Akronus stared at the Veil of the Universe, his eyes filled with mysticism and his shuddering breath showing his fear of the unknown. "Well, someone has to.... I mean, we've been trying to decide who should go for a full year. No turning back."

Akronus rushed through the Veil, his thoughts focused on one thing: Equestria. He would be the second crusader to ever see it- and hopefully the first to make it out unscathed. He closed his eyes-to protect himself from the secrets of the universe and tumbled through another portal. He fell, and looked at his surroundings. He saw a pantry, a lab, and more books than he had seen at one time. He concluded that he was in a basement, for no sunlight shone into the room. He walked up a set of stairs to find a locked door. After knocking politely to see if someone would open the door, he pulled his hammer from his back and smashed through the door.

What met him was more than he imagined.

He was face-to-face with two figures. One was a lavender woman, about 5'6", and the other a teenage boy, about 5'4". Akronus smiled weakly, and extended his hand for a handshake. "Hello. I presume you two are of peaceful nature? I should introduce myself. I am Akronus, The Hypocrate's Demon. You two are?"

The lavender one spoke up. "You're....You're a demon?"

Akronus made a look of realization. "Oh, I see. A demon must be a cause for alarm. Do not worry, lady, for I do not plan to work against you. My purpose is to actually find the leader or ruler of this world."

The lavender one was still tentative to the demon's hand. Akronus dropped his hand. "You need to trust me first, I see. Good choice against other demons. But, since I've given you my name, maybe it is a nicety to give me yours, lady."

"It's...Twilight. How did you even get here?"

Akronus had used a sliver of his magic to repair the door. He nodded slightly, marveling his repair work. He looked down at himself, "Well maybe this could be the problem." He found that he was still wearing his armor. "I wear this so much I forget I'm wearing this sometimes."

He snapped his fingers, the armor instantly disappearing and replacing with a simple tee and some blue jeans. He was obviously muscular, but he had a slender frame and looked more toned than he did muscular. "And you, boy? Your name?"

The teen faced Akronus and simply said "Spike." He returned to his cleaning duties.

Akronus looked at Twilight, his left eye twitching. "The boy is your slave? This is intolerable. Explain."

Twilight was surprised by Akronus's now serious tone. He pointed at Spike, who was sweeping the floor. She realized that Akronus thought that she was using him for slave labor. "Oh! Oh no. He's my assistant."

"And does the boy agree to being an assistant?" Akronus inquired. Spike nodded. "Well then, I am sorry for the accusation, Ms. Twilight. I am afraid I must go and find whoever rules this place, so I take my leave." He headed for the door.

Twilight stood in front of the door. "Wait! I have so many questions! I need to perform tests! Why are you here? What's your group's purpose? What-"

Akronus raised his hand for silence. "Please, I will answer these questions later. Right now, I need to do what I was asked."

Twilight looked at the demon with uncertainty. "I'm going with you, then. No funny business, you hear me?" She pointed a finger at him, trying to remain firm at the hellspawn.

"Excellence! a party of two, traversing across the land, learning morals and maybe becoming friends. I see you're going to need a weapon, a tent, and a week's worth of clothes. We should hurry, lest the sun set before our journey began! I do not even want to begin to think the horror and monstrosities we'll face in the night."

"We could just take the train...." She tried to suggest.

"An unreliable means of travel. Feet do not break down as easily as trains."

Twilight grimaced at the crusader, feeling that he would stick to his preferred method of travel it seems. "Well, then, can we use the rest of today to prepare for the journey?" Akronus nodded.

Akronus opened the do-BOOM! The sound of cannon-fire pierced the air, With Akronus ducking under the artillery. He Shifted into his armor, along with a crude hammer forming in his hand. He hurled the hammer at the figure in the smoke, the hammer hitting them square in the chest, causing them to fly into the house across the library, oblitering the housing's wall. He looked at the ammunition the cannon used, muttering to himself about how paper makes an uneffective weapon. Twilight saw the cannon and stared at the crusader in horror, mouth agape. Akronus turned towards Twilight, looking at her in disdain. "Did I do something wrong, miss?"

Twilight was about to let out the angriest speech she had ever made in her life, when a cough interrupted the silence. A pastel pink woman stepped through the housing's new door. "It's not every day that someone returns your greeting with a hammer to the chest!"

Akronus took immediate interest. "You! You are a strange one, I see." He turned to Twilight. "Her ability to manipulate the fourth plane is astounding, Ms.Twilight. We should consider having her join us for our cause. By the way, strange one, I am deeply sorry for the.... unnecessary roughness. I hope yo-"

"You didn't mean it. All's good in the hood!"

Akronus lit up. "Then you would join our journey?"

The woman nodded furiously. "Of course! Morals and friendship, right?"

Twilight broke the two's conversation. "We should probably get everyone, then. We should start with AJ. Come on, Akronus."

The crusader followed the two into a gigantic apple orchard. "Wait out here, I'll get AJ."

Akronus sat down in a field, admiring the birds. His favorite were robins, the red breast just making them so vibrant and colorful. There was laughter heading from down the road, Akronus inquisitive to who (or what) was making the cacophonous medley. Pitching twigs in the grass, Akronus built a make-shift shade-walking rune in the field he was sitting in, waiting for-children. He had hidden from children. He was going to be the laughingstock at Castle after this was over. He shrugged and waited for the three children to pass, noticing they were each adorned with a cape marked with the letters C-M-C in gold fabric on them. "Interesting, to say the least. A group......maybe....I must confirm or deny my suspicions."

Akronus started walking in the same direction as the giggling trio.

Author's Note

It seems that Akronus is on to nothing.....