Xenoblade: Another World

by IAmNotSmartest

Rating: teen
Tags: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Dark, Other, Princess Luna, Adventure, Princess Celestia, Crossover, Human, Twilight Sparkle
Length: 10900

Even the strength of a Mortal's Monado can't erase two god's power completely. Only banish it.

Spoilers for Xenoblade: Chronicles ahead

Upon the defeat of the god, Zanza, Shulk wished for a world without gods. His wish came true. All trace of Zanza's and Meyneth's existences were erased from his world as it was reborn.

But the power of the two gods could not be erased as easily.

Zanza, with the power of two gods at his disposal, as he was purged from the universe of his creation, fell through the gaps between universes, landing at last in one where he would finally come to. A world where he could start again. Where he could begin anew his reign as a god, create life subservient to him, against the will of that world's leaders, without his full strength-

What do you mean 'without full strength?' No matter. I still wield the power of both of the original Monados. They shall fall, as Meyneth had so easily-
Where. Are. My. Monados?!

Er, that is, he must reclaim the powers that are so rightfully his, even if he must work with the mortals that live there in order to do so.

'Ah, the sweet irony of quickening the End with kindness.'

Edited by ZeroChill, who has his own exceptional Xenoblade story!

Also, New Dawn! They're a good person for fact checkery too!

The cover art (taken from a wiki, if anyone knows the original source, let me know) depicts Zanza Monado-less and without wings and halo.

If you've not played Xenoblade: Chronicles, I highly recommend it. Lengthy game with amazing story.

Published 2015-05-14 02:10:02 UTC
Last updated 2015-07-10 19:19:31 UTC

Banished God

Zanza lay on the sand of the beach, his lower half soaking in the relative calm of the lake. His divine form's chest rose and fell slowly, the gold-trimmed white plating moved fluidly with the body it encased. His white-blond hair splayed around his head much like a halo, befitting of one of his stature. He was not sure how long he'd laid there, nor how he'd been in the void between universes. In the moment, he was awakening from the half-slumber that had befallen him upon his defeat, in his own realm, his own universe. The immeasurable time in which he was comatose had left him nothing but the repetition of his final moments as his universe's god. As he finally faded in entirety from his realm for the umpteenth time, his ice-steel eyes snapped open and he sat up in a shock.

The first thing he had noticed was that he had lost the incalculably powerful body which he had undertaken for his battle with the stubborn mortals, instead residing in the form taken from Shulk. Immediately after, he noticed a massive drain in his power, not unlike the time which he spent as the life force of the body of the Homs that had ultimately slain him. He felt vulnerable. Weak.

Almost... mortal.

He was without either Monado. Without the full extent of his divine abilities. Alone, in a world not his own, without the powers he so rightfully deserved as a god!

Without influence and knowledge of fate. Without a Monado, he could not view the future, nor could he change it with that knowledge. He would not know what is to come. What may become of him.

Zanza felt a pang of fear. Would his body hold? Surely, as it was created to last a millennium. With the full force of a god as it's life-force, it certainly would.

His intimidation was quickly overridden by arrogant confidence, soon determination. 'I am still a god! I need not the Monados in the moment. One of my power can most certainly hold their own in this world.'

The Soul of Bionis rose from the water. He quickly noticed another flaw in his appearance; he was without the divine, golden wings and halo that graced his form in the past. The skies would not be blessed with his presence, not today. He would slowly regain power, but could not reattain his full glory without at least his own Monado. 'Stuck in this form, is it? So be it. I was forced to sustain the form of that upstart for far longer than it will take me to find them.'

He looked about. Trees all around to his left and back. To the front, a modestly sized lake rippled quietly. He noticed the sand trailed up a small hill to his right, growing rockier as it grew farther from the lakeside.

He knew what this meant. Such deliberate and crude formation of the land could only be the work of that which he so loathed now. 'Mortals. Those worthless excuses for intelligence. So dull in their senses, so limited in their vision.'

He could certainly deal with them now - He most definitely had the power to do so - but without the Monados, he could not see the future to ensure the passage of fate, to find the weapons of destruction and rebirth. The mortals, however undesirable, could be of some meager, minute assistance in discerning one or both of their locations. He would... interact with them only to the extent necessary to find his Monado. Then? He may be able to reconstruct a new Bionis, a new Titan, perhaps even here, in the place he had awoken.

So the Soul of the Bionis set down the sand-to-gravel path toward what he hoped was mortal civilization.

Zanza hiked up over what seemed to him the thousandth hill, growing weary of this exercise. Normally, he would fly, or reappear in the place he wished to be; however, both options were unavailable to him as of that moment. He would certainly obliterate these hills for their ether when he was capable of it - materials for his new Bionis.

The deity stood atop the hill, looking down over the sharply-right-curving path to his new discovery: a large cluster of thatch-roof buildings, not used or seen in his world since long before he waged war on Mechonis. To the rear left, a large, crystalline protrusion towered over the town's largest building, it's shadow cast out over yet more hills. To either side was dense forest, the one farther from the gemstone fortress seeming more wild and shadier.

'Primitive,' Zanza thought with a smirk. 'But acceptable. If they have not advanced, it is because the realm lacks those with power. They will fall to me like Meyneth, the Mechonis, and her Machina before me.'

Zanza then noticed a number of colorful, quadrupedal, winged creature moving the clouds in the sky about. 'How amusing! They domesticated them to preform duties in weather alteration. Perhaps in my new world I will grant the same skill to my new creations.'

Observation taken, the deity strode down to the village itself. He had not even reached the first building when he realized something he considered rather strange. More of the quadrupeds, most without wings, were entering and exiting the buildings, standing at stalls, buying and selling, and, though it now seemed small potatoes, conversing. Of course, in his ears, they all spoke the same as his kind, though to any other from his universe it would be complete gibberish. It was not long before he was spotted. Even less time before a panic rose.

"Monster!" screamed one.

"It's gonna eat us!" the one next to her shouted.

"Run for your lives!" a pink one called from a doorway.

Immediately they all began running around, seemingly in random directions. Zanza was sure he saw one run directly into a street lamp. Eventually, they did all manage to clear the market street, giving him a direct path to the crystal structure, the lower third of which resembled an enormous prismatic tree with an overlarge door. He'd seen the pink one as well as several others run in there and slam the door shut behind them.

Zanza chuckled. 'Ah, if only the peoples of the Bionis had been this fearful. It would've been much simpler.'

He stepped up to the door, crossing his arms and looking it up and down. Not nearly the shine or luster of his Ether crystals, not even of those of the lowest quality. It couldn't compare to the gates of Prison Island, not in intricacy or size. The rest of the structure was of no more impressiveness, rather gaudy, and yet still it lacked good design, to him. It bored him. He would certainly tear it down when-

Whhhm-CRCK

Author's Note

Enjoy! First real interaction coming up next chapter.

Evasive Words

Zanza burned with furious indignation. A mere mortal had just thrown the door wide, literally knocking him off his feet with sheer force. He quickly rose to his full stature, and made to ready his Monado - and remembered he no longer possessed the sword. He would certainly make an example of this creature later, when he no longer needed any of them. This being so, he committed the ponio-esque creature to memory: a light violet coat, precisely cut shadowy-purple mane with two stripes of varying shades of pink, stopping at the level of it's stubby horn. Wings, larger than those of the other ponio-creatures. It was only mid-torso level to him, still a few inches taller than most of the others.

The pink ponio from earlier jumped behind her and whispered, "That's the monster...!"

Still fuming, but hiding it behind a calm gaze he was so adept at producing, Zanza replied. "I assure you, I am no monster."

Purple flinched slightly in brief shock, before cautiously inquiring, "If you aren't a monster, then why would everypony run from you? What did you do?"

Zanza laughed, a genuine sounding chuckle, before responding, "Yes, my resonating aura of resplendence can be quite intimidating upon first glance. I did nothing but walk into your town, as any traveler would. It is not my doing nor intention that they should fear me."

'Yet.' he added in bitter silence.

The taller ponio-creature seemed slightly alleviated of her concerns, though she still held some degree of worry and confusion on her face. "Then I guess you came here for a reason, mister...?"

"Zanza," the god replied. "My name is Zanza."

'Hm... should I explain my true reasons for being here? What I actually seek?' He refrained from grinning. 'I will tell them the truth. But not all of it.

"As for the reason of my presence, I am seeking two... tools that I lost when I arrived here." the Soul of Bionis continued. "They are of great worth to me, for a number of reasons."

"Well, if you lost them when you came into town, I'm sure that they're nearby."

"Not quite what I meant by 'arrived'. I mean in your... realm." Zanza evaded. 'Why have I not planned for- Ah, right. No future sight.'

"Our country? The continent?" she asked, confused.

"Again, that is not what I meant," The deity said, quickly growing annoyed, and almost... he could not. 'No, fear is unbecoming of a God.'

"I believe this would be better discussed without several dozen of your kind staring at me and quivering in terror."

The tall ponio looked behind her. At the end of the extensive hall, indeed three dozen or more multicolored ponios were crowded behind a throne, cowering in fear at the stranger. The pink one that had previously hidden directly behind her had fled and was hanging from a banner embossed with several stars at the end of the hall.

"Maybe you're right," She admitted. She turned, and addressed them as a whole, "Citizens of Ponyville, you can return to your activities now. This traveler is not a threat, he's only looking for some things he lost." No one moved. "He's not going to attack you, he won't curse you, he's not going to bother you, beyond asking a question or two."

This seemed to persuade them to exit, though Zanza was motioned to move away from the entrance by the purple ponio.

'How laughable. It's as if she thinks she has authority over me.'

The last to exit was the pink one, who gave him a long stare before running so quickly away a cloud of dust in her shape was left behind. 'A strange one indeed. Was she not one of the first to induce this panic?'

Now alone with the strangely dressed stranger, the tall ponio gave a nervous laugh, and gestured for him to step inside. He complied, as the doors shut silently behind him. The purple ponio cleared her throat, and introduced herself as Twilight Sparkle. 'Such a strange name. Then, the creatures of my creation had been granted names strange to these beings.'

"So, er, Zanza," Twilight began. "What did you mean? Where are you from?"

A question he'd been hoping to avoid. He regretted not lying earlier about his origins, but there was nothing he could do about that now.

"I am... of another place," He said evasively. "Your kind will not know of it, so there is little point in my telling you."

"But if you're from another unheard country, the princesses and I would love to start-"

"I will not speak of my own realm," Zanza said definitively. Bitterly, he continued, "It's peoples are a worthless collection of insects who deserved naught but destruction they brought upon themselves."

"O-oh... well, okay," Twilight said, nerves rising again. "But you're not like them, right?"

"Hm?" Zanza was shaken from his thoughts of anger. "No. No, they are far beneath one such as I. I was above them, in more ways than one. And no, I do not care to elaborate."

Twilight gave another half-hearted laugh, nervously tapping the floor with a hoof. "A-alright."

Zanza took notice of her actions. Quickly, so as to avoid unnecessary complications of widespread panic and fear, he added, "As I said, there is no need to fear me. I left them because I disagreed with their ways, and they disagreed with mine."

Once more Twilight's expression softened. "If you say so, Zanza. But another thing..."

"I suppose you are wondering what I am, then?" Zanza said, struggling valiantly to avoid eye rolling. "You would not know of my original kind. They have long since vanished from the realm I come from. However, I suppose, in my current state, you may refer to me as," he shuddered internally with anger. "a Homs."

"'A Homs?'" Twilight echoed.

'Those foul creations of mine. Mortals, all of them, they are but the abhorrent results of a mistaken whim, one I only sought to correct. How dare they banish me from my own realm...!'

"Zanza? Why are you scowling?"

Zanza broke from the momentary stupor. "My apologies. Unfortunate memories. Think naught of them, they are no longer relevant." Zanza returned his face to that of it's usual serene gaze. "However, there is still the matter of my tools."

"Oh, right. What kind of tools are they? Hammers, wrenches-?"

Zanza laughed softly. 'Such is a limited mortal's vision.' "No not such simple items. One takes the form of a crimson sword, etched with blue lines of light, a glass circle at it's handle's base. It totals perhaps five feet, from end to end. The second, with any luck, has maintained the form of a dual-edged blade of equal length, coarsely serrated on the outside, a triangular crosspiece with a long hilt."

"Swords? How can a sword be a tool?" Twilight demanded. "It's a weapon! If you don't intend harm, why would you need weapons?"

'Do not overstep your bounds, mortal.' A storm crossed Zanza's eyes, just for an instant. "They are no weapons. They are tools of creation, transferring matter from one form to another under my guidance. Only those such as myself are capable of controlling such abilities."

"You're weapons can really transform matter?" she questioned skeptically. "Magic that only second-to-highest-level unicorns can preform?

"Among other things," Zanza said. "But such abilities are not important. Once I have reclaimed my, ah, tool, perhaps I will demonstrate it's capabilities."

'You would make a fine target for the Buster.'

Twilight seemed rather uplifted at this statement. "Well, I can't say I've seen anything like that around Ponyville, but I could ask around. Maybe one of my friends has seen it. And I could ask the Princesses about it, if they've seen it."

Zanza held back a chuckle. 'Monarchy? Even the mortals of Bionis and Mechonis knew what little benefit such a system provided. They, at one time, knew not to worship a mortal as their ruler. If only it had remained that way.'

"I take it these 'Princesses' are your superiors?"

"Well, equals, actually. I'm a princess as well."

Out of a strange curiosity, though more to build affinity with her, Zanza ventured, "What granted you right to this title? Bloodline? Achievement?"

"Well, I actually finished my studies as Princess Celestia's student, and before that, I was a Bearer of an Element of Harmony." Twilight continued enthusiastically. "My friends and I saved the town and Equestria multiple times."

"That sounds rather impressive, Princess. More than many amounted to in my realm, if the last is as you say." 'For a mortal. Though even that blasted Shulk and his companions amounted to more, as much as it pains me to admit it.'

"Heh, thank you." Twilight blushed a bit, then cleared her throat, striking up a serious expression. "You... do you have a place to stay tonight?"

Zanza shook his head, but quickly added, "Do not worry. I need not a place to rest."

"You... you don't sleep, or anything?"

"No," Zanza replied. Then, realizing that nearly all mortals mortals do slumber, he continued, "That is to say, I have rested quite recently, and shall not require such a place for some time. In the moment, however, I shall endeavor to reclaim my tools of creation."

"Are you sure? I mean," Twilight began. "I'd still like to learn more about you. You still haven't told me anything about your 'abilities' you mentioned, or about the 'Homs', or-"

"Nor will you hear about them any time in the near future," Zanza said with an air of finality. "Not, at least, until I obtain at least one of the aforementioned tools. Until then, your highness." He struggled to keep the venom from his voice in those final words.

'Royals. They think they actually influence the world - none act outside the Margins of Fate. Only one of my Position and Power should have that influence, to change fate. Not even Meyneth was fit for the task, when it came down to our final confrontation.'

"But Zanza!" Twilight called. "What if my friends and I find one?"

"Do not worry, I will know. Besides, if you really must find me, do you truly doubt finding a being of my appearance to be of much difficulty in this place? From what I've observed, my kind are not common here."

'If any living being comes in contact with the first, I will feel it. And then? Its return would be assured, as would my power.'

Twilight found it difficult to argue, that point. Before she could say another word, however, Zanza had left, the door closing behind him seemingly under it's own power.

Author's Note

Zanza sure knows what he's doing, huh? Well, not really. No Monado = No Future Sight. So he's kinda going blind. Heh, puns. Hey, wait, don't read this!

Monado I

Monado I

A number of hours later...

Chink

Chink

Chink

Chink

The mining pony chipped away at the crystals. For anyone else to have been doing so as long as him, it would have surely driven them mad with tedium. But for a pony who's talent was patience, it was not an issue. It was his job to excavate the valuable gemstones beneath Canterlot Castle. The monotony of the pickax's strikes was soothing to him. He enjoyed having time to think to himself, and it paid rather well. In short, he was happy.

Chink

Chink

Clunk

'Clunk?' Thought the miner. 'It never goes clunk.'

A small protrusion of red had appeared in the place he had struck. This greatly confused him, as he'd been mining white smokey quartz, and the geologist had said that the vein continued for some time. He decided to uncover... whatever this thing was.

...

He broke the edged object from the last vestiges of the crystal that imprisoned it. Despite the small chunks of crystal still attached to it, the object was quite impressive looking. A red circle with a glass disc inside was at the base, and a long extension of the same red metal protruded from that circle. The whole thing was overlaid with a shocking blue pattern. As the miner held the smaller, handle-like end in his hoof, the lines began glowing, a surge of light streaming along the lines.

'They have found it...? My Monado?'

The miner nearly dropped it in surprise. Did this 'Monado' just talk to him? In his mind?

'Yes, I did speak to you, mortal ponio. Bring me to the Princess called Twilight.'

'Why?' the miner thought suspiciously. 'When a fancy talking thing like you might be full of dark magic?'

'You dare to address my power as dark magic?' the Monado spoke. 'I shall unleash the full might of the Monado on you, mortal, that all you are ceases to be.'

''Ceases to be?''

The larger end of the Monado split in two, and an enormous beam of light extended from the circle at the base. He was nearly blinded by the radiance, and he found himself unable to release his grasp. He was pulled forward by the glowing blade, which cleaved through a thick pillar of pure crystal like a knife through butter, a stream of blue particles in it's wake.

His vision filled with blue, and he could remember no more.

After dusk...

A Night Guard had been assigned to patrol the border of Canterlot, as per usual. Nothing strange tended to happen out here, aside from the odd Everfree Beast wandering by. Nothing at all. It was rather boring, really. The only things on this edge of the border wall were the guard barracks and the mine, and there had never been any trouble at either place. Well, until a blinding blue glare shone from the mine's entrance, along with a resounding crash from within.

After a moment's delight at the distraction, the night pony rushed down to find an earth pony garbed in miner's clothes, coated in sweat and gem dust, collapsed. By the pony's side lay what the guard assumed was the source of the light. A blade of energy re-collapsed into a closing red casing. The once-glowing circle in the center lost it's gleam and symbol.

The earth pony coughed loudly. "Cursed thing... please... destroy it. Before it destroys us all..."

The Night Guard ran to him, but before she could even touch him, the pony stopped moving with another bright flash. No longer breathing. The Night Guard called for aid from her fellow guards, then remembering the miner's last words.

'What even is this thing?' She wondered.

She picked it up. In a blue glare and a faint, echoing laugh, she remembered no more.

...

She stood panting, the glowing blade firmly grasped in her front hooves. Around her, the collected bodies of her comrades laying around her. The Guard pony panicked a moment, then saw a stir of movement. They still breathed, though they were heavily bruised. She sighed, and heard the same voice as the laughter from earlier.

'So it seems that the Monado still cannot harm those of flesh and blood. You have serviced me well, mortal. But your usefulness has passed.'

The Night Guard fell, the Monado deactivating as it was dropped from her hooves.

Nearing dawn...

Medics and guards swarmed the area around the mine, most not even acknowledging the presence of the Night Princess as she approached the epicenter of the damage. A single Night Guard had been killed that night, along with several miners who had been caught in the mine's cave-in. The only thing that was out of place was an odd red blade with a glass disc at the cross piece.

The guards said they had been attacked by the now-deceased pony who had wielded it. She had acted normally until picking it up, at which point the blade of light had been unleashed. The guard became a demon, striking down any who neared her. When nopony else had the courage to approach her, the light vanished, and the guard simply... died. After which, the remaining guards retreated for aid, eventually calling upon herself.

Of course, she did not touch it. After affirming the safety of the guards in the area, the Night Princess grasped the blade in a telekinetic field, and warped both her's and the blade's position to her study. The alicorn set it down on the large desk that dominated the room. This curiosity would be the focus of her studies for days to come, certainly. She set about readying the materials for a major investigation of this 'Possessed Sword's' properties.

The blade hummed audibly, almost akin to a very quiet sigh. The Princess took note of this, and began sketching the blade for future reference.

Zanza opened his ancient eyes. Secluded as he was in the forest, there was no one around to witness his many-hour meditation.

This was an unforeseen complication. He had hoped that the Monado could be returned directly to him. Perhaps it would have been a wiser decision to manipulate the guard into bringing it to him. Then again, it would be suspicious for one to leave the scene of the mine collapse, and they would surely be missed. Zanza felt a deep sense emptiness. He desperately needed to know the Passage of Fate. It would be so much more simple if he had known the consequences beforehand.

Although absorbing their life forces had furthered his path to former glory considerably.

'It is of no matter. Princess Twilight said she would contact her equals about my Monado. I can explain it's power in a blameless fashion, and how only one such as myself can control it. Their deaths can be blamed as an accident. I can reclaim my Weapon of Creation. And all will fall into place.

'Everything will be perfect. Meyneth's Monado will be mine. My Bionis will be reborn. Fate will be restored.

'And I will never have to deal with a mortal again.'

Author's Note

I've been trying for twenty minutes to make a link function and I cannot for the life of me figure out what I'm doing wrong. Sorry, you'll have to look up the Monado I yourself. If you haven't played the game, MAKE SURE it is the Monado I, not II, III, or Replica Monado.

The Sealed Sword and The Deal

Zanza decided to grace the town with his presence, in search of the one called Twilight. She had said that she could contact the royals, one of which he knew possessed his Monado. Perhaps she had already done so, and explained -

Zanza felt his heart skip a beat, a horrid thing he had not experienced in a millennium. 'I can only hope that is not the case. The last thing I need is further impediments in my reclamation.'

He stopped, and looked about. The sun had only just begin to rise, a time where most would be setting up their stalls or travelling to school, but they dared not to venture out. Not with him about. 'I suppose they have yet to grow accustomed to my appearances.'

As the Spirit of Bionis drew nearer to the palace, he faintly sensed life forces surrounding the structure, an ability he had finally reacquired with last night's events, however limited it was without his Monado. A number of guards donning gold or obsidian hued armor were arranged about the entrance, many the same subspecies of ponio as the guard from the previous night.

'Speaking of impediments...' he mused as he approached them, palms out and visible to them. "Well then, it seems I am expected."

A few of the guards looked to one another as if surprised, before returning their gaze to Zanza. One mare stepped forward from their ranks, and addressed the deity. "If you are the one who goes by 'Zanza', you are to come with us immediately."

'It is adorable how they think they have authority over me,' the deity chuckled softly, unnerving the group, but he complied.

He could feel something - a familiar something - in the castle. Along with several powerful auras, perfect for replenishing his own reserves. As he drew nearer to the room he was being led to, his divine senses could detect snippets of conversation.

Zanza recognized Twilight's voice. "... are you sure? Won't he be mad?"

"It is for the best, Twilight. It is a dangerous thing, unsafe to be around. Sealing it's power was a necessary precaution. We can only hope his own intentions did not align with that of this cursed blade." A regal voice reasoned.

'They truly are more naive than I originally imagined,' he shook his head, disappointed. Then his head snapped to attention. 'No. No, they could not have. They would not dare...!'

Zanza stormed ahead past the guards to the source of the voices, forcing the locked door open with a massive two-handed shove. The room's occupants all turned to him with a mixture of shock, anger, and surprise strewn across their faces. Twilight stood next to who Zanza assumed were the other princesses, judging by their race, royal regalia, and stature. Behind them, on a crystalline stand, his Monado rested. Quickly it was engulfed in a midnight blue nimbus of energy, cutting off his connection to it.

"What have you done to my Monado?" He demanded.

"We are the diarchs of the Sun and Moon," the magic using one said forcefully. "And you shall not address us in such a manner."

Zanza took a deep breath, and his serene visage returned to him. "My apologies, I was merely inquiring as to the condition of my Monado."

"So it is indeed your weapon, this 'Monado?'" The tall starry-maned ponio confirmed. She was on level with his own height, horn included, and her wings dwarfed those of Twilight's. "Your weapon caused the death and injury of no less than seventeen civilians and guards?"

"No, it was their own incompetence in wielding the blade that drove them to their destruction. It is of no fault of my own that they could not handle it's power." Zanza stated, glaring at her. "Now return it to me, that it may never fall into mor- that is, unworthy hands again."

"Why should we give you back a weapon capable of such destruction?" The pastel maned ponio inquired sternly. Of the three, only she truly could look him dead in the eye without looking up, given her greater size.

"It is only a tool of harm in the hands of those who are unworthy to the Monado's power," Zanza insisted. "I am the only one it recognizes as being fully capable of utilizing it's true power and potential. The Monado is a tool of creation."

The white ponio seemed skeptical. "Is that so?"

"He did mention it earlier to me," Twilight confirmed. "He said something about being able to transform matter."

"Truly?" the darker one mimicked the white in tone.

Zanza had an idea, if the ponios were gullible enough to allow him to. He held out a hand. "Perhaps you would care for a demonstration?"

The tallest two looked to each other for a long moment, before the white nodded to the midnight one. The red blade was slowly floated over to the deity, though there was a moment of hesitation before it was within his reach. 'Finally.'

Zanza grasped the blade in his right hand, and with a flourish, the blue beam of pure ether burst out from the brandished weapon. He gave a small grin, which quickly soured. 'What is... Why can I not restore it's form? Why is it locked as such?' He closed his eyes momentarily, before snapping open in annoyance. 'I cannot see the future! Why is the passage of fate sealed to me?'

He turned to them. They had said they had sealed it's power. He could break the bonds, but it would take far too much time and be too obvious to do it here and now. Not without the amount of energy equivalent to the amount used to seal it, many, many lives worth. He effectively resisted the urge to give a sigh of frustration, contenting himself to a slight, momentary scowl. 'But perhaps I could... there is still hope. I could get them to remove this curse from my Monado. Gain their trust so they can contribute to it's unbinding. Ah, but not now. They are still waiting for an example of it's potential.

"I will require inorganic matter. Is there anything in here that you do not care for? Organic material requires far more energy than this seal of yours allows me to channel through it at this time." he emphasized the word 'seal' with a small level of disgust.

Twilight put a hoof to her chin, looking around the room. Eventually she levitated over a blue gemstone from a bowl on one of the table's. At Zanza's questioning look, she elaborated, "Spike won't miss it. Besides, he's had enough this week." Zanza shook his head, and leveled the Monado with the precious rock. A slash, barely traceable by the naked eye, and the stone's ethereal matter was absorbed into the beam of ether. A look of mild interest passed over the faces of the two taller ponios.

The Spirit of Bionis took a neutral stance. "Now, is there anything in particular you would like to see?" Neither of the taller two responded, and the shortest shook her head. "Then I shall show you someone I had lost my place to, in my own realm."

The deity held out his left hand, palm up. Light from the Monado flowed up to his hand, and began to form a small, vaguely humanoid form, growing more defined, gaining fine white-blonde hair, red, blue and black clothing, and deeply cerulean eyes. It was inanimate, however; it did not so much as twitch in the slightest as it held it's place just above Zanza's hand. 'The first step in gaining their trust is gaining their sympathy.'

"This is the upstart that chased me from my home. He did everything in his power to try and kill me, and only succeeded in banishing me here. Separate from my weapons of creation." Zanza scowled as he elaborated. "He only desired a world without me, and in banishing me, doomed his whole world's very existence. This insignificant Homs condemned his world by removing the one who maintained fate, who wielded that which created the world with the intent of renewing it."

"He destroyed his world?" Twilight asked with concern. Zanza nodded, dissipating the model.

"What did you do to make him banish you?" The white one asked sternly.

"You assume I was to blame?" Zanza feigned hurt.

"Yes." The blue one stated with a neutral gaze.

"I only did as fate determined. The world was in need of restoration, but he would not have it. He saw fate differently, determined he had to stop me. But it was this re-envisioning of fate that ended the world by removing the only one remaining with the ability to wield the Monado." The deity chose his words carefully. 'Granted, I was the one who made restoration necessary, in my eyes. But it was within the margins of fate.'

"You keep mentioning fate, as if you knew what was supposed to happen," Blue observed. "But one cannot know the fate of their entire world. You jest, surely."

"I assure you, I do not." Zanza's expression darkened. "Fate is only foreseen by one such as myself, one who can truly wield the Monado with precision." 'A skill which you have so insolently deprived me of in the moment.'

"And what granted you this skill?" White inquired.

Zanza paused. 'My greatest feat. My unimaginable power. I created their kind, their world; I alone choose when they perish. Fate is mine alone to decide.' he thought with contempt.

Aloud, he said simply, "I have always been able to."

They did not seem entirely satisfied with this answer, but did not press him for more on the subject. Zanza decided not to return the favor. "And you? Who might you be to question me?"

"I am Princess Luna, and this is my elder sister, Princess Celestia," the blue one introduced. "And forgive me if I cannot say it is a pleasure to meet you, Zanza."

'Likewise, mortal.' "Agreed, it is a shame we could not have met in less... unfortunate circumstances."

'Celestia' nodded, then, with a harsher form of the stern gaze she'd been using, said, "There is still the matter of your punishment."

'They would dare!' Zanza's mind ran a billion miles an hour. 'But perhaps... Mortals' guilt is a useful tool. I could use this to my advantage.' He motioned for her to continue.

"Your 'tool of creation' as you put it has caused the death and injury of many civilians and guards-"

"I am not to blame for this. If a child finds their parent's knife, hidden away, and hurts someone with it with their inexperience, is it the parent's fault for their child's incompetence and recklessness?"

Celestia blinked, expression unwavering. "You carelessly left it where it could fall into the hooves of my 'incompetent' subjects."

"Perhaps a better comparison; Should people charge recklessly into the unknown? They knew not what they toyed with, and it is quite apparent the consequences of their foolishness," Zanza countered. "And as I said, I had no influence over where my blade landed. I knew nothing of this land. I could not have predicted where it would land, not without it's ability to glimpse the future."

"It is because you are here that-" Luna started angrily.

"Against my will. I was forcefully evicted from my own realm, as I've said several times now. And I was unconscious until my eventual arrival here."

Twilight stood jaw gaping, staring at Zanza in awe. The foreign being had effectively countered the princesses' arguments against him not once, not twice, but three times consecutively.

"Any more invalid slander you'd like to pose against me?" The Spirit of Bionis crossed his arms and smirked. "Or am I permitted to leave in search of the other Monado?"

"You shall not speak against us in such a manner-!" Luna raged.

"I have every right to, as you have treated me as a common criminal despite all that has happened being mere accidents that are the fault of that wretch who banished me. Knowing what I have explained to you, you still accused me of acts I had not committed. And you have so obviously and crudely sealed the Monado that I might not foresee fate and do my duty in fulfilling it," Zanza retorted with indignation. "It would appear to the outsider that you are the antagonists here, would it not, Twilight?"

Twilight flinched at the sudden mention of her name. "I, well, I guess-"

'Oh, how perfect!'

"You see?" Zanza chuckled as he spoke. "Even your own colleague has come to agree with me. You are the only ones who deserve punishment."

Luna's eyes filled with white light. Storm clouds gathered outside, flashing lightning as the windows blew open. "Do not toy with us, beast."

Zanza's eyes filled with a fury he had not felt since his defeat. 'Beast! How dare any mortal refer to me as beast!'

"Luna!" Celestia berated the night princess. The winds died down and the storms faded. "You know he makes a valid point."

"He makes a mockery of our rule and our judgement!" Luna protested, glaring at him.

"I have done nothing. Both of your arguments were flawed to begin with." the deity refrained from resorting to childish gestures to express his hatred for the night princess. Petty insults, however, were fair game. He cared no longer to gain her aid - only to ruin her before her inevitable downfall. "Though yours especially was laughably weak."

Luna glared venomously at him. He returned it with an unperturbed gaze.

"Zanza," Celestia began after a deep breath. "While we may have been about to have a lapse of judgement, your rudeness is uncalled for."

Zanza once again avoided an eye roll. "My apologies. I had no intention of disgracing you as efficiently as I did."

"Hmph!" Luna grunted. "Excuse me, sister, but I have other duties to attend to. I shall leave you to deal with this... miscreant."

Zanza shook his head with disgust as the night princess vanished with a flash. He turned to the day princess. "So. Am I permitted to leave now? Or would anyone else like to insult or accuse me?"

"Zanza, you know very well that you instigated the insulting with your backhanded comments. And our accusations were entirely called for until you explained yourself."

"I suppose you are requesting an apology, then? Or are you going to verbally reprimand me further, as if I were a child?" Zanza replied, a bemused expression overcoming his face.

"Not as such," Celestia's expression softened. "It seems to me that you are a pretty abrasive being, not used to being kind to others. Am I wrong?"

"I have never had a true friend," Zanza admitted, stone-faced. "But... one of my position should not desire friendship. My equal, Meyneth, she had made a number of friends, treated all the best she could."

"Well that's wonder-" Twilight began.

"She perished before my eyes because her compassion compelled her to sacrifice herself for them. Her duties fell to my hands alone." The deity said darkly. 'Ah, how I love the intricacies of truth.'

The two ponios were silent for a moment, exchanging glances of worry. Twilight was first to speak. "That's... sad. But not every friendship ends like that!"

"I offered my opponent a place among my disciples, my allies, as a gift to him. He denied it and proceeded to fight me with his like-minded companions." Zanza recalled bitterly. "My offer for truce, spurned and tossed aside. I could've stopped him before, had I not wanted to offer this position to him. I had given him a final chance to prevent his destruction, and he..." The Spirit of Bionis trailed off. 'His hatred for my way, for me, he doomed his world out of spite of my decided fate.'

Zanza snapped back to attention. "This is how I learned - in the worst of ways - why I should not long for friendship."

Oppressive silence returned to the room. Twilight looked at the floor, disheartened. Celestia wrapped a wing around the smaller ponio, and nuzzled her encouragingly. 'Pathetic. The residents of Colony Six had been far more resolute. And here she is, a ruler of a nation, already falling to despair.'

The white ponio released Twilight. "Zanza, I realize you may not have had the best experiences with friendship-" the deity scoffed. "-but until you understand it's magic, I'm not sure I can let you go off on your own. I request that you stay with Twilight so that she can teach you about friendship."

"No." Zanza growled. 'I will not be subjected to lessons on their pathetic values.'

"Then allow me to rephrase - I do not trust you enough when it comes to causing harm to my subjects, so I'm giving you an order to stay with Twilight until we can be sure you'll be no trouble."

He was quiet a moment, before breaking out into hollow laughter that echoed in the room. As it died down, his expression became quite serious. "And why should I follow this order of yours?"

"You will be considered a felon otherwise." Celestia said sternly.

"On what charges? We have already discussed this, I am at no fault here, and have never shown any aggression beyond trading disrespectful remarks with one who insulted me without reason." 'Honestly, how dense are these mortals?'

"We'll help you find the other Monado?" Twilight suggested.

"I can find it on my own." he insisted. 'If it wasn't for this damnable seal.'

The two looked to each other, exchanging silent messages in their gazes. In unison, they said, "We'll undo the seal as you make progress."

Zanza's eyes widened in mild surprise. 'So soon? I will not even have to trick them! Ha! What incompetence!' "Is that so?"

After a moment's hesitation, they nodded. Twilight then added, "But don't even think about trying anything funny with it. We'll know if you hurt anypony with that thing."

"But of course," Zanza said in false agreement. "I would expect nothing less."

'This will be ridiculously easy! Maintain a facade of kindness and they will grant me my rightful power. It would be a matter of time until I can simply take the power from them with no consequences. And I already have learned something about friendship; it makes manipulation that much easier when the target is trying to befriend you. Ahah, ahah! Haha-!'

"Ehm, Zanza?" Twilight asked cautiously. "You're smiling at the ceiling... It's more than a little creepy."

Author's Note

I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I WANTED TO SAY HERE SO HERE'S A PICTURE OF RIKI

OH WAIT
I REMEMBERED THE MONADO I

Fear of God, Lack of Faith

Keeping to the truce, Zanza did not take his leave of the fortress. Celestia took Twilight aside into the hall, to speak to her in private, leaving Zanza to himself. Of course, he listened in with his heightened senses through the door.

"Twilight, are you absolutely sure you are capable of this?" Celestia spoke in hushed tones.

"I wouldn't say I was if I wasn't," the purple ponio responded.

"Twilight, Zanza has valid reason to distrust friendship, and reason to not like us," the taller said. "We've started this whole thing on the wrong hoof. That, and we've seen what that sword is capable of, and his temper. Not to mention how easily he rouses anger in others, even my own sister. Even if he is not inherently malicious, his own personality may bring him to trouble."

'Temper?' he contemplated. 'You have not even begun to see my ire. And in all honesty, her sister wasn't a challenge in the least to infuriate.'

"Princess, my friends and I can handle this. Really! If we can reform Discord, this is just going to be the next step up. Discord just didn't understand friendship at all, with Zanza, he's familiar with it - we just need to show him the good things about having friends!"

Zanza scoffed aloud. He froze as hoofsteps approached the door, then quickly picked up a nearby book and opened it.

"Ah, hello. Are you done speaking now?" he said casually,

"What did you hear?" Celestia glared.

"Hm? Nothing. I've just been reading." he lied.

Twilight pulled the book towards her, not letting the cover face the deity. "Oh? Then what's the title?"

"Perhaps I should have added an 'attempting' in there," Zanza raised a brow. "Why? Were you discussing anything I should know of?"

Twilight blanched and quickly shook her head, Celestia less frantically repeating the motion. She turned to the smaller princess.

"Well, Twilight, I'm afraid I have some business to attend to back in Canterlot. I'll leave you in charge here. And Zanza," she turned to him. "Behave."

"I had not even thought to preform otherwise." Zanza promised. 'I will do as I see fit. Not what you desire, mortal.'

Celestia gave Twilight a quick hug with her wing, nodded to him, unimpressed, and vanished in a white flash. Twilight stared at the spot for a moment before shaking her head and turned to him. Zanza looked at the finally risen sun, standing with crossed arms, the Monado slung across his back. His emotions were as unreadable as ever, his face the neutral gaze that had been his predominant expression that she had come to associate with him.

'Their sun had not been in this position before, and yet it held that precise place for the entirety of our meeting. I will have to correct this when-'

"Zanza? Is something wrong?" Twilight asked, concerned.

'Best not mention it. It would likely be normal for them anyway.' "Nothing. I am just... reminiscing."

Twilight did not press. Instead, after a moment, she cleared her throat, and began anew, "Zanza, We're going into town."

He turned to her, and smirked insincerely. "Oh? And why is that?"

"My first experience making friends began with me being dropped into this town with Spike. We had reason to talk to a bunch of different ponies, most of which became friends, and six of them became my best friends." Twilight elaborated, leading Zanza down the steps again. "So, I'm going to try and show you around town while introducing you to the different ponies."

"In a re-imagining of your original experience?"

"That's right!" Twilight opened the large front doors.

"Then you would equate to this 'Spike' person?"

Twilight thought a moment and then violently shook her head. "I don't know you like Spike knows me. So I don't think it'd be fair to compare me to him."

'She doesn't seem to make much of him, meaning he is either a disappointment or had ideals conflicting with her own, in all likelihood. I will have to meet this 'Spike' at some point. He could be a useful tool.' Zanza followed her out into the open.

The ponios were now, for the most part, going about their days as normal. Children walking to school, shopkeepers unlocking or setting up their stores, pedestrians milling about with a seeming absence of purpose. It was a tranquil morning indeed. Emphasis on 'was.'

Upon the first citizen's notice of his presence, everyone within his sight line dropped to the ground, cowering. Anyone who was not bolted.'It is an improvement. A minor one, but still an improvement.'

The Spirit of Bionis turned to her. "Are you now realizing that your arrival was not as nearly obtrusive due to the fact that they are at least the same species?" Twilight gave a nervous chuckle. "I shall take that as a 'yes', then."

The ponio princess cleared her throat. "Everypony, there is no reason to fear. This is Zanza, he's visiting from his own home, and he's here to-"

"Eat us?" one asked fearfully.

"Conquer us?" the one next to her asked.

"Conquer us and then eat us?" another popped up in between.

Zanza laughed. "No, no, I am not here for that." 'Though that was a surprisingly close guess.'

Twilight picked up her announcement again. "Zanza is here to make some friends. I'm going to show him around town, is all. All of you can continue with your days, he won't be any trouble."

'Don't make promises you lack the capability to enforce, mortal.'

Still, Zanza smiled serenely and took a courtesy bow, ignoring the humiliation it presented him. This seemed to calm the population, or at least alleviate their concerns somewhat. Slowly, they rose from the ground and began to resume their daily tasks, more wary and uneasy than before. Twilight breathed a second sigh, this of relief, and led the deity down the street, pointing out shops and landmarks as they came. He hardly paid attention, instead amusing himself by looking directly at different citizens to gauge their reactions. Many noticeably looked away, more still pretended he wasn't there, and a few even ducked behind the nearest solid object. 'It is a wonder this community exists with such cowardice so prevalent.'

Eventually, the duo reached the end of town, a hill overlooking a dark, foreboding, overgrown wood. The deity, having no more skittish targets for his glance about, decided to finally tune into what the princess was droning on about.

"... so I'd stay out if I were you."

"Hm? And why is that?" he inquired, sensing odd ether energies from within the forest. 'Their kind likely just does not understand it's creatures, and fears them because of that. It seems to be a trend among the finite.'

"Weren't you paying attention?" the ponio huffed. "The Everfree forest is full of deadly monsters and dangerous plant life, and only a few ponies can get in and out of there without having a lot of trouble."

"Creatures such as...?"

"Manticores, Timberwolves, the occasional cockatrice. All dangerous, all plentiful, all hungry."

"They hardly sound intimidating."

Twilight snorted, raising an eyebrow. "Yeah, I thought so too before I went in. Ever been turned to stone?"

'In a sense,' He thought, bemused. Yet he shook his head.

"That's one of the least horrible things the creatures of the forest can do. Especially if you're unprepared." She quickly gave a skeptical glance up and down the deity, but not so fast he wouldn't notice.

Zanza cocked an eyebrow, no longer amused, motioned to the Monado, then himself. "You doubt my skill?"

"While that's sealed? Yes." Twilight replied casually, unconvinced.

'So arrogant, to think yourself better than a god! Such impudence deserves punishment. and yet I cannot give away my disposition. I would so dearly love to show you how wrong you are. Perhaps...?' He contemplated a moment, formulating a plan to put her in her place. 'Ah, that could work. But first, step one: Flattery.'

"You have said you are a hero of sorts, a prodigious student. You have indicated experience with traversing it, and with dealing with the dangers. Not to mention I can sense your aura in the seal. One of your power could surely hold their own in there." he gestured to the dense forest.

She blushed slightly. "Well, yes. That's true."

'She took the bait.'

"Then why do you not show me the forest's hazards?" he questioned.

She tilted her head, and gave an incredulous look. "You're kidding, right?"

Zanza shook his head. "If I were to see the dangers first hand, I'd know how to avoid them. If I saw you dispose of them, I would know how. If you could not, I could prove my own ability to hold my own. One learn's best from experience," he paused, giving her a moment to consider. He then continued, "I see no reason for you not to do so. You would likely have the time, seeing as you had the time to take me through town. What would a short detour be?"

The princess sighed, giving an annoyed expression. Zanza reigned in his urge to laugh with no small amount of effort. The ponio dragged a hoof over her face, and returned to a noticeably forced grin.

"Alright! Okay. Fine. We'll wander aimlessly around the Everfree Forest. Let's go." she turned a one-eighty towards the forest, and started walking stiffly away from Zanza.

He chuckled softly to himself, starting to walk after her. 'She certainly is good as masking that irritation,' he mocked. More darkly, his thought continued, 'I cannot wait see her broken by my will and blade. Who knows, maybe I will not even have to.'

Author's Note

Feedback~ I WANT IT.

Validation of Strength and Return of Another

The Spirit of Bionis was honestly quite disappointed by the scenery surrounding him. The trees were barely ten meters high at the most, the undergrowth was nearly nonexistent, and when it came to overlarge creatures, there were next-to-none. The forest wasn't even pleasant to look at; nothing glowed or shone, it was all dim and drab colors, there wasn't even contrast in the flowers- just more shades of dark purple and brown. It bored him, almost as much as the inane questions the ponio would ask.

"Did you hear that?"

"What was that?"

"For Celestia's sake, why are we still even in here?"

The pair had been walking within view of the forest edge for barely half an hour, and the ponio was being incredibly paranoid for no obvious reason. Zanza could feel thousands of life forces in the forest around him, not one of them approaching the two. He continually reassured her that he saw and heard nothing, though he still kept vigilance in the near area.

'This is likely one of the most dull places I have ever had the displeasure to visit,' he mused. 'Hardly inhabited, colored so darkly, and holds next to nothing ether-wise. I haven't even seen a crystal deposit. There has to be something here to toy with.'

His pace slowed as he drew his focus to extending the range of his senses, hoping for something to make this trip worthwhile. A moment's search later, he detected a number of life forces not much farther in. Three of them seemed to be pulsating wildly, huddled together on the forest floor, and the other three surrounded it, walking around what he assumed was their prey.

'How pathetic, he resisted a sigh. 'Now, how am I to convince the princess to follow me there?'

Three screams sounded off in unison. 'Perfect.'

He grabbed the princess by a nervously raised wing, and bolted through the thin underbrush, dragging his reluctant watcher behind him. He burst into a small clearing, tossing the ponio to his left (into some bushes), while he readied the Monado. Three small ponios, that he assumed were the young of the townsfolk, were cowering in fear of the same number of wooden quadrupeds — some variation of a volff, if he saw correctly. The sudden appearance of an even larger creature throwing their ruler to the side only caused the younglings to clutch one another even more tightly in fear.

The volffs turned to face Zanza, snarling viciously. He gave a smirk of contempt, and grasped the Monado in both hands. He called to the children, "Fear not, little ones. These creatures shall not harm you."

He swung the Monado from the left, the blade searing the nearest volff's side, while the second leaped at his right. Sidestepping, he butted the volff over the head with the pommel of his sword. The first bit Zanza's leg while he regained his stance, his plating absorbing most of the damage.

'How dare this wretched beast bite me!' he raged silently. He swung the Monado overhead, and the ether-blade grew to three times it's usual size. He shouted, "Monado — Buster!"

The blade crashed down on the volff, utterly annihilating it, it's being dispersing into raw ether. The second beast, witness to the destruction of the first, bolted, stumbling with it's injured foreleg. Zanza immediately regretted his rash action, but not because he destroyed the volff in anger — more so because the ether he used in the attack was not restored by the volff's, not even by half. He sighed, deactivating the blade and returning it to his back. The young ones had stopped quivering, but still looked upon him with fear. The princess had finally managed to clear herself from the underbrush, and looked around frantically for the volffs.

"Zanza? Where are the timberwolves?" She asked him. "I saw one run away, but —"

"The other is gone. I had to destroy it, and the sight of it caused the other to flee." Zanza replied casually.

"And what about the third one?" Twilight's eyes widened.

'What — ?'

Zanza was tackled to the ground, face-down. The last timberwolf was on top of him, pinning him to the forest floor.

'Why did I not search for ether signatures?' He thought with mixed anger and regret. The volff bit at his neck, which, while hardly painful, was a massive disgrace. 'Infernal creature! You will regret this!'

The deity tensed up, preparing to flip the volff off his back but suddenly found the weight missing. He rolled over into a crouch, prepared to strike, and then saw the timberwolf smoldering behind him, dead. He looked for the source — Twilight's horn had a small trail of fading smoke emanating from it, the young huddled behind her, peeking at the corpse, and himself.

Zanza's face burned red, anger and shame welling up within. 'How dare she. I had this completely in my hand, and now I've wasted precious ether. This was supposed to be my chance to demonstrate my strength. Not hers.' He rose from the crouch, brushing the forest's debris from his plating. 'What's worse, now I have to thank that miserable wretch for wasting my time.'

"Zanza, are you—" She started with a worried look.

"Fine." He said quickly, avoiding bitterness in his tone. "Because of your quick action, I sustained little damage."

"It bit your neck!" The small white ponio pointed out.

He gave a reassuring smile. "Don't worry. Look," He turned around. A small amount of ether particles danced across the surface where he'd been bitten, restoring the wound to it's original flawless state. Zanza's posture slackened slightly, for a moment, but he hid the fatigue the healing caused. 'And now ether wasted on healing, too.'

The three little ones looked upon him with both awe and trepidation, stepping out from behind the princess, brushing foliage from their short little cloaks. Zanza knelt down, and asked soothingly, "And you three? Have you been harmed?" They shook their heads together. "Good, now then," He stood again, crossing his arms. "Why would three children wander into an explicitly dangerous forest without a guide or protector?"

The ponio with a bow in her hair kicked a pebble, then said sullenly, "We were goin' to go visit Zecora, but we got attacked by the timberwolves and had to run away. We got surrounded here, and then you showed up, and..." she trailed off. "Wait, hang on— who're you?"

"And what are you?" The orange one bravely demanded, then faltering and stepping back.

'I never thought there would come the day where a god has to answer to children.'

"I am Zanza. A homs," He managed to abstain from allowing his contempt to leak into his voice.

"What's a homs?" white inquired.

'Mere bacteria I had the mistaken whim to confer intelligence upon.'

"A being from the realm I come from."

Now, though, annoyance was breaking out on his face. What is was about children that irked him so, he was unsure; likely their incessant yearning for knowledge they need not. They were not the least valuable form of life, they still were among the lowest to him. The only time he had ever come to like a child was when that miserable wretched homs showed up in the ruins, a body for his own use. And that did not last long at all.

"Why're you—"

"Haha, alright girls, we should be getting you all home now, heha," Twilight started to guide them away from Zanza, seeing his growing distaste for their blunt questions. As she herded them out of the forest with him following behind, she gave the god a smile, which he returned insincerely. 'At the very least, she had the sense to quell their curiosity.'

The children were safely escorted back to town, and sternly warned not to enter the forest without an older pony watching. 'As if that had stopped them this time. And is it not dangerous to their elders as well?'

That done, Twilight started walking him back through town. Still they cowered, and still he amused himself by seeing which ones fled from his gaze. That is, until he picked up on something the Princess said to him.

"That was really brave of you, saving the Crusaders like that."

'At last, recognition—'

"Even if you did need saving to, that was still very impressive."

'Take the praise where given,' he reaffirmed himself. 'ignore that backhand of the compliment.'

"Thank you. You yourself showed a great aptitude for quick thinking."

"You think so?"

'No.' "Of course. You're reflexes did save me a great deal of trouble with the beast."

"Heh, thanks," She rubbed the back of her head, bashful at the praise. She continued, "I think Spike should be back by now. I'm sure he'd like to meet you."

"Then lead the way," he said, barely preventing the growing boredom from seeping into his tone.

-=|Two days prior|=-

She lay there in the valley, inanimate. Only the slight breeze wafting by stirred a silver lock that had broken free from the metallic headdress. How long she lay there, she knew not; how she came to be here, she knew not; all she could remember was her last moment, her sacrifice for the future of her children. Her last words, wishing them a world with no need for her or any god. Days passed. She did not notice.

Meyneth was her name, but it had been long since she heard it. She may have lain there forever, blissfully unaware of the world around her, were it not for the massive release of ether energy, far to the south of her. As sudden and quickly as thunder, her brilliant ruby eyes shot open, dilating mechanically in the sunlight. Her complexly plated dress shimmered in metallic black and cherry blossom pink in the twilight, casting flashes of light across her steel-gray skin. It was shorter than she recalled; it did not really matter. Faintly, three circles of blue light flickered behind her before phasing back out of existence, a similar event induced in the highlights of the headdress she wore. A flash passed across the design inscribed on her brow. She rose unsteadily to her plated feet, looking to the sky grimly.

'I know who that is,' Meyneth thought solemnly. 'I only wish it were not so.'

Unused to her body after so long, she staggered up the hill, and looked to the horizon. Not far from the direction of the surge she saw a castle— no, an entire city, seemingly made of glass.

'There are mortals here,' she realized. She had hoped not, for their sake. Meyneth stumbled back down the ridge, and with growing ability, began to run to the city. 'They are in grave danger if he walks their realm. I must warn them, before it is too late. I cannot let this happen again.'

She cared not for the absence of her Monado; right now, they must be warned of Zanza, lest he destroy them all.

Author's Note

NEVER forget the apostrophe in "who're" .
Also, for some reason I really feel good about being able to come up with the 'God answering to children' line. Eheh.

Also... LADY MEYNETH LIVES! Dun! Dun! Dun(ban)!
Zanza's thoughts are in blue,
Meyneth's thoughts are in red.