to be the one to overcome us all. However...not like this. You were supposed to be Terra's replacement after we gave you our powers! But the mortals made you turn against us. Made you hate and loathe us!" The old man looked down somberly. "And in that sense...I have failed as a father to you..."

The armored man took off his helm. His black hair draping down to his shoulders. His skin was tanned and his red eyes began to fill with tears. They streamed down his cheeks as he looked over to his father propped up on the table. How long had it been since they talked? How long had it been since he told him that he loved him? "Father...it's far too late for that now. You could have accepted me and what I truly am. Before I was human...mortal like the rest of those you shun. It hurt to hear you constantly talk down on them. I was not made as a Primordial like you. I was not gifted with powers beyond my imagination. I was not given the right to live a life without death. I worked to become one...even after all the humans were eradicated. Terra gave me the domain of death because I knew what it was like to be mortal..."
"And here we are...father and son. I have lost everything...but I will tell you one last thing before I die." The dagger was now poised over the old man's beating heart. It poked at his skin as his son was now about to take the final step into insanity. "The mortals will betray you...they will kill you as if you were one of us. All those victories and conquests. All of those mortals you trained and made your followers...they will scorn you. They will kill you in three days time. I have seen the future my son...and this path I tried to prevent...but it seems as if it was inevitable. And never forget." He put his cold hand upon his son's cheek. "I have always loved you..."

With that said the armored man made a thrust with the knife into his father's heart. The old man's eyes went wide and he gasped as it pierced through him. The blade now shined brightly as it took all the energy from him. Transferring it to its user and giving him the strength of the final Primordial. The armored man gritted his teeth as he felt this new found power rush through his veins like fire. His skin felt as if it was burning and his bones felt as if they were going to break any second. Time seemed to stop as his father began to fade from existence. This went on for a few more minutes until finally the man had ceased to exist and the blade fell from the armored hands that carried it. It sunk itself into the dirt as the man raised his hands up to his head and screamed as loud as he could. Tears now flowing freely down his face as he cursed to the sky.

The courtroom was now filled with species of all kinds. Gryphons, deer, ponies of all races and even a few zebras and minotaurs were inside. There stood two desks in front of them. One with a tall and tanned skinned human with his hands and feet shackled and at the other a unicorn noble with a briefcase. The human had long black hair that went to his shoulders. His nose was rounded and protruded a bit more than normal. His eyes red in color and he stood at around five foot and eleven inches. His shoulders broad and toned with muscle like the rest of his body. His body was covered in various scars from his torso to his back. He sat silently and glared at the two empty judge seats before him.

"All rise for the honorable Princess Celestia and Princess Luna." A pegasi guard clad in blue armor spoke in a monotone voice.

The entire courtroom stood at the beckoning of the guard and saluted to the two princesses that entered into the room. They walked regally as their ethereal manes waved in the air. Both sat in the high chairs made specifically for cases that required direct intervention by the princesses. Their demeanor unknown as they wore straight faces and looked to the human and the unicorn. Princess Celestia was the first to speak. "Defendant Aster Drocan, you are accused of conspiracy against the crown and the endangerment of all of Equus. How do you plead?"

"Not guilty." He frowned as those words came from her mouth.

The unicorn scoffed. "The accused is clearly guilty your highness. We have evidence to back our claims from before."

It was now Princess Luna's turn to speak. "Please do not delay then. We wish to hear what the evidence against our fri-er...defendent is."

The unicorn simply smiled and opened his briefcase. Inside were tapes and a tape recorder as well as multiple documents. He levitated them all over the Princesses and began to speak. "These are all recordings as well as documentation from various witnesses to prove that the defendant is in fact guilty. Inside them are various testimonies saying that the defendant would have built a fortress near the southern border area of Equestria and the Holy Griffon Empire. He would have also taken the forces he trained as his own and deploy them inside that fortress. They were to wait on standby for further orders from the defendant and at which point they would launch an offensive on Equestria and her allies."

The princesses looked over the various amounts of documents and tapes. Princess Luna was tasked with hearing the recordings as Princess Celestia was reading the documentation. "Well this seems to be substantial evidence to prove the plaintiff is correct. Do you have any reason why this was held so secretly Mr.Drocan?"

Aster stood up and began to speak while glaring at the unicorn. "I do in fact have a reason for such secrecy and why I was going to build a fortress. I was going to make sure that Equestria had these fortresses built all around it to make sure that it would be defended from invasion by any enemies she may end up having at a later date. The reason I made my men stand on guard in the fortress was because they are better trained than the standard military and have more experience handling a variety of species in combat."

The unicorn quickly retorted. "This is even more proof to show that the man was clearly planning to destroy Equestria and take the crown for himself. He wished to surround her and make her kneel to his will. In the testimonies you will even see that his men worship him as if he were some sort of God. They would do anything for him...even if it meant going against the land they once fought to protect."

The princesses looked at one another and then back to both the human and unicorn. A moment went by before a large cannon was heard from outside as the parade from the streets of Canterlot was now taking place. With the war finally over after the twenty-five year campaign the citizens of each of the allied nations saw to the massive party afterword. Canterlot was to be the staging ground for the parade that would go on and travel for five months to each and every capital. Ponies were cheering and laughing. Gryphons were making mock battles between various champions that came from the war. Deer were prancing and making music as they went on by. Minotaurs and zebra were waving and throwing various treats and money to those surrounding the parade to watch. Drinking and partying were on everyone's mind now that they had finally defeated the Primordials and the necromancer king.

Aster coughed slightly and cleared his throat. He took a sip from the glass of water on his table and began to speak. "Luna, Celestia...you both know I would never do anything to harm this land or the people in it. I would rather die before that happens. I was merely making sure that such a tragedy would never happen again. Now let's end this farce and go out to enjoy the parade...together." He smiled as he finished.

The crowd behind them were silent as Aster spoke so casually to both of the princesses. Everyone knew that Aster was very close to the two. Perhaps too close for some of the nobles of Canterlot. However even in a case like this no one would dare act so casually to them. The room watched both princesses as they awaited the reply. "I'm sorry Mr.Drocan, but we must see to it that the matters of this trial are settled first. However we would much like to enjoy the parade after we are done." Luna replied warmly. Her smile gave Aster the hope he needed to endure this charade.

The unicorn looked disgusted and went back to his table. Underneath was the final nail to the coffin that would see this human killed today. He retrieved the large crate and placed it on top of the table. "Here is the last piece of evidence that will finally show you the true nature of this human." The words were spat with venom as he pried open the crate with his magic. Inside was a large black crystal. If looked at closely the crystal would actually have small electrical crackling on its surface. It began to suck in all of the light that was in the room toward it and darkening everything inside.

The princesses eyes went wide as fear began to feed their minds. The other evidence was purely circumstantial at best. Easily dismissible as speculation, but before them was something they could not overlook. This crystal was that of the necromancer king. The very king they went to war with. That crystal was a symbol of evil and one could feel it's evil presence from a mile away. It has been used to take the lives of many in order to do the worst magic know to anyone on this planet. Blood magic.

"Do not be alarmed...this box is enchanted so that the presence doesn't leave this room. And since those in here are sworn to secrecy we can rest assured no one will know what happened. The Blood Crystal was found in a laboratory underneath Aster's home in Canterlot. There were runes everywhere that suggested he was experimenting with it. Next to it was a diary that listed his dealings with this corrupt artifact. He has been corrupted by this evil and was plotting to use it against Equestria to take the crown. He would have used it to sacrifice the princesses to attain the highest amount of power possible and use that damnable blood magic to transfer your power to him."

"Aster...you said in the fight with the necromancer king this artifact was destroyed. Why did you lie to us? Why did you not alert us about its existence?" Celestia asked angrily. Her temper was beginning to flair as she saw that the person she cared for most besides her sister was now caught lying to her. Luna just sat there in shock. Completely disbelieving Aster could have done such a horrible thing.

Aster was silent for a moment as he tried to think up a way to describe why the Blood Crystal was in his possession and not destroyed. He opened his mouth a few times and closed it just as quick. He had no correct answer to give them. If he tried to they wouldn't understand. "I'm just going to ask you to trust me. I had no intention to utilize the crystal in such a way. I simply needed it to help all the beings on this world. Please...believe me."

The sisters looked at one another once more and then back to Aster. They were in such a mix of emotions that they could not even stand to look at him. He lied to them but they knew that what he was saying was true. He would have never done anything to harm them like that. However they needed to think about their citizens before they thought about their own selfish desires. "Is that all you are going to give us as an answer?" they both asked simultaneously.

He simply nodded and replied "Yes."

Princess Celestia nodded to her sister and then began to talk directly to him. "Aster Drocan...you are hereby found guilty of your crimes against Equestria and her people and conspiracy against the crown." Celestia's heart tore as she saw the dread fill his eyes. "You are stripped of all titles you once held. You are hereby named Oathbreaker. All lands and assets you own are now the possession of the crown and your military unit is hereby disbanded." His eyes went wide as the realization was about to hit him. "You are also revoked of any rights that are given by the Foreign Species Act and are now a traitor to all of Equus. You are to be executed in this courtroom where we will watch over your death and wipe away any deed you had done for Equus. Your name shall never be known past three generations and you will be lost to the annals of time."

Aster was in disbelief. He couldn't believe that the mares that he poured his life and soul for were about to execute him. It just didn't make any sense! His hands began to shake as his shackles rattled. He was going to die soon and there was nothing he could do about it. A guard came from behind and nudged him forward toward the center of the courtroom. "You can't be serious...after all I've done for you? Please tell me this is a joke? One of Luna's pranks?" As he looked to both of them he realized that they were completely serious with their judgment. Both of their faces stoic and glaring at him. They proceeded down the to the center of the room where another guard brought out a block of wood with a depression and a basket to place in front of it.

The guard behind Aster brought him to his knees as he laid his neck into the depression in the block. Aster looked up to find both of the sisters carrying a huge axe in their magical auras. "Please tell me that this is all a lie. Tell me that what is happening is a dream or something!?" He pleaded.

Celestia answered back calmly. "Do you have any final words Oathbreaker?"

Aster looked back into the blank expression on both of their faces. His heart sank as he knew nothing could save him now...not even his delusions. He took a deep breath and looked at both of them calmly. "I swear that on this day...I will get my revenge for what you have done. My love never faded but it seems yours has. When I am reincarnated I will make sure that whatever I become remembers the pain and sorrow you caused. I swear that I will make sure to hurt your heart as you've hurt mine." He spat on the floor as he looked back down to it. He knew that a warrior must look death straight in the face and accept his fate.

The two princesses raised the axe up high and brought it down upon his neck. A sickening crack was heard as metal went through his spine. He made one quick gagging sound as his head separated from his body. Blood pooled the ground as the noble unicorn grinned devilishly. With his work out of the way he walked out of the courtroom. Past all the weeping beings in the courtroom. Some of them cursed at the princesses while others stared at them in disbelief. The few guards saluted the corpse as they realized their commander was finally gone with that strike. All while Luna and Celestia hugged one another. Mourning the loss of the one thing that they had loved.

Author's Note

Leave a comment to tell me what you thought and also i wouldn't mind any type of criticism at all. though do try to make it helpful.

Entering from beyond

Darkness. The very same Darkness he experienced all those millennia ago. It surround him as he laid on the cold "floor". He knew this place very well...after all it was the place he called home. Aster looked around and saw that even the souls he had reaped did not dare to come near him. Left to wallow in his own anger and sadness. How could they have betrayed him like that? Surely they knew that he had no reason to utilize the magic in that artifact for evil. He required it for another purpose all together. The war had not simply started from whims of the Primordials; it was started due to the death of Terra and her not leaving a successor! "Father was right...I was betrayed by those I loved." A grin now crept on his ethereal body. "Then I shall show them what will happen when you mess with the Primordial of Death!"

He began to call about the dark forces that roamed the realm of this land. Dark pools of energy now began to enter through his forehead as he weaved his fingers around. Forming the next physical vessel that will carry his soul. "I can't have him looking like me from before...I must change him..." Aster now began to mold the threads he weaved in the air to a basic form a fairly large human. Standing at six foot two this vessel now looked to be in the basic shape of a human. He now clasped his hands with the vessel and began to fill it with the energy he used to weave the form before him. The energy began to flow through it and creating the basic skeletal structure of a human body. The threads sitting above them by a few inches as he perused the body he created. "Seems to be a bit denser than before...good. I will require a strong vessel to hold the power I will give it." As he looked around he saw that the body was beginning to attract unwanted attention. The souls of those now placed in this damned place began to look over at him. Floating in the air around him and chanting at the vessel. "Back away demons! I am you master and this is my body!"

”We need it! We wish to go back to the land you took from us!"

Aster growled as his anger now began to emit an aura of fear. "I control this domain! I shall show you if I must!" However he knew he was virtually powerless now. He may have been the Primordial of Death, but when one is killed they must be cautious of the souls that wished to escape their eternal damnation in the void. Material bodies and such always attracted them since it was the only way to go through the Gate of Return. Sure he could have waited for his body to naturally return to him but that always took a few thousand years to do and he wanted to get revenge as quick as possible.

The souls reeled back from the aura. Inside showed the greatest fears they had when they were alive. Some saw gruesome deaths of loved ones and others saw the fact that they were now scorned by the living. "But we must! We...need...a second chance..."

"Leave me be or I shall make your stay even more hellish than before!" He finally used the only trick he knew to disperse these ghosts. He knew that it would be merely an illusion but they did not. He forced the dark energy to flow into the "floor" through his palms. A loud clap was heard as flames now burst from the ground. The ground split and shook as jets of lava and fire began to illuminate the darkness around them. The void now turning into a place of heat and destruction. The souls now scampered in all directions as they wished to escape the ever expanding flames. "I'm glad I trained in here while living...otherwise I would have never been able to do that.”

Aster now turned back to the skeleton and placed his hand over its skull. Flooding it with electricity from his fingertips. It shook and flailed as it began to grow tissue. Sinews of muscle and blood began to now spread across the vessel. "I must make each organ though...this will only make the brain and basic aspects of the body. I have little time to waste." With the body now covered in muscle and flesh he moved his hands in a circular motion. He twisted the threads of energy between his fingers and pulled them about a foot apart from one another. Moving his fingers as he pulled and loosened certain threads to create a cylindrical shape to birth the organs from the void. "First a heart...strong and large." The threads began to vibrate and split into the chamber. Creating the outline of a fairly large heart and then flooding it with the energy in his ethereal form. "Then a stomach, hardy and tough. A liver to destroy the poisons of the material world. Intestines that will drain every bit of nutrients and kidneys to make sure the blood is pure."

He repeated the process for each and every organ. Carefully placing each into the cavities that were in the body. Pulling roughly on the threads he snapped them apart and forced them to act as tendrils as they bonded to each organ. Black electricity jolted off of each thread and assaulted the body. It spasmed and shook as skin began to ripple across like a tidal wave crashing onto the shore. Shortly after the scalp began to grow short and coarse black hair. The vessel grew a fair amount of hair all over his body save for his face. "Now, the simple act of entering my soul into this vessel and all will be well." Placing his hands at the temples of the body he began to filter the basics of life into it. Completely devoting himself to the task at hand he did not see the giant portal that began to form behind the body. A powerful force began to suck the material body from his grasp as he screamed in anger. "WHAT IS HAPPENING!?” was all he managed to say as the vessel opened its eyes and saw the ethereal figure before him for the blink of an eye before falling through the portal.

Twilight Sparkle had been pacing around the room with a blackboard behind her filled with mathematical equations. She snorted as she took one gander at the board and braced herself as she pointed her horn toward it. She knew that this was wrong, but magical theory needed to be tested and she was the only unicorn willing to go that far. After all, summoning a being from the void was thought to be impossible since the magical bridge between both realms were not interconnected. However through her tedious mathematical calculations she found that not only were they in fact connected, but were actually a part of a much bigger realm all together! Now of course this was in theory; in practice it provided a much more daunting challenge all together.

First was the fact that one required to open a portal as if they were doing a simple ritual spell, but required the user to know how magical leylines can be altered to splice two separate leylines into one. It didn't just stop there either. One would need a gigantic amount of magical energy to then have the spliced piece be covered by a protective coat so that the leylines wouldn't split apart immediately. Then the daunting task of having a being travel through that leyline and not being ripped into nothing but gore as the leylines detached from each other after the portal closed. However if the math proved correct than she had nothing to worry about since the leylines were actually one in the same, but that still didn't prevent her from covering the room in tarps for...science.

As she began the incantation the portal began to rip open into a dark void. Channeling the magic she shot a bolt of energy into the hole and actually heard a snap from it. "Alright...broke the leyline...now to splice it onto another." She felt the leyline begin to bend in her aura despite not seeing it and began to move it closer to a leyline below it. "If my calculations are correct...that should be the void. Let's see if we can get it to give something up!" Sweat began to pour down her face as she strained to connect the two leylines together. Her aura acted as a needle as it "stitched" the two together. "Yes! perhaps not as good a threading job as Rarity but it gets the job done." She chuckled lightly as she now levitated crystals around the portal to stabilize the leylines. Previously she had filled these gems with magic to act as the protective coating for the leylines. Fate, however, would not be kind to the curious unicorn as a large gust of wind began to exit through the portal.

Twilight was thrown around the room like a ragdoll as the crystals began to crack and jolted electricity from one to another. In her panicked state she held onto the post of her bed and desperately tried to stop the ritual by firing a bolt toward the crystals. It was to no avail as the bolt simply got absorbed into the crystal and shattered it into millions of pieces. "No no no! This was not what was supposed to happen at all! Now with a crystal destroyed the leyline will collapse and whatever is traveling inside will die!" she shouted in fear. The fact that she was about to kill a possibly confused creature was eating away at her as she could do nothing to stop the chain reaction of crystals beginning to burst from magical capacity overload. One by one they shattered into millions of pieces until finally the last one shined brightly for a second and filled the room with a blinding light. Twilight could hear the crystal shatter and the portal closed. The gust of wind suddenly ended and the room went back to normal. Well as normal as it could be after having a massive gust blowing around all the items that were inside.

Twilight blinked a few times to readjust her sight after being blinded. She shook and whimpered as the fear of flesh and blood covering most of the room overtook her thoughts. But to her pleasure the room was not covered in gore or fluid. Rather at the center of the room there laid a strange looking creature. The creature had a short black mane on the top of his head. His skin was that of a lightly tanned leather and was covered in small hairs. She took a few steps over to and cautiously prodded its side. She felt the warmth coming off of it as it took in a sharp breath and quickly rose on two legs. Startled by the sudden movement she fell on backwards on her rump and just looked up at him in awe. It had two fairly large arms that ended with what she presumed to be claws. Its small emerald eyes looked down at her and his face was in a neutral stare. It scanned the room and then looked her over as and spoke in a fairly deep tone "Where is this?”

Seeing as it had a fairly deep tone Twilight presumed that the creature was male. She responded quickly "What are you?"

The man quickly brought a hand to his head and held it tightly. "A...human...my name is Aster..." His mind felt as if it were on fire.

"Human? I've never heard of one of those before." Suddenly Twilight realized that her spell had in fact succeeded and she began to jump wildly as she shouted "Yes yes yes yes!"

Aster looked at the little lavender...thing as it began its little act of joy. He had no clue as to what was going on but clearly this thing was happy that he was here. "Um excuse me...if you wouldn't mind can you tell me where I am and what I am doing here?"

Twilight quickly regained her self-control and coughed into her hoof. "Eheh sorry about that. It's just that I am so happy that my spell worked! It's nice to meet you Aster and my name is Twilight Sparkle. Student of Princess Celestia and the Element of Magic." She raised a hoof to her chest as she proudly proclaimed the last part of her introduction. After all what's a little stroke to the ego every once in a while?

Aster held his head once more as he heard Twilight speak of this Princess. It felt as if his head was about to explode from the thought of that name. He simply grunted and replied back "Nice to meet you Twilight Sparkle. Is there any place I can sit down?" He then looked down to find himself naked as well and began to feel warmth fill his cheeks. "And if you don't mind...something to cover up with?"

Twilight began to look down his chest until she eventually came upon exactly what he was talking about in terms of "covering up". She blushed and turned around quickly to get her guest what he required. Leaving Aster by himself to peruse the room. He darted his eyes to see if he could find anything useful to tell him exactly where he was. Carefully roaming his eyes around he found a fairly large bookshelf that might assist him in learning more about what was beyond the confines of this abode. Looking at the variety of titles and colors of the books he found one spine to read "Equestria and You: A Beginner's Guide to Learning about Equestria". He opened the book and on the first page found a picture of two things circling around one another. Flipping the page, he quickly found that this world was inhabited by ponies and that there were three kinds of beings. The unicorns which control magic and have horns, The pegasi which have the power to control the weather, and the earth ponies which were the stronger of the three races and had agricultural roots.

Twilight practically kicked the door in and gave Aster the towel she had taken from her bathroom. Startled by the booming sound of wood on wood, Aster dropped the book immediately and got covered by the towel. Slowly reaching up, he pulled the towel down to his waist and fastened a makeshift skirt. "Thank you."

"Not a problem." Twilight beamed. "So you were reading? Did you understand the book?"

"I got a vague idea of where I am and who inhabit it." He knelt down and picked the book up from the spine. "Though I'm sure a more thorough explanation will be necessary."

Twilight's eyes sparkled in delight as she heard his reply. Finally she was going to be the teacher to somepony! She couldn't believe that he actually wanted a lecture since most other ponies would "rather watch paint dry" than listen to the amount of knowledge she bestowed. She pulled up a stool and grasped a quill, notepad, and inkbottle. "Sit down on my bed and I'll start, but in exchange you have to give me some knowledge on your anatomy."

Aster placed himself gently on the bed and nodded at her proposal. "Seems like a fair trade...though there isn't much I can give."

Time rolled on by as the two of them began to discuss back and forth. Aster learned that two princesses that were "alicorns", were in charge of this country of Equestria. He also found out that Equestria wasn't the only kingdom and that many different kinds of sapient beings lived in this land. Deer, gryphons, zebra, minotaurs, and even cows were intelligent. Some even had thier own kingdoms that were mostly friendly towards Equestria. Furthermore, Twilight told him all about recent history with Nightmare Moon, Discord, the Elements of Harmony and how Twilight and her friends were holders of them. Hours passed as she went on about everything she thought he needed to know and Aster soaked it all up like a sponge. Though throughout her speech, he had gotten a few headaches from specific names and events. Twilight often stopped to check if he was alright to continue and each time he simply asked for a glass of water and a few minutes to recollect himself.

After she was done with what she thought was the most important things that Aster should know, Twilight had let him speak about his body. He explained things like his hands and fingers. How they were dexterous, but were also very fragile. Talking about how human stood on two legs and were omnivores. All the basics about human anatomy, but never delving anything more than a few sentences about each detail. What could she expect though? After all, he did suffer from amnesia. She was lucky he knew even half of the things she was jotting down on her notepad. The session went long into the night and soon enough both of them began to show all the signs of fatigue. Yawning, excessive blinking and a much slower response than when they had began the interview. Twilight rubbed her eyes and faced Aster. "I think it's about time we go to bed. After all that has happened today, a good night's rest is something I'm sure both of us need." Aster merely nodded in agreement. "Then you take the couch downstairs, and don't worry about spike. I already told him about you when I got you your towel. Tomorrow we will wake up early so we can get you to Rarity's boutique for some proper clothes."

"Good. As comfortable as this towel may be, I would enjoy some proper clothing." Aster replied sarcastically.

"Very funny Aster. Oh and bring this down with you." Twilight levitated a scroll into his open palm. "Put it down in the kitchen."

"Your wish is my command." Twilight snorted at his retort. He wished her a good night and proceeded to his new arrangements. As he stepped down the stairs he saw the vast collection of books inside her home. "I take it she is a avid fan of reading then. Makes sense as to how she was able to explain all of that to me before." Aster thought. He quickly made for the kitchen and set the scroll on the table. Walking back to the couch and finally laying down after such a long day. "Maybe I'll be able to remember more in the morning. And who knows...perhaps I'll even be able to figure out if I'm a part of some ancient prophecy like Nightmare Moon was." He chuckled lightly at the absurdity of that thought and quickly drifted off into the realm of dreams.

Spike saw the human thing Twilight spoke about come into the kitchen and leave the scroll she gave to him. He shrugged and thought it better to simply go with the flow rather than make a big fuss about it. There were way weirder things that have happened so why not this? He grasped the scroll and breathed his green fire to disintegrate it. With his last chore for the day done, he smiled devilishly and went for the secret stash of gems Twilight hid from him in the cupboard.

Princess Celestia was just about to retire for the night when she received a scroll by first class dragon mail. She chuckled slightly as she imagined Twilight frantically wanting to get a friendship report to her before bed. Quickly grasping the scroll in her aura she opened it up and read the contents carefully. She gasped as Twilight explained how she brought a creature to their realm from another and even managed to find out that it knew Equestrian! However the name and description of the creature was the one thing that truly perturbed her. "Aster? And it called itself a human?" As she began to think about these thoughts, she began to have a massive migraine. She quickly shook her head and attempted to refocus herself at the thoughts, but no matter what she tried the migraine would only get worse. Finally, she reluctantly gave up and thought it best to make sure a guard was to remind her early in the morning. "Guard!" she called out painfully.

A unicorn stallion with golden armor and a short sword sheathed, entered the room quickly. "Princess? Are you alright?"

"Yes...do not worry about that. I have a task for you."

"As you wish my princess. What is the task you require me to do?"

She handed him the note and yawned loudly. "I wish for you to hold on to that note. When it is morning and I am to raise the sun, I wish for you to give the note back to me so that I may examine it more when I am not as tired."

"Of course my princess." His aura spread across the note as she held it in front of him. "Anything else?"

"No, you are dismissed."

"As you wish your highness." The stallion exited the room and began to wonder why the princess would hand him such a useless scroll. He knew, just like every other guard, that the insignia the scroll held was that of her favored student Twilight Sparkle. Never before had any guard been tasked with such a strange task. His curiosity got the better of him however and he looked left and right to make sure nopony was around. After feeling that his search was adequate enough, he opened the scroll and began to read the contents inside. His eyes went wide as he carefully re-read the scroll to make sure he was correct in its message. After concluding that the message was the truth, he hurriedly rushed into the dark corridors of the castle. His commander would need to see this...

Memories of old

Imperator Stonewall was not a cruel stallion, but he was not a nice one either. Thirty years in the Equestrian Royal Guard would do that to you however. The burly stallion sat in his office while pulling the graveyard shift. "Damn accident reports...always making me stay late." He slid the stack of paper off to the side as he rose from his seat. He looked over to his right and saw a vanity mirror on the far side of the room. Trotting over he took a good look at himself. The stallion's once vibrant black mane had now dulled and turned a dull gray. His coat now a washed out version of red. He sighed as he saw his face filled with frown lines. Far more disappointments had lead up to this moment than happy memories. His eyes were a steel gray as they pierced through the glass and if looks could kill...well he wouldn't be standing there anymore. His body was much more defined than a regular earth pony's. Having broader shoulders and tones muscles did help during afternoon sparring matches between the higher ranked officers.

He turned away from the mirror as it no longer had the same draw to it now that he had indulged his own vanity. Slowly, he trotted over to the desk he had been sitting just moment before and opened the right side drawer. Inside were an assortment of photos and letters stacked neatly. All of them dated and organized. He flipped through each one till he came across a letter and photo he had received when he first became an imperator. The photo was of his father, who had worked himself to the bone to become a general. However this letter would not fill him with the pride and joy, as the photo did before. This was the letter of a dying stallion. One that had so much to say, but not nearly enough time to say it. He opened the letter to once again repeat the process he did every time he held it.

Dear Stonewall,

I know I have not been the greatest of fathers. I was not there for you...especially when I should have been. When your mother died in that fire, I believe a small part of me did as well. I got so caught up in trying to push it out of my mind that when I had finally come to terms with it, I was far too late. You were not the young colt who needed his father to guide him. You were a stallion filled with resentment and pain. Nothing I say in this letter will make you feel better, I know that, but please let me explain why I did those things.

Son...when I joined the Royal Guard, I was sworn to secrecy for this. I can only tell you now because tradition dictates that I must. There are secrets son. Deep secrets that scar even the princesses. You are free to accept them or live your life in ignorance. I know that once you get this that I shall not be of this world anymore. So the decision will be made by your own hoof. You can either burn this letter after you are done reading or touch the insignia on the back. Once you do however...you can never turn back to the life of bliss you once had. I cannot force this task upon you, but know that we come from a long line of protectors. There was someone we had sworn our lives to serve and protect. Someone other than the princesses that we had worshipped as a god.

If you want to know more about it then you know what to do. If not, than do not think yourself to be a failure. You will always be my son and no matter how much I may not have shown you...I love you. You were never a disappointment. You always made me proud.

Your father,

General Aegis Shield

Stonewall sighed as he remembered when he first read the letter. The anger and sadness that filled him as he let every word burn itself in his mind. He wanted to scorn his father and burn the letter, leaving nothing but ash and embers. However he remembered the second paragraph. It was so elusive and mysterious that he became overwhelmed with a feeling he had not had in years. The feeling of adventure. When he was a colt he loved to go off and explore new things. Thinking his destiny was to be a airship sailor or navigator. That dream would plummet to the ground after he protected his friends from an attack by a timberwolf. He stood his ground and stared at the beast, ready to meet his maker. The wolf ran away as his father came by with a torch however and he escorted the two of them back home. He trusted his father after that day and he did touch that insignia like the old stallion had asked. His life was forever changed after that moment.

As Stonewall was stuck in his daze, a stallion quickly barged into his quarters and panted heavily. The lad had clearly looked as if he had been spooked by a damn hydra and was about to faint! Stonewall immediately placed the letter and photo in the drawer, placing his cold gaze onto the young stallion. "You had best give me good reason as to why you have entered the imperator's quarters without any forewarning!"

The unicorn simply panted as he used his magic to take the scroll out of his belt. "Sir...I believe...you'll...want to see...this letter."

Stonewall's gaze fell upon the insignia of the letter. "You fool, You've come to show me a friendship report from that bookworm!?"

"It's simply best...if you just...read the contents sir." The stallion's eyes now rested on Stonewall's. With a grunt, he opened the letter to humor the stallion. Perusing over the contents of the letter carefully. His jaw dropped as he read the letter and came upon the words "human" and "Aster".

"Copy this letter...and make sure you go back to doing your duty."

"Sir? Don't you think we shou-"

Stonewall quickly interrupted the stallion. "And get our heads raised on pikes? I think not. You've done good work boy. I'll handle the rest from here." The stallion nodded and took the letter as he ran into the hallway. "It took over nine hundred centuries, but finally...our master has returned." Stonewall quickly closed his door, but only after making sure nopony was to be heard outside. "Can never be too careful...the walls have eyes and ears." He went back to his desk and took out a small key from the picture frame of his family. Utilizing it, he opened the small cabinet to the lower left hand side. Inside was a small badge with a faint glowing gem in the middle. For the first time in nearly a decade, Stonewall grinned widely as he pocketed the badge in his carrying pouch.

Aster woke up just as the sun began to send its beams through the windows and into his eyes. They flickered as both of them attempted to readjust to the new light source. He rose up and stretched his arms out, raising them high above his head. Looking over to the door he found Twilight already packed up and ready to go out on their excursion for the day. "Good morning. Seems like someone is in a hurry." He chuckled.

"Of course! As your host, it only makes sense that I am concerned with your wellbeing and comfort." She replied.

Aster rose from the couch and held onto his towel skirt by the knot. Making sure that it wouldn't come undone by the movement. "I'm so glad to have such a caring host then. Anyway, onward to your friend's house!" Twilight merely rolled her eyes as she opened the door for Aster. With a grin, he went out the door and proceeded to take a gander at the sights before him. Houses of all shapes, sizes and colors filled his view. Small thatched roofs and cottages lined the streets. The golden glow of the sun reflected and refracted as it rose from the far side of the town, making everything vibrant and bright. As Twilight lead the way to Rarity's boutique, Aster felt the strange pain overwhelm him as it did with the names he heard yesterday. The searing pain shot straight into the base of his skull as he saw the cottages turn into ones that were a bit more drab. The vibrant colors turning into blacks and browns. The roofs began to crumble and have small fires on top of them, all while he heard screaming and wailing. He shut his eyes so tight that he felt as if he was going to burst a vessel in his temple and began to let out a low moan of pain.

"Aster?" Twilight look back as she heard the moan. Her eyes went wide with shock as the pained look on his face only seemed to worsen by her words. "Aster?! Speak to me! Tell me something!" She quickly ran to his side as he began to lean over to his left. She braced her torso on his waist as he laid a hand on her backside. "Aster, please?"

"D-don't worry Shimmer...A commander never shows pain...no matter how bad it loo-" Aster quickly fainted and his body crumpled onto the dirt road. Twilight jumped at the sudden thump and quickly went over to check if he was still breathing. Placing a hoof over his mouth, she felt the warm breath escape and sighed in relief. With a quick levitation spell she lifted him up into the air and quickly made her way to Rarity's, making sure to avoid any early risers. However she gained a quizzical look on her face as she wondered exactly who this "Shimmer" was.

Clearly this was someone who Aster knew from before, but he was taken from the void. It was impossible to be a pony...right? However, given the name of the human and seeing as he doesn't remember the realm he came from, it seemed to be only logical that it was indeed a pony's name. It was the only explanation to the dilemma at hand...right? All sorts of questions began to filter into Twilight's mind. Did he perhaps come from here? Is the void a separate universe? Could it be that ponies also live on that realm too? All of these and more flooded into the inquisitive mare, but now was not the time for them. First, she needed to help the poor human. As she reached the boutique, Twilight quickly knocked on the door with her magic.

"Coming!" a regal voice said from behind the door. With the turning of a lock and a quick pull the door opened slowly as it revealed a white coated unicorn. Her mane was in hair curlers along with her tail. The purple flowing on top of the pink curlers as her big azure eyes looked to her friend. "Twilight! Why, whatever are you doing here so early dear?"

"Hi Rarity. I know this is going to be a lot to take in, but please just listen." Twilight explained her predicament quickly as she knew time was of the essence. Just because Aster was breathing, didn't mean he was completely fine. After giving a quick recap of the events leading up to this point and even showing Rarity the human, Rarity opened the door wide and helped Twilight place him on a large red lounge chair.

"So dear..." Rarity quickly became interested in the strange creature that now filled her chair. "You say he is a human?"

Twilight nodded. "Yes, Aster is a human. At least that is what he told me. Though he seems to have a case of amnesia."

"The poor dear. I could only imagine the horror of not being able to remember anything from before being pulled into another world. Such a scary thought...and this poor soul is going through it."

"I know...that's why I'm trying to ease him into Equestria easily. However...something was odd just before he fainted."

"Oh? And what is that?" Rarity tilted her head in confusion.

"Well...he called me Shimmer before he fainted. Then said something about how a commander never shows pain." Twilight sighed. Perhaps her friend could shed a small bit of light on this subject.

"Oh my...that is quite odd indeed." Rarity brought a hoof to her chin and tapped it lightly. "Well he said something about a commander correct?" Twilight nodded at this statement. "Then perhaps before he came to this world...he was a leader of an army?"

Twilight's face contorted as she realized exactly what her friend was saying. Now her guilt felt even worse. Sure it was bad before when she had already given him amnesia, but to have taken an important figure from possibly an important place where they are needed? Nothing felt as bad as that. Her head sunk down as she looked at the floor. "If I had never brought him here...everything would have been fine. He would have been living a great life with his friends..." Twilight choked on the final words, attempting to hold back on the tears that were ready to fall.

Rarity noticed the unicorn's distress and quickly came over and nuzzled her neck. "Sweetheart...don't beat yourself up about it." She knew she was treading on thin ice here. One small mistake could thrust her friend even further down the hole she was already in. "You had no idea that he was going to be taken. This was merely fate playing at the strings of the world." Rarity looked into Twilight's eyes. "So don't beat yourself up about what ifs! What we need right now is to take care of what is now."

Twilight sniffled as Rarity gave her speech. She knew the mare was trying her best to cheer her up and get her to move pass the problem, but she couldn't get it fully out of her head. After a few minutes of regaining composure however, she did feel a bit better. "Thanks Rarity, you always do have a way with words."

Rarity merely smiled and looked over to Aster lying on the couch. "Well a lady must know how to assist others with words as well as actions. Now let's take his measurements and I'll prepare him some clothes." Twilight used her magic to hold him upright as Rarity took every small detail to prepare him proper clothes. She did wish he had something to cover the more...private areas, but a lady must be prepared to work under all conditions! Even if they were not completely desirable. After the measurements were taken, Twilight placed him back on the couch and went over to his head. Rarity left the two alone as she went to make the proper attire. As she left, Twilight rubbed a hoof on the soft and tan cheek. The heat emanating off of it feeling wonderful and inviting.

"I'm so sorry...I wish I could take it all back and left you where you were. I'm sure you have other humans looking for you...wondering where you went. I promise you that I will help you adjust to your new life...no matter what the cost may be. I brought you here and it's only fair that I be the first friend you can trust. " She laid her head down on Aster's neck. Nuzzling lightly as she forced back her tears of sadness.

Celestia was bogged down with tons of paperwork. The expedition that she had sent out to the southern stretches of the land had an accident. No deaths, but more than a few injuries. Apparently two of the airships were attacked by an unknown band of raiders that held no banner. She knew that her allies, The Imperium Gryphus, laid on the southern border. She was skeptical about these raiders since she had never known the gryphons to lay down on security measures...especially after the great war. These were either due to the deteriorating peace between the two kingdoms or something far more sinister.

With these thoughts filling her mind and most of the day, she had invited a few ambassadors to the castle. Talks went as they usually did, but this one in particular seemed to have had no underlying tones. The ambassadors were just as confused as the princess was on this matter and it seemed as if nopony knew about this roving band. At the end of the talks she sent out a letter to Emperor Black Beak. She only hoped that it would shed more light on the situation at hand. She could not risk acting without first knowing all of the cards at play. Causing an uproar because of a small band of raiders was not in the interest of Equestria. However...a few more hooves to guard the small villages along the way might raise a few eyebrows, but none of them would create any alarm.

She had wished she could have met this creature her student was talking about. Apparently he hailed from a different land and was quite interesting to look at. If not for this breaking news, Celestia would have been halfway to ponyville by now. "Especially with a name like that. I feel as if I know that name...as if it calls to me. I only wish I could feed this hungry curiosity of mine." She pondered for a few seconds until the sound of clacking hooves getting closer to her stopped. She looked up to find her dear sister Luna in front of her. Her midnight blue coat elegantly complimenting her ethereal mane and tail. Her icy blue eyes held on to her own warm gaze. "Sister...is there anything wrong?"

Luna held her gaze. "Yes...I believe so dear sister. Please tell us why we were not to attend the meeting between you and the gryphons?"

"It was far too early in the morning for you to have been there. I was only thinking of your wellbeing." In truth it was more for the reason that Luna was a bit more hot-tempered than her. She would have made the talks go with more bumps than Celestia would have liked. Her sister was an astounding strategist and warrior, but her other traits were quite lacking when it came to diplomacy.

Luna merely stood before her sister. Proudly holding her head high as she spoke. "We appreciate the sentiment dear sister, but please involve us more with the activities of the court. We know that you have been doing most of our duties for quite a long time, but we wish to ease thy burden." Celestia stifled a giggle. Her sister was always cute when she went back into her old tongue. "We ha-...I have heard that there is rumors about the southern border being held by raiders and not our forces. I wish to ask thee for six hundred troops so we may dispose of these heathens."

Celestia shook her head and closed her eyes. "There is no need Luna. I have already dealt with the matter. A princess gallivanting around with armed soldiers is not going to keep the peace. I've sent guards to secure the villages and I am already sending out word to the reserves in the area. They will deal with this threat quickly and quietly."

Luna sighed dejectedly. "If you say so, but please let us assist you more often. Tis not fair that you have all the burden of the country while I sit on the sidelines watching." With that, Luna swiftly turned around and began to trot out of the room. Celestia awaited for her sister to leave before she went back to her work and worry began to fill her. "Please be safe my student...I wish that the evils of this world do not come to plague you as they do me."