Echoes of the Ancient

by Wandering Axioms

Rating: teen
Tags: Adventure, Princess Celestia, Human, Twilight Sparkle, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Dark, Alternate Universe, Other, Original Character
Length: 118141

The story of a forgotten creature and his adventures in an odd, yet familiar world.

The tale of a long forgotten being who returns to an ancient, familiar world in the form of a young man. As his journey takes him across vast landscapes, he discovers more about the nature of his new reality; more than any thinking creature could hope to know.

Note: This story is currently in hiatus and undergoing some serious revisions.

Published 2012-06-04 01:34:03 UTC
Last updated 2013-11-12 03:33:53 UTC

Act 1.1

Act 1A World AwaitsIn a place such as this, anything can make sense...

    Whatever had happened to him, he wasn’t in the Mojave Desert anymore.  His first thoughts as he opened his eyes were on how long he was asleep.  The sun was hanging high above the clouds, so it was mid afternoon.  “God, did I sleep for a whole day?”  Aiden asked himself as he placed one gloved hand on his forehead.

   He felt an odd sensation beneath him, something that seemed like  he hadn’t felt for years.  With his other hand, he felt around at the material beneath him.  It was something that he never thought he’d feel again.

   “Grass?”

   Lifting himself up to a sitting position, he realized he was in a field of sorts.  Grass stretched on in all directions, over hills and past a few lone trees.  A small pond of crystal clear water sat at the trunk of one of these trees.  A soft, rhythmic breeze made waves of the grass.  Birds calmly sang as they flew from one branch to another, as if in idle conversation.  Definitely not in the Mojave.

   Quickly he checks himself for any equipment he still had on him.  He didn’t have either of his firearms or ammo, he still had his gas mask on, his helmet, his bulletproof vest, and his backpack (which felt much lighter than it should’ve.)  In a panic, he slipped his backpack off and opened the zipper.

   “Nothing!?”  He exclaimed as he moved his left hand through the empty space.  He could’ve sworn he packed food, a blanket, a few water bottles, his flashlight.  “Well, I did break that last one...” he thought with a laugh.  So he was stuck in an unknown location with nothing but the clothes on his back.  He didn’t even have his combat knife on him.

   It kind of reminded him of that computer game that was made in the early 2010’s that Alex had shown him.  You needed to make tools, weapons, and a shelter from scratch before nightfall, or various monsters would get you.  After learning the ropes, Aiden actually found it quite fun.  “What was that game called again?  Huh, I can’t remember...”

    As he was thinking, he realized something about his body had...changed?  Looking over his hands, something about the gloves seemed off.  They looked as if they were drawn on paper or something.

    Standing up, he made his way over to the pond he had spotted earlier.  The water was perfectly clear.  Not the slightest bit of dirt or muck could be seen in it.  “Odd,” Aiden whispered.  “Usually, most water sources have at least some amount of pollution or radiation...but this is perfectly clean.”  Gazing into it, he saw the gas mask of his reflection staring back at him.  Pulling the mask down, he examined his features.  Most of the cuts on his face had simply vanished; birthmarks were gone, no acne; nothing, save for that one thin scar that ran vertically along his left cheek.  His eyes seemed somewhat larger too; the teal irises seem to have been emphasized.  His brown hair was long (probably because he hadn’t cut it in a while) just slightly falling over his eyes.

    He pulled a glove off and examined his hand.  No hairs, no birthmarks; just the skin, and the fingernails.  With this hand, he gently touched his face.  The skin was smooth.  It was like touching a crayon drawing.  He could’ve sworn he was high or something.  “So not only am I in some unknown area; I’ve been turned into a cartoon character?”  He rubbed his forehead in frustration.  “God, what the hell did I put in my dinner last night?”

    The answer came to him.  “Duh, you had no dinner, you idiot.”  He rebuked himself.

    After shaking off the initial shock of this latest revelation of his...transformation, he tries to get a further grasp of his surroundings.  Beyond the grassy hills, to what he assumes to be North or Northeast is what looks like a forest, in which the trees and plants looked like they were out of some tropical jungle.  The landscape only made way for the occasional snow-peaked mountain to pierce the horizon.

    He may have had no idea where he was or how he got here, but his instincts (and his stomach) told him that he’d best find food as soon as possible.  The despair he had felt the previous night had almost completely subsided.  Now curiosity took its place; Aiden wanted to know where he was and why he was here.

    If he remembered that game correctly, the first step was to build tools...

    It took three hours, a bucketful of sweat, and some frustration, but he finally had a one handed axe made of stone.  After finding a small rock, he sharpened it with the help of a larger boulder; a short tree branch made the handle, and some flexible twigs tied them together.  “Okay,” he sighed, tossing the axe a bit into the air and catching it, content with his handiwork.  “Now...I guess I should find some food or something.”  He gazed at his crudely constructed tool.  “Hmm, I probably should’ve made a spear or something along those lines...”  He smiled, closed his eyes, and shrugged.  “Ah well, to hell with it; let’s find something to eat!”

    He turned to the large forest he had seen earlier.  There was bound to be plenty of animals in that place.  If all else failed...well it wasn’t the most pleasant experience, but he did have to resort to eating termite larvae while on a mission in Xuchung.  “Alright,” he said to himself as he stood before the forest.  “I have my axe, check, helmet, check, gas mask,”  he placed the mask back over his face.  “Check.”  His voice was now muffled by it.  “You never know where you’ll run into a radiation hot spot.”

    This forest felt, in one word: wrong.  Aiden couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but it just felt like that.  Wrong.  It was dark, despite it still being mid evening.  The sounds of animals contrasted the field in ways that he didn’t even think was possible.  An owl perched on a branch glared down at him with its yellow eyes, almost malevolently.  Aiden felt a shudder run up his spine.  “Okay, kinda creepy, but I’ve seen much worse.”

    He pressed on, despite his gut, and the nearby roar of what could’ve been a bear (or maybe a lion?) advising him otherwise.  He jumped as he felt something brush against the top of his head; he turned, thinking it was a snake or something.  It was a vine.  He grumbled: “Damnit, that’s an old scare tactic...”

    It was nearly an hour of tedious wandering this forest, and he had come up empty handed.  Nothing that looked easy to catch, and he didn’t trust any of these odd looking plants.  It was getting late, and to make matters worse, the forest was suddenly illuminated by a bright light from the sky, followed by low a crack of thunder.  Aiden actually thought the forest canopy would keep him dry.  His clothing was soaking wet and he had to wipe water off of the lenses of his mask every few steps.

    “Of course...” he grumbled.  “Just my luck.”

    He examined his surroundings as best he could in this poor visibility; he was definitely deep into this forest.  With his vision almost completely cut off, he let his hearing guide him.  The rain faded in and out of periods of a heavy downpour and those of a moderate drizzle.  In these latter spaces of time, he listened closely to anything that was nearby.

    Beyond the overgrown bushes to what he assumed to be East, he could hear the faint sounds of growling...or maybe crying...or maybe both?

    The latter worried him the most, knowing that there might be someone in danger.  It sounded like a child’s crying.  Possibly a girl, but he couldn’t tell.  Aiden crouched into the bushes, and tried to observe what was going on.  On the other side of the bushes and trees was what appeared to be a dirt path, completely devoid of any plant life, save for a few rebellious tree roots cutting through it here and there.  The crying and growling sounded as if it were coming from the trees on the other side of the dirt path.  Aiden was about to go investigate it himself, when one of the strangest things he had ever seen jumped onto the path.

    Despite it being dark, it was near impossible to miss the bright colors.  Right there, regaining its balance from the leap it just took, was what looked like a horse at first glance...but it sure as hell wasn’t any kind of horse Aiden had seen.  It was...green.  A mint colored green to be exact.  It had a white mane and tail, with a streak of a similar shade of green running through them.  Believe it or not it was this creature that was crying.  Tears streamed down its face (which was surprisingly flat for a horse) and its eyes were closed.

    Soon the source of the growling revealed itself: three wolf-like creatures emerged from the forest on the other side of the path in pursuit of the small horse thing.  The “like” is included because of the fact that they lacked fur.  In place of that, their skin seemed to have a somewhat “wooden” texture, and what looked like twigs and leaves pointed out of their shoulders.

    As the wood wolves continued to give chase, Aiden heard the mint colored horse yell in pain and surprise.  Looking to the left in the horse’s direction, he saw that one of her forehooves (he assumed it was a she) was tangled in one of the thick tree roots.  She let out a defeated sob as the wolves approached her.  One eye opened a bit, as if the little thing would rather see it coming.

    The storm, the forest, the wolves; all of these things seemed to cease noise for a brief moment.  Just long enough for the horse thing to plead: “Somepony...please help me...”  Aiden was taken aback by this, to say the least.

    “Did that horse thing just...talk!?  And in perfect English too!!?”

    The poor creature pleaded again; louder this time, as she closed her eyes.  “Somepony!  Help me!  Please...”

    Aiden had heard enough.  There was no time to let astonishment take over; he knew what he had to do.  Abandoning his hiding spot, he charged the three wolves.  He didn’t need to utter a battle cry, as the monsters had already turned their attention away from the small foal trapped by the roots.  The three creatures trained their glowing yellow eyes on Aiden, and while they seemed genuinely surprised by his sudden appearance, they wouldn’t let this odd bipedal creature steal their meal.

    One of the wolves charged Aiden immediately, and Aiden greeted it by bringing his axe down on its head before it could leap up at him.  The wolf didn’t die though, and Aiden finally realized the structure of their bodies.  “They’re actually made of wood?  Not the strangest thing I’ve seen I guess...but still...”  The wolf, Aiden’s weapon still stuck in its thick skull, stepped back, and tried to snap at him.

    While dodging the wolf’s bites, he noticed the other two were flanking him.  The one to his right would’ve pounced, had it not been for a bolt of lightning streaking down from the clouds, and shattering the creature into little wood chips.  It was like a finger of God.  Aiden couldn’t hold back a laugh.  “Hah!  Maybe my luck is finally taking a turn for the better!”

    The wolf snapping at him pulled back, taking his makeshift weapon with it.  Now he and the two remaining beast followed each other’s movements in a circle.  The fighters didn’t notice it, but a certain mint colored pony opened her eyes to see the brawl going down before her.  Only two wolves, and a certain familiar looking bipedal creature...

    Aiden brought his left leg up, swatting away a pouncing wolf as if it were a fly.  These creatures were actually not as menacing as they looked, at least not to Aiden.  He had received training after all.  With plenty of strength to spare, he clamped one hand down on the wolf’s jaw, and with the other, pulled the axe out of its head.  The wolf yelped in pain.

   The wolf he had kicked away was on him again, but a swift axe to its neck quieted it down quickly.  The handle of the weapon broke with this attack, but it was sufficient in ending the assaulter’s life.  Aiden now turned to the last wolf, the one he had plunged the weapon into its skull.  It growled and stared at him with hateful, yellow eyes, before letting out a defeated huff; it retreated into the forest, its pack destroyed, and its meal stolen.

   Aiden turned his attention to the small horse.  Her mane and tail were soaking wet along with her coat.  She gazed up at him with yellow eyes as well, but he didn’t see the same hatred he saw in the eyes of the wolves.  He approached closer to see that she was shaking, probably from both cold and fear; but he also noticed something on her forehead.  It was a horn, the same color as her coat.  “A unicorn too, huh?  One that talks, nonetheless.  Next thing, I’m gonna start seeing magic...”

   He crouched down to the shivering filly’s height, and looked right in her eyes.  She let out two simple words before exhaustion overtook her: “Y-y-you’re...real?”

   “I’m real?  What is that supposed to mean?”  Aiden sighed as he crouched down and ripped away at the mangled roots that bound the unconscious unicorn.  Her foreleg was hurt, no doubt, but nothing too serious from what he could see.  It would probably heal, give a day or so.  He also noticed a strange mark adorned both of the unicorn’s flanks; a mark of a harp...

   “No, no, no...I think that’s...a lyre?”

   He looked around and wiped more raindrops off of his lenses.  With a sigh, he gently reached down and, being careful to avoid her injury, lifted the small filly into his arms and cradled her.  She was about the size of a labradoodle, perhaps two feet tall on all fours.  She weighed about the same as well.

   He hunched his head over her slightly, trying to keep the rain off of her.  “I’ve got some questions for you when you wake up,” he whispered to the sleeping foal.  The only response he received was a slight twitch of her right ear and a soft, quiet yawn.  It was quite possibly one of the most adorable things he had ever seen.  He beamed behind the mask.

   He had taken shelter in a small cave, near the entrance, still cradling the small filly in his arms.  He didn’t bother gathering any fuel for a fire, knowing that everything would be just as soaked as he and his little green friend.

   Speaking of which, as the rain seemed to finally die down, the unicorn in his arms started to stir.  “Hmmm, five more minutes, ‘Tavi...” the little thing groaned.  Aiden gently shook her, taking care not to disturb her injury any further.  Her eyes began to open, slowly at first.  They simply snapped open as she gazed up at the creature that had saved her; they were full of amazement.

   What would be the first thing she said?  “Who are you?”  Or maybe, “What are you,” or possibly even, “Why did you save me?”  No, she said none of these things.  She said two more words, which Aiden found just as odd as the first two words he heard her say.

   “Bug eyes...”

   Aiden was confused at the little unicorn’s words.  “Huh?”  Aiden uttered.  “Bug what?”

   “B-bug eyes,” the unicorn said, fully alert now.  “You have eyes that look like a bug...”  She pointed her uninjured forehoof at his face.

   Aiden brought a hand to his face.  “Oh, you mean my gas mask.”

   The unicorn looked intrigued.  “Gas...mask?”  She asked with a tilt of her head.

   Aiden nodded.  He pulled it down slowly.  More bewilderment took over the filly’s face.  “See, it’s a device that allows me to breathe in air that would normally be poisonous to living things.”  She smiled in amazement at his explanation.  The mask hung on the straps around his neck now, and she brought her hoof up to touch it.

   “Woah...” she exhaled with genuine fascination.  “You humans always know how to make amazing machines and gadgets.”  She looked back up and examined the features of his face.  Aiden offered the warmest smile he could muster.

   Aiden did have questions for her, but he decided to start simple.  “How about your name?”  He asked, wanting to be able to address her properly.  “Can you tell me your name?”

   “H-Heartstrings,”  the unicorn said returning the smile.  “What about yours?”

   “Aiden,” he replied.

   Heartstrings tilted her head in confusion.  “Aay...den?”  She repeated it several times, trying to get ahold of its pronunciation.  “That’s a weird name, kinda...but I like it!  It sounds very human-y.”

   More urgent questions pounded against his mind, but still, he felt a need to get to know this creature better.  “How old are you?”

   “Nine!”  Heartstrings piped up.  “In fact, I’ll be turning ten on the second!”

   “If these creatures follow the Gregorian calendar, I’ll shit enough bricks to build a small house...”  Aiden thought, not wanting to say such a vulgar word in front of someone so young.  “You mean the second of November?”

   “Yep!”  Heartstrings said happily.  “Tomorrow's the thirtieth; I can’t wait!”

   Aiden laughed.  “I’m turning twenty on the second!”

   “Woah, we have the same birthday!  So you’re ten years older than me?  Well you sure are big enough for it...but then again, all humans are taller than your average pony...”

   Aiden was surprised; that was probably one of the smartest things he’d ever heard a nine year old girl (or filly) say.  “You certainly know a lot about humans, don’t you?”

   “Well, yeah, I read just about every book that’s on them!  Well, what few books actually mentioned them.”

   “Are there no other humans around?”

   Heartstrings shook her head.  “There’s myths that some things that we ponies have today came from humans...but nopony knows what happened to humans, and most ponies haven’t even heard the word ‘human’ before, let alone the myths.  And those who have doubt that they ever existed; all except for me of course!”

   Aiden’s head was spinning at this point.  He didn’t want to push his sanity any further.  “So where am I anyways?”

   The unicorn touched her injured hoof and winced.  “You’re in Equestria...the Everfree forest to be exact.”

   “Yeah, I’m definitely not pushing my sanity any further...for tonight at least.”  Aiden thought to himself.  “I do have one more question though.”  “God damn it, Aiden.”  He pointed at the mark on her flank as she repositioned herself so that she was sitting upright in his lap.  “What’s with the mark here?”

   She giggled.  “That, is my cutie mark.”

   “It’s official: I am clinically insane.”  He sighed.  “What’s a cutie mark?”

   “It’s a sign that a pony is growing up!  I actually got mine not too long ago; it shows a pony’s special talent, like mine is playing a lyre.  But I guess that’s what you can expect when you come from a musical family!”  She laughed.

   Aiden sighed.  “Alright, that’s enough questions for tonight...”

   Heartstrings put on what Aiden guessed to be the pony equivalent of puppy eyes.  “But I’ve only asked you one question!  I wanna know more about your species, and you!  Please?”  Aiden cracked, sort of.

   “Alright, you can ask one question...”

   “She’s finally asleep...thank you, God.”  Aiden lost track of how many questions Heartstrings had asked him.  Ranging from the human diet, to human history (which he summarized quite well) and even human hands.  By God, she was fascinated.  Aiden removed a glove on one of his hands and showed it to her, wiggling the fingers, to show their dexterity.  After a little scratching behind her left ear, she had fallen into a deep sleep.  She lay on his lap like a fragile kitten, her breathing the only thing he could hear, as the rain outside had ceased.

  Sleep was about to overcome him as well.  He wondered if this was a dream still...it had to be.  No part of the world is like this...unicorns don't exist, let alone talk.  Yet here in his lap, lied a small, sleeping unicorn filly, apparently obsessed with his species, here in some fantasy dreamland.

   Yet part of him desperately hoped that this wasn’t a dream.  This foal in his lap, he already considered a friend; they knew each other’s names, age, they exchanged their favored colors in her previous barrage of questions along with favorite dessert and other trivialities as friends do.

   Aiden didn’t have the strength to think anymore for tonight, he needed rest.  He looked down at Heartstrings and began gently stroking her mane.  She stirred a little bit but did not awaken.  He leaned closer slightly and whispered three more words before surrendering to his own exhaustion.

   “Sleep well, Heartstrings...”

Act 1.2

1.2Trying to forget your past will only lead you in circles...

    It was a few rays of the sun’s light and the realization that Heartstrings was no longer on his lap that caused Aiden to awaken.  He looked around to see the little unicorn on the other end of the cave entrance, apparently testing out her injured leg.  She looked over in his direction and smiled as their eyes met.  She trotted over to him happily.  “Good morning to you, sleepyhead!”  She laughed.

    Aiden returned the smile.  “Good morning to you too, Heartstrings...” he replied with a yawn and a stretch with all four of his limbs.  “How is your leg feeling?”

    She raised the hoof she had injured last night for him to examine.  “It’s feeling much better; I think I’ll be able to walk now.”

    “That’s good,” Aiden said standing up.  Heartstrings gasped and took a step back, still astonished at how tall he was compared to her; she didn't even come up to his waist.  “So, Heartstrings,” he looked down, his teal eyes meeting her yellow.

    “Y-yes?”

    “Where are you from?”

    “Canterlot,” the unicorn replied.  “It’s the capital of Equestria and the largest city!”  She paused for a moment.  “What about you?”  Aiden couldn’t get over how similar the name sounded to Camelot.

    “I was born in Washington D.C. the capital of the American Republic,” he had explained to her the previous night on how humans were not unified under a single banner as ponies (and apparently other animals) were.  “It’s not the largest city, however, that honor goes to New York.”  He crouched down to her height.  “But you learned just about everything I know about my world in our little interview last night, didn’t you?”  He smiled.  Heartstrings chuckled as her normally mint colored cheeks flushed a slight red color.  “So what’s this Canterlot like?”

    Heartstrings sighed and trotted over to the mouth of the cave and set herself down.  She looked back, clearly waiting for him to join her.  Aiden obliged, sitting legs crossed Native American style right next to his new filly friend.  He looked down at the unicorn’s face and pulled his gas mask further down so it rested against his chest.  Heartstrings wore a frown on her face as she heaved a heavy, depressed sigh.

    “Well, I was born in Canterlot...the city itself looks nice, but there are a lotta snobs all over the place.  And my parents...well.”  She traced a hoof along the ground, trying to find the right words.  “I, um...I guess you could say that my parents are included in that group.”  Aiden nodded for her to continue.  “My parents; Lyrica and Septimo; they’re Earth pony and unicorn, respectively,”  She looked up to see Aiden’s blank stare.  “There are three types of ponies, unicorns,” she pointed a hoof to herself.  “We can use magic, then there are the Pegasi; they have wings, and can control the weather.” she said pointing towards the sky.  “And Earth ponies, they help with crops and stuff.”

    Aiden’s head was spinning again; not only did this fantasy world have magic, but it had pegasi that could control the weather?  Aiden again motioned for her to continue.

    “Anyways, I lived with my parents, Lyrica and Septimo, who are both really famous musicians, and I lived with my sister, Octavia, also an Earth pony.  ‘Tavi learned how to play the cello not too long ago, and earned her cutie mark from it.”

    “Why the sad face then, Heartstrings?”  Aiden asked.

    Heartstrings sighed.  “Well, not long after ‘Tavi got her cutie mark, I got mine from playing a lyre.  Both of my parents said that we should follow in their footsteps...but I actually wasn’t as interested in a career in music as my sister was.”

    “What were you interested in?”

    Heartstrings’ ears dropped to the sides of her head and she mumbled something that Aiden couldn’t make out.

    “I’m sorry, could you repeat that, Heartstrings?”

    “Humans...”  The unicorn whispered in a just barely audible tone.  Aiden probably wouldn’t have heard it if he hadn’t gone through such rigorous survival training in his earliest days as a Network Asset.

    “Humans?”

    “Yeah...” Heartstrings kicked a hoof at the dirt.  “When Dad took me and Octavia to the library to learn about music, I snuck away at times into the section on old pony myths and stuff.  I read most of the books in that part of the library in the first few visits...but then dad caught me, and said that humans don’t exist...I tried to explain to him the old legends passed down over the generations about tall, proud, bipedal creatures that once ruled the entire world...but he wouldn’t have any of it.”

    “So your parents were basically forcing you into a musical career that you hated?”  Aiden asked.

    Heartstrings waved a hoof in the air.  “Oh no, no, no; I don’t hate playing music.  I like it as a hobby,”  She hung her head.  “But I don’t think I have the guts to go on stage in front of like, a hundred zillion ponies and perform!  And besides,” she looked up at him with an innocent smile.   “I think that the old legends of humans are a lot cooler than most of the books of music lessons I read.”

    “So I assume that you didn’t give up on your passion?”  Aiden asked hopefully.

    Heartstrings shook her head.  “Nope!  I started sneaking books out of the library on our visits.  I wanted to learn everything there was to know about humans, so whenever Mom and Dad were out performing, I slip the books out and read through them over and over.  Octavia once caught me, and I forced her to promise, not to tell...”  Heartstrings sighed.

    “Did your sister keep her promise?”

    “I didn’t really wait for her to answer before I forced her out of my room.  That night, Mom and Dad were in my room, waiting for me,” her voice began to quaver.  “They said that I had to give up on this obsession, they said it was pointless chasing a fairy tale...”  She began to shake, and Aiden could sense that the little filly was on the verge of a breakdown.  “I got kinda angry; told them that humans are more than a myth; that I wouldn’t ever give up on my dreams and that I didn’t want to go into music...”

    “Were they angry?”  Aiden asked, inching closer to his unicorn friend.

    He heard her sniff as tears built up in both of her eyes.  “No, they didn’t really seem upset with me...but the look of disappointment I saw in their eyes...I didn’t think I’d be able to sleep again.  Dad said nothing and Mom only bothered to say ‘Goodnight, Heartstrings’ and then they left me in my room.”

    “What did you do next?”  Aiden hated to pry, but he was anxious to find out why a young foal would be out in this dangerous forest in the first place.

    “I...” her voice cracked, she was clearly trying to hold back her tears, but to no avail.  “I ran away!!”  The next thing Aiden knew, the filly had her fore legs wrapped around his chest, she buried her face into his clothing, soaking it with her tears in moments.  “I’m such an idiot!!”  He heard her rebuke herself.  “Why did I have to be so stubborn!?  My parents hate me now!!”

    “More like I’m an idiot...”  Aiden hated himself so much at this moment for pushing the foal to the edge.  He returned the embrace, stroked her mane, shushed her, everything he could think of to try and calm her down.  “I’m so sorry, Heartstrings,” Aiden whispered, he himself felt on the verge of crying.  “I didn’t mean to upset you...”  Heartstrings didn’t respond; she only cried at a slightly steadier pace.

    For what seemed like forever, he held the crying filly in his arms.  It was at the point when the sun was higher in the sky; probably around nine in the morning; that Aiden placed a finger under the filly’s chin and gently pushed up so that she was looking him in the eyes.  She was no longer sobbing, but tears still streamed down her face.

    “Heartstrings, are you still going to pursue your passion?”

    The mint colored unicorn looked up at him with a curious face.  “I dunno...” she softly mumbled.  “If I go back into studying music, maybe my parents will be happy with me again...”

    Aiden stroked her mane.  “Heartstrings, listen to me carefully.”  She looked up at him, waiting anxiously for what he was going to say.  “Where I’m from, we have an organization called the Network.  They’re made up of good people, who go around the world solving problems that are caused by nature or other humans.  I joined the Network at age fifteen, despite my stepfather’s protests.”

    “Stepfather?”  Heartstrings asked.  “What about your real parents?”

    Aiden frowned.  “I, uh, never knew my real parents.”  The unicorn returned the frown as sympathy filled her eyes.  “So, anyways, my stepfather did disapprove, or at least he was cautious about me joining the Network; he was a member of it as well, and I really wanted to follow in his footsteps.”

    “So you wanted to join just to follow your dad?”  Heartstrings asked.

    “That’s half the reason, the other half is because of a promise I had made to a man I had met only a day prior to asking my dad if I could join.  This man’s name was James, and he was actually a good friend of my stepdad’s.  My dad and I were visiting an outpost for the American military on the Western border of our country with the Western Expanse.  There were reports that a special type of mutant that we’ve called the Ashen have been sighted moving outside of the Exclusion Zone in the Mojave Desert.  After an attack on one of our patrols, James journeyed out by himself into the Zone.  But before he left, he gave me his dog tag, and said this: “Aiden, it was no accident that you were found by your stepfather.  This may be my last adventure, but today, your journey is just beginning...”

    “Wow...”  Heartstrings had ceased crying, as she was now enveloped in Aiden’s story.  “What else did James say?”

    “He said that I should join the Network like my stepfather...he said that there was something special about me; that I wasn’t just your average kid.”  Aiden frowned.  “I didn’t understand what he meant by that; I still don’t entirely; but I was determined to keep my word to him.”  He looked back down at the filly.  “So, Heartstrings.”

    “Yes, Aiden?”  The unicorn asked.

    “Promise me that you’ll never give up your passion, in spite of the protests of those who say that you’re trying to accomplish the impossible.”  He paused and smiled.  “Besides, I think you just did accomplish the impossible.”

    “Huh?”  Heartstrings was clearly confused.

    “Your friends and family keep saying that it was impossible for humans to exist?”  He laughed.  “Well, you’re talking to one right now.”  Heartstrings only smiled as she dove into his chest for another hug.  Aiden had absolutely zero experience with children, let alone lecturing them, but he knew that nothing else needed to be said.

    Around an hour later, Aiden and Heartstrings set out from the cave they used as a refuge.  It was impossible to hide the growling in both of their bellies.  Without saying a word, Heartstrings trotted off to a few nearby trees.  Curious, Aiden followed to see what she was doing, to see her returning with several dandelions in her mouth.

    She laid three of them down at his feet, and proceeded to chew on the ones she still had in her jaws, a content look on her face.  Looking up to see Aiden’s confused face, the unicorn filly swallowed and raised an eyebrow.  “Do you not want yours?”  She asked.  She then smacked her face with a hoof.  “Oh, duh, of course humans don’t eat flowers...”  She took the ones at his feet and consumed them within a second or two.  “You eat meat...humans are c-carnivores...right?”  She seemed to cower away from him slightly.

    Aiden frowned.  “It’s true that meat is part of our diet, but not all of it.  We eat fruits, vegetables, grains; humans are omnivores.”  He opened his mouth as wide as he could to show her his sharp canines in the front; he then traced a finger back to his molars.  “We just can’t eat flowers...at least not that I know of.”

    “Right, well, um...”  Heartstrings sat by his feet, trying to think of something to say.  “You have to get something in your belly, Aiden.  And the fruits that grow on these trees aren’t exactly the most...trustworthy.”

    “Is there any town nearby?”  Aiden asked crouching down so that they were at eye level.

    “Oh!  I think Ponyville is in walking distance from here!”

Ponyville?  You’ve gotta be kidding...  He wanted to facepalm so badly right now.  “Where to, Heartstrings?”

    “Last time I saw a map of Equestria...”  She put a forehoof to her chin.  “East!  Ponyville is East of the Everfree forest!”

    “Then East is where we’re headed,” Aiden said, going in the direction of the rising sun, almost at its peak in the sky.  “Let’s go, we’re burning daylight!”  The mint colored unicorn happily followed her human friend.

    Following another two hours of walking and trivial conversation, Aiden asked his filly companion: “Hey, Heartstrings...”

    “Yes, Aiden?”  The unicorn looked up at him with a wide grin.

    “Would you mind if I called you by a nickname?”

    The filly stopped and looked at her friend with curiosity.  “A nickname?  Well, I guess it’s alright, though it depends on what it is.  What did you have in mind?”

    “How does a human name sound?”  He asked.  Heartstrings had an anxious look on her face.  “I’ve been thinking; you see, there’s a small constellation in the night sky back on my world in the shape of a lyre, called Lyra.  Seeing how you’re so interested in my race and my world, and how your...cutie mark, is of a lyre, I thought it would be fitting.”  He crouched down to the filly’s height.  “So, Lyra, what do you think?”

    Heartstrings pondered the nickname, repeating it to herself several times.  “Lyra...Lyra...Lyra Heartstrings!”  She smiled at Aiden.  “I love it!  It sounds really cool!”

    “And catchy!”  Aiden added.  He extended a hand.  “So, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Lyra Heartstrings!”  The newly nicknamed unicorn gazed at the appendage.  She knew exactly what to do.  She smiled as she offered her foreleg and they shared a perfect hand/hoof shake.

    The gathering of buildings in the distance must’ve been this “Ponyville” that Hearts...Lyra, was talking about.  It was only a few small houses, what Aiden guessed to be a market in the center, a windmill off to the town’s South side, and what seemed to be a town hall.  It was on the outskirts of the town itself that they noticed a group of two of these “Earth” ponies that Lyra had described.  Aiden stayed behind in the trees.

    “Hey, Lyra,” the filly looked back at him, confused.  “There’s no telling on how these two will react when they see me, so it’s best that  you approach them.”

    “Me?”  Lyra asked pointing a hoof to herself.  “Well who knows how they’ll react when a random unicorn approaches them?  Won’t they think that’s a bit creepy?”

    “Tell them that you’re lost...and that you’re hungry, and that, uh...try to look cute and sad!”  He paused for a second.  “Well you got that first one covered at least...”  He smiled as he got a few laughs out of the unicorn.

    “Okay, Aiden,” Lyra smiled.  “I guess it can’t hurt to try.”

    “Alright, I’ll just stay back here.  I wouldn’t want my devilishly handsome mug to ruin any appetites.”  More laughs from the unicorn.

    The Earth ponies appeared to be male and female, a pale yellowish color and a cream color respectively.  The stallion had a short brown mane, blue eyes, and a cutie mark of a spatula.  The mare had a mane of two colors, a deep navy blue and a bright pink, and dark green eyes; her cutie mark was that of a silver cooking tray.  “Seems like these two are really into cooking...” Aiden thought as Lyra continued her approach.

    Lyra put on the best fake sad face she could as she approached the two conversing Earth ponies.  She heard them conversing.

    “Well, Chikki, what do ya think?” The stallion asked his companion.

    “Oh, well, Praline,” the mare looked away and blushed.  “I’d love to go on vacation to Trottingham too, but, who would take care of Bon Bon?”

    “We could ask the Cakes to do it!”  The stallion named Praline said.  “Sure they’re our main competitors, but they’re also our friends!”

    “Oh, I don’t know, do you think Bon Bon is ready to be separated from us for a whole week?”

    “She’s almost ten years old, Chikki, I think she can handle the fact that we’re going on a second honeymoon...”

    “Um...excuse me.”  Lyra’s words break into the grown ponies’ conversation.  The couple look down to see the frowning mint green unicorn staring back up at them.  “Uh, I’m kinda lost...can you guys help me?”

    The mare frowned with genuine concern.  “Oh, you poor dear!  Where do you live?  Where are your parents?”

    “Canterlot,” Lyra mumbled in a barely audible tone.

    The stallion gasped.  “You sure are a long way from home, young mare, why is that?”

    “I...”  Lyra traced a hoof against the ground.  “I...ran away...”

    “Well, that’s not technically a lie...”  Aiden thought as he listened in on the conversation.

    “Now, young mare,” the female named Chikki said.  “You should know that running away from your problems never solves anything!  Maybe you should come stay with us until we can get word to your parents that you’re okay?”

    The next thing he knew, the two ponies were leading Lyra away to wherever their house was; Lyra gazed back in his direction and motioned for him to follow.  “Alright, best try to stick to the shadows; don’t want any pedestrians noticing me...”

    “Well, Lyra,” Praline said as he and his wife led the filly into their house.  “Welcome to Everfree Sweets!  My wife, Chikki and I run this little bakery here in Ponyville.”  The aroma of sweets and baked goods hung heavy in the air.  It was around six or seven, as the autumn sun was almost completely sunk behind the horizon.  It was a tad creepy, true, but Aiden waited by a window outside, listening in on the conversation.

    “Sweetie, you can stay in our guest room for tonight,” Aiden heard Chikki say to the filly.

    “Um, do you guys have a daughter?  I heard you mention a name...”

    “Yes, Bon Bon is her name,” Praline replied.  “She’s a wonderful little filly; she’s spending the night at a friend’s house, however.  I think that she’ll like you!”  Lyra smiled meekly at this.

    “Is there anything we can get you, dear?”  Chikki asked as she led the unicorn up to the guest bedroom, her husband not far behind.  Lyra shook her head.  Aiden took this opportunity as the back door was clear to slip into the bakery home.  He may not have exactly been Spec Ops material, but he gave himself a mental pat on the back for staying out of sight as he followed the couple through the heavily crowded town.

    He stops, just barely peeking his head over the top of the steps to see Praline go into what he assumed to be their bedroom.  Chikki lead Lyra into the room that was across from it, most likely the guest bedroom.  Aiden snuck into the room right next to it to hide.  This room he assumed to be Bon Bon’s.  It certainly looked like a little girl’s room.  The wallpaper was a light blue color with a paler blue heart pattern.  There was a small bed right next to the window overlooking the street outside.  On the nightstand right next to it, sat a crudely made doll of a pony.  Outside, he heard Chikki still talking with Lyra.

    “Are you sure there’s nothing you need?  You're not hungry or anything?”

    A short period of silence.

    “Um, I guess I could go for some carrots or something,” Lyra said.  She must’ve remembered that he still needed something to eat.

    “Ok, dear, just wait right there, and I’ll be back up with something.”  Chikki then headed downstairs to their kitchen.  Aiden took this opportunity to sneak by the room Praline was in and opened the door to the guest room.  Lyra sat on the center of the bed, and offered him the warmest and most innocent smile he’d received from her yet.

    “Hi, Aiden,” she whispered so as to not attract the attention of her new caretakers.  “I made sure to ask for things that you can eat, no flowers or hay.”

    He returned his friend’s smile.  “Thanks, Lyra,”  he moved towards the spacious closet to the left of the bed.  “But, I’d rather not be in sight when she gets back.”  Lyra nods in agreement.

    “Don’t worry, I’ll tell you when it’s safe!”

    Just at that moment, as Aiden closes the closet door, he hears gentle hoofsteps enter the bedroom, and something is laid onto the bed, just barely making a sound.  Cracking the closet door open slightly, Aiden sees that Chikki had set a metal tray in front of Lyra, on it, a small banquet of various fruits, vegetables, and pastries.  Having not eaten in nearly two days, Aiden simply couldn’t suppress a loud, guttural growl from his stomach.  Needless to say, Chikki’s attention was caught.

    “What was that!?”

    “Oh!  Um, that was just my stomach!”  Lyra nervously laughed.  “I haven’t eaten anything more than a flower or two in the past day, you see, and I’m starving!”  The unicorn exclaimed trying to cover for her not-so-stealthy friend.

    Chikki seemed to buy it...sort of.  After casting a glance in the direction of the closet, she shrugged and left the filly to her meal.  Lyra happily got up from her bed, closed the door, and locked it.  She breathed a sigh of relief as Aiden stepped out of his hiding place.  “That was just too close, Aiden!  What if she found you?”

    Aiden rubbed the back of his neck.  “Sorry, Lyra, it’s just that I haven’t eaten a thing in days...and when I saw all of this...” he motioned towards the feast on the bed.  Lyra waved a hoof.

    “It’s okay, Aiden, just so long as you can tell that stomach of yours to keep quiet from now on, I think we’ll be fine.”

    The next hour or so, was spent with the two of them eating and exchanging more details on each other, being sure to keep their voices down.  Lyra demonstrated some simple magic, which fascinated Aiden to no end.  He in turn explained some of the advanced technology that humans had developed over the centuries (he left out the more horrid ones such as nuclear and biological weapons), which Lyra in turn was also enthralled by.  They concluded their evening with some discussion on music, of all things.

    “Did you ever play any instruments, Aiden?”

    “Sometimes, yeah,” he replied tossing one final apple slice into his mouth.  Apples in this strange place tasted different from the ones back on Earth; they were sweeter and juicier.   Swallowing, he continued.  “I played the piano at times; you know what a piano is?”

    “You mean that weird looking thing made of wood that you sit on a bench to play?  With the white and black rectangles on it?”

    Aiden nodded.  “I played that a decent amount, mostly some of the twentieth century musicians.”

    “Did you ever...write your own?”  Lyra asks.

    “My own music?”  She nods.  “I...I did try, but,”  he rubbed the back of his neck and laughed.  “I simply don’t have the patience.  I also played the guitar a lot.”

    Lyra looks at him curiously.  “What’s a gee-tar?”

    “It’s a string instrument.”  Aiden explained.  “It’s sorta like...a lyre!  They’re really similar.”  Lyra smiled.

    “Did you enjoy playing music?”  She asked, her eyes clearly showing how tired she was.

    “Yes, it did help set my mind at ease whenever I was troubled...”  he reaches out and strokes her mane.  She actually leans in to get a firmer feel of his hand.  “But I think it’s getting late, how about we turn in for the night?”  She doesn’t respond, but her closed eyes and soft breathing as he begins scratching that sensitive spot behind her ear is the only answer he needed.

    It was raining heavily outside Fort Keystone.  Aiden had just arrived and was at the administrator’s desk.  A pale skinned man with short, black hair sat at the desk.  He looked up as Aiden approached, carrying a suitcase with his belongings.  “Welcome to Fort Keystone,” he greeted in a bored tone.  “First time here?”

    Aiden only nods in response.

    The man begins typing away at his computer.  “You can leave your belongings there, I’ll make sure that they’re sent up to your quarters.”  Aiden obliged by dropping his case to the ground with a loud thud.  The administrator then picks up a yellow folder to his left.  “Alright, in this file, you’ll find the names, ranks, backgrounds, and positions of all your new teammates.  I suggest that you get to know them.”  He then went back to typing at his computer.

    Aiden held the folder in his hand as he heads down the hall leading to the mess hall of the fort, looking through the names of his teammates.  “Alex Rey, Mary Willis, Leon Caine, Logan Somers, Emily Benet, and David Bern...” he runs the names through his mind.  He decided that it would be best to get to know these six people as he starts reading through their background checks...

Act 1.3

1.3They’re looking for a leader, and I haven’t the faintest idea on what a leader is supposed to be like...

    To sum it up in as simple a way as possible, Aiden couldn’t believe what he was seeing.  He and several other members of the Network here at the mess hall of Fort Keystone gazed in horror at the television.  Images of violence and towns burning flashed across the screen.  At the bottom, the headlines read:  “VIOLENCE IN AMERICAN COUNTRYSIDE:  Mutants known as the “Ashen” break out of Exclusion Zone; large horde headed towards East coast.”

    If the government was at all trying to censor the violence, then they were doing a terrible job.  Already, they’ve seen Ashen chasing men, women, and children through streets littered with abandoned cars.  He saw a woman carrying an infant get her leg cleaved off by an Ashen bear.  Apparently, it wasn’t just humans that succumbed to the Ashen Storm.  Any living thing, be it a bird, a bear, a dog, that breathes in the toxic dust from the clouds that followed the horde, ended up joining the horde.

    One of the absolute, most disgusting things he had seen already, was the news reporters retreating to the safety of their helicopter, and ignoring the cries of the uninfected as they were surrounded and torn to shreds by the Ashen.

    The American military was already in retreat, simply because the Ashen’s numbers kept rising.  President Albert Ryan had declared martial law, and he surprisingly decided to stay in Washington as the Ashen approach...not bad for a politician.

    Suddenly, the fort’s loudspeakers blared the voice of none other than Major Ron Norris, a former military officer and the fort’s administrator.  “Listen up, Assets!”  He shouted.  “As most of you’ve probably heard by now, that swarm of monsters, the Ashen, are making their way to Washington.  While some of you may have owed your loyalty to the American government or the military in the past, remember this; today, we owe our loyalty to the people of all nations!  Those monsters will not stop with the destruction of this country; no, they will move from one continent to the next, killing and spreading their filth to every living thing they see!”

    The Major continued with his motivational speech, which was occasionally interrupted by cheers from the men and women of the fort.  Aiden pulled out the dog tag that James had given him.  His words from the day before yesterday came back to him.  “Aiden, it was no accident that you were found by your stepfather.  This may be my last adventure, but your journey is just beginning...”

    The next twenty minutes at the fort were met with intense preparation.  Firearms were loaded, bayonets were sharpened.  The next thing Aiden knew, he was seated on a VTOL, with the rest of his team: Viper Team, along with two other Network squads; Kodiak and Falcon, making up a full platoon, led by a Lieutenant Devon Reeves.

    Lieutenant Reeves then proceeded to explain the details of the operation.  “Our primary objective when we land is to rendezvous with any Network Assets that survived the initial onslaught.  Most of them are still holding out at the main building near the L’Enfant Plaza.  Remember: gas masks on at all times!  If you breath in that ash shit, then you become one of them!  We’re being dropped off at the Southwest Waterfront along with 3rd and 4th platoons.  Our rallying point is the Jefferson Memorial after the completion of the objective, where we’ll receive further orders.”

    “We’re now preparing for liftoff,” the pilot said over the radio.  “ETA to Washington is approximately forty minutes...”

    Aiden felt something gently push against his chest.  As he opened his eyes, he saw that it was Lyra trying to wake him up; a look of concern was on her face.  She smiled when his eyes were fully open.  He immediately sat up and stretched his limbs as far as they could go.  Sleeping in an actual bed for the first time in a few days was certainly refreshing for him, but he wished he could have a change into something more comfortable than his body armor.  He fumbled around for his helmet which must’ve fallen off while sleeping; while doing this, he noticed that Lyra still had a worried look on her face.

    “Is something the matter, Lyra?”  Aiden asked as he found his headgear.

    Lyra traced a hoof along the covers of the bed.  “Um...you were talking in your sleep...”

    “I didn’t wake you, did I?”  He asked the mint colored filly.  “I’m sorry if I did...”

    “N-no, you didn’t wake me up, it just worried me...you sounded like you were scared, so I, um, decided to wake you up if you were having a bad dream...”

    Aiden felt himself tense up as he remembered the dream.  Had he really just relived a memory in his sleep?  One that was almost five years old at that, back when he first joined the Network and met his teammates.  Back when the Ashen horde marched on Washington.  The unforgettable details of how the Ashen killed sent a chill down his spine.  “Yeah...it was more like an all out nightmare...”

    Lyra could clearly detect the sadness in his voice.  “Oh...I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to be nosy.”

    Aiden chuckled to himself.  “Don’t worry about it,” he said as he waved a gloved hand.  “So, what’s on our agenda for today?”  He asked trying desperately to change the subject.

    Lyra placed a hoof to her chin and thought.  “Do you wanna know who I think brought you here?”  She asked with that innocent smile that always made Aiden’s heart glow.  Aiden looked on anxiously, waiting for an answer.  “She’s the most powerful pony in all of Equestria, one of the last remaining alicorns, and the mare who brings us both night and day!  None other than Princess Celestia herself!”

    “So I guess we’re going to go to this...Canterlot was the name, right?”

    Lyra nodded.  “We can take the Ponyville train station there!  But, I don’t have any money for tickets...”  She hung her head.

    Aiden smiled.  “Insufficient funds never stopped me, my little filly friend!”

    “You mean we’re going to...stow away?”  Aiden nodded.  “But, what if we get caught?”

    Aiden waved a hand.  “Hey, I snuck through this whole town without being noticed once, I think I can sneak the both of us on a train.”

   “I should probably go see my parents, after all.”  She laughed nervously while she jumped off of the bed.  “I guess they should be pretty steamed at me right about now...”

    Praline and Chikki were still sleeping soundly in their bed as Aiden and Lyra made their way down the stairs and back into the kitchen section of the store.  “How do you feel on skipping breakfast?”  Aiden asked Lyra.  Although he could guess the answer when the unicorn’s belly started to gurgle quietly.  “I’ll take that as a ‘no’...”  He laughed softly.

    “You mean you aren’t hungry?”  Lyra asked her human companion.  “We haven't eaten since last night...”

    Aiden shrugged.  “I’m sorta used to going a while without food, especially whenever while I was out on a mission.”  He looked around at the various cabinets in the kitchen.  Rooting through them, he found many baking utensils and ingredients, but no actual food.  In the fridge, there were still plenty of fruits and drinks.  He plucked out a few bright red apples for the road.

    “Will this do?”  He asked as he handed an apple to her.  She took hold of it with her magic and bit a large chunk out of the red orb.  A smile quickly creased along her face and she nodded.  “You know,” Lyra said while still chewing.  She continued after she swallowed.  “Maybe you should eat something; remember last night that stomach of yours almost gave you away.”

    Aiden obliged, taking one of his own apples and biting a large chunk of it.  “Just to be safe?”  He asked Lyra, his tastebuds savoring the flavor.

    Lyra smiled and nodded.  “Just to be safe...”

    What Aiden couldn’t understand was how quickly the next few minutes had passed.  One minute, he and the rest of his platoon were in their VTOL flying over a battle scarred Washington, ready to land at the Southwest Waterfront with two other platoons.  There was a loud screeching noise the next moment, and the VTOL simply came apart in mid flight.  He had to be thankful that they were flying over the Tidal Basin at that moment, or he’d probably be dead right now.  The next minute, he and the survivors of his platoon were swimming all the way to the shore, while the VTOLs carrying the other two platoons had landed on the waterfront.

    Now here he sat on the floor of a boating shop, leaning against a checkout counter, his teammate David Bern trying to get his attention.  “Aiden!”  David yelled.  “Aiden Marsh, are you still with us!?”

    Aiden’s memory was quite fuzzy on what had just happened.  He groaned as he carefully picked himself up.  “What happened?  How did I get here?”

    “You nearly drowned,” Alex who was toying with his SMG said.  “That’s what happened.”  Leon and Emily were standing guard by the store’s front door, gazing out the shattered windows.

    “Bastards!”  Leon shouted, shaking his fist at whatever was outside.  “I can’t believe they’d leave us like that!”

    Aiden turned to Logan who was casually loading ammo into his assault rifle.  “What’s the problem?”

    “The rest of the platoon moved on without us,” Logan said as he inserted the magazine.  “But I don’t really blame them, the Ashen almost had them surrounded, and we’re relatively safe in here.”  He chambered the first round.

    Aiden heard what sounded like a fighter jet fly overhead.  “Is there any safe way we can get to L’Enfant Plaza?”

    “The D.C. Metro tunnels might be a good bet,” Alex suggested.  “The trains won’t be running for obvious reasons, so we’ll have to go through them on foot.”

    “How can you know that they’ll be safe?”  Mary asked as she stepped up to the door.

    “I don’t,” Alex replied.  “But it’s better than walking around in the open just waiting for those monsters to slaughter you.”

    “It seems like it’s the only option we’ve got,”  Aiden said as David handed him an assault rifle he’d picked off a fallen member from their platoon.  “What’s the closest Metro station from here?”  He asked Logan.

    “Waterfront Metro,” Logan answered.  “Just Northeast of here on Main Street Southwest.  We can get there by following 6th Street.”

    “Alright, then that’s where we’re headed.”  The wooden door of the exit stood before him and his team.  “Is everyone ready?”  He asked looking over to his left and right, receiving nods from all six of them.  He took in a deep breath and exhaled.  “Okay, everyone just remain calm; don’t go guns blazing, that’ll just attract more Ashen.”  He gulped.  After a brief moment of almost palpable hesitation, he placed his hand on the doorknob, turned it, and opened.

    Aiden awoke with a gasp.  He was on the verge of panicking before he realized that it was just a dream...or rather a memory.  He sighed with relief when he noticed that Lyra was asleep on his lap.  He looked around trying to take in his surroundings.  The wood floor occasionally rumbled, and there were storage crates all around.  A single lamp dangling from the ceiling, aside from a small circular window, was the only source of light in this room.

    “Yes, I remember now...”  He thought to himself.  “We stowed away in storage on the train to Canterlot...but how long was I asleep?”  He felt incredibly stiff all over, and he would’ve stood up to stretch, but he couldn’t bring himself to disturb the green ball of fluff curled up in his lap.

    Speaking of which, Lyra herself had just begun to stir.  “Sleep well?”  Aiden asked the filly.  Her golden eyes showed a tired sort of happiness at first, but when she got a full look at his face, terror seemed to fill them.  Aiden was confused.  “Is something wrong, Lyra?”

    “I-I should be asking you!”  She exclaimed as she pointed a hoof to his face.  “You look like you’ve just seen a ghost or something!”

    “It’s...nothing,” Aiden said calmly.  “Just another bad dream...”

    “Are you sure you’re alright?”  Lyra asked sitting up.

    Aiden offered a reassuring smile.  “Positive.”

    The unicorn sighed and curled back up into a comfortable position.  “I think we should be in Canterlot soon...” she said as her eyes struggled to stay open.  Her steady breathing that followed told Aiden that she was asleep again.  Aiden gazed out the circular window to his left.  The sun was at its peak in the sky, so it was around noon.  A few gathering black clouds in the distance told him that a storm would follow.

    But his thoughts were on his dream.  He’d heard of “Posttraumatic Stress Disorder,” and had even met a few Network Assets whom had developed it, but they were all in their fifties, or early forties at the youngest.  Perhaps he was an exception?  Maybe because he joined at such an early age, he developed it earlier?  Or maybe his sudden appearance in this “Equestria” helped something in his mind finally snap.  Of all the strange things he’d seen in his almost twenty years, this place beat the living tar out of everything else, from the Ashen to the Reborn Incident.

    Whatever it was that was causing him to relive these events, he was hopeful that Princess Celestia could explain.

Act 1.4

1.4Something you can be a part of again...

    “Love me, as though there were no tomorrow...

    Take me, out of this world tonight...

    Take me, make me forget my sorrow...

    So when I wake tomorrow, I’ll know our love was right!

    Kiss me, as though it were now or never...

    Teach me all that our hearts should know...

    Love me as though there were no tomorrow...

    Oh, my darling, love me, don’t ever let me go..."

    Aiden had been running that old song through his head over and over for the last half hour up until the train finally pulled up to the Canterlot Station, humming it gently, just to keep his mind occupied.  He made certain to keep out of sight of the dozens of guards clad in golden armor as he slipped off the back of the train, still holding a half asleep Lyra in one arm.

    “Come on, Lyra,” he said placing the filly on the ground, giving her a gentle shake.  “Time to wake up, dream warrior!”

    Lyra groaned as she shook her head, her unkempt mane flipping back and forth.  When her eyes opened, she immediately clamped them shut again as she placed a forehoof over her muzzle.  “Ugh!”  She moaned, followed by a shush from Aiden.  “What is that awful stink?”

    Aiden pointed to the metal grating on the cobblestone floor from which the horrid stench was coming from.  “Sewers, my dear foal,” Aiden pointed out, mimicking a posh accent.  He lifted a finger in response to the horror that overtook Lyra’s face.  “And before you ask, don’t worry; the answer is ‘no, I won’t drag you down there with me,’ I’m just using the sewers as an alternative to having to sneak from shadow to shadow, avoiding everyo-” he stopped and corrected himself.  “Everypony’s line of sight.”  He paused as he lifted said grating out of place.  “I guess you want to see your mom and dad first, right?”

    Lyra anxiously nodded her head.

    “Alright,” he chuckled.  “I’ll try my best to keep track of you, but you can help by stopping over the gratings you see in the streets.  Stamp your hooves on them a few times, so I’ll know it’s you that I’m following.”  He prepared to lower himself into the tunnel.  “Are you  ready?”

    “Uh huh,” Lyra nodded again.  She then exhaled a tired sigh.  “You are so getting a bath before we see the Princess...”

    The disgusting sewer water came up to just below Aiden’s knees.  The tunnel itself was also made of cobblestone.  Aiden placed the gas mask back over his face, in an attempt to stifle the horrid smell.  Every now and then, Aiden would stop right below a grating, light illuminating the tunnel through it.  He would stay there until a small set of four hooves would stop right above it.  Aiden would then tap a finger against the grating  to let Lyra know that he was there; she would then move on in the streets as Aiden proceeded to the next grating in the tunnel.

    “Another shot...”

    Aiden spun in circles, searching for where this voice suddenly came from.  He saw nothing in the darkness that surrounded him.

    “Another shot...”  The voice repeated itself over and over again.

    “No!”  A second voice shouted in a concerned tone.  “Sergeant Marsh is suffering from severe shock and exhaustion!  He needs rest; you’re gonna end up killing him!”

    “Did I ask for your opinion?”  The first voice calmly retorted.  “Remember who funds this shithole of a nuthouse.”

    The second voice sighed.  “Very well...”

    The first thing Aiden noticed aside from the bright light he was staring directly into, was the fact that he was restrained.  He was lying down on what felt like a bedding of sorts.  His eyes adjusted to the light after a few seconds.  He recognized his surroundings almost immediately.  Padded walls, the light above him, the leather strappings holding him down by the shoulders, elbows, wrists, knees, and ankles.  He was wearing a white jumpsuit, and he was surrounded by three men.  He knew what was going on.

    Interrogation.

    “Good morning, Sergeant Aiden Marsh,”  the man to his left said .  He was wearing a pitch black business suit and a fedora.  What little features he could make out, were pale skin, brown eyes, and a thin nose.  He recognized his voice: “Another shot...”

    To his right stood a bald, middle aged man in a doctor’s uniform.  By the door of his cell, stood a tall guard, clad in full security armor.

    “I am Agent Constantine Becker,” the first man introduced himself.  “I’m with Network Central Authority, and son,” he leaned in closer to Aiden’s face and smiled.  “You are in a hell of a lot of trouble.”

    “Come on,” a masculine voice from the surface said.  “Let’s give it another shot.”  Aiden let out a sigh of relief knowing that it was only an unpleasant memory brought on by familiar words.  He was about to continue to the next grating to inform Lyra that he was still following her, when he listened in on the conversation occurring above him.

    “You’re insane, Line Rider,” a second voice said.  “We almost got caught by the guards with the last mare we tried to rob.  You and Firestone wanna risk it again, be my guest, but I’m staying out of it!”

    “Aw, come on, Northwind, don’t be like that,” the voice of Line Rider said.

    “Common criminals,” Aiden thought spitefully.

    “Yeah, in fact I see the perfect candidate!”  A third voice, probably that of Firestone, said.

    “Where?”  Northwind asked.

    “See that little unicorn filly?”

    “The green one?”  Line Rider asked.

    “Uh huh,” Firestone replied.

    “No!”  Aiden’s mind screamed as he broke out into a full sprint, his boots splashing the water on the surrounding cobblestone walls.  “Not on my watch; they’ll have to go through me!”

    Lyra picked up her pace, skipping several sewer gratings, when she felt the sensation that she was being followed.  Turning around, she saw three ponies: a pale orange colored Earth pony, a white pegasus, and a navy blue colored unicorn.  She resumed a pace somewhere in between a trot and an all out sprint when the pegasus lifted into flight.

    “Hey, wait up!”  The pegasus laughed as he circled above her, while the unicorn and Earth pony flanked her at both sides.  Lyra looked around, seeing that the street has been cleared out of ponies.  She jumped when a bolt of thunder rang out in the skies above Canterlot.

    “Look at her,” the Earth pony laughed.  “She’s scared of a little thunder!”  This resulted in the other two laughing with their companion.

    “Home is just around the corner...”  Lyra thought to herself as she sprinted as fast as she could to get away from the three crooks.  “I’m almost there!”  When she came to the corner, she nearly screamed to see the white pegasus land in front of her, an evil grin on his face.

    “Now that’s not polite, young mare!”  He taunted as though he were scolding her.  “Didn’t your parents ever teach you not to ignore somepony when they’re speaking to you?”  She tried backed away from him when she felt her flank bump into something.  Looking up, she saw the face of the orange Earth pony staring down at her.  Her heart was racing.  Behind the pegasus crook stood her parents’ house, no more than a few meters away; the lights on the upstairs were on, so somepony was definitely home.  If she could just make a break for it...

    That’s exactly what she did.  She sprinted as fast as her little hooves could carry her.  The three ponies behind her laughed.  She couldn’t see it, but she heard the pegasus behind her lifted into flight again, while the unicorn and Earth pony gave chase.  Her left forehoof couldn’t have been more than a centimeter from the front door, when she felt a familiar sensation around her tail hold her back.  Turning her head around as far as it would go, she saw that the unicorn’s horn was bathed in a light blue aura.  The same kind of aura surrounded her tail.

    She sighed and hung her head in defeat.  “What do you want?”

    “Oh, we just wanted to talk,” the unicorn said in his best fake innocent voice.

    “I’m sure you guys do,” Lyra sighed.  “Look, I don’t have any bits on me or anything, so can I just go home?  Please?”  Lyra looked up at the pegasus, trying to whip up some tears.

    “This is your place?”  The Earth pony asked, but he didn’t wait for Lyra to answer.  “Ah, this is where those two musicians live...what’re their names?”  He prodded the cobblestone street as his mind searched for the answer.

    “Lyrica and Septimo; those are their names, Firestone,” the unicorn answered for him.

    “No way!”  The pegasus yelled excitedly.  “This could be our most profitable hit yet!”

    Lyra shook her head in disbelief.  “These three are unbelievable...”

    Aiden knew enough of these three crooks that he just wanted them to shut up.  Seeing Lyra held in the unicorn, Northwind’s magical grips, however, nearly made his blood boil.  He would make sure that he would pay dearly for laying even a single hoof on his friend.  The pegasus, Line Rider was in the air, eyeing the house anxiously.  As for the Earth pony, Firestone, he was still talking to Lyra, but Aiden couldn’t hear what he was saying.

    He wasn’t sure how strong the other two were, but Aiden guessed that it would be in his best interests to deal with Northwind first since he was the one who could use magic; primarily, he just wanted to free Lyra so she could seek shelter in her home.  He approached cautiously, the occasional thunder from the storm above hiding his footsteps all the way.  He kept his gas mask on in hopes that it would look intimidating.

    Aiden towered over Northwind.  It seemed that your average stallion in this place was just shy of four feet tall, but Aiden was five foot eleven.

    Line Rider turned around mid flight, and was clearly anxious to speak his mind.  The only thing he saw was a tall bipedal...something standing over Northwind.  It looked kinda like a Diamond Dog, aside from the fact that it stood much straighter, giving it a taller look.  Its eyes were bright red, but something was wrong with them; they looked as though they were made of glass. It actually felt more appropriate to compare this creature to an ape, as it clearly had fingers, all balled up into fists. Line Rider couldn’t see the creature’s expression, but he could feel that it.  Was.  Pissed.  He didn’t catch any more features of the thing before it extended a long arm and wrapped its fingers around Northwind’s still glowing horn, making him gasp in surprise.

    Aiden lifted Northwind into the air almost effortlessly, and spun him so that the two of them were staring each other in the face.  Oddly, Northwind was blushing, as if Aiden’s touch was somehow...turning him on.  Aiden was disgusted by that thought and decided to just express what was on his mind.

    “Turn it off, before I decide it comes off,” Aiden spoke in a cold tone.  Almost immediately, the aura that surrounded Lyra’s tail vanished.  Lyra couldn’t hold back a gasp and a smile at the sight of her dear friend coming to her rescue.  Aiden released his grip and Northwind landed on his flank with a loud thud.

    “W-what in Equestria are you!?”  Northwind whispered, quivering with fear.  Firestone and Line Rider stood on each side of their partner in crime, giving Aiden spiteful looks.

    “I’m giving you one chance to run,” Aiden said, unflinching.  “That’s more than most get.”  He looked over to the unicorn filly who was grinning from ear to ear.  “Lyra, get inside; I don’t want you to see this.”

    Lyra frowned, as though she wanted to watch the impending fight.  She opened the front door, but turned around and spoke directly to the three robbers.  “He’s gonna kick your flanks!”  With those five words, she blew raspberry at them and shut the door.

    Aiden returned his attention to the three crooks at his feet.  They stood as tall as they could, but he still towered over them.  He cracked his knuckles.  “Alright, let’s get this over with.”

    As if on cue, the black clouds above them cracked open, rain pouring out.  Line Rider immediately flew up into the air as Firestone charged him.  Northwind, who still had a shocked expression on his face, jumped back and began charging up an energy blast with his horn.

    Aiden stepped aside, and grabbed Firestone by his orange and red streaked tail.  Aiden then threw the Earth pony in the direction of Northwind.  The unicorn still managed to get a blast of magical energy off before Firestone collided with him.  Aiden dodged the blast as it hit the building behind him, leaving a small scorch mark.  He turned, looking for Line Rider, only to see that the white pegasus vanished.  Some partner, Aiden mentally scoffed, turning back to the two other criminals.

    “W-wait!”  Northwind begged while attempting to scoot away, Firestone was still recovering from being thrown.  “I-I’m sorry!  My thieving days are over!”  Aiden still approached.  “I’ll give everything back and turn myself in!!”  He clasped his forehooves over his head.  “Please, don’t hurt me!”

    Aiden crouched down to Northwind’s height, grabbed him by the chin, and looked deep into his brown eyes.  “If I so much as see you near Lyra again,” Aiden growled.  “I will rip that horn off and shove it so far up your asshole that you’ll need to open your mouth to cast spells!  Do you understand me!?”

    “C-c-crystal clear!”  Northwind nervously laughed.

    “Good, now take your friend and get the hell out of my sight!”  Northwind immediately complied, lifting a still barely conscious Firestone with his telekinesis.

    Aiden turned his attention to Lyra’s house.  The light’s in the downstairs windows were on, and he could see the silhouette of a small unicorn filly embracing a full grown unicorn stallion; an Earth pony mare soon joined in, followed by a smaller Earth pony, most likely her sister, Octavia.  Aiden smiled behind his mask.  “Good to see that they’re making up, but I kinda wish I could be in there...”

    “There it is!”  A familiar voice to his left said.  Looking over, he saw none other than Line Rider, but that was all he saw before he was tackled to the ground by another pegasus; this one, wearing the gold armor like the guards seen patrolling the streets during the day.  Next to Line Rider, stood three Earth pony guards, and a single unicorn who looked like a higher ranking officer, decorated with various gemstones on his armor.

    “Ugh, fuck my life...” Aiden mentally groaned, as the guard’s full weight pressed down on him.  He tried to struggle, when he noticed the officer’s horn was glowing.  Examining himself, he noticed that his body was surrounded in the same aura.  “Well, this is just perfect,” Aiden quietly huffed.  The guard punched his chest with a hoof.

    “Silence, beast!”

    "Beast?"  Aiden thought.  "I'm not the best looking guy, I'll admit...but beast?"

    “Captain, what do you suggest we do with this thing?”  One of the Earth ponies asked.

    The unicorn officer trotted up to Aiden, and eyed him curiously.  “Her Majesty’s Court of Mages would have a fit over this thing.  A creature unlike anything anypony has ever seen before...one that speaks, nonetheless.”  The unicorn turned to Line Rider.  “You say that this creature attacked you and your friends?”

    Line Rider nodded anxiously.  “Yessir!  The three of us were just on our way to our own homes because of the storm, when this thing popped out of nowhere and attacked us!  I guess Firestone and Northwind got away...I hope.”

    Aiden gazed at Line Rider hatefully.  Somehow, he must’ve sensed it behind the mask, because Line Rider retorted by sticking out his tongue.

    “I see,” the captain said, still eyeing Aiden curiously.  “Well, that’ll be all, Mr. Rider.  We’ll take care of things from here.”  Line Rider nodded and flew off.  The three Earth ponies approached.

    “Orders, sir?”  One of them asked.

    “I want a carriage down here now,”  the captain ordered.  “We’re getting this thing off the streets before anypony sees it.”

    “Yes sir!”  The three Earth ponies saluted.

    “Stop!!”

    Aiden struggled to turn his head.  As he looked to his left, he saw a familiar green colored unicorn standing just outside of her house.  Her horn was aglow with a golden aura.  A full grown mare stood behind her.

    “Please, Heartstrings, come back inside!”  She pleaded with her daughter.

    “I’m not letting them hurt my friend!”  Lyra replied; she turned her attention to the pegasus guard whom had Aiden pinned to the street.  “Get.  Off.  Of.  Him.  Now!”  Aiden had never heard Lyra this angry before.  Apparently her mother hadn’t either, for she recoiled slightly at the bitterness in her own daughter’s voice.

    The mare was soon joined by a grey unicorn stallion, her father, Septimo without a doubt. “Heartstrings!”  He said in a stern voice.  “Listen to your mother!  Come back inside this instant!  We’re not letting you run off again!”

    A small filly about the size of Lyra, but grey and with no horn came to the sides of her parents.  “Mom?  Dad?  Why is Heartstrings upset?  And what is that thing the soldiers are fighting?”

    “Get inside, Octi,” Lyrica said, practically pushing the foal.

    When the pegasus holding Aiden down refused to budge, Lyra shot a burst of golden energy from her horn.  It was obviously quite powerful for a unicorn her age, as it sent the pegasus guard flying; he landed just shy of the wall of the building on the other side of the street.

   The unicorn applied more force to the restrain spell on Aiden to keep him from moving.  He looked over to the three Earth ponies.  “What are you waiting for?  Get that filly under control!”  They complied, surrounding Lyra on all sides except for the back.  The captain turned his attention to Aiden.  “As for you,” he coldly stated.  “I think you could use some rest...”

    His horn flared again, and Aiden felt a tidal wave of fatigue wash over him.  The last thing he saw before his eyelids shut was, to his horror, the three guards forcing Lyra to the ground.

Act 1.5

1.5Even though my eyes aren’t open, I can feel them looking at me...

    Aiden awoke sitting.  As his vision cleared, he noted his few surroundings.  He was sitting in a metal chair, in front of a silvery table.  On the other side of the table sat another metal chair.  The floor, the walls, the ceiling, were all white; an absolute kind of white that seemed to make the room look like it stretched on for eternity.  Aiden noticed that his gas mask and helmet were missing.  Looking down, he ran his left hand through his dirty, brown hair, trying to collect his memories on what had happened to him.

    “Regards, Aiden,” a voice came from in front of him.

    Aiden jumped slightly as he looked up to see a man sitting in the chair across the table.  He appeared to be in his mid to late forties, possibly early fifties, due to the noticeable wrinkles that creased his face and a bald spot amidst brown hair.  He wore a white suit with a black tie, which helped him blend in with this room.

    Aiden had thousands of questions pounding against his skull as he gazed at the middle aged man who smiled from across the table.  He failed to let them out in an orderly fashion.

    “Where am I?  Who are you?  Where’s Lyra!?”

    “Calm yourself,” the man said in a gentle voice as he raised his hand.  “You are safe,” he smiles and chuckles to himself.  “And so is your little filly companion.”

    Aiden sighs with relief at hearing that last part.  The man motions for him to sit, and he obliged.  “Where am I?”  Aiden asked.

    The man sighs.  “I doubt you’d believe me if I simply told you,” he paused for a moment as he raised his left arm slightly.  “So it is best if I show you...”  He snapped his fingers, and a rectangular, metal box suddenly appeared on the table, making Aiden jump slightly.  Aiden eyed the man with suspicion and amazement.

    “How did...How can...”

    “Does this look familiar to you?”  The man asked.  Aiden looked down at the metal box, as he noticed the point where it opens.  “It is a footlocker, Aiden.  Your footlocker to be precise.”  He pushed it towards Aiden with a reassuring smile.  “See?”

    Aiden looked down at the nametag just below the lid of the footlocker.  Aiden R. Marsh.  Aiden’s jaw dropped as his eyes went back and forth from the smiling man sitting across from him and his own footlocker.  “How did you get this?”  Aiden asked as his mind still tried to process everything that was occurring.

    “I have my ways,” the man calmly said as he opened the footlocker and removed a large, yellow folder.  “Take a look!”  He encouraged.  Aiden looked at the man suspiciously again before taking the folder in his hands.  Inside he found pages upon pages on him and his career in the Network; profiles of his teammates and their background reports, mission reports, photographs of their families, and even personal journal entries.  He didn’t even know that any of them kept journals.

    “You’ve had quite a history in the time you’ve spent on Earth,” the man said smiling.  “Especially in the last five years: you’ve joined the Network; a worldwide, privately owned military and intelligence corporation dedicated to the protection of the innocent, you’ve become the leader of a team of seven soldiers, including yourself,” he paused for a moment.  “Not to mention that you’ve saved the world not once, not twice, but three times from three separate entities.”

    Aiden frowned.  “Okay, this is getting a little too weird for my tastes...”

    “Alright,” Aiden said, slapping a page from Logan’s biography on the table.  “What is it you want from me?”

    The man put a look of the utmost seriousness on his face.  “I am only here to help you, Intervention.”  Aiden’s head lifted after hearing that last word.  “Your dreams-no, your memories hold the keys to this world’s destruction or salvation.  I am here to simply offer counsel and help you make sense of the memories you relive.  The decision of whether or not you take my advice is left entirely up to you.”

    Aiden could say nothing else, as he felt fatigue coming over him yet again.  The man continued speaking.  “As for now, Aiden, Forerunner of the Equinox, we must say farewell.  Your name is inscribed in the Obsidian Halls of Abitrath.  All I can say is that the future of this world rests on your course of actions.”  Aiden’s eyes closed again, yet he felt the sensation that he was on the verge of waking up.  The man spoke one final sentence.

    “For your sake I hope you make the right choices...”

    Aiden awoke with a unicorn guard standing over him.  In his magical grip was an empty bucket; Aiden shivered from the cold water that had just been poured on him.  He was missing his helmet, gas mask, and gloves, and his wrists were bound together by iron shackles.

    “Her Majesty will see you now,” the unicorn stated flatly as he threw the bucket to the side of the cell they were in.  Aiden got up and followed the unicorn guard outside of the dungeon.  He wanted to ask where his missing apparel was, but refrained at the thought of giving the guard reason to distrust him.  The stairwell leading upstairs was only illuminated by the occasional torch.

    The main palace hall was about as majestic as Aiden had pictured; The stained glass windows painted images that seemed to draw out Equestria’s history.  One window had the image of a six colorful gemstones on it, others had the image of what he guessed was the princess.  Guards stood at their posts, unmoving, with the exception of casting the occasional suspicious glance in Aiden’s direction.  They certainly seemed on edge, for obvious reasons.

    He was led into what was obviously the throne room, given the fact of the very large pony sitting on the throne at the opposite end of the rectangular room.  Everything about her seemed to radiate with regality; her golden crown, her horn, her wings.  Even her green, blue, and pink colored mane had an otherworldly elegance to it as it flowed in a non existent breeze.

    As he and the guard approached the steps before her throne, Aiden gulped as her eyes opened; she looked at the guard for a brief moment, and then her eyes fell on him.  She raises an eyebrow, showing curiosity.

    “The unknown creature, your Majesty,” the unicorn guard said as he bowed in respect for his princess.

    She looked at Aiden for a brief moment, and then nodded at the guard, motioning for him to leave; she then does the same for the two guards standing by the enormous doors at the entrance of the throne room.  The majestic doors echo as they shut, leaving Aiden alone with the princess.

    For a few moments, an awkward silence dominated the throne room, until the princess smiled at her visitor.  “I think this discussion will be much more pleasant if your restraints are dealt with,” she said as her horn begins to glow a mystical white.  The shackles around Aiden’s wrist glowed slightly and vanish with a pop that sounded somewhat like a firecracker.  Aiden rubbed his wrists as the blood flowed through them, unrestrained.  “Is that better?”  The princess asked as she descended the stairs.

    “Much better,” Aiden replied as his nerves began to calm down.  “Thanks...”

    “Think nothing of it.”  The regal alicorn princess replied as she stops right in front of him; Aiden was taller than her, with the exception of the horn which made her taller by a few inches.  This seemed to catch her off guard at first, but she immediately regained her composure.  “I am Princess Celestia, the...lone ruler of the Kingdom of Equestria.”  She formally introduced herself.  “Now that we are alone, I have three important questions for you.”  A serious look overshadows her smile.

    “Very well,” Aiden meekly responds.  “Ask away.”

    “Question one: What is your name?”

    “Aiden Marsh, your Highness,” Aiden bowed his head.  “Sergeant Aiden Marsh.”

    “Question two: What are you exactly?”

    “I’m a human,” Aiden replies.  “Have you heard of them?”

    Celestia nodded.  “Indeed I have, but only in stories; they haven’t been seen in Equestria; or any part of the world for that matter; for many millennia.”  She paused for a brief moment.  “Question three,”  Her face turned to a look of slight anger, and her voice held the utmost seriousness within it.  “Are you going to harm any of my little ponies?”

    “Never, your Highness,” Aiden shook his head.  “Only cowards attack the innocent.”

    “That is good to hear,” she said as the seriousness lifted from her tone and the smile returned to her face.  “My most sincere apologies for the aggressive questioning, Mr. Marsh, but when it comes to the safety of my dear subjects, I tend to let my temper get...out of hoof.”

    Aiden waved a hand.  “That isn’t necessarily a bad thing, your Highness; that means you show genuine care for your citizens, something that a few leaders on Earth seem to lack...oh and you can just call me Aiden.”

    “I appreciate your kindness,” Celestia smiled at her visitor.  “Now if you have any questions for me, feel free to ‘ask away’ as you put it,” she says with a giggle.

    "You seem to be rather liberal with who you place your trust in," Aiden began.  "Why is that?"

    The Princess still smiled, but raised an eyebrow.  "Should I not trust you?"

    "No," Aiden replied.  He shook his head.  "I mean; yes?"  Celestia giggled.

    "You need not worry about it; judging by the condition you were in when I first saw you, you don't seem capable of doing much damage...no offence."

    "None taken..." Aiden quietly replied.  "One more question."

    Celestia acknowledged him.

    “Why did you bring me to this place?”  Aiden asked.

    The princess raised an eyebrow in response.  “Whatever do you mean?”

    “You are the one who brought me here to Equestria...right?”  Aiden asked, hopeful for a resounding ‘yes.’

    Princess Celestia frowned.  “For the past few days, I have sensed something was different with Equestria; that something completely foreign was hiding amongst my pony subjects.  I honestly had no idea it would be a human...” she paused and trotted up to a stain  glass window, that painted an image of her, surrounded by six gemstones, and shooting what looked like a beam of energy at a black alicorn of similar size.  Aiden walked up and joined her, looking out at the setting sun over Canterlot.

    “I am sorry,” she said, turning to face him.  “Whatever it was that brought you here, it was not me...”

    Aiden sighed and stared at the stained glass illustration of Celestia and the second alicorn for a few moments.  “Who is this other alicorn, Princess?  She...she looks a lot like you.”

    Celestia deeply frowned at the mentioning of the second alicorn.  “This is my...my younger sister, Luna.  She was in charge of raising the moon every night.”

    “Was?”  Aiden asked.  “Did something happen to her?”  This question caused Celestia to gaze sadly beyond the illustration towards the city of Canterlot.  She sighed, and it’s clear that Aiden touched a sensitive nerve.  “Sorry,” he quickly apologized.  “I didn’t mean to pry at a touchy subject...you don’t have to tell me anything if you don’t want to.”

    “No, no,” Celestia quickly replied.  “I think it’s best that you know about this; a full explanation of this tale might take awhile, so please get comfortable.”  Aiden obliged by sitting Native American style on the marble floor, ready to intently listen to the Princess’s story.  Celestia was caught off guard slightly by the human’s eagerness to listen and understand her tale.

    Celestia sighed and began:  “The history of this world stretches deep, Aiden; even deeper than that of Equestria, and the latter is a nation that is more than two thousand years old.  It is common knowledge amongst the Royal Family and the Council of Mages that the civilizations of ponies, griffons, dogs, minotaurs, and so on are based on the wealth of knowledge and the ruins that our human precursors left behind.  It is unknown what has happened to the human race, and the common public regards humans as mere myths and fables; some ponies have not even heard of the word before.”

    “Before Equestria was formed, the three pony tribes; Earth, Pegasi, and Unicorns, were constantly fighting; they were torn apart by hatred.  A fierce winter storm killed off the crops that the Earth ponies were growing, and they blamed the Pegasi, who had control over the weather.  The Pegasi claimed it was the doing of the Unicorns and their magic.  Bickering continued, and the tribes moved to find a new land to grow food and raise families.  As it turns out, the three tribes traveled and all happened upon the same region.  The winter storm followed them, and it turns out it was the doing of Wendigos; ethereal beings who fed on disharmony.  When the three tribes united, the Wendigos had no disharmony to feed on, and vanished forever.  This was how Equestria was founded.”

    “For a millennium, my two parents; Queen Rising Dawn and King Descendant Night ruled Equestria side by side.  My sister, Luna, and I were just beginning to start learning of royal duties when...” she choked slightly, but continued.  “Alicorns live for millennia, up until the point they have offspring; then the sands of time fall against them.  They begin to age and wither at a faster pace.  My parents had a short span of just two decades to teach Lu Lu and I on how to rule a nation.”

    “After they both passed, their duties of raising the sun and the moon fell upon my shoulders, and on those of my sister.”  She paused to see if Aiden was still paying attention.  To her surprise, he was enthralled by her tale.

    She continued.  “As years passed, Luna began to grow resentful of me; our subjects were awake and joyful in the sun of my day, but they slept through and shunned her night.  One evening, she refused to lower the moon to make way for dawn.  I tried to reason with her, but...”  She shook her head.  “Something was wrong with my sister.  It felt like something had taken over her mind; something corrupt; something that was pure evil...”  She looked down at her audience of one.  “I had no choice but to use the Elements of Harmony; the six gemstones you see in this illustration; I used their power to seal my sister inside of the moon for a thousand years, thus she became the legendary being known as Nightmare Moon.  I took upon the responsibility of both day and night at that point.”

    “How long has your sister been imprisoned?”  Aiden asked.  “You said for a thousand years?”

    “The imprisonment was meant to last for a thousand years.  Now only ten short years of the seal remains, and my sister will break free.  At that point, the Elements will choose six wielders to defeat my sister and restore her true form, where she will resume her duties of the night.”

    Aiden’s mind tried its hardest to process all the information it was just fed.  “Wow,” was all he could say.  “I, uh...I honestly don’t know what to say...”  A period of silence fell over the two of them.  At this point, Aiden noticed that her horn was glowing, and that he could faintly see the moon rising over the Eastern horizon through the window on the other side of the room.  “Does it take a lot of concentration?”  Aiden asked the princess.  “Moving the sun and the moon?”

    “At first it did,” Celestia said, blushing.  “But keep in mind that I’ve been doing this everyday for over one thousand years, my friend.”

    Aiden smiled at the princess and turned to look at the rising moon; the prison of a ruler more than a thousand years past.

    She felt the same sensation of vertigo she felt everyday for the past thousand years.  That could only mean one thing: her sister was performing her nightly duties of continuing the lunar cycle.

    This alicorn had a name once: Luna, her parents and sister called her.  Now she was imprisoned inside the celestial body she held dominion over, and reduced to the status of an old mare’s tale.  Nightmare Moon was her name now.  The actual interior of the moon surprised her on the first day of her imprisonment; she expected the interior of the moon to be a maze of caves and tunnels.  In reality, she spent the past millennium stuck in place in a pitch black void.  She could occasionally look up and see the blue orb of the world she once called home; so close yet so far away.

    Only ten years remained of her sentence.  She was eager to see Equestria again, for surely it drastically changed in the thousand years that had passed.  She was eager to see her sister again, and make her suffer for what she had done.  She wanted her sister to suffer...

    “Oh my,” a deep voice came from behind her.  “Such sibling rivalry between you two...”

    Luna felt herself tense up as she felt a presence at her side.  A presence that she very well recognized.  She sighed.  “What do you want, Discord?”

    “I just wanted to talk with my old buddy, Nightmare Moon!”  The draconequus wrapped his bear paw around her shoulder, causing her to yell out.

    “You will not call me that!”

    “Sheesh,” the chaos abomination backed off.  “I was just trying to cheer you up!”  With a snap of his fingers, he pulled up a large concrete wall out of nowhere, and started inscribing tally marks onto it with a claw.  “How long has it been; nine hundred and ninety years?”  Discord paused for a moment.  “Do you think your sister would’ve let you out early for good behavior?”

    “Enough of your petty games, Discord; what do you want?”

    “Oh don’t tell me you didn’t sense it!”  The chaos god laughed.  “Only three days ago, a new being entered our little world!  And get this: it’s a human!”

    A small gasp escaped from the alicorn’s lips.  “But...they were all-”

    “Dead?  No, apparently that is not true.”  Discord snickered evilly.  “But wait, it gets even better!  This human is also a Forerunner!”

    “Then that could only mean...if the Forerunners are returning...the end of days are upon us...”

    “Eh, Armageddon, the Apocalypse, Judgement Day, Ragnarok, or even the Absolute End if you’re feeling really dramatic; whatever you wish to call it.  It doesn’t matter.  I think the next few years will be very interesting!”  The draconequus yawned.  “Well, at any rate, that’s really the only thing I needed to tell you.  You know the timeline from here on out, so I think I’ll be going now.  Ta ta!”  The chaos god vanished with the snap of a finger, his laughter still echoing through the void.

    Alone again.  Luna felt the corruption overtaking her mind subside for a brief moment, enough for her to look up at the world.  Her world.  As a single tear was pushed out of her eye, she whispered for her sister to act in the best interests of the Equestrian citizens.

    Aiden’s attention was drawn from the rising moon to the throne room doors.  He looked back at the throne room’s entrance to see that the door was cracked open slightly; and a small lavender colored pony peeked in.

    “Um, Princess Celestia?”  The filly unicorn asked as she stepped further in.  Her eyes immediately fell on Aiden standing next to her beloved princess.  Like a flash, she hid behind the door, in fear of the odd creature that she perceived to have invaded the Royal Palace.

    Celestia smiles at where the unicorn is hiding.  “Twilight, there is no need for fear; come and say hello to our guest!”

    Reluctantly, the filly named Twilight peeked her head out again.  She took in a noticeably sharp breath before beginning to close the distance between her and Aiden.  It is a moment that seems to last for hours, but really doesn’t last more than ten seconds.  The foal didn’t even come up to his waist.  She looked up, deep into his eyes, and she returns a smile that he had been giving her for the entire time she was approaching him.  Cautiously, she extended her left forehoof.

    Aiden replied by gently extending his own appendage, and wrapping his fingers around her hoof.  It was clear that his appearance was completely alien to her, but the friendly gesture seemed to help her relax.

    “Aiden, this is my personal student, Twilight Sparkle.”  Princess Celestia stated.  “She enrolled in my own School for Gifted Unicorns no more than four weeks ago.  She showed great magic potential, and I took her under my wing to see her talents grow.”  She looked over at the filly.  “Twilight, this is Aiden Marsh.  He is a human, if you remember some of the stories your parents may have told you.”

    “N-nice to meet you,” the foal nervously said as the hand/hoof shake ended.

    “Likewise, Twilight,” Aiden smiled at her.

    “Now then, Twilight,” Celestia said.  “What did you come to see me about?”

    “Oh, um...it’s nothing important, Princess.”  The foal looked towards the ground.  “It’s clear that you have more important things to worry about.”

    Celestia cast a confused frown at her student.  “Are you certain, Twilight?  You can tell me anything, you know.”

    “Yes, I know that, Princess!  It’s just that...it can wait for tomorrow.  I’ll be in the library if you need anything.”

    After saying goodbye to Aiden, Twilight left the throne room, apparently in a hurry.  Aiden looked at Celestia with a confused face.  “Is she always in such a hurry?”

    Celestia shook her head.  “No; she was clearly concerned about something...”  She sighed.  “I will ask her about it later.”

    “You said you have a School for Gifted Unicorns?”  Aiden asked her.  “I wonder if...”  A sudden realization hit him.  “Lyra!”

    The princess alicorn gazed at her visitor with surprise.  “Is something wrong, Aiden?”

    “Lyra!  Did they bring in a unicorn filly?  Where is she!?”

    “Ah,” Celestia smiled.  “Of course, that green one; she really did a number on that pegasus guard, but he is fine.”  She giggled.  “Do not worry, your friend is safe as well.  One moment please...”  The princess closed her eyes; a loud crack of thunder from behind startled Aiden.  Turning around, he saw the green unicorn filly, dazed, and looking around, confused.  Next to her stood the unicorn captain from the previous night.

    The guard immediately bowed once he saw the princess.

    “What were you thinking, Captain!?”  Celestia yelled at the officer, who shook at his ruler’s anger.  “Throwing a nine year old filly in the dungeon!”

    Lyra turned and smiled from ear to ear when she saw her friend.  With a cry of “Aiden!”  the filly ran up to him and embraced him with all her strength, which was surprisingly enough to make him stagger slightly.

    “B-but your Majesty, she attacked one of our guards!”  The captain tried to defend his actions.

    “In order to protect her friend!”  The princess replied.  “And the guard is perfectly fine!”

    Lyra blew raspberry at the captain, who in turn growled and glared at her.  The stallion then sighed.  “What penalty must I sustain for this offense, your Majesty?”

    “I believe that two weeks of restroom janitor duty will be sufficient,” Princess Celestia said calmly.

    The officer looked up.  “But, your Majesty!  Who will serve as Captain of the Royal Guard?”

    “I believe Shining Armor will be an excellent temporary replacement.”

    The officer’s jaw nearly hit the floor, much to Aiden and Lyra’s amusement.  “But, he hasn’t been with the guard for a year!  He’s inexperienced!”

    “I’ve made my decision,” Celestia said.  The stallion hung his head; he had accepted his punishment.  With a glow from Celestia’s horn, he vanished, presumably to the janitor’s closet.

    Celestia turned her attention to the two friends, still embracing.  Aiden looked up at the princess, smiled, and whispered a thank you to the alicorn.  As the two released each other, Aiden introduced the unicorn to her ruler.

    “Lyra, this is the Princess Celestia!  The one you said gives day and night to the world!”  The filly timidly extended a hoof to her Princess.

    “I-it’s uh, v-very nice to m-meet you, your Highness.”  The princess smiled and returned the gesture.

    “It’s a pleasure to meet you as well, Lyra,” Celestia said as their hoofs met.  “Care to tell me a bit about yourself?”

    Lyra stammered slightly, and then began blurting out basically everything there was to know about her, from her fascination with the human legends, to her birthdate, to how she ended up here; even to details about Aiden.

    “Uh, Lyra,” Aiden interrupted.  “I think that’s all that the Princess needs to know.”  He said with a laugh.  Lyra giggled a bit as a blush began to show through her mint colored cheeks.  Celestia shared their laughter.

    “It seems we have much to learn about the two of you.  Lyra, after hearing that you managed to incapacitate one of my guards to protect your friend, I’d like you to enroll in my School for Gifted Unicorns!”

    Lyra’s jaw nearly hit the floor.  The filly looked up at Aiden, as if looking for approval.  Aiden smiled and gestured towards the princess.  Works for me, she thought as she stepped forward and bowed.  “I would be honored, your Highness.”

    “Splendid,” Celestia smiled at the foal.  “As for you, Aiden, I’d like you to live here in the Royal Palace.  I will alert my guards and the palace staff to not admit your presence to anypony outside this place’s walls.  Maybe someday, when the world is older, we may reveal you to the public.”

    “Will we get to see each other, your Highness?”  Lyra asked.

    “Of course, my little pony,” the ruler smiled.  “I will schedule visits every now and then.”

    “Thank you, your Highness,” Aiden bowed his head.  “You have no idea how much that means to us.”

    “You are very welcome, Aiden,” the benevolent princess returned the bow.  “But before I let you two go, I have one important question for both of you...”

    The two friends looked at the princess, waiting for what her question might be.  She smiled widely before asking.  “Chocolate, vanilla, or marble?”

    To say the least, Lyra and Aiden were confused.

    In response to the puzzled looks on their faces, Celestia laughed.  “Both of your birthdays are the second of November right?  That’s tomorrow!”

    Lyra and Aiden exchanged looks before turning to their princess.  With smiles as wide as the Western horizon, they both happily voiced their decisions.

    “Well,” Lyra said putting a hoof to her chin.

    “When you put it that way...” Aiden continued her sentence.

    As the two friends exchanged smiles again, they happily shouted together:

    “Marble!”

End of Act 1

Author's Note:  I'll be honest; I didn't expect this story to become that popular, let alone be featured.  Just thought I'd say, I certainly appreciate all this positive feedback I've been getting for the work I put into this story.  Also, apologies for inconsistent updating; I've been working on a...*gulp* summer project that's due on the first day of school...Honestly now, who's the idiot who came up with summer projects!?

    At any rate, I just wanted to say that seeing people enjoy this is the only motivation I need to keep writing.

    Best regards,

A Horizon Settler

Act 2.1

Act 2Moving ForwardJust like those old fairy tales and legends, the land was plagued by monsters...

    “Will you be joining us soon...Brother?”

    Aiden felt as though he was falling; completely at the mercy of gravity.  This sensation only lasted for a fraction of a second, as he found himself on the cold marble floor, right beside the bed that Celestia had generously allowed him to sleep in while he resided in the Royal Palace.

    “Good morning, sleepy head!”  The familiar voice of a certain unicorn filly called out.  Seconds later, Aiden looked up to see Lyra peeking over the edge of the bed, smiling back at him.

    “Good morning to you too, Lyra,” Aiden replied rubbing his forehead as he got his bearings.  “And happy birthday!”  He added sitting up.

    “You too!”  Lyra giggled as she jumped down onto the floor next to him.  When he sat, the two were eye to eye.  Tomorrow, she would be leaving for this School for Gifted Unicorns, while Aiden had to stay behind in the palace.  That fact greatly saddened him, knowing that he wouldn’t be seeing his young friend anywhere near as often.  Classes ran through most of the day, and on weekends, she would be with her family.  “But Celestia did promise for the  occasional visit here in the palace,”  He thought to himself.  “That’s better than nothing.”

    But at any rate, today they had two birthdays to celebrate.  He was now officially twenty years of age, and she was now ten.  Today wasn’t a day to worry; it was a day to celebrate.

    The two of them were accompanied with the princess for breakfast in the Royal Dining Hall.  Lyra sat right next to Aiden, happily munching on a fruit salad.  Aiden quietly chewed on a mouthful of his own salad, when Celestia got his attention.  “Aiden, I have a few things to say regarding your diet.”

    Aiden swallowed nervously, but nodded for the princess to continue.

    “According to the legends; and by simply looking at your teeth; it is obvious that your race is omnivorous.”  She paused to take a bite from a slice of bread.  “While you stay here in Equestria; which for all I know, it might be permanent; I must ask that you refrain from certain types of meat that you might be accustomed to in your world.  According to the legends, humans raised ancient cattle, chicken, pigs, and in some cases...” she seemed to slightly lose her composure.  “Equines...for food.  Have any of these been used to sustain you?”

    “All except for that last one, your Highness,” Aiden said.  “Don’t worry, it won’t be a problem.”

    “That is good to hear,” Celestia said with relief.

    “I don’t think I would really be comfortable with eating something I just held conversation with, anyways.”  He said with a few laughs.  Aiden’s smile faded when he saw the shocked expression on the princess’s face.  “Uh, sorry...”  He sheepishly apologized.  “Pardon my ‘unique’ sense of humor.”

    “Indeed,” she stated as she continued eating her salad.  A few more moments of silence passed.

    “Oh, um, Princess,” Aiden said.  Celestia looked up at him.  “Do you think it would be possible to squeeze the occasional fish into my diet?”

    The princess smiled.  “Ah, that would not be a problem; I already have fish retrieved from the river to feed my dear Philomena.”  She sipped from her cup of tea.  “That’s my pet phoenix.”

    Aiden nearly choked on his own cup of tea.  “You have a phoenix as a pet!?”  He cried in between coughs.

    “I do,” Celestia giggled.  “Would you like to see her?”

    “I, uh...sure!”

    After hearing that, Celestia stood up, and approached a nearby window overlooking the Palace’s courtyard.  Lyra poked Aiden to get his attention.  “Hey, Aiden,” the young unicorn asked.  “What’s a phoenix?”

    “A phoenix is a type of bird, Lyra,” Aiden explained.  “They’re capable of renewing themselves by burning themselves into a pile of ashes; then they are reborn from those ashes.”  He paused and laughed as amazement took over the filly’s face.  “It seems a bit melodramatic if you ask me.”

    “Tell me about it,” Celestia laughed as she poked her head out of the window.  She then began to whistle a calm, peaceful note.  “Come on, Philomena!”  She chimed as she extended a hoof.  “We have a guest that would like to meet you!”  A few moments passed before Aiden could hear the flap of wings just outside, followed by the call of what sounded like a hawk or falcon.  The large bird that flew in seemed to radiate with light; its feathers leaving small trails of flame as it flew.  It looked almost exactly like the bird of myth that Aiden had pictured.  It let out another of its calls as it perched itself on Celestia’s extended hoof.

    “Aiden,” Celestia said as she approached him.  “This is Philomena.  Philomena, this is Aiden; say hello!”  The majestic bird cocked her head slightly as she gazed at him with her fiery orange eyes.  It’s likely that she never saw a creature like him before.  “Go on, Philomena,” Celestia gently encouraged.  “Say hello to our new friend!”

    Philomena cawed as she extended a wing as a greeting.  Aiden smiled as he returned the gesture.  “She seems to like you!”  Celestia smiled.  “Philomena, you wouldn’t mind sharing some of your fish with our friend here, would you?”

    Philomena let out a ‘grumble’ of sorts at the suggestion.

    “Now, now, young lady, there’s no need to be a greedy birdy,” Celestia teased.  “There are plenty of fish in the river for the two of you to share.”  Philomena cawed quietly after she said those words.

    “That’s better,” Celestia said.

    “You can understand what she’s saying?”  Lyra asked her princess.

    The princess giggled.  “No, not really, my child, I just guess most of the time.”  She nuzzled her phoenix affectionately.  “She seems to understand me perfectly.”

    The sunset that Celestia was demonstrating for the two friends was amazing; a perfect conclusion to a perfect day.  The three of them were on one of the highest balconies in the Royal Palace.  Celestia stood right by the stone railing of the edge, while Aiden and Lyra sat in their own chairs, staring in awe at the orange and red sky.

    “It almost looks as though the world has once again been set on fire...”  Aiden thought to himself.

    “There’s no time left!”  Logan shouted.  “We need to go NOW!!”

    “No!”  Aiden shouted.  “If we don’t stop that nuke, millions will die and the war will start all over again!  All of the fighting we’ve done up to this point will have been for nothing!  Is that what you want, Logan?”

    “Uh, guys,” David interrupted.  “I hate to interrupt, but we’ve got more Tesangan Military personnel incoming!”

    Aiden looked out the window of the refinery building to see several dozen soldiers wearing the Tesangan Republic’s military uniform, one was decorated with medals and carrying a megaphone in one hand, and a revolver in the other.  The general lifted the megaphone to his lips and spoke.

    “Operatives of the Network, you are charged with betrayal of the people of Tesanga and working with the Saharan Liberation Army against our interests!  Lay down your weapons and surrender yourselves peacefully and you have my word that no harm will come to you!”

    Leon scoffed at the general’s ignorance.  “God, what a tool...”

    “This is the thanks we get for helping them take back their capital?”  Alex asked.

    “Aiden, we’ve got another problem!”  Emily shouted from the other side of the room.

    “Lay it on me,” he sighed as he rubbed his forehead in frustration.  “You know how much I just love bad news...”

    “We’ve got more SLA forces moving in on the north side of the refinery!”

    Aiden moved over to where Emily was and gazed out to see more of the extremist militia moving in.  One of them had an RPG.

    “You have thirty seconds to come out peacefully, or my men will burn this refinery to the ground!”  The general angrily shouted through his megaphone.

    “Well, any bright ideas, Sergeant?”  Leon asked Aiden.  “Because from where I’m standing, our best chances are to hope that the SLA and the Tesangan Military fight over who gets to kill us!”

    “I’m thinking, Leon!”  Aiden retorted.  “I’m thinking, I...ah, actually that might not be such a bad idea...”

    “What...”  Leon deadpanned.

    “Aiden, you can’t honestly be thinking that we should take our chances and make a run for the extraction zone...”  Alex said.  “We’re low on ammo and provisions as it is!”

    “Your choice...” the general outside said as he began giving orders to his troops.  “Set the charges; flush them out!”

    “Aiden?”  Celestia asked her guest with concern in her voice.  “Are you feeling alright?  You were spacing out there for a moment.”

    Aiden looked up and shook his head, trying to regain his focus.  “Huh?  Uh, yeah...I’m okay.”  Celestia gave him a worried look.  “I was just thinking back to an...unpleasant memory.”

    “I see...” Celestia replied.  The concern did not leave her face as she turned back towards the sunset she was working on.  “Is it something that bothers you?”

    “A little bit,” Aiden answered.  “I was thinking of a mission I was on a few years ago...”

    “Mission?”  Celestia asked.  “Were you in your race’s military?”

    “Eh, something to that extent.”  Aiden stood up and joined Celestia at the edge of the balcony.  “I was an operative within the Network; an organization that was privately owned and privately funded.”

    “You mean you worked with mercenaries?”  Celestia asked.

    “Some called us mercenaries, yeah, but we didn’t exactly fit that definition.”  Aiden answered as he looked back at a sleeping Lyra, curled up comfortably in her seat.  He smiled as he continued.  “What would you like to know?”

    “When was this ‘Network’ founded?”  Celestia asked as the sun finally sank completely behind the horizon, leaving only a thin shade of orange behind.

    “I don’t know the exact date, but it was sometime during the Spring of 2138,” Aiden noted the confused look on the princess’s face.  “That was about seventy years ago: when I left my world, it was October 29th, 2215.”

    “I see, and what is it that the Network does?”

    “Wherever there’s an active conflict or a natural disaster, there’s a good chance that the Network will be operating there to provide relief to the people affected by it, and in the case of war, will try to put a stop to it.”  Aiden waved his hand over the horizon.  “We operated all over the place.”

    “Interesting,” Celestia said with a smile.  “I’ve never heard of an organization that acted solely in the interest of others.”

    “Yeah, but occasionally we had to implement the use of force to broker peace between the warring factions.”

    “You ended fighting with more fighting?”  Celestia asked as she raised an eyebrow.

    “It wasn’t particularly common, but yes, we were willing to use any means to end a conflict and find the reasons for why it started.”

    “How often did such conflicts occur?”

    “Too often,”  Aiden said with a frown.  “The human race has been fighting each other since we learned how to sharpen a rock into a blade.”

    “I see,” Celestia returned the frown.

    “It’s almost as though one war leads to another, with little respite in between.  It started with wars between city states, then it went to kingdoms conquering each other in the age of Feudalism, then to the Crusades in the Middle Ages.”  He paused for a moment.  “The Industrial Revolution brought new technology, and the Napoleonic Wars.  Then there was The Great War in the early twentieth century.  It was called the War to End All Wars.”

    “Was?”  Celestia asked, slightly horrified.

    “Yes; I don’t know the details, but its name was changed to World War I, and a World War II occurred no more than thirty years later.  After that war, the United Nations was founded; an organization of nations that was meant to prevent another world war from happening.”

    “Did they succeed?”  Celestia asked, although she believed she knew the answer already.

    “No,” Aiden replied simply.  “In the early twenty first century, the United Nations dissolved, and war erupted yet again.  World War III lasted for years; fighting started somewhere around 2028 or 2029, and continued into the 2050’s.  Then the nukes fell.”  He explained the effects that nuclear warfare had on his world.

    War was not a foreign concept to the princess, but the thought that the human race developed weapons that could reduce the world to a burning cinder horrified her.  Even more so, the basics on radioactive fallout and mutation.  “That sounds terrible...” the princess said looking out to the horizon.  “What happened next?”

    “An ominous silence fell over the planet for the next few decades.  Governments were thrown into chaos with so many officials either dead or missing; some dissolved completely.  While the destruction caused by the war was great, it was far from complete.  Plenty of cities remained standing; some were even untouched by the warheads.  New governments rose from the ashes to replace the ones from the old world.”

    “Things aren’t any better I assume?”

    “I wouldn’t know,” Aiden said crossing his arms.  “I wasn’t born until November of 2195; more than a century and a half later, so I didn’t really experience the old world in any way.”

    “I understand,” Celestia said.  “Thank you for sharing.”

    “Anytime,” Aiden replied as he leaned on the stone balcony railing.  For the first time since he came to Equestria, he thought of what was going on back in his world.  With the threat of the Reborn removed, how would this shape international events?  He had no idea, and in all honesty, he was perfectly fine with that.

    Aiden felt that he was sitting again, even though he remembered that he fell asleep in the comfortable bed that Princess Celestia was so gracious to allow him to use while he stayed here in the castle.  He opened his eyes, only to be met with a pure white floor.

    “Welcome back.”  That voice; it was that man again.

    Aiden looked up to see the man from the previous night sitting from across the same metal table.

    “You again...” Aiden tiredly mumbled as he tried to get his bearings.  “Why am I here?”

    The man smiled and snapped his fingers.  A folder suddenly appeared on the table, causing Aiden to jump slightly.  The man pushed the folder forward and gestured for him to open it.  Aiden obliged despite the feeling of suspicion that he had towards this man.

    Inside the folder, Aiden found several papers and photographs of Washington D.C. immediately after the Ashen attack five years ago.

    “You remember who and what the Ashen were, don’t you?”  The man asked.

    “Yeah,” Aiden solemnly replied as he flipped through the pages in the folder.  “They were some special type of mutant.  I don’t know the science behind it, but from what I’ve heard, the Ashen were created by some kind of highly evolved virus.”

    “You remember where they came from as well, correct?”

    “Yes,” Aiden said looking at a picture of a fallen Washington Monument.  “The Western coast of the United States took the brunt of the nukes, while the East coast was spared for the most part, mostly due to the fact that the West coast was also the first location hit.  The Ashen made the ruins of the West coast their home.”

    “And you also remember how and when the Ashen marched on Washington?”

    “Yes...”

    “And that’s because you were there; you experienced the battle first hand.  That was also the first time that you and your team of six experienced actual combat.  Is that correct?”

    Aiden looked down at a photograph of a street littered with bodies, both human and Ashen.

    “Is that correct?”  The man repeated.

    “Yes!”

    “It’s hard to remember those horrors, Aiden, I understand--”

    “No,” Aiden interrupted.  “I’m fine...”

    “Very well,” the man replied.  “Now then; you and your team were initially just cadets; not meant to participate in direct combat, but with so many Network operatives getting slaughtered in the city, Central Authority needed every single pair of boots they could get.”

    “Yeah,” Aiden sighed.  “The military was also taking pretty heavy casualties, so much that they started giving a gun to any civilian who was mentally stable enough to use one.”

    “Now let’s go to the moment you and your team arrived in Washington: the Ashen had already commenced their siege of the city, the American Republic’s military and the Network had taken heavy losses, and the rest of your platoon had moved on without your team.  Your teammate, Corporal Logan Somers suggested to use the D.C. Metro tunnels to get to your objective.”

    “Yes,” Aiden replied.  “But first, we had to make a mad run down a street swarming with the Ashen...”

Act 2.2

2.2

Sergeant Aiden R. Marsh

Washington D.C., Second American Republic

November 14, 2210

    “Is everyone ready?”  Aiden asked looking at his six teammates as he had one hand on the door.  He received assuring nods from all of them.

    “Let’s go,” Leon said.

    “Alright, let’s do this!”  Aiden shouted as he opened the door.  “Go!  Go!”

    The street was littered with abandoned cars, rubble from buildings, glass shards, and bullet casings, to name a few.

    “OH SHIT!!”  Alex screamed as a VTOL collided with a nearby apartment building, exploding into a ball of fire.

    “Don’t stop for anything!”  Aiden screamed over the sound of distant explosions, screams, and gunfire.  “Just keep running, and don’t look anywhere but forward!”

    The seven of them sprinted down the street, doing their best to ignore the screams of nearby victims as the Ashen slaughtered them.  They spoke very little to each other, focusing all of their energy and thought into sprinting for safety.

    “You were only fifteen when this happened, Aiden.  You must have been very afraid.”

    “You’re goddamn right; all of us were scared out of our minds.  Anyways, we managed to get to the Waterfront Metro Station, so we were relatively safe...”

    The seven of them had a moment of respite as they entered the Metro station.  Aiden rubbed his forehead as he tried to catch his breath.  “Gimme a sitrep,” he said in between gasps.  “Everyone made it here alright?”

    “Yeah,” Alex gasped for breath while he leaned against a wall.  “I’m still here...”

    “I’m here,” Leon said.

    “Here,” Logan said.

    “Here,” Emily said.

    “Here,” David said.

    “Mary?”  Aiden asked looking back at the blonde girl to see her sitting on the steps, trying to catch her breath.

    “Motherfucker...” she gasped.  “I don’t...I don’t think I’ve ever run that fast before in my life...”

    “Are you alright, Mary?”

    She exhaled loudly before standing up.  “I’m better than alright, I am just absolutely fan-fucking-tastic...”

    “She’s fine...” Logan sighed as the seven of them went deeper into the Metro station.

    “So, Logan,” Aiden said.  “Where are we going from here?”

    “We follow the Green Line,” Logan replied.  “North; it’ll take us straight to L’Enfant Plaza, and then to Central Authority.”

    “Sounds good,” Aiden said.  “Let’s go, if there are any survivors, then they won’t be able to hold out much longer.”  And with that, the seven cadets headed down the inactive escalator into the Metro Station.

    “Does anyone think we’ll run into any trouble down here?”  David asked.

    “Doubtful,” Logan answered.  “But I suppose we should be on our guard, just in case.”

    As they approached the northern tunnel, Alex couldn’t help but eye the crashed subway car, still on fire.  The conductor’s dead body leaned out of the shattered window, a large portion of his face hanging loose, exposing the already rotting flesh beneath it.  The stench was nearly overpowering, and it was clear that there were more bodies in the train.  “Damn...” Alex muttered to himself as he tried to cover his nose.  “I’ve seen pretty grievous injuries before, but this...”

    “Yeah,” Mary sighed.  “It’s a shame to say that this isn’t the first rotting human body I’ve seen in my life, though...”

    “Do you think it gets any easier?”  David asked no one in particular.

    “They say it does,” Mary said.  “I actually hope that it isn’t true...”

    “Huh...” Leon quietly grunted.  “Come on, let’s keep going.”

    “Wait!”  Aiden hissed as he held his hand up.  “Do you hear that?”  The other six cadets listened intently for what he was referring to.

    David spoke up.  “I don’t hear--”  His sentence was interrupted by a loud screeching noise.

    “Flashlights!”  Aiden whispered.  His six squadmates obeyed, turning on their flashlights, looking for what made the noise.  Something lunged out of the shadows of the subway wreckage at them causing Mary to fire her shotgun at it in surprise.  The creature-whatever it was-screamed in pain as the shell hit its mark.  It staggered back for a moment, and Aiden trained his flashlight on it.  He got a clear look at an Ashen for the first time.

    Its skin was a sickly pale, and it peeled in certain spots.  The clothing was torn in places, and blood stained the edge of its mouth and fingertips.  The smell that surrounded it was that of death; it was basically a zombie in most senses of the word.  The eyes glowed slightly, and they reflected a kind of sheer malevolence that Aiden would be happy to never see again.  The Ashen spawn howled at them again until Aiden aimed his M98 automatic rifle at it and gave it something to howl about.

    As the four bullet casings rolled towards the ground, Aiden recuperated from the shock of seeing such a disgusting looking creature.  As the hellspawn fell to the floor dead, similar screeches came from the subway wreckage as more pale hands began to punch through the  windows.

    “Oh shit...” Alex whispered as the sound of more Ashen could be heard behind them.

    “Orders, Sergeant!?”  Logan asked Aiden, though he was certain that he knew the answer already, along with the other five members of the squad.

    “Orders are simple, Logan:  Fuck everything and run!!!”  Aiden screamed as he continued down the tunnel, with his team right behind him.

    “You heard him!”  Logan yelled as he followed his team leader.  “Move!!”

    “We had to move North along the Green Line with the Ashen chasing us, until we finally got to L’Enfant Metro Station...”

    “And you weren’t alone there, Aiden: other Network operatives, military personnel, and what was left of the Washington D.C. Police Department was holding out in the Station.  With their assistance, you collapsed the Green Line North tunnel with heavy duty explosives.”

    “Yes, we...we made it to the plaza, but...but...”

    “Aiden?”

    “...”

    “Aiden!”

    “Aiden!”

    Aiden yelped as he again tumbled out of bed and onto the marble floor at the sound of somepony yelling his name.  This voice he recognized as Celestia’s.  Aiden opened his eyes and looked up to see Celestia’s pale pink eyes still staring back at him.  She smiled at him, yet her face still seemed to hold concern somehow.

    “It’s about time you woke up,” she said shaking her head, the ever present smile still there.

    Aiden rubbed his forehead as he sat Native American style on the floor.  “Jeez...How long have I been asleep?”

    “Long enough that it’s past eleven in the morning!”  She laughed.  “I figured you’d want to see your dear friend off as she leaves for the School for Gifted Unicorns.”  Celestia said softly.  “Come, she’s waiting for us in the main hall!”

    Aiden nodded for her to lead the way.  As they proceeded down the hallway, past  more of those heavily decorated stained glass windows, they crossed paths with a white stallion wearing purple armor.  He stepped aside and saluted the princess once he saw her.

    “At ease, Captain Shining Armor,” Princess Celestia said with a smile.

    “It’s good to see you, Princess,” the Captain said with delight before turning his attention to Aiden.  From the sound of his voice, Shining Armor couldn’t have been any older than seventeen or eighteen years.  “And it’s a pleasure to meet you...Sergeant Aiden, was it?”  He asked looking up to the princess.

    Aiden nodded and reached his hand out.  “Sergeant Aiden Marsh; you can just call me Aiden.  The pleasure is all mine,” he said calmly as the newly named Captain offered his appendage to complete the hand/hoof shake.

    “Wow,” the young stallion laughed nervously.  “I, uh, never thought I’d see a human, let alone shake one’s ho-” he paused.  “I mean, hand,” he finished with another nervous laugh.  Aiden said nothing but smiled and nodded as he and the princess continued on their way to the main hall.

    “It was nice to finally meet you,” Aiden called back at the Captain.

    “Same to you, Sergeant!”

    Aiden looked up to the princess with a curious face.

    “What?”  Celestia asked in a slightly confused tone.

    “He seems rather young to be a Captain, doesn’t he?”

    “He’s loyal, and I’ve seen him in training; he is certainly most skilled for his age, in both combat, and leadership.”

    Aiden paused for a moment.  “How did he take his sudden promotion?”

    “To say that he was shocked would be an understatement,” Celestia giggled.  “He was practically beside himself!”  She started laughing a little harder.  “And when I told Twilight, she nearly fainted!”

    “Twilight?”  Aiden asked.  “Twilight Sparkle?”

    Celestia nodded.  “His little sister!”

    Aiden’s eyes widened at this small revelation.  “Huh, I don’t really see the resemblance...”  He thought to himself.

    “Here we are,” Celestia said as she opened the door with her magic.  At the entrance of the Main Hall, sat a patient Lyra with a small brown saddle bag on her back.  She smiled as wide as she could when her eyes fell on Aiden, whom gladly returned the grin.  The two friends gladly embraced each other once again.

    “I never really thanked you for saving me back in the Everfree Forest,” Lyra whispered sadly.

    “Hey, there’s no need to worry yourself over it,”  he laughed as he playfully ruffled her mane a little bit.  She giggled and pulled back slightly.

    “You know, Aiden,” she sighed as she looked up at him, the look in her eyes was one of deep thought; she was pondering what to say and how she wanted to say it.

    “Yes, Lyra?”  Aiden replied with a radiant grin.

    She traced her forehoof along the floor like she usually does when she’s nervous.  “I...I always wondered what it would be like to have a brother.”  She paused for a second as a look of anticipation took over Aiden’s face.  “I mean, my dad is the only male figure I really have in my life, and don’t get me wrong, I love him, but...”  She looked around, thinking of what to say next, when she felt Aiden’s hand pull her chin up gently so that they stared into each other’s eyes.

    “I completely understand,” Aiden said with one of the happiest smiles he had ever had in his life.  “I’ve always wondered what it would be like to be a brother,” he paused as he took in a deep, shaky breath.  “And I never even knew my real parents; my step father was the only family I ever had, and he’s been gone for...”

    Lyra interrupted his sentence as she dove in, embracing him one final time.  “It’ll all be okay, Aiden,” she gently whispered.

    Aiden didn’t know what to say, or even think.  Here, the foal whom he had rescued, kept safe, and returned her to her home, was now trying to console him.  “I know it will,” he said, after failing to think of anything else.  He felt as though he had regained something he had lost a long time ago; something that he thought he would never truly have again...

    “A family...”

    “Are you ready to go?”  Aiden asked Lyra in a shaky voice.  The mint colored filly  nodded.

    “I’m all ready, Aiden!”  She said happily as the two of them approached the entrance with Celestia by their side.  Outside was a carriage, driven by two of Celestia’s pegasi guards.  Lyra waved goodbye to both the princess and Aiden as the carriage lifted off the ground and flew into the city.  When the carriage was out of sight, Aiden hung his head.

    “She considers you more like a family member than a friend,” Celestia said looking over to her visitor.  Aiden said nothing but nodded as he quickly wiped away a single tear that had escaped his left eye.  Celestia noticed this, and gently extended her wing around her guest in a motherly embrace.

    Aiden stood on the same balcony as the previous evening, looking out as the sun set over the city of Canterlot.  The sound of hoofsteps could be heard from behind.  Celestia came to his side; an old, dusty tome was encased in her magical aura.  The two of them remained silent for a span of a few moments.

    “Beautiful as always, Princess,” Aiden quietly complemented Celestia’s work on the sunset.

    “Thank you,” she calmly replied.  “I do try my best, after all.”

    Aiden quietly grunted.  “What’s with the book?”  He asked looking over to her.

    Celestia brought the tome up to her face and sighed.  “I think I might know the reason you were brought to this place...”  She opened the tome and flipped through the first few pages.  “In all honesty, I’m not sure what to think that this means for you, though...”

    “Not sure?”  Aiden asked quietly as he turned back to face the horizon.  “Why’s that?”

    Celestia takes in a deep breath first, trying to think of how to explain it first.  “This tome is titled, 'Obsidian Walls,' by a unicorn mage; Blaze Lance was his name.  It chronicles his personal explorations of the ancient human city known as Abitrath.”  Aiden’s attention was caught.

    “I’m listening,” Aiden stated.

    “According to his account, Abitrath is among the first, and the largest of the human cities in the World.  Somehow, its builders carved it out of the obsidian left behind by a dormant supervolcano over the centuries.”

    “What did he find there?”  Aiden asked.

    “Very little.  I am actually quite surprised that he came to the conclusion that Abitrath was a human city of all things.  At any rate, he found no human remains, some small bits of advanced technology here and there, but nothing outstanding.  But he did find one thing...”

    “Yes?” Aiden asked as the anticipation practically began to suffocate him.

    “He found a giant wall in the center of the city, deep within the volcano...”

    “A wall?”  Aiden raised an eyebrow.

    Celestia nodded.  “An enormous wall that nearly touched the ceiling with ancient writing on it.  He spent days trying to decipher the characters, but came out with very little.  In fact, he could only piece together a small fraction of the writing, including these three words: Forerunners, return, reclaim.”

    Aiden looked down at the floor for a second, then looked back up to see a stern look on the princess’s face.  “Who are the Forerunners?”  He asked after a few moments of silence.

    “You remember when I said the history of this world runs deeper than that of Equestria?”  Aiden nodded in response.  “The Forerunners were the first beings to emerge into existence, hundreds of thousands of years ago.  According to legend, what Blaze Lance uncovered at Abitrath, and what my parents have told Luna and I, the Forerunners were capable of immense power, and they ruled over all life as gods.  For millennia, they governed this world, until they mysteriously all vanished.  Whether they left of their own accord, or were overthrown by their mortal servants remains unknown.  Humans then rose up to become the most powerful race in the world, again ruling over other subservient species and constructed the various cities that dot this world’s continents.”

    “Let me guess,” Aiden said.  “There’s a prophecy that tells of the Forerunners’ return?”  Celestia nodded.  Aiden hummed to himself as a brief period of silence came over the two of them.  “Do you really believe that?”  He finally asked.

    Celestia sighed.  “In all honesty, Aiden, I don’t know what to believe: a prophecy that tells the return of ancient, immortal godlike beings...”  Celestia paused as she finished the sunset.  “While the prophecy lacks detail, it certainly paints the image that their return will be anything but peaceful...”

    “Do you think your sister’s return will have anything to do with it?”  Aiden asked as he leaned his back against the railing.

    “Hmm,” Celestia brought a hoof to her chin, deep in thought.  “Nine hundred and ninety years, and I haven’t thought of that...” she mused aloud.  “I honestly know very little about the Forerunners, and even less on the subject of their return.”  The two of them turned their heads skyward as Celestia focused her energy in raising the moon as it slowly began to rise over the Canterlot skyline.

    “And on the longest day of the thousandth year, the stars shall aid in her escape, and she shall bring about everlasting night...”  Celestia laughed softly as her eyes closed to the point of being little slits.  “I actually came up with that tale myself not long after my sister’s imprisonment.  I had the head of my Council of Mages at the time publish it.  Over the years and decades, it simply became known as an old mare’s tale...”

    “So you know that these; ‘Elements of Harmony’ will defeat your sister and restore her true self?”

    Celestia nodded.  “I am unsure how it will lead to the return of the Forerunners though...I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.”

    “Yeah...” Aiden quietly mused as he felt Celestia leave his side.  As the inky blackness of the night pushed the last of the sunset beyond the horizon, Aiden heaved a heavy sigh as he left the balcony for his room.  “Just wait and see...”

    Aiden scratched his head as he thought of which move to make next.  Across with him sat his stepfather with a smug look on his face.  He was in check.  Again.  Aiden analyzed his options for the seventh time.  He only had three pawns left, a bishop, a knight, and of course, his king.

    Finally, Aiden threw his hands up in the air.

    “Do you capitulate?”  His stepfather asked with a laugh.

    “Dad, I don’t even know what that word means...” Aiden said as he rested his chin in his hand.

    “It means you give up; surrender.”

    “Okay then, yes; I surrender!”  Aiden sighed.

    “Don’t worry, your kingdom will be an excellent addition to my growing empire!”  He said with a mock evil grin.

    “Oh, very funny,”  Aiden sarcastically remarked as he stood up.  “I suck at chess, Dad; plain and simple.”

    “It’s a game that requires patience, that’s all.  You need to analyze all of your options; don’t make unnecessary sacrifices, and use your advantages for all that they’re worth.”

    “Hey, in real life, I bet half the strategies I used would’ve worked!”

    “Well in real life, units don’t move one at a time on a square grid,” his stepfather said as he stretched.  “Come now, it’s getting late, and you have a big day ahead of you tomorrow!”  He said as the two of them went down the hallway towards their respective bedrooms.

    “Goodnight, Dad,”  Aiden yawned as he closed the door.

    “Goodnight, Aiden...”

    For what felt like hours, Aiden tossed and turned in his bed, his eyes simply refused to stay shut.  For the most part, it was the sound of movement from across the hallway that kept him awake.  Aiden tossed the sheets aside in frustration, covered his ears; anything to block out the scratching sound that came from across the hallway.

    It stopped, finally, only to pick up again, but this time from within his room.  Aiden was wide awake at this point and immediately was out of bed.  His eyes scanned across his room, trying to find the source of the scratching noise as it seemingly inched up the walls towards the ceiling.

    “It’s probably just a rat in the wall or something,” Aiden thought, quietly laughing at himself for thinking that something was in his room with him.  He was about to slip back in bed when he noticed that his door was now open.  As he approached it, he heard the scratching now coming from inside his stepfather’s room.

    Aiden placed his hand on the doorknob.

    “We are your history, Aiden...and your future,”

    He heard those words in the back of his mind as he opened the door.  A loud bang, along the lines of a firecracker came from within the room, and a small flash of light could be seen from his stepfather’s office desk.  Almost immediately, Aiden felt something strike his chest.

    The lights inside the room flickered on.  Inside, his stepfather held his personal A2155 handgun, a small amount of smoke billowing out of the barrel.  When he saw what he had shot, a look of horror came over his face.  The gun dropped to the floor as Aiden got over the initial shock of his injury.

    Aiden gazed at his stepfather with a look of bewilderment, who seemed to mouth the words: “I’m so sorry...”

    Aiden backed away from his caretaker in fear for his life, as he gripped his injury, which was now pulsing with agony.  Aiden turned down the hallway, still trying to comprehend what had just transpired and the fact that he now had a bullet in his chest.  Blood poured out of his wound, coating his hand.

    As he fell to his knees, that same voice echoed into his mind one last time.

You belong to us, Aiden...

    You have always belonged to us...

Act 2.3

2.3

“In the shadow of the valley,

I would like to settle down...

Wide open space,

Wind on my face...

A distant horizon...

The moon on the crest...

In the shadow of the valley,

That I love best..."

    Aiden happily hummed the tune of that song as he walked into the library of the Royal Palace.  The shelves stretched almost to the ceiling with countless volumes nestled on them.  In his hand was the library’s copy of “Daring Do and the Griffin’s Goblet.”  This was one of the best in the series so far, in his opinion.  It was indeed an interesting series that couldn’t help but remind Aiden of those old adventure novels that were published back in the nineteen hundreds--

    Aiden’s train of thought was thrown off when he felt something attach itself to the toe of his left boot.  Looking down, he saw a familiar lump of toothless purple scales and green spines.  Aiden laughed.  “Hello to you too, Spike,” he said as he kneeled down and petted the baby dragon.  “So, have those teeth started coming out yet?”

    The little dragon, of course offered little more than a giggle for a response as Aiden stood up.  “Anyways, where’s Twilight?”

    “Over here, Aiden!”  The filly called from behind a shelf of books.  Putting one last book in its place, she hopped down from a step ladder and to her human friend’s feet.  “How was it?”  She asked, referring to the book in his hand.

    “It was good,” Aiden said with a content sigh.  “So, which one comes next?”

    “Uh, the Phoenix Feather, I think,” the young unicorn said as her magic enveloped the book in Aiden’s hand.  Aiden eased his grip as the book floated up to its proper position on the shelf.  She then pulled out the third book in the series, titled, “Daring Do and the Phoenix Feather.”

    “Here you go!”  Twilight happily said as Aiden took the book from her magical aura.

    “Thanks,” Aiden nodded.  Two weeks had passed since he came to Equestria, and the morning air outside clearly signaled the fast approach of Winter.  Aiden sat down at a table as he opened to the first page.  He was at the fourth page when his thoughts were interrupted by the sound of heavy hoofsteps near the entrance of the library.

    “Hello, Twilight,” a low, gruff voice said.  “Is our guest here?”

    “Yes, Mister Tempest,” the high pitched voice of Twilight said.  “Aiden is over at the reading area.”

    “Thank you, Miss Sparkle,” the voice said as the heavy hoofsteps resumed to proceed towards him.  Aiden looked over to his right to see a pale silver colored pegasus stallion dressed in Celestia’s Solar Guard armor.  “Sergeant Aiden Marsh?”  The guard asked him.

    Aiden closed his book and stood up.  “Yes?”

    The pegasus gave him a salute with his left forehoof.  “I am Private Tempest Runner of Her Majesty’s elite Solar Guard; I apologize for the interruption, but the Princess requires your immediate presence in the throne room.  She has important matters to discuss.”

    “I see,” Aiden said quietly as he looked over to see a curious Twilight standing by a bookshelf.  “Well, lead the way.”  Tempest Runner nodded and turned towards the entrance of the royal library.  Aiden mouthed the words “don’t worry” as he passed a concerned looking Twilight.

    The throne room was devoid of guards with the exception of Tempest Runner as he guided Aiden to the steps of Celestia’s throne.  Aiden noticed a young, dark blue unicorn dressed in mage garb standing proudly next to Celestia.  Tempest bowed before his ruler as he slowly backed away and turned to leave.

    “Actually, Tempest Runner,” Celestia intervened.  “I would like to ask for you to stay.”  The young pegasus stallion silently obliged as he stepped up to Aiden’s side.  “Thank you, Private.”  Celestia smiled as she turned to her human guest.  “Now then, Aiden; I suppose I should first introduce you to Night Step, one of the newer additions to my Council of Mages.”

    “Mr. Marsh,” the unicorn mage said with a nod.

    “Night Step,” Aiden said in response.

    “Now then,” Celestia said.  “On to the subject of why I called you here: Night Step is the mage currently in charge of the excavation of the human ruins known as Taotras, in the Rachay mountains along Equestria’s northern border with Gryphonia.  Two days ago, they were presented with several different...complications.”

    “Complications?”  Aiden asked.

    “I believe Night Step can explain it best,” she said as she looked over to the young unicorn stallion next to her.  Night Step cleared his throat as he began.

    “We began excursions into the deeper catacombs of Taotras no more than a week ago, but were stopped by a metal door with a complex lock mechanism that ponies simply can’t operate correctly, and the lock mechanism seems to be made out of a metal that repels magic, so all of our attempts to open it were in vain.”  He paused for a brief moment to let this information sink in.  “On top of that, the ruins seems to have these odd machines that pop out of the walls, ceilings, and floors that shoot small metallic objects at us; we assume that this is some sort of defense method, but it is unlike anything we have ever seen.  Nopony has been injured, though, thankfully, and all mages and explorers have been evacuated from the ruins.”

    Aiden gulped as he couldn’t help but think of a defense system that utilized automatic turrets and defense drones.  “I see,” Aiden stated.  “And you would like me to do something about these ‘complications’?”  He said making air quotations of that last word.  Night Step seemed confused at the gesture at first, but simply shrugged it off.

    “Yes, Mr. Marsh,” the mage replied.  “A human would be an excellent asset in our excavations of human ruins throughout Equestria and beyond.  Your assistance would be very appreciated, not only by me, but the entire Council of Mages.”

    Aiden contemplated what he had been told.  Surely the Council would find something interesting in Taotras.  Something that might even explain why he was brought here to Equestria.  Certainly seems far better than to just “wait and see”.

    “I’ll do it,” Aiden finally said.

    “You have my gratitude,” Night Step bowed his head.  “I would also ask if I could accompany you to Taotras.  I am very well trained in magic and I could be of use to you.”  He paused for a brief moment.  “And I would also like to see firsthoof what lies beyond that door.”

    “Hmm,” Aiden contemplated for a few seconds.  “Do you hold any objections, Princess Celestia?”  He asked.

    The alicorn shook her head.  “None at all, Aiden,” she said with a smile.  “I would actually encourage that Tempest Runner here also accompanies you in this mission.”  Aiden and Tempest exchanged looks.

    “Well, what do you think?”  Aiden asked the pegasus.

    “If Her Majesty wishes it, then it shall be done,” Tempest stated.

    “So it’s a yes,” Aiden smiled as he turned back to Celestia.

    “Then it is settled,” the Princess said.  “Private Tempest Runner of the Solar Guard and Night Step of the Council of Mages shall accompany Sergeant Aiden Marsh to the ruins of Taotras.  I will have transportation arranged for the three of you for tomorrow morning; be sure to take whatever you need, as it is a long trip to the Rachay Mountains.”

    “So, Tempest,” Aiden said as the two of them left the throne room.  “You wouldn’t happen to have an armory somewhere here in the palace, would you?”

    “Yes, Sergeant Marsh,” Tempest replied.  “Down in the guard barracks, you will find a large supply of weaponry ranging from blades and spears to bows and arrows, and even to maces and hammers.”  Tempest extended a hoof down a hallway to their left.  “It’s this way.”

    “Good,” Aiden said as he followed the pegasus.  “I feel more comfortable with a weapon in my hands while on a mission.”

    “Can humans not fight without weapons?”  Tempest asked curiously.

    “Not necessarily,” Aiden answered.  “I’ve trained how to fight with my bare hands and feet if needed.”  He brought an open hand up and clenched it into a fist for Tempest to see.

    “Interesting...”  Tempest said.  “And your...feet, are for bucking?"

    “We call it kicking, but they’re essentially the same thing,” Aiden said.

    “I see,” Tempest said as they descended a staircase into the guard barracks.  There were several stallions dressed in gold armor.  Some were eating, some were sparring, while others exchanged simple conversation.  All heads in the room turned to see Aiden enter with a member of the Solar Guard.  They stared at Aiden for a few brief moments, some with genuine curiosity, others with slight fear, and others with apathy.  They all returned to what they were doing shortly after.

    “So, how has your new Captain been doing?”  Aiden asked Tempest.

    “I beg your pardon?”

    “Shining Armor,” Aiden replied.  “The newly appointed Captain by Celestia?”

    “Oh, no,” Tempest said with a small laugh.  “The Solar Guard operates independently from the Royal Guard and the Equestrian Military.  We’re specially trained to fulfill tasks handed down by Celestia herself.  We’re headed by Lieutenant Corona, and she’s been in charge for six years.”

    “Oh,” Aiden rubbed the back of his neck, feeling as though he made himself look like an idiot in front of an elite guard.  “Sorry...”

    “Don’t be,” Tempest replied.  “You couldn’t have known.”  He looked back and gave Aiden a reassuring smile as the two of them entered a room that branched off from the main barracks.  The room was circular, and in the center sat a large forge for making the weapons.  A deep orange colored unicorn sat at a grindstone, an iron sword was in his yellow magical aura as he sharpened it against the machine.  His cutie mark was that of a hammer and anvil.

    Tempest Runner cleared his throat as the unicorn gently touched the edge of the blade with his hoof, testing its ability.  Tempest cleared his throat again, louder and the unicorn finally looked over at him and smiled.

    “Oh, Tempest Runner,” the unicorn spoke in an accent that Aiden thought sounded eerily close to Russian or Ukrainian.  “I did not see you come in!”

    “It’s good to see you, too, Scar Forge,” Tempest said.

    “Ah, and this must be the human; Aiden Marsh was it?”  The unicorn looked up at Aiden, who was at least a foot taller than him.

    “That’s me,” Aiden said as he and Scar Forge exchanged pleasantries.  “So you run this forge?”

    “Correct, my friend,” Scar said as he looked over to a weapons rack with a variety of swords, daggers, bows and arrows, maces, and axes.  “For thirty years, ever since the end of the Equestrian-Gryphonian war.”

    “War?”  Aiden asked, surprised to hear that such a thing had happened in recent Equestrian history.

    “Yes,” Scar sighed at the thought.  “I was a soldier in Her Majesty’s royal army as we fought the Gryphons on their home turf.  Fought in the 121st Infantry Division throughout the Bratia Province in Southern Gryphonia.  The war lasted for almost three years, and about halfway through, one of those Gryphon bastards put an arrow in my right lung!”  He paused for breath before continuing.  “My lung never healed properly, even with the aid of magic and now...” he paused again for breath.  “As you can see I have trouble breathing and I get tired easily.  I didn’t want to leave Her Majesty’s service, so I decided to become the quartermaster for the Royal Guard!”  He breathed in once again after telling his brief story.  “At any rate, I didn’t mean to bore you.”

    “Don’t worry about it, Scar Forge,” Aiden said.

    “Right,” Scar continued.  “Now that I’ve got that  sob story of mine out of the way, I assume that you’re both here for a reason other than to talk with poor, old Scar Forge, right?”

    “Yes, we came here for supplies; the Princess has tasked us with a special mission in the Rachay Mountains.”

    “Near Gryphon territory, huh?”  Scar sighed.  “Sure thing, you two; take whatever you need.”  He pointed a hoof over to the weapon racks as he went back to his forge.

    “Well, Aiden,” Tempest said.  “Take your pick.”  The racks held blades made of iron, steel, silver, and copper.  There were bows and arrows, maces, axes; just as Aiden pictured a medieval armory to look like.

    Aiden took a steel longsword, two steel daggers, a bow, and thirty arrows from the armory.  “I think this will do,” he said with a satisfied look.

    “Good,” Tempest Runner said as he turned to leave the armory.

    “Thanks, Scar Forge,” Aiden said to the old unicorn as he followed Tempest out.  Scar mumbled a response, but Aiden couldn’t hear it.  Aiden and Tempest sat down at one of the tables in the main barracks to rest.  “So, what do you think we’ll find over in this Taotras place?”  Aiden asked the pegasus guard.

    Tempest shrugged.  “To be perfectly honest, I have no clue.  I was never really interested in those old myths about humans...no offense.”

    “None taken,” Aiden laughed.

    “Now all of those mages and eggheads like Night Step are always getting into the unknown just for the sake of putting their names in the history books.  I honestly think it’s a stupid idea to be excavating in the Rachay Mountains, especially considering how our relations are with Gryphonia.”

    “Huh,” Aiden softly mumbled as the conversations of other guards in the barracks filled his ears.  “How long have you been in the Solar Guard?”  Aiden said in a louder tone.

    “About four months,” Tempest replied over the growing background noise.  “I’ve been in the Royal Guard for over a year before that.  Lieutenant Corona seemed to think I was something special; something made me stand out from the other guards.  I got a notification in my parents’ mail,”  Aiden looked at him quizzically.  Tempest sighed.  “I still lived with my parents at the time.  Anyways, I was invited to join the Solar Guard, and I accepted.”  Tempest stood up.  “Well, at any rate, make sure to get a good night’s rest; the trip to the Rachay Mountains will take a good few hours.”  The pegasus nervously shifted before hurrying down the barracks into the crowd of guards as the background conversations again filled Aiden’s sense of hearing.

Sergeant Aiden R. Marsh

Washington D.C., Second American Republic

November 14, 2210, 1900 hours

    “To anyone who can hear this,” an officer said in a hopeless tone.  “This is L’Enfant Metro Station, please respond.”  He released the button on his radio, allowing static to blare through.

    “That can’t be!”  A dejected Mary yelled.  “There must be holdouts in some of the other stations!  We can’t be the only one!”

    “Look, lady,” the officer said in an irritated voice.  “I’ve done all I can; we already know that the Ashen clouds over the city can blot out radio transmissions.  If there are other survivors around the city, then they likely just aren’t receiving our messages!”

    Mary shook her head and left the officer to his paperwork.  “How can anyone worry about paperwork when the city is under attack?”  She said as she returned to her team in the main hall of the station where other refugees had gathered.

    “So,” Leon said.  “Is our new objective just to sit here and rot on our asses while the Ashen tear apart our city like some poorly built childrens’ playground?”

    “It’s not like there’s anything we can do about it,” Alex said as he flipped through an old tour guide to the city.  “The Ashen kill everything they see, and the infection can spread to anything that isn’t already dead.”

    David sighed as he leaned up against the wall.  “Does anyone ever wonder where the Ashen came from?”

    “Now I’m not gonna say it was aliens, but...” Emily said as she held her two hands up.  The six of them looked at her as a smile creased across her face. She got a few laughs from them and even from a few surrounding refugees.

    “They always said that a sense of humor in a foxhole was important,” Aiden thought with a laugh.

    “Attention!  Attention, all Network personnel, please report to the L’Enfant Station underhalls immediately.  I repeat: all Network personnel, please report to the L’Enfant Station underhalls immediately.”

    “That’s us,” Aiden said as he grabbed his rifle.  “Come on, let’s go...”

    Aiden awoke to see that he was in the same room again.  With him.  Aiden looked up to see the same man who had been acting as some sort of personal therapist.  Aiden rubbed his left temple as he sat up in his chair.

    “Not cool,” Aiden said to the man, who smiled and chuckled in response.  “At least gimme some kind of warning when you’re about to do that...”

    “I am not the one who invokes your memory; only you can remember,” the man said, with a newfound seriousness in his tone.

    “And why must I remember?”  Aiden asked with a hint of anger in his voice.  “Do I really have to remember seeing the Ashen tear innocent people to shreds?  Must I remember what the Ministry did and how they had sick plans for a one world government?  Do I really have to remember how my team; my fucking friends were picked off, one by one in the last few hours of my life back on Earth!?”  Aiden paused his speech to wipe away a tear that had managed to escape.

    “Aiden,” the man gently whispered.  “Listen to me: you will play a role that not even you can imagine.  Your journey in this world will go far beyond what you will find at the ruins of Taotras.”  He paused as he leaned in, his face showing genuine sympathy for Aiden.  “Your memories will tie in with the future of this world.  You will find out who you truly are; who you have always been.”

    Aiden leaned forward and cupped his face in his hands.  As he closed his eyes, he saw the faces of his stepfather, James, his teammates, Twilight Sparkle and her brother, Shining Armor, Princess Celestia, Lyra...

    “So many faces...” Aiden whispered.

    “So many memories,” the man said from across the table.

    So many faces...

    So many memories...

Act 2.5

2.5"Your Ascension shall come again..."

    The mountain breeze blew a soft gust through the feathers of a middle aged griffon lieutenant, whom eyed the ruins of Taotras with a look of anger, as his scout returned, signaled by a flapping of wings to his left.

    “How is it?”  The lieutenant asked the scout as he landed beside him.

    “The ruins are relatively empty, sir,” the scout replied.  “Those two ponies and the third creature we saw earlier must’ve cleared out any dangers, as we’ve discovered a scene that depicts fighting to have occurred rather recently.”  The scout saluted with his left talon as he finished his report with another “sir.”

    The lieutenant replied after a few moments of contemplation.  “Very well,” he answered as he turned to his scout.  “Get the platoon ready, we’re going in.”

    The scout saluted one last time before flying down into one of the valleys where a platoon of about thirty griffon troops waited for their orders to be given.  The lieutenant turned his attention back to the ruins, with a look half curious, and the other half determined.  He was a patriot.  He loved his country and his people more than anything else, just like many of the other young griffons that have joined Gryphonia’s military.  And whatever secrets Taotras held, he was intent on seeing that they would stay out of Celestia’s grasp.

    “One more minute,” a green unicorn filly thought as she anxiously eyed the clock by the door.  “Only one more minute of this class left...”  To Lyra, History of Magic and Equestrian Politics, the last class of her day, was one of the most boring subjects in her curriculum.  The middle aged professor had gone on and on for what felt like hours (at least to Lyra) from one topic to another.  And the clock was certainly taking its sweet time with the last thirty or so seconds.  The fact that it was a Friday didn’t help either...

    “And that concludes our lesson for today,” the unicorn professor said in a monotone voice.  “On Monday we will begin discussion on--”

    “Come on...”  Lyra thought.

    “For Monday, please read pages--”

    “Almost...”

    “And with that, the lesson for today is over.  Do have a good weekend, everypony.”  The professor finished as the afternoon bell rang.  Lyra was one of the first ponies out of the classroom.  With the books she would need for the weekend’s assignments; most of which she would finish tonight; she darted down the stairs to the main floor and eventually out into the North courtyard.  This afternoon was the typical chilly November day that predated the approach of each Winter.  Lyra sat herself on one of the many park benches, admiring the seasonal colors of the leaves, both on the trees and the ground.  Opening her saddlebag, she pulled out one of her favorite books titled, The World Before Equestria and resumed where she left off the previous evening.

    “But before we judge them too harshly, can we really say the Forerunners are so different from us, in the fact that they took such intense pleasure in the exertion of their dominance over other species, when nearly every other intelligent species within the World today does the exact same over other lesser species?”

    “Forerunners...” Lyra whispered to herself.  She had first heard that word before, in an ancient book she had read a few years ago, back in the Canterlot Library, when her dad, Septimo was teaching her and Octavia about music.  After he would occasionally leave the two to study in peace, she would immediately sneak into the section on old mare’s tales and myths surrounding the earliest centuries of recorded history.  It was in one of those books that she also heard the word Abitrath, which was the name of some ancient city.

    Lyra broke out of her little trance and continued reading into the next few paragraphs:

    “From what I’ve learned about the Forerunners (which is very little) is that they are excessively reclusive from showing themselves in this World.  I was on the verge of giving up on the subject and moving on to something more productive, when a close colleague of mine reported that he himself had spoken to one of these Forerunners.  When I asked him to go into further detail, he was hesitant.  He confided to me that he had unearthed stone tablets that told of a device the humans had constructed while keeping it from the watchful eyes of their masters.  The tablets called this device the ‘Praemian Thorn’ being built in the human city of Praema.  It was small enough to be wielded by a single human soldier, yet drew enormous amounts of power from the magically charged minerals around it.  With this device, the humans overthrew the Forerunners and took their place as masters of this World (at least that’s what the tablets illustrate.)

    My colleague also confessed that shortly after uncovering the tablets, he started having vivid dreams and hallucinations.  Occasionally he would hear ‘voices’ or see things that he believed couldn’t possibly be real.  One evening, while gazing at his reflection in a river while on a stroll, an abnormal amount of fog rolled in unnaturally quickly. He had been experiencing vivid hallucinations and dreams over the past month since he had recovered the tablets, and this experience was not the first.

    He claims to have seen a figure appear next to his reflection in the water, yet when he looked to both of his sides, he found nothing.  The figure that was next to his reflection was constantly changing shape and size, and was what he described as ‘indistinguishable.’  Within moments, he began to hear the same voices as in previous encounters.  This ‘entity’ (for lack of a better term) spoke to my colleague.  It spoke of how my colleague had the power to ‘bring their lost sibling back to them.’  Whatever it was that this entity was speaking of, my colleague could not fully understand it.  The entity then shaped itself into something that my colleague could only describe as severely grotesque; something out of a nightmare, and looked as though it was trying to claw its way out of the water towards him, before disappearing from the river’s reflection.

    This experience, which he claimed happened little more than a week before our conversation on the subject, left him severely distraught, and he said that this would be the last time he discussed the topic.  And with that said, he left.  I have not seen or heard from him since.  The Canterlot Guard have listed him as missing when he did not return to his family at their estate."

    “Whoa, creepy...” Lyra whispered to herself as a chill ran down her spine.  A glow of her horn turned the page.

    “Hey, Lyra!”  The mint green unicorn jumped slightly, but immediately relaxed when she recognized the voice.  She craned her head to her right to see a familiar blue unicorn filly whom she had become acquainted with during the first week she had attended Celestia’s School.

    “Hello, Colgate,” Lyra said with a smile. “What’s up?”

    “Nothing much,” Lyra’s blue friend said as she jumped up onto the bench next to her.  “What about you?  Whatcha reading?”

    Lyra shifted nervously at her friends inquiry as she closed the book with another glow from her horn.  “Oh, nothing too important,” she said with her best fake smile.  Colgate tilted her head slightly, but shrugged it off almost instantly.  “Did you need something?”  Lyra asked her friend.

    “Lemon Hearts invited us for a picnic in about a half an hour, in the West castle courtyard; I thought you might be interested!”

    “That sounds great!” Lyra exclaimed, relishing in the thought of spending some time with a few friends.  “Sure, just let me get my things together.”  She levitated the book she was reading.  Looking overhead, towards the Royal Palace, she couldn’t help but think of Aiden.  She wondered what he was up to.  “Eh, he’s probably bored out of his mind, cooped up in there all day long,” Lyra thought with a scrunchy face.

    “Oh no, no, no, no, no!”  Tempest Runner frantically paced about the chamber as Night Step continued to inspect the door.  “What’s going on in there!?”  He yelled, earning an irritated look from the unicorn mage.

    “Could you please keep it down with the panicking?”  The unicorn asked with an annoyed tone.  “I’m trying to figure out how to open this damned door!”  He sighed as he turned his head back to the door.  “What about that...that thing that he touched up on that alcove?  That’s what made the door open!”

    “I tried that already...” Tempest said with a defeated huff.  “The thing is in the shape of a human hand; only he can activate it...” the pegasus sighed as he sat on his haunches and tried to calm himself down.

    “And we already know that it doesn’t react to magic...” Night Step said with a hint of curiosity in his voice.  “Hmm, I can’t help but wonder what material this lock mechanism is made out of that enables it to repel magic.”  He leaned in to examine it further, letting out the occasional “hmm” as he studied the glyphs that dotted its surface.

    Tempest Runner groaned at his companion’s poorly prioritized objectives.  “I can’t believe you...” he muttered, just softly enough for the entranced unicorn not to hear.  It had been seven minutes since the door mysteriously shut.  They had no idea what had happened to Aiden, or what was going on inside.  Tempest stood up, hoping that an idea would come to him, only to begin frantically pacing once again.

    His ears perked up however, as the sound of talking reached his ears.  Within a few seconds, he realized that it was coming from the hallway that they had entered the chamber from.  “Uh, Night Step?”  Tempest desperately called for the mage’s attention.

    “Yeah, yeah,” Night Step waved a hoof back at Tempest without taking his eyes off the glyphs.  “In a moment, I just know I recognize this glyph from my notes...”

    “Night Step!”  Tempest hissed, getting the unicorn’s attention.

    “Ugh, what!?”

    Tempest nodded his head in the direction of the chamber’s entrance.  “Company!”  Night Step looked beyond his companion to see several figures emerge from the shadows of the hallway.  Their features were unmistakable: feathers, the tail, wings, yellow eyes.  There were about seven of them from what they could see, but there seemed to be more behind them.

    “Griffins?”  Night Step whispered as he trotted up to Tempest’s side.  “What in Equestria’s name are they doing here?”

    “We’re literally right on the border with Gryphonia,” Tempest whispered back.  “Not too surprising to see them come here to defend their territorial claims; they’re like mother bears when it comes to this sort of thing!”  The griffins continued to file into the chamber, until there were approximately thirty of them; each one staring at the two of them spitefully.  One of them stood at the head of their formation and appeared slightly older; his yellow eyes seemed to lack the similar ominous glow that the younger griffins had.  And the griffins simply stared at the two ponies whom were trying their best to not shake with fear for what felt like hours, but in reality was only thirty or so seconds.

    The officer suddenly cleared his throat, which caused the two ponies to flinch and he spoke to them in a commanding voice.  “Equestrians!  You are trespassing within territory that is under the sovereignty of the Kingdom of Gryphonia!  However, if you both surrender yourselves peacefully, and surrender the creature that you brought with you, then you have my word that harm will not come to either of you!”

    Tempest Runner stood, defiant, despite that the griffins clearly had them outnumbered.  The young pegasus was stopped when Night Step extended his hoof and whispered: “Let me handle the diplomacy.”  Tempest rolled his eyes and exhaled through his nostrils loud enough that the griffins could probably hear him from the other side of the chamber.

    Night Step stepped forward with his best friendly grin.  The griffins, especially the lieutenant, had some of the best poker faces he had ever seen in his life.  “Good heavens,” Night Step thought.  “They even rival Her Majesty’s poker face...”  The unicorn mage shook off the feeling of anxiety that had just started coming over him.  All the griffin soldiers clenched their talons into the floor as their eyes narrowed.  Night Step was rather terrified by their piercing stares, but the lieutenant however, gave him a look that was of curiosity.  He cleared his throat, and spoke.

    “Good day to you,” Night Step greeted, hiding the fear in his voice.  The lieutenant raised an eyebrow.  The unicorn mage could hear his pegasus companion face hoof behind him.  A few moments of silence passed.  “Not the best start,” Night Step thought as he nervously cleared his throat again.  “We, unfortunately, are unable to surrender the human to your custody, as he is trapped behind this door.”  Night Step paused as he pointed a hoof to the circular door.  The griffins did not react.

    Night Step glanced back at Tempest, whom gave him a look to continue.  “The door is impervious to magic, and all attempts to open it have been in vain.”

    “Did you try blasting it open?”  The lieutenant asked.

    Night Step was startled by the gruff officer’s sudden interruption, but quickly answered.  “Blasted?  As in with explosives?”  The griffin officer nodded.  “N-no...we’ve tried nothing to that extent...”

    The officer smiled, maliciously.  “Typical.  But do not worry, we’ll collect this...“human,” with the aid of about ten pounds of TNT!”  He then turned back to the entrance of the chamber.  “Bring them in!”  He shouted with a beckoning talon.  Two more griffins entered the chamber, their wings lifting them over their comrades.  In their talons, they held the red colored explosives that their commanding officer called for.

    Night Step meanwhile looked back towards Tempest Runner.  “Collect?”  The unicorn inquired.  Tempest shrugged.  The two griffin soldiers wasted no time in obeying their lieutenant’s orders, lacing the circular metal door with the TNT charges.

    “Stand back, pony!”  One of them shouted as he shoved Tempest to the side.

    “Uncalled for...” Tempest mumbled as he trotted over to Night Step.  The two of them warily observed the griffins do their deed.  “What do they what with Aiden?”  Tempest whispered into Night Step’s ear.

    “I’m thinking the same question,” the unicorn replied.  “Perhaps they want to excavate into human ruins as well?”  He then immediately started shaking his head.  “No, no, no; humans are only a myth to most cultures and species.  Only Celestia, the Solar Guard, and the Council of Mages are aware of their existence...”

    Night Step was gone.  He began mumbling different theories and hypotheses to himself, on the topic of what they hoped to do with Aiden if they captured him.  Tempest sighed once again as he turned his gaze over to the door, trying in vain to visualize what could be happening behind it.  He hoped that the griffins wouldn’t succeed with whatever it was they were planning.  He also hoped that they would get out of this situation alive.  Most of all, however, what he truly hoped for was Aiden’s safety.

    The throbbing in his temples had calmed down slightly.  Aiden’s eyes opened as he stood up; his vision was extremely hazy and he had trouble standing up straight.  “Shit...” he mumbled as he brought a hand to his face.  Through the haze in his vision, he could make out a few features of the chamber he was in.  The chamber was circular; a dome to be precise.  Those same red glowing glyphs ran all across the walls, the ceiling ceased once they hit the floor.  A pillar of light could be seen at the center, shining down from the apex of the ceiling, most likely from an opening to the outside.

    “How are you feeling, Brother?”  That same voice he had heard just before he lost consciousness asked him.  Aiden was abashed, to say the least.

    “I’ve heard this voice before...” Aiden thought to himself.  “It’s so familiar...I’ve heard it so many other times...but it feels so close now.”  The voice said nothing else in the span of time it took Aiden to gather his bearings and reply to its question.

    “I feel...alright, I suppose,” Aiden answered very slowly.  “A little groggy, but that’s it.”

    “Confused as well?”  The voice inquired.

    Aiden looked down at the floor with a frown as his vision finally began to clear.

    “Well?”  The voice pushed further, yet with no increase in tone.

    “Y-yes...”  Aiden answered as he looked up with clear vision.  Those damn pulsating glyphs were making it hard to focus on for too long.  The apex of the ceiling at the center was approximately thirty feet high.  At the center of the circular chamber, there stood an escalated platform with a staircase leading up to it.  About twenty feet above the top of that was what appeared to be a circular opening which allowed light to pour in a cylindrical shape.  At the top of that platform, was a man.

    He was on his knees, with his head pointed up towards the opening, staring into the light.  His arms were outstretched as though he was basking in the affectionate gaze of a loving god.  Aiden could make out no facial features, however, and no other details than his hair, which was pitch black and rather long, and his clothing; black robes with crimson red lining along the cuffs and lapels.

    Aiden was curious, along with a multitude of other emotions, unease among them.  This was the first other human he had seen since he came to Equestria; this is what made him curious.  What unsettled him however, was this unshakable feeling that was telling him that what he was looking at was not really human; that it was just something taking the appearance of his own species to try and keep him calm.

    Aiden took a few steps closer to look at the entity that was bathing itself in the light.  “It...he certainly looks human...” he mentally assured himself.  “My instincts must be playing tricks on me...”

    “Since when did you start doubting your instincts, Intervention?”  The man asked with a light chuckle at the end of his inquiry.  His laugh seemed to reverberate around the chamber repeatedly.  The man’s voice had an odd sound to it, that Aiden simply couldn’t really describe as anything aside from unnatural.  Aiden felt a shiver run up his spine at the sound of it.  Aiden exhaled quickly as he looked down, trying to focus on the floor, rather than that continuous pulse that the glyphs were emitting.

    “Come on, focus!”  Aiden chided himself.  “God, it’s hard to concentrate with that annoying throb...”  The man on the platform laughed again for a brief moment.  Aiden looked up to see that the man was looking at him now.

    The man was blind.  Aiden could tell even in the distance that was between the two of them.  His pupils were clouded and his irises were a pale yellow.  Yet despite this, the man seemed to smile directly at him with an almost unbearably piercing gaze.  Aiden fought the urge to take a step back.

    The man stood up, his stare not breaking from Aiden’s face.  He then began to step out of the pillar of light that enveloped him.  The second he exited the light’s glow, his pupils slowly lost the fog that had clouded his vision.  A smile filled his face.  It was a smile that emulated joy; it was not an evil grin.  It was the kind of smile one would have when he or she was reunited with a beloved family member.  The man in fact looked as though he was on the verge of tears.

    The man continued his descent down the staircase until he was halfway to the ground floor.  Aiden stood perfectly still at the base of the stairs, looking at the odd man approaching him with a look that was curious, wary, and even a little bit fearful.

    The two of them simply stared at each other for what could have been countless millennia.  One was immersed in his own joy.  The other was a contested no man’s land of emotions.  As confused as he was, the latter was the first to speak.

    “Why did you bring me to this place?”  Aiden asked with a small scowl.

    The once blind man frowned, but did not answer at first.

    Aiden began to grow impatient.  “Well?”

    The man exhaled.  “You brought yourself here...” he replied simply as his eyes closed.

    “Yeah, right,” Aiden scoffed.  “I just happened to start journeying into the ruins of my own species, and in the first one, I encounter a perfectly healthy fellow member of the human race?  Bullshit!”

    The man did not appear phased.  He simply hummed to himself for a brief moment.  “Perhaps your connection with us has not been completely severed after all...”  He held his hands together so that they were hidden within the sleeves of his robe.  “Then your purpose will not end here, it seems as initially planned.”

    Aiden shook his head as he placed one hand on the sheath of his longsword, ready for anything and everything.  “What purpose?”  Aiden angrily hissed.  “Why am I here!?”

    “Your purpose was simple, Brother.”  He paused for a moment.  “You were to unleash the powers of your own blood from this ancient place.  Then I would take command; reclaiming this World in the name of our Mother.  This is the point where you were supposed to end your role in the grand scheme of things...”  He paused.  “Yet I can see that your memories from a time countless ages ago have been...scattered.”  He smiled again, his eyes still closed.  “But don’t worry,” the man laughed as his eyes opened, this time revealing a sinister glow.  “I believe that he will remind you in your sleep in the years to come.”

    Aiden stepped away from this man who called him brother.  “No,” Aiden thought to himself.  “This is not a human I’m looking at.  My eyes are being deceived!””

    The entity smiled again, this time with malice.

    “Oh shit,” Aiden thought as his heart skipped a beat.  The man proceeded to make his way down the stairs toward him, that horrible grin never leaving his face.  Aiden’s hand clenched on his blade desperately trying to pull it and ready himself for a battle, but he was fixated on the entity as it seemed to unnaturally glide down the steps.

    The entity was less than twenty steps from the bottom.  Aiden’s mind began racing.  “Fuck, fuck, fuck, *fuck!***”  Panic stricken, he forced his hand up, pulling the blade out of its sheath about a third of the way.  Now the entity was only ten steps from the bottom.

    “God damn you, Aiden!  Draw, you idiot!  DRAW**!!!”  Aiden growled and closed his eyes as he forced his hand the rest of the way, despite his mind being frozen in a state of fear.

    Nothing impacted his outstretched sword.  Cautiously opening one eye, Aiden looked to see the entity had stopped his blade mid swing.  With its index finger.  Aiden was again astonished.  The entity that called him brother simply stood there, no more than seven feet from his face, holding the tip of the blade back with one finger.  The entity smiled again as it grasped the tip of the longsword with its middle finger and thumb.

    At this point, Aiden felt an incredible force pulling the sword away from him.  He brought his other hand to the hilt, trying to hold onto it with all of his might.  The entity laughed again as it added the remaining fingers on its left hand to the grasp it had on Aiden’s sword.

    Aiden couldn’t hold on any longer, or he was certain his arms would be ripped off, with all the stress he was putting on them.  Aiden released his grip.  The heavy sword was now being held by the man with his fingers.  He smiled at it, twirling it around effortlessly; making Aiden tense up in fear that he would be hit by it; before he tossed it carelessly to the side, landing it all the way on the far side of the chamber with a loud, echoing clang.

    Aiden placed his hands on the smaller sheaths holding his daggers, not willing to give up so easily.  He dual wielded the blades as he stepped back from the staircase several feet, still eyeing the entity for any movements.  It remained still for a moment, staring back at Aiden as it tilted its head.  It began to hum to itself as its eyes glowed that ominous yellow again.  It frowned for a brief second; then it extended its hand.

    Aiden was suddenly blown off his feet and into the air by some unseen force, his daggers flinging out of his hands and into adjacent sides of the chamber.  Aiden was flung all the way to the entrance door, impacting on his left side with the wall.  Instant pain shot throughout that entire region of his body.  He had to be thankful, however, for his bulletproof vest absorbing the majority of the impact, or his ribs would most likely have been broken.  Still, it hurt like hell, and as embarrassing as it would have been to admit it, Aiden did shed a few tears.

    As Aiden slumped to the floor, still holding his side while he winced in agony.  He forced his eyes open, only to come face to face with the entity, crouching down to his height.  The entity stared directly into the young man’s soul, with Aiden fearfully looking back.  The entity spoke again.

    “My Brother, you had often said that there is a great joy that comes from power, and in deciding who can and can’t have power.  You had said that the feeling you get when you strip kings of their authority is the most invigorating thing in this World.”  The entity chuckled again as it lifted a hand and wrapped its fingers around Aiden’s throat.  Aiden gagged and gasped for breath as he felt his trachea and larynx being forced shut.

    “And my Brother,” the entity said as he lifted Aiden up effortlessly with one hand, forcing him against the circular door.  “That is exactly what I am about to do.”  The entity then began to slam Aiden’s head into the metal door repeatedly.  Aiden struggled to keep himself conscious amongst the pain that was rampaging through the back of his skull as he heard a sickening “crack!”

    He saw blackness swim over his eyes as the pain in the back of his head began to fade away.  Suddenly, he felt the door behind him give way.

    The scene that had played out within the next few seconds was something unlike anything the griffin lieutenant had ever seen in his entire career.  True, he had seen his fair share of violence and bloodshed, but this...was simply unlike anything he had ever seen or even heard of amongst other officers.

    The two soldiers planted the explosives on the circular door as ordered, while the other soldiers kept the two Equestrians back.  He would’ve interrogated them (especially the loquacious unicorn), had it not been for the events that had transpired.  The door suddenly opened by itself while being primed for breach, revealing not one, but two of those “humans” the unicorn had mentioned.

    None of the griffins had ever seen such foreign looking creatures before and they all eyed them with amazement.  However, the amazement was replaced with suspicion when they saw one was at the mercy of the other, being held in the air by one of its appendages.  The human that held the other in its hand looked over in the direction of the griffins; the lieutenant to be exact.  The intimidating yellow glow of its eyes rivaled that of the griffin soldiers.  Several of them couldn’t help but step back in fear.

    The two Equestrians gazed at the human being strangled with extreme worry and disbelief.  “A-Aiden?” The pegasus choked.

    “Aiden?”  The lieutenant thought.  “What an odd name...”  The officer then stepped forward and cleared his throat to speak to the creature.  “Human!”  He shouted with as much force as he could muster.  “You are hereby ordered by the Royal Military of Gryphonia to surrender yourself!  Do so, and you have my word that you and your fellow human will not come to har-” the lieutenant’s sentence was interrupted by a sickening crunch followed by the hollow gasp of one of his own soldiers.

    To his left, the lieutenant saw, to his utter disbelief and horror, one of his soldiers was on the ground with his right wing lying several feet away from him and blood poured freely from the wound it had left behind.  The expression on the young griffin’s face was one of complete shock.  The human stood over this griffin, with blood covering his left appendage, and the other human still being held up in his other.

    The lieutenant could do nothing but look on in horror as he watched the human move swiftly from one of his soldiers to the next. Within seconds, they were all on the ground, bleeding to death from severed wings or other limb dismemberments.  All of their faces showcased pure shock.  Many of them were hit so quickly, they couldn’t even let out a single scream.  Before the lieutenant could completely process what had just happened; his entire platoon incapacitated by one human within a matter of seconds; the human suddenly stood before him, less than a foot from his face.  He was still holding the one the pegasus called Aiden in his right appendage.  With his free limb, which was soaked with griffin blood, the unknown human clasped his fingers around the lieutenant’s throat.

    The officer tried to struggle; his wings flailed, he clawed at the human with his razor sharp talons, he kicked his rear legs as he was lifted into the air; all was to no avail.  The last thing the lieutenant ever heard was the sound of his throat collapsing under the increasing pressure.

    Both Night Step and Tempest Runner were speechless.  Every single griffin that had interrupted their expedition was now on the floor, either dead or dying.  Night Step began to panic, for he had never seen such violence before.

    “Dawn’s mercy!”  He cried out as he pressed himself up against the wall along with his pegasus companion.

    “What is that thing!?”  Tempest Runner hissed.  Night Step did not answer, he was instead whispering a prayer to Queen Rising Dawn.

    “May her light wash upon me forever and ever,” the traumatized unicorn whispered, certain that this would be his and Tempest’s last moments in this world.

    “Night Step!”  Tempest desperately shook the blue unicorn out of his daze.  “We have to do something!  That...thing is going to kill Aiden!”

    Night Step quickly shook his head and turned to the pegasus in disbelief.  “Are you insane!?  We’d end up the same as those griffins!”

    “We have to do something!”  The pegasus retorted.

    “I know, Tempest!  I want to do something too, believe me!”  Night Step pointed a hoof at the entity that held their friend.  “But what can we do?”

    “I don’t know...” Tempest replied as he pressed his fore hoofs against his ears, growling in frustration of the ever present pulsating noise coming from the glyphs on the walls.  “For the Sun’s sake, if that annoying pulse would just stop!”  As if on cue, the pulse ceased.  Tempest looked up towards the ceiling with his eyes closed and whispered “thank you.”

    Night Step suddenly yelped in surprise, making Tempest jump.  The entity now stood before them, still holding an unconscious Aiden in his one hand by the throat.  With the two of them sitting on their haunches, the entity stood about three feet taller than either of them.  It looked down at them with a look that lacked emotion.  Although it had the appearance of a human, they couldn’t shake the feeling that it had an aura of unnaturalness to it.

    For a few moments, it simply stared down at the two of them, with blood coating its free hand.  The two stallions huddled together like frightened foals, staring back up at it.  Tempest finally asked a simple request of the entity.  “Please, don’t hurt him...” the pegasus whispered in a barely audible tone.  The entity’s head jerked back slightly in surprise.  Then it smiled.

    “You have my word,” its voice echoed within their minds as it reverberated through the chamber.  “He will not die.”  It laughed as its eyes glowed an evil yellow.  “So long as you fulfill a request for me as well.”  The two stallions looked up at the entity, not knowing what its request might be.  Without waiting for an answer, the entity gave them its task.  “Return to your city; your ‘Canterlot,’ and tell your Princess what she can expect within the coming years of her reign.  Tell her that I am simply a presage; the Vanguard of what was,” he paused for a brief moment.  “And of what will be.”  The entity that called itself the vanguard then proceeded to drag Aiden’s unconscious body back into the chamber it originally emerged from.

    Tempest Runner and Night Step could do nothing but watch.

    Aiden’s eyelids felt heavier than ever when he opened his eyes.  He felt a bone chilling wind pressing against him, coupled with the feeling that the creature that called him brother still had its fingers around his throat.  His eyes opened slowly, only to be met with his supposed “brother” grinning back at him.

    “I shouldn’t be surprised, Intervention,” he sighed with a slight tone of disappointment.  “It is just like you to befriend such filthy little animals.”  He laughed.  “You always did have Father’s tendencies; that is, after all why Mother wanted you both dealt with in the first place.  I suppose the time you spent in that other world didn’t help; in fact I would go as far to say that it only made things worse.”  He shook his head as a sincere frown replaced his grin.

    It was at this point Aiden realized where they were: in the sky.  Aiden had no idea how, but looking down, he saw the entire Kingdom of Equestria far below him.  He could make out distinct features, such as the Everfree forest, or the city of Canterlot.  Aiden honestly felt too tired to even panic, like he would’ve normally done if he found himself in a situation so bizarre and life threatening at the same time.

    Aiden felt the entity’s grip loosen.  He knew that there would be no surviving this.  At the very least it would be quick.  Just the fall, the impact, and then relief.

    “It’s a shame,” the entity continued on.  “None of this would’ve had to happen if you would’ve been a nice, obedient son to Mother, like me.”  The grip loosened even further.  Aiden didn’t even bother to try and lift his hands up to hold onto the entity’s arm.  “But remember, my Brother, we are both on the same path of ascension; and that path takes very strange turns.”

    Aiden was falling at a rather slow pace, or at least it seemed slow to him.  The pain in the back of his skull and in his ribs made it too difficult for him to feel much of anything else.  All he really did as he began the long descent to Equestrian soil, was replay his favorite song in his mind.

    The cream colored Earth filly trotted about happily on her way home from school, anxious as ever to return home.  It was a pleasant Fall, Friday afternoon, just like any other in Ponyville.  This filly was quite determined to get her weekend assignments finished as quickly as possible, so she would have the rest of the time to play with friends.

    She had just finished the rehearsal for the school’s play, which  went very well, and she believed that everypony was ready for the show on Wednesday.

    When she was about halfway to her house, however, something odd caught her eye.  Something appeared to be crawling out of the bushes that were just outside of the Everfree forest.  This filly was well aware of the strange creatures that inhabited those unnatural woods, and likely would’ve gone about her business without giving the strange creature a second thought had it not been for the fact that it suddenly spoke.

    “Help me...”

    Its voice was weak.  “On the edge of life” kind of weak.  The filly turned back towards the creature to see that it was now looking up at her with teal eyes.  It was bleeding rather heavily from the face, and it was a creature unlike anything she had ever seen before.  She was tempted to turn and run, screaming all the way back to her parents.

    “Please, help me...” the creature whispered in an even weaker tone.  The filly shifted her weight around nervously.  Against her better judgement, she approached the creature.  She was unsure of what to do or say, so she decided to start simple, as the creature looked up at her with pleading eyes.

    “Don’t worry,” the filly nervously replied.  “I-I’ll go get you some help right away...”

End of Act 2Author's Note

Well, well, well, this certainly does not bode well for our heroes.  Who is this mysterious entity?  What are his plans for Equestria and the world?  What is the Praemian Thorn?  Find out all of this and more, next time on *Dragon Ba-** Forerunner of the Equinox.*

Act 3.1

Act 3Faces of the Past
“I’ve been to this place before...”

    The cold had settled in quickly as the last of the sun’s light disappeared behind the western horizon of the Iraqi Desert.  The date was November 4th, 2212, and Aiden sat in a filthy trench with his teammates, Logan Somers and Alex Rey.  The three of them knew that within moments, Leon Caine would fire a flare into the sky, signaling the start of the operation.  The Network had been contracted by the Commonwealth of Baghdad and Jordan to deal with an insurgent group that had taken over a small village a few kilometers North of the Commonwealth’s capital city.

    Aiden thought it was rather odd at first; as did plenty of other Network agents.  Why couldn’t the Commonwealth’s military simply sort it out?  It wasn’t like they were incapable of doing so.  Apparently the Commonwealth’s representatives were reluctant to discuss the nature of this specific village.  Network Central Authority explained that they would simply mumble in Arabic about unnatural happenings in that place; namely what they called witchcraft and demonic cults.  Now of course, Aiden and just about every other agent in the Network simply shook their heads at such assumptions.  It was most likely just some fanatical religious sect whose leader was going on and on about the end of times.

    “Guess we didn’t learn anything,” Aiden whispered as he shook his head.

    “Hmm?  Did you say something, Aiden?”  Logan, whom was sitting right across from him asked.

    “Just thinking about our opposition in this task we have,” Aiden replied.  “It’s probably just some radical group.”

    “Yes, they’re fairly common in this part of the world, even after the nukes fell.”  Logan agreed.

    “Yeah,” Aiden sighed.  “I was thinking about how far some people are willing to go for their beliefs.”  He frowned as he brought his knees up to his chest.  “Like I said; we didn’t learn anything after the nukes fell.”

    “Uh huh,” Alex quietly mused as he leaned his head against the wall of the trench.  He let out a long tired sigh as he reached into his shirt and pulled out a silver cross, and twirled it around in his fingers.  “Who needs that...” he sighs again as he eyes the cross with an even deeper frown.

    Suddenly, a hissing noise could be heard as the three of them were bathed in a red glow.  Aiden lifted his head and turned his gaze towards the sky to see a ball of bright red light soaring into the air, leaving a trail of smoke behind it.

    “That’s Leon’s flare,” Logan quietly stated.  “Seems like the assault is starting...” he finished as the yells of other Network agents could be heard in the distance.

    “Come on,” Aiden said as he stood up and placed his hand on the edge of the trench.  “That paycheck isn’t gonna earn itself, now is it?”  He jested, trying his best to lighten the mood.  He lifted himself up while holding his M98 automatic carbine in his left hand.  Looking back down in the trench, he saw Logan and Alex still eyeing Alex’s cross somberly.  “Let’s go, the others will be waiting for us!”  Aiden ordered, while still keeping a low tone in his voice.  Alex huffed quietly as he stood up and lifted himself out of the trench like Aiden did, with Logan following.

    Aiden pointed his rifle at the darkness and proceeded forward with caution.  “Stay low, and stay alert...”

    “I am...alive?”

    “Yes, Aiden, you are alive; and you are safe.”

    Aiden’s eyes snapped open to reveal a pure white landscape before him.  Again, he found himself sitting in a metal chair, with that same man sitting across from him at the table.  The man looked at him with a reassuring smile as Aiden pinched his left temple.  Aiden winced as he assured himself that he was truly here in the same room he had dreamed of before.

    Aiden looked up to meet the man’s face from across the table.  “What about Tempest?  And Night Step?”  Aiden asked with a concerned voice.  “Did they make it out alright?”

    The man nodded slowly.  “They are on their way back to Canterlot as we speak.  It is a shame that the same can not be said for those griffins...” he sighed as he shook his head.  Aiden looked down with a somber look.  He could sympathize with those families whose fathers, sons, and brothers would not be coming home...

    The man began to hum to himself softly.  “It seems that your brother did quite a number on you as well...”

    “Yeah, about that...” Aiden began as lifted his left hand up to examine it.  He flexed the fingers as he held it in front of his eyes.  “That...thing...I am its brother?”

    The man nodded.

    “And it had a name...it called itself the Vanguard?”

    He nodded once again.  “He is Vanguard, the Forerunner of the Reclamation.”

    “And what you called me when we first met...” Aiden paused.  “The Forerunner of the Equinox?”

    Again, the man nodded as a smile creased along his lips.  “I’m surprised that you remember, with all that’s been happening.”  The two men shared a small fit of laughter before the younger one continued their conversation.

    “So, where did I fall, exactly?”  Aiden asked.  “I remember it being the Everfree forest, but I think somepony found me.”

    “Getting used to the Equestrian dialect, I see,” the man smirked.  “Don’t worry, you were found by a young foal that has taken you into her home...and I believe you will meet some faces that you find familiar once you wake up...”

    Aiden tilted his head.  “Oh?  More familiar faces?”

    The man that Aiden had grown accustomed to nodded once again.  “I think you’ll get along quite well...” he finished as Aiden felt that same sensation of being caught between sleep and awakeness come over him again.

    Consciousness came swirling back to him.  He was on a comfortable bed; not anywhere near as cozy as the one in his chamber back in the Royal Palace, but still quite nice.  Aiden opened his eyes, only to be greeted by blinding sunlight.  He groaned as he brought a hand up to shield his face.  He positioned himself so that he was leaning his back against the head of the bed’s frame.  He panned his gaze around the room he was in.  He couldn’t shake this sense of vague familiarity that eventually came over him.

    “I’ve been to this place before...” he thought to himself.  Carefully, he brought his legs out from under the covers, and placed his feet on the carpet.  The feeling of the soft material hitting his bare feet was something he was certain he would never feel again.  “I still can’t believe I fell from that height and survived...”

    Standing up proved to be a bit of a challenge in itself, but nothing he couldn’t handle.  After a brief hiss of pain, Aiden was standing tall, with his left hand over his stomach.  The majority of his clothes were still on, with the only exceptions being his two trench boots, which he saw in the corner of the room by the door.  He made his way over to the window and pulled the curtains further to the side.  Outside were several wooden buildings that resembled a medieval European village.  Aiden immediately realized where he was.

    “Ponyville...” he whispered as he watched ponies of all kinds walking down the street below the window, occasionally waving as they passed one another.  “Someone found me; or rather somepony...” he quickly corrected himself.  Judging by the position of Celestia’s sun in the sky, it was just before noon.  He stretched his arms as he spoke to himself.  “She must be worried sick...” he mused with a frown.  Then again, Celestia probably knew of his fate; she was basically a goddess after all.  Even so, he wanted to be quick to recover so that he could catch a train back to Canterlot.

    Aiden sighed as he turned back towards the bedroom door.  To his surprise, the door was opened slightly.  Peeking back in at him with wide eyes, was a cream colored filly.  This foal had no horn on her head, but he could not see the rest of her.  She had a single hoof pressed against the edge of the door, and her pink and blue mane stopped just short of covering her eyes, which were a lighter shade of blue than her mane.  For several seconds, the two of them simply stared at each other, the filly’s eyes seemingly growing wider with every passing second.

    Aiden broke the silence.  “Uh, hello?”

    The filly seemed to calm down.  She let her hoof drop to the ground as she inched her way further into the room.  Suddenly she was whisked away by some outside force; she let out a barely audible yelp.  Aiden could hear a feminine voice scolding the filly outside.

    “Bon Bon!  You don’t know how dangerous that thing could be!”

    “But, Mom, he doesn’t even look that dangerous,” the filly tried to defend her actions.  “You saw how helpless he looked when I brought you to him!”

    “And I am proud of you for helping some...creature that you had no idea what it was, but that doesn’t disprove that it could still be dangerous.  It came from the Everfree forest, after all.”

    A brief period of silence followed before a male spoke: “I’m just hoping that it isn’t hurt too badly.  The poor thing had a few broken bones and had some internal bleeding.  I’m surprised we didn’t have to turn it over to the hospital or vet...”

    Aiden proceeded to the half closed door from where the voices hid.  They ceased their conversation when he was standing right in front of the door.  Cautiously, Aiden placed a hand on the door’s edge and began pulling it open, less than an inch every few seconds.  On the other side, were three Earth ponies; the filly from a few moments ago, whom had a cutie mark of three wrapped candies.  The mare and stallion he recognized from when he first came to Equestria.

    “Praline and Chikki...”  Aiden thought as the three ponies stared back at him.  He tried his hardest to hide the fact that he recognized them, not having the slightest idea of how they would react.  “And the filly must be Bon Bon...”

    An awkward silence followed for several moments before Aiden, as usual, broke the ice.  “This is exactly why I hate these unhandy pauses...”  He thought for a moment as he drew in a breath.  “Hello...” he said in a drawn out tone.

    The mare took a while to respond.  “Hi...”  The stallion merely gave this slow nod to acknowledge Aiden’s greeting.  The filly looked up at Aiden with a look more of curiosity than of fear.  She couldn’t have been any older than Lyra.  Aiden managed to keep himself from panicking with the knowledge that she was perfectly safe in Canterlot.

    Aiden shifted his focus back to the present, as the family of three that generously brought him into their home was probably hoping for an explanation.  But first thing’s first: Aiden bowed his head in gratitude.  “Thank you all for helping me.  It must’ve been a tough decision to make, bringing some unknown creature into your home.”  As Aiden lifted his head, he couldn’t help but smirk at the sight of the incredulous looks on their faces.

    “I...It’s no trouble...” Chikki responded.  “A-anypony else would’ve done the same thing, I’m sure.”

    “No need to discredit yourself,” Aiden laughed, which was greeted by immediate pain in his stomach.  “If not for you, there would be a good chance I wouldn’t be speaking right now...”

    “You should thank Bon Bon, then,” Praline answered as he gave a weak smile to the filly who stood by his side.  The cream colored foal noticeably blushed as she was referred to.

    “I just did the right thing...” the filly smiled as she stared down at the floor, averting her gaze from the one she saved.  Aiden looked down at her with a reassuring smile of his own.

    “Even so, you have my thanks, Bon Bon,” he replied.  “I owe you one.”  The young man then turned his attention to his new friend’s parents.  “I’m sure you must be wondering what I am...”  The three Earth ponies looked back up at him, hoping for him to finish his sentence.  He drew in a quick breath.  “Well, my name is Aiden Marsh, and I’m a human.”  His answer seemed to give relief to them.  But Aiden couldn’t help but think that he was only partially correct: “At least I think I am...”

    Praline and Chikki seemed to become much more hospitable within the following hours, giving Aiden a complete tour of Everfree Sweets: their business and home.  Aiden already knew the majority of the layout of their home from when he and Lyra spent a night here, but there was no way he would tell them that he secretly broke into their home.

    “Well, there you have it, Aiden!”  Praline finished as the four of them ended their tour in the family room that was just behind the actual part of the building where they served their customers.

    “It’s a very lovely home you three have,” Aiden complimented with a smile.

    “Thanks,” Chikki replied.  “We all try our best to keep it neat and tidy.”  The Earth pony couple and their daughter sat comfortably on a couch while Aiden stood idly by.

    “Feel free to take a seat, Aiden!”  Praline encouraged.  “Make yourself at home!”  Aiden turned his glance to a rather small looking chair that was to the left of the couch.  A stallion that was Praline’s size would be perfectly comfortable in a chair like that, but for a full grown human male like Aiden...

    Bon Bon giggled in a heartwarming way as Aiden awkwardly seated himself in the chair that he just barely fit in.  He smiled sheepishly back at his hosts as the parents joined their child in her laughter.  “Smooth, Aiden...” he mentally scoffed at himself.  “Well, at least they seem to like me...”

    “So, Aiden,” Chikki began.  “You know about us, care to tell us something about you?”

    “Well,” Aiden replied.  “My full name is Sergeant Aiden Marsh, and I’m twenty years old.”

    “Where are you from?”  Praline asked.

    “I...” Aiden paused as he brought a hand to his chin.  “Huh, in all honesty, I’m not sure anymore...”

    “Whatever do you mean, dear?”  Chikki asked.  Aiden was moved inside that his hosts (one of them at least) was using a term of endearment with him.

    “It’s a long story...” Aiden sighed.  “A story that I’m getting tired of having to tell over and over again...”  That thought did not stop him from doing so.  He provided a fairly decent summary of his life, from his stepfather, to his time in the Network, to his arrival in Equestria, up until this point that only took about two minutes to tell.

    “You never knew your real parents?”  Praline asked as their ears flattened.  Aiden breathed in and stood up; he just felt he looked too silly to be taken seriously from sitting in that little chair.

    “You don’t need to worry yourselves about it,” Aiden frowned.  “I’ve received more than enough sympathy for it.”  He then forced a smile on his face.  “Besides, my stepfather was a good man and I think I turned out perfectly fine.  At any rate, when I got to Canterlot, I stayed out of sight of the citizens, but was captured by the Royal Guard.  I was brought to Princess Celestia herself, but since I did not harm anypony she decided to keep me in the Palace and a secret from the public.”  He paused and smiled with amusement.  “Huh, I guess I’m not so much of a secret now, am I?”

    As Praline took in what Aiden had just said, meeting with his country’s leader, he reassured him.  “Don’t worry; Ponyville is pretty secluded from the other settlements and towns in Equestria.  Plus, you were on the edge of the Forest, where not many ponies go.  We managed to sneak you back here at night without anypony seeing.”

    Aiden sighed with relief.  “That’s good then, I don’t need the town chasing me with pitchforks and torches.”

    “And don’t worry,” Chikki smiled.  “We’ll be sure to keep you a secret from the other ponies; which means...” she looked down at Bon Bon with a smile.  “No telling your friends at school, Bon Bon...”

    The filly smiled back and nodded with her blue eyes closed.  “I won’t, Mom!”  She replied happily.  Aiden smiled as he quietly took a more comfortable seat by the fireplace in his usual Native American style despite the pain in his abdomen speaking out in protest.

    “How long was I unconscious?”  Aiden suddenly asked.

    “About three days,” Praline answered.  “You looked pretty banged up when we first brought you in, but you seemed to have healed pretty quickly.”  He shrugged.  “You seem perfectly fine to me now.  How do you feel?”

    “A little pain in my stomach,” Aiden replied.  “But I’ve been through worse.”  He finished with a smile at his hosts.  Looking out a nearby window, he noticed that the sun had set a long time ago.  “It seems to be getting late...” he sighed.  “You don’t mind if I stay with you guys for maybe a day or so, would you?”  He could guess their answer.

    “We'd be happy to help, Aiden!” Praline smiled.  “Feel free to stay as long as you need.”

    “You’re too kind,” Aiden grunted as he stood up, the pain in his stomach speaking out in protest once again.  “Shut up,” Aiden mentally yelled at his abdomen.  “I think I’ll turn in for the evening: the rest will do some good for my injuries.”

     “Sure thing,” Chikki said as she left her seat on the couch.  “Speaking of which; I believe tonight is a school night...” she looked over at Bon Bon.  The filly nervously laughed.

    “Go on, sweetie,” her father coaxed.  The foal listened to her parents and proceeded on the way towards the stairs, happily humming all the way.  Aiden smiled as he turned back to his hosts.

    “I’ll head on up, too,” Aiden said.  “I’ll see you both tomorrow, I guess,” he lifted a hand into the air as he gave them one last smile.

    “Goodnight, Aiden,” Praline said as Chikki stepped into the kitchen.

    Aiden stood by the edge of the steps, looking back over his shoulders.  “Goodnight, guys...”

    She visited his room for the second time today.  Princess Celestia was informed of her dear friend, Aiden’s fate the day before.  She was greatly distressed and guilt ridden for sending him to that place.  Looking out the window to the sunset,  her mind raced with the thoughts brought on by Night Step’s account of what had happened in Taotras.  The griffins didn’t seem to be involved beyond wanting to defend their territory.  Nevertheless, representatives from Gryphonia would want to speak with her on why one of their platoons went missing.

    She cringed at that thought, for she absolutely despised the politics, but like her mother said, it’s just part of the task she’s been given.  She smiled at remembering the days when she and Luna were taught by their parents on how to lead this country.  She gazed out the window once again to see the moon floating above Canterlot, and she was certain she could feel her sister looking back at her.

    Celestia shrugged the feeling off as she turned towards Aiden’s bed and noticed his mask and helmet sitting at the end of it.  With a glowing aura surrounding it, the mask lifted up to her face for her to examine it.  She sensed something powerful emerge from the gates of Taotras the day before Tempest Runner and Night Step returned.  She sensed Aiden disappear with it only moments after it first appeared.

    The Princess bit her lower lip as she looked out the window that overlooked the Palace and the rest of the city.  She had tried multiple times to relocate Aiden, and each time she had failed; almost as though something were blocking her from sensing his presence.  Tears well up in her bright pink eyes as she helplessly hopes for her friend’s safety.

    She sighed as she laid the mask back on its resting place.  She turned to leave, but before she did so, she whispered to herself.  “It seems being helpless is a second talent of mine...”

Author’s Note: Just to clear things up; no this story is not a crossover with Fallout, or Metro 2033, or Halo, or anything else.  Aiden, as well as all the human characters that appear in the flashbacks, and the human world in this story are all of my own creation.

Act 3.2

3.2“Welcome home, my son...”

    With a stretch of all four of his limbs, Aiden was awake.  He took a slow tentative yawn  as he rose out of bed to greet the morning sun.  Outside, the grass and streets were covered by a very thin layer of frost; Aiden stood up, and felt no more pain in his stomach or anywhere else.  The young man sighed with relief that his physical pain had been alleviated and happily looked out the window to see the first early risers in town strolling down the streets to their respective destinations.

    Aiden became lost as he gazed at the different sights of an average morning here in Ponyville; an opportunity that he had missed on his first visit.  Watching the various kinds of citizens go to and from their homes and places of business made him feel like he was in a small agricultural settlement back in his world.

    “Kinda reminds me of Westfallen,” he thought of a small town that was in the middle of being rebuilt along the Gulf Coast over a century after the war.  It was the town that stood out in his mind as the town where he first tasted alcohol.  He chuckled softly to himself as he remembered Alex’s uncle had a large store of pre-war booze.  “The good stuff” his uncle called it.

Aiden popped the thin glass bottle of whiskey open and took a timid whiff.  He quickly turned his head up in disgust.  “How old did your uncle say this was, again?”  Aiden laughed as Alex leaned up against the wall of the cellar.

    “Over a hundred and eighty years, my friend,” Alex replied with a smile.

    “It smells like nail polish...”

    “Then it’s the good stuff.”  Alex nodded with approval.  Aiden looked back down at the bottle in his hand.  With a brief moment of doubt, followed by a shrug, Aiden took in a large gulp from the bottle of spirits.  A second later, Aiden’s face was contorted in many different expressions that one would think impossible for a sixteen year old boy to make; all of which expressed displeasure.

    “Ugh!”  Aiden screamed, spitting and gagging on the bitter liquid.  “Ack!  God!  That’s exactly what I thought  nail polish would taste like!”  Alex could only hold his side in laughter at the misfortune of his friend.

    Looking back on this memory, Aiden couldn’t help but laugh at himself.  “God, I can’t believe I’m looking back at only twenty years...that should be reserved for when I’m around fifty.  As he looked into his reflection within the window, he brought his left hand up to his chin and scratched at the hairs that had been growing over the past few weeks, slowly tracing along his jawline.

    The sound of a hoof softly knocking against the door jolted his attention back to reality.  He looked back to see Bon Bon at his door, looking at him with a smile.  “Morning, Aiden!”  She waved at him after yawning lightly.  “Breakfast is ready; come down and join us!”  She turned to head back downstairs.  “I still have some time before I have to leave for school.”

    “Yeah,” Aiden replied, giving his reflection one last gaze.  “I’ll be right behind you.”  Aiden broke the staring contest he had with himself and followed the cream colored filly down the steps and into the kitchen.  The pleasant smell of baked bread entered his nostrils.  At the counter was Praline as he prepared a salad for the four of them while Chikki was pulling a tray of baked bread out of the oven.  With her teeth...

    “Ouch,” Aiden thought as he cringed.  Praline then proceeded to set the table; also with his teeth.  “Huh, I wonder how Earth ponies were treated in early Equestrian society...”  He quickly chased this thought away as he again awkwardly sat himself down at one of the small chairs at the table.  These chairs were really little more than very short stools with cushions on them, but the ponies sat on their haunches with their hind legs touching the floor.

    Aiden patiently waited for Praline and Chikki to set the table as their daughter sat down beside him.  “This looks great, you guys!”  Aiden complimented as a plate of eggs and toast was set down in front of him.

    “Thanks,” Chikki replied with a smile as she and her husband sat down.  The next few moments were met with silence as the four of them ate.

    “Hey, Bon Bon,” Aiden paused his eating to ask the foal a question.  She looked up at him in acknowledgement, still chewing on some salad.  “I was wondering what your cutie mark means; is your talent baking, like your parents?”  He pointed at the three candies on her flank.

    Both of her parents laughed lightly at his statement.  “Sorry,” Praline apologized through his laughter.  “It’s just that we’ve lost count of how many ponies have made that mistake.”

    “Those are throat lozenges, Aiden; her talent is acting,” Chikki answered Aiden’s question as Bon Bon finished her salad.  “She in fact has a role in the school’s Fall play!”

    Bon Bon looked up at Aiden and happily nodded in confirmation.

    “What’s the play about?”  Aiden asked.

    “It’s about the days of Star Swirl the Bearded, and the time he spent as a scholar in Canterlot,” Bon Bon answered.  “I play as his personal assistant: Garden Tail.”

    “I see,” Aiden said after he finished what was left on his dish.  “Is rehearsal going well?”

    The foal nodded happily once again before returning her attention to her plate.  “Speaking of which,” Praline began as he looked back at the clock above the stove.  “It seems like it’s about time for you to be off to school,” he said as Chikki set to begin cleaning the table of plates.  Aiden lifted his own plate and bowl to help her, while Praline got his daughter’s saddlebag ready.

    She waved a quick goodbye with her hoof as her father opened the front door for her.  “Goodbye, Mom!  Bye, Dad!”

    “Goodbye, Sweetie,” Chikki called back while Aiden placed the remaining dishes in the sink to be washed.  “Don’t forget to say goodbye to Aiden, too!”

    “Goodbye, Aiden,” Bon Bon waved one last time to her human houseguest.

    “See ya later, Bon Bon,” Aiden waved back as the filly headed out the door and on her way to school.  Aiden smiled as he turned his attention back to helping his host clean the dishes.  He shivered slightly as the cool Autumn breeze seeped into the home.  As he and Chikki finished cleaning up, Aiden stood tall by a window in the family room, continuing to watch the small village go through its morning routine; mares and stallions of all sizes and colors went to and from their destinations, offering friendly waves to each other, and young foals walked with each other on their way to school.

    He saw Bon Bon trot up next to another Earth filly of a light purple color.  The two began chatting, and laughter shortly followed.

    It was at a later point in the morning; the clock above the stove now read 9:21.  Throughout much of the day, Aiden stayed back in the kitchen section of the store, while customers who came in to purchase their baked goods would wait in the front room.  So far, only three ponies came in this morning to do business, which left the Earth pony couple some free time with their guest.

    They had only known each other for a day, but Aiden already felt quite attached to his hosts and their daughter.  So much so, that Aiden was willing to ask an important favor of the man; or rather stallion; of the house.

    “Hey, Praline,” Aiden asked with a hint of seriousness in his voice.

    “Hmm?”  The Earth pony hummed to acknowledge Aiden, but did not turn away from an order from a customer he was reading.

    “I was wondering; do you have any parchment or something I could write on?”

    The stallion turned to him with a smile.  “Sure; let me get you a quill and some ink.”  Praline then left the room for the living room.  He returned a few moments later with the quill and parchment in his mouth.  He held the inkwell on his tail...

    Aiden sighed and thought to himself: “Don’t question it, Aiden...don’t question it...”  Praline set the items down on the counter and was almost ready to return to his work.

    “One more thing, Praline,” Aiden said.  Praline turned back to him with a raised eyebrow.  “I’m writing a letter, you see...to the Princess.”  He lifted the blank parchment with one hand and stared at it somberly.  “It’s been awhile since she heard from me, and I can imagine she must be terribly worried by now.  I was going to ask you to mail it, if it’s not too much trouble.”

    Praline nodded in understanding.  “It’s no trouble at all, Aiden.”  He turned, finally ready to resume his work. “Of course, you might have to wait for a bit,” he said with a laugh.  “You are mailing a letter to royalty, after all.”

    Aiden chuckled in return.  “Thanks,” he said.  “I really appreciate it.”  The stallion nodded one last time as he returned to his place at the desk, ready for more customers to step in the front door.

    Aiden began writing in the meantime:

Dear, Princess Celestia,

    You must be worried sick at this point, but I am writing to you now just to alleviate your troubled mind; I am safe.  Please, don’t blame yourself for what happened to me in Taotras; surely you only sensed that powerful, otherworldly entity when it emerged from the ruins; just like I only sensed it when I entered that evil place.

    Tempest Runner and Night Step must be really shaken up from the experience, considering that both of them are around my age, and neither of them have experienced such violence before.  I hope they are able to grow stronger after seeing what happened to the griffins.

    Most of all, please assure Lyra that I’m okay.  With all due respect, Princess, I think she would be the only one who is more concerned for my safety than you are.

    I am staying with a hospitable Earth pony family at the Everfree Sweets bakery here in Ponyville.  As far as my knowledge goes, none of the other ponies are aware of my presence; just how you want it.  I don’t know how long it will take for you to get this letter, but as soon as you have finished reading it, I ask that you have me escorted back to Canterlot as soon as possible; I don’t know how long I will be able to remain hidden here.

    But like I said earlier; please do not worry yourself so much over my safety.

    Your friend, Aiden

    Aiden read over his letter once.  “It’s not much,” he thought with a frown.  “But it’s the best I could do on such short notice.”  He picked up the parchment and approached Praline.

    “Ready to send it?”  Praline asked his two legged guest.

    Aiden nodded.  “Formality isn’t really a priority at the moment; I know that the Princess will agree with me.”  He placed it on the counter next to where Praline stood on his hind legs, with his fore hoofs on the countertop.

    “Seems like you really know the Princess,” he quietly mused.

    “Uh huh,” Aiden replied.  “I’ve lived in the Royal Palace for the majority of my time here in Equestria.”  He chuckled lightly to himself.  “The Princess isn’t as formal as most ponies seem to think.”

    “Really?”  Praline asked with a hint of surprise in his voice.  “I never would’ve thought; I just assumed that somepony who’s been around for over a thousand years would be more...”  He looked up at the ceiling, trying to think of what to say.

    “Mystical?”  Aiden suggested.

    “Yeah,” Praline pointed a hoof at him while he leaned over to grab a white envelope in his teeth.  He carefully placed the completed letter within the envelope and sealed it.  “There you have it, friend,” Praline placed the completed product next to the papers he was working on.  “I’ll be sure to deliver it this afternoon.”

    “Thanks again,” Aiden sighed as Praline continued looking over his customers’ orders.  Aiden once again turned his attention out the kitchen window to watch the thin layer frost on the ground slowly melt, as the sun glimmered through the branches of trees that possessed too little foliage to stop it.

    The desert sun shone down on the man in armor as those loyal to him searched the wreckage of the building before him.  He stood with one arm resting on the other as he stared hatefully at the smoldering ruins.  He casted a quick glance towards the five body bags to his left, ignoring the overpowering stench that emitted from them.  If anything, that only assured him that his success was closer than ever before.  One of his soldiers approached him, interrupting his thoughts.

    “Well?”  He asked.

    Static blared through the biomechanically modified soldier’s helmet before he spoke.  “We were unable to find Sergeant Marsh’s body, sir.”  The soldier said in a deep, muffled voice.  The man grumbled in dissatisfaction to learn that his small militia’s efforts have produced fruitless results.

    “Have gas spectrometers turned up anything?”  He asked.

    “Nothing, sir,” the soldier replied.  “If Marsh had died in Detachment 04’s subterranean systems, we would’ve picked up the scent of decay by now.”  The man cupped his face in his gloved hands as his loyal soldier continued to fill him in on his options.  The past several weeks had been spent on searching for the deceased form of Aiden Marsh.  The man cared not whether Marsh was found dead or alive, however.

    “He could still be alive, sir,” the Reborn sentry said.

    The man grumbled.  He could’ve guessed that, mentally scoffing at the drone’s ignorance.  The men and women of the Reborn Corps were little more than husks; corpses dug out of the ground and pumped full of various chemicals and implanted with various mechanical augmentations.

    “I believe that my former comrade is still alive,” the man mused with a frown.  He glanced back at the bags that contained the rotting corpses of his and Aiden’s fellow teammates.  He turned back to the sentry.

    “Keep searching, bring him back alive if you can; I wish to say a few words to him before he dies.”

    The drone gave a mindless salute and returned to the other Reborn sentries in their search.  The man turned towards the Western horizon; towards the setting sun.  He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small dog tag; the small chain that formed the necklace was broken, and the metal tag was filthy.

    Holding it up to his eyes, though, as the light of the sun reflected off of the metal, the man could still clearly make out his own name, inscribed into the material:

Lance Corporal Logan Somers

    Aiden awoke, only to be greeted by a freezing wind sweeping through the house.  He sat up from where he laid on the living room couch to hear the front door close.  The wind ceased shortly after.  The sound of very light hoofsteps indicated that a certain cream colored filly had just returned after a day at school.

    Aiden rested his chin in his hands as he panned his vision to the left to see said foal emerge into sight.  She had her saddlebags on, her eyes were closed, and she was happily humming to herself.  She turned her head to give him a greeting.

    “Hello, Aiden,” she waved as she set her saddlebag on the floor by the cold fireplace.

    “Hey, Bon Bon,” Aiden yawned as he stretched his limbs like he did earlier this morning.  “How was school?”

    “It was fine,” she answered quickly before opening her saddlebag.  “Say, do you know where Dad is?  Mom’s out at the market, so I was wondering if he could help me practice some lines for the play.”

    Aiden looked around and blinked his eyes.  “Uh, sorry; I just woke up, so I don’t know if he went anywhere...”

    “Oh...” the young filly replied as she trotted into the kitchen.  Her voice called back to him several seconds later.  “He left a note that says he’s going to the post office to deliver some mail...”  Aiden’s attention was caught at the mention of that.

    “Well,” Aiden began as Bon Bon came back into the living room.  “I’d be happy to help you rehearse your lines!”  She smiled at his offer.

    “Okay; I guess it couldn’t hurt,” she grabbed a few sheets of papers in her mouth and trotted over to where he sat.  She released her grip once he had his own on the pages.  “Let’s start with scene four; it’s on page thirteen.”  She finished as she set her own script on the wooden floor in front of her.

    Aiden quickly skimmed over the page quickly, viewing the scene’s introduction:

In Star Swirl’s personal study;

    A middle aged Star Swirl the Bearded sits, reading over his notes.

    Enter Garden Tail.

    The foal looked up at him anxiously.  “Ready?”  She asked.  Aiden nodded.

    “Ready,” he replied as they both cleared their throats simultaneously.  Aiden began the first line for Star Swirl the Bearded.

    “You’re here at a rather late hour,” Aiden began, playing the part of Star Swirl.  “Does something trouble you?”

    “Nothing at all, sir,” Bon Bon spoke in a surprisingly mature voice; one that would belong to a teenage girl or a young woman (or mare in this case).  If Aiden wasn’t looking at her, he would’ve thought she had suddenly matured seven or eight years.  “I just came to check on, you, and see if you needed anything.”  The actors’ instructions continued after Bon Bon’s first lines.

Garden Tail kicks a hoof against the floor nervously before Star Swirl continues.

    “Seems like it might be something more than that,” Aiden and his mediocre acting replied.  “Come now, it’s obvious that something is bothering you.  What’s wrong?”

    “I see,” Bon Bon replied as she continued to display some genuine nervousness.  “Well, it’s...” she paused and sighed heavily.  “It’s about your apprentice: Nebula.”

Star Swirl chuckles softly.  Aiden did as the script said.  “I could’ve guessed as much.  You haven’t taken your eyes off the colt since the day I took him under my wing.”

    Bon Bon stuttered abruptly, before turning her head away from him, blushing profusely.  Aiden was quite surprised and impressed at how the filly was able to conjure up a reaction like that by will just for the scene.  She stared back at him for a brief moment.

    “Uh, your lines are next...”

    Aiden quickly shook himself back to attention.  “Right!  Uh...”  He flipped the page and was ready to continue the scene, when he heard the front door open once again.  Aiden turned his head to see Praline standing by the entrance, shivering greatly from the frigid wind, which soon snaked its way into the living room.

    The small foal started shivering herself before her father closed the door behind him.  Praline waved a still quivering hoof at the two of them.

    “H-hey, you t-two,” he stuttered with his teeth chattering in a very cartoonish fashion.  Aiden just barely stifled his urge to laugh.  Bon Bon, on the other hand, laughed openly at her father’s misfortune of being out there in the cold.  Praline stamped a hoof on the floor and sighed loudly.  “Geez, I feel sorry for Chikki if she’s out there shopping in this kind of weather.”  He shuddered at the thought of what his wife must be going through.

    Aiden stood up with the script still in one hand.  “So, Praline,” he began with a somewhat serious expression on his face.  “Did you...”

    The stallion nodded.  “I got it just in time for it to be shipped off to Canterlot.  It should arrive there by tomorrow, but it could be days before the Princess actually reads your letter.”  He stopped and frowned.  “So it looks like you’ll be stuck here for awhile...”

    “At least I’m not alone,” Aiden said, closing his eyes.  The stallion looked up at the young man; he only came up to his sternum.  “If there’s anything at all that comforts me about being so far out of my element, it’s having someone that I can trust.”  He opened his eyes and smiled.  “Or rather somepony.”

    “You’re saying you trust me?”  Praline raised an eyebrow.

    “Of course,” Aiden replied.  “You and your family graciously allowed me in your home, took care of me when I was injured, and you’ve done an important favor; it’s obvious that you trust me,” he said while pointing a hand at himself.  “So I think it’s only fair that I place my trust in you as well...not like I haven’t already in trusting you not to reveal me to the public.”  Aiden lowered his hand to his side while he rested his other arm on the head of the couch.  He heard the filly’s hoofsteps from below as she stepped up next to her father, who at the moment, was at a loss for words.

    “Well...Aiden,” Praline stammered as he scanned the floor, thinking of what he could say next.  “That...certainly means a lot to me and my family.”  He extended his left forelimb for Aiden to accept.  “T-thank you.”  Aiden smiled warmly at the father and daughter, and they both smiled back.  Without hesitation, Aiden wrapped his fingers around Praline’s hoof and gently shook it; a gesture which he was getting used to exchanging with ponies.

    Aiden said nothing, but continued smiling as he released Praline’s hoof.  The stallion turned his attention to the filly who stood next to him.  “And how was your day, Bon Bon?”

    “Today was fine, Dad,” the filly cheerfully replied while affectionately nuzzling her father’s left forehoof.  “Aiden helped me with practicing my lines!”

    “That’s great!”  Praline replied as he made his way into the kitchen.  “Guess that’s another thing I should thank you for,” Praline looked back at his human houseguest with a sheepish smile before opening the refrigerator with his teeth.  “So,” Praline started.  “How about I start with something warm for dinner?”

    Aiden happily sat himself down at the kitchen table.  The clock over the stove read 4:51 in the afternoon.  The Autumn sun had already begun sinking below the horizon, as he heard the door opening again, signaling that Chikki was home as well.  He gave Celestia’s sun one last gaze before he became absorbed in the Earth pony family’s conversation about their day.

    This cold felt different from the Autumn chill he felt earlier this day.  He instinctively crossed his arms over his chest in an attempt to keep warmth from escaping his body.  Aiden blinked his eyes several times, only to be met with darkness.  He brought a hand to his face, trying to clear it of any material that obscured material, when his hand was stopped by something undeniably familiar.

    His gas mask.

    He placed his other hand on top of his head, to come in contact with the firm, rounded metal that was his helmet.  How...  He thought incredulously, for he was beyond certain that both of these things were left in the Royal Palace.  He quickly wiped his lenses, taking a large amount of dirt off of them.

    What he saw was something that horrified even his mind.

    Sand was blown about the wasteland by the occasional gust of powerful wind.  The atmosphere of this place had a dark, orange hue, and a shriveled up, grey tree jutted out of the sand every now and then.  Aiden shivered again before he treaded forward, much to the freezing wind’s protest.

    After a moment of painfully slow walking, Aiden fell to his knees and hung his head.  “This place,” he thought.  “I don’t think it’s simply my mind reliving a memory of the past this time...it feels more like the past is melding with the present...”  The extreme cold and relentless wind only further burdened his thought process.  “I am here for a reason...am I not?”  Aiden looked up, only to be greeted with more sand being blown into his lenses.

    “Well!?”  Aiden shouted above the roar of the wind.  “Why have you brought me to this place!?”  He turned his gaze up even further, to meet the pitch black sky.  He shouted with all force he thought possible towards the heavens above him.  “Where am I!?”

    Aiden hung his head once again, trying to catch his breath.  From behind him, he heard a voice offer something that resembled an answer.

    “Welcome home, my son...”

Act 3.3

3.3“You know what must be done...”

    Aiden could only scarcely keep himself from the verge of panic.  He quickly examined his surroundings; the sandstorm that was raging limited his vision to only a few feet.  As he walked on, Aiden extended one arm to hold onto the occasional tree branch that he could find.  Whenever he placed a hand on one of these dark, shriveled up plants, he noted that the wood had a texture akin to rotting foliage; much like fallen leaves that were so fragile, that they felt as though they were about to crumble to dust at Aiden’s touch.

    Aiden forced himself to press onwards, past the cold wind’s merciless blows.  His ragged breaths into the gas mask’s rebreather were the only thing his ears could pick up over the howling gale.

    “Keep moving...” Aiden thought to himself, but not without struggle.  “It’s so cold...and that godforsaken pulse is back...”  Indeed, the same throbbing pulse he had encountered from Taotras was taking hold of him.  He shook his head before he slammed a fist onto the top of his helmet.

    “Come on, Aiden,” he encouraged himself.  “Focus...”  He treaded onward; what he was trying to reach, he hadn’t the slightest idea.  The events that had occurred back in Taotras came back to him, like a slideshow for the mind.  Most of which that stood out was that...whatever it was.  Aiden knew that it wasn’t a human being, even though it looked like one.  Aiden’s blood chilled even further as he remembered the way it spoke; the unnatural ring its voice made when it echoed against the chamber’s walls.  The way the eyes went from glazed over to a piercing yellow the second he emerged from the light.

    Vanguard, he called himself.

    “The Forerunner of the Reclamation,” Aiden thought.

    Aiden stared down at his feet, trying to focus on anything other than the biting cold that was somehow piercing through his clothing; he might as well have not been wearing them.  Never before in his life had he experienced such an indescribable chill like this; not in the worst winter storms back in his world.  He clenched his teeth and nearly fell to his knees.

    “Shiiiiit...” he drew out his curse.  “Come on, Aiden; you’re doing fine...”  Aiden raised his head back to look ahead of him so he could see where he was going.  He brought a hand up to wipe his lenses clean once again from the dust that had completely obscured his vision.  While still walking forward, he felt his hand brush against something sharp on its journey back down to his side.  This made him jump in both surprise and pain as he felt the object create a small cut along the skin on top of the hand.  Aiden immediately brought the appendage to his lips and instinctively, only to be stopped by his mask.  Aiden cursed again, and sheltered his small injury before he turned to meet the object that had caused him his injury.

    It was a sizeable shard of metal that jutted out of the sand.  A deep grey color that was covered with the dust and dirt being blown about by the gusts of wind.  This, however, seemed to be only a piece of a somewhat larger structure.  Aiden couldn’t make out a thing with the sandstorm still raging.  He approached the larger structure in hopes of learning what it was.

    For once, in what felt like quite a long time, his hopes were granted.

    The structure was a VTOL.  A derelict one, to be exact.  It looked just like the ones that were used to transport soldiers and equipment back on his world.  “What the hell...” Aiden’s sentence trailed off.  He almost couldn’t believe it; yet here sat the wreckage of said aerial transport; the front viewport glass was shattered and the starboard engine was torn off; most likely laying in even more pieces further away.

    What caught his attention the most, was the sound of moans of agony.  Curious, and concerned, Aiden decided to look for the source of the noise.  He turned his attention to the wide open rear door on the back of the vehicle, just under the tail.  Inside the hull of the vehicle were two rows of chairs, four in each.  The moaning continued from the cockpit of the VTOL.  Aiden placed his left hand on the wall of the hull’s chamber, looking forward into the dark cockpit.  He could, however, make out someone sitting in the pilot’s seat.

    “Hello?”  He whispered rather quietly; probably too quiet for the person; whoever it was; in the pilot’s seat to hear him.  Aiden took in a deep breath from his mask’s oxygen filter before he pushed himself off the wall with his hand.  “Hello?”  He repeated in a louder tone as he approached the figure strapped in the pilot’s chair.  “Who’s there?”  The person did not respond.

    He turned to the left to walk further to the pilot’s side.  “Hey!”  Aiden placed his right hand on the pilot’s shoulder and shook it slightly.  The pilot’s head turned up to look straight into Aiden’s eyes.  Even though his mask was on, Aiden was sure that his jaw attempted to hit the floor at the sight before him.  Black hair, brown eyes, male, Hispanic.  An all too familiar face for him.

    “Oh my God...”  Aiden drew out his sentence as his mind finished processing the person looking back up at him.  “A-Alex!?”  His longtime teammate and friend stared back up at him for a moment; his lips were barely parted and a very weak sign of life was in his eyes.  Aiden’s attention was then drawn to Alex’s hand, which he had pressed against a wound on his stomach.  A small piece of metal shrapnel was sticking out, just above Alex’s navel.

    “A-Alex...”  Aiden tried finding the right words to say, if there were any.  He leaned in closer to examine the extent of Alex’s injury.  “Oh, fucking hell...”  He swore as he discovered the seriousness of the wound.  Aiden placed a hand on his forehead as he frantically thought of a way to save his friend.  “Alex, stay with me!”  Aiden yelled as the sandstorm outside picked up once again.  “I’m gonna get you out of here!”  He reached for the piece of shrapnel, but stopped himself.  “Fuck!  What should I do!?”  Aiden frantically thought.

    “A pity you couldn’t save him,” an eerily familiar voice from behind said.  Aiden gasped in surprise before turning to lock eyes with whoever just spoke.  There, standing at the opening in the rear of the VTOL, was the creature called Vanguard.  He still wore the same robes from when Aiden first encountered him in Taotras.  His expression could not be more blank.

    “You...”  Aiden whispered.

    “Take that mask off, Intervention,” Vanguard said with a disapproving look.  “Have some respect for your older sibling.”  Aiden slowly obeyed, trusting the shelter that the VTOL provided from the storm.  “That’s better,” Vanguard said with a smile once Aiden’s mask now hung from the base of his neck.  He then turned his attention to the dying man in the pilot’s seat.  He chuckled softly as Alex coughed and gagged on his own blood.

    “It must be such a shame having his death weighing on you...”  Vanguard said as he crossed his arms.  Aiden shook his head.

    “What?”  He stood there, pointing his left hand at the now deceased Alex, then pointing it at Vanguard, who just stood there, leaning his back against the wall.  “N-no!  His death was a result of the crash!  The pilot was killed, and he...”

    “He sealed the fates of four other souls,” Vanguard interrupted.  Aiden clenched his hands over his ears, trying to block out his brother’s harsh words.  “Mary Willis died in the abandoned schoolyard, Leon Caine was shot by a sniper, David Bern was surrounded and beaten to death like an animal, and lastly, Emily Benet fell to her death when she tried to see your journey to its end.”  He lifted his chin up.  “They trusted you to protect them; and you have failed them.”

    Aiden shook his head again and clenched his eyes shut.  “That’s not true!!”  The sandstorm outside escalated to a new level of severity, and the wind roared above even Aiden’s thoughts, yet he still could hear Vanguard’s words, clearer than ever before.

    “You have failed them, Intervention,” Vanguard began his slow approach to where Aiden stood.  “You failed them, just like you have failed Mother.  Just like you will fail Celestia.”

    Aiden opened his eyes to see that Vanguard stood less than five feet away.  “Shut the fuck up!!”  He screamed as he pointed a finger at him.

    Vanguard had the most hateful look on his face as he said six more words:

    “Just like you will fail Lyra.”

    Aiden pulled his right hand up to his cheek and clenched it into a fist.  His eyes swam with anger at the mention of his friend in such a manner.  “Shut your fucking mouth!!”  He roared as he lunged at his nemesis.  “Shut up!!!”  Aiden rushed forward, and with all of his strength, he did...

    ...Absolutely nothing.

    Vanguard seemed to evaporate into thin air, leaving a thin cloud of black, flaky material where he once stood, and Aiden lost his footing, tumbling out of the wreckage and back into the storm.  Aiden helplessly fell face first into the sand, his lenses completely covered with a new coat of dust.  Still breathing through clenched teeth, Aiden rose to his knees as he heard Vanguard’s voice echo in the distance.

    “So...weak,” Vanguard taunted.  “How far have you fallen, Brother?”  This did not sound like a taunt; more like an honest question that he wanted an answer for.  “Have you so easily forgotten?  All of those eons that we’ve lived together, as a family; Mother, Father, and Children...has merely twenty short years in such a frail, form of flesh overturned the values you’ve held so close since Mother gave birth to you?”

    Aiden stood up and regained his footing in the sand, trying his best to ignore the ancient entity’s words.  He started walking.  Nowhere in particular, he just wanted to get as far away from the place where he had just watched Alex die...again.

    The air was freezing cold, yet the sand that was peltering the exposed back of his neck and his hands was searing hot.  These two opposites came together perfectly to make Aiden’s misery complete.  He felt a few flakes of burning sand enter the still bleeding cut on his left hand.  Aiden brought the wound to his chest, which was now coursing with agony.  “God...”  He winced through clenched teeth.  “...Damn it!”  Now his misery was complete.

    He continued walking up until the point when he felt his feet meet contact with something more stable than sand.  He looked down and wiped the sand off his lenses again, with great annoyance.  He was standing on a stone tiled floor.  Sand whipped in and out in small sweeps at his feet.  He closed his eyes, trying to either shake away or ignore the cold and the pain in his hand.

    He opened his eyes.

    Before him now, stood a large, stone castle like structure.  He brought a hand to his face, to notice that his gas mask was once again missing.  He placed his other hand on top of his head, to realize that his helmet was also gone.  “Just some extremely vivid dream, I guess,” he thought to himself, trying to shrug off the outright weirdness of the situation.  He examined his left hand however, to notice that the cut he had sustained in his dream was there. “Of course...” he groaned.

The otherworldly cold had left him, and was replaced with a more familiar kind of cold.  He turned around frantically to see countless trees and overgrown bushes around him.  The nature of the foliage reminded him of one place.

    “The Everfree Forest...” he thought with a sigh.  It was late evening it seemed, judging by the opening in the foliage above revealed a dark sky. He turned his attention to the ruined castle in front of him.  It looked to be hundreds; possibly thousands of years old.  The stonework bore stress marks and deep cracks seem to have accumulated due to years of negligence.  Stain glass windows were shattered and missing fragments; the plant life of the forest had long ago started to overtake the entire structure, with vines and branches crawling all over its walls like a sea monster about to drag a large ship down into the deep.  The whole thing reminded him of the Royal Palace in Canterlot.

    “Could this place be...” Aiden whispered to himself as he let his hands return to his sides.  “This is the Castle of the Royal Alicorn Sisters, isn’t it?”  He asked himself, waiting for his mind to give a response.  “Yeah,” he thought.  “I remember reading about this place in one of the books in the Royal Library.”  This castle served as the center of power in Equestria long before the Fall of Princess Luna.  The two royal sisters spent their foal-hoods here, and Canterlot began construction shortly after their parents passed away.  And now here it stood, abandoned and seemingly forgotten.  Aiden felt quite honored to be possibly the first human to stand in what must be such a sacred place.  He smiled at the thought.

    That smile was replaced with a curious look when he noticed a faint, pale blue light emanating from one of the stain glass windows on one of the central towers.  He began his slow approach to the stone stairs that led up to the castle’s opening chamber.  As he ascended the stairs, Aiden thought to himself and questioned the safety in exploring this place.  If there was one thing he learned since coming to Equestria, it was that he and the local ancient ruins did not get along.  Still, Aiden sucked it up and ventured forward into the ancient castle.

    The interior seemed to be holding up slightly better than the outside.  The stained glass windows painted out the history, much like the ones back in the Royal Palace.  He saw a surprisingly intact glass portrait of a young Celestia and what must have been Luna, side by side, accompanied by their respective celestial objects, thrown together into a symbol that beared a close resemblance to Yin and Yang from Chinese Taoism.

    “Light and Darkness,” Aiden muttered softly as he continued onward, past more stained glass images and up another set of stone stairs, trying to find the source of the light.  This new stairwell led him up to an exposed stone catwalk that overlooked the central courtyard.  Nothing stirred in the night air.  Even the owls and timberwolves were silent.  All Aiden could hear over his own footsteps were his own breaths and heart beating together in rhythm.

    The catwalk led into the center of the castle, which was an elongated chamber with an arched ceiling.  Aiden noticed what at first looked like a fountain in the center of the room.  He approached it to examine it further, and noticed that there were five perfectly spherical stones within it.  Each stone had a different shape inscribed into it.  Even more familiar from the night when he first met the Princess.

    “And these must be the Elements of Harmony...”  Aiden whispered to himself as he softly placed one of his hands on the stone with the upside down triangle on it.  “Whoever these six chosen will be; this is the place where they will defeat Nightmare Moon and restore Luna to her original form.”  He frowned and looked at the stones again.  “But there are only five elements here...”

    “Actually, none of them are here.”

    Aiden nearly yelled at the suddenness of this second voice in the chamber with him.  He turned his head to make eye contact with him.  The man in the white suit from his dreams.  He sighed in exhaustion at the sight of him.  He turned back to the fountain-like structure.

    “What do you mean?”  Aiden asked, looking intently at the five stones.  Silence dominated the room, with the only exception being the man’s footsteps as he approached him.  He then leaned on the edge of the dry fountain, standing to the right of Aiden.

    “These are not the fabled Elements of Harmony,” the man gestured a hand to the stones.  “The true Elements are within the souls of the individuals that are chosen, not within a few unnaturally shaped rocks.”

    “How original,” Aiden quietly remarked as he blew a strand of hair out of his face.  “Lemme guess: do you have to believe in the power of the Elements for them to work too, like Tinkerbell?”

    The man laughed softly.  “But of course,” he said sarcastically.  “No, it’s not quite that cliched.”

    “What a relief,” Aiden said with a sigh as he left the man’s side and turned back towards the chamber’s entrance.  He turned his head to look out a completely shattered window.  Then he turned back to the man who was looking back at him.  “You know where the source for that light is, don’t you?”

    The man nodded and pointed a finger towards the end of the chamber.  “Right this way,” he said as he gestured for Aiden to follow.

    Aiden huffed and looked back at the entrance of the chamber.  He turned his head back to the man as he continued walking forward.  Back to the entrance.  Back to the man.  Aiden shook his head.  “This better not end with me plummeting from the stratosphere again...”

    Aiden followed the man from his previous dreams through a series of underpassages that weaved together into a small labyrinth underneath the ruined castle.  Aiden panned his gaze around the arched hallways as he followed the man.  “So, where exactly are we going?”  He asked.

    “You will see,” the man left him hanging as they reached the bottom of another staircase.  “It’s just up here.”  He finished with another gesture towards the arched opening at the top of the staircase.  That same pale blue glow colored the threshold.

    The chamber itself was rather small, and it was rectangular, with the opposite end being a triangular arch.  The entire room glowed with the familiar cyan blue, the source being a small, shallow, circular pool of what seemed to be water at first glance.  As the man went  around to stand at the edge of the room’s arch, Aiden took a closer look at the small pool.

    “Strange,” he thought to himself as he squinted at the supposed water, noting the rather silvery color to it, and the cyan blue glow at the bottom of the liquid.  “It looks more like...mercury?”  He looked up to see the man looking at him from the opposite end of the pool, most likely only four feet away.

    “You brought me here for a reason, right?”  Aiden asked.

    “You will be no match against your Siblings with your current form,” the man replied.

    “No fucking shit, Sherlock,” Aiden thought as he rolled his eyes.  The man raised an eyebrow, as if he caught a hint of what was going through Aiden’s mind.  Aiden quickly wiped the thought out of his mind and gestured for the man to continue.

    “When the human race first rebelled against the Forerunners; against Mother, against...you...” he paused for a brief second.  “They stood little to no chance, even with their advanced technology.”  He stepped closer towards the artificial pond and gazed down into the mercury-like liquid.  “Their innovation, however, allowed them to construct one of the most potent weapons in military history.  This weapon was portable enough to be wielded by a single human soldier.  With it in the hands of their mightiest warrior, he managed to strike down Mother and her Children.  Yet the war lasted for many years, and the surface of the World was nearly inhospitable to human life.  Thus, they retreated into various underground cities; like Taotras.”

    Aiden held up a hand.  “Okay, slow down,” he rubbed his left temple with his other hand.  “So...this weapon, the humans used it to overthrow the Forerunners, but because of its use, this world was reduced to a smoldering ruin?”  He shook his head.  “Why does this sound familiar?”

    “It is not the nuclear weapons you might be thinking of,” the man replied.  “Remember; wielded by a single warrior?”

    “Uh huh,” Aiden blankly stated.  “And the weapon is in this room, isn’t it?  I’m supposed to use it to stop the Forerunners.  Am I warm?”

    The man laughed.  “Very; I see that for once, you wish to skip storytime for now.”

    “Yeah,” Aiden tried not to laugh with the man he had become acquainted with.  He failed.  “I’ve had a really shitty night, man, so I’d appreciate it if we could wrap this up, quickly.”

    “Fair enough,” the man responded.  He pointed a finger down into the pool of liquid.  “The reason you’ve been brought to this place, you need look no further than here.”  Aiden’s  eyes followed the man’s finger down into the pool, to focus on the cyan glow, which he had just noticed was pulsating; getting slightly brighter and dimmer at different intervals.  With a curious look, he turned his gaze back up at the man.  He nodded for him to go on.  Slowly rolling up his left sleeve, Aiden reluctantly, and slowly dipped his arm into the liquid.  The liquid, strangely felt like...nothing?  It felt more like thin air than a liquid.

    He quickly pulled it out to the point that only his fingertips were submerged.  “Not corrosive, no flesh eating piranhas inside; well, so far this is going better than the luck I’ve been having this past week.”

    He submerged his arm further;  even though it didn’t seem too deep, his limb kept going, past the wrist.  About seven seconds later, he had his elbow submerged and was about to roll his sleeve up further, when he noticed the cyan glow become brighter.  The light seemed to gather around his elbow, and he noted the presence of something sharp pressing into his skin.

    Instinctively, he pulled his arm out to the point where his wrist was still submerged, only to notice something that resembled a glowing thread of yarn had pierced the skin immediately after the elbow.  The glow on this thread also pulsated like the one in the liquid.  Aiden simply stared at the strange looking object for about ten seconds, before the thread seemed to dig itself further into his skin.  Aiden winced slightly, but it really didn’t hurt anymore than getting an injection.  Only this injection lasted for longer than a fraction of a second.

    This thread slinked its way under his skin and it continued to move closer to his hand.  By the time it passed his wrist, Aiden was starting to feel light headed as the pain gradually increased.  He closed his eyes for the remainder of the process.

    “You can open your eyes now,” he heard the man laugh, like a parent telling a child that his or her shot was over with.  Aiden did so while pulling his arm out of the liquid completely.  He examined the limb that had just had...something happen to it.  He could see the thread give off a faint glow underneath his skin before it ceased.  He examined his left arm for several moments before looking at the man, with his jaw practically on the floor.

    “Okay,” Aiden began.  “What.  The.  Fuck.”  He pointed at his left forearm with his right hand.  “What the fuck just happened?”

    “That, my friend,” the man replied.  “Is the the weapon you will need to defeat the Forerunners.”  He paused and frowned.  “Or more properly, the weapon you will need to just defend yourself from them; the Praemian Thorn.”

    “Ooooookay,” Aiden said, more than creeped out.  He waved his left forearm in front of his face one more time before rolling his sleeve back down.  He shivered at the thought of this thing living underneath his skin.  He shook his head, trying to get the thought out of his mind.  “So, how do I use it?”

    “You will learn, in time,” the man replied.

    Aiden threw his hands up in the air.  “Of course...”

    “At the very least,” the man replied.  “You will be able to live up to your title, somewhat.”

    “Right,” Aiden sighed as he tucked his hands into his pockets.  “I haven’t forgotten about that...the Forerunner of the Equinox.”  He looked back up at him.  “So...the Equinox?”  Aiden questioned, hoping that for once, he could get a simple explanation.

    The man sighed.  “The Equinox is something that cannot be fully explained in a few sentences."

    “Damn it,” Aiden thought.

    “But, to give you as short a version I can think of,” the man placed a finger on his chin.  “The Equinox is a place; think of it as an alternate dimension that runs parallel to this World; to many worlds, actually.”

    “Is that so?”

    The man nodded.  “It is sort of a place where multiple realities converge.”  The man smiled at his explanation.  “Yes, I would say that’s a good explanation, given what little time we have left for tonight.”

    “Time?”  Aiden asked as he crossed his arms.

    “Yes, Aiden,” the man replied as he walked towards the way they came in, again motioning for him to follow.  Aiden shrugged and obeyed.  “Perhaps I should’ve told you, but the Praemian Thorn was what was blocking out your presence from Vanguard...and Celestia.  I hate to rush you, but you will likely have someone; or rather somepony; eagerly waiting for you at the sunrise.”

    Aiden sighed at knowing that fact.  The two men were silent for the remaining journey up to the ruined castle’s main chamber.  Aiden shielded his eyes from the near blinding light of the rising sun on the Eastern horizon.  As the two of them entered the chamber with the five Elements, a thought occurred to Aiden.

    “So did I get Praline to send that letter for nothing?”

    “Pretty much,” the man laughed.  “Chances are, Celestia’s on her way right now, to ensure your safety, and to investigate the energy surge generated by the Thorn.  But mostly the former.”

    “Oh, well, that just makes my day even more fantastic...” Aiden frowned at the thought of burdening Praline with a meaningless chore that ultimately didn’t matter.  He sighed, again blowing a few errant strands of hair away.  He closed his eyes and basked in the sudden warmness of the sun’s light.  “Still fucking cold, though,” Aiden thought.  Still, he was thankful for Celestia’s warmth this morning, which felt slightly more welcoming this time.  As he opened his eyes again, he spoke to the man who still stood behind him.

    “Hey, before I forget,” he turned to face him.  “I just wanted to ask what your na-” he paused at the realization that the man was gone.  He panned his gaze to the left, then to the right; all over the chamber.  He was nowhere to be seen.  Aiden stood there with his mouth hanging open, looking like a complete idiot.  He turned back to face the sun, shaking his head.

    He muttered a simple phrase to himself, yet directed at the man:

    “You mood killing son of a bitch...”

Author's Note: Well, for once I don't take a freaking month to update this story!  A Christmas miracle, if I do say so myself.

Act 3.4

3.4

“A Mother’s Love...”

    This sunrise was gentle, making this mid December morning slightly warmer than usual.  It wasn’t much, but Aiden gladly welcomed the sun’s grace.  He drew in a deep breath and held it for a brief second before exhaling, watching it blow out into the cold air like steam from a pipe.  He sat himself down on the main stairs that led down into the ancient castle’s front courtyard, still paying most of his attention to the slowly rising sun.

    He rolled his left sleeve up to the elbow again and examined the area where the Praemian Thorn had...implanted itself.  The cyan glow had died down so that it was no longer noticeable.  While it felt sore for a brief period of time, the pain had recently calmed down.  Whether it was a result of the Thorn, or the cold, Aiden was unsure.  Speaking of the latter, which was starting to bite at his exposed skin, Aiden rolled his sleeve back down and tucked his hands into his pockets.

    He tilted his head back and reflected on the past week’s events.  His exploration into Taotras, his first encounter with Vanguard, his brush with mortality, meeting Bon Bon and her family, and now this.  Aiden huffed as he gently rocked back and forth in a rather futile attempt to keep himself warm.  Disappointed with the results, Aiden decided to simply sit there and wait for Celestia to arrive, much like a child waiting for his mother to pick him up from school would.

    “A mother and her son?”  Aiden asked himself with a frown.  Back on Earth, he had his stepfather, sure, but aside from maybe the occasional babysitter whenever his stepfather was away, he never had a real maternal figure in his life.  Princess Celestia had taken him in, with very few questions asked, and had provided him with food, shelter, and protection from the world.  Maybe it was due to the fact he had brought Lyra with him?

    He cupped his chin in his hands, as the cold air brushed against his cheek, trying to make sense of...well, anything really, at this point.  The sun was now well above the horizon, the only obstruction being the Everfree Forest’s canopy.  He traced a hand along the facial hair on the left side of his jaw, frowning even more at how long it had become.

    “I could use a shave,” he thought.  “And maybe a shower...”  He smiled and chuckled at a new thought.  “Actually, I could use a LOT of things right about now...like an assault rifle...and a riot shield...and a tank!  Yeah...”  His mind wandered even further as the seconds seemed to draw out for the longest time.  He shivered again as the temperature dropped with a gust of wind.  “Well, if I smoked, this would be the perfect place for it...”

    Several moments passed; Aiden was on the verge of succombing to his exhaustion, when he heard the sound of wings in the distance.  Sure enough, Aiden turned his gaze towards the pale blue, cloudy sky to notice none other than the white Alicorn Princess herself, flying above the ruins in circles, which gradually became smaller and smaller.  Aiden calmly stood up, his hands still in his pockets.  When it seemed Celestia had noticed him, she began her gradual descent onto the stone threshold, where the main doors of the castle used to stand.

    Her wings furled back into place as they turned to face each other.

    Her mouth was agape slightly, pulled into a barely noticeable frown, yet her eyes expressed joyful relief at the sight of his safety.  The fur on her cheeks was wet, and the whites of her bright pink eyes bore a slight tint of red to them.  She was crying, silently; no sobs, just tears...

    She slowly trotted over to him.

    Aiden opened his mouth to speak, to apologize for the trouble he must have caused her.  He is stopped when her face is no more than mere inches away from his, and she quickly threw a foreleg over his shoulder, pulling him into a warm, if slightly awkward, embrace.  Aiden was thrown off by the suddenness of this royal hug, but he immediately welcomed it by wrapping his left arm around the Princess’s neck.  Celestia’s ethereal mane still flowed in that nonexistent breeze, like it always did.

    After another moment that felt like a lifetime, the two friends released each other.  Aiden crossed his arms, but looked down at Celestia’s hooves with his eyes half closed.  He hummed to himself.  “So I heard you didn’t get my letter?”  He asked with a smirk.

    She sniffled and let out a single chuckle.  “I hurried as soon as I felt this energy surge...”  She gestured a hoof at the ruins around them “...from this place...”  She frowned and bit her lips.  “Dawn’s mercy, I haven’t been here in centuries...”  She looked around, trying to take in her surroundings.  “Not since Luna...”  Her ears drooped at her sister’s name.  She put a forehoof to her own lips.  “Oh, Luna...” she solemnly whispered.

    “Hey,” Aiden gently whispered as he placed a hand on her shoulder.  “Everything’s gonna be okay.”  He said with as reassuring a smile he could manage.  He hoped it was enough to convince her.  “I’m okay, Princess,” he smiled as he pointed a hand at himself.  “See?”  The Alicorn examined him from where she stood, a lone tear still falling from her right eye.  She simply stood there for a moment, looking him up and down for injuries.

    “Thank Night and Day for that, my friend,” she happily said.  “I sensed that energy surge and I...I immediately flew out the Palace’s front doors and into the sky, without saying a word to the Council of Mages, the Guard, or even Cadence.  I immediately was on my way to this place.”  She paused and blushed at the fact.  “I don’t know what came over me...it hadn’t occurred to me to use a teleportation spell until I was past Cloudsdale.  If I had thought things out, I could’ve gotten here sooner...”

    “Princess,” Aiden interrupted.  “It’s okay; I completely understand.”

    Celestia breathed in an attempt to get her words under control.  “Right,” she seemed to shake herself out of whatever had come over her.  “Would you happen to know what the source of that energy spike could’ve been?”

    Aiden lifted his left arm in response, pulling the sleeve down.  The cyan glow of the ancient weapon he had absorbed was barely noticeable.  The Princess examined it curiously.  “Do the words ‘Praemian Thorn’ mean anything to you?”  He asked tiredly.  The widening of her eyes said it all.  Aiden smiled, knowing he would finally be getting some answers.

    “They do, in fact,” the Princess smiled back at him, the tears from earlier having dried up.  She turned her side to him and crouched down.  It took only a second for Aiden to realize what she was doing.  Aiden saddled himself onto the Alicorn’s back, his thighs resting just behind her wings.  He had considered asking why not just teleport back to Canterlot, but in all honesty, he preferred to take a more picturesque way to return.

    The desert heat was starting to get to Aiden; even in November, Kurdistan was still almost unbearably hot; in the daytime at least.  Aiden quickly snapped back to reality as he and Alex followed Logan through the small village house.  The three of them ascended the wooden stairs and into a room that’s been completely cleared of furniture.  In this room, they met up with Leon, Mary, Emily, and David.  A man in a black suit stood by a boarded up window, with two more Network operatives on either side of them.  On the far side of the room, sat one of the villagers on the floor in the fetal position, mumbling to himself in Arabic.

    Logan raised an eyebrow and pointed at the villager with a finger.

    “It’s alright,” Leon explained.  “He lived in the house next door; he’s just frightened by what’s going on.”

    “Ah,” Logan replied.

    “At any rate,” Leon moved on to the next subject.  “Logan, Aiden, I’m sure you both know Agent Constantine Becker from Central Authority,” he pointed at the man in the suit.  Agent Becker had pale skin, black hair, a narrow nose, and dark brown eyes.  “He’s the one overseeing this operation.”

    The man from Central Authority nodded to acknowledge their presence.  “Marsh,” he spoke in a deep voice and nodded in Aiden’s direction.  “Somers,” He did the same for Logan.  He then turned to Leon and the others.  “I was just about to be on my way...”

    “Of course, Agent Becker,” Leon nodded.  “I’ll be sure to inform these three of details of the operation.”  Becker and his two bodyguards made their leave out the way Aiden, Logan, and Alex had come in.  Aiden turned his head back to the agent and his cohorts as they strided out the door and down the stairs.

    The seven private soldiers gathered in a semi-circle.  “Alright,” Aiden began.  “So what have we got here?”

    “What we’ve got, Aiden,” Leon replied.  “Is a group of radicals who have gotten their hands on a bunker full of pre-war weaponry.  Dirty bombs, anthrax vials; those kinds of things.”

    “And the Network has been contracted by the Commonwealth of Baghdad and Jordan to fix this problem,” David finished.

    “Hmm, sounds simple enough,” Alex commented.

    “Well, that’s because it is,” Leon replied with a smile.  “At least I hope so...it better be!”

    “And how far away is this bunker?”  Aiden asked.

    “It’s just on the far side of the village,” David answered.  “Some of the other Network teams made it already, and they’re just waiting for the rest of us to regroup.”

    “Well, for once, simplicity sounds like the way to go,” Aiden concluded.  “Alright, Leon; lead the way.”  Leon nodded and headed for the doorway on the other side of the room that lead outside.  Logan was the last one out.  Before he crossed the threshold, however, he heard the villager inside calling back at them, as if he were warning them.

    Logan looked back at the man and tilted his head.  The man was still rocking back and forth in the fetal position; he was obviously terrified about something.  “What’s the problem?”  He asked as he looked back at the others.

    Emily stepped in, knowing some basic Arabic.  “I think he’s talking about the bunker,” she listened closely on the native man’s words.  “He says that the Devil’s mother lives in there, or something...”

    “Come on,” Leon encouraged.  “We shouldn’t keep the others waiting!”

    Aiden’s eyes slowly opened. His right cheek was pressed lightly into the side of Celestia’s neck as she continued flying.  He could feel the fluctuations of her wings against his knees.  Her ethereal mane waved above his head, lightly brushing against the back of his neck.  Aiden lifted his head and brought a hand up to wipe some drool from his bottom lip.

    “Are you doing okay back there?”  Celestia called without turning her head.

    “Doing about as good as I look,” Aiden said with a short yawn.  “But I’m glad to get some decent rest.”  He was previously unsure if he would be able to sleep soundly while he was saddled on an Alicorn in mid flight.  This had proven him wrong.  He leaned his face back to the side of Celestia’s neck, with both of his arms wrapped around her.  “How long was I asleep?”  He asked quietly.

    “Only about twenty minutes,” she happily answered him as she flew over a few stray clouds.  Once Aiden noticed that the gale was silent, he considered asking why he felt no wind or turbulence impacting against his face and whipping his hair about, when he tilted his head up slightly and noticed her horn was glowing, with a pale white colored aura surrounding it.

    “More magic,” Aiden thought to himself as he turned his head to their right.  What he saw nearly made his jaw drop.  The orange morning sun seemed so close while it has nearly completely arisen from its resting place on the Eastern horizon.  Thin, patchy veils of clouds were all that obstructed the view, and they did little to stop the star’s light and warmth.  He looked down to see the sun’s light slowly wash the darkness of the previous night away.  The Kingdom of Equestria was soon completely bathed in the sun’s winter rays, giving life to the land below.

    “Whoa...” was all Aiden could say at the beautiful sight.

    “You’re enjoying yourself, I hope?”  Princess Celestia craned her neck to her right, so that she was able to make eye contact with her young human passenger.

    “You bet,” Aiden tiredly yawned with a smile as he rested his head into the back of Celestia’s neck.  “Just like every other time, your work with the sun is amazing, Princess.”

    Celestia giggled at his compliment.  “Thank you, Aiden.  Like I said before, I always try my best.”  Aiden breathed in a deep breath through his nose, and was about to drift off to sleep again for the remainder of the trip, when a question popped up in his mind.  He looked down at the grassy plains and hills, with the occasional tree dotting the landscape below.  He thought about the Earth pony family that had saved his life.  He lifted a hand up and weakly tapped on the Princess’s neck to get her attention.  She turned her head back towards him, still mostly focused on her flying.  She had an eyebrow raised.  “Is something wrong?”

    “It’s about the family I lived with during my time in Ponyville,” Aiden tiredly whispered.  “It seems I’ve wandered off without telling them anything about where I was going.”  Celestia turned her head even further back to listen intently.

    “You just wandered off?”  She asked with a confused voice.  Aiden recounted the events of the past two days he had spent with Bon Bon and her family.  He tried his hardest to explain the dream he had before he woke up in the Everfree.  He also told her about the strange man that had led him throughout the castle ruins; the same man who was visiting him in his dreams since he came to Equestria.  Celestia nodded, her eyes half closed, which always meant she was deep in thought.  “I see; well, Aiden, I would like to talk with you more about this strange man you’ve been seeing, but for now, let’s talk about the young filly you’ve become acquainted with,” she paused for a brief moment.  “Bon Bon, you said her name was?”

    Aiden nodded.  “Like I said; I must’ve been in some kind of trance during that dream, because when I came to my senses, I realized I was in the Everfree.  Now, Praline and Chikki; they’re Bon Bon’s parents; they must be searching around frantically for me.”  Aiden finished and waited for this information to sink in.

    “And you wish to alleviate their worries?”  Celestia asked.  Aiden nodded, even though he knew how trying to alleviate a friend’s worries had turned out for him so far.

    “Yes,” Aiden finally gave a vocal reply as he closed his eyes.  “If I could maybe send a letter their way, once we get back to the Palace.  I figured it would be only fair if-WOAH!”  He was interrupted by the Princess suddenly banking to their right, making a complete turn.  Aiden instinctively hung on for life as the Princess began a quick descent.  “Uh, Princess?”  Aiden worriedly asked.  “W-where are we going!?”

    Celestia turned her head back to him, revealing a wide smile.  “Well why just write to them,” she paused as her horn began to grow brightly.  “When you can tell them yourself?”  The aura around her horn became brighter.  A pure white light enveloped Aiden’s vision, practically blinding him.

    As the light cleared, he noticed he was standing in the kitchen of Everfree Sweets...with a surprised looking Bon Bon sitting on a chair at the kitchen table.  Aiden placed a hand on his brow, dazed from Celestia’s teleportation spell.  Speaking of which, the Alicorn Princess of the Sun stood right beside him with an innocent smile on her face, looking back at the filly at the table.

    Aiden looked towards the Princess with his mouth still agape.  Celestia raised an eyebrow, still with that smile.  “What?”  She asked with a laugh.

    “Gee, thanks for the warning, your Highness!”  He exclaimed, still trying to collect himself, yet sharing in the Alicorn’s laughter.  Aiden then turned his gaze to Bon Bon, who still had a spoonful of oatmeal in her mouth.  The poor foal looked like she was about to faint right there, at the sight of her ruler suddenly appearing in her kitchen.

    “Bon Bon?”  A familiar feminine voice called from the stairs.  “Is somepony at the door?”  The filly gave no answer to her mother, which prompted the latter to venture down the stairs.  “Bon Bon?”  The mare called her daughter’s name again as she entered the kitchen.  Chikki turned to see none other than Princess Celestia herself, standing next to the human that she and her family had taken in no more than a week earlier.  Her initial reaction was roughly the same as her daughter’s.

    “I...P-Princess...Celestia...in...my kitchen?”  The mare could barely form a coherent sentence.  Aiden thought she was about to faint for a moment.

    The Princess smiled at both of her subjects.  “Hello, my little ponies,” she happily greeted the mare and filly, the former of whom only managed a shaky “hello,” while the latter was still eating her breakfast in freezeframe.  More hoof steps could be heard on their way down the stairs and into the kitchen.

    Praline’s reaction was slightly better...or maybe not, depending on one’s point of view.  As soon as the Alicorn Princess entered his peripheral vision, he immediately gasped, as if he had been deprived of oxygen.  He then immediately lowered his head and closed his eyes in a bow of respect to his ruler.  The Earth pony stallion looked over to his wife and spoke in a worried tone.

    “Honey, what are you doing!?”  He spoke through his gritted teeth.  “Princess Celestia herself is standing in front of us!”  Celestia giggled in amusement at her subject’s immense respect...or possibly immense fear of her.  She hoped it was the former.

    “Believe me, my little pony,” Celestia laughed.  “There’s no need for such formality.  I ask that you treat me no different from your average houseguest.”  Praline lifted his head to meet with Celestia’s warm and loving gaze.

    Aiden pointed at the pony princess with a thumb.  “Told you,” he said with a smirk.

    Praline looked over to the human.  “Aiden...where were you?”  He asked with a hint of concern in his eyes.

    “Long story,” Aiden sighed.  “One that I’ve already told her,” he pointed to Celestia again.  Praline sighed as he stood at his full height again; he was still at least two feet shorter than either Aiden or Celestia.

    “You certainly gave us a scare, Aiden,” Praline said with a smile.  “When we woke up to find you gone, we just about panicked.  Chikki here had to stop me from running outside and frantically calling for you.”  He sheepishly laughed.

    Aiden frowned at the trouble he had caused this family.  “I’m sorry to hear that I’ve spooked you guys so much, especially after all that the three of you did for me.”  He said softly.  The two grown ponies shared in his solemn stare as they hung their heads and their ears flattened.   Bon Bon, meanwhile had managed to break free of the trance that Celestia’s presence had put her in.  She left her spot at the kitchen table to stand beside her mother, looking at Aiden with a tilted head.

    “There’s no need to worry yourself about us, Aiden,” Chikki said as her and her husband’s ears straightened up.  She trotted up to him slowly as she spoke.  “You turned out to be a wonderful houseguest.  And this is definitely something I can brag about to the other mares who come to my store; I’ll bet none of them have housed an alien before!”

    “Yes,” Celestia slowly said with a frown.  “About that...”  Aiden gave her a light jab on the shoulder with the back of his hand.

    “They know, Princess,” Aiden smiled.  “I asked them, and they promised not to tell anyone about me.”

    Chikki placed a hoof on her lips.  “Oh, my; that’s right!  I completely forgot about that!”  She smiled sheepishly at the thought slipping her mind.  “Don’t worry; we promise to tell nopony, your Highness.”

    Bon Bon nodded in assertion.  “Don’t worry, Princess!”  She smiled with her eyes closed as she placed a hoof on her snout.  “We Pinkie promise not to tell anypony!  Cross our hearts, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in our eyes!”

    Aiden’s head jerked back slightly, but he chuckled at the altered pinkie promise.  Her parents and the Alicorn also shared in his laughter.

    The Princess closed her eyes and smiled.  “Ah, that’s more stress off of my mind, at least.”  She turned her attention to the young man at her side.  “Well, Aiden, are you ready to return home?”  He nodded in response.

    “Yes, Princess,” he answered.

    “Very well,” she said before she lowered herself down slightly, signaling him to saddle up.  He complied immediately.  “Thank you again, Praline for your discretion in this matter.  It was a pleasure getting to meet you and your family.”

    The stallion bowed to his ruler one last time, his wife and daughter following his action.  “Likewise, your Majesty,” Praline softly spoke.  He looked up to Aiden who had himself situated upon Celestia’s back.  “And it was nice getting to know you as well, Aiden!”  He and his family waved goodbye with their front hooves.

    Aiden returned the wave.  “Same here, Praline,” he smiled.  “And thanks again.”  This time he braced himself for the Princess’s teleportation spell.  The second he saw her horn glow, he closed his eyes and breathed in deeply.

    He opened his eyes...

    The two of them stood in the throne room of the Royal Palace.  The two guards at the door behind them jumped and yelped in surprise.  After taking a few seconds to recover from the teleportation spell, both Celestia and Aiden turned to face the guards at the door.

    “Y-your Highness!”  One of them gasped as they both ran up to their ruler.  “You’re back!  And with Aiden!?”  Celestia smiled at the two loyal soldiers.

    “Yes, I have returned,” she gestured a hoof towards Aiden.  “And our friend here has also returned.  I shall notify the rest of the palace staff of our return.”  The two soldiers bowed in response.

    “Please, your Highness,” one of them said.  “Allow us to notify the guard and the staff.”  Before Celestia could even give a response, the two guards opened the doors and immediately bolted out, excitedly shouting “The Princess has returned!”  The subject of their shouts shook her head.

    “I wasn’t gone for that long, was I?”  Aiden chuckled at the guards’ behavior and Celestia’s reaction.  Celestia sighed and turned to her throne.  “Well, I suppose it can’t be helped in regard to how they take it,” she said as her frown slowly turned into a smile.  Aiden followed her up the pearl steps to her throne.  She breathed a sigh of satisfaction as she rested upon the seat from where she ruled for almost a millenium.

    “So,” Aiden spoke as he stood to her right.  “What happens next?”  The Princess closed her eyes and lifted her head.  For a moment, the room remained perfectly silent.  She answered with an unsure tone in her voice.

    “I do not know, Aiden,” she said with a noise at the end of her sentence that sounded like something between a chuckle and a sob.  “From what you told me about the other two humans; the one that calls himself Vanguard, and the one from your dreams; it seems like there are odds being stacked against us.”

    Aiden hummed to himself, like he does whenever he is deep in thought.  “It’s obvious from my first encounter with Vanguard back in Taotras that he is an enemy.  But as for the other man, I am unsure.”  He crossed his arms as he slowly descended the steps about halfway.  “He seems more like he was trying to help me; after all, he did give me this,” he said as he rolled down his left sleeve to the elbow.  As if on cue, the Praemian Thorn gave off a weak cyan glow from underneath his skin before it vanished again.

    “Yes,” Celestia said, drawing her word out; the uncertainty did not leave her voice.  “You said that this weapon; this Thorn; was the key to defeating the Forerunners?”

    “From what he told me,” Aiden said quietly.  “Yeah...but there are supposed dire consequences to its use.”

    “Such as?”

    “He told me that the surface of the World was rendered uninhabitable over the years of the war that the humans waged against the Forerunners.”  He half closed his eyes.  “But...from what I’ve heard since I came to this place...”  He hung his head.

    “You are not entirely human...” Celestia finished his sentence.

    “I figured you knew...”

    Celestia stood up.  “A few days before you arrived, I was certain I sensed a very powerful hidden presence appear in Equestria.  The day you went to Taotras, I sensed that same presence, only doubled.”  Aiden frowned and looked up at her.

    “So you know that I am one of them...” he somberly spoke as she descended the steps to meet him.  As the two deities looked into each other’s souls, she placed a hoof on his shoulder.

    “Aiden, you are my friend, and I care not for what some apocalyptic legend associates itself with you.  You hold no malice towards me, my guards, or any of the other ponies you’ve come in contact with.  Seeing how Lyra acted around you only assured my suspicions; you would not hurt anypony.”  She gently smiled as she lowered her forehoof back to the floor.

    Aiden gladly returned the smile.  “Again, Princess, you have my gratitude...”  The two of them turned their attention to the throne room doors at the sound of them opening.  A Solar Guard pegasus and a unicorn Mage stood at the threshold.

    “A-Aiden!”  Tempest Runner yelled as the two young stallions stared in amazement of their companion’s safety.  Aiden nodded at the mention of his name.

    “Yep; that’s me,” he said jokingly.  The pegasus and unicorn quickly trotted beyond the threshold and bowed before the Alicorn Princess.

    “You may both rise, and speak freely,” Celestia said after a few seconds.

    “Dawn’s mercy, Aiden,” Night Step gasped as he and Tempest approached him.  “We thought that...entity had killed you...”  His ears flattened against his head.  “I’m so sorry, Aiden; we would’ve done something, but I just...we didn’t...”

    Aiden held up a hand and smiled.  “It’s fine, you guys; Vanguard would’ve only killed you both.  I’m perfectly fine.”  The two stallions shared a sigh of relief.

    “You’ve been gone for five days, Aiden,” Tempest added.  "You had just about all of us worried, to be honest.”  He paused and rolled his eyes.  “Well, all except for Blueblood, maybe.”

    Aiden tilted his head.  “Who?”

    “Oh, that’s right, you’ve never seen him; Prince Blueblood?  He’s Princess Celestia’s nephew.”  Aiden looked back to the Princess with a curious look on his face.

    “Huh, I never knew you had other family members?”  Celestia smiled at the three of them.

    “Believe me, Aiden; I’ve done you a favor by not introducing you to Blueblood...” She giggled at her own words.  Her eyes suddenly lit up.  “I do have a niece, also; Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, or just Cadence as she’d rather have you call her.  I’m sure she would love to meet you!”

    “And of course her little crush Shining Armor will probably be the one to introduce you...”  Tempest Runner rolled his eyes again.

    Aiden couldn’t help but laugh at that statement.  “Shining Armor has a thing for your niece, Princess?”  He asked looking back at the Alicorn who was seated back on her throne.  Celestia smiled and shrugged.

    “He made it pretty obvious back eight or nine years ago when he was a young colt, and again training as a cadet about six years later; what with the sudden nervousness whenever she was around, the silly grinning, the daydreaming.”  She chuckled and waved a hoof.  “I could go on, but I probably shouldn’t.”

    Aiden let out a yawn and stretched his arms as he stared up into the ceiling.  He had just realized how tired he was with everything that was going on.  “Well, that all sounds nice, but...” he allowed his arms to fall back to his sides while he still kept his gaze fixed on the ceiling.  “I’ve barely gotten any sleep last night...right Celestia?”  The Princess nodded.

    “It would be best if he got some sleep, especially considering all that has happened.”  She paused and directed her attention to Aiden.  “But, Aiden, tomorrow I would like you to meet with Archmage Distant Nebula, the head of the Council of Mages.  I will be there to discuss the events of tonight with the two of you.”  Her attention was back on the two young stallions.  “As for the you two, you are both dismissed.”  Tempest and Night Step bowed again before turning to leave the throne room.

    Aiden turned back to look at the Princess.  “Well,” he said with another yawn.  “I’ll see you whenever I wake up I guess; but I feel like I could sleep for a month.”  The Princess giggled again as Aiden waved his farewell to her.

    As the throne room doors closed shut, thanks to her magic, Celestia uttered three more words: “Sleep well, Aiden...”

    Aiden immediately used what little was left of his strength and threw himself onto his back.  The bed rocked slightly before it adjusted to having his weight again after so many days.  He let out a sigh mixed with exhaustion and relief.  The comfort that the bed offered him was enough to draw him into a half state of sleep.

    Aiden turned his head to his left to see his helmet and gas mask on the nightstand.  He huffed and thought to himself.  “They both felt so real in that dream...”  He brought a hand to his face; the same one that had the cut on it he had received earlier.  He wanted to wonder how Vanguard had managed to infiltrate his dream like the other man did.  He immediately shook his head.  “No.  No more thinking.  Just close your eyes,” his eyelids complied; not that they had the strength to resist.  He smiled, knowing he would finally get the rest he deserved.  “Now...just go to sleep.”

    Aiden drifted off into a peaceful slumber, despite the sun’s early afternoon rays still shining through the window, painting the room with their light.

Act 3.5

3.5

“I’m thinking about you...”

    Waking up this early was something different for him.  Aiden was so accustomed to sleeping later into the morning, and waking up around 9:30 to 10:00.  With a deep groan, Aiden stretched all four of his limbs, like he did every other morning.  His eyes slowly opened soon after, and his gaze met the pure white ceiling.  He turned his head over towards the window, to notice that it was still quite dark outside, but the sound of hoof steps outside his room suggested that the Palace was just about to return to life for the course of the day, as the rest of the city below would soon follow.

    Aiden sighed as he pulled the white sheets of the bed over himself into a protective cocoon.  He heaved a heavy yawn as he felt himself slide onto the threshold of sleep once again.  “Come on...” he thought to himself as he forced his eyelids open.  “Get up!”  He sat himself up, the sheets still wrapped around his legs.  After giving the room a brief scan, he threw the covers to the side and planted his feet on the floor at the side of his bed.

    The darkness outside told him it was most likely still around six in the morning.  Yet, despite having an extreme desire to return to his welcoming bed, Aiden pushed himself out past his bedroom door and into the hallway.  The stain glass windows on Aiden’s right side of the hallway were illuminated by the still glowing moon as it slowly descended below the horizon, both chasing and running away from its older celestial cousin, like it did for as long as the two existed.

    Aiden breathed in the still early morning air of the Palace halls, occasionally passing a guard pony, many of whom gave him a simple nod to acknowledge his presence.  He recognized none of them; but of course, he was the only human that resided within the walls of the Royal Palace, which served to only further blend the guards together.

    Aiden’s thoughts moved forward to the subjects he and Celestia would be discussing with this Archmage Distant Nebula; the head of the Council of Mages.  Aiden expected them to discuss the Forerunners, the Praemian Thorn, and Aiden’s role in all of this.  In actuality, those three things didn’t even make up a fraction of the subjects Aiden wished to touch upon in their upcoming meeting later today.  Yet that would not happen for several hours, and as far as he was concerned, he was free to enjoy his day.

    The Princess was, not surprisingly, not present in the throne room, which Aiden found understandable at this hour.  Aiden wandered the outer halls that ran adjacent to the throne room.  The Palace itself was a rectangular layout, with the throne room at the very front, with various hallways, smaller chambers and stairwells branching off from the entrance right before the throne room itself.  There were two small atriums on each side of the Palace; one in the East, and one West.  Both of these branched off into other smaller chambers that were used for various recreational purposes.

    Aiden approached the well polished wooden doors that led into the Eastern atrium.  The guards on both sides paid him no mind as he pushed the doors open.  The circular atrium had two floors to it, with four doors on the bottom floor and four on the top.  His boots made a resounding echo as they repeatedly hit upon the black and white marble floor.  He chose the door immediately on the Southern end of the atrium and made his way towards it.  He placed his hand upon the handle and pushed the door open.

    The room before him had a completely red carpet and wooden walls.  An entire row of windows adorned the other side of the room, decorated with bold red curtains.  The room itself appeared to be a music room.  Various instruments were scattered throughout the room, including various percussion, brass, woodwind, and string instruments, each situated on various wooden stands, to keep them all upright and ready for anyone to grab hold of one and start playing it.  All of these instruments, however, looked rather difficult for a pony aside from a unicorn to work with.

    A single piano in the center of the back row of instruments caught his attention.  With a curious smile on his face, he walked up to the stationary instrument and gave it a quick examination.  It seemed to be in good condition; fairly new.  He opened the lid and pressed down on Middle C, the familiar neutral key echoing through the room.  With a flex of his wrists, Aiden sat down at the bench and placed his hands in what he believed to be their appropriate positions.

    The music rack had no sheets for him to refer to, so he attempted to play the opening to We’ll Meet Again.  He started slowly, humming the tune to himself, trying his hardest to hit the right notes from memory alone.  He did well...for about six seconds; he then hit stream of sour notes that threw off his entire train of thought.

    He lazily brought his right hand all the way down from the high end of the keyboard to the low end, creating a river of progressively lower notes.  Aiden sighed as he dropped his elbows upon the keys, creating a loud droning, unintelligible fusion of notes.  As the sound from the piano began to die down, Aiden allowed his arms to return to their sides as he spoke a single word to himself.

    “Rusty,” he whispered as he looked straight ahead, out the window towards the garden of stone statues that rested below the Palace itself.  He blew another gust of air upwards, once again blowing a few errant strands of hair out of his vision.  “It’s been so long since I even looked at one of these things,” he thought to himself with a small frown.

    He stood up and left the piano after closing the lid, and turned his attention to the window.  He gently leaned his forehead into the crook of his arm as he propped the latter up against the glass horizontally, staring down into the garden full of stone figures.  Aiden guessed them to be the carvings of Equestria’s most famous citizens, or maybe famous legends from before the nation’s founding.

    The next object to catch his attention was the setting moon, just a slight crescent as it continued to sink its way down the horizon, just like the sun did the previous evening, and so many other evenings before.

    With one final glance at the moon, Aiden returned to his spot at the piano bench, opening the lid once again.  With the crescent moon finally sinking below the crest of the horizon, Aiden began playing the opening to Moonlight Sonata.  His efforts were returned with more sour notes about seven seconds into the piece.  Aiden sighed once again as his hands fell from the keyboard to grip the end of the bench.

    “Damn it,” Aiden softly voiced his frustration.  He quickly shook his head before giving it another attempt.  “Practice makes perfect,” he whispered to himself as the moon disappeared below the horizon.

    The sound that she heard was the sound of music playing.  It was faint, but she could just barely hear it over her own thoughts.  The former princess, Nightmare Moon, looked up from her permanent spot in this black void, at the blue world that was her home.  The music itself sounded like it was coming from a piano; it was slow and labored, as though the musician had not practiced in a long time, and was straining to remember what keys to hit.  Occasionally, the wrong note would be hit, and the player would start over at the beginning of the song.  She might have been unable to recognize the tune itself, but she could pinpoint the exact location from which the music was coming from.

    “Sister...”  The word of sorrow escaped from the weary alicorn mare’s lips as she thought of the Royal Palace in Canterlot.  She would’ve reached a hoof out to try and reach her world had it not been for the fact that she was frozen in place.  It was, however, not her sister making the music; it was the Forerunner.  She sensed it the day it emerged into Equestria, but it wasn’t until Discord had somehow communicated with her from his stone prison in the Royal Gardens that she truly noticed it.  She had most of her attention directed at building up her hatred towards Celestia, trying to forget the moments they had shared growing up as a family.

    “A family...” the alicorn managed to solemnly hang her head as the young Princess of the Moon had emerged from the shadows once again.  Her coat turned from a pitch black, to a deep blue color, and her pupils went from narrowed slits to rounded.  The armor she was clad in the evening she was banished still fit snug on her form.  “This being,” Luna thought to herself.  “This...Forerunner; why do I not feel the need to fear it?  Why does Sister not fear it?”  It has been there for many weeks since the first Forerunner returned; since the middle of Autumn, and now she believed it to be almost Winter.  She had felt another presence on Equestria’s border, and a second Forerunner had revealed itself no more than a week ago.  The young Princess closed her eyes.

    Luna frowned deeply, tears escaping from her deep blue eyes, as she felt the corruption overtaking her mind once again.  “Mother and Father,” she silently prayed to her parents.  “If you really are still with us; please watch over us...watch over Tia...”  She resisted against the corruption no longer.

    Nightmare Moon opened her eyes, venomous hatred glaring back up at the world that had denied her almost a thousand years ago.

--

    Aiden simply sat there, lazily playing a simple tune now, one key at a time.  He had given up on trying to remember how to play his favorite pieces without the music sheets to guide him.  After a few moments passed, even the aimless notes ceased to sing, and Aiden once again left the instrument the way he found it, closing the lid and turning towards the music room’s open door.

    “It sounded quite beautiful for a second or two...”  Aiden whispered to himself with a small hint of frustration in his voice.

    “You could use some practice though,” a familiar voice said with a small chuckle.  Aiden stepped into the door’s threshold, only to see none other than Celestia standing to his left.  Aiden smiled at the sight of his friend.

    “So,” he said as he crossed his arms.  “You’ve been eavesdropping on my little performance for how long?”

    “Eavesdrop?”  The Princess playfully pointed a hoof at herself.  “Me?  Never!”  She gladly returned the smile before gesturing her hoof towards the atrium’s entrance.  “Come, there is somepony in the Entrance Hall that wishes to see you.”

    “Oh?”  Aiden asked as he followed the alicorn out of the threshold and into the atrium.  “And who might that be?”

    “A certain unicorn foal you’ve become quite acquainted with,” Celestia answered for him, knowing that no further explanation would be needed.  Aiden smiled widely and continued following the Princess through the Palace’s hallways, the thought of seeing Lyra again for the first time in what felt like years dominating his mind the entire trip towards the Entrance Hall.

    “How have things been going for her at your school?”  Aiden asked as he picked up his pace to walk beside the Princess.

    “I haven’t spoken with her teachers,” Celestia replied as she frowned slightly.  “To be perfectly honest, my friend, I’ve been more absorbed into the studies of my own student, than of the others...”  Aiden nodded in understanding and hummed briefly as the Princess opened the next set of doors with a glow of her horn.

    “ATTACK!”  A young feminine voice suddenly called out in a playful manner.  Aiden yelped in surprise as he was suddenly beset with a pair of mint green fore hoofs wrapped around his torso, and a filly’s face affectionately nuzzling into the point where his chest and stomach met.

    “Hello to you too, Lyra!”  Aiden replied as Celestia laughed.  The unicorn foal returned back to standing at her regular height at Aiden’s waist.  “Nearly gave me a heart attack,” he playfully thought while returning the joyous smile that Lyra was showing.  “Everything’s going well at home, I hope?”  The filly nodded with her eyes closed, that smile never leaving her face.  “And how about school?”

    “I’ve just gotten report cards this past Friday!”  She happily exclaims, opening a saddlebag with her magic and pulling out a piece of parchment with various ink markings on it, showing how she was doing in her classes.  “A’s and B’s...” she said, lifting it up to Aiden’s eye’s for him to see.  “And leaving all the other foals in the dust!  Oh yeah!”  Aiden reached a hand down and patted the filly on the head.

    “Nice work, kiddo!”  Aiden congratulated as he ruffled her mane.  “I’m sure your parents must be proud!”  The foal gladly nodded to affirm his suspicions.

    “You should’ve seen the looks on their faces when they were told I would be going into the Princess’s own School for Gifted Unicorns!”  She said with a light hearted chuckle.

    Celestia soon stepped into the conversation herself.  “Well, Aiden, I have some business that must be attended to within the Council of Mages concerning our meeting later this evening; but as for now, I only ask that you and Lyra enjoy your day together!”

    “Thank you, your Highness,” Aiden bowed his head to show his gratitude.  The alicorn then proceeded towards the doors on the other side of the Entrance Hall that led into the Western Atrium.  Aiden turned his attention to Lyra, who was looking back up at him.  “So, kiddo,” Aiden said.  “What would you like to do first?”

    Vanguard stood on the very tip of the mountain’s narrow peak, looking over the city of Canterlot.  Specifically the Royal Palace.  Even more specific still, at his brother, still in the fleshy form of a human, not unlike the form that he himself had taken.  Vanguard knew that nothing he said could assuage his brother from the path he had chosen.  The ancient entity smiled softly at the thought of the countless days spent under Mother’s loving gaze with his Siblings.

    Earlier that same Autumn morning, Vanguard stared up into the deepest depths of the moon above, his eyes falling upon the corrupted mare known as Nightmare Moon.  The two of them had at least one thing in common: they were feeling great remorse for their siblings; she for her sister, Celestia, and he for his brother, Intervention.  Watching the Alicorn and Forerunner grow so close together only tore Vanguard’s spirits asunder even further.  He wondered if maybe he and the Mare in the Moon were thinking the same thing?

    Vanguard shook his head before he proceeded to make his way down the slope, away from Canterlot, his thoughts shifting to the task at hand.  After all, he had a family reunite...

    The late hours of this particular evening were just like any other for Logan.  For the most part, he simply sat in the bathroom, right next to the toilet, recovering from the regurgitation of his last meal.  With a cough, he cursed the scientists who had worked on Project Reincarnation for treating him like a lab rat.  He cursed the entire world for letting this happen to him.  He cursed his former team leader, Aiden Marsh for leaving him behind in that godforsaken village in Kurdistan.  But most of all, he cursed himself for allowing that fool to lead him into what could’ve been his death.

    Struggling, Logan shakily stood up and gazed at himself in the bathroom’s smudgy mirror.  He gently tugged at a few strands of his short, black hair, which had just started to grow back again, after these past three years.  His worn grey T-shirt and faded jeans were heavily stained, and were the only two articles of clothing he wore.  Lifting a hand up, he closely examined the metal and wires that could just barely be seen below the artificial skin.  He placed his hand right on the mirror, his reflection doing the same.

    He snarled as he reeled a fist back and let it fly forward, shattering the mirror.  The broken image of himself snarled back at him as his face turned into a frown.  Logan then turned to the bathroom’s door and made his way for the apartment’s kitchen.  He sat at the kitchen table, looking out the window at the illuminated city of Washington D.C.  He reached for the packet of cigarettes on the table and lazily pulled one out while grabbing the lighter next to it with his hand.

    Logan tilted his head back as he allowed the nicotine to work its magic, allowing him to calm down somewhat.  He held his breath, with the poisonous cloud of smoke still sitting in his throat before letting it out, creating a large screen of pale white in front of his eyes.

    “I must make a pathetic sight...” he weakly said to himself while shaking his head.  He stood up and turned towards the kitchen sink with his cigarette fixated in between his left index and middle fingers.  He gazed down into the small pool of water at the sink’s base with several filthy dishes from days ago.

    “You’ve wasted no time in making this place feel homely,” a voice from behind him said.  Logan immediately turned where he stood, ready to fend off the intruder.  No one was there.  Logan shook his head, turning back towards the sink.  “Come now, Recollection,” the voice said as Logan took in another puff of smoke before exhaling it.  “You must remember something about your own brother?”

    “Fuck off...” Logan simply stated with his eyes closed.  The effects of Project Reincarnation had scarred his mind, as well as his body.  In the three years since, he had experienced a wide variety of both visual and auditory hallucinations, the most notable of which being a visual trick on his mind about four months ago.  While sitting in this same apartment, he looked up from where he sat to see what looked like a small banner for a local high school being held up by...Yogi Bear.  The hallucination barely lasted for two or three seconds, but he recognized the banner as belonging to St. Joseph’s Westminster High School.  He had in fact visited that same high school earlier that same day to question one of the faculty who was once a government scientist about Project Reincarnation.  Where Yogi Bear came from...he hadn’t the slightest clue.

    This new auditory hallucination went on for several seconds, which Logan found odd.  When even covering his ears in annoyance failed to stop the voice’s constant talk, Logan turned around and responded, as though there was someone actually in the room with him.

    “What!?”  Logan yelled loud enough to probably wake up everyone in the apartment building.  The voice took a moment to reply again, as though it were surprised by his sudden outburst.

    “You remember where you are from, do you not, Recollection?”  Logan scoffed at what the voice had called him.

    “I can barely remember the date, man,” Logan said, laughing more at himself than the voice.  “I think I was born down in Richmond, but I spent most of my childhood moving from various foster homes before finally settling down in...” he paused as he looked up at the ceiling.  “Well...here.”

    “So you say, whilst trapped within your current form,” the voice replied with laughter of its own.  “Do you remember the names of your parents?”  Logan frowned deeply at this question, while he turned back to stare into the sink water.

    “I would think that a hallucination produced by my own mind would know that I never knew my real parents...” Logan threw a hand up into the air while using the other to take another puff of smoke in.  “But hey, this is coming from the guy that’s resorted to talking with his own hallucinations, now; so what do I know?”

    “More than you might think,” the voice replied with a stern tone.  “You know of the young Aiden Marsh, do you not?”  Logan nodded, a spiteful frown filling his face at the mention of that name.  “I should know, for I have spoken to him myself.”

    Logan didn’t bother listening to the voice anymore, knowing that it was just his own brain trying to find something to do aside from taking in all the nicotine he was consuming on a daily basis.  He sat back down in the same chair at the kitchen table, as the horizon started turning the first shade of bright orange and blue, signalling the approaching sun.  The voice continued on, but Logan paid it no more mind, instead opting to pay more attention to the sun slowly rising from the Atlantic Coast, ever so slowly painting the sky a shade of pale blue.

    Aiden had Lyra meet Twilight Sparkle and her foal sitter, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza.  “Please, call me Cadence,” the young pink alicorn smiled when she met them both.  The two young unicorn fillies seemed to get along quite well, as they both enjoyed reading and learning quite a bit, although Twilight was much more enthusiastic about it than her green counterpart.

    As the two foals played a game of hide and seek in the Palace’s courtyard, the man and the alicorn chatted with each other while sitting on a small picnic blanket with a red and white checkerboard pattern.  Aiden sat in his usual position with his legs crossed, while Cadence lied on the blanket much like how a dog would.  Aiden found it a little odd, but simply brushed it off and continued to watch the two foals go from playing, to talking about school, classes they liked, and teachers they didn’t like.

    “Aren’t they just adorable?”  Cadence asked happily.

    Aiden nodded as he turned his head toward her.  “You certainly like working with kids don’t you?”

    “Oh, I just love it!”  The mare answered as she stood up.  “You should’ve seen Twily as a newborn!  She was just soooo cute!”  Aiden smiled as he stood up with her.

    “Her brother and parents must be very proud of her,” he complimented.

    “You bet they are,” Cadence confirmed.  “Especially Shining!  He was so happy to see his little sis for the first time in the hospital!”

    “Speaking of the great Captain Shining Armor,” Aiden playfully teased as he gestured over to the courtyard’s entrance.  Cadence turned her head to where he was pointing to see the young unicorn stallion standing there, a goofy smile plastered on his pure white face, which Aiden couldn’t help but laugh at.

    Cadence blushed and turned away slightly at the sight of the happy captain’s absolutely embarrassingly ridiculous smile.  A smile soon found its way onto her own face.  “Hey, Cadence!”  The lovebird happily sang as he trotted over to where his crush and guest sat.  He sat down with barely a foot of space between them.  “How has your morning been?”  The stallion asked, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible.

    “I’ve had to put up with some of Blueblood’s ranting early this morning,” Cadence said while rolling her eyes.

    “Oh,” Shining winced at the thought.  “Sorry to hear that, Cadence.”

    “Don’t worry about it,” the mare said as the smile returned to her face.  “I’ve lived with the spoiled colt for much of my life.  I can put up with him.”

    “Sounds like this Blueblood fellow fits his name,” Aiden commented.  The two ponies turned to him and tilted their heads.  He noted their confusion.  “Back where I come from, we call rich humans who were born into their wealth and expect everything handed to them bluebloods.”

    “Ah,” Cadence mused as she turned her attention back to the two foals as they approached the picnic blanket.  Twilight immediately dove into her brother for a quick hug.  Aiden’s heart glowed at the short scene.

    “Hey, Lyra,” Twilight began as she pointed a hoof to her brother.  “This is Shining Armor, my brother, and Captain of the Royal Guard!”  The green unicorn looked at the stallion with respect in her eyes.  The stallion smiled as he stood up.  “Shining, this is Lyra Heartstrings!”

    “Pleasure to meet you, Miss Heartstrings!”  He graciously bowed as though she were a full grown mare.

    “Pleasure to meet you, too!”  Lyra replied, returning the bow.  Shining stood up and turned to his sister.

    “Everything’s going well in school, right, Twily?”

    The filly nodded.  “Of course, Shining!  I wouldn’t be the Princess’s personal student if it wasn’t!”  Aiden smiled again at the heartwarming family moment as he stood up.

    “I don’t know about you guys,” he stretched his arms, looking up at the high noon sun as a primal growl came from his stomach.  “But I’m about ready to head back inside; I haven’t had anything to eat today, and I’m starving!”  The two grown ups smiled and stood up with him, just barely reaching his shoulders in height.

    “I could go for a quick bite to eat myself,” Shining Armor added while turning to the foals.  “How do you guys feel about a quick lunch break?”  Twilight and Lyra both voiced their approval of the notion.  The four ponies gladly made their way back towards the courtyard’s doors, with Aiden following not far behind.

    Before following Shining and the others through the door’s threshold, Aiden turned his head towards the sky, at a distant mountain peak beyond Canterlot’s walls.  He could’ve sworn he saw something at the mountain’s peak for a brief second.  Cadence called for him from inside.  Aiden followed her voice, with his head still turned towards the mountain that loomed over the city.  He felt this uncontrollable feeling rubbing off on him.  He thought of Vanguard, of all things...

    But what he was feeling wasn’t anger or fear.

    It was a feeling of intense loss and sadness...

    Vanguard fell to his knees when he left the mountain’s peak, a few tears falling down his cheeks.  With his arms crossed, he looked back to the Palace that his brother called home.  He returned his gaze towards the gravel and stones at his knees.  How would Mother forgive him for allowing her son to slip from his grasp?

    Looking above towards her world, tears freely flowed down Luna’s cheeks, her thoughts completely fixated on her sister.  The world’s bright blue glow shined down on her, reflecting its image in her eyes.  Would her sister still love her, even after everything that she has done?

    The two deities unknowingly shared their thoughts and feelings.  Tears were shed for a brother and a sister, from a brother and a sister.  The four words were whispered by the both of them as they both gazed at the ancient city.

    “I’m thinking about you...”

End of Act 3

Act 4.1

Act 4

On the Winds of Change

“Release yourself...”

    The evening was concluded with the usual; Aiden and Celestia stood on the balcony, as she lowered the sun below the horizon, just like she did every evening before.  Lyra had returned to her family home down in the city, Twilight had retreated to her own room to study for an upcoming exam with Cadence accompanying her, and Shining Armor had returned to his evening shift of patrolling the halls of the Royal Palace with his fellow guards.

    “Hey, Aiden,” Celestia whispered as the sun was only a thin sliver of orange light on the crest.  Aiden turned his head to her with both of his hands on the balcony rails.  “Are you ready to speak with Distant Nebula?”  Aiden nodded immediately to the Princess’s inquiry.  “Very well.”  She dipped the sun beneath the horizon, the moon trailing far behind it from the other end of the world.  She turned around towards the balcony entrance and gestured her head forward for him to follow.  “This way.”  She softly spoke.

    Aiden remained silent for the majority of the small trek from the upper floor of the Royal Palace to the ground floor.  From there, Aiden followed the alicorn out across a stone bridge that overlooked the rest of the city that sat below the Palace, and into a tower that Aiden thought to be part of Celestia’s school.  As it turned out, the Palace and the school were connected by this bridge, the tower they were entering being the highest point as it was a part of the city down below.  The tower itself was a giant stone stairwell that spiraled down into the main campus of Celestia’s school, illuminated by the occasional stain glass window that allowed the remainder of the sun’s light to seep in.

    The stairwell ended at a wooden door at the bottom of the tower.  With the moon now hanging high above the two of them, Aiden and Celestia passed beyond the door’s threshold and were now officially on the School’s grounds.  Their minute long trek down the tower left them in a small walled in courtyard.  The trees and bushes were completely bare, with their leaves of various colors strewn across the grassy floor.  Aiden followed by the Princess’s side, never lagging behind.  The two of them crossed the nighttime courtyard, paying little mind to the serenity that the environment displayed.  The white sliver of the moon reflected its likeness off the waters that ran over the rocks in a nearby stream.  The occasional breeze lifted the fallen foliage off of the ground, carrying it short distances, occasionally into the stream.  The courtyard ended with the campus’ main building; a rectangular structure, three stories high.

    “His office is right up the first steps in here,” Princess Celestia stated, possibly just wanting to end the silence.  Aiden simply offered a terse nod to acknowledge her words as the back doors opened, the handles enveloped in the same white glow as the Princess’s horn.  The inside of the building was dimly lit with the occasional torch along the walls, and the glow from Celestia’s horn.  The two of them turned left towards the first case of stairs that they saw.

    Emerging on the second floor brought their paths to cross with Night Step on the other end of the hallway.  The young unicorn mage immediately bowed at the site of his ruler.  Celestia closed her eyes and raised a hoof.  “Good evening, young Night Step,” she said.  “You may rise.”

    The unicorn did so, rising slowly.  “Good evening to you as well, your Highness,” Night Step replied.  “And to you as well, Aiden.”  He said turning to the human standing next to her.  Aiden again offered a terse nod and a smile in response.  In the poor lighting of the hallway, he was unsure if Night Step even noticed the latter.  Night Step continued on his way down the steps that the two of them had just ascended, possibly to his room, if he lived in a dorm on the campus grounds.

    Princess Celestia came to a stop at a wooden double door about halfway down the hall.  “Here we are,” she calmly stated.  “This is Distant Nebula’s office.”  The Princess’s horn was again surrounded by a pale white aura, as the gold handles on the door did the same.  The inside of the Archmage’s office was about as Aiden expected; like that of a prestigious CEO or public official.  The red carpet stretched across the entire floor, and tapestries of the same shade draped across the windows on the left side of the room.  At the other end of the room, was a polished wooden desk.  Illuminated only by candlelight, a unicorn sat at this desk.

    This unicorn’s facial features seemed somewhat weathered; he was likely in his fifties.  His coat was a dark blue color with a mane of an even deeper shade of blue.  His eyes were of a golden yellow, not too unlike Lyra’s.  This unicorn also wore mage garb similar to those of other members of Celestia’s Council of Mages.  The middle aged stallion looked up to see his ruler and her human guest.  His mouth dropped slightly.  Immediately, Nebula stood up from his desk and approached the Princess, swiftly diving into a bow before her.  She sighed softly in response.

    “You may rise Distant Nebula,” the Princess exhaled, clearly getting tired of all the extreme formality.  The unicorn obeyed, standing up and opening his eyes to look up at the Princess, for she stood roughly two feet taller than the average pony.

    “Welcome, your Highness,” Nebula replied before he turned to Aiden.  “And a welcome is in order for you as well, Mister Marsh.”  Aiden’s head jerked back slightly in surprise of someone calling him by his actual surname for the first time in what felt like an eternity.  For the first time that evening, Aiden offered more than just a nod.

    “You can just call me Aiden,” he replied quietly.  The unicorn nodded.

    “Very well, Aiden,” Nebula said.  “A warm welcome to both of you.”  He turned his back to them towards his desk and the bookshelves behind it.  “My thanks, your Highness, for coming on such short notice, what with your upcoming meeting with the griffin parliament the day after tomorrow.”

    “It really is no trouble, Nebula,” Celestia replied. “Now, shall we begin this meeting?”

    “Of course, Princess,” the Archmage replied returning to his desk.  He sat awkwardly in the surprisingly very humanlike chair before he officially began.  “Now then,” he started.  “Princess, no more than a week and a half ago, our human friend here journeyed into the human ruins known as Taotras; the underground city that lies on the border between Equestria and Gryphonia.”  He paused for a moment as he opened one of the desk drawers with a glow from his horn and pulled a rather large piece of rolled up parchment out.  He unfurled it across the desk and motioned his head for the two of them to come closer.  After exchanging a brief glance, Aiden and Celestia approached the desk and turned their attention to where Nebula had his hoof pointed.  The parchment was a map of the Northern region of Equestria; primarily the Rachay Mountains, along with the Southern provinces of Gryphonia.

    His hoof was pointed at a small dark blue circle of ink within the mountain range.  “This,” Nebula stated.  “Is the approximate location of Taotras within the Rachay Mountains.  From the accounts given to us by Tempest Runner and Night Step,” the unicorn noticeably cringed at the mention of those two names.  “The devices of human construct within the ruins were automated defense turrets, correct?”

    “I...” Aiden stuttered for a brief moment.  “Y-yes that is correct,” he said with a small amount of surprise at the unicorn’s knowledge of human technology.  “But then again, he is the Archmage; I shouldn’t be too astonished that he has this information” Aiden’s mind countered, as though it had a mind of its own.  Aiden placed a finger on his left temple at that last thought.  “Wait...my mind having a mind of its own?”  He barely avoided having to stifle a laugh at that.

    “And once you reached the center of the ruins,” Nebula continued.  “That door sealed shut behind you, effectively cutting you off from the others.”

    “That is correct,” Aiden confirmed.  “And this is when the griffins showed up.”

    The unicorn smiled as he turned his attention back down to the map on his desk.  “Yes, Corporal Tempest Runner and Scholar Night Step reported the arrival of a Gryphonian scouting team while you were trapped in the next chamber over.  The griffins tried rigging the door with explosives, when the door suddenly opened.”

    “Yeah,” Aiden replied while rubbing the back of his neck.  He felt a shiver run down his spine at the thought of his first encounter with Vanguard.  He thought of the force of Vanguard’s hand around his throat, the cries of the griffin soldiers as they are cut down, one after another, Tempest Runner pleading with Vanguard for Aiden’s safety...

    Celestia extended a wing across Aiden’s shoulder, also offering him a comforting glance to deter his thoughts.  Her smile and the reflective candlelight glow in her pink eyes mirrored her thoughts.  Aiden breathed in deeply through his nose before letting it out through his lips and allowing Nebula to continue.

    Nebula apparently didn’t notice the brief, yet loving moment that the alicorn and human in front of him had just shared.  He instead continued with summarizing the account of Aiden’s two travelling companions.  “When the door opened,” he continued.  “You were being held by what appeared to be another human being.”  Aiden wasn’t sure if Nebula added that “appeared” in himself, or if Tempest and Night Step said that in their actual report.  Either way, Aiden still voiced his thoughts.

    “It was no human being that attacked me and killed those griffins,” Aiden interjected.  “It was something else, something that was there for an extremely long time!”  Aiden bit his lips before he could continue.

    “No need to point out the obvious, Aiden,” Nebula smiled.  “But I can understand your apprehension.  You are correct in that the entity that attacked you was no human being.  That entity was none other than one of the Forerunners: the first living, sapient beings to find themselves in this world.”

    “That much I knew,” Aiden replied softly while casting a brief glance down to his left forearm.

    “Yes,” Nebula sighed with a curious stare of his own directed towards Aiden.  “The Princess has told me of these visions that you’ve been having as of late.”  Aiden cast a brief scowl in the Princess’s direction before returning to Nebula, who was sifting through papers and parchments on his desk with his magic.  “I understand that this must all come as a large shock to you, Aiden, to learn that you yourself are not entirely human either.”

    “At first?”  Aiden asked with a hand on the back of his neck.  “I’ll admit I was pretty shocked to discover this truth.”  “Hell, even that might be an exaggeration,” Aiden thought mid sentence.  “But, to be perfectly honest, this information didn’t come as much of a surprise to me.”  Aiden shrugged.  “Maybe it’s because I was a soldier who saw combat back on my world; I dunno.”

    “A reasonable theory,” Nebula said standing up.  He turned towards the windows that enabled him to look over most of the campus grounds.  Aiden’s eyes fell on the Archmage’s cutie mark; a collection of stars and various colored gases that formed what seemed to be a circular nebula in space.  Aiden couldn’t help but wonder how a pony’s name eerily predicted their cutie mark.  Nebula continued with his explanation.  “What might normally deeply affect the mind of your average creature might not even so much as sway the mentality of an entity that has been alive for hundreds of thousands of years.”

    “But Aiden is merely twenty,” Celestia interjected.  “Are you saying that his human form is merely an illusion?”

    “Not exactly,” Nebula said with a hoof on his chin, trying to think of a good way to explain this.  “You know of Changelings, your Majesty?”  Princess Celestia looked as though she was caught off guard by this sudden question, but quickly responded.

    “Yes, of course, Distant Nebula,” she answered.  “I myself had tangled with their new Queen several decades ago in an attempted invasion of Equestria.  But what do Changelings have to do with the Forerunners?”

    “The Changelings; as you are no doubt aware, Princess; are capable of shapeshifting to take on the forms of other equine species, primarily ponies and zebras.  Forerunners, however, according to the texts we have, are capable of literally stealing the physical form of a member of any other species; it is not merely an optical illusion.”

    Aiden brought a hand up in front of his face and examined it with half closed eyes.  “So...” he said softly.  “This skin and the blood beneath it is all real?”

    Distant Nebula frowned slightly at Aiden’s words.  He bit his bottom lip in brief contemplation on what to say.  “This may not be the perfect explanation, Aiden,” he began.  “But in a word: yes.  You are human...on the outside at least.”  His ears perked back up as Aiden’s attention was once again on him.  “But beneath all of that flesh, and blood, and bone, indeed beneath your very human soul, lies something that is indescribably more ancient and more powerful.”

    “Gee, that really fucking helps...” Aiden thought as he crossed his arms, but not allowing his face to betray his thoughts.  He and Celestia shared a brief glance with each other while silence dominated the conversation.  Nebula appeared to be waiting for a reaction.  Celestia remained silent.  Aiden closed his eyes for a second before he finally obliged.

    “So what am I, really?”  Aiden asked with emphasis on the last word.  “Human, or Forerunner?”

    “Both,” Nebula replied, immediately catching himself with his own hoof to his face.  “I mean...”  Celestia stopped the Archmage with a raised hoof.  Celestia craned her neck to her right to face a troubled Aiden with a gentle smile.

    “Aiden, in the end, it matters not what you are, but rather who you are.”  She said these words with what must’ve been the deepest amount of sincerity in her voice that Aiden had ever heard.  “Your name is Aiden Marsh; a brave young man and a wonderful friend.”  Celestia offered an even warmer smile, again extending a wing to offer a small embrace over his shoulders.  “Your actions are all the proof I need to believe this.”

    Aiden relished in the comfort that Celestia provided, but his question still did remain unanswered.  Knowing that the answer would not likely be coming anytime soon, he pushed it into the deepest confines of his mind, and decided to move on to the next subject.  With his own small smile on his face, he asked Nebula the next thing on his mind.

    “So how many of these Forerunners are there?”  He asked.  “Are we talking about the remnants of an ancient race, or an innumerable legion?”  He suppressed a shudder at the second thought.  The idea of there being an army of Vanguard wannabes was enough to send chills through his veins.

    “I can definitely say no in regards to your second suggestion,” Nebula said with a chuckle at Aiden’s sigh of relief that followed.  “The texts in our possession never provided us an exact number, but four of the Forerunners are mentioned by name.”  He paused for a brief moment.  “The first one mentioned was Prophecy, Forerunner of the Arrival.  This one is also referred to as the ‘Firstborn’.  The second one mentioned is Vanguard, Forerunner of the Reclamation...”  Aiden’s body stiffened up at the mention of the second name.  Nebula gave him a concerned look, but Celestia motioned for him to continue.

    “The third one mentioned is Sovereignty, Forerunner of the Regime, and the last one mentioned is Recollection, Forerunner of the Memory.”  Nebula turned back to his desk as he continued speaking.  “They seem to derive their titles from various periods of their history, such as their arrival in this world, or their regime over the other species.  Other time periods directly referenced include the Rise, the Corruption, the Fall, and the Loss, but the names of these Forerunners are not given.”  He stopped for a moment, standing directly behind his desk.

    Aiden softly hummed to himself, like his always did when the gears inside of his mind were turning.  “What about my title, though?”  Aiden asked with sincere curiosity.  Nebula looked up at him.  “If I’m the Forerunner of the Equinox, then do I represent a period of their history, also?  ‘Cause the Equinox sounds more like a place than a period of time.”  Aiden most definitely knew this for a fact from what the mysterious man told him the other night at the ancient castle back in the Everfree.  Nebula huffed as he pursed his lips, trying to think of an adequate response.

    “One text written by a unicorn mage by the name of Blaze Lance explains the phenomenon known as the Equinox as such,” he cleared his throat as he lifted a note in front of his face, surrounded in a light blue magical aura.  “The Equinox can best be described as a constantly changing plane of existence.  It is a place that brings every location of the past, the present, and the future into a single realm.”  Nebula paused and looked up to see if his small audience was bearing with his words.  “Its shape and form is constantly shifting, and its boundaries are only defined as eternally expanding.”

    “A plane of existence that is always expanding?”  Aiden thought with his head tilted slightly.  “Huh, that sounds rather familiar...but this nonsense about being a place where all of time comes together in a single moment of continually expanding space?”  He pinched his temple, trying to wrap his mind around the idea.  “I know I probably shouldn’t say ‘fuck’ in front of the P-r-i-n-c-e-s-s, but...fuck...”

    “It makes little sense to me as well, Aiden,” Celestia said, as if reading his thoughts.  “But, Nebula, is it possible to step into this dimension?  Does this ‘Equinox’ run parallel to our world?”

    Nebula sighed and shrugged his shoulders.  “I wish I could answer more than just one of these questions with an actual answer, your Highness...” he whispered in a tone just barely audible to both the human’s and the alicorn’s ears.  “The most that we know is that the Equinox is a dimension that runs parallel to, most likely, every other world; not just this one.  As for the subject of one physically setting hoof into the Equinox itself...” he paused and smiled at Aiden.  “That brings me to discuss the advanced device that has decided to make you its new home.”

    Aiden cast a glance back down to his left forearm before rolling the sleeve up to his elbow.  Sure enough, the Thorn was giving off a faint glow from underneath his skin, as if responding to a cue.  Both the alicorn and the Archmage examined it curiously, looking closely at the faint cyan lines intertwined with Aiden’s veins as the glow slowly began to die down.

    “So this Praemian Thorn is basically the key to entering this Equinox place, right?”  Aiden asked with his arm still in front of his face.  Nebula placed a hoof on his chin, again pursing his lips.

    “I suppose it is...” Nebula said taking a few steps back.  “But there’s only one way to know for certain...”  He took several more steps back.  Aiden glanced around to see both the Archmage and Celestia locking their eyes on his left forearm, waiting to see what could be done.  He gestured to his left arm with his right and shook his head, a bewildered look on his face.

    “Don’t look at me!”  He defended himself.  “It’s not like I know how the damn thing works!”  He yelled in his defence before returning his right arm to his side.

    “Perhaps it needs a magical charge to operate properly?”  Celestia suggested as her horn started glowing.  Aiden cast his eyes up toward the ceiling and shrugged.

    “If you think it’ll work, Princess, be my guest,” Aiden said while turning to her, his left arm still extended with his palm facing upwards.  Celestia closed her eyes, channeling a small amount of her magic through her horn, causing it to emanate a white glow, like it did when she raised and lowered the sun or the moon.  Soon, Aiden felt a barely noticeable tingle in his forearm; it felt as though the blood flow had run out from holding his arm up in the air for too long.

    Aiden looked down at his own glowing appendage, to notice that the Thorn was indeed reacting; the cyan glow had intensified at least tenfold, revealing several glyphs underneath Aiden’s skin.  Their meaning, if they had any, could not be deciphered by any of the three in the room.  Nebula eyed the Thorn with fascination as Celestia opened her eyes.

    “It seems to have been activated...” Nebula mused quietly as he squinted his eyes.

    “Uh huh,” Aiden said while waving his forearm from left to right, trying to make it work.  “Thorn!”  He shouted suddenly, catching both Nebula’s and the Princess’s attention.  “I command you,” he drew his sentence out as he raised his left arm into the air.  “To activate!”  He finished as he brought his arm down to point at the floor, pursing his lips and closing his eyes to the point where they were simply narrow slits in anticipation of what would happen.

Absolutely nothing...

    Nebula promptly introduced his hoof to his face once again, while Celestia was preoccupied with her own laughter, mostly at the ridiculous look on Aiden’s face.  Aiden sheepishly smiled and shrugged his shoulders.  “Well, at least I tried.”  He said in defense of his feeble attempt to get the ancient device to work.  Celestia took a moment to recover from her laughter before offering her words of guidance to the young man.

    “If using this device is anything like using magic, then it’s all about willpower, Aiden,” Celestia said as she stepped up to Aiden’s left.  “Hold your arm up,” she gently instructed; he obeyed, holding his left arm in front of him, fully extended.  “Now, focus all of your will into it; tell the force within the Thorn that it is under your command!  Tell it that it is a part of you, and that it must follow your instructions to the letter!”  Aiden closed his eyes and breathed in deeply, taking in Celestia’s words.

    “Okay,” Aiden thought, breathing out.  “I can do this...”

    “If it helps,” Celestia offered.  “Try to visualize what you think it will look like.”  Aiden tried to drown out all other outside noises after hearing these words.  “Close your eyes, visualize; and then, release yourself to the world.”

    He thought back to the dream that had brought him to the ancient castle in the Everfree.  He thought of the burning hot sand being blown in his face and obstructing his vision.  He thought of the unbearable cold piercing his clothes and skin, and biting at his very soul.  He thought of Vanguard’s words as Alex’s death was replayed in front of him.

    Aiden opened his eyes.

    This new realm before his eyes was quite similar to his dream the other night.  The floor of Nebula’s room was covered in a thin layer of soot and sand, which were occasionally blown around at his feet by a gust of wind; the carpet was singed, and the windows were all shattered.  His outside view was mostly obscured by the severe cloud of dust that had gathered around Canterlot in this place.  He could however, very faintly see the outlines of collapsed buildings outside as he approached closer to the windows.  What he could see horrified him.

    The city of Canterlot was in utter ruin; sand had piled up in the streets below, nearly every building was little more than rubble.  The few structures that still stood upon their foundations seemed to sustain severe damage.  An occasional bolt of lightning shot down from the sky in the distance, illuminating the dust cloud around it.

    “So this is the Equinox,” Aiden thought to himself as he panned his view across the ruined city.  “This must be Canterlot’s future...complete devastation.  It’s safe to guess that the rest of Equestria will suffer a similar fate; possibly even this entire world along with it...”  He extended a hand outside of the Palace and allowed some of the dust to gather in his hand.  It felt the same as in his dream; hot to the touch; a complete contrast to the freezing cold of the environment itself.

    The smell in the air was akin to that of sulfur dioxide, like the contents of a volcanic eruption or an industrial plant with poor sanitation.  He let out a small cough as the scent began to burn his nostrils and throat.

    Taking a closer look at the clouds in the distance, he could see the outlines of something as another bolt of lightning flashed across the sky.  Aiden squinted, trying to get a better look at whatever it was he was looking at, also waiting for another bolt of lightning.  His wish was granted, and a second lightning bolt flared between the clouds for a fraction of a second.

    The lightning illuminated what Aiden thought looked like a large bird at first glance.  Aiden leaned closer to the holes where the windows once stood, and observed the strange creature.  Or at least attempted to do so; the winged creature had apparently flown away and the storm no longer offered light.

    He cast a glance back down to the Thorn, to see that it was giving off an intense glow from under his skin, revealing several glyphs that looked very similar to the ones he had seen in Taotras.  For the life of him, he couldn’t decipher what the glyphs meant, that is if they meant anything at all.

    Upon closer inspection of his left hand, Aiden found the knuckle of his thumb was surrounded in a glowing circle of a deep, navy blue color; the knuckles of his other fingers did not have these circles around them.  What this could mean, however, was anyone’s guess.

    “Well, Aiden?”  A feminine voice from behind asked.  “Do you see anything?”  Aiden turned a hundred and eighty degrees to see both Celestia and Nebula standing where they were.  They both recoiled slightly at the look of horror on Aiden’s face.  Their own complexions, however, bore looks that were more of anticipation, rather than fear.  Aiden was about to ask if they were not seeing what he could see, when he noticed faint, barely noticeable blue auras surrounding both of them, accompanied with a soft white glow.

    “I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised that they can’t see this,” Aiden thought as he turned back to the window looking out over the ruins of Canterlot.  He took a few moments, and another deep breath, to soak it all in.  He contemplated on the words he was about to speak to the ruler of all of Equestria; the oath he was about to swear.  Then he tried his hardest to speak of what he was seeing to his meager audience.

    “Celestia,” Aiden softly spoke; he could tell that she was taken off guard by him calling her by actual name, and not the usual “Princess” like he always did.  “I’m not sure how I can properly put into words of the horror that is before me...”  Aiden surprised even himself with his words.  “But, if what I am seeing is the future of your world...of my world...”  He turned to her with a look of anger, unseen before.  He couldn’t stop thinking of those he had met since he came to this world: Lyra, Twilight Sparkle, Shining Armor, Bon Bon and her family; and of course, Celestia herself.  He couldn’t stop thinking about them facing a world like this.  He came from a world that had seen an unprecedented kind of destruction many decades ago, and he refused to let the same to happen to this one without a fight.  With unwavering determination in his voice, he uttered the last words of his declaration.

    “Then I will sacrifice everything to defy this future!”  He clenched his eyes shut as he tried his hardest to escape from this lonely hell.  He commanded the Thorn, which started glowing furiously, to release him from the Equinox’s frozen grip.  He mirrored his actions from earlier in channeling Celestia’s magic to his arm.

    “Aiden!!”  Celestia called out as she rushed to his side, with Nebula not far behind.  “Are you okay!?”  Aiden looked up and met his eyes with Celestia’s.  He quickly turned his head away and let out another cough, the foul air of the Equinox still stinging his throat and mouth.  He turned back to the alicorn and slowly offered a reassuring smile to her.  She returned it as she and the Archmage gave him space to collect his bearings.

    Aiden cast his gaze back to the windows, which were no longer shattered; the storm and the clouds were gone, and the city was back to normal.  He returned his smile to the Princess and Nebula, the latter of whom still appeared concerned.  “I’m fine,” Aiden said, although he was unsure if he truly was.

    Celestia clearly picked up on his uncertainty.  “Are you absolutely certain that you’re alright?”

    “I am,” Aiden lied...sorta.

    “You really had us worried there for a second..."  The Archmage said quietly.  "What did you see?”  Nebula asked with anticipation as he came to Aiden’s left.  Aiden sighed and turned his gaze up toward the ceiling for a brief moment before returning his attention to his audience.

    “I saw what must’ve been the future of this place,” Aiden answered.  “The city was in ruins, and there was what appeared to be a large sandstorm above it.  The stench was awful; I felt as though I couldn’t breath for a moment.”  He paused and scratched at his chin for a moment.  “It was very cold, but the sand felt scorching hot.”  He looked over to Celestia, who seemed genuinely intimidated with the description being associated with her city.

    “Did you see anything living?”  Nebula asked.

    “Sort of,” Aiden shook his head.  “I’m pretty sure I saw some winged creature flying over the city for a brief period before it disappeared...”

    “Not a pegasus, I assume?”  Nebula asked.

    Aiden shook his head.  “No way; it was far too big.”

    “A dragon, perhaps?”  Celestia proposed.

    “Maybe,” Aiden said while crossing his arms.  “I dunno; I couldn’t really get a good look at it before it vanished.”

    Nebula cleared his throat as he returned to his desk.  “Well,” he said as gave a quick glance to the clock on the wall behind him, which read 8:47 PM.  “It appears to be getting late; your Highness, I thank you for being able to discuss this matter with me on such short notice.”  He turned to Aiden.  “And Aiden, I thank you as well for your attendance.”

    “Sure thing,” Aiden quietly replied as he followed the Princess out of the Archmage’s office.  The wooden doors clanged shut behind the two of them, surrounded in a dark blue aura of Nebula’s magic.  Aiden looked to the Princess with a sheepish smile.

    “Well,” he let out an exasperated sigh.  “That was quite educational, wouldn’t you agree?”  He asked in a joking manner.  Celestia picked up on his tone; she smiled and chuckled a little bit, while shaking her head.  She gestured with her head for him to follow and began trotting slowly towards the stairs.  Aiden wasn’t far behind.  Silence perpetuated throughout the air as they made their trek back the way they came; through the Academy halls, out through the courtyard, past the bridge, and up the tower.

    As the pair stepped back onto the grounds of the Royal Palace, high above the city of Canterlot, their conversation picked up once again.  “So,” Aiden began.  “You’re going to Gryphonia tomorrow, huh?”  He asked, turning his head to her.  “I guess their leaders want an explanation for what happened to their platoon in Taotras?”

    “Ugh,” she turned her head up to the ceiling.  “Don’t remind me, Aiden.”

    Aiden frowned.  “You don’t really enjoy being a leader, do you?”

    “It’s not so much as leading my citizens that I hold distaste for, my friend,” she turned her head to him.

    “It’s the politics?”  Aiden suggested.

    Celestia nodded with her eyes closed.  “Politics,” she flatly stated.  The pair came to a halt at the doors of Aiden's room, which Celestia opened with a glow from her horn.  “Here we are,” she said as she followed Aiden in.  The young man sat on the edge of his bed as the kingdom's ruler stood to his side.  He looked to his left to see the stars outside his bedroom window; they shined their light through the glass and past Celestia's ethereal mane, which was flowing without the help of any wind, just like it always did.  “Can I get you anything?”  She asked with a smile.  “Something to eat, or drink?”

    Aiden was caught off guard by her sudden offer.  “I, uh...no thanks,” he said just above a whisper, as if not wanting to wake up anyone nearby, despite the two of them being completely alone.

    “Sure thing,” she said with a sigh, but not allowing her smile to falter.  Aiden saw a look in her eyes that was all too familiar to him.  Celestia was clearly nervous; most likely worried about her upcoming meeting with griffin representatives.

    "Hey, Princess," he said as she turned to leave him for the night.  She turned her head back to him, her eyebrows raised.  "Would you like me to accompany you tomorrow?"  She seemed taken aback by his own offer.  She stood there for a moment, her mouth hanging open slightly.

    “I...” was all she managed to get out at first.  Her ears slowly drooped to the sides of her head as she spoke her next sentence.  “Aiden, you don't have to worry yourself over matters that only concern myself.”  She said with another frown.  Aiden only smiled back at her.

    “Well hey,” he chuckled.  “It's not like I have anything else I could be doing with my time.  And besides,” he stood up to her height.  “You've helped me just in letting me live under your roof; I figure that the least I could do is give back a little bit.”

    “You remember what happened last time I allowed you to help?”  She asked as she turned her head away.  “I’m not sure if I would ever be able to forgive myself if something happened to you again...”  Aiden cringed at the memory of Vanguard dropping him from Equestria’s lower orbit.

    Aiden lifted a hand up and gently pushed her head so that she was facing him again.  “Princess,” he gently whispered.  “Like I said earlier, I am willing to sacrifice everything if I can avert the future that faces our world.”  He cupped her face in both of his hands.  “Nothing bad will happen to me; it’s you I’m worried about, to be honest.”

    “Me?”  Celestia asked with her eyes still closed.  She let out a small chuckle.  “What makes you say that?”  Aiden allowed his hands to return to his sides as he thought of what Vanguard said the other night.

    “You will fail them, Brother...”

    “It’s...”  Now it was Aiden’s turn to be at a loss for words, but this only lasted for a moment.  “Nothing,” Aiden said with sigh.  “I just don’t think I’m worth worrying about, especially if I can fall from the stratosphere and live,” he laughed, trying to simply joke the matter away.  Celestia didn’t seem entirely convinced.  Nevertheless, she seemed to agree to his terms.

    “Very well,” she said.  “If that is what you wish, then I will allow it; you will accompany me to my meeting with the Parliament of Gryphonia tomorrow.”  She finally opened her eyes and smiled.  “I warn you, though,” she said.  “Meetings like these can be very, very, very boring!”

    “Not any more boring than just sitting on my ass here in the Palace all day,” Aiden playfully countered, mentally scolding himself for cursing in the Princess’s presence.  She clearly didn’t mind it though, according to her smile.

    “Point taken,” she replied.  She turned to make her leave for the evening; “Tempest Runner and Night Step will also be accompanying us,” she stated.  “The griffins wanted any surviving witnesses to the incident present.”  Aiden nodded in understanding as Celestia opened the door of his room.

    “Goodnight, Princess,” he said as he threw the covers and sheets up and nestled himself beneath them.  Celestia whispered back through the slightly open door.

    “Goodnight, Aiden.”

Act 4.2

4.2

“Rejection is such a cold word...”

    A light blanket of snow covered the city and the surrounding countryside on this December morning.  After having a quick, warm shower and shaving his face, Aiden made his way out to the front of the Royal Palace.  He was greeted at the Palace entrance by Celestia, a chariot not unlike the one that was his transportation to Taotras sat behind her, headed by two large pegasi guards.  Night Step and Tempest Runner were both onboard already, looking back at their Princess and human companion with looks of nervous anticipation.

    “Are you ready, Aiden?”  Celestia asked as he came to her side.

    “As I’ll ever be, Princess,” Aiden replied with a small salute.  “Let’s get this show on the road!”  He smiled as he followed the alicorn back to the chariot.

    “Good,” Celestia said as her wings unfurled, lifting herself into the air slightly with a moderately sized gust of wind.  She landed right into her own personalized seat at the very back of the chariot; it looked like an almost exact replica of her throne, only smaller.  Aiden followed suit, placing both of his hands on the chariot’s edge and lifting his entire body up.

    Aiden shifted his position a little bit as he sat in the cushioned seat, trying his best to get comfortable.  Tempest smiled and greeted Aiden; the pegasus was wearing his Solar Guard armor just like any other day; and Night Step only spoke Aiden’s name to acknowledge his presence.  He was clothed in his mage robes as always.

    Aiden could tell that both of them were just as nervous as the Princess, if not more so; Tempest was noticeably trying to keep himself from shaking with uneasiness, like a kid about to present a major project in front of his entire class.  Night Step simply stared onward into space with a distant look in his eyes; his mind was clearly somewhere else.

    The four of them said nothing as the two pegasi gave powerful flaps with their wings and the chariot was soon lifted into the air.  Aiden turned his head to his left, watching as Canterlot ever so slowly shrank behind them.  The journey would likely take at least five hours total; two hours to reach the Rachay Mountains, and three to four more from the border, to Gryphonia’s capital city, Stormview.

    Aiden leaned back his his arms resting on the chariot’s rim.  His head tilted back, as the wind whipped through his hair and his eyes drifted close, his thoughts mostly on about what might happen in the meeting with the foreign government.  His mind wandered to how the Princess would handle this meeting.  “She must be used to these kinds of things, judging from how calm she seems,”  he thought as his lips curved into a small frown.  He then scoffed softly.  “But then again, she is usually able to contain her emotions pretty well.”  He gave a barely noticeable shrug as he allowed his eyes to open.

    “Are you nervous?”  He heard the voice of Tempest Runner to his right.  Aiden turned his gaze towards the young Solar Guard pegasus, who was sitting with about three feet of space between them.  The pegasus had his helmet clutched between his forehoofs in front of him, his blonde mane also flowing in the moderate breeze.

    Aiden didn’t answer at first.  He drummed the fingers of his left hand against the chariot’s rim for a brief moment before responding.  “Kinda,” he said while shaking his head.  “I guess...” he paused while Tempest looked away from him.  “Are you?”  The young pegasus’s ears twitched suddenly at his inquiry.

    “No,” Tempest immediately answered...perhaps a little too quickly.  Aiden raised an eyebrow as the pegasus bit his lower lip, as though regretting his simple answer.  Tempest’s eyes shifted up, while he seemed to be contemplating a more accurate response for his human companion.

    Tempest breathed in deeply.  “I highly doubt that the griffins will be trying anything drastic during our visit,” he said slowly.  “I think that they are just being cautious, especially since our two countries were at war only thirty years ago.”  It wasn’t hard for Aiden to detect that Tempest clearly felt the opposite; in fact, probably anyone could see past Tempest Runner’s poor stretch of the truth.

    “You sure you’re alright?”  Aiden asked with honest concern.

    “Positive!”  Tempest said with the assertion he usually mustered while tossing an scowl in the human’s direction.  Aiden put up his hands defensively.

    “Okay...” Aiden thought.  “Somepony doesn’t seem to be in the mood for it...”  He sighed and cupped his chin in his hands, hoping for the journey to go by faster.  The wind continued whipping through his hair, as he felt his eyelids grow heavier.  He slowly turned his gaze back in Tempest’s direction to see that the pegasus had his eyes clenched shut and he was rubbing his left temple with a hoof.  The young pegasus began shaking his head as his brow furrowed.  Aiden’s hands returned to his sides as he sat straight up, concerned for what could be wrong with him.

    “Tempest?”  Aiden asked, his voice just over a whisper.

    “Just a headache,” the pegasus replied a few seconds later, but his mixed expression of irritation and pain did not falter.  Aiden frowned, concern clouding his mind again.  “Damn pulse is back...” he muttered, just audible enough for the human to pick it up.

    “Pulse?”  Aiden thought to himself.  “He couldn’t mean...”  He thought back to his first encounter with Vanguard in Taotras.  “Hey, Night Step,” Aiden said while turning to the unicorn.  “I think...Tempest is...”  To Aiden’s dismay, the mage was exhibiting a similar condition.  Night Step had his hooves over his ears, as if trying to blot out an annoying sound; his teeth clenched and his head bowed, trying to ignore the apparent pulse that only he and Tempest were hearing.

    “Shit...” Aiden mentally cursed as his gazed turned to Celestia, hopeful that she wasn’t suffering the same effects.  The alicorn, however, was having trouble keeping her composure as well; her head nodded repeatedly and her eyes fluttered open and shut rapidly, trying her hardest to remain awake.

    “Aiden...” the Princess wearily uttered.  “Do...you hear it too...don’t you?”  She spoke in a slow voice that sounded as if she had just been awakened in the middle of the night.

    “Dawn’s mercy...” Night Step hissed.  “My head...”  Aiden turned his attention down to his left hand; to the Praemian Thorn under his skin.  He swiftly removed the glove on his hand, revealing that the Thorn was glowing furiously.  The hollow navy blue colored circle on the knuckle of his thumb stared back at him like an accusing eye.  It too glowed like the rest of the Thorn as it rested underneath his skin.

    “Not now!”  Aiden pleaded with the ancient weapon, gripping his arm at the wrist with his other hand.  It apparently didn’t listen as it began to glow even brighter, the glyphs illustrated under his flesh quickly becoming more defined.  He soon felt a discomforting tingling sensation in his forearm, and he was certain that he could hear the pulse that was affecting Princess and company.  For a moment he was certain that it was merely his own heartbeat, but after a moment passed, he determined that the pulse was getting much stronger, and that he could faintly feel it coming from the Thorn itself, as it slowly caused his arm to fall asleep.

    Aiden brought his left hand up to his face, his right hand still clenched around the wrist.  The young man frowned deeply at the Thorn as its light blue glow intensified even further.  Aiden turned his attention to the two pegasi who were leading the chariot on its journey, only to discover that they were both surrounded in a white aura, exactly like the ones that surrounded both Celestia and Nebula when he first ventured into the Equinox the previous night.

    “So they can’t see or hear any of this,” Aiden sighed with defeat, returning his gaze to the Thorn.  Tempest and Night Step were both out cold now; Aiden reached his right arm out to keep the former from falling forward on his face, but kept his eyes on the Thorn and what it was doing.  He casted a quick glance in the Princess’s direction, wanting to see how she was doing.  She was leaning far forward, looking as though she were about to fall from her seat and onto the chariot’s floor.

    “Aiden...” the Princess whispered in a weary tone.  “W-what...what’s happening?”  She asked as the pulsing became much louder and more rapid.  Aiden’s vision became hazy at this point.  The young man slumped in his seat as he tried his hardest to keep his hand in his vision.

    “This thing is alive, isn’t it?”  He asked himself as his eyes finally caved in to the insufferable pulse.

    “Alright, what does Wonderland have in store for me today?”  Aiden sarcastically thought as he felt a familiar chill overtake him.  He felt the sands of the Equinox being whipped around him by the wind, occasionally pelting and stinging him in the face.  Without opening his eyes, the twenty year old man extended both of his arms out and tilted his head upwards, offering a simple prayer.  “God, if you really do exist...why do you hate me?”

    A sudden noise that sounded like a mix of a growl and a screech caught Aiden’s attention.  His eyes snapped open and he quickly scanned his vision across the wasteland in front of him, trying to see through the perpetual sandstorm.  The next noise Aiden heard was the sound of a large pair of wings flapping.  “Now what...” the young man muttered as he squinted in the direction from where the noise was coming from.  He was certain that he could make out a faint silhouette, no more than thirty or so feet away from him in the midst of the storm.  “The hell is that?”  Aiden whispered to himself as he saw the silhouette suddenly lunge towards him.

    “Oh shi-”

    Aiden yelled as he was tossed into the air for what was really only a brief few seconds.  He landed on his back, sending sand up in a small tidal wave.  He writhed on the ground in pain as whatever had just hit him landed several feet away, letting out what sounded like a satisfied screech.  Aiden coughed and choked up sand as he swore under his breath at the creature that had attacked him.

    “Fucker...”  Aiden groaned while placing a hand on his ribs.  He attempted to lift himself up, only to be met with more pain in the side of his chest.  The creature let out another screech, gaining precedence over the pain in his ribs.  Aiden let out a gasp as he turned his head as far as it would go, spitting out more sand.  He soon began screaming in agony as some of the burning hot sand entered his eyes.  Aiden placed his hands over his eyes, cursing and swearing up a storm, so much so that a seasoned veteran or mafia boss would blush.  He tried his hardest to wipe the searing hot particles from his eyes, as they teared up extensively and turned an irritated red.

    The culprit was a large winged, dragon-like creature.  The black and grey scales that covered its entire body seemed to glisten, as though they were damp.  It reared its head to meet Aiden’s gaze with glowing white eyes; its jaw opened, revealing rows upon rows of razor sharp teeth, and a thin snake-like tongue.  The most Aiden could describe it would be as a wyvern, as it only had one pair of hind legs and a set of leathery wings.  Its spiny tail, which ended in a single spike, slammed into the ground with a loud thud as it turned full circle to completely face its prey.

    Aiden slowly rolled onto his stomach, taking care not to upset his ribs.  He hoped that they were not bruised or broken.  They didn’t hurt as much as they did at the initial impact, but Aiden attributed that to adrenaline.  He slowly placed a foot firmly into the ground before standing up to his full height.  The wyvern let out a guttural hiss as it slowly began approaching him, one step at a time, each one sending loose sand up in small waves.

    “Shhh-shit,” Aiden stuttered right before he stumbled back over his feet and was on his rear, a yelp of surprise escaping his lips.  The wyvern slowly continued its approach as Aiden crawled back away from the monster.  “Oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck!!”  Aiden’s voice cracked on the last swear as he looked down at the Praemian Thorn.  “If you’re going to do something, now would be the fucking time to do it!”  He gasped in surprise when his back was suddenly stopped.  He looked up, only to be met with a familiar face.

    “Hello, Aiden,” the man in white said.

    Aiden, for a moment, forgot that there was a scaled beast intent on making him its next meal approaching.  The young man tilted his head, mostly in shock and confusion at the man’s sudden presence in this place.

    “Then again, maybe I shouldn’t be surprised...”  He thought to himself with a frown.  The man looked forward at the wyvern as it couldn’t be anymore than thirty feet away.  Aiden soon joined him in staring back at the beast as it closed the distance even further.  The older man cleared his throat, drawing Aiden’s attention once again.

    “Well?”  The man said in an inquisitive tone while raising an eyebrow.

    “Well, what!?”  Aiden shouted as his gaze shifted back and forth from the wyvern to his old dream friend.

    “You’re not going to run?”  The man asked, unphased by Aiden’s anger.  He lifted a hand and gestured to the slowly approaching monster.  Aiden stuttered, even more incredulous at the man’s question.  He threw one more frightened glance at the wyvern, no more than ten feet from him.

    Throwing the pain in his chest out of his mind, Aiden scrambled to stand up and turned his back to the wyvern.  Probably not the smartest thing he did that day.  Aiden cursed again as he heard the wyvern screech again and lift itself into flight behind him.  Aiden’s eyes clenched shut as he tried to focus on nothing else but running away from the dragon creature.

    “Well, I wanted to know what I saw last night,” Aiden thought, trying to ignore the burning sensation that was just beginning to emerge in his calfs.  The wyvern apparently landed to his front, judging from the crash a few feet in front of him.  Aiden opened his eyes to be met with the wyvern’s pure white gaze.  The young man cursed again as he turned to his left and kept running.

    “Alright, Mr. All Knowing Dream Mentor Guy,” Aiden muttered in between breaths.  “If you’re here to actually help me for once, how about you cut the bullshit and actually do something about this fucker!?”

    Aiden’s plea was answered.  He returned his gaze forward to see that he was approaching what looked like stone ruins, not unlike the ruins he saw when he first visited the Equinox on the night he received the Thorn.  Aiden made a complete break for it (as though he wasn’t already going as fast as his feet could manage).  The second his boots touched the stone tiled floor, his legs protested, cried, and begged him to stop, but he knew he would be a dead man if he gave in.

    He continued running, hearing the wyvern roar with frustration behind him.  Aiden looked over his shoulder to see that the beast had become stuck on one of the stone archways that led into the ruins.  It swung its tail, it struggled, trying to break itself free from its new prison.  Aiden turned his head sideways, looking back at a doorway leading inside the ruins themselves.

    Aiden turned back to the wyvern as he began backing himself into the open doorway.  He threw a smug smirk in his assailant’s direction as it continued to roar in anger.  He flipped it off; both hands.  He extended his arms out as far as they would go, wanting to insure that the monster could see his obscene gesture.

    “Alright, Aiden, that’s enough,” the voice of the man said from behind him.  Aiden turned to meet his gaze with his dream friend, then back to the monster outside.  He shrugged, and followed the man deeper into the ruins.

    “So, care to explain why you’ve brought me here?”  Aiden asked as the two of them began their descent down a spiral staircase, lit by the occasional torch.  “Am I going to be subjected to even more of this freaky voodoo shit?”

    “If you would categorize training in how to use that ancient superweapon living in your arm as freaky voodoo shit, then yes,” the man casually replied with a laugh as they made their way towards the bottom of the stairs.  Aiden just hoped that at the least he would learn how to get the Thorn to listen to him.

    Aiden and his personal escort reached the bottom of the stairs, when the young man suddenly stopped in place, four steps from the stone floor.  The man did the same a few feet ahead, turning back to Aiden with an inquisitive look.

    “Is something wrong?”  He asked.  Aiden replied by simply pointing an accusing finger at him.  The man raised an eyebrow, unsure of what Aiden was trying to communicate.

    “I just remembered something,” Aiden mused with a chuckle.  “Last time we talked, I was about to ask you your name.”  Aiden paused for a little bit as a frown curved its way across his face.  “But then you simply vanished; you ditched me!”  Aiden finished his accusation, crossing his arms with an even deeper frown on his face.  The man sighed, while rubbing the back of his neck with an open palm.

    “Aiden,” he said.  “Can this wait until we’re finished here?”  He gestured onward into the poorly lit hallway ahead.  Aiden shook his head and leaned his back into the wall of the stairwell.

    “Not moving until I get an answer,” Aiden gave the man an ultimatum.  “I promise I won’t laugh, no matter how ridiculous your name is.”  He grinned at the man.  The man’s fists tightened, and Aiden smiled even wider, knowing that he had provoked a reaction for once.  For a moment, the man simply stood there, staring down Aiden, until his clenched fists relaxed, and he took a few steps backwards.

    “If that’s the game you want to play,” the man said.  “Then so be it.”  He finished with a grave tone, but Aiden could just barely see a tiny smirk on his face.  The man turned his back to him, beginning the trek down the long hallway.  Aiden tilted his head, unsure of what the man was planning.

    “Now what’s this asshole planning?”  Aiden thought as he scratched his head.  The man continued onward, even when Aiden yelled out to get his attention.  He threw his hands up in frustration and finally began giving chase.

    Aiden held a quick and steady pace of walking after him, yet he couldn’t seem to catch up, despite the fact that the man appeared to be doing little more than a casual walk as if he were merely on a stroll through the park.  Aiden picked up his pace even further to a slight jog in an attempt to catch up with his companion.  His efforts were met with the hallway seeming to “stretch” further ahead of him.

    Aiden nearly stopped in his tracks as his attention headed down towards the stone tiles.  They were indeed stretching forward, ahead of him, as though they were rubber or clay.  Aiden blinked, wanting to be sure that he was really seeing this.  He looked forward again to see that the man seemed unaffected by this.  He simply continued onward, as though he hadn’t a care in the world.  Aiden shook his head as he continued his attempt to catch up with the man.

    “This is what you call fucked up,” Aiden panted to himself as he pressed onward into a steady sprint.  The faster he sprinted, however, the faster the hallway seemed to stretch.  Even so, the man managed to gain even more distance between them and kept a simple walk.  It hurt Aiden’s eyes to merely look at it.

    The man was soon no longer visible; he disappeared into the distance, and the hallway still stretched further ahead.  Aiden looked over his shoulder to see if he was actually moving; he couldn’t see the stairs that had led him down here.  Aiden stopped where he was, looking back and forth between the two directions that were available to him.  There were no more torches along the walls, yet the hallway was still illuminated by a dim yellow glow.  Aiden continued pursuing the man, shaking his head.

    “No; this is fucked up,” he corrected himself while trying to catch his breath.  Aiden sighed and began to pick up his pace again as his breath finally began to back into rhythm with his heartbeat again.

    Suddenly, Aiden slipped, and with a small yelp, he was on his back.  Aiden groaned with what was mostly annoyance at his misfortune.  He swore softly as he rested his head against the stone floor.  He would’ve considered having a few moments of shut eye at that moment, had it not been for the fact that he was sliding forward.

    He lifted his head up again to look forward.  Indeed he was sliding forward, for the hallway had seemed to tilt itself downwards; at what angle, Aiden could only guess and be thankful that it wasn’t ninety degrees.  The hallway’s vertical angle became even steeper, and Aiden braced himself for a potentially harsh landing.  He had only one thing on his mind at the present moment:

    “This is that asshole old man’s doing, isn’t it?”  He thought with a look of irritation on his face.

    Aiden could see in the distance a faint cyan glow and what finally looked like an end to his little ride.  What that ending would begin, however, was any sentient being’s guess.  “You know, the next time I hear someone complain about their morning commute, I think I’ll just punch them...” Aiden thought with an amused smile as he reached the end of the slide.  After a brief fall, he was on his rear again.

    After rubbing a hand on his sore spot, he corrected himself again.  “No, this whole place is fucked up!”  The sound of a person clearing their throat caught his attention.  Aiden’s gaze turned up to meet with the man several feet away, standing on the other side of another well of mercury, just like the one at the ancient castle of the Royal Sisters.

    “You alright?”  He asked with a chuckle.  Aiden eyed him with disdain as he stood up.

    “I feel about as good as I look,” Aiden replied.  After taking a deep breath to regain his bearings, Aiden approached the mercury well as the man leaned his hands on the well’s edge, looking down into the silvery liquid.  Aiden soon joined him in this action from the other side of the well.  They both looked up and met each other’s gaze.  The man raised his eyebrows, waiting for Aiden to do something.

    “Soooo,” Aiden drew out the word.  “This song and dance again, huh?”  He asked pointing his left index finger at the pool of mercury.  The liquid had the same cyan glow as the first well he encountered, but this time, he could make out a very noticeable ball of crimson at the center of it.  Aiden placed his right hand on his left wrist.  “So should I start rolling up my sleeves, or what?”

    The man nodded and gestured to the well.  “Whenever you’re ready, son.”  Aiden leaned in slightly closer to examine the ball of crimson.  With one more glance at the man, Aiden rolled his left sleeve up.

    “Here goes,” Aiden whispered as he plunged his arm into the pool of mercury.  Like before, the pool of mercury didn’t seem any deeper than two or three inches, yet Aiden managed to fit his arm in up to the elbow when he met with the resistance of the pool’s bottom.  And just like last time, he felt a slight pinch on his skin, but this time on the knuckle of his left index finger.

    Aiden cringed slightly as he felt something pierce the skin around his knuckle.  He looked down to see the glowing ball of crimson being drawn to his hand.  The second it made contact, Aiden closed his eyes and grunted as he felt something metallic being jammed into the opening of his skin.

    He was surprised, looking at it, that there was no blood leaking out.  Of course it could’ve simply been hidden by the crimson color of the object that was making his hand its new home.

    After a moment, the pain subsided, and Aiden finally drew his hand from the mercury;  there wasn’t a single trace of the liquid on his skin.  Aiden examined the back of his hand, noticing that the navy blue ring on the knuckle of his thumb had once again started glowing; but this time, it had a neighbor.  On the knuckle of his index finger, was a ring of crimson color, glowing just as brightly.  Both of the rings were surrounded by the familiar cyan glow of the Praemian Thorn itself as its glyphs seemed to slightly highlight and illustrate the outlines of the bones, joints and tendons of Aiden’s hand, running all the way up to his elbow.

    Aiden rolled his sleeve back down as he looked up to his dream companion and shrugged his shoulders.  “So, what happens now?”

    “Now,” the man said as his hands returned to his sides.  “You will be tested in your new power.”  He gestured a hand for Aiden to follow.

    “A new power?”  Aiden asked while still looking at his hand with curiosity.  Aiden looked up to see the man ascending a staircase on the other end of the room.  He quickly resumed following him, leaving the mercury well behind, the cyan glow slowly losing its luminescence.

    This new stairwell was also illuminated by an unidentifiable source.  Aiden continued examining his hand, even as the glowing weapon underneath his skin was no longer lit up like a Christmas tree.  “So what is it that this new power of mine does?”  Aiden asked as they made their way up the steps.

    “The Thorn currently holds two powers,” the man began.  Aiden cringed slightly, knowing that there was another long explanation coming his way.  “Abitrath’s Gate, which is the ring on your thumb; it allows you to enter and exit the Equinox whenever you find it necessary.  The one on your index finger is Algat’s River; it allows you to control forms of energy, mainly heat and electricity, and use them to defend yourself from attack.”  He paused for a moment, turning his head to Aiden.  “You can also, with time and training, eventually be able to manipulate light and sound, and bend them to your will.”

    The man paused for another moment for Aiden to take all of this in.  Aiden simply stared at the Thorn under his hand again, perplexed at the thought of manipulating all these things to his will alone.  He flexed his fingers, watching as the glyphs of the Thorn stretched with his skin.

    Aiden panned his gaze over the entire chamber; it was large, about two hundred feet or so in diameter.  “So how will this training go about?”  He asked while still surveying his surroundings.  The man walked onward, closer to the center of the chamber before finally answering Aiden’s question.

    “First,” he began.  “You’ll learn how to control sources of heat.”  He raised his arms towards the ceiling, spreading them out as Aiden could just barely notice sparks gathering in his hands.  The sparks quickly turned into flames with a flex of his wrists.  He slowly brought his hands together, forming one single sphere of fire in the palms.  He turned his gaze up to Aiden, with a small look of worry on his face.  “Are you ready, son?”

    Aiden held his left arm up, examining the still glowing writing under his skin.  He looked at the man with a look of determination.  “Ready,” he replied with a nod as he extended his left arm.  He prepared himself for whatever was about to be thrown his way, while simultaneously eyeing the Thorn with irritation.  “Work.  You antiquated.  Piece of shit,” he thought with spite against the ancient weapon.

    The man drew both of his arms back, the large flame still remaining suspended in front of his chest.  “Catch!”  He yelled as he pushed his arms forward, flinging the ball of fire forward towards Aiden.  Aiden gulped nervously as the fireball flew towards him.  All he could think of was to hold the Thorn out as far as he could extend his arm, close his eyes, and hope for the best.

    After a brief period of silence, Aiden opened his eyes, and turned his eyes forward to see that the crimson ring on his index finger was glowing brightly, standing out from the rest of the Thorn.  To top it all off, the ball of flame was now resting safely in the palm of Aiden’s left hand, to which the young man eyed it, astonished.

    “Good,” the man stated as he clapped his hands together.  “Now, the flame will react to your willpower; the more focused you are, the more magic you can draw from your surroundings and direct into the Thorn, and with it, you will be able to shape and use the flame however you see fit.”

    “Huh, cool beans,” Aiden thought as he tilted his head, still staring at the flame in the palm of his hand.  “Okay, so what should I do next?”  He asked, waving his arm slowly from left to right.

    “Control the flame with the flow of your hand; strengthen it with your will,” the man said while stretching out his arms.

    “Alright, I can do this,” Aiden said while clenching his hand into a fist, causing it to become enveloped in the flame; he only felt a small amount of the heat, as though he were standing a good distance away from a bonfire.  He eased his grip, and the fire in turn seemed to calm down, along with the glow of the ring.  He repeated this action of clenching his hand into a fist, and easing it, to get in touch of controlling the flame’s intensity.

    “So far, so good,” the man said.  “Now, try and use the fire to hit the targets behind you.”  He pointed forward, and Aiden turned to see several glowing orbs of light, one atop each of the many pillars that formed a circle around the interior of the chamber.

    “Huh, okay,” Aiden shrugged as he lifted his hand up, trying to focus on the odd spheres of light.  Under normal circumstances, he would’ve questioned where they had come from, or question the man as to why he was helping him; but these conditions were anything but normal.

    Aiden clenched his hand into a fist, brought it to his chest for a moment, and then threw his hand back out again, his fingers easing, thus releasing the flame forward.  The ball of fire was flung towards the top of the nearest pillar, and shattered the glowing orb of light like a glass ornament.  Aiden stared at his hand for a moment, a live flame still flickering within its palm.  He smiled.

    “Aw, hell,” he laughed with excitement.  “It’s that easy?”  He turned his attention to the nearest pillar on his right, and did the same as for the previous one.  The orb atop it also shattered, just like the last one, when the flame touched it.  Aiden laughed with amusement as his attention was drawn to the next two pillars on each side of the chamber.

    “Great work, Aiden!”  The man called behind him.  “But try some other methods!”

    “Other methods?”  Aiden asked, still eyeing the next two orbs down the line.  He turned his gaze from the one on his left, to his right.  “Okay...” he sighed.  He brought his left hand to his right shoulder, the ring of Algat’s River glowing a furious scarlet.  He simply hoped that he wouldn’t end up catching his clothes, or his hair on fire by mistake.  He made a semicircle with his hand starting at his right shoulder and ending right above his head.  He had the idea of forming a whip, or chain with the fire.  After all, the fire would obey him, right?

    “Right!” Aiden thought happily as his plans came to fruition.  He swung what kind of looked like a rope on fire, only without the rope, over his head for a moment before allowing it to come down onto the next orb in his sights.

    “Good!”  The man complimented.  “Again, on the next one!”  Aiden did as he said, shattering the fourth glowing target.  There were eight targets left, four on each side, making for a total of twelve pillars in the chamber.

    “What next?” Aiden asked as he allowed the string of fire to fall to the ground, eventually leaving little more than black scorch marks where the flames once were.

    “I’ll bring the next two targets a bit closer to home,” the man said with a snap of his fingers.  With a bright flash, two of the remaining targets vanished from their positions atop the pillars; a split second later, they reappeared with another flash on either side of Aiden, both about five feet away.

    “Alright,” Aiden whispered as he clenched his left hand into a fist once again.  He tossed a quick glance to both the glowing orbs, then back at the flame enveloping his fist.  He slammed his fist into the stone ground, being sure not to injure his hand.  His efforts were now met with a small shockwave of fire being sent outward from him, shattering both the orbs.

    He stood up straight, looking around at the result of his work with a confident smile.  “Excellent,” the man said as the sound of his footsteps approached from behind.  “Now let’s try something a little different, Aiden.”

    “Like what?”  He asked, turning to face his new mentor.

    “Try commanding a facet of nature other than fire,” the man replied.  “Such as lightning.”  Aiden looked back at the flame still resting in the palm of his left hand.

    “Okay,”  Aiden replied as he turned to his teacher.

    “I’ll give you a source to get started on,” the man said, snapping his fingers again.  “Oh, and you might want to get out of the way.”  Aiden tilted his head slightly.

    “Now why would he-” his thought was cut off by an audible cracking noise, followed by what he felt was sand falling onto his head.  Instinctively, he brushed the burning hot particles out of his hair and looked up for a brief moment.  The ceiling of the domed chamber had large cracks forming in it, getting larger by the second.  “Oh...I guess that’s why...”  Aiden quickly backed away from where he was standing, which was soon littered with large fragments of stone rubble, courtesy of the newly formed hole in the ceiling.

    “Back up a little bit more...” the man said.  Aiden did just that, and more debris fell to the ground, making the rift in the ceiling even larger.  Sand from the storm now freely poured in the hole, which was now at least half the diameter of the chamber itself.  Aiden shielded his eyes with his right hand, keeping the Thorn ready for whatever was ahead.

    “Okay,” Aiden whispered.  “So...lightning,” he said as he held the Thorn up, his palm open.  The clouds of the storm were occasionally illuminated by a flash of lightning, almost always followed by a crack of thunder.  “I feel like some stupid asshole using my hand as a lightning rod...” Aiden whispered while shaking his head.

    What happened next, was far too fast for Aiden to make any sense of it at first.  Aiden’s hand; or rather the Thorn; did indeed behave like a lightning rod.  A bolt of pale blue electricity shot down from the sky, striking Aiden’s index finger.  The crimson ring that was named Algat’s River was gleaming furiously.  For a moment, Aiden was simply too shocked (get it?) to fully understand what had just happened.  He lowered his hand back down and brought it back into his field of vision, his right hand still shielding his eyes from the sand.

    The electricity arched from one finger to the next, but it seemed most attracted to his index finger.  “Oh man,” Aiden let out a small laugh.  “This thing is so fucking cool!  Nikola Tesla, eat your heart out!”  He heard the man laugh a little at his comment.  Aiden turned his attention to the remaining six targets.

    “I think you’re starting to get the hang of this!”  The man yelled.  “Now, you know what to do!”  Aiden nodded, a confident smile being played across his face.  Aiden again brought his left hand to his opposite shoulder, this time with sparks of lightning enveloping it.  Like with the rope of fire he did earlier, Aiden made a whip out of the electrical current flowing from his hand; he just hoped he wouldn’t end up electrocuting himself by mistake.

    The lightning whip crackled with energy and flared as Aiden swung it at the next two targets, shattering both of the orbs like he did with fire.  “Easy peasy,” Aiden said, popping the joints in his neck.  “Now,” Aiden focused on the next two.  “Let’s try and make a projectile with this.”  He pulled his left hand back; slightly closed, but not really a fist.  He aimed for the next target on his left, shortly letting his hand fly forward.  The Thorn must’ve read his mind, for it did exactly as he wanted, sending a short bolt of electricity at the glowing orb, making it share its companions’ fates.  He did the same for the remaining three orbs, thus completing his little session of target practice.

    The man offered a small round of applause to congratulate Aiden.  “Very good!”  He said ecstatically.  “So what do you think?  Pretty handy, wouldn’t you agree?”

    Aiden smiled as he held his left hand up, the Thorn’s glow slowly dying down.  “I love this thing,” he replied.  “With something like this on my side, I bet I’ll be able to kick Vanguard’s self righteous ass up and down the interdimensional curb!”  The man held up his own hand at that statement.

    “You’ll have to hold on with that goal, Aiden,” he said as his smile began to fade.  “Your brother is no joke; you wouldn’t last a single minute against him, even with this new power.  You need to keep tempering yourself and your abilities with the Thorn.  There are more powers for you to wield, as well as improved versions of Algat’s River.”  He paused for a moment, resting his hand on Aiden’s shoulder.  “One of these days, you will be ready to face your brother, and you will protect the ones you love from him.  And from your other siblings as well...”  The two of them shared a smile.  “But for now,” he said as he allowed his hand to return to his side.  “You must focus on gaining new strengths for the Thorn; prepare for what will come.”

    Aiden lowered his head to see the ring on his thumb was glowing.  He looked back up at the man for an explanation.

    “This will be the last time you see me for now,” he said as he closed his eyes, and the Thorn glowed brighter again.  Aiden brought the Thorn up to his face, looking in awe as the glyphs under his skin began glowing with the ring.

    “For now?”  Aiden asked in response.  “Huh, I guess what you’ve taught me here will have to do, then.”

    “Don’t worry, Aiden; you’re a smart lad, I get the feeling that you’ll be able to learn most of the rest on your own.”  The ring of Abitrath’s Gate glowed even brighter now, and Aiden felt that familiar sensation of being stuck between sleep and consiousness.  Before the boy’s eyes closed, the man whispered a few more words.

    “Stay safe, my son...”

    Aiden awoke to a hoof prodding against his right arm.  “Hey, Aiden,” a familiar voice said.  Aiden groaned as he placed his left hand on his forehead, eyes still closed.  “Come on, Aiden, you lazy bum; get up!”  Aiden’s eyes rolled open, obeying the voice’s command.

    “I’m up...” he groggily whispered.

    “Good,” the voice of Tempest Runner said.  “We’re almost there.”  Aiden looked around, seeing that everything was back to normal on the carriage.  Celestia had her eyes forward, her poker face on as usual.  Night Step sat on the other side of the carriage, his eyes staying pointed at the chariot’s floor.  Aiden looked over at the two pegasus guards pulling the chariot through the sky; indeed, everything seemed normal, as though nothing unusual had happened while Aiden was having another spectacular adventure in Wonderland.

    With a hand rubbing his temple, Aiden looked over to Tempest.  “What happened?”  He asked wearily.  The pegasus looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

    “Pardon?”  The Solar Guard asked.  Before Aiden could repeat his inquiry, Tempest answered.  “You dozed off, that’s all.”  He said this with a casual tone of voice.  Aiden took a brief moment to let his answer sink in.

    “But,” Aiden replied.  “What about the pulse you were all complaining about?”  He asked as he allowed his hand to return to his side.  Tempest raised his eyebrow again.

    “What pulse?”  The pegasus asked.  “We talked a little bit after leaving Canterlot, you fell asleep, and her Majesty decided to make conversation with Night Step and I.”  Aiden was certain that he heard the pulse before slipping into the Equinox again.  The Princess and the others complained about it, after all!  There’s no way it was all just in his head, was there?

    Aiden shrugged.  “Then again, I’m the guy stuck in a cartoon fantasy world of ponies, griffins, ancient evils, and God knows what else, so maybe *all** of this really is going on in my head...*”

    “How much farther until we reach Stormview?”  Aiden asked, rubbing some dust out of his eyes.

    “Another two or three minutes,” Celestia answered for him.  “Not much longer, Aiden.”

    The young man leaned back, cupping his face in his hands.  “Fair enough,” he replied with an exasperated sigh.  “So what exactly do you plan to say to the parliament?”  He asked turning to the Princess.

    “Don’t you worry yourself over that,” Celestia assured him.  “I’ve done this many times before, my friend.”

    Aiden remained silent for a few seconds, looking over the edge at the slowly approaching city of Stormview, nestled into the side of one of Gryphonia’s many mountains, not unlike Canterlot.  Aiden had read in one of the Royal Library’s many volumes that the first Canterlot architects were inspired by how many griffin duchies of times past built their cities into the sides of mountains.  The mountains all around them were capped with snow, but a closer look at the city of Stormview revealed green gardens filled with flora of many kinds.  Several towers rose up over the skyline of the city.

    Aiden saw two griffin guards closing in on the chariot’s left; he heard one of them shout something to the two pegasi, but he couldn’t make it out as the freezing wind carried it away.  Aiden shivered.  “Winter nights this far north must be exceptionally brutal,” he thought while shaking his head.  “Just my luck that we have to come up here at this time of year...”

    The chariot swerved to the right; the pegasus guards seemed to be following the griffins’ directions onto a stone landing pad of sorts.  The two pegasi were expertly trained, so it seemed, as the landing was smooth enough for one to sleep through it, although Aiden only expected as much for Royal transport.  The two griffin guards flew overhead and vanished back behind Stormview’s walls.  Celestia, Aiden, and the others patiently sat there, waiting to be greeted, as was her usual custom.

    What appeared to be an ambassador exited the gate, flanked by a guard on his right.  For the first time, Aiden could note the main difference between male and female griffins.  The guard was a male, and his gold colored beak was slightly rounded; the feathers and plumage atop his head seemed to be have been dyed red.

    The ambassador was a female, judging by the purple dye of her head feathers, the eyelashes, and the sharper, more jagged beak.  She wore robes of the same color, only more of a lavender shade.  Both of their faces were void of expression.  The ambassador was the first to speak.

    “Greetings, Princess Celestia,” she began.  “I am Ambassador Lamia, and I have been asked to guide you and your subjects to the Parliamentary House for the summit.”  She raised her right arm and pointed a talon at her bodyguard.  “This is Lieutenant Cadmus of the King’s personal guard; after the summit, he will take you to where you will be staying for the night.”

    Celestia seemed surprised at her last sentence.  “I wasn’t told that we would be staying for the night,” she replied.  The ambassador gave an honest smile.

    “Believe me, flying through a Winter night in Gryphonia is dangerous, your Highness,” she said as she gestured towards the city’s gate.  “I’ve tried doing it before back during my younger days.  It was so cold and the wind was so strong that I lost consciousness while flying and plummeted to the ground.  I was lucky that the Lieutenant’s father was out at the time and found me.”  She threw a glance of acknowledgement in Cadmus’s direction.  The Lieutenant seemed to nod in appreciation.

    The Princess turned her gaze to the ground, most likely considering the offer.  “Very well,” she said with a sigh.  “I suppose I could use the rest after the meeting,” she said.

    “Excellent,” Lamia replied.  “Right this way.”

    The griffin guards, as well as the citizens, actually paid more attention to Celestia and the other ponies than to Aiden.  The most regard that Aiden got at the city’s main plaza was a few teenaged griffins pointing at him.

    “What’s with the weird monkey thing?”  One of them asked.

    “I dunno,” another one replied.  “Maybe it’s that princess’s pet, or something?”

    “Maybe she’s going to use it to try and intimidate the King!”

    This was the most attention that Aiden was getting; occasionally he would get a curious stare from one of the guards or average citizen, but no more words were spoken regarding him, as far as he knew at least.

    The Parliamentary House was a rectangular building with a domed top.  Celestia and company stood at the giant wooden doors that led inside.  “Now then,”  Lamia began.  “It will be some time until the actual summit begins.”  She turned towards the alicorn.  “Princess, his Majesty, King Samran wishes to speak with you before the meeting begins.”

    The Princess nodded once.  “So be it,” she replied.

    The ambassador turned to Aiden and the others.  “As for the rest of you, Lieutenant Cadmus would be happy to give you all a small tour of our capital city.”  The lieutenant stepped forward, nodding, and with a smile on his face.  Tempest, Night Step, and the other two pegasi followed the griffin officer into the crowds as he began speaking to them about the history.  By this time, the crowds of curious griffin citizens began to disperse, mostly due to the griffin guards gently ushering them away, normally by saying “nothing to see here,”  or “move along.”

    Aiden looked over to Celestia with a somewhat worried look.  “Are you sure that you’ll be okay?”  He asked.  Celestia gave him a warm smile.

    “I’m sure,” she replied.  She nodded her head in the direction that the others were headed.  “Now go on, they’re waiting for you.”  Aiden turned his head back to see that both Tempest and Night Step were looking back in his direction, waiting for him to join them.  Aiden began to make his way down the steps and into the city’s plaza, only now beginning to gather attention from the bystanders, judging by a few sudden gasps or yells for the guards.

    Aiden turned back to her one last time before disappearing into the streets of Stormview.  “You sure you got this?”  He asked just over the background noise of the busy city.

    “I’m sure,” she replied with a wave of her hoof.  Aiden smiled back and went to join the others.  Celestia turned towards the doors of the Parliamentary Hall and sighed.  “I got this...” she thought.  “Nothing to worry about...”

    “Oh, Dawn’s Mercy, they can see me,” Celestia thought as she entered the main chamber, Ambassador Lamia at her right.  Several diplomats sat alongside the king on perches above her, the king being in the center.  “Alright girl, you can do this; it’s only been what...twenty years?  Thirty?”  She refused to allow her nervousness to show; rule number one to playing politics.  They all eyed her with poker faces of their own.

    Now that she thought about it, it might’ve been a little longer since she last had a meeting with Gryphonian leadership; the two countries had just fought a war thirty years ago, the two races had deep rooted hostility that dated back to antiquity, and this was a new king to top it all off; she had no idea what his personality was like, or how he would react.  She took in a deep breath.

    “I don’t got this...”

Act 4.4

4.4

“You don’t remember me, do you?”

    Winter was indeed fierce this far North, as Ambassador Lamia previously said.  Frostfire Mountain shot up over the surrounding plains in the heartland of Gryphonia, West of the capital city, Stormview.  The woodlands and grasslands below were still, covered in a thin layer of frost and ice.

    The sun was already beginning to set into the West; no doubt Celestia was making it adhere to the change to standard time for the winter months.  That idea made Aiden think: “Huh, so if Celestia has complete control over the sun, why would she need to follow daylight savings and standard times?” As the wind blew through his hair, he gave a small, timid shrug for an answer to his own question.  “Maybe it’s because her parents did the same, and she just does it out of tradition?  Eh, who knows; maybe I’ll just ask her myself...now would be a great time,” he finished his thought as he leaned his face into the back of the Princess’s neck.  It was a scene not unlike the one when the two of them made the journey back to Canterlot from the ruins in the Everfree Forest.

    She insisted that she tagged along for this, at least to the foot of the mountain.  Aiden was unsure of why she was so persistent in the matter; maybe Vanguard’s presence was a reason for her going, rather than a deterrent?  He frowned at the thought that his safety was once again weighing upon her mind, thinking that he had put that issue to rest back in the Everfree.

    “Whatever her reasons,” he thought with a deep breath.  “I just hope that at the very least she’ll keep her distance from the mines themselves; I don’t want her anywhere near that soulless bastard...”

    Tempest Runner flanked Aiden and the Princess to their left, whilst Night Step was being carried by the forelegs by a quiet griffin soldier flying to their right.  It seemed awkward as hell, without a doubt, but the griffin claimed that it would be no trouble, so long as the unicorn did not say a word to him.

    Lieutenant Cadmus gave several commanding gestures to the griffin soldiers flanking him.  They proceeded ahead in a v-formation,  whilst the Lieutenant reared back, now flying between the Princess and Tempest.  “We haven’t the faintest idea what we’re getting into, are we?”  He asked, turning his gaze towards Celestia.  She directed her eyes to the human clinging to her.

    “Sorry, but you’ll want to ask him if you want to know anything about this Vanguard character.”  Cadmus looked back towards Aiden, whom lifted his head slightly at the Princess calling for his attention.  Aiden snapped out of his thoughts of the path ahead and looked back at Cadmus, ready to tell him everything he knew about Vanguard.

    “One thing I’ve noticed about him,” Aiden began, Cadmus listening intently.  “Is that his approach is always accompanied by this throbbing pulse.”  He tapped an index finger against his left temple.  “It feels like it tries to drill its way into your mind; tries to distract you from the real threat.”  Cadmus nodded to himself, taking in this small piece of information.

    “You’ve experienced this yourself?”  He asked.

    “Yes,” Aiden replied with a nod.  “I know first-hand of its effects: it's typically accompanied by headaches, an inability to focus, a loss of balance; things of that nature.”  Cadmus nodded, looking forward at his troops, one of his sergeants leading them in his place.

    “What about his abilities in combat?”  The griffin officer asked.  Aiden shook his head.

    “I’m afraid I haven’t seen much in that department,” he sighed.  “Other than that he seems to be capable of moving at speeds above that which natural eyesight can perceive.”  Cadmus lowered his head, disappointed with the answer.  “I’m sorry,” Aiden quickly apologized.  “I wish I could be of more help.”

    The Lieutenant smiled in a reassuring manner.  “I’m not trying to imply anything like that,” he replied.  “You’re the one with this...Thorn, or whatever it’s called.”  He looked forward to his squadron again, then back at the human.  “What is that thing on your arm called again?”  Aiden chuckled; it seemed as though that explaining the concept of the ancient relic living beneath his flesh would become commonplace in the coming days.

    “The Praemian Thorn,” Aiden began.  “I don’t completely understand what it is myself, to be perfectly honest; I do know that it allows me to do things like what you saw at the summit.”  He lifted his left arm slightly, almost knowing that the Thorn was giving off its usual glow beneath the sleeve of his shirt, just like it always did whenever he acknowledged it in conversation.  “Almost as though it actually is alive...”  Before Aiden could confuse himself or anyone else any further, Cadmus picked up his speed to return to the spot where he commanded from at the head of the squadron.

    “Listen up!”  He called the attention of his entire platoon.  “We’re going into Silver River Mines, as you all know; what we don’t know is exactly what it will be that’s waiting for us inside.  I want two sharpshooters on the southern watchtower immediately when we touchdown at the foot of the mountain!  Sergeant Ilric, you take your unit into the outer barracks,” he received an affirming salute from the griffin.  “Sergeant Waystone, you and your unit will secure the immediate perimeter around the entrance of the mines!”

    “Aye, sir!”  Sergeant Waystone answered.

    “Now I want this operation to go quickly and smoothly,” Cadmus said, about to bring the briefing to a close.  “Let’s get this over with so we can all go home!”  He finished amongst the cheers of the other griffins.  Aiden was thankful that they were enthusiastic at least.

    “This is just another day at work for them,” he thought.  “Nothing bad is going to happen; no one’s gonna die...how’d that work out for me, again?”

    The last of the militiamen had fled amongst the sound of rifle fire.  Sergeant Aiden Marsh smiled at the efficiency of his team’s hard work.  “Nice work, people,” he commended as he stood up from his cover behind the concrete bench.  “Check your equipment,” he said as he reloaded his M98 assault rifle.

    “I’m good,” Leon replied.

    “Same here,” Mary chimed in.

    “Good,” Logan shouted back from his cover.

    “Good,” Emily yelled.

    Aiden looked to his left and his right; at Alex and David respectively.  “You’re both good?”  The both gave a synchronized reply.

    “Good,” the both answered with a nod.

    “Good!”  Aiden ended that little exchange as he stood up.  “Now let’s keep moving; that bunker should be just past that condemned schoolhouse!”  He proceeded towards the path that led out of the courtyard, his unit no more than a few meager steps behind him, keeping up with his pace.

    The gunfire around them had ceased, indicating that the surviving militia had retreated to their little bunker.  Hopefully, the agents of the Network would be able to quickly finish them so they could deal with those weapons in the bunker.  After that, the mission would be completed, and all agents involved would be rewarded with their well deserved payments.

Yeah...it was just a day at work for me...

    Aiden’s focus quickly snapped back to the present.  He shook his head quickly, not wanting to daydream any longer.  “Come on,” he thought.  “We’ve got a job to do.”  He looked forward to see Cadmus and his troops begin their descent towards the foot of Frostfire Mountain; Celestia and Tempest soon followed.

    The squadron soon erupted in conversation as the sight of the mining facility was revealed.  Nothing along the lines of fire, or major destruction like that, but the bodies of both griffins and diamond dogs on the ground were evident.  Aiden could hear the soldiers gasp in shock at such a sight.  Cadmus was quick to try and calm them down.

    “Easy, boys,” he said.  “We’ll be in and out of here like a summer storm!”  The squadron finally followed their officer, touching down in a clearing with the entrance to the mines not more than fifty or so feet away.  Aiden dismounted the alicorn Princess when he was certain it was a feasible fall.  He immediately turned back to Celestia as she planted her hooves on the soil behind him, Tempest Runner landing at her left, and the griffin whom was holding Night Step throughout the trip had released the unicorn.

    “Alright, Princess,” Aiden began.  “I know that you might feel apprehensive about letting me go in there, but I just don’t think that--”

    “I completely agree, dearest,” the Princess interrupted.  Aiden stared at the alicorn with an eyebrow raised and his lips parted, the remaining words of his sentence still on his tongue.

    “I...what?” The human stuttered.   Her eyes closed as she let out a cute little giggle.

    “I said, ‘I completely agree’.”  Her eyes opened, a smile displayed on her lips.  “I know that the chances are that I’ll more likely hinder efforts rather than help them,” she paused as she turned her gaze back in the direction that they came.  “I’ll be making my way back to Stormview and be out of your way.”  Aiden almost immediately spoke up.

    “Whoa there, girl,” Aiden chuckled.  “You’re not going back by yourself, it’s way too dangerous!”  Celestia rolled her eyes, her smile not faltering in the slightest.

    “Goodness, you’re just as protective as any of my personal guard,” she sighed.  “Would it make you feel better if one of the griffins accompanied me on my way back?”

    “It would certainly help,” Aiden replied with a nod.  Lieutenant Cadmus seemed to pick up on their conversation, for he approached them both, his concerned gaze on the Princess.

    “Is something wrong, your Highness?”  The officer asked with a frown.

    “I simply will need one of your troops to escort me back to Stormview, if that won’t be too much trouble.”  The Princess looked up towards the sky in the direction from which they came.  Cadmus offered a small smile.

    “That will be no trouble at all, Princess,” he said with a meager bow of his head.  “I’ll get one of the boys here to get you back to the capital safely.”  He looked back over to the griffin soldiers surveying the entrance of the mines before placing two talons in his beak and blowing out a loud whistle.  Aiden would’ve considered something like this to be unbelievably cartoony and likely impossible, but living in this world for over a month and a half has given him plenty of time to adapt to such odd things.  “Hey, Erebus!”  The Lieutenant called out, causing one griffin to turn his head.  Cadmus motioned for the griffin soldier to come to him, and he obeyed.

    “Is there a problem, sir?”  The griffin named Erebus asked as he stood at attention for his officer.

    “No, Private,” Cadmus replied.  “I only need you to escort the Princess here back to Stormview, safely.”  He gestured to the alicorn.  “It’s a simple task; can I trust you to fulfill it?”

    “Of course, sir!”  The griffin replied with a confident salute.  “She won’t have a scratch on her!”

    “Good,” Cadmus said as he turned back to the alicorn.  “Private Erebus here will gladly escort you back to the capital, if you’re ready to go.”  Celestia bowed her head before voicing her gratitude.

    “You have my thanks, Lieutenant; I wish you and your soldiers good luck in this task.”  She turned her concerned gaze towards the human.  “And to you too, Aiden; stay safe.”

    “I will, Princess,” he offered as a meager response.  The alicorn Princess and her griffin escort both lifted into flight, on their way back to the city of Stormview.  He turned and blew a gust of breath upwards, blowing several strands of hair out of his vision.  “Alright,” he said, bringing his hands together.  “Let’s get started here.”

    “I agree,” Cadmus replied as he turned to make his way back to his squadron, some of whom were investigating the surrounding barracks, while others only waited for him at the entrance of the mines.  Tempest Runner and Night Step both came to Aiden’s side.

    “Where is she going?”  Tempest whispered to Aiden, gesturing a hoof to the direction in which she and Private Erebus flew.

    “She’s being escorted back to Stormview,” Aiden answered.  “Don’t worry about her; she’ll be fine.”

    “I hope you’re right,” Tempest sighed, tossing a concerned glance back at the Princess and the griffin, both of them now just shrinking dots being swallowed up by the sky.  Aiden tapped the pegasus on his right shoulder.

    “C’mon,” the human said while offering a reassuring smile.  “We’ve got work to do.”  The three of them proceeded onward to join with the Lieutenant’s group, ready to delve into the depths of Silver River Mines.  Cadmus raised an eyebrow at them as they approached.

    “Are we ready?”  He asked.

    “Sergeant Waystone and his group have secured the perimeter, and Sergeant Ilric reports that everything checks out in the barracks thus far,” a griffin Corporal stated.

    “Excellent,” the Lieutenant concluded.  “Then our little mining expedition is ready to begin!”  Aiden huffed as the griffins passed the mouth of the cavern, spears and handcannons at the ready.  The human and Equestrian ponies gazed into the darkness.

    The former knew that what waited inside gazed back.

    The many different mining tunnels seemed to be connected to a central chamber that spiraled downward into the darkness of the Earth, seemingly infinitely.  Aiden and company, along with Cadmus and a unit of five other griffins  had begun their incursion into the depths of Frostfire Mountain, prepared for the worst.

    Night Step provided a torchlight with a deep purple glow from his horn; Tempest loomed his head over the edge of the spiraling ramp that lead downward, squinting his eyes at the dark bowels below.  He brought his line of sight forward again and whispered to himself: “Yeah, that’s quite a ways down, alright.”

    “Eyes forward, Corporal,” Aiden whispered back, gesturing for the pegasus to keep up with the others.  The human, however, had his own eyes focused on the many different tunnels that branched off from this central navel in the Earth.  As far as any of them knew, Vanguard could’ve been anywhere in these caverns, for while they could faintly hear the pulsating and just barely feel the tremors that gave off his presence, being in an enormous underground mining network made it more than difficult to pinpoint their source.

    “We need to find the source of those tremors,” Cadmus began as he advanced to the head of the squadron.  “We’ll begin with the tunnels closest to the surface and progressively work our way down.”  He began to hand out orders to the other five griffin soldiers that were under his command, telling them to investigate the nearby tunnels.  Ultimately, they had split into three even groups; Cadmus took two griffins with him into one of the nearby tunnels, whilst the other three soldiers forged their own way into the depths of the mines.  “We’ll meet back out here in ten minutes and then proceed down into the next level.”  The Lieutenant finished as the griffins parted ways with their foreign acquaintances.

    Aiden was, of course, left with his two original accomplices to investigate the complex.  Aiden stepped forward, Night Step’s magical aura still providing light as Cadmus and the others had gone their separate ways.  The human breathed in deeply, trying to shut out the distant, faint pulsating throbs and the tremors.  “Well,” the young man began.  “We’d best get started.”  He beckoned the two stallions with a hand as he approached a tunnel entrance just a few feet further down the spiraling path.  The two ponies nodded.

    Aiden had mentally prepared himself for the worst, expecting to see something gruesome, considering how merciless Vanguard was to the griffin platoon at Taotras.  In actuality, the only thing they had discovered was abandoned mining equipment.  “A relief, I guess,” the young man thought to himself as he lifted a single pickaxe from the stone floor for Night Step to examine.  The equipment all seemed fairly new.

    “Seems that everyone left in quite a hurry,” Night Step stated.

    “Way to point out the obvious,” Tempest said with a roll of his eyes.  This earned a fairly brief glare of animosity from the unicorn mage before he turned his attention back to the abandoned gathering of tools.  The deposit of silver ore simply sat embedded into the cave wall, still waiting to be exploited for a profit.

    “Understandable,” Aiden added to Night Step’s conclusion.  “But I don’t get why Vanguard would spare them?  He doesn’t exactly strike me as the merciful type.”

    “Who knows?”  Tempest said with a shrug.  “The only bodies we’ve seen so far were outside, up on the surface.”  A shudder ran through his body at the mention of the sight  as he proceeded further down the tunnel.

    “Yes, and they were all armed,” Night Step added.  “It seems that the workers were all allowed to simply flee.”  Aiden squatted down to examine the tools that were left behind to gather dust.  Amongst the various pieces of metal and fragments of stone, he could’ve sworn he saw something out of place.  Squinting his eyes, he saw what appeared to be something refracting the light from Night Step’s horn.  He reached a hand down and rested his index finger on it, gently.

    “Huh,” the man thought.  “I wonder what could this be.”  He decided to answer his own question; he pinched the object between his index finger and thumb; it was small, rounded, and metallic.  The refraction was being produced by a single sapphire in the center of the silver body, whilst a small chain followed it from the cave floor.

    “Find something, Aiden?”  Night Step asked as he approached him, bringing his makeshift torch along.  Aiden turned, bringing his discovery into the purple glow of the unicorn’s horn.

    “A necklace,” Aiden replied as he rested the trinket in the palm of his hand.  “Looks like it would be worth a lot,” he said.

    “What, do you plan on pawning it, or something?”  Tempest Runner teased as he turned his attention to the darkness of the path ahead.  Aiden chuckled back at the friendly jape whilst Night Step merely rolled his eyes like he always did.

    “Really, Tempest?”  The mage groaned.  The pegasus began laughing as well.

    “What?”

    “Do you really have no--” Night Step paused and rolled his eyes whilst drawing breath in through his parted lips.  “Never mind,” he shook his head as his own laugh escaped.  Aiden stood up straight, holding the necklace in the palm of his left hand, and the epicenter of the  chain in between the index and middle fingers of his right.

    “Alright, guys,” the human sighed.  “Let’s not get too sidetracked here.  Did you find anything interesting, Tempest?”  The pegasus shook his head, eyes closed and what looked like a small frown that was just being kept at bay was trying to crease its way across his lips.  Aiden hummed to himself briefly, looking back down at the trinket he held in the palm of his hand.

    “The tunnel doesn’t really go back any further, either,” the pegasus replied before giving another shrug.  “I guess they figured they wouldn’t find much more this close to the surface, or something.  Anyone’s guess is just as good as mine.”  Aiden nodded slowly as he turned his attention towards the path that led back into the central chamber.

    “Alright,” he sighed with disappointment.  “Then I guess that all we can do is--”

    “Hold up!”  Night Step suddenly hissed, catching the attention of his two companions.  Aiden immediately turned a hundred and eighty degrees where he stood to see the young mage scholar standing almost perfectly still, an expression of worry and anticipation on his face.

    “What is it?”  Aiden asked, his own face awash with anxiety.  “Is something wrong?”  Night Step remained silent as his left ear swiveled and twitched as he kept his gaze on the rock floor.  “Well, something must be up,” the young man thought as he focused his own gaze on the floor, hoping to see, or hear, whatever it was that the unicorn was picking up.  Tempest Runner looked at the mage with an askew gaze.

    “You’re not going crazy on us, are you?”  The pegasus asked with a frown.  He was immediately shushed by Night Step.

    “You don’t hear it?”  The mage asked as he lowered his head towards the floor, an ear still twitching.  Tempest seemed to hesitate for a moment before he shrugged his shoulders and lowered his own head down to Night Step’s level, his head tilted slightly with his right ear pointed towards the cave floor.  A few seconds passed as Tempest shook his head, closed his eyes and let out a small cough.  The look on Night Step’s face only seemed to grow more concerned, while Aiden merely looked on, bewildered at what the two ponies were doing.

    “Do you hear it?”  The unicorn asked, waiting for Tempest’s response.  The pegasus in question remained still, as did his companions; the only audible sound, at least to Aiden’s ears, was the reverberating pulse that echoed through the mines, always reminding them that Vanguard was near.  The tremors followed each pulse, seemingly coming from underneath them; they started quietly, slowly getting louder as the quake itself passed through the tunnel, then quickly fading into nothingness, only to repeat itself with every pulse that followed.

    Aiden had actually begun to grow somewhat accustomed to it, but it seemed that the same could not be said for his equine companions.  Whilst the human thought of these things however, he had just begun to notice that he had gained the attention of his two friends.  Or rather, the ground he was standing on had gained their attention.  They both stared at the rock beneath his feet with expressions of sheer terror, Tempest gritting his teeth while Night Step forced his mouth open to speak.

    “Aiden,” the unicorn mage began.  “Listen very carefully to me.”  He slowly extended a shaking forelimb, pointing it at the ground that Aiden stood upon.

    “Why?  What’s wrong?”  Aiden asked.  He looked down at his feet just when another tremor passed through the tunnel from the bowels of the earth, headed towards the surface.  Casting a glance up at his companions, then back down at the rock floor, Aiden felt a strong desire to punch himself for being so slow.

    “Oh...fuck me.”  Aiden whispered as the unsettling cracking noise of what sounded like thunder soon became obvious to his ears.

    “Shit...” Tempest groaned with despair.  He frowned deeply while taking a few tentative steps backwards.  “This can’t be good.”

    “Stay where you are!”  Night Step hissed at the pegasus.  “We can’t risk upsetting the stability of the tunnel any further.”  He finished as he planted his hooves firmly on the ground.

    “So...” Aiden began as his worry became evident.  “What the hell do we do now?”

    “We remain calm,” Night Step replied.  “That’s what we do.”

    “Well, the sound of the floor ready to cave in under my feet sure isn’t helping!”  Aiden yelled, clearly distressed.

    “That includes keeping our voices down!”  The mage hissed through his teeth.

    “Besides,” Tempest sighed.  “You have nothing to worry about, Aiden, if you remember how Vanguard dropped you from near orbit, but you came out with hardly a scratch on you.”  He paused and let out a laugh.  “Falling a few feet down a caved in mining tunnel is nothing compared to that.”

    Despite the new situation they had found themselves in, Aiden laughed with the pegasus, prompting the unicorn mage to shush them both again.  While the memory of the event was indeed rather fresh in his mind, Aiden could laugh at it, knowing that if Vanguard would attempt such a feat again, he at least had a way to defend himself.  “So you’re suggesting that you both use me to break your fall?”  The human smiled when he got a chuckle out of Tempest.  Even the usual eyeroll from Night Step offered some form of solace.

    “Yeah, that’s exactly what I’m suggesting,” Tempest joked back, keeping his voice to a whisper just loud enough for the others to hear him.  He turned to the unicorn, whom had his eyes closed.  “What do you think, Night Step?”  The mage didn’t respond.  Tempest tilted his head as he continued to reach for the unicorn’s attention.  “Night Step!”  The mage’s left ear twitched at the mention of his name, but he still didn’t reply.  “Step!”  Tempest leaned towards the mage as he continued to call for the his attention.  “Oh, Steppy,” he called him by a ridiculous nickname in a teasing tone of voice.  Finally, the mage responded.

    “I’m trying to see if my magic can get us out of here,” he sighed, irritation was clear in his voice.  He finally turned his gaze over to the pegasus, his eyes open and glaring daggers at him.  “You are not helping.”  He turned his gaze forward again, his eyes shutting again.  Now it was Tempest’s turn to roll his eyes.

    “Just trying to lighten up the mood,” he sighed quietly.  “No need to have a stick up your ass about it...”

    Aiden frowned at the animosity that was apparently between the two ponies.  The man turned his attention to the unicorn, whose horn was still glowing; the mage closed his eyes again, attempting to concentrate.  “Are you getting anything, Night Step?”  Aiden asked.  The unicorn breathed in a ragged breath through clenched teeth, bowing his head as his horn shimmered furiously.  The pulse seemed to become even more aggravated at his increased effort.  He gasped for breath and the glowing aura around his horn died down to a dim light.  The mage shook his head, trying to catch his breath.

    “That damned pulse...” he shook his head again as he looked up at the human with a sorrowful frown.  “I’m sorry, I just can’t...”  Aiden opened his mouth, ready to say something to comfort and encourage the poor guy, when he heard another tremor making its way toward the surface.  This time, the sound of the ground ready to give way below them was undeniably audible.  The three of them exchanged terrified stares.

    Their stares returned to the tunnel’s floor.  Another tremor could be heard ready to make its way towards them.

    “I’m so sorry, you guys,” Night Step whispered.  Aiden wanted to say something, anything, but falling through a newly formed hole in the ground placed that goal into the furthest reaches of his mind.

    A pleasant dinner was the only thing needed to conclude their evening.  True, Aiden wasn’t the kind of guy who would typically take a girl out in public, but at the very least, he and Emily knew each other for about four years now; while usually they would simply have dinner at one another’s homes, or something along those lines, this was the second going-out occasion that could be considered an actual “date.”

    This place was one of the more prestigious restaurants on this side of town; by prestigious, that means the drinks and food cost roughly the same amount as feeding an entire settlement’s population for a day.  It wasn’t much to Aiden’s taste, but at least he and Emily enjoyed each other’s company.

    The light of the evening sun was skewered by the city’s skyline as the two of them stood in the restaurant parking lot, Aiden’s left hand tucked into his coat pocket, while his right hand clutched the neck of an unopened bottle of white wine that they had bought for thirty dollars.  Emily walked by his left side, looking ahead with a small smile displayed across her lips.  Aiden threw a glance in her direction while holding the bottle level with his chest.  He smiled at her with a slightly silly grin.

    “So,” he offered her.  “Does the idea of cracking this thing open appeal to you?”  This got a chuckle out of the young woman walking beside him.

    “Tempting,”  she said whilst placing a finger on her chin, feigning contemplation in a teasing way.  “But I’ve really ought to get myself home; my brother is coming to visit from New York tomorrow, and my place looks like the aftermath of an earthquake.”  Aiden tilted his head up towards the darkening April sky.

    “From New York City, you said?”  He asked as a chilly, early Spring breeze blew through the few soon to bloom tree branches that hung overhead.  Emily shook her head quickly at the question.

    “Most of my family lives just South of Albany,” she answered.  “Including him.”  Aiden nodded in understanding.

    “I see,” he quietly stated.  “So I guess we’ll just go our separate ways once we reach the metro station?”

    “Yeah,” she sighed before joining him in turning her gaze up towards the evening sky, which was shrouded in darkness in the East, while bathed in shades of orange and pink in the West.  The two spectrums blended together at the apex of the sky as the two walked on, no more than a few inches of space between them, the two of them with little more than each other’s company to take in and enjoy.

    Aiden couldn’t help but think to himself: “Wow...that cloud looks kinda like a bunny rabbit...but then, don’t they all?”  As his head rested against the rock, his vision swam and rippled like the disturbed surface of a forest pond.  As for the “cloud” he was staring up at, his disoriented vision seemed to perceive it as rapidly getting closer and closer to him.  Come to think of it, the white blur obscuring his vision seemed to have a shade of golden yellow added to it...and it started speaking to him.

    The voice, while sounding familiar to him, was just spouting little more than indecipherable nonsense; at least that’s how it sounded to Aiden for a few moments.  The white blur soon grew two navy blue spheres at its top as Aiden felt a strange pressure being placed on his chest; it was gentle and precise, and the voice’s words soon became more recognizable.

    “Aiden!  Are you still with us?”

    Aiden couldn’t help but allow a completely dorky grin to creep its way onto his face.  “Hello to you too, Mr. Cloudy,” the young man groggily sighed.  A period of silence slowly followed, allowing time for his vision to reorient itself.  Tempest Runner lifted his hoof off of Aiden’s chest, and the human just know took note of the worried look on the stallions face.

    “Dude,” Tempest said, exasperated.  “Do you have any idea how far you fell!?”  He spoke in a hushed tone.  Aiden allowed his head to slowly sway from side to side for a few moments before offering any kind of a reply.  The human placed a hand on his forehead, groaning in pain as he did so, his eyes clenched shut.  Aiden’s vision was almost clear again.

    “Holy fuck, guys,” he tried to lift himself up to a sitting position, despite the nearly indescribable pain in the back of his head demanding otherwise.  He looked from the pegasus at his side to the unicorn mage that wasn’t too far behind.  His gaze shifted upwards towards the cave ceiling, upon which a large, black, gaping void was all that could be discerned.  He looked back at the two ponies, both of whom were staring at him, incredulously.  Aiden slowly allowed his hand to fall into his lap before speaking again.

    “I’ll bite,” he began with a slight crack in his voice.  “How far did I fall?”  Neither Tempest or Night Step answered at first; they merely exchanged worried glances with each other before returning their concerned stares back to Aiden.

    “It was fairly damn far,” Night Step finally answered whilst shaking his head, his mouth still agape.  “Aiden, how is it possible that you’re still alive!?”  Night Step’s question echoed through the chamber around them.  “Your fall couldn’t have been any less than fifty feet!  You hit your head on the rocks for Celestia’s sake!”

    Tempest remained silent for a few moments further, while Night Step continued on about how impossible it was for Aiden’s survival.  Aiden looked down in his lap, his palms facing back up at him.  He tried to sit up straighter, the pain in his skull still wreaking havoc; tentatively, he brought his left hand up to the side of his head, reaching back to feel for the wound that would no doubt be wide open.  He clenched his teeth in anticipation for the sudden spike of agitation that would occur...

    ...And he was right.

    The sudden pain caused him to jump slightly from where he was, yelling briefly in agony and wincing as he did so.  He swore again, for what must’ve been the twentieth time that day.  “Mother fuckeeerrr!”  He immediately retracted his hand back to his lap, his two most recent words possibly echoing all the way to the surface.  Indeed, the tips of his fingers were now stained a bright scarlet with fresh blood.  He stared back at the two ponies, both of whom were the same age as him, and both of whom appeared just as confused as he was.

    Aiden wiped the blood on the rock floor to his left and breathed in deeply.  “How did you guys survive?  Night Step’s magic wasn’t working...”  Tempest answered by simply flaring his wings at first.

    “I had to carry him, though,” he pointed his head over to Night Step, whom merely looked away from the two of them.  “And by the way, you could stand to lose some weight.”  He teased the mage with a friendly smile on his face.  The unicorn replied with his usual scowl.

    “Very funny, Tempest,” he sighed.

    Aiden smiled at Tempest’s usual antics.  “So it looks like everyone’s alright, except for me of course,” he said with a meager laugh as he moved to stand up.

    “Woah, hold up,” Tempest placed his hoof back on Aiden’s chest.  The human looked at him with a confused look.

    “What?” He shrugged.  Night Step walked around to look at the back of Aiden’s head.  The human sighed.  “I’ll be fine, guys,” he protested.  Night Step almost instantly made a disgusted noise at the sight of the wound on the back of Aiden’s skull.

    “You sure don’t look fine to me,” the unicorn grunted as he returned to Aiden’s front.

    “How bad does it look?”  The human asked.  Night Step winced at the thought of mentioning his informal diagnosis, while casting a doubtful glance at Tempest Runner.  After the two stallions looked at each other for a brief second, the unicorn turned back to Aiden.

    “It looks pretty bad,” he said while looking down at the cave floor.  “I’m not at all sugarcoating it, Aiden,” the unicorn frowned while shaking his head.  The human sighed, assuming his usual Native American style of sitting.  He shrugged briefly.

    “Oh well,” he sighed as he stood up rather quickly.  “Ow, shit,” he whispered as the pain in his skull protested once again.  He turned his attention back at the two ponies, who now had to look up at him, for he was a good foot and a half taller.

    “Aiden, seriously!”  Night Step protested.  “That wound looked bad; maybe we should wait for the others to come down to us?”  Aiden looked back up at the gaping void staring back at them from where they stood not too long ago.

    “I doubt that they think we’ve survived a fall like that,” Aiden responded in a sepulchral tone of voice.  “I think our best option is to find another way back towards the surface.”

    “You’re absolutely certain that you’ll be alright?”  Tempest asked with concern in his voice.  Aiden chuckled to himself as he looked to his left, then to his right.

    “Hey, if you both remember correctly, Vanguard dropped me several thousand feet from low orbit when we first encountered him.”  Aiden placed his hands on his hips, smiling down at the two stallions with optimism.  “I think I can handle a small fifty foot tumble down a mineshaft.”  The ponies exchanged worried glances once again as Aiden turned his attention to the stone rubble at his feet.  He could’ve sworn that he saw something glimmer.  Reaching down to grasp it, he realized that it was in fact the trinket he had acquired in the tunnel above.

    “I wonder if the owner is still hiding out in these mines,” he thought to himself, feeling slightly sorry for whomever had lost such a nice looking necklace; even more so if it was something along the lines of a precious family heirloom.  He looked at the small silver amulet with the a sapphire embedded in the center.  “Well, if I can’t find the owner, I could always take Tempest’s suggestion into consideration.”

    “Well, Aiden?”  He heard the voice of Night Step ask.  He turned his head back to look at the two ponies; Tempest seemed eager to continue on.  “Are you ready to continue on, or...what?”  The mage still seemed unsure if the human was telling the truth about his physical condition.  Aiden paid one last glance at the trinket resting in his palm, the metal chain dangling from the spaces between his fingers.

    “Yeah,” he sighed, quickly placing the necklace in his pocket.  “Let’s go.”

    It seemed that the pulse that indicated Vanguard’s presence had just become noticeable again, or perhaps merely knocking his head against solid rock had jostled Aiden from its grasp.  The three of them had been walking for about fifteen minutes now, and they had yet to enter the central chamber of the mines that spiraled down into the earth.  Needless to say, attempting to traverse the layout of these lower caverns was hell on Night Step’s mind.

    The poor mage sighed in exhaustion from the walking, whilst the other two stood several feet ahead, waiting for him.  Tempest smirked at the unicorn before looking back at Aiden.  “Told ya he could stand to lose a few pounds,” he chuckled, happy that some of his playful teasing had come to fruition.  Aiden couldn’t help but snort softly at the comment, a smile spreading across his own face.

    “Yeah, don’t help me or anything,” Night Step nonchalantly retorted to Tempest’s remark.  “I’m perfectly fine over here.”  Tempest and Aiden exchanged humored glances again.  Aiden looked over to the unicorn.

    “Do you need any help?”  He asked, the smile not leaving his face.  Night Step scoffed and waved a hoof at them.

    “No, I’ll be fine,” he replied, shaking his head.  “Although I’ll admit that it’s in my best interests that I take Tempest’s advice and get out more.”  He smiled back and began to catch up with the two of them.

    “Alright,” Aiden said while turning to face the dark tunnel ahead of them.  He made a simple gesture to move forward with one hand.  “I guess we forge onward.”

    And so they did.  The trio continued forward down the only path that was available, silence dominating the atmosphere around them, with the exception of Vanguard’s ever present magic numbing pulse and the occasional tremor that passed through the increasingly widening tunnel.  The veil of darkness ahead simply refused to give in, much like the black veil that a church minister refused to take off in a short story that Aiden read a long time ago.  The young man focused his attention on the path ahead, not wanting to become too distracted by anything; it was hard enough with the pulse and the tremors.  The former of which seemed to be getting slightly stronger as the trio walked on.

    “I guess that means he must be close,” Aiden thought to himself, looking over to his two companions.  They both kept walking, eyes forward.  Aiden frowned at the thought of them encountering Vanguard once again, judging by how things went on the previous occasion.  There was no doubt in his mind that it was a traumatizing experience for them to witness.  Aiden looked over to Night Step, who appeared to be visibly fatigued.  The human frowned as he tilted his head.

    “You alright, Night Step?”  Aiden whispered over to the unicorn, whose head lifted at the sound of his acquaintance’s voice.

    “I’m doing fine,” the stallion tiredly spoke back to him.  “Just trying my best to blot out that annoying pulse.”  He shook his head while he mentioned the cause of his fatigue.  Aiden huffed softly at the fact that the pulse wasn’t just bothering him.

    “How about you, Tempest?”  He asked the pegasus while keeping his eyes forward.  “Are you holding up?”

    “Well, bringing it up in conversation isn’t helping me ignore it,” the Corporal sighed.

    “Right,” Aiden chuckled to himself.  “Sorry about that.”  Tempest dismissed it, saying that it was no problem for him.  The three of them remained silent, trying to focus on the path ahead of them, which the pulsating and tremor sensations made difficult enough.  Just when the veil of darkness seemed as though it would never give in, a sudden descent could be noticed further down the wide tunnel.  Aiden’s eyes widened at the sight; he turned to his two acquaintances, hoping that they were seeing the same thing.

    “I see it too, Aiden,” Tempest said before Aiden could even open his mouth.  Night Step soon had his full attention on the sudden drop ahead.

    “A way out?”  He hypothesized to himself, the fatigue still evident in his voice.  Aiden looked over to the two of them briefly before beginning a slow jog towards the edge; he could hear the paces of their hooves behind him trying to keep up.  Gazing over the edge and into the darkness below, the human mentally noted that it was in fact a staircase of sorts (if one could even call it that.)  He sighed as the two Equestrians joined him in looking down into the Earth’s depths.

    “I’m pretty sure that we want to go up,” Aiden sighed.  “But, you know, anywhere is better than here, most likely.”  Night Step contemplated on what was just said.

    “The tunnel collapse makes it impossible for us to go back, and my magic isn’t working because of that damned pulse...”

    “Well, we already know that our bipedal friend here can take any fall that’s thrown at him,” Tempest winked as he nudged his foreleg into left hip.  Aiden rolled his eyes, much like how Night Step does whenever the pegasus is like this.

    “That doesn’t mean I feel no pain, Tempest,” Aiden scoffed while looking over the edge at the cave floor further down.

    “Speaking of which,” Night Step said.  “How’s your head feeling?”

    “The pain seems to have dulled down a little bit,” Aiden began.  “Not really sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing.  The tremors still rile up the irritation, though.”  Another quake passed through the tunnel at that that moment, as if to prove Aiden’s point.  The young man grunted as another wave of agony passed through his skull in correspondence to the latest tremor.  He looked over to the unicorn and pointed a hand out to the dark abyss ahead of them.  “See?”

    “Ah,” the unicorn chuckled at Aiden’s reaction.  “Yes, I understand.”  He paused, his gaze also returning to the veil of darkness that faced them.  “So...I guess that Tempest will have to carry me again...”

    “Joy,” the pegasus sighed.  Aiden squinted his eyes, trying to see down to the bottom.

    “Looks like it might be only fifteen feet,” the human said.  He scratched his chin while contemplating their next course of action.  “Eh, yeah I can definitely take a fall like that.”  He crouched down with his feet just barely grazing the edge of the fall.

    “Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Tempest intervened, placing a hoof on Aiden’s shoulder.  “You sure about this?  I know that you survived two huge falls in like, the past month, or whatever,” he paused, tossing a brief glance to Night Step.  “You should know that jumping off cliffs...it kind of isn’t the safest way to move around, you know?”  He frowned at the human.  “So please understand that Night Step and I might get just a tad bit concerned if you’re just walking around, throwing yourself off extreme heights, and then just walking away like nothing happened.”  Aiden looked back at the pit before them and sighed.

    “Well, I don’t really fancy the idea of cracking the back of my skull open even further,” he whispered as he stood back up, looking over to Tempest Runner.  “Well, what other way down do you suggest?”  Tempest raised an eyebrow before he rolled his eyes and sighed.

    “Do I really need to keep mentioning these?”  The pegasus asked as his wings extended to almost half their span.

    “Oh,” Aiden chuckled.  “You can carry both of us?”

    “I’ll just do it one at a time, if need be,” Tempest replied.  “What about you, Steppy?”  Tempest asked the unicorn mage, whose ear flicked at being called that unwanted nickname.  “You up for it?”  Night Step shrugged.

    “Whatever can get us out of this hole in the ground,” the weary unicorn sighed.  Tempest looked back to Aiden, a smile upon his lips.

    “Sounds like a ‘yes’ to me!”  The pegasus exclaimed.  “Ready, Night Step?”  He asked looking back at the mage, his wings now extended at their full span.

    Night Step shrugged once again.  “Go for it.”  Tempest approached the unicorn, his wings lifting him into the air shortly after.  As he flew behind the mage, locking his forelimbs underneath Night Step’s, Aiden couldn’t help but smile and chuckle at the sight.

    “Awww, you both look so cute together.”  He sighed in a teasing way.  “This is gonna be my OTP from now on; just letting you both know that.”  Aiden’s comment made Tempest snort and break his concentration slightly.  Night Step blushed a deep crimson underneath his dark blue coat.  The unicorn, eyes still wide at the lewd comment, only replied with three words.

    “Up yours, Aiden.”  Tempest shook his head while he lifted himself and the still flushed mage into the air.  The two of them disappeared beneath the ledge for a few brief seconds, then Tempest reemerged from the darkness, no longer holding the embarrassed unicorn.  Tempest smiled and began laughing again as he rested his eyes on the human whom had just romantically (and possibly sexually) paired him with a mage that he hardly liked, or even knew for that matter.

    “Alright,” Tempest managed to curb his laughter.  “It’s perfectly safe down there from what I’ve seen.  So I guess it’s your turn.”  With that said, Tempest turned to his side, and lowered himself for Aiden to climb onto his back.  “Ready?”  The pegasus asked.

    “Yep, giddy up,” Aiden said, lightly tapping the heel of his boot into Tempest’s flank.  Aiden had become used to the sensation of riding a flying horse at this point, and he found nothing weird about the concept; the thought very rarely crossed his mind at this point, in fact.  Scratch that; he found it incredibly weird to ride a flying horse!  But he found no point in questioning things when he knew that no answer would be given.

    The Cipher was before him.  Vanguard would at last be set upon the path that would enthrone him back on the Seat of Abitrath where he and his siblings belonged.  The only exclusion being Intervention.

    Without saying a word, the ageless deity approached the steps that led up to the circular device that was the built into the floor.  Interaction with human technology had become a common thing for him back during what he and the other Forerunners call the Greatest Usurp when humanity overthrew their ever watchful overlords.  Working this ancient mechanism would be no different.

    Once his human vessel’s feet made contact with the polished, glassy material that made up the floor of the Cipher, the entire device began to glow a soft, sky blue color.  Vanguard paid no mind to this change; he continued on his path towards the center of the Cipher device.  Sighing as the blue light of the now active Cipher illuminated the darkened chamber around him, the Forerunner squatted down and sat in the center of the room, and his legs crossed over one another.

    He stared ahead with a blank look upon his face, waiting for the device to project its hologram.  The cyan glow soon formed into bright lines on the Cipher, outlining the continents and land masses of the world on the floor in front of him.  Rodinia and Zebrica became distinguishable first, the two large continents joined by a small isthmus between what today were the nations of Kobos and Lunfad.  Far South across the Rodinian Sea, the enormous continental stretch known as the Dragonlands became noticeable.

    Northwest of the two main land masses, across the Pale Sea, was the collection of large islands, known by most modern scholars as “the Forgotten World,” mainly because of the treacherous conditions of the sea between it and the continents of Rodinia and Zebrica.  Vanguard couldn’t help but smirk at the rather silly title.  “That corner of the world is hardly forgotten,” the entity thought.  Once every last scrap of land on the planet was highlighted on the floor in front of him, from the Frozen Corner to the Seam of the World, Vanguard sighed, patiently waiting for the next display to appear.

    Another hologram descended from the ceiling, also the exact same color as the holographic map in front of him; it was an interactive menu with several options, all of which displayed in a language that had been dead for untold millennia.  Without so much as a second of thought, Vanguard chose the third option on the menu, which read “Population Diffusion”; his selection became highlighted at his finger’s touch.

    The Cipher reacted by forming many circles upon the continents on the map, representing human cities.  Lines of small blue, glowing text lined up next to each city, displaying each one’s name, location, population, and statistics of that nature.  This information was likely far from accurate, however, with it being several thousand years old.

    His finger moved down to the fifth option on the menu, which read as “Local Cryogenic Storage.”  He smirked as he selected it, somewhat curious as to what monstrosities the humans were keeping down here.  A list emerged from the menu, displaying the names of several very rare, very dangerous creatures, as well as how many were in storage.

White Scaled Banshee:

Hazard level: Moderate

Two in storage

Sulfur Runner:

Hazard level: Moderate

Three in storage

Ursa Major:

Hazard level: High

One in storage

Chimera:

Hazard level: High

One in storage

Vanguard skimmed his way towards the bottom of the list until he found what he was looking for:

[CLASSIFIED]

Hazard level: Extreme

One in storage

    ***NOTICE***SUBJECT IS A HIGH CLASS THREAT UNDER CONSTANT OBSERVATION: UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES IS THE SUBJECT TO BE RELEASED FROM CRYOGENIC HIBERNATION.  ONLY AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL MAY ENTER THE SOLITARY CONTAINMENT CHAMBER.

Demetrius Veldan, Assistant Chief Scientist

    Vanguard’s attention was soon drawn to the option at the bottom of the menu: “Cryogenic Release.”  Vanguard sighed as he took into account that the creature he came here to release could not be emancipated through the Cipher.  He did, however, have a decent selection of deterrents for the squadron griffins that had entered the mines above.

    While selecting the creatures to release from storage, Vanguard could sense his brother approaching, the closest he’s ever been since their first encounter in Taotras.  The lone human city that rested at the Seam of the World came to his mind.  He sighed as he attempted to push everything out of his mind for a brief time, hoping for only a moment of respite from the task that plagued him.

    The stairwell ahead was most definitely not of natural origin.  Aiden, Tempest Runner, and Night Step had continued down the intimidating, widening path, only to be met with a continuing descent into this wretched hole in the ground.  The human sighed as he gazed down the stairs into the veil of darkness that simply refused to give way to an end.  He stepped forward, the very tips of his boots teetering over the edge of the first step; he exchanged brief glances with his two companions.

    The two stallions looked back at him, their expressions filled with worry.  The ponies then looked at each other, frowning as Aiden began the trek down the stairs and deeper into the abyss.  The human made it no further than ten or eleven steps before turning ninety degrees and looking back at them, his right foot two steps further down than his left.  He briefly raised an eyebrow and gestured with both of his hands towards the darkness below.

    “Well?”  He questioned both of them as his hands returned to dangling at his sides.  “Am I going in alone, or what?”  He didn’t wait for their answer; for once, he knew what it would be.  He turned back to face the darkness ahead of him, and when he descended no further than six more steps, he heard the sound of hooves striking against stone.  Aiden paid little mind to this, opting to rather continue down into the bowels of the earth; his two pony companions not far behind; with a neutral expression on his face.  His only thoughts were on the stairs.

    He concentrated on reaching the bottom of the stairs, trying his hardest not to think of the confrontation that would follow.

Act 4.5

4.5

“I’m not ashamed...”

    Confusion was soon replaced by anxiety, as Princess Celestia tried to understand what was happening.  None of the Parliament members would pay even the slightest amount of attention to her inquiries, they merely shouted frantic questions at each other, most of which concerned the whereabouts of one of their elders whom had disappeared.  She turned her attention to a griffin soldier to her left and cleared her throat to gain his attention.  The griffon replied by turning his head swiftly in her direction.

    “I’m terribly sorry to bother you,” the Princess tried to remain as tactful as she believed was necessary.  “But may I ask what the problem is?”  The griffin shrugged.

    “My apologies, your Highness,” the soldier replied.  “I wasn’t really told anything either, but from what I can surmise, it looks like that old fool Elder Garand is missing.”  The guard seemed to cringe at the mention of that name.  “Where he went is anyone’s guess.”

    Celestia turned her gaze forward at the mention of the Parliament member whom had sicced the guards on her.  King Samran was up, turning his attention from one of his constituents to the Princess; a look of frustration and anger was upon his face.  She was the first to speak, however.

    “Your Grace,” Celestia spoke as the other members of the Parliament began to quiet down.  “If I may ask this of you, did Elder Garand  say anything, or give any implications as to where he might have gone?”  Samran clasped his talons together, thinking about the Princess’s question.

    “He certainly didn’t speak a word to any of us after the meeting,” he said as he leaned back into his throne.  “I imagine that the old veteran would be trying to make his point by any means, like he usually does.”  The King looked up suddenly; a thought that inspired dread was evident within his mind, judging by the horrified look that soon took over his complexion.  “He couldn’t have,” he whispered to himself, although his voice carried all the way to Celestia’s side of the conference table.

    “Your Grace?”  One of the Parliament griffins asked in a worried tone.  King Samran looked over at the griffin who just spoke.  The chamber went completely silent as Samran looked to his left and right at the Parliament members at his sides.  He clasped his talons together again as he finally spoke to them while looking forward, straight at the alicorn who sat across the table.

    “I wish to speak with the Princess in private,” he spoke quietly, but his voice carried through the entire chamber so that all within could hear.  “This session of the Royal Parliament of Gryphonia is adjourned,” he said in a flat tone, not taking his eyes off Celestia.  The Parliament members exchanged brief glances with each other after hearing their ruler’s words.  Some stood up from their seats and gathered their possessions, while others still sat where they were, evidently bewildered at the King’s words.  He broke eye contact with Celestia again to give short looks of impatience at the ones who remained seated.

    “Well?”  He asked and gestured to the giant wooden doors at the entrance of the building.  “You’re all free to return to your homes for the day.”  The Parliamentary griffins who had not yet begun to clear out of the building exchanged unsure glances with each other; some kept their gazes off of their King.  Eventually, they all stood up with all of their possessions gathered and began to shuffle their way out, like timid school children being dismissed from class by an impatient teacher.

    Samran eventually left his seat at the head of the table once the majestic wooden doors shut with the last of the Parliament having been dismissed.  The entire chamber was quiet, save for the sound of the King’s talons striking the stone floor as he approached the Princess’s seat.  Celestia remained silent, waiting to hear what the foreign ruler would say to her.

    He stopped no more than about four feet away from her.  His expression of apprehension and worry soon spread to her face.  Celestia voiced her worry for the King’s well being.

    “Your Grace?”  The Princess asked the griffin king.  “Are you alright?”  The King sighed and looked up at his royal visitor, who was at least a foot taller than him.

    “I fear that Elder Garand may have decided to make his own journey to Frostfire Mountain,” he explained to the Princess.  Celestia frowned after hearing this.

    “What makes you say that?”

    “Like I said,” Samran explained to her.  “The older generation still holds a grudge against Equestria for the war thirty years back.”  He paused and looked down at the stone floor for a brief second.  “They actually distrust foreigners in general; pretty much anyone who isn't a griffin is fair game for their bigotry.”  He sighed as he moved to sit in the vacant chair next to her.  She was perfectly content with this.

    “Do politicians like him have support with the people?”  Celestia asked.

    “Not a lot, thankfully,” Samran replied.  “It’s primarily the older generation, but there are those who have passed these views on to their offspring, and this cycle of xenophobia continues.”  He waved a dismissive talon through the air.  “Ah, but we’re getting off topic here; I fear that while Garand’s supporters are in the minority, he does indeed still have some powerful allies.”  He paused for a mere second and scoffed.  “Many of which are persuaded by his coin, rather than his word.”

    “Do you not have the power to remove him from office?”  Celestia asked the troubled king.

    “It’s not that I don’t have the power to do so,” Samran answered.  “It’s not even that I don’t want to; it’s more out of respect for my father.”  Celestia nodded slowly as he mentioned the country’s previous ruler.  Samran continued.  “The two of them knew each other fairly well, even before my father became the regent after his uncle passed away.  They fought together in the Westwind Rebellions forty-seven years ago, and Garand was an honored guest at his coronation ceremony the following year.”  The King chuckled at himself.  “But look at me, getting off topic again,” he sighed as he turned his gaze back up to the Princess.

    “My apologies, Princess Celestia,” he said.  “I didn’t mean to bore you with my family’s past.”

    “You needn't worry about it, your Grace,” the alicorn replied.  “At any rate; do you believe that the regiment you sent is in danger?”

    “I trust Lieutenant Cadmus,” the King replied.  “I believe that he and his regiment can take care of themselves, and that Aiden friend of yours looked like he could handle himself.”  He paused and shook his head.  “It’s really that Forerunner we talked about: Vanguard.  I fear that Garand and his supporters might attempt something drastic; for all I know, they might see these Forerunners as weapons to be utilized for the betterment of the kingdom.”  He paused again and panned his gaze across the empty chamber.  “Make no mistake, after hearing what you and Aiden have told me, there is no way that this Vanguard character will simply allow an entity as powerful as himself to be used as a tool for political advantage.”

    “Then what is it that concerns you?”  Celestia asked.

    The King returned his complete attention to her.  “I believe that Garand will only make our country a target for these Forerunners; and that is something that simply cannot be allowed.”

    At this point, it was simply not possible to determine just how far down below the surface they were.  Aiden, Tempest Runner, and Night Step had continued their downward spiral into what could no longer be described as a mine shaft.  The walls had long lost their rigid, stone surface and was replaced by a flat, pale white metallic one.  Aiden recognized this material from the interior ruins of Taotras, and he shuddered at the thought of that evil place.  His two companions remained silent throughout the descent.

    For several moments, Aiden could’ve sworn that he heard the sound of running water within the walls.  This only worried him further at the thought of potentially being below the water table.  If one of those tremors caused a break in this place’s foundation, then a thin wall could give way to a deadly flow, and the three of them would be; to put it lightly; royally screwed.

    Aiden breathed in deeply as he finally saw an end to the stairs only a few feet further down.  “About Goddamn time,” he muttered under his breath.  He placed a foot ahead of himself, skipping two steps, on the surface below while letting out a sigh of relief that the downward trek had come to an end.  The two ponies soon followed.

    “So, now where are we?”  Tempest Runner asked as he and Night Step looked around at the dark room before them.  Tempest continued looking at Aiden, as if specifically expecting an answer from him, but Night Step obliged when no response came from the human.

    “Judging from the architecture,” the unicorn prepared to offer a lengthy reply.  “This place seems to be of human origin.  It appears to be an installation not too different from Taotras...”  The mage looked over to Tempest, likely waiting for a snide remark, but the pegasus said nothing.  Night Step went back to panning his gaze around the dark chamber, keeping his words to himself.

    What Aiden concerned himself with was locating the source of the pulse, and with it, Vanguard’s location.  “Well, no way we’re gonna find him by just standing here,” Aiden thought as he began to walk forward into the chamber.

    The room was illuminated almost immediately as the lights on the ceiling above flared to life, as if reacting to his presence.  Aiden shielded his eyes from the sudden brightness out of instinct, as did Night Step and Tempest.  Once his sight adjusted to the sudden illumination, Aiden allowed his protecting hand to return to its respective side.

    The chamber was wide; they had descended the stairs and emerged in the middle, and it was about ninety feet to each end.  For once in a human ruin, they encountered what they could call furniture.  Several long tables were arranged throughout the room in rows of three, somewhat like a mess hall one would encounter in military barracks.

    “Wow,” Tempest whispered.  “It looks just like my middle school cafeteria...except it’s really white and bright.”  Tempest’s usual jest got no laughs this time; not even the occasional chuckle out of Aiden, who typically found some enjoyment in the pegasus’s jovial attitude.

    “Hey, Aiden,” Night Step leaned toward the human and called for his attention.  He looked down at the unicorn who came up to his chest.  “I can feel the tremors getting stronger; I guess that means that he is near?”  The unicorn had a look of anxiety about him.  Aiden nodded to answer his question, but smiled to relieve his apprehension.

    “Don’t worry about it, Night Step,” Aiden whispered back.  “I’ll handle him; the two of you should just focus on finding out what he wanted with this place.”  The unicorn breathed a brief sigh of relief.

    “That’s a load off of my mind,” he said.  Aiden’s smile widened as he gestured with a hand at the doorway on the other end of the mess hall.

    “Come on,” he said as he continued forward.  “We aren’t gonna stop him by just standing here.”  Night Step smiled back and happily obliged to follow him alongside Tempest.  “So what do you think Vanguard hopes to find here?”  Aiden asked as he stuffed his left hand into his pocket.  He heard Night Step scoff behind him.

    “I was hoping you could tell me, actually,” the mage replied.  Aiden looked back at him with an emotionless expression as the three of them continued down the lit hallway.

    “I don’t know, yet,” he paused as he returned his attention forward.  “But I have an idea spinning around in here,” he lifted his right hand and tapped a finger on his noggin.

    “And what idea might that be?”  Tempest asked.

    “Well, I thought about the things that Vanguard said to me, about having a ‘family’ to reunite,” Aiden began.  “I have little reason to doubt that he is here to release another Forerunner.”

    “Hold on, Aiden,” Night Step interrupted.  “We don’t know that’s what he’s here for.”

    “No, we don’t,” Aiden concurred with the unicorn in that aspect.  “But think about it; why else would he come to some remote mine in the heart of the Gryphonian countryside?  I doubt that he’s here to enjoy the scenery.”

    “He could be here to retrieve some advanced human technology similar to the Thorn,” Night Step hypothesized.  Aiden nodded in understanding.

    “Fair enough,” the human replied.  He turned his attention to the pegasus to his right.  “Tempest, what do you think?”  Tempest pursed his lips and hummed to himself in contemplation.

    “Both sound reasonable, I guess,” Tempest replied.  “I just want to know why he would want better technology on his side when he already has all of those weird powers of his.”  Aiden smirked at Night Step while pointing at the pegasus whom had just backed up his hypothesis.  Night Step huffed and muttered “smartass” under his breath.  This seemed to lighten the serious mood up at least somewhat.  At least for the two ponies.

    The hallway was completely illuminated by the lights on the ceiling, painting the walls and floor a pure white color.  They could see this corridor end in a three way junction, with an option to turn either left or right.  Just below the ceiling, they could see two holographic signs of a faint cerulean color pointing down their respective directions.  The text on the signs was in a long deceased language and was of a brighter shade than the sign itself.  Tempest and Night Step both tilted their heads as they stared at the odd alphabetical characters, so foreign from their own.

    “I suppose it would be wishful thinking to hope that you could decipher these signs, Aiden?”  Night Step asked as he looked up to the human.  Aiden sighed and tilted his own head, his eyes focusing on the words and letters.  They were somewhat familiar to his mind; almost like they were a mix of Greek, Phoenician and Roman characters; but he could not for the life of him grasp what the author of these signs was trying to communicate.

    “I’m afraid so...” Aiden finally replied.  “Some of the alphabetical characters look familiar, but I haven’t the faintest idea what these signs say.”

    “I see,” Night Step sighed.  “So you don’t know which way to go from here?”  Aiden scratched his chin and blew a few strands of hair out of his vision.

    “Normally I would suggest that we split up,” Aiden said while rubbing the back of his neck.  “But that’s simply not an option, given our circumstances.  It’d be best if we stick together in case something happens.”  Tempest looked up at the sign pointing down the right hallway and spoke his mind.

    “I say we go this way,” he said while pointing a hoof in the direction he wanted to go.

    “It might not really matter which way we go,” Night Step suggested.  “For all we know, either way could be a trap.”

    “Such a pessimist...” Tempest Runner sighed whilst shaking his head.

    “What?”  The unicorn asked with a flick of his tail.  “Knowing the luck we’ve had so far, no matter what choice we make we’ll always end up in a room where something bad is happening, or something bad is about to happen.”

    “And here I thought you were the voice of rationality in our group?”  Aiden asked, but in a friendly, teasing manner, as displayed by the cocky smirk played across his lips.  Night Step shrugged in response.

    “There’s little room for rationality in a place like this, Aiden,” he replied.  He sighed and narrowed his eyes to narrow slits, nodding his head in agreement.  “But you do have a point; don’t worry, I can keep my cool.”

    “Good,” Aiden said as he turned his attention to the signs situated above, still glowing and pulsing with light.  “Might as well make a decision now,” he said to himself.  He waved a hand, scoffed, and muttered: “Fuck it.”  He covered his eyes with his left hand while pointing with his other to the right hallway.  “Eenie meenie minie mo,” he began, shifting his pointer finger back and forth between the left and right turns.  “Catch a tiger by his toe.”  He could feel Night Step and Tempest Runner giving him odd stares.  “If he hollers let him go, eenie meenie minie mo.”  His left hand returned to hanging idly by its side.  His pointer finger was stuck on the right turn.  He shrugged.

    “Well, looks like we’re going this way,” he decided.  He could hear Tempest snicker.

    “What was that?”  The pegasus said with a laugh as he and Night Step began following the man.

    “Just a nursery rhyme I heard when I was younger; you say it when you’re stuck on a decision.”

    “Great lesson to teach to kids,” Night Step said with a usual roll of his eyes.  “Do you have any theories on what might be down this hall, at least?”  Aiden smirked and shook his head.

    “None at all,” he beckoned with a hand.  “C’mon, let’s get going.”

    The hallway seemed to branch off into various other rooms, judging by the sealed doors on both sides.  What these rooms could’ve been was anyone’s guess, as the hologram signs were no more helpful than the previous ones they saw.  Aiden placed his hand against the pale white wall to his left, leaving a print in the dust that had collected on it.  He couldn’t help but wonder what this installation was used for; was it a research facility?  A military outpost?  A population center?  Whatever it was, it must’ve been extremely important to the ancient humans for them to hide it in the depths underneath Frostfire Mountain.

    “I hope Lieutenant Cadmus and the others are okay,” Tempest sighed as they continued down the hallway.

    “I think they’ll be fine,” Night Step nervously said while glancing around at the doors they passed.  “From what I’ve heard, griffin soldiers are taught to survive in every kind of crisis, including earthquakes.”

    “It’s not the tremors that I’m worried about, Night Step,” Tempest said looking over to the mage.  “We’ve both seen what Vanguard did to those at Taotras.”

    “I know, Tempest,” the unicorn stammered back, clearly not wanting to remember the event.  “I just want to be out of here too, believe me when I say that.  I want to be able to spend Hearth’s Warming with my family.”  This sentence caught Aiden’s attention: he had read about the important Equestrian holiday in a book back in the Royal Library; when reading about it, he couldn’t help but smirk and chuckle at the uncanny resemblance it had with Christmas; wreaths placed upon doors, evergreen trees placed in living rooms and decorated, various candies and other sweets, exchange of gifts, and so on.

    He was bothered, however, at the troubled thought that Tempest and Night Step had; they thought that they wouldn’t survive this, that they would die at the hands of some eons old entity that had no place in their world.  His thoughts moved to his team back on Earth; how their families no doubt felt.  This idea implored that he speak up.

    “I won’t let him hurt you,” Aiden said simply.  The two ponies looked up at him, the looks on their faces conveying the message that they didn’t quite understand.  “Vanguard came here to lure me to something specific; I don’t entirely know what that something is, but I know it is imperative to his plan.”  He paused and looked down at the two of them with a calm, confident look on his face.  “It’s me that he wants; it’s me that he’ll get.”

    Aiden’s affirmation on facing Vanguard seemed to settle their worries for the time being, at least to some degree.  The last thing he wanted was for them to worry about every single detail.  He would take care of Vanguard; and anything else that they might encounter; with the help of the Thorn.  Speaking of which, he curiously pulled his left sleeve up to see if the Thorn was reacting to his thought.  Indeed it was; he smiled as it glowed softly, saying that it was ready for combat.

    “This thing will never cease to amaze me, will it?”  He sighed as he breathed in deeply while they continued on their way; something rotten was in the air...

    No, literally; Aiden’s nostrils caught whiff of something similar to rotten eggs or maybe burning matches.  He made a quiet grunt of disgust before trying to catch the scent again.

    “Is something wrong, Aiden?”  Tempest asked.  Aiden held up a pointer finger, nodding slowly as he did so.

    “Do you guys smell that?”  He asked.

    “Smell what?”  Night Step asked in response; Tempest soon began sniffing at the air himself.

    “Smells like...” Aiden trailed off, smelling again to be sure.  “It...smells like sulphur?”  Tempest quickly turned his muzzle up in disgust.

    “Whoa; yeah, I smell it now,” the pegasus coughed.  Night Step also began to catch a whiff of the horrid scent.

    “Yes, I smell it,” the mage turned his face to the side.  “Sulfur dioxide if I’m correct.”  He continued.  “Found in volcanoes, typically, and is also toxic.”

    “Well that simply won’t do,” Aiden sighed.  “So what happens next?”

    “We’d best get as far away from the source of it as possible to avoid overexposure,” Night Step suggested.  “None of these doors will open...looks like our best option is to keep going down this hall.”

    “And what if that only brings us closer to the source?”  Tempest asked.  “For all we know, this whole mountain could be a volcano just waiting to blow, and those tremors Vanguard is setting off could be--”

    “Enough, you guys,”  Aiden hissed, getting the attention of the two.  “We’ll keep moving, and I’ll keep an eye out for anything unusual with the Thorn.”  He rolled his sleeve back down to see it glowing even brighter beneath his skin.

    “That thing?”  Tempest asked curiously.  “You can do more than just control fire?”  Aiden smiled and wanted to chuckle, but instead let out a cough as the scent of sulphur seemed to grow nearer to them.

    “Tempest,” he said while holding his left hand up to his face.  “Not even I know what this thing is capable of.”  The two ponies stepped back as the ring of Abitrath’s Gate began glowing.  A veil only visible to Aiden’s eyes was soon draped over the surrounding environment.  Everything had a faint greenish blue colored aura to it; the accumulated dust on the walls had disappeared and the lights on the ceiling seemed to become brighter.

    “So this is what this place looked like thousands of years ago...” Aiden thought.  “Or what it will look like in the future...or maybe...fuck, I dunno.”  He still didn’t understand much of anything about the Equinox.

    “What do you see, Aiden?”  Night Step asked.  “This is the...the Equinox that you’re in, right?”  Aiden nodded as he panned his gaze around.

    “Yeah,” he replied.  “This place seems cleaner, like I’m witnessing a time when it was still inhabited by humans.”  He breathed in deeply.  “The doors seem to be active, looking at the panels beside them.”  He gestured over at the door immediately to his left, the interactive panel now glowing a pale green.  “At least it’s not blue for once,” Aiden thought.  “I’m really getting sick of that color...”

    “That door?”  Tempest asked while pointing at it with a hoof.

    “Yeah,” Aiden replied.  “It’s likely that you can’t see it because of the split in time.”  He knew he was doing a rather shitty job explaining it to them.  “But watch.”  He placed the palm of his left hand on the glowing panel and waited for only a brief moment to get a response.  The panel let out a high pitched beep and the door slid open.  “See?”  Aiden said as he gestured with both hands at the pathway now revealed.  The Equestrians both took several steps back, startled by the sudden change.  Tempest merely looked on, amazed as Night Step smiled with fascination.

    “Incredible!”  The unicorn sighed.  “Do you think that perhaps you altering the environment in the Equinox carries over into other connected time periods?”  He hypothesized excitedly.  Aiden meekly shrugged at the mage’s sudden burst of interest.

    “It’s a fair guess,” he said.  “There might not be a way to know for certain, though.”  He pointed at the newly opened route.  “You first.”  Though his sentence wasn’t directed at either of them, Night Step took the offer first, gladly trotting along past the door’s threshold with his eyes closed.

    “I can’t wait to uncover all the secrets of that device,” Aiden heard Night Step whisper from the other room as Tempest followed him in at a noticeably slower pace, his head hung slightly at their companion’s newfound eagerness to learn everything about this technology.

    This new room appeared to be smaller than the ones they had previously encountered.  There were two small tables that protruded out of the floor and appeared very similar to operating tables.  There were cabinets along the wall to their left.

    “Seems like a doctor’s office,” Tempest said as Night Step trotted up to one of the operation tables.  The mage lightly touched the edge with a hoof, leaving a print in the dust that had gathered.

    “I wonder,” the mage spoke softly.  “Why would they leave this place?  At first glance, it seems like they have everything they need to survive...”  He rubbed his chin with a hoof while trying to think of answers.  “Perhaps the environment on the surface was recovering around the end of their time?”  Aiden allowed Night Step to think in peace as he looked through the cabinets.

    “Completely empty,” Aiden said, catching the attention of his companions.  Night Step left his place at the surgery table to examine Aiden’s findings; or lack thereof; for himself.  He tilted his head.

    “Huh,” the unicorn sighed, fascinated by this development.  “Seems like they had time, then to remove all their tools and personal effects, just like in almost all the other ruins...”  He paused as he and Aiden exchanged looks for a moment before looking back at the empty cabinets.  “That’s the point that some mages like to make that the humans are still around, deeper within their cities than we can go...”

    “Do you think the humans are still alive?”  Aiden asked as he closed the cabinet door.

    “Well, I am talking to one, aren’t I?  No reason to doubt the existence of something in front of you.”  Night Step replied with a friendly smile.  Aiden managed to return with his own grin and nod.

    “True,” he said quietly, stuffing his hands into his pockets.  He coughed as the scent of sulphur invaded his senses once again.

    “Guys,” Tempest called out.  “I’m catching whiff of that sulphur shit again!”

    “Same here,” Aiden called back as he gently patted Night Step on the back of his neck.  “C’mon, let’s get out of here.”  Aiden finished as he activated the panel on the opposite door.  The unicorn wordlessly followed the human and the pegasus out the door and into another hallway.  Aiden looked around and smelled the air, only noticing that the toxic smell was getting even closer.

    “Damn it,” Tempest coughed.  “If we knew where it was coming from, we could at least try to get away...”

    “Any ideas, Aiden?”  Night Step asked.  Aiden continued looking around, hoping to find a path that wouldn’t bring them closer to the source of the poisonous gas.  Aiden coughed and bared his teeth.

    “I swear, I can smell it getting closer to us,” Aiden muttered.  Perhaps it was just the Equinox playing tricks on his senses, but Aiden was certain that he could hear the sound of fire.  “Guys,” Aiden stuttered.  “Am I just becoming even crazier, or is the scent getting closer?”  Tempest let out a harsh cough before trying to smell the air again.

    “Yeah,” Tempest coughed again.  “It’s definitely getting closer.”  Aiden looked down the hallway to his left, scowling as he did so.  He was certain that he heard the fire from that direction, along with the sound of something moving.  The sound of movement became even closer.

    “Dawn’s Mercy,” Night Step whispered.  Aiden squinted, thinking he could see visible heat waves snaking around the hall’s corner.  He pulled against the collar of his shirt, noticing how the temperature had suddenly gone above the wintry temperatures that he was accustomed to.

    “Christ,” Aiden swore as he felt beads of sweat just beginning to form on his brow and neck.  He looked over his shoulder at his two companions.  “Get back,” he ordered sternly before returning his attention to the danger ahead.  Tempest and Night Step both obeyed instantly, backing away nervously and slowly, trying to avoid tripping over their own hooves.  Aiden took a step back himself as he heard what sounded like a deep gurgling sound come from around the corner.  He made a disgusted face at the sound.

    What he saw next was a creature more horrifying than he had ever encountered aside from Vanguard.  A pitch black limb slowly curled its way around the bend of the hall, the scent of sulphur dioxide becoming almost overpowering as the creature revealed more of itself.  It was quadrupedal, crawling on all fours with its right front limb still clinging to the wall, its jagged tendrils piercing the metal.  Its skin was an ashen black with various lines of bright orange that ran over all of its body like open cracks in volcanic rock.  It lacked a visible face with the exception of a noticeable jaw that opened and closed continuously as molten sulfur dripped from the lip like saliva.

    Despite the lack of eyes, it pointed its head at the three explorers, making it obvious what its intentions were with a drawn out, ear piercing hiss.  Its front right limb came down to the floor with the rest of its body, leaving a small burning ember where it was on the wall.  Aiden looked over his shoulder again at the now terrified Equestrians and whispered a single word.

    “Run.”

    Lieutenant Cadmus stared intently at the discovery he and his squadron had made at the bottom of the mines.  The earthquake had indeed caused severe damage to the structural integrity of Frostfire Mountain, and he had decided that it was dangerous to remain in the bowels of a dormant volcano that had been buried for many centuries.  The tremors and aftershocks could very easily reawaken a sleeping giant and endanger everyone in a nearby radius.

    This recent discovery of an ancient ruins, however, was of his most paramount concern as it provided a potential hiding place for any miners that were trapped down here.  Well, that and the recent arrival of Elder Garand, one of the members of the Parliament.  Garand had stated that he was to take charge of the rescue and evacuation operation of any civilians within a forty mile radius.

    Cadmus was skeptical of why the King would appoint him of all griffins to take charge of the operation and not a higher ranking officer, but the Elder had already provided documentation that King Samran personally approved of it, so it was not his place to question.  The officer shook his head.

    “Whatever,” he thought dismissively.  “I should worry about getting anymore miners out of here...maybe finding Aiden and his friends too.”  He looked up at the archway that led into the ruins, decorated with blood red glyphs that had an unnatural glow to them.  The griffin sighed.  “Sure hope that they’re alright...” he whispered.

    “Sir?”  A young corporal called for his attention.  Cadmus perked up and turned his head in the young soldiers direction.

    “Is something wrong?”  The soldier pointed a talon to his right.

    “We’ve found two civilians hiding out in one of the lower tunnels,” the soldier explained as another griffin and a Kobosian were escorted to his side by another griffin soldier.  “They claim to both be miners, which I see no reason to doubt that.  They say that they hid deeper in the mines to avoid being trampled by the sudden exodus of workers.”  Cadmus nodded understandingly.

    “What are your names?”  The Lieutenant asked with a talon scratching the bottom of his chin.  The griffin miner spoke up first.

    “Klein,” he said meekly.  The Lieutenant turned his attention to the Diamond Dog.

    “And you?”

    “Jak,” the middle aged dog grunted quietly.

    “You’re both unharmed?”  Cadmus asked as he pointed a talon.  They both nodded immediately.  “You can leave the mines and the immediate vicinity at any time?”  Again they both nodded.  “Are either of you missing any personal effects that can be reclaimed?”  Jak shook his head instantly.

    “I just wanna get home and forget this place,” he whispered.  “It was a stupid idea of me to come to this country in the first place...” the disgruntled Kobosian shook his head.  “Should’ve just stayed in Kobos.”  Klein appeared to look at the dog with empathy.

    “What about you, son?”  Cadmus asked the griffin miner.

    “I’ve...” Klein placed a hand on his chest.  “I lost a necklace that my mother gave to me.”

    “Family heirloom?”  The Lieutenant questioned further.  Klein nodded immediately.  “We’ll need a description of the lost item.”

    “It’s a silver amulet,” Klein said.  “With an oval sapphire embedded in the center: my mother’s birthstone...” he smiled.  “And mine.”

    “I see,” Cadmus said quietly.  “Your mother is no longer with you?”  Klein’s eyes closed and he shook his head solemnly.  “I understand; I won’t pry any further.  If we find it, I’ll make sure it’s returned to you.”  He looked over to the soldier.  “Get these two to the surface immediately.”  He finished as he pointed a talon upwards.

    “Aye, sir,” the soldier saluted and turned to escort the two survivors to the surface.  Cadmus turned his attention back to the ruins’ entrance, thinking about how they should go about their first excursion into the newfound maze at the bottom of the mines; should Elder Garand approve of said excursion.

    With Tempest and Night Step both at what Aiden deemed to be a safe distance, he turned his attention to the creature that reeked of sulphur.  The Thorn was still active, and he raised his left arm once again.  With a shaky breath, he pointed his open palm at the creature, hoping that it would have some effect.  The creature snarled at him again, more molten saliva dripping onto the floor and corroding its surface.

    Aiden coughed again, trying to get the horrid stench out of his throat.  The creature apparently took this as a threat as it flayed its front limbs and reared up on its hind legs, standing several inches taller than Aiden.  It then began sprinting towards him, quickly closing the distance in a matter of mere seconds, its limbs merely a constant moving blur to Aiden’s eyes.

    “OH SHI-”  The lad was immediately thrown off his feet by a powerful blow from the creature’s arm.  He was flown several feet away and landed on his back, the agitation in the back of the head reawakened.  He groaned in agony before looking at the creature again with utter contempt.  The fiery monster raised its left arm, one of its razor sharp claws extended, ready to tear through flesh.  Aiden rolled to his right as quickly as he could manage, just in time for the appendage to pierce the floor where he once was; a few seconds slower and he would’ve been impaled.

    Aiden immediately scrambled to get up and run in the direction of Tempest and Night Step, who were looking back, terrified of the new threat they faced, yet reluctant to abandon their companion and friend to his fate.  When the monster realized it had missed, it pulled its claw out of the floor, leaving behind another corroded mark where it was.  It sprinted full speed after the human it had set its sight on.

    “Go, go!!”  Aiden shouted as he caught up with them.  Against his better instinct, Aiden threw a quick glance over his shoulder to see that the monster was gaining on them quickly, it’s black gangly limbs being just a single blur.  “Shit,” Aiden thought.  “We can’t just run forever...”  He brought up his left hand again, hoping that the Thorn would still be willing to cooperate with him.  True to his wishes, the ring of Algat’s River was glowing a bright crimson, standing out from the blue of the rest of the Thorn.  He doubted that fighting fire with fire would really help in this case, but it was better than running out of breath and being trampled by this thing.

    Aiden pointed his open palm at the creature when there was little more than a yard of space between them.  A bright red light gathered in the palm of his hand; this was followed by a trail of the burning sulphur being pulled out of one of the cracks on the creature’s skin.  It reacted with a hiss of agony as if Aiden were drawing blood with a syringe.  It eased up on its chase, allowing them to gain some distance, but Aiden figured it wouldn’t be long until it recovered.

    He noticed that the still burning sulphur had, in fact, accumulated in the red light in his hand.  Aiden smirked at the opportunity of giving the sulphur monster a taste of its own medicine, but the idea that it could potentially heal it dissuaded him.  “If only I had a real weapon...I could totally go with an assault rifle or shotgun.”  These thoughts didn’t help him ignore how tired his legs were slowly becoming.  He had the choice to either use the sulphur that the Thorn had gathered, or stop running.  The latter option was a death sentence, no doubt there.  He heard Night Step shout as something whizzed over his head, but he caught no glimpse of what it could be.

    Aiden looked forward, only to see that Night Step was at the end of the hallway alone, looking back with a look of pure shock on his face.  “He didn’t,” Aiden immediately thought, throwing another glance over his shoulder.  Indeed he did; Tempest stood there, both he and the creature recovering from the pegasus’ attack.  The monster clutched its fleshy stomach with a limb as more orange sulphur ran down its wound.  Tempest threw his helmet off as the corrosive fluid landed on it, making it a potential danger; this allowed his blonde mane to flow freely as he turned his back to the creature and made a break to regroup with the others.

    “Idiot!”  Night Step yelled as he waited for Tempest and Aiden to catch up.  “What exactly did you hope to accomplish!?”

    “I slowed it down, didn’t I?”  Tempest retorted.

    “I think you just pissed it off even further!”

    Whilst Tempest and Night Step were about to go at it once again, Aiden stopped where he was, turning a hundred and eighty degrees to face the creature as it was almost finished recovering from Tempest’s headbutt to the stomach.  He reared back on one foot readying the handful of sulphur like he was a professional baseball pitcher.  His throw would have impressed a major leaguer; the burning sphere of corrosive chemicals hit its mark: the neck and chest area of the monster.  Aiden smiled and did a small fist pump in celebration as the attack took immediate effect.

    He turned towards the two ponies and gestured for them to keep going.  Tempest nodded, seemingly believing that Aiden could handle himself, whilst Night Step still seemed uncertain.  Regardless, they both continued onward, around the next turn while Aiden returned his attention to his irritated foe.  He was somewhat surprised by the fact that this creature’s exterior was not built to withstand its own acidic insides.  “Ah well,” he thought with a shrug.  “No complaints here!”

    The beast, with a now corroded upper chest and neck hissed at Aiden once again with even deeper malice.  Aiden backed away slowly, only taking his eyes off the creature for a brief second to look over his shoulder.  This brief second was all the creature needed to begin sprinting toward its prey once again, leaving a large brownish colored acidic mark on the floor where it once stood.

    “FUCK!!”  Aiden cursed as the monster struck him in the chest again.  Aiden hit the wall behind him, knocking the wind out of his lungs.  This caused the veil of the Equinox to lift, and the hall returned to its original state.  Aiden noted that now the creature began to move slightly faster and it seemed to sort of phase in and out of visibility, as though his eyes could no longer completely perceive it.  “Another benefit of the Equinox, I guess,” Aiden spat as he quickly regained his composure.

    He looked down to the Thorn, hoping for it to be his salvation once again, but for once, the glowing weapon under his skin did not respond.  He shook his head for a split second before making an absolute break down the next turn in the hallway where Tempest and Night Step had gone, hoping to reunite with them as quickly as possible.  As he ran, he looked down at the Thorn again with spite.

    “Figures, it only works when it fucking feels like it!”  His legs felt as though they were on fire, but if he stopped running, he knew that the sulphur creature would show him no mercy.

    He saw another turn ahead, and a new idea began to form in his mind.  “Maybe if I can lure it into the corner and move out of the way at the last second...”  It was better than just running forever, of that he was certain.  Thus he put his new plan into action;  he came upon the next bend in the hallway.  He stopped in his tracks, turned around to see the monster rapidly approaching him, uttering another malevolent hiss.

    “That’s it,” Aiden whispered, standing his ground.  “A little closer...”  The monster closed in at less than thirty feet away.  Twenty feet.  Ten.  “Now!”  Aiden yelled to himself as he dived to his right and out of harm’s way.  His opponent slammed into the metal wall at full speed, immediately silencing its hiss.  Aiden got up, satisfied that he at last had a moment to rest his legs.  That satisfaction was short lived.

    The monster began moving again, slowly pulling its head out of the dent it had made in the wall; its movement was much more shaky, clearly dazed from Aiden’s trickery.  “Ain’t no rest for the wicked, it seems,” Aiden sighed as he grudgingly began another sprint in the opposite direction.  At the very least, he had bought himself and the others some more time, and at most he legitimately injured the hostile creature.  He frowned as he continued running into this system of hallways, all of which broke off into more rooms with doors that would not open.  “I just hope they’re safe,” he thought.  “Please, please, let them be safe.”

    “Great,” Night Step sighed as he and Tempest Runner entered another large chamber.  This one, like the previous two they had been in, had an arched ceiling, with bright cyan lights at the apex that shone down on them.  The other end had another staircase that led even further down, also just like the previous two chambers.  Night Step shook his head with frustration.  “Is every direction in this whole place a dead end except for down?”

    Even Tempest was not in his usual joking manner like he was whenever an authority figure wasn’t around.  He looked ahead sternly, anticipating the worst, hoping for the best, as the training officers in the Solar Guard had instructed him.  Whatever was ahead, he just hoped that he was as ready as possible.  To make already terrible matters even worse, Vanguard’s pulse was even stronger than before.

    “He’s directly ahead, isn’t he?” Tempest thought, not wanting to show his fear.  “I know he is...it’s obvious...”

    “Damn it all,” Tempest groaned as he turned to look back the way they came.  “If Aiden doesn’t get here in the next five minutes...”  He tried to keep his thoughts on Aiden’s survival as well as their own rather than just the evil that awaited them below, but those thoughts of primal fear still slipped through the cracks.  “I’m going to die here...I’m going to die in this place...”

    Night Step occasionally struggled to use his magic, only to have the tremors dispel it almost instantly.  He quickly gave up, knowing that he was just wasting his energy.  “If I could actually use my magic,” he whispered wishfully.  “I could maybe just teleport us out of here...”

    Tempest looked over at the mage with a stern look.  “Night Step, can I trust you?”  The unicorn seemed to be caught off guard by the question.

    “I...” he stammered before he offered a coherent answer.  “Yes,” he nodded.  “Of course you can.”  He said it with the utmost honesty in his voice.  “What do you need?”

    “I’m going to go forward,” the pegasus noted the sudden apprehension in Night Step’s complexion.  “I need you to stay at the top of these stairs and look out for anything; if Aiden decides to drop in, bring him down; if it’s anything else, then feel free to come get me.”

    “You’re insane, Tempest,” the unicorn shook his head while saying that with an absolutely dead serious tone.  Regardless of the pegasus’ attempts to reassure the frightened mage, he remained adamant of his position on the idea.  “You’ll die if you go down there...”

    “I won’t be doing anything drastic like what I did earlier,” Tempest reassured while referring to what he did with the sulphur beast.  “I’m only going to recon the lower chamber; I’ll stay near the stairs and out of sight.  I just want to figure out what Vanguard came here for.”  Night Step still shook his head, only now averting his gaze from Tempest’s.  “I’ll only be down there for ten minutes at most.”  Night Step was still very clearly reluctant.  “Five minutes!”  Tempest bargained.  Night Step raised an eyebrow while giving a look of moderate disgust that the pegasus would try to barter such a deal with him.  The unicorn scoffed.

    “Five minutes,” he repeated in a manner that made Tempest unsure if he was agreeing or simply repeating what he said.

    “Is that a yes?”  Tempest asked.  Night Step nodded once.

    “Five minutes,” he repeated again while pointing a hoof at his companion.  “Not a second more.”  He paused for a brief moment.  “If you’re not back up here by then, I’ll go down there myself and drag your flank all the way to the surface.”  This declaration took Tempest off guard, as it showed that Night Step seemed to harbor genuine concern for his safety.  Either that or it would simply look bad on his record if his companion died out in the field and he did nothing to stop it.  Tempest kinda hoped that it was the former.  He was still surprised to the point that Night Step had to repeat himself.

    “Are you listening?”  Night Step said, snapping the pegasus out of his bewildered state.  Tempest began nodding rapidly.

    “Yeah, yeah, I hear you,” he said.  “Five minutes will be all I need, anyway.”  He attempted to dismiss Night Step’s worries as he turned towards the stairs still looking back at his mage companion.  The unicorn seemed confused at Tempest’s hesitation.

    “Well?”  He asked, gesturing with a hoof.  “Are you going to go, or not?”  Tempest nodded, looking down at the floor with a solemn face.

    “Listen, in case something does happen to me,” Tempest said softly.  “Please tell my parents...” he hesitated slightly for just a second, these next words being the most difficult for him to say.  “Please tell them that I’m sorry for putting them through this...”  Night Step’s ears flattened as Tempest waited for a reply.  Night Step nodded once.

    “I will,” he said quietly.  Tempest smiled to show his gratitude before he turned and began the trek down the stairs to face what awaited them below.  Night Step was then alone with his thoughts.

    Aiden’s legs felt like they would give out at any given moment from the constant running.  He had managed to gain a good distance from the monster, seeing as how it seemed to be dazed from slamming into the wall at full speed and having acid eat away at the skin on its neck and chest.

    “Christ, does this thing ever give up!?”  Aiden huffed in between breaths as he turned another corner.  He had been running for the past several minutes, but the burning in his calfs told him that it could’ve been years since he rested.  He didn’t bother looking over his shoulder, knowing full well that he would just see his new fiery friend gaining on him.  “Doesn’t really help when I feel like I’m just running in circles; do these hallways even go anywhere!?”

    An answer to his internal question was granted; the hallway ahead ended in a turn to the left as well, which led Aiden to believe for a moment that he was going in an endless cyclical path.  What he noticed merely a second later was the presence of a large window that allowed for one to overlook the chamber below.  This window ran along the far wall for several feet until the next turn.  An idea formed in Aiden’s head.  It wasn’t the greatest idea, but it still offered more of a chance than what he was doing.

    He stopped at the corner and turned to face his opponent, just like he did in the other hallway.  He had apparently gained quite a good distance from it, as it was still several feet away from him.  It had intended to change this however, as it soon broke out into another sprint towards its prey.  Aiden smiled and mentally scoffed.

    “Apparently a slow learner,” he thought right before he dove out of the way of the creature’s path of destruction at the last moment.  He just hoped that the glass wasn’t bulletproof, or plexiglas or anything of that sort.  Good thing for him that it was really just like any other fragile window; the creature was plummeting down towards the floor of the chamber below.  Aiden regained his footing and turned to look at the results of his little plot.

    “Aha,” he chuckled as he looked down the drop at the creature laying on the floor at least eighty feet below.  “Natural selection at its finest.”  Aiden placed his hands on his hips triumphantly.  His pride was short lived, unfortunately, as the feeling of numbness soon overtook the backs of his knees.  His joints threatened to give in right where he stood, so he stumbled back into the wall behind him and slid down into a sitting position.  He curled his knees up to his chest and hugged them tightly, relieved that he was no longer putting so much stress on his legs.  He began laughing softly as he tried to catch his breath from all of that running.

    “Wow,” he sighed as his gaze shifted up to the ceiling; his eyelids clamped shut instinctively to shield his sight from the fluorescent lighting above.  He was thankful for an opportunity to rest.  He breathed in deeply of the air that now lacked the acidic stench of sulphur dioxide.

    “Much better,” Aiden thought tiredly.  “Now...I think I’ll just rest my eyes for a few moments.”  At least that is what he intended.  He should’ve anticipated his body intended for his rest to be much longer.  While he couldn’t quite describe it, finally being able to sit down and have a moment of respite from his worries brought on a kind of euphoria that one would normally associate with achieving spiritual enlightenment.

    His eyes snapped open after what felt like only seconds later to him.  He quickly scanned the hallway he was in to see that it hadn’t changed one bit.  The monster wasn’t what worried him now, rather than reuniting with his companions.  “Shit,” he cursed softly as he struggled to stand up.  He had not intended to completely doze off like that and potentially allow Tempest and Night Step to get too far ahead.  “If only I had a watch or something, I could tell how long I was asleep,” he thought.  “Couldn’t have been any longer than a minute or so...right?”  He should’ve known by now that asking questions like that, even mentally, always had bad repercussions for him.

    At least this time, it did not seem so.  Looking through the hole in the window at the chamber below, his former predator’s body was still there, not moving in the slightest.  “That’s one problem out of the way,” he sighed as he pulled his attention to the path before him.  He began a steady jog down the path that he hoped would bring him to the end of this circus ride.  He was still exhausted; he was hungry.  He wanted nothing more than to fall flat on his face and take the longest nap in history.  He sighed.

    “Like Cage the Elephant said,” he whispered whilst following Vanguard’s pulse.  “Ain’t no rest for the wicked.  Not before they go through an extensive mine and ancient technologically advanced ruin and fight some ancient evil entity deep below the surface of some fantasy world ripped out of a children’s story.”  He paused his little rant for a breath.  “I should earn every single medal in existence for what I’ve been through.”

    The pulse was the strongest he had ever heard it, even stronger than what it was in Taotras.  Tempest Runner made sure to tread slowly into the new chamber, not wanting to alert Vanguard to his presence.  It seemed to be working; either that or the entity was just toying with him.

    This chamber was much larger than the previous three; the arched ceiling was much higher and the walls were further apart from each other.  Tempest’s attention, however, was drawn to the gigantic source of cyan light at the other end of the chamber; the light washed over the entire chamber, yet seemed to be contained by what looked like a glass shield.  There, standing before the light and its glass barrier was the source of the pulse and the tremors.  Vanguard never tore his gaze from the source of the glowing light.

    “What is he doing?”  Tempest thought as he slowly tried to inch his way closer for a better look.  Whatever it was that Vanguard was doing here, Tempest was determined to find out.

    The entity pressed a hand up against the glass, remaining completely silent as he did so.

    Another holographic menu popped up at his vessel’s touch.  He felt relief as the idea that he was one step closer to reunion came to his mind.  The menu offered several options such as the details of the central containment chamber’s sole inhabitant, research logs about it, and so on.  Vanguard paid no mind to any of these as he scrolled down to the option he was looking for; what he had anticipated for an innumerable amount of days and nights was finally his.

    “Today, dearest Ascendance, Forerunner of the Rise, you are your own again.”  He searched and searched for the option that read “Cryogenic Release”, but he could not find it no matter how many times he scrolled through the menu.

    Vanguard was uncertain of himself, now.  With a slowly faltering smile, he tapped the option that read “Research Logs”, fearing what he would see.  The next menu that popped up displayed a list of text records documenting the Forerunner named Ascendance.  The most recent record was made only thirty one years, nine days, and twelve hours ago.  Vanguard’s smile quickly turned into a frown at this discovery.  He selected the file, and it read as such:

It’s time to go; with the few of us that are left, there’s no way we can keep this installation up and running on reserve power.  Almost all research and security personnel have already been evacuated back to the homeland, we just need to transport Ascension to the new site, which will not be disclosed in any of these documents for security reasons.

    The surface civilizations, as far as we know, are oblivious to our continued existence.  We’ve been sure to keep our surface excursions brief and few in number for just this purpose.  The last thing we need is a few curious explorers  to wander into our abandoned installations and releasing some horror that they’ve never seen before, be it something other than one of the Forerunners like a sulphur runner or banshee.

    This facility’s systems will completely shut down within twenty hours of our departure and can only be reactivated via the Cipher.

    The document went on about the last humans’ exodus out of this place and back to their original home, merely thirty years ago.  Vanguard’s frown turned into a scowl.  “How can this be...” he said to himself, placing a hand upon the glass wall of the empty containment chamber.  “I know I sensed Ascension in this place.  What sort of trickery could they have used?”  He continued reading to the bottom paragraph.

Vanguard, if you’re reading this, then by now you know that you’re too late to release your sibling.  We all knew the return of the Forerunners was inevitable, and judging by your title that you would be the first to return.  By the time you read this, we will have already won; your surviving siblings have been scattered to new far flung locations around the world.  You won’t be finding any of them, or us, I assure you of that.  We have retreated back to our brethren on our home continent and have fortified our shores with defenses that no one, not even you can pierce.  This isolation is the price we pay for survival.

    Farewell, Vanguard, and good riddance.

    --Demetrius

    The glass shield was still cold to the touch, despite Ascension having been moved from cryogenic storage several decades ago.  “Demetrius,” Vanguard whispered with a quiet scoff as he remembered the frightened child from many millennia ago; he could barely talk after the Greatest Usurp and the humans went underground to escape the harshness of the surface.  Cryogenic hibernation along with human medical science greatly prolonged his life, or so it seemed.

    Regardless, humanity still remained an obstacle to his plans.  A stubborn one, to say the least.  Vanguard raised a steady fist, angered by the fact that he had been tricked by Demetrius and his cohorts, and brought it down on the glass barrier before him, completely shattering it.  As the fragments rained down on him, he thought to himself briefly.  “It is interesting to postulate what defenses they confidently boast about in that document.”  He looked down at his feet as the holographic menus dispersed.  “What could they have that not even the power of a Forerunner could break?”  He asked aloud while lifting a hand, catching a few falling pieces of glass in the palm.  He smiled as he gazed longingly into them before he clenched his fist, crushing them with ease.  Allowing the smaller pieces to fall to the chamber floor, he looked over his shoulder at the pegasus behind him.  He smiled softly.

    “What do you think, Tempest Runner?”

    Tempest was curious as to what Vanguard was mumbling about; he was even inclined to inch his way closer.  He caught what sounded like a name.  Tempest’s ears twitched as he strained to catch what the Forerunner was saying.  Another voice in his head protested.  “I better just turn my flank around and head back up to Night Step,” it said.  “Besides, it sounded like what he’s looking for ain’t here.  Here’s to hoping that he never finds it...”

    This thought pattern focused on survival seemed to win over his explorative desire, as he unwittingly took two timid steps back away from the entity and the object of its attention.  This was probably the most regretful thing he did this day.

    Vanguard raised a fist, causing Tempest to freeze in place.  The young stallion gritted his teeth, fearing the worst before the Forerunner smashed the glass barrier in front of him with seemingly little effort.  Tempest instinctively closed his eyes as the sound of clinking glass and metal reached his ears.

    The pegasus opened his eyes slowly and cautiously to see that Vanguard was now looking back at him with a kind smile.  He knew that this was only a mask for the malice behind it.  Vanguard opened his lips and spoke, but Tempest was simply too nervous to hear it.

    The Forerunner turned completely and began walking towards him, small pieces of glass still falling from the ceiling behind him like the last drops of an exhausted storm.  Tempest commanded his legs to turn and begin the greatest sprint ever to escape, but his limbs would not budge.  Even his wings refused to respond to his commands.  His eyes would only blink when absolutely necessary; each seemed to last for hours and Vanguard was only brought closer with each one.

    “No,” Tempest pleaded silently.  “Dawn’s Mercy, no...”  He prayed quietly to Equestria’s first monarchs.  Vanguard was merely feet away from him now, and closing in ever so slowly; at least it was slow to his eyes.

    “Well, Tempest?”  Vanguard asked, now only two feet away.  “I asked you a question.”  He leaned in closer, causing the pegasus to naturally shrink back like a frightened, cornered animal; which to the Forerunner’s eyes, that was all he was.

    Tempest refused to allow his eyes to look any further up at the entity which stood almost half a foot taller than him, even more so with him shrinking down to look as harmless as possible.  Vanguard seemed to slowly extend a hand out and Tempest immediately shut his eyes, expecting the worst.

    The pegasus felt utterly childish when Vanguard gently patted him on the top of his head; far from a show of affection of any kind, but rather in a condescending or pitying manner.  His touch felt cold and hollow; lifeless even. Yet the feeling had a definite, profound heat to it. It was one of the greatest contradictory sensations the young stallion had ever felt. It was enough to make him shiver.  He figured it would be best not to speak up or slap away Vanguard’s hand with a hoof, knowing full well what this entity was capable of.

    “He could probably crush my skull or snap my neck on a whim,” he thought as Vanguard’s hand remained still on top of the pegasus’s head.  He sighed as he looked back up, looking at the stairs behind Tempest.  He continued talking, but Tempest paid no mind to it, rather just focusing his eyes on the floor.  When his vision began to blur slightly, he at first thought it was also Vanguard’s doing, somehow rendering the poor pegasus blind with some form of dark magic.  It took a few seconds that it was simply his eyes welling up out of simple fear.

    “And it is this fear,” Vanguard said as the first tear began to fall.  “That makes you what you are.”  He sighed as he looked up toward the ceiling.  “And that, believe it or not, my friend, makes us more alike than you could possibly imagine.”

    The pulse was within Aiden’s grasp.  And Vanguard with it.  The young man paid little mind as he passed a frantic Night Step who was trying to explain how Tempest had gone ahead.  That was all Aiden paid attention to and it only served to quicken his pace as he began the trek down the stairs.  He still heard Night Step’s cry for him to wait.  Aiden didn’t blame the unicorn for feeling fear.

    About halfway down the stairs, he heard the reluctant trotting of the mage following him.  He threw a skeptical glance over his shoulder and he indeed saw Night Step following his steps.  Aiden quickly returned his attention to the steps ahead of him while clenching his left fist.  This time, he felt the Praemian Thorn flare to life without having to look at it.

    “Vanguard,” Aiden thought as he neared the bottom of the steps.  “I’m here...”

    “Tempest!”  Night Step shrieked when he saw Vanguard standing over the defenseless pegasus.  The Forerunner looked up with a neutral expression to meet Aiden, who had almost the exact same look staring back at him.  Night Step softly spoke his companion’s name once again, finally rousing the attention of the pegasus that sat on his haunches.

    Tempest slowly turned to look over his right shoulder at his fellow explorers with gritted teeth.  His ears were flattened against his head and his eyes were leaking with tears.  This detail caught Aiden’s immediate attention.

    “Tempest...is crying?”  He looked back up to meet Vanguard’s piercing neutral gaze with one of his own to match.  Vanguard allowed the hand he had on Tempest’s head to return to its side, and the pegasus slowly rose to his normal height, but retaining his gaze on the floor.  As the pegasus began to turn to face his companions, Aiden stepped forward, the Thorn glowing its usual cyan color, both the rings on his thumb and index finger lighting up along with it.

    Night Step came to Tempest’s side and escorted him back to the stairs, leaving Aiden and Vanguard, more or less, alone.  The two long separated deities stared at each other for the longest time, while the two ponies could do nothing more than watch.  Vanguard’s pulse was still very strong along with the tremors, but Aiden suddenly appeared to be unphased by either of these factors.  Vanguard was the first to speak.

    “I was beginning to wonder why you had taken your time, Intervention,” he spoke standing perfectly still.  He clearly meant this in a completely rhetorical way, for both of them knew the answer.  Aiden merely shrugged as his opponent called him by his actual name, and answered anyway.

    “I figured the release of the sulphur creature was your doing,” Aiden replied in an unamused tone.  “If you think that you can still sway me to come back to your family, then you’re dead wrong.”

    “Our family, Intervention,” Vanguard corrected.

    Aiden simply shook his head at what his former brother had said.  “No; not anymore.  Not after the things I had done while under the blind guidance of our Mother’s hand.  I’ve left those ideals behind when I was first exiled from this world.”

    “And what place do you have without us?”  Vanguard asked in a dire tone of voice.  “What purpose will you serve other than to survive?”  He pointed at the two cowering Equestrians at the foot of the stairs.  “How could you possibly hope to live amongst their kin; how could you live within the walls of their meager cities and structures knowing full well the power that resides underneath your skin?”

    Aiden was fully aware that Vanguard was not referring to the Praemian Thorn.  He was in fact referring to the Forerunner form that resided within his human body.  It didn’t take a genius to figure it out, that was for certain.  Aiden was merely a vessel, like the human form that Vanguard was taking; a living facade.  An effective, attractive camouflage meant to conceal the most ugly of realities.  Aiden looked down at his hands, his left one giving off the familiar glow.

    “I know my place,” he sighed after a moment of silence, the only exception being the constant pulse that stuck with Vanguard.  “I know full well of all that I was, all that I am, and all that I have always been.”  He looked back towards Vanguard, his hands lifting up to his eye level.  “I am a product, sculpted by many to fulfill their own needs and desires.  I am one who is willing to ignite a spark in the darkness so that others may see, willing to carry one that cannot walk, willing to stand in the path of fire to act as a living shield.”  He allowed his hands to return to their sides ever so slowly before looking back at Tempest Runner and Night Step; he offered them both a friendly smile to comfort them.

    Night Step retained his worried complexion, but Tempest seemed to have regained some of his usual composure from his close encounter; he smiled back.  “I say these things,” Aiden continued.  “In regards to ones like them, because all of these deeds I am happy to do for them, for they are my family.”

    These words seem to have struck a chord in Vanguard’s being.  He frowned while looking at his younger brother with his eyes narrowing to slits.  “This is your ultimatum?”  The Forerunner asked honestly.  Aiden only nodded to finally confirm his suspicions.  Vanguard looked away for the briefest of seconds.  He took in a deep breath before he lifted his left hand up, pointing the open palm at Aiden.  “So be it...”

    Aiden knew that an attack was imminent, so he had already commanded that the Thorn drop the veil of the Equinox over his eyes.  The bluish-green aura overtook everything once again, even Vanguard as a black, jagged limb made of obsidian shot out of the palm of his hand, ready to impale.  Aiden’s now enhanced reflexes allowed him to dodge to the left with ease as the limb hit the floor behind him.

    Vanguard wasn’t as fast as he normally was outside of the Equinox, but that didn’t stop him from proceeding to a completely new attack.  He sprinted towards Aiden, a blade of obsidian still jutting out of his left palm; Aiden responded by only parrying to the right, just barely missing a swing from the toothed sword.

    Aiden was ready to counter with something, when he remembered that he needed a source of energy to utilize Algat’s River.  He had no time to chide himself, for Vanguard was still quite fast, even with Aiden’s advanced perception and reflexes in the Equinox.  The Forerunner pulled his right hand back for a brief second before allowing it to fly forward; Aiden remembered this attack.

    The human soon found himself being flung back to the wall, pushed by an invisible force; the impact knocked the wind out of his lungs, and as he slumped down to the floor, Vanguard suddenly stood over him, a look of regret played across his face.  He said nothing as he raised the blade attached to the center of his left palm.  Aiden took the chance of his opponent’s torso being completely exposed and allowed a swift kick to make contact with Vanguard’s ribs.

    He grunted and stumbled back slightly; Aiden was certain that he felt something hard give way under his foot.  His elation that he had caused harm to his enemy soon faded as Vanguard seemed to quickly recover.  He raised the obsidian sword once again, a glare that spoke frustration having replaced the one of regret.  Aiden was ready to kick once again when Vanguard grabbed a hold of his ribs, hissing in obvious agony as the pain must’ve taken some time to register.  Aiden seemed somewhat confused for the briefest second as to what was happening, but then instantly took the opportunity given to him and escaped from the corner that his opponent had him in.

    “What the hell was that?”  He thought as he took the time to gain some distance.  Vanguard stood tall while throwing a slightly confused glance back toward Aiden.  The man smirked as a hypothesis came to him.  “Vanguard is simply appearing to me in a human vessel...a vessel that still possibly feels pain.”  He immediately frowned at the idea of having to inflict suffering on a human whose form was stolen by a monster.  “Maybe there’s a way I can save the guy,” he thought in regards to the man who was unfortunate enough to be Vanguard’s disguise.

    Aiden realized that road would have to wait to be crossed, as Vanguard had just recovered and was advancing quickly, obsidian weapon still drawn.  He tossed a quick glance at the terrified pegasus and unicorn and yelled.

    “Go!!!”  Night Step seemed to be more willing to follow the order than his companion, whom he was still trying to offer solace.  Night Step began his trek back up the stairs, Tempest following only after throwing a deeply worried look back at Aiden before Vanguard was upon him again.

    Aiden gritted his teeth as he and Vanguard locked together, with him just out of reach of the blade’s kiss while Vanguard tried to inch it closer to his opponent’s throat.  Aiden’s right hand held tightly against Vanguard’s opposing wrist, forcing the  weapon away from his face.  Aiden found this the perfect opportunity to speak up.

    “I honestly thought you’d be a greater challenge than this,” he managed a chuckle.  Vanguard said nothing in response and his piercing, accusing glare remained unaffected.  Aiden refused to let this get to him.  “Okay, maybe taunting him isn’t the smartest thing to do.”  He knew that he wouldn’t be able to hold this position with his foe for much longer; hoping to find an easy way out for once, he threw a quick glance to either side of him.  The stairs to his right led back up to where Tempest and Night Step had gone.  “No way I’m going to just lead him to them,” Aiden dismissed.  A quick look to his left revealed an extension to the large chamber they were in.

    This extension seemed to be where Vanguard was headed, as Aiden could make out a lot of broken glass on the floor ahead of him and a doorway could be seen beyond a fading fog of blue color.

    Aiden gave Vanguard one last sheepish grin.  While this at least seemed to confuse the older Forerunner only a little bit, it gave Aiden the opportunity to break off and make a break for the newly discovered path.  Vanguard stumbled for only a brief second before he began pursuing his brother with a sheer unemotional coldness in his eyes.  Aiden didn’t look back as his boots crushed the fragments of glass into even smaller pieces.  He thought to himself as he began a whole new sprint.  “Well, at least with all the running I’ve been doing today, it’s pretty much a guarantee that I’ll be staying in shape...”

    Tempest paced back and forth, baring his teeth as he tossed an occasional glare back down the stairs where Aiden and Vanguard were settling things.  He shook his head and scolded himself repeatedly.  “We shouldn't have left him down there.  I shouldn’t have gone down there in the first place.  We should never have come to this place...”  He knew full well that there was nothing they could do; Night Step’s magic was useless with Vanguard’s pulse still present, and he knew that he wouldn’t last four seconds against the powerful Forerunner.

    “So is this all we can do?”  Tempest asked as he turned his head to Night Step.  It was not a sarcastic or bitter question, rather it was an honest inquiry into what more could be done on their part.

    “What use would we be?”  Night Step retorted quietly.  “We could go back up and get the griffins to help us...but we’d be leaving Aiden down here alone and,” he shook his head in disgust.  “Celestia knows what else we might run into on the way back up.”  He was of course referring to the sulphur creature they had encountered earlier.  He chuckled slightly; at least Tempest thought he was laughing before it turned into solitary sobs broken up by words.  “I’m a coward,” he spoke softly.  “I’m a coward, I know, but I don’t care.  I don’t want to die down here; Dawn’s Mercy I don’t want to die!”

    Tempest simply didn’t know what to say at this point.  All he could do was look back down the stairs and silently hope for Aiden to resurface, victorious in his battle.

    Cadmus was more uncertain of himself now than ever before in his career.  Upon his return to the surface, he witnessed one of his sergeants standing next to Elder Garand, ordering the troops to form up.  With a flare of his wings, the Lieutenant was in the air and flew over to where his superior and subordinate stood.  He had a nervous feeling stirring up in his insides.  “This can’t be good,” he thought to himself.

    “Uh, pardon me, Elder?”  He spoke when he was certain that Garand was within earshot.  The old griffin looked over to his left as the Lieutenant landed beside his trusted sergeant, Waystone.  “What’s going on?”

    “We’ve been ordered to pull out, sir,” Sergeant Waystone replied.  The Lieutenant tilted his head.

    “Pull out?”  He echoed back.  “Why is that?  We still have those two Equestrians and the human trapped in there with who knows what!”

    “The fate of two ponies and a hairless ape is not of your concern,” Elder Garand said gruffly.  “We need to get the civilians out of harm’s way and wait to see if the dormant volcano does anything.  In the case of an eruption, we will evacuate the immediate vicinity of Frostfire Mountain and return to Stormview to tell his Grace of the incident.”  Cadmus shook his head in disbelief to what he just heard.

    “This is ridiculous,” he scoffed.  “Sergeant Waystone, get your unit ready, we’re going back in.”  Before Waystone could reply, Garand held out a talon.

    “No, you’re not,” he sternly replied.  “You’re not in charge of this operation, Lieutenant; I am.”  Cadmus was at first uncertain if he truly heard these words, but the Elder quickly affirmed this notion.  “As of the moment, you are unofficially relieved of your authority.”

    The Lieutenant was incredulous; he shook his head as his mind finished processing what Garand was saying.  “Did his Grace give you that authority too?”  He asked with a scowl.  He didn’t wait for the Elder to give an answer before he took off once again.  “I’ll go in by myself, then,” he thought.  Sergeant Waystone looked over to his commanding officer with a frown.

    “Let him go, Sergeant,” Elder Garand said quietly as if reading his thoughts.  “He’s signing his own death warrant.”  Waystone turned to Garand  briefly before looking back at Cadmus as he passed the threshold into the mines again.

    Vanguard was relentless, most definitely; but so was Aiden.  The two brothers had found themselves in another chamber, this one possibly the largest in the entire installation.  They both stood on a bridge that overlooked a foggy abyss below; the fog was colored a light blue by a source of light that must’ve been further down.  Aiden threw a quick glance over the edge and turned his attention back to his opponent.  “Could the ancient humans see in any color other than fucking blue!?”  He unknowingly said aloud.  He refused to allow this distraction offer time for Vanguard to make a move, however.

    His opponent held his obsidian weapon at the ready, the blade jutting out of his left palm which waited at his hip for the opportunity to strike.  Likewise, Aiden wielded his left hand by his opposite shoulder, the glyphs and symbols of the Praemian Thorn lighting up, signaling that it was prepared for an all out battle.

    All just in time as well, for Vanguard lunged at Aiden once again, but this time, the obsidian blade seemed to lose its jagged edges and moved more freely like a whip rather than a sword.  Aiden jumped back to avoid getting lashed by the now malleable material.  “You have got to be shitting me,” he thought as he quickened his pace back, trying to gain more distance between him and Vanguard.  Attempting to think of something funny to say, all he could get out was:

    “Yeah, I’m getting every single medal for this; no questions asked.”

    Like previously, Vanguard showed no reaction to his words as his obsidian weapon began to solidify again in a hook formation.  Still, his quick swipes at Aiden’s stomach were thwarted by the human’s enhanced perception.  Vanguard pulled his right hand back and prepared for another burst of invisible force to push Aiden onto his back, but Aiden wasn’t having that anymore.

    “I don’t think so!”  He shouted as he swiftly lifted his left leg and gave a blow to Vanguard’s head.  The Forerunner staggered for only a moment, but this was plenty of time for Aiden to bring his foot down on the obsidian blade with all of his might, snapping it in half like a thin ingot of heated iron.  He smiled at the result his effort had produced.

    Vanguard quickly retaliated by grabbing Aiden’s left ankle with his free hand and pulling his leg up, causing Aiden to fall flat on his back.  A new obsidian sword began to form in his right palm, the remains of the broken one crumbling to pieces.  Aiden’s eye caught sight of the newly formed blade and rolled out of the way from being impaled.

    The human was on his feet again within seconds and was quickly backing his way along the bridge; the two of them were about halfway across it at this point, and a quick glance over his shoulder showed that it led into another chamber, though Aiden couldn’t make out what was in it in such a short time.

    His attention was immediately brought back to Vanguard, who held the blade jutting out of his palm out to his right like it were a regular sword.  “How far down does this freaking place go?”  Aiden thought to himself.  He continued to back towards the doorway that led into the next chamber, all the while with Vanguard staring him down with an emotionless gaze.  “Looks like I might just find out...”  Aiden thought as he backed himself beyond the threshold and into the new chamber.

    Upon getting a decent view of the new room they were in, Aiden noted that it was another dome shaped chamber; fairly large and from what Aiden could discern, this was some sort of reactor, judging by the large glass cylindrical structure in the center of the chamber containing a brightly glowing orange material.  “Finally, some color other than blue or grey.”  The two of them entered the chamber onto a catwalk that overlooked the reactor itself, and they were flanked by two staircases to their left and right, the one on the left leading to an upper catwalk while the one on the right led to a lower one.

    Gazing upon the reactor, Aiden surmised that it was probably drawing geothermal power from the earth, or something along those lines.

    “Imposing structures, are they not!?”  Vanguard shouted in Aiden’s direction whilst gesturing towards the reactor itself.  “I also must admit to how impressed I am by humanity’s resilience and ingenuity.”  He pointed his blade towards the glowing structure in the center of the chamber.  “But alas, witness in how ultimately frail their works are, along with their memory.”  The blade in his right hand suddenly extended at incredible speed into the glass casing of the reactor, causing its surface to crack like a fragile ornament.  Aiden instinctively backed away from the reactor until he hit the wall behind him.

    “Jesus Christ!”  Aiden swore as the obsidian limb retracted itself from the target it struck.  “What the hell is he trying to prove now!?  He could end up killing us both!”  A bright light began pouring out of the point from where Vanguard had struck.  Aiden could only look on in fear for what would likely happen.

    “Witness how easy it is to snuff out their fires,” Vanguard said as he struck the reactor again.  “Witness how they attempt to clamber up the edge of the world, desperately trying to not be forgotten.”  With these words being spoken, a second limb of glassy obsidian shot out of his right shoulder, then another out of his left.  Amazingly enough, the only thing they left behind were splotches of a pitch black ink material from where they emerged; no blood, wounds or torn fabric on the locations where Vanguard’s robe covered.

    The two new limbs planted themselves into the floor and began hoisting Vanguard’s body up until he was at least ten feet into the air.  Aiden looked back down at the Thorn, hoping for an answer to this new situation.  The ring of Abitrath’s Gate still glowed, but Algat’s River could find no nearby source of fire or lightning that he could absorb.  Aiden took the slowly dying glow of the Thorn’s insignia as a sign to start running.

    The stairs that led to the lower catwalk were blocked by Vanguard, as was the way from which they both came.  The only obvious way out was the staircase behind him which led to the upper catwalk, and that didn’t offer a clear escape either.  But still, it was a better option than being eviscerated by Vanguard’s new form.

    Aiden turned and clambered up the stairs with the haste of an animal being chased by a vicious predator.  He was roughly halfway up when Vanguard brought one of his jagged limbs down on the stairs he had ascended, bringing them down to the floor below.  Aiden stumbled as he reached the top and nearly fell flat on his face.  The catwalk circled around half of the chamber and ended at an inactive computer terminal, not unlike the other ones he saw.

    The man, however, had little time to pay much attention to his surroundings, for Vanguard pierced the floor behind him with another glassy limb.  “Shit!”  Aiden yelled as his hands clutched to the railing at the end of the catwalk.  He shifted his gaze from left to right, hoping for a way out that wouldn’t end with him falling again, of all things.

    A grating to his left that covered a ventilation duct caught his eye.  He took absolutely no consideration into the possibility that it wasn’t wide enough for him to fit; not exactly like he had the time to do so.  With two swift, powerful kicks, the grating was dislodged and Aiden quickly tossed it out of his way before he went feet first into the ventilation duct.  He got one final look at Vanguard’s form before he slipped the rest of his body into his new place of refuge.

    It was far from spacious, that much was certain.  Aiden was just barely able to move his arms, which brought him to the verge of panic as the thought that he could be stuck here came to him.  “Stuck in a ventilation shaft with Vanguard just outside,” Aiden thought.  “To hell with the medals, I’m getting the key to the fucking city.”

    Thankfully, he managed to place his hands on the sides of the vent and push himself further along.  “I guess this is how the Grinch felt while in the chimney,” he whispered to himself as he continued towards the end of the vent.  After a few seconds more, Aiden felt his feet reach the other side.

    As he pulled himself out of the vent entirely, he took into account of the new room he was in.  Scratch that, it wasn’t really a room, rather a small vertical tunnel that was a continuation of the ventilation system itself.  The floor of the tunnel was a metallic grating that covered a slowly spinning fan which blew a cool breeze up at Aiden’s face.  The human looked up to see another ventilation shaft.  He sighed with exhaustion.

    “At least I’m safe for the moment,” he whispered.  His eyes widened as he said this and they darted from left to right, fearful that he might have just jinxed it.  When nothing happened, the lad let loose a breath of relief.  Said relief was short lived, however.

    Aiden stumbled forward, slamming into the nearby wall after an enormous tremor seemingly shook the entire facility.  The sound of an explosion was heard in the reactor chamber behind him, and that was more than enough to get him moving.  He frantically grabbed onto the edge of the next duct’s entrance.

    “Alright, break time’s over!”  He yelled at himself as he hoisted himself into the vent.  This one was slightly more spacious, and he managed to work his way through it at a much faster pace than the previous one.

    He emerged into another hallway; to his left the hallway went on for another ten feet until it turned to the right, while the opposing direction had a spiral staircase that led down.  “Pretty certain that down is the last direction I want to go,” he thought right before the sound of another explosion came from the reactor chamber.

    The lights above suddenly went out after this, and the hallway was shrouded in complete darkness for a few seconds.  The lights came back on just as suddenly, but projected a deep red light over everything, and the sound of an alarm could be heard.  Aiden turned to his left and began the trek down the hallway as the tremors that shook the facility became more frequent, as well as the explosions.

    He came to the turn and was about to proceed onwards, until the sound of metal being torn in half assaulted his ears.  He covered them and yelled in agony at the ear splitting noise before he returned his attention forward only to see that one of Vanguard’s razor sharp limbs had broken through the wall and split apart the metal in its wake, completely blocking the hallway.

    Aiden held up his hands and backed away with a look of pure frustration upon his complexion.  “Okay!  God, I’ll go the other way!”  The human yelled before he turned and headed back for the spiral staircase.

    The way down further into the depths of the facility was accompanied by further explosions in the hallway behind him; this, along with the still blaring alarm, gave him plenty of reason to quicken his pace.  “Shit,” he said to himself.  “A possible chain reaction on my hands too.”  He shook his head at the situation he was in.  “This day just keeps getting better and better.”

    He continued onward into a hallway that likely ran below the reaction chamber, as steam was being vented out of steel grating on the ceiling.  He heard Vanguard’s obsidian limbs on the floor above, quickly approaching the staircase he had just descended.

    “Oh, fuck!”  Aiden cursed as he became aware of this and began to sprint for the door at the end of the hall.  The green panel to the right of it signaled that the door was unlocked.  Aiden could only hope that it would prove to be his salvation.

    After slamming his open palm onto the panel, the metal door slid open and he stumbled into the next room.  The door automatically closed behind him, which gave him relief that he wouldn’t have to look back to see Vanguard closing in on him.  Aiden turned to look at the now secured door; he knew that it wouldn’t be enough to hold the Forerunner off.

    Aiden scanned the chamber he was now in; the first thing to catch his attention was another little pool of mercury in the center of it.  He was well familiar that this meant a new power for him.  He wasted no time; he rolled his left sleeve up even further whilst the Thorn began glowing once again, as if reacting to the nearby well.  He plunged his limb into the transparent liquid as far as it would go and looked over his shoulder to further ensure that he was safe for the moment.

    Vanguard’s presence was still quite obvious beyond the door, and the pulse was still as strong as ever; the tremors that accompanied Vanguard as well as the rattlings of the explosions still shook the facility to its core.  All of these things managed to distract Aiden from the slight prick of pain that signaled the next ring of power had inserted itself.

    Aiden retracted his hand from the well to examine how the Thorn had changed.  The only notable change he could see as the glyphs of the ancient weapon lit up like a night sky on New Year’s Eve was the presence of a new ring around the knuckle of his middle finger, this one a bright gold color.  The other two rings of Algat’s River and Abitrath’s Gate began glowing their usual crimson and blue, respectively, as if happily welcoming their new neighbor.

    “So now what can I do?”  Aiden curiously thought to himself as he eyed the shimmering golden ring.  The sound of Vanguard approaching had reached the door, accompanied by the sound of something heavy brutally striking it.  Aiden turned with a look of panic upon his complexion.  He held out his left arm, hoping for the Thorn to activate and hoping that it wouldn’t decide to stop working when he so desperately needed it to.

    An obsidian blade pierced the thin lining in the center of the door from where it slid open and began forcing it to do so.  The ring that harbored his newest power began glowing even brighter as Vanguard forced the door open even further.  “Whatever it is, it better do something fucking amazing right about now!”

    Jagged blades of glassy obsidian forced the door completely open, and Vanguard’s human form could be seen with the majority of the limbs emerging out of his shoulders and back.  It was when Vanguard lunged towards his opponent once again that the Thorn finally reacted.  The golden light became almost blinding, and Aiden shut his eyes tightly whilst looking away, fearful of what he would see when he opened them.

    Only a few seconds passed until Aiden opened his eyes again, first noting that all sound had ceased; the pulse, the tremors, the explosions; everything fell silent.  He pulled his left hand back, placing it upon his chest to see if anything was damaged.  He was unharmed, and a hand placed upon the back of his head had found that the wound from earlier had already healed.

    Placing his attention upon his foe, he found Vanguard to be completely immobile; frozen in place with one of the obsidian limbs reaching out to strike him.  Even stranger still, Aiden noted the thin golden colored aura that now surrounded the Forerunner; the same shade as the new ring on the Thorn.

    Aiden looked down at the ancient weapon and smirked that such a power was now under his control.  “Of course, like with the others, it’s probably only gonna work when it feels like it,” he reminded himself as he turned to face the door on the other end of the chamber.  He turned back to face Vanguard once again, noticing that he was beginning to move again, although quite slowly.  Disappointed that the effects lasted only a few brief seconds, he slammed his right fist into the door’s panel behind him.

    While fleeing down the newly opened path before him, Aiden’s thoughts drifted to his two equine companions, hoping only that they both made it to the surface safely.

    These ruins were unlike anything that Cadmus had ever seen before.  He had little time to take it all in, however.  The lighting on the ceiling soon turned an intimidating red, painting the walls and floor a deep shade of scarlet.  The Lieutenant knew that he couldn’t afford to get distracted at this point with the possibility of a volcanic event.  He focused on the hallway ahead of him, frowning as he thought to himself.

    “This place is so confusing; how am I supposed to find Aiden and the others in a maze like this?”  He shook his head, trying to keep those thoughts at bay.  “Nothing’s gonna get done with that kind of attitude; now come on, Lieutenant!”  While he didn’t even want to admit it to himself, he was well aware that he had to hurry; the intense tremors below told him that the worst was about to happen.

    Coming upon a three-way intersection, his ears caught the sound of a door opening down the hallway to his left...

    Aiden’s path had taken him through another laboratory, this one much larger than the others; while he had managed to evade Vanguard for the time being, he feared that he now had another eldritch abomination on his tail.  He determined this much from the empty cryogenic tubes that he had passed, and the sound of distant noises; something was definitely stalking him from the darkened corners from one room to the next.

    To his fortune (for the first time that day, it seemed) he encountered a hanging bundle of electrical wires near the door.  While most would see this as a dangerous safety hazard, to Aiden, it was blessed salvation.  The ring of Algat’s River began glowing as he drew nearer to the hanging wires, and the human gladly held the Thorn up towards them.  The electricity crackled as the ancient weapon drew in the energy in a noticeable stream of light.

    “Alright,” Aiden sighed as the electricity gathered around his index finger.  He turned his attention to the room, waiting to see if his newest stalker would reveal itself.  “Next bastard who decides to mess with me gets a face full of lightning...” he muttered to himself while holding his left hand out towards the darkness of the chamber, waiting for whatever it was that was following him.  He was aware that it couldn’t be Vanguard; the pulse felt too distant.

    Nothing happened, with the exception of more explosions being heard from the aqueducts and vents below him.  “I should get moving then,” Aiden thought to himself while hesitantly opening the door behind him.  “I think I’ve stumbled into enough clusterfucks for one day...”

    Aiden made his way through the exit, not taking his eyes off the darkened chamber until the automatic door closed itself.  Breathing a sigh of relief, he turned to examine his new surroundings, when he heard a gasp to his right.

    “Aiden!?”  A familiar voice shouted.

    “Cadmus,” Aiden sighed with relief upon sighting the griffin.  “How did-” the human stuttered, trying to figure out what to say.  “Why are-”  He placed a hand upon his forehead and took in a deep breath.  “Look, let’s just find the others and get the hell out of here; come on!”

    “W-wait!”  The Lieutenant called, holding a talon out whilst the human turned his back and was on his way down the hall.  When Aiden did not respond, Cadmus had no choice but to follow, lest he lose track of him again.  Once he caught up, the Lieutenant couldn’t suppress his questions any longer.  “What happened down here, Aiden?”

    “We found Vanguard, and it turns out that he was indeed here to release another Forerunner,” Aiden replied.

    “Mercy,” Cadmus whispered while shaking his head.  “Having two of those things on the loose...”

    “The Forerunner he was looking for was no longer here,” Aiden added.  “So we can at least be glad of that.  But it seems that other creatures were being kept down here...”

    “Other creatures?”  Cadmus echoed.  “Such as?”

    “I’ll tell you later,” Aiden sighed while looking over his shoulder, certain that the creature he was worried about was still following him.  “For now, let’s just focus on finding Tempest and Night Step, then we’ll go back the way you came in.”

    “If I can even remember,” Cadmus said.  “This place feels like it would take months to properly map out.”

    The two of them proceeded towards another door at the end of the hallway; Aiden looked over his shoulder again with a scowl played across his lips.  “Alright, I *know** that we’re being followed,*” he thought as he lifted his left hand up towards his opposite shoulder and stopped just a few feet short of the threshold.  Cadmus stood on the other side of the doorway, looking back at Aiden.

    “What is it?”  He asked with more than just a hint of worry in his voice.  Aiden kept his eyes on the darkness that enveloped the hallway they had just passed.

    “Keep going,” Aiden replied with a dire tone in his voice.  The electricity he had stored in the Thorn had gathered at the tip of his index finger.  It didn’t seem like enough to do any severe damage, but Aiden determined that it would be sufficient to work with.  He looked over his shoulder at Cadmus.  “Go on,” he nodded for the Lieutenant to continue.  “I’ll catch up with you.”

    Cadmus hesitated, looking on into the direction they were headed, then back at Aiden.  The human nodded once again, affirming that he would be okay before looking back at the invisible monstrosity that he faced.  The griffin nodded back and continued onward into the unknown.

    “This better not be some jump scare bullshit,” Aiden whispered to himself.  “I know that you’re there, just show yourself!”  He yelled at the unseen creature.  Silence followed, with the only exception being the distant ring of the facility’s alarm, and Vanguard’s pulse, even more distant still.  Aiden took three careful, tentative paces back towards the open doorway that Cadmus had just gone through, his eyes not taking their attention off the darkness in front of him.

    Movement was soon caught out of the corner of his vision.  He clenched his teeth as his opponent finally revealed itself from its hiding spot.  The monster consisted of a humanoid torso, with skin as white as ash.  Its four limbs where the arms and legs would be were long, rubbery and gangly; in fact they were little more than long tendrils that softly touched the floor.  Its neck was short and ended in a wide, gaping, toothless, featureless mouth, as though someone had beheaded the creature and removed all of its guts.  It had no eyes; or at least none that Aiden could see, but the creature still obviously perceived him, be it through a sense of smell or hearing, as it reared its “head” (neck mouth thingy?) to face his direction.

    Aiden took another step back and prepared himself for whatever the monstrosity was about to do.  Indeed, doing so seemed to only provoke it as the rim of its sole orifice seemed to contract and expand.  It closed for a brief moment before opening again, letting out a high pitched screech that could probably shatter glass and eardrums alike.

    “Why do I always find myself in these situations!?”  Aiden yelled at himself whilst covering his ears.  He also felt his entire body being forced back, like the shriek of the beast itself was producing enough force to do so.  He planted his feet where they were and bared his teeth, determined as ever before.  “No way, asshole; I am not getting knocked down again!”

    With determination and frustration clouding his eyes, Aiden clenched his left fist, the electricity stored within the Thorn sparking and crackling in reply.  The wailing monster ceased its cry, and Aiden took this as the best opportunity to retaliate.  He flailed his left arm toward the creature, opening his palm as he did so; the bolt of lightning exited out of his index finger and jumped towards his opponent.

    It screeched even louder as the electricity noticeably coursed through its entire body, causing it to spasm and jerk about in a fit of agony.  “Chew on that, motherfucker!”  Aiden cursed at the monstrosity while running after Cadmus, certain that a little shock wouldn’t keep something like that at bay for long.  Aiden looked down at the Thorn once again, only to see it give off a few more crackles of vibrant electricity.  “Algat’s River has run dry again,” Aiden thought with disappointment.

    He didn’t think that the Lieutenant had gotten very far in the few moments that his attention was focused on their shouting friend.  Or at least he hoped that this was so.

    As luck would have it, ‘twas indeed so!  Aiden emerged into another wide, elongated chamber.  He called out to the Lieutenant, whom had made it about halfway through; the griffin looked back at him with a smile that displayed a newfound confidence.  He beckoned and shouted out.  “They’re here!”

    Aiden held his breath for a moment, wanting to see it for himself.  The sight of two figures further along on the other side of the chamber; one with a deep navy blue coat, the other the color of snow; allowed him to breath in once again.  Tempest smiled softly and gave a light wave with a hoof to his direction.  Aiden sighed and instinctively returned the wave as he shortened the distance between them.

    “Where’s Vanguard?” A glad, yet still very weary, panting Night Step asked, not trying at all to hide the concern in his voice.  “We heard the explosions down below, and then that piercing alarm...”

    “Yeah,” Tempest continued for the tired mage, though he did not seem to be faring much better, still recovering from his close brush with Aiden’s otherworldly sibling.  “Once that happened, we really started to book it back here; we hadn’t even the faintest idea of what was happening down there.”

    Aiden beckoned for the three of them to follow.  “I’ll explain everything once we’re out,” he said while glancing over his shoulder at the path he had just come from.  Vanguard’s pulse could still be heard over the alarm; still somewhat distant, but still as just as oppressive as ever.  “Vanguard can’t be far behind us, so right now, we’d best focus on getting out of this circle jerk.”  That managed to get a chuckle out of Tempest, at least somewhat relieving the tension of their situation.  “So, Lieutenant, do you by any chance remember the way back any more than I do?”

    The griffin pointed back down the junction from whence the two of them came.  “I’ll lead you to the best of my ability; don’t worry.”

    “How comforting,” Night Step sighed.

    “It’s better than just wandering around in circles in this bottomless dungeon,” Tempest replied to the mage’s comment.  He gave the Lieutenant a trusting smile.  “It sounds good, Lieutenant Cadmus; you lead, and we’ll follow.”

    The griffin began the trek back with Aiden right behind him, staying watchful in the case that the screeching monster wasn’t done yet, and the two ponies lined up behind him, their own eyes scanning the dark corners around them.  Vanguard’s pulse was even more distant than before; Aiden took this as an opportunity to ask Night Step for a small favor.

    “Hey, Night,” the human asked while keeping his eyes forward.  The unicorn hummed softly, allowing him to know that he had his attention.  “I was wondering if you could maybe charge the Praemian Thorn with your magic, considering that there must be some good distance between us and Vanguard.”

    Night Step’s ears folded back for a second.  “I’ll try,” he answered.  “But there’s no guarantee that I can get anything.”  The mage closed his eyes and breathed in deeply, trying his hardest to conjure up any source of magical energy he could get.  A familiar jingle filled the air, and Night Step’s horn was soon bathed in a deep purple aura that quickly spread to the Thorn.  Aiden held his hand up to see if it was having any effect.

    A crackle of electricity was heard and the ring of Algat’s River began to surge with energy once again.  Aiden gave a confident smirk when Night Step was finished.  “Awesome,” he said while giving the mage a thumbs up with his other hand.  “Thanks.”

    “Sure thing, friend,” Night Step replied as they continued on the path that Cadmus led them down.  Aiden focused his attention forward, certain that the monster that he and the Lieutenant had encountered earlier was still very much alive and still capable of doing harm.  He hoped that one last bolt of lightning or two would rectify that.

    He balled his left hand up into a fist and held it out in front of him, Cadmus taking point of their unit.  Tempest and Night Step both remained silent as the Lieutenant led them back the way he and Aiden came.  “Is that creature still alive?”  Cadmus asked the human.  Aiden eased his left hand’s grip and advanced ahead of the griffin.

    “Knowing my luck of late, I probably just made it angrier,” Aiden sighed.  “Don’t worry though, if it tries to get in our way, I’ll give it something to scream about.”  He flexed his fingers, the now charged up Thorn flaring with electricity arcing between his fingers.

    “Alright,” Cadmus answered.  “The path I came on was this way,” he motioned forward with a talon.

    The countryside of central Gryphonia was so peaceful around this time of day; Elder Garand got a near insatiable sense of pride welling inside of his being from merely breathing in the frigid air.  This was a country that he had fought and bled for; ‘twas a land that had seen countless instances of armed conflicts over the centuries, and Garand had fought in several of these over the decades of his life, first in the Changeling Invasions over fifty years ago, then again in the Westwind Rebellions a few years later.  After his service as an officer in the army, he served happily in the Parliament under King Samran, and his father before him.

    He and the new King had more than their fair share of disagreements, of course, what with being separated by a generation of complete peace.  The elderly griffin sighed.  “Such contentment only numbs the mind; numbness leads to carelessness.”  In his mind, Samran lacked the experience to properly defend his country; experience that Garand and plenty of other veterans had.  Many other discharged officers agreed with him in this regard.  He wasn’t about to simply stand by and watch Samran give their country away to foreigners.

    Indeed, even now as he led Lieutenant Cadmus’ squad towards the city of Westspire, the seeds of revolt were growing.  Garand smiled as he gazed over to the Western horizon, the last orange sliver of the sun painting the landscape a fiery orange.

    At last, the layout was becoming familiar to Aiden, for he was certain that they were on the right path out of the ruins.  Of course, every single hallway and stairwell looked the same in these catacombs, so only Cadmus had a slight recollection on the path he had taken to reach them.

    Vanguard wasn’t too far behind them, as the pulsating and the tremors had suddenly become much stronger.  Poor Night Step felt helpless with his magic rendered useless by Vanguard’s presence.  Aiden silently volunteered to take up the rear position of the group, motioning for the ponies to go ahead of him.

    Aiden glanced over his shoulder, although he wasn’t sure why; he was well aware that the Forerunner was giving chase and that it wouldn’t be much longer before they were finally apprehended.  “We better get to the surface quickly,” Aiden thought as panic welled up in his chest.  “I don’t think that the Thorn will be able to hold him off much longer.”  He turned his attention forward once again.  “Lieutenant, how much further until we’re back in the mines?”

    “Just a little more,” Cadmus replied while panting.  “I’d recognize these metallic walls anywhere!”  That had to be a joke, Aiden thought for a brief moment.  Even if the Lieutenant had marked the places he had been before, the rather poor lighting of the halls made it almost impossible for an individual to see their own hand/hoof/talon in front of his face.

    “But...maybe those glowing eyes of theirs allow griffins some form of night vision?”  Aiden postulated to himself.  “Anything that’ll help us get out, I suppose.  Might as well ask him once we’re out of this snake pit.”

    The whole facility still shook with the sounds and shockwaves that began down in the reactor.  Even more terrifying still, Aiden soon heard an ear rending shriek that was comparable to the sound of a train being derailed just behind them.  “Shit!”  The lad yelled.  Tempest looked back at him, also horrified at what they had just heard.  “Keep going!  Go!  Go!”  Aiden shouted, ushering his four legged companions to keep moving onward.

    “We’re almost there!”  Cadmus yelled back at his entourage.  “Keep pushing!”  That alone was almost too much for any of them.  The constant running with a horrible creature chasing them, just waiting for one of them to falter, only made Aiden’s already quivering knees become even more like jelly.

    Looking up, Aiden noticed that the stairs were finally coming to an end; his hope was almost immediately dashed when he reminded himself.  “Now we just need to begin the harrowing climb up towards the surface through the mining passages...”  Cadmus and the others soon disappeared beyond the threshold of the ruins’ exit.  The ground below his feet trembled as if the World itself had decided to shake him off like a dog would a flea.  His heart was thrashing against his ribcage like a rabid animal trying desperately to get out.

    He couldn’t help but look back upon reaching the threshold.  The metal walls receded and soon became stone once again.  Aiden looked ahead of himself again to see his companions had come to a stop.

    “Damn it!”  Cadmus shouted.  “The gods forsaken pathway to the surface collapsed!”  The lieutenant looked around frantically for an alternate way out before turning his gaze up the chasm.

    “Looks like we’ll have to fly!”  Tempest stated suddenly.  “Aiden, get on!”  He gestured with his head while his wings flared.  A quick glance back towards the ruins entrance only showed the darkness that they had left behind.  The human, thankfully, had complete confidence at this point that the pegasus had more than sufficient strength to carry him.

    “Cadmus,” Aiden yelled as he saddled himself upon Tempest’s back.  “You think you can lift Night Step?”  The unicorn mage and the griffin exchanged looks for a brief moment.

    “I can try!”  The Lieutenant yelled before his wings lifted himself into flight.  Night Step lifted his forelegs out for Cadmus to grab ahold of.  “I’d tell you to hang on tight, but...” he managed to let out a chuckle, although it sounded quite forced.  “You don’t really have anything to hold on with.”

    “Not exactly the best time to be making jokes!”  Night Step pleaded as Cadmus and Tempest became airborne with their respective passengers.

    “Finally,” Aiden thought with a deep breath.  “Time to get the hell outta here!  Their ascent towards the top of the mines was slow; this didn’t surprise Aiden, or any of the others for that matter.  But it also didn’t keep any of them from the brink of panic when an unearthly shriek reached their ears.

    It came from the bottom of the chasm, where they had just exited the ruins, but something about its nature was odd.  It also sounded as if whatever it was, it was coming at the group from all directions; almost omnipresent, even.

    “Shit!”  Tempest yelled at the sound of the shriek.  “What in the Sun’s name was that!?”

    “I don’t know!”  Aiden hissed as his grip on Tempest’s shoulders tightened.  He looked back down towards the bottom as they continued on their ascent.  The abyss they were fleeing from grew darker still, something that the human thought wasn’t possible.  “But let’s just take that as another reason that we better book it out of here!”

    “I hear that!”  Cadmus grunted, clearly struggling to lift the unicorn mage.  “But gods above, you ponies are heavy!”  Aiden looked back down into the chasm below while Cadmus was busy going on about the dead weight of a unicorn he was carrying.  The darkness was definitely growing; quickly spreading towards them like an infection in an open wound.

    “Not good!”  Aiden thought while about to panic.  Both the pulse and the tremors returned; the suddenness of it alone was enough to make Night Step cry out in pain.  Cadmus looked down at the fellow he was carrying with concern.

    “What’s wrong!?”  He yelled over the rumbling of the cavern that surrounded them.  Night Step gave no answer, rather he could only grit his teeth and hiss in agony.

    “He looks like he’s trying to cast a spell,” Tempest shouted in reply.  “He can’t do it with that fucking pulse getting into his head.”  The tremors became more intense as the pegasus pointed out the problem.

    “Doesn’t really look like that’s gonna stop him this time...” Aiden thought while shifting his attention from the unicorn’s face to his horn, which sparked and flickered with magical energy like a dying flame.  The tremors grew even stronger still; while reluctantly, Aiden managed to force himself to look back down at the chasm.

    The darkness had crawled up along the walls toward them; it had the same glassy sheen as the obsidian that Vanguard harnessed as a lethal weapon.  Now it looked as though the Forerunner commanded it like a liquid beast; a living, amorphous entity.

    “Almost there!”  Tempest shouted at the griffin.  “C’mon Lieutenant, lift that fat unicorn!”

    “I’m trying as hard as possible!”  He struggled even harder trying to lift his passenger.  Night Step was still focused on trying to cast his spell.  Aiden considered using his new time-slowing power, but remembered that it would probably slow down the others along with Vanguard.

    “And there’s no point in doing something if it’ll heed our progress too...ain’t nobody got time for that,” he thought with a frustrated sigh as he noted the tremors become the most intense they had ever been.

    The pulse had made it nearly impossible for him to think clearly, while also beginning to have adverse effects on Tempest and Cadmus as well.  The beats of Tempest’s wings lost their rhythm; they soon became clumsy and slower.

    “Fuck my life,” Aiden thought with deep despair when he looked over to the Lieutenant, holding onto a small fragment of hope that they still had a chance.  That small fragment was quickly taken, thrown to the ground and stomped into tiny splinters when he noticed the distant, tired look on the griffin’s face.

    Time seemed to slow down, as it seemingly always did when he was falling from great heights.  Cadmus loosened his grip on the unicorn as the lids of his eyes, and Night Step left his grasp within mere seconds.

    Aiden wrapped his arms around Tempest Runner’s upper body and neck, swinging their bodies around as they fell back down the chasm and into the abyss; his back faced the bottom, so that the pegasus was at least somewhat protected from the fall.  Given the past two experiences to go on, Aiden would survive the fall regardless of the height.  He was going to save one of his friends at the very least.

    He wished that he could save all three; he would give his own life if he knew it could be so.  The most he could do is look on in horror as Cadmus’ and Night Step’s limp bodies plummeted with them into the bowels of the world.

    His attention turned towards the passing apparition of darkness of Vanguard and silently cursed at his brother.  This wouldn’t be the end; not for him at least.  He would be down two friends; potentially three if his plan to save Tempest didn’t hold out; but his hunt to stop Vanguard would continue.

    He looked down at the Thorn, realizing that the powers within it, while indeed amazing, wouldn’t do jack to help him out here.

    His vision darkened as Vanguard’s black, foggy form passed them completely.  It didn’t feel like anything once he passed through them, but at the very least, he took the pulse and tremors with him.  At least the absence of the pulse would help him clear his head.

    Now, the air rushing past his ears as they fell was the only sound he could hear.  His eyes watered up; it was partially due to the gusts of wind tearing at his face, but mostly due to the thought that he was about to lose his two closest friends, along with his newest friend.  He tried to do his best to think ahead; where he would go from here, what he would do next, but this soon proved to be fruitless, as his vision was obscured by the brightest light he had seen in a long time.  He couldn’t see a damn thing.

    At least he felt no pain.

    The white light faded, and was replaced with a pitch black sky, dotted with many stars and a thin sliver of the moon.  Aiden’s eyes widened at this, wondering what in God’s name just happened, when he realized that the four of them were still falling.  He only let out a small yelp before he hit the cold hard ground, still holding Tempest in his protective embrace.

Now he felt pain.  The Lieutenant landed not far away, letting out his own grunt upon impact, as did Night Step.  The most that the lad could do was lay there while the stars stared back at him while his brain tried to register what had occurred.  While the gears in his head were turning, Tempest stirred.

    “Hey, Aiden,” the pegasus whispered hoarsely.

    “Yeah?”  The human answered after a few seconds.

    “As much as someone else would find this really romantic, could you please let me go?”  He tried to clear his throat, but went into a small coughing fit.

    “I...uh,” Aiden stammered as Tempest regained his composure.  He couldn’t help but let out a hearty chuckle at his request.  “Sure thing, bro,” he laughed as he released the pegasus from his embrace.

    “Thank you,” Tempest said to show his gratitude before rolling over onto his stomach and stood up.  Aiden quickly followed suit, sitting up straight into his usual crossed leg position for a few seconds before getting up to his feet.

    “Where are we?”  He asked while turning to his pony companion.  Tempest simply remained silent, staring at the landscape before them with amazement.  Aiden soon felt the same as his eyes fell upon the entrance to Silver River Mines.

    “We...”  This was all Tempest could get out while looking upon the ruined outpost, painted several shades darker under the palette of night.

    “We’re back on the surface,” Aiden finished for him.  “But...how?”  He took a step back.  “I remember that we were falling back down into the mines...Vanguard passed us...”

    “That thing was Vanguard!?”  Tempest yelled in Aiden’s direction.

    “It was the source of his pulse, so chances are he took that form for a quick exit.”  Aiden crossed his arms and looked around.  Lieutenant Cadmus was to their left and was beginning to stand up.  He called the griffin’s name and waved when he looked over in their direction.  He smiled at the fact that he was okay.  “Now...where is Night Step?”

    The sound of coughing was heard from Cadmus’ left, drawing the attention of all three of them.

    Night Step was laying on his back, his forehooves curled up against his chest.  Breathing heavily, and sparks of magical energy flaring from his horn, the poor unicorn looked accusingly at his three companions as they gathered around, looking back down at him.  Aiden was about to speak up, when Night Step decided to voice his opinion first, pointing a hoof at Tempest.

    “You...fucking...owe me...” he spoke between breaths.  “All of you...”

    The three of them exchanged glances, Tempest’s glance quickly showing off a beaming smile.

    “So that’s what the light was,” Aiden thought while smiling back down at the unicorn that had saved their lives with his magic.  “We’re lucky that Vanguard had passed us when he did, I guess.”

    “I guess we are,” Tempest replied while looking back at Night Step.  “Thanks for that, Night.”  The unicorn nodded slightly to acknowledge him.

    While the two ponies were talking, Cadmus looked around at the site and muttered to himself.  “Bastard,” reached Aiden’s ears.

    “Something wrong, Lieutenant?” The human asked.  The griffin officer shook his head and looked down.

    “They’re gone...”  Aiden’s head jerked back when he heard this.  He was about to ask what he meant when he took another look at their surroundings.  They were the only souls around; Cadmus’ troops were all gone.

    “Your unit,” Aiden whispered.  “Where did they go?”  Cadmus shrugged at this question.

    “It doesn’t exactly take a scientist to figure out that Garand led them away...”

    “Elder Garand?”  Aiden asked to which the griffin nodded.  “That asshole was here?”  Again, the Lieutenant nodded.  The human looked around, placing a hand over his mouth.

    “Well,” Cadmus said suddenly while looking back at Aiden, the hurt and anger at the fact that his entire platoon would just desert him like that.  “I guess that this is just another thing that we’d better report to his Grace.”

    “Wait, wait, wait,” Tempest spoke up, holding a hoof up.  “Where would that Garand guy even take them, or why for that matter?”  Cadmus seemed reluctant to say anything at first, but looked over at Tempest with a solemn expression.

    “I don’t know,” he began.  “But given the disagreements he’s had with the King since the day of his coronation, I wouldn’t be particularly surprised if he was building up forces for a civil war.”

    “Civil war,” Aiden mirrored the Lieutenant’s words as he shook his head in disbelief.  “He would have the gall to do such a thing?”  Cadmus let out only a single laugh.

    “Believe me, he has the gall, alright,” the griffin replied, turning his gaze back to the entrance of the mines.  The tremors had ceased, and there were no signs that the destruction happening several dozen leagues below in the heart of the ancient ruins had reached the mines.

    “Soooo,” Tempest Runner sighed while nudging Aiden in the waist.  “I guess we should get back to Stormview then, huh?”  The human nodded.

    “Looks like we’d better start walking,” he said with an exasperated groan.

    “Can’t I just have a couple of minutes to catch my breath?”  Night Step asked, still on his back, looking over at Aiden with a pleading expression.  “Using a teleportation spell on four living creatures can really drain a unicorn of his stamina.”  He spoke while still breathing rather heavily.  Aiden nodded and sat down next to the unicorn, crossing his legs like he always did.

    “Take your time,” the lad finally said quietly as he cupped his chin in his hands.  As Night Step caught up with his own breath, Tempest and Cadmus both decided to join them, the pegasus laying down to Aiden’s right while Cadmus rested to Night Step’s left.  It was comforting for the four of them to simply rest, knowing that the horrors of the ruins were trapped far below the surface, where no one would find them, where they belonged.

    At least Aiden hoped that none of the monsters made it out...

    “At least nothing’s trying to kill us for once,” he thought to himself as he allowed his hands to fall to touch the cold grass they were resting on.  He turned his gaze up to the star decorated sky above.  “Nice night out,” he said aloud.

    “Yes it is,” the unicorn replied with a slow nod.  Tempest and Cadmus seemed to follow suit, lifting their eyes to admire the stars and the thin sliver of a moon above.

End of Act 4

Act 5.1

Act 5

What Lies Within

“The journey home was a long one...”

    It was well into the early hours of the morning when the capital of Gryphonia was in sight once again.  It wasn’t until the first light of the sun began to creep over the Eastern mountains when they reached the main gates at the foot of the mountain that Stormview was situated on.  One of the griffins guarding the majestic wooden doors recognized the Lieutenant after a few seconds of bewilderment.

    “L-Lieutenant!?”  The young soldier exclaimed after having a look at his superior’s condition.  “What happened to you!?”

    “No time to explain, son,” Cadmus replied with an exhausted tone.  “Let us in, I have to report to the King!”  After tossing a concerned glance at the three foreigners he was escorting, the Lieutenant dismissed the guard’s worries.  “They’re with me, don’t worry.  Now get this damn door open!”

    “Y-yes, sir!”  The guard stuttered before lifting off into flight.  When he was roughly ten feet in the air, he waved a clawed appendage in the air and shouted at the operators on the stone scaffold above.  “Open the gate!”  Several seconds passed after the two griffins atop the grand doors of the city vanished from sight.  What followed was a loud rumbling as the gates slowly shifted open, revealing weathered stone stairs that would take them up the mountain and into the city.  The stonework all had the same shade of pale green as the stone in the Parliamentary Hall.

    The streets of the city were quite barren; most likely a normal trait at this early hour.  The four companions made their way towards the bridge that led up towards the grand castle from where King Samran ruled.  Albeit their trek was sluggish and unenthusiastic, considering what they’ve been through in the past several hours.

    The King’s manse was built upon a separate collection of rocky spires, connected to the rest of the city by a bridge of the same stonework.  The gates were raised, allowing the group access to the inner courtyard.  They wasted no time, hurrying as quickly as their fatigued forms could up the stairs and into the entrance hall.

    The guards eyed them as they passed; some with concern towards their condition, others with astonishment at the fact that their commander had returned.  Aiden and the others paid them no mind, however as they made their way to the throne room.  King Samran’s seat of power was vacant, as he was likely still asleep this early in the morning, but the throne room itself was still lit up by various torches along with the still present light of the moon that shone through the rectangular skylights above.  The few pairs of eyes turned towards them, all of them belonging to more guards; Lieutenant Eva was among them.

    “Cadmus...” she whispered as she stepped forward to examine him closely.  She noted that the four of them were incredibly tired, the human’s clothes were filthy, and all of them had dirt caked in their manes and hair.  “What happened to you?”

    “We were at Silver River Mines,” the Lieutenant began.  “We have to inform the King of what happened.”  A look of deep worry still plagued his complexion.  “But, did the civilian workers from the mines make it to the city?”  Eva nodded, a bewildered look still on her face.

    “Yes; all of the miners are accounted for and were escorted back to the city by two soldiers under your command.”  She answered her equal with confidence.  “None of them were harmed.”

    “Good,” Cadmus whispered solemnly as he nodded back.  “Now, we need to go to the King and tell him what happened with Vanguard and Elder Garand.”  Eva’s eyes immediately went wide upon hearing the latter’s name.

    “You found the Elder!?”  She exclaimed, not realising that she probably just woke up everyone on the premises.  Cadmus cringed at this sudden raise in her voice, to which she promptly whispered an apology.  He immediately waved it off as no big deal.

    “Go and retrieve his Grace,” Cadmus replied.  “I’ll tell everything that happened then.”  They saluted each other and she then went down the hallway to their left.  While Cadmus sighed to himself, lost in his thoughts, Aiden and the others scanned their eyes across the throne room, taking in the surroundings.

    It wasn’t all that different than Celestia’s throne room back in Canterlot, but the three of them couldn’t help but feel out of place here.  “Speaking of which,” Aiden thought before speaking out loud.  “Hey, Cadmus, where’s Princess Celestia?”  The Lieutenant turned over with a reassuring smile.

    “She’s staying here in the castle; in one of the best guest suites I believe,” he replied right before a thought dawned on him.  “Speaking of which, I say she should also be told of what happened, don’t you think?”  Aiden and the others promptly nodded to his inquiry.  He turned over to one of the guards, standing at attention, motionless at the right hall entrance a spear clutched in his talons.  “You heard that, Sergeant,” he called for the soldier’s attention, whom promptly nodded and made his way down the hall to the room that Celestia was staying in.

    While waiting, Aiden allowed his eyes to explore their surroundings further.  The throne room wasn’t quite as majestic as Celestia’s in his opinion.  He shrugged lightly as he thought to himself: “Might be due to the fact that the Royal Palace in Canterlot is made out of mostly marble and precious metals...”  Everything was made out of the green tinted rock that the rest of the city was made from, but was further styled with deep scarlet colored rugs and drapes of a similar shade decorated the windows that overlooked the dark city below.

    Looking over to his pony companions, Aiden noted that they both looked as though they were about to collapse and shatter like glass from sheer exhaustion; he would’ve laughed at the looks on their faces, but he couldn’t exactly say that he was faring much better.

    Lieutenant Eva returned with a tired eyed King Samran just behind her.  Aiden had to try fairly hard to suppress laughter when his eyes fell upon the monarch’s bedraggled form; feathers sticking out in chaotic unkempt directions, his eyes still half shut.  Despite the obvious exhaustion that was present in his eyes, there was, along with it, a profound sense of anger judging from the cross expression that he and Lieutenant Eva shared.

    “She must’ve already told him about Elder Garand...or he’s just pissed about being woken up in the middle of the night.”  Aiden thought to himself as he rocked back and forth on his heels, waiting for the other griffin to return with the Princess.

    Aiden’s thoughts were confirmed when the King spoke after rubbing the dust and tiredness from his eyes.  “The Lieutenant has informed me on the basics of what had occurred at the mines,” he said, his voice still holding onto the exhaustion that his eyes no longer showed.  He shook his head at the thought.  “I should’ve guessed that something like this would happen eventually.”  He spoke in a whisper that still managed to carry itself through the large chamber for all to hear.

    Lieutenant Cadmus saluted the moment the King entered the room, and addressed him appropriately.  “Your Grace,” he began.  “My most sincere apologies for interrupting your slumber.”  He solemnly stated with a brief nod.  Samran shrugged and grunted in response; not exactly a reply to be expected from royalty, but it was understandable given the circumstances.  “I’ve sent for the Princess to be awakened as well; we’ll tell you everything that happened at the mines once she is present.”  The King nodded once again, still half asleep as Aiden turned his attention down the opposite hallway to see a familiar face.

    Celestia looked just as exhausted as the rest of them; her flowing mane seemed to look bedraggled, which Aiden found rather cartoony, considering the nature of it.  Cadmus smiled weakly as the Princess joined them.  He thanked and dismissed the guard that escorted her, and it was just the Princess, King Samran, Eva, Aiden and the others in the throne room.

    “Good morning, Princess,” King Samran said, weariness still present in his voice.  “I hope you had a pleasant rest?”  The Princess audibly breathed, her eyes still closed.

    “I’ve had worse nights, your Grace,” she murmured in a barely audible tone.  She shut her eyes tight before opening them wide, trying to wake herself up.  She looked over to Aiden and her other faithful subjects, and smiled warmly at the fact that they were safe.  “But, please, let us get to the purpose of our sudden meeting.”  King Samran nodded and gestured over to his trusted Lieutenant.  Cadmus cleared his throat before he began his explanation.

    “Before I begin, I should point out that I remained on the surface for the most of the time; for most of the details, I will have to ask the others,” he pointed at his companions with a talon, “For further information.”  As he stepped forward, he began his summary of the events.  “When we arrived, I went through with standard procedure, ordering my troops to secure the perimeter, while securing the nearby barracks.  I took our friends here into the depths of the mines to search for any survivors that could’ve been trapped down there; we split up, and it was only about fifteen or twenty minutes later when a large earthquake shook the area, separating us.”  He paused for a moment and looked over at the others, apparently waiting for one of them to pick up where he had left off.

    “Earthquake?”  King Samran asked while scratching under his beak.  “Odd; we are nowhere near any sort of fault line.”

    “Yes,” Aiden sighed before clearing his throat and resuming the summary.  “Tempest Runner, Night Step, and myself were isolated from the others after the earthquake caused a tunnel collapse, and the only way we could go was further into the mines.  After our descent, we soon entered a ruined human installation, apparently of the same construct as the civilization that built Taotras.”

    “And this is where you encountered this ‘Vanguard’ individual?”  Samran questioned.  Aiden nodded immediately.

    “I confronted him in a large containment chamber, where he had hoped to release another Forerunner.”  That got both of the monarchs’ attention.  “So apparently, my assumptions were correct.”  Aiden crossed his arms as a moment of silence followed, both of the leaders apparently in deep thought.

    “Tell me, Aiden,” Celestia began.  “Did you fight him?”

    “No, we held hands and danced the tango while he held a rose between his teeth...”  Aiden was perfectly aware that now was most definitely not the best time to be joking around; he answered in a straightforward manner, despite the sarcastic side of his personality wanting to emerge like whenever he gets down on his luck...which, come to think of it, is just about all the time as of late.

    “Yes,” Aiden answered truthfully.  “We fought, but there wasn’t much I could do against him.”  He looked over to the Princess with a reassuring grin to counter her worried frown.  “But I managed to hold my own; much better outcome than our first encounter.  I made well on my escape and began to search for Night Step and Tempest, whom I got separated from before the fight began.”

    Aiden paused to look over at them, taking note of the exhausted expressions that they shared.  They both looked as though they were struggling to simply stand up.  The lad returned his attention to the Princess, when Cadmus resumed their summary.

    “This was around the time that Elder Garand arrived,” the Lieutenant stated.  “He provided me with a document that bore your own signature, Sire,” he looked over to King Samran with a confused look.  “This document stated that he was to be placed in charge of the relief efforts around Silver River Mines.”  The King gave a look of disgust.

    “I signed no such document!”  He exclaimed.  “I would never entrust that old fool with the lives of civilians, or the lives of Gryphonian soldiers!  Not in the mental state he was in!”  He shook his head at the very idea of someone forging his signature and scowled at his trusted Lieutenant, clearly believing that he deserved some blame in this.  But that thought seemed to be quickly replaced as he shook his head again; his right claw balled up into what resembled a fist before he let out a deep sigh, allowing it to return to the ground.

    “No; no, I am to share the majority of the blame,” Samran declared in a solemn voice.  “I knew that Garand was becoming progressively more unstable; I knew that he resented me since the day I took the throne.”  He shook his head, continuing to wallow in his self blame.  “I should have known that he would eventually try to do something drastic, but forging my signature and leaving one of my top Lieutenant’s to die?”  He looked towards the Princess, whose face only expressed neutrality, then back at Cadmus.

    “Lieutenant,” he said in a tired whisper, turning his head towards Aiden and the others.  “All of you,” the thought of Garand’s betrayal and the extreme fatigue was making it difficult for him to speak at a steady pace.  “I cannot even begin to express how sorry I am that the four of you had to endure this.”  He turned his gaze over to Celestia.  “Princess,” he sighed, trying to collect himself.  “I will need some time to think about...” he paused for a moment, averting his gaze from all the other faces in the room.  “Well, a lot of things, really.  It’s the middle of the night, and this news hasn’t helped my fatigue whatsoever.”  Celestia nodded, her eyes closed.

    “I completely understand, your Grace,” the alicorn replied.  “I concur that some sleep would do us all well.”  She looked over to her three subjects, taking the distant, tired expressions on their faces as a sign of agreement.

    To Aiden, sleep was the most attractive sounding word in the English language at the present moment.  “We do have some other guest rooms for them to stay in,” Samran replied to Celestia’s suggestion.  “Lieutenant,” he continued, turning his attention to Cadmus. “I believe that the four of you have more than earned a restful slumber; I’m sure you hold no objections?”  The Lieutenant immediately shook his head.

    “No, your Grace,” Cadmus said, letting a tired laugh escape his mouth.  The King nodded as he stepped aside of the passageway he came from.

    “Well then,” the monarch smiled softly.  “By all means, allow me to show you to your lodgings.”

    The four of them were exhausted beyond any form of expression; Night Step, still completely drained from the giant teleportation spell he performed, combined with walking the entire stretch back to the city easily rendered him the weariest.  Tempest Runner at least managed to let out a simple “Good night,” before shuffling his way into his guest room.  Aiden gave an absentminded nod and waved without looking away from the door to his own room, right between the two ponies’ rooms.

    His tired vision rejoiced at the sight of a rather grandiose looking bed; a deep crimson red cover draped over the sides of the mattress, all of which was supported by a metallic frame.  The feeling of his fragile body collapsing onto the welcoming bed was simply heavenly, and sleep seemed to be right around the corner.

    It felt like only a few fleeting seconds had passed before Aiden awoke to the sound of a gentle voice calling his name.  He was on his stomach, face shoved into one of the two pillows; his body felt like a giant lead weight.

    “Aiden,” the familiar voice of the Princess whispered as he felt her hoof nudge him slightly.  He managed to reply with a halfhearted groan, muffled by the pillow.  “Come on,” she ushered once more with her hoof.  “Get up.”

    He rolled over onto his back slowly, letting out a deep sigh.  He heard a soft giggle come from her before his eyes opened completely, revealing the pure white alicorn standing at the side of the bed, smiling back at him.  “Five more minutes, Mommy,” Aiden said while curling into a little ball and pulling off the look of a reluctant child, all while grinning like an idiot.

    “Funny,” she said, retaining her amused smile.  “Come on, now; it’s a long way back to Canterlot, and I would like to be there before nightfall.”  Aiden sat up at those words stretching his arms out until he heard his shoulders make a soft pop.  He scanned the room he had spent the night in; considering that he was too exhausted to take in his surroundings the previous evening; sunlight poured through the windows to his left.  Judging on the height of the sun, it was likely almost noon.

    With one swift motion, Aiden swept his legs over the edge and stood up as the Princess left the door open slightly on her way out.  After giving his neck a stretch, he was on his feet, following the Princess out.

    “So, what time is it?”  The human asked as he closed the door behind him, mentally voicing his thankfulness that he had no possessions he had to carry with him.

    “Nearly eleven,” she replied as they proceeded down the hall.  “Tempest Runner is awake, but I’ve decided to let Night Step sleep in a little longer, considering how exhausted he was after casting that spell.”

    “What about Cadmus?”  Aiden asked.

    “The Lieutenant is speaking with the King right now; he’s just filling him in on the remaining details on what happened.”

    “I see,” Aiden sighed right before letting out a yawn.  “And when do you plan on heading back to Canterlot?”

    “I was hoping before noon, but that seems unlikely by now.”  Aiden’s thoughts drifted on to far away things as the conversation died out.  He contemplated on their next course of action upon their inevitable return to Canterlot; what they were going to do about the Thorn, Vanguard, the other Forerunners.  He deeply longed for there to be a simple panacea for all of his problems.

    They emerged into the main hall of the castle; Samran’s guards were making their daily rounds as Tempest Runner waited patiently on a wooden bench by the wall.  Aiden smiled, throwing a small, casual wave in his friend’s direction, to which the pegasus gladly returned with a timid wave back with his hoof.

    He approached the bench and went to sit with him, hands tucked away in his pockets.  “Sleep well?”  Tempest inquired when the human planted himself to his right.

    “I slept,” Aiden replied, tossing his head back as he let out another yawn.  “Not certain that it would constitute as ‘well,’ because I’m still really tired.”  His yawn proved to be contagious, as Tempest followed with one of his own before voicing his opinion.

    “I know what you mean,” he sighed.  “I still feel exhausted, every muscle in my body feels like jelly, I’m practically wasting away from starvation,” he paused as he rolled onto his side and placed a hoof over his belly.  “I didn’t have anything to eat since we left Canterlot, aside from that mug of cider from yesterday morning, and there’s no doubt I worked off every single calorie of it from all that running away we did yesterday.”

    “Yeah,” Aiden chuckled at a new thought.  “If we did something like that everyday, we might be able to score it as supermodels!”  Tempest scoffed at first, but couldn’t hold back a smirk at the idea.  Even Celestia, whom he thought had moved on without him, giggled at the very idea.

    “Yeah, right,” he laughed.  “I don’t think I’m quite tall enough for that.  Plus I doubt that I could deliberately starve myself for extended periods.”

    “Speaking of which,” Aiden added, placing a hand over his rumbling stomach, while it violently demanded to be fed.  He looked over to the alicorn, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head.  “Hey, Princess, I know you wanted to be out of here by noon,” Celestia nodded and gave her agreement before Aiden even finished his request.

    “The castle chefs are in the kitchen, preparing meals for the rest of the staff,” she said.  “I’m fairly certain they won’t mind cooking up a little something for you both.”  This earned a hopeful smile from both of them.  The human and pegasus smiled at each other briefly, optimistic toward the thought of getting a hot meal in both of their bellies before setting out on the cold way back.

    “Sounds good,” Tempest commented, standing up before he hopped onto the floor a few feet away.  Aiden wasted no time in following him.

    “Which way to the dining hall, Princess?”  He asked.  She pointed towards the hallway immediately to their left, then the one on the other side of the throne room.

    “Either way will take you there; it’s impossible to miss,” she replied.  “I’ll go wake Night Step in the meantime.”  Upon her leave, the human and pegasus anxiously made the trek towards the northern end of the castle’s lower floor, where the dining hall was located.

    “Oh, boy,” Aiden thought to himself.  “I can’t wait to get to taste some meat!  Fish, chicken, pork...beef is outta the question I guess,” he shrugged as he remembered that cows were sapient in this world.  “Plus chickens are birds, and griffins are...half bird...that would be like a human eating a chimpanzee, or something.”  That took another potential choice off the menu.  “And it would be just my luck that they’re a culture that considers pigs to be ‘unclean’ and don’t eat them either.”  He shrugged.  “Fish and chips it is, I guess...”

    The dining hall was just as lavish as the one in the Royal Palace, with fancy drapes hanging over the windows, obscuring the sunlight from outside.  The long rectangular table and chairs were made of a dark polished wood, and the plates and silverware were set.  Servants were rushing to and fro, trying to get final preparations set for what would actually be lunch for the King and his constituents, given how close to noon it was.

    “Can I help you, milord?”  A voice to Aiden’s right asked.  He suppressed the instinctive urge to jump at the sudden presence, looking over to see a middle aged male griffin carrying an empty platter.  “Anything you need?”

    Aiden pointed over to Tempest.  “We’re just here to get something to eat before the Princess decides to head back to Canterlot,” he replied.  The servant nodded.

    “Very well, milord,” he said.  “I’ll see what the chefs are working on right now; perhaps they’ll be able to fix something up for the two of you.”  Aiden and Tempest seated themselves next to each other, waiting for the servant to return.

    “What’s our move once we get back to Canterlot?”  Tempest asked as Aiden began rhythmically drumming his fingers on the table.  Aiden shook his head slowly, grasping at the first answer that came to mind.

    “I suppose we need to find more powers for the Thorn,” Aiden said, lifting his left arm slightly.  “You and Night Step both saw what it was capable of at a basic level; my newest power allows me to slow time, so God only knows what else this is capable of.”

    “I guess we’ll find out once you learn to actually control it,” Tempest scoffed.

    “Yeah,” Aiden laughed while grabbing his left wrist.  “If that’s even possible; I’m fairly convinced that this thing is self aware and will only work when it wants to.”

    “Threaten to cut it out when it doesn’t do what you say,” Tempest jested.  Aiden gave a half hearted chuckle at that, picking up the fork at his placemat and making a stabbing motion at his hand.

    “Aggh, get outta me, you fucking glowing parasite!”  He said nonchalantly before setting the fork back where it was.  “Like that?”  He asked Tempest while leaning back on his chair.

    Tempest nodded, and probably would’ve given a thumbs up if he had fingers.  “Perfect audition, Aiden.”  Someone to Aiden’s left cleared their throat, trying to earn his attention.  It was the servant, only now he was without the platter.

    “The chefs are most willing to prepare something for you,” he said.  “We have everything you could name: pastas, salads, wines, shellfish; what would you prefer?”

    “What kind of shellfish do you serve?” Aiden asked, determined to get some meat in his stomach.

    “Lobster, oyster, shrimp, prawn,” the servant said, scratching a talon against his chin.  “Just name whatever you’d like; chances are we’ve got it.  We typically don’t have guests, aside from members of Parliament, and they’re all quite familiar with our menu.”

    “I see,” Aiden replied, wondering if they knew of the dish he was thinking of.  “Do you have lobster thermidor?”  The griffin smiled and nodded.  “They know of a late 19th-century French dish...I said I would no longer be surprised by anything...”  Aiden was really just glad to have something familiar in front of him.

    “Of course, milord,” the servant said.  “One lobster thermidor,” he looked over to Tempest.  “And for you, good sir?”

    “A steamed vegetable salad would be nice,” he said.

    “Anything to drink?”

    “Chardonnay would be nice,” Aiden said, repositioning himself in his chair.

    “I’ll have tea,” Tempest answered.

    “Understood, sirs,” the servant bowed.  “I’ll have your drinks out momentarily.”  And with that said, he was gone again, leaving the human and the pegasus alone.

    “So,” Tempest began, a new tone of seriousness to his voice.  “In all honesty, where do we go from here?  Where do you plan to find more of these powers?  What about the other Forerunners; will Vanguard try to release them too?”

    Aiden bit his lip, thinking as hard as he could on these questions.  “Tempest, in all honesty, I’ve just been encountering these new powers by nothing more than sheer fucking coincidence...”

    “Coincidence?”  Tempest echoed.  Aiden paused for a moment, still biting his lip, before nodding.

    “Yeah...” he whispered.

    “You just happened to find an advanced, ancient superweapon in the heart of the Everfree Forest, and you just happened to keep finding new powers for it in the same place where we just happened to cross paths with Vanguard again at the moment when we need them?”  Aiden frowned at Tempest’s brief spiel.

    “What are you trying to say?”  Aiden asked.

    “There’s no such thing as a coincidence this big, Aiden,” Tempest replied.  “In my opinion: I think you’re being led down a path.”

    Aiden blinked at that.  “A...path?”  He shook his head.  “Who?  Who is leading me?  And where, for that matter?”  Tempest shrugged.

    “There are hundreds of religions and faiths practiced throughout this world; my guess is, whichever higher power happens to be real.”  He shrugged again.  “Or maybe it’s something we haven’t guessed at yet, who knows?  As for where, I probably know less than you.”

    Aiden remained silent only for a moment.  “If there’s only one thing that I know for certain, it’s the fact that I know next to nothing,” he sighed.  “I have a vague idea of what the Thorn is capable of, I have a weak grasp on what the Equinox is, I only have a faint guess at what Vanguard’s ultimate goal is.”  He shook his head, looking away from his friend for a brief moment.  “I guess that there’s one thing that I’m beginning to understand.”

    “And what is that?”  Tempest asked.

    Aiden frowned, resting his left arm on the table.  “What’s going to happen will happen, regardless of how I try to avoid it.”  He said.  “There’s no dodging the fact that I have to kill Vanguard, but that’s not what I’m afraid of.”

    “What are you afraid of?”

    Aiden seemed to gain a distant look in his eyes.  “The visions I’ve been having in the Equinox are not visions; they’re real.  The nightmarish ruins of Canterlot; that was a look into Equestria’s future,”  He closed his eyes, a look of anger coming over him.  He had sworn to the Princess that he would be willing to sacrifice anything and everything to defy a future such as that.  But how could he even hope to stop something like that himself?  “Am I really the best hope that Equestria has?  Hell, the best hope that this entire *world** has?*”  He shook his head, almost baring his teeth.  “I can’t hope to defy something like that...”

    The servant returned, interrupting the conversation between them.  “A bottle of our finest chardonnay,” he said, lifting a dark green bottle off of a platter and placing it in front of him.  “For our bipedal friend,” he continued placing a wine glass next to it.  “And for the brave Corporal, herbal tea.”  He said, placing the hot beverage right in front of the pegasus.

    “Thank you,” Tempest said.

    “Certainly, sirs; your orders will be finished momentarily.”  And with that, he was gone again.  Aiden poured himself his first glass of chardonnay, being certain to go easy on the booze this time around.  As he took the first, cautious sip of the white wine, he turned towards the doorway that connected the dining hall to see the sulking form of Night Step, slowly sauntering his way to the chair to Aiden’s left, the one to his right being occupied by Tempest, in an almost instinctive fashion.

    “Good morning, sunshine,” Tempest said as Night Step passed.  The tired mage offered little more than what sounded like a monotone grumble.  The mage sat himself down in the chair, resting his chin on the table, and closed his eyes instantly.  Aiden and Tempest could’ve sworn that he was instantly asleep once again.

    “Sleep well?”  Aiden asked.  Night Step opened his mouth, ready to speak, only to let out a flurry of raspy, phlegmy coughs.  Aiden leaned away, not wanting the unicorn’s germs to get on him.

    “I think I caught something,” he said simply while sniffing.

    “You don’t say,” Aiden thought with a frown.

    “Does something like this normally happen if you overexert yourself?”  Tempest asked.

    “Yes,” Night Step replied, his right ear twitching.  Aiden looked up to see a servant, this time a female griffin, bringing a platter with both of their orders.

    “Could you bring us a glass of water for him?”  The human requested, pointing a finger at the sickly unicorn.  She nodded wordlessly, placing both of their meals in front of them.

    “Oh, boy,” Tempest smiled, taking a whiff of the appetizing bowl of vegetables, bread, and spices in front of him.  “This looks delicious,” he looks back to the servant.  “Thank you, so much!”  The griffin nodded her head and smiled, the only acknowledgement she gave for his kind words before taking her leave.

    Aiden picked up his fork and immediately dug in.  The taste of meat gracing his tongue was a blessed relief at this point, coming off an almost completely vegetarian diet.  “Do you want anything to eat, Night Step?”  He asked, looking over to the mage.

    Night Step made another noise that resembled little more than another unintelligible grunt, his nostrils flaring as he heaved out a heavy sigh.  “No,” he replied.  “Thanks for getting me some water, though.”

    “Sure thing,” Aiden nodded, taking another bite out of his meal.  As the servant returned with the glass of water, Celestia entered the dining hall alongside King Samran; Lieutenant Cadmus followed them in.  He lifted a hand up to wave at them.  Cadmus gave a happy wave back and moved to sit next to Tempest.

    “Good morning, everyone,” King Samran said, while he and Celestia sat on the opposite side of the table.  “I trust that you’ve all had recuperative rests?”

    “Most of us, your Grace,” Aiden replied while gesturing to Night Step, who had already drank at least half of his water.  “But I must commend your chefs, because this thermidor is simply spectacular!”

    “Ah, you have good taste, my friend,” Samran said.  “Now then, I’ve spoken with the Princess here,” the two monarchs exchanged glances.  “In regards to the threat that Vanguard and the Forerunners pose to both of our nations.  We’ve agreed that this threat transcends any previous grievances we’ve had with each other in the past.”

    “Indeed,” Celestia continued.  “King Samran and I have agreed to contribute to mutual defence.”

    “But do keep in mind, Princess, that with Elder Garand hoping to lead a rebellion against me, I will likely be unable to follow up on our agreement.”  He shook his head.  “Not until Garand has been apprehended and brought to justice for his treason.”

    “Fair enough,” Celestia nodded.  “Just make sure that he is apprehended quickly.”

    “Don’t worry; I’m having the dukes of the other cities informed that he’s wanted for treason.”  He smirked.  “He won’t be hiding for long.”

    Aiden had finished feeding his ravenous stomach by the time the two monarchs had finished conversing with each other.  He sat back, letting out a sigh of content.  “Yeah,” he thought.  “That’s definitely sitting well.”  He suppressed the urge to let out a guttural belch, given the fact that he was in front of royalty.

    “Gods above,” Tempest laughed.  “You’re done already?”

    “Hey, I hadn’t eaten a thing since we got here,” the human replied.  “I’m entitled to indulge myself at least this once.”

    “True,” the pegasus nodded before going back to his salad.

    “When will we be setting out, Princess?”  Aiden asked.

    “Hopefully it’s shortly after you both finish eating,” she replied.  “But, please; the last thing I want is to rush you, especially after what the three of you have been through together.”

    “I don’t feel rushed, Princess,” Aiden answered, taking another sip of his wine.  “Repeated daytime drinking,” he thought as he eyed the nearly empty glass, thinking back to the cider incident the other day.  “That’s how far down I’ve come, huh?”  He looked over to the pegasus.  “Do you feel rushed, Tempest?”

    “Hmm?”  The pony tore his face from the bowl, his mouth still full of greens.  He merely shook his head before going back to his meal.

    “See?”  Aiden smiled back at the alicorn.  “And I don’t think Night Step will object.”  He looked to his left, only to find the unicorn resting his chin on the white tablecloth, his eyes closed, and breathing through his barely parted lips.  “Aww,” Aiden thought with a smirk.  “He looks so peaceful...”  He turned back to Celestia.  “No objections here, your Majesty.”  He stated before finishing his wine.

    “Very well, then,” she nodded.

    “Princess,” Samran called.  “If you don’t mind, there are some final things I’d like to discuss before your departure.”  Again, Celestia nodded and stood up with the griffin King.  She looked over to her subjects.

    “We’ll be in the main hall if you need us,” she stated before following the King out, leaving Cadmus with them.  The Lieutenant sat in the chair right across from Aiden, a smile playing across his complexion as the voices of the monarchs faded into the distance.

    “Hey,” the officer said to the three foreigners.

    “Hey,” Aiden mirrored the word back at him, while Tempest nodded at the Lieutenant; Night Step, however, was still too exhausted to give anything more than a low mumble as a response.

    “We make quite the team, huh?”  The griffin said.

    “Yeah,” Aiden chuckled.  “I suppose we do; though, I hate to think of what our chances would’ve been if we hadn’t bumped into each other.”

    “No need for chivalry,” he replied.  “I may have found the way out, but you’re the one who fought off those monsters; I doubt that I would’ve been able to handle something like that.”  Aiden rubbed the back of his neck, thinking to himself.

    “Still don’t really know how to get the Thorn to work when I need it to,” He thought to himself.  “Thanks,” he said, accepting the Lieutenant’s praise.  “But really, I doubt we would’ve made it without these two,” he pointed at the two ponies at his sides with his thumbs.  “Chances are, we would’ve been buried alive were it not for them.”

    “Aye,” Cadmus replied.  “I’ll gladly drink to that.”

    “You guys still owe, me,” Night Step managed to say clearly, giving a smug grin with his eyelids still shut.

    “True,” Aiden nodded.  “How can we ever repay you, oh great and powerful Night Step, for saving our sorry asses?”  The unicorn lifted his head up and forced his eyes open.  He seemed to think about it for a few seconds before nodding to himself and giving an answer.

    “Cake,” Night Step replied.  “A big cake with my face on it, showing off how awesome I am and how I am the only explanation necessary for why unicorns are the true master race.”

    “Fat chance,” Tempest scoffed in a teasing manner, putting emphasis on the first word.  Night Step only blew raspberry at the pegasus, telling him exactly what he thought.  Aiden shook his head at their usual bickering, yet appreciated that it was at least all in a friendly way this time.

    Tempest and Aiden finished their meals, and the four of them returned to the main hall, where Celestia and Samran were waiting for them.  “Ah, there they are,” Samran said, as the two of them were finishing their conversation.  “I trust that the food was satisfactory?”  The King asked.

    “Yes, your Grace,” Aiden replied.  “Thank you very much.”  The monarch shook his head and waved a hand dismissively.

    “Think nothing of it,” he said.  “It’s the very least that I can do at the time being to repay you three for risking your lives in the search for answers.”  He gestured to Celestia.  “Your Princess and I have discussed the nature of how this cooperative defence between our militaries would pan out.  Once our little rebellion problem has been dealt with, I’ll send word for a meeting to be held; next time in your city, if you wouldn’t mind.”

“I look forward to it, Samran,” she nodded.  She turned back to her subjects. “Now then; Aiden, Tempest, Night Step; I trust that you have everything that the three of you need?”

“Yes, your Majesty,” Tempest confirmed.  “We’re all ready to leave.”

“Excellent,” the Princess nodded before she looked over to the King.  “Now, your Grace, I really shouldn’t be keeping you from your duties any longer.”

Samran returned his gaze to Celestia, kneeling before her.  “Of course; it’s been a pleasure, your Majesty.”

    “Likewise, my friend,” she returned.  And with that brief exchange, King Samran left to return to his daily responsibilities as the leader of a nation.

    The Lieutenant had journeyed with them to the airpad just outside the city walls; Celestia was already seated in her chariot, with the two Royal Guard pegasi ready to depart at any time.  It was approaching noon, yet the sun was heavily obscured by a thick veil of clouds; it appeared as though it would begin snowing at any moment.  As they stood under the archway that led to the airpad, Aiden and his accomplices turned to their new griffin friend.   Silence followed for a few moments, save for the sound of the city around them; the Lieutenant shrugged.

    “I guess this is it for now,” he said with a hint of sadness in his voice.  Tempest nodded wordlessly.

    “I guess it is,” Aiden replied before extending a hand out.  “It was nice getting to know you, Cadmus,” he smiled as the griffin accepted the gesture.

    “Yeah, I am quite a charmer, ain’t I?”  The Lieutenant unabashedly admitted with a laugh as Tempest and Night Step went to exchange their own farewells.  “Shame we can’t get a picture together.”  This managed to get smiles from the three of them.

    “See ya around, Lieutenant,” Tempest laughed.

    “I would hope so, kid,” the officer replied, patting the pegasus on the shoulder.  He moved on to Night Step.  “Take care of yourself, my friend.”

    “I will,” a sickly Night Step smiled as the two of them exchanged farewells with a hand/hoof shake.

    “What are you going to do now?”  Aiden asked.  Cadmus shrugged again.

    “Well, I’ll be returning to my usual duties, but first thing’s first,” he paused, holding up a talon.  “The refugees from Silver River mines had to be evacuated here, along with several civilians that have been displaced from the surrounding villages.  With the risk that those tremors pose, the rural terrain around the mountain is simply not safe.”  He nodded with a smile.  “Stormview is the closest city, so chances are I’ll be helping, along with the rest of the city guard, as much as we can.”

    “Hopefully they can get back to their homes soon,” Tempest said with a worried frown.

    “Yeah,” Cadmus sighed, looking back into the city he kept watch over.  “You’re not the only one hoping for that.”  He turned back to them.  “But, I think we’ve kept your Princess waiting long enough.  It’s about time you guys got on your way, otherwise you’ll never make it home.”

    Night Step said nothing more as he turned and began moving toward the chariot, while Aiden and Tempest gave their last farewells to the griffin.  Aiden stuffed his hands in his pockets as he and Tempest turned to follow Night Step.

    Aiden almost came to a complete halt when he felt something cold and metallic in his left pocket.  Letting out a curious hum, he pulled the unknown object out, revealing it to be the necklace he had found in the caves.  Holding it in his palm, while the chain dangled between his parted fingers, he could’ve sworn that the sapphire in the center of the amulet was staring back at him.

    “Holy fuck,” was the only reaction his mind could conjure at first.  “I can’t believe I still have this thing after everything that’s happened...that’s nothing short of a God-given miracle.”

    “Something wrong, Aiden?”  Tempest’s voice called, snapping the human’s mind out of its surprised stupor.  The man turned a hundred and eighty degrees again, calling for the Lieutenant’s attention.

    “Hey, Cadmus!”  He yelled, holding his left arm out, showing off the necklace.  “Wait up!”  The griffin’s ears noticeably twitched at the sudden call of his name, causing him to turn back to his friends with a look of confusion.  Confusion turned to curiosity once he took note of the piece of jewelry in Aiden’s hand.

    “What is it?”  Cadmus asked as Aiden approached, still holding the necklace out.  The human looked to the amulet as he came to a stop, only a few feet away from the Lieutenant, as he let out a deep breath.

    “I can’t believe I’m just now remembering this,” Aiden sighed while shaking his head before opening his palm.  Cadmus tilted his head as he stared at the odd little trinket.

    “What is it?”  Cadmus asked.

    “This thing,” Aiden answered, lowering it down slightly to the Lieutenant’s eye level.  “I found it in the mines, before the tunnel collapse.”  He paused before extending his arm out further, waiting for Cadmus to do the same, though the griffin seemed as though he didn’t entirely understand what his friend wanted.

    “You,” Cadmus whispered, narrowing his eyes.  “You want me to take it?”  Aiden nodded.

    “Yes,” the human answered, extending his arm out as far as it would go, now merely inches from Cadmus’ already outstretched talon.  The Lieutenant looked back at the necklace for a moment before opening his palm and taking the trinket into his hand.

    “You also would like me to return it to its owner?”  The Lieutenant guessed, holding the amulet in one hand and the apex of the chain in the other.

    “If it’s not too much trouble,” Aiden replied with a nod.  Cadmus again returned his gaze to the man in front of him, an understanding demeanour on his face.  The griffin officer nodded his head to confirm it.

    “Alright,” he said.  “I’ll see what I can do; the workers from the mines are all present and accounted for; or so I’m told; so I think I’ll be able to find the right one.”

    “Thank you, Cadmus,” Aiden smiled as he backed away.  Night Step was already on the chariot, with Tempest Runner standing only a few feet from it; both of them, along with the Princess were looking back at the exchange going on between the two new friends.  Aiden threw one last departing wave in Cadmus’ direction, to which the Lieutenant gladly returned.

    Aiden sat himself down next to Tempest, just like he did on the way to Gryphonia.  Night Step sat across from them, while Celestia sat in the large space adjacent to them, in a regal looking throne clearly intended for her.

    “What was it, Aiden?”  Celestia inquired with her usual gentle voice.

    “Nothing too important,” Aiden smiled, shaking his head.  “Just something I felt obligated to do.”

    “Very well then,” she replied before raising her voice for the other two pegasi to hear.  “Let us be off!”  They responded immediately, their wings flaring as they trotted forward, pulling the chariot with them.

    As a gentle afternoon flurry of snow descended on the city of Stormview, the young griffin named Klein quietly shuffled his way through the crowd, ignoring the voices of his disgruntled co workers.  The initial confusion and chaos had died down, and he had to hand it to the city guard and military; they managed to get things under control relatively quickly.

    A relief camp was set up in the worker’s district, which was rather open and had more  space than any of the other city districts to set up tents.  The miners and displaced civilians were all provided with a place to rest and a warm meal.  “I guess that’s one thing I should be thankful for,” Klein thought.  The mood of the miners had surprisingly become more positive as the hours passed, despite the initial despair that he and everyone else felt when the fact became obvious that their place of work was no longer on the map.

    While many of the other miners had begun socializing, some even playing simple games with cards or marbles, Klein remained solitary, since he knew none of these individuals on a truly personal level.  Something that caught his eye, however, was a gathering of several griffin and Kobosian miners around a larger tent, close to the center of the camp.

    There seemed to be a loose sense of order about it; the individuals closer to the tent seemed to form an organized line of sorts, while those who were further away were crowded into a chaotic mess.  Klein tilted his head as he began strafing around the crowd, trying to discern what the fuss was about.  He caught wind of a guard trying to get the workers to form an orderly line; something about storage and retrieving lost possessions.

    “Please; I must ask that everyone form a straight line!”  The guard futilely shouted over the roar of the crowd around them.

    “What’s going on here?”  Klein asked another griffin miner at the back of the gathering.

    “These folks are anxious to get their stuff back,” the older fellow answered in a gruff tone of voice.

    “Same for you?” Klein replied.

    “Yep,” the griffin heaved a bored sigh.  It was clear enough for Klein that this griffin was not exactly in the mood for small talk with a complete stranger, so he allowed the conversation (really, it hardly even fitted the word, “conversation”) to die out.

    The sound of wings flapping at a near distance away got a firm hold on Klein’s attention.

    Lieutenant Cadmus landed right before the entrance of the tent; where all of the personal effects that were recovered in the barracks were ready to be distributed to their owners...well, more like to the first individual to lay claim to said object.  One of his sergeants noticed him from the tent’s entrance.

    “Good afternoon, sir!”  The soldier shouted over the crowd as he gave a quick salute.  Cadmus returned with one of his own before stepping around the crowd to get a better look at the entrance.

    “Good afternoon, Sergeant,” the Lieutenant responded as he threw a glance back at the anxious members at the back of the crowd.  “I trust that all goes well?”  The sergeant nodded.

    “About as well as one would expect, given the circumstances.”  Cadmus looked back to the pile of objects that have been recovered; these included books, clothing, jewelry, and even a few records (a rare thing outside of the cities, seeing as how electricity had only been introduced a few years ago).

    Cadmus raised an eyebrow as he returned his attention to the Sergeant.  “How long do you think it’ll take before you guys get all this stuff out of here?”  The Sergeant let out a huff, looking back at the disorderly pile of lost objects.

    “I can’t really say, sir,” he replied.  “We’ve been out here for a few hours already...”

    Cadmus looked over as a Kobosian claimed a series of three adventure novels from the pile.  “I see,” he answered in a soft manner as the Kobosian left, throwing a few thank yous over his shoulder at the guards.  The Lieutenant reached for the satchel slung around his waist; he opened it, and pulled out the silver necklace with the sapphire in the middle of the amulet.

    He got his first good look at the back of it; there was an inscription of some sort.  An image of a three headed dragon or serpent was at the top, while at the bottom there was a phrase in quotations, though he didn’t recognize the language.  In between the image of the serpent and the quote, right in the middle of the amulet was another logo.  It appeared to be a simple circle at first glance, but upon slightly closer inspection, Cadmus could make out what looked like a griffin’s hand holding on to what appeared to be a Kobosian’s arm by the elbow.

    This made Cadmus think that it was maybe a symbol of fellowship between the miners, until he noticed that the Kobosian part of the circle was holding onto what looked eerily similar to a human hand.  It didn’t seem as rugged as the griffin section; Cadmus could even make out the nails, going off of what he saw on Aiden’s hand.  Each of these limbs took up a third of the circle, with the human hand holding onto the griffin, also by the elbow.

    “Something for the pile, Lieutenant?”  The Sergeant inquired, breaking Cadmus from his little trance.  The Lieutenant looked at his subordinate.

    “I, uh...” he stammered at first, looking back at the necklace in his hand before nodding.  “Yeah, yeah,” he continued holding the amulet out.  “I think I know who owns it, though...”

    “You do?”  The Sergeant asked, giving his superior a look of sheer shock.

    “Yes,” Cadmus answered, his mind wandering back to the young miner he encountered in the mines.  “What was his name?”  He asked himself, giving a small scowl.  “Something that began with a K, or a C...”  He handed the amulet to the Sergeant.

    “Who exactly am I looking for?”  He asked the Lieutenant once the necklace was in his talons.

    Cadmus sighed softly.  “A young griffin lad,” he said.  “A few years older than Garret,” he said, using his son for reference.  “I’d say around twenty or so.  His name began with a K.”

    “That’s not a whole lot to go on, sir,” the Sergeant replied with a frown.

    “Let me finish,” he gently answered, holding a talon up.  “He said that it was an heirloom handed down to him by his mother, who passed away some time ago.”  The Sergeant nodded, holding the amulet up.

    “There’s no guarantee that he’ll even come here,” the Sergeant said, looking at the amulet.  He turned back to Cadmus and nodded once.  “But I’ll see what can be done, sir.”

    “Good, that’s what I want to hear,” the Lieutenant nodded as he showed himself out of the tent.

    Klein thought that he recognized the guy; he wanted to go up to him, he wanted to thank him for helping him and the rest of the miners.  But the second the thought came to him, the Lieutenant flapped his wings and was in the air in a matter of seconds.  Klein looked around, seeing that the crowd was thinning out, as some simply wanted to get out of the cold and the snow, which was coming down at a heavier rate.

    “No way I’m giving up my spot now,” Klein thought to himself, shaking off a thin layer of snow that had covered him.  “Do your worst, nature!”  As the line continued to get shorter and shorter, so too did the pile inside the tent.  In all honesty, he didn’t know what he expected to find.  Perhaps it was because he really had nothing else of true value to him.

    “Next,” one of the guards called as an older griffin walked away with a pair of gloves.  There were seven individuals in front of him still.

    “Next,” the guard called again, as a disappointed Kobosian walked away empty handed.  Klein leaned to his right, seeing that the only things left in the pile seemed to be books and clothing.

    “Next,” the guard sighed, clearly tired of the tedious process.  Five people still in front of him.

    “Next.”  Klein looked down toward the ground at his talons.

    “Come on, let’s get on with it,” the lad anxiously thought.

    “Next.”  Three people left; Klein tuned out the spiel that the guard gave to every person in line when their turn came.  At this point, he was walking forward subconsciously whenever he heard that four letter word.

    “Next.”

    “Next.”

    “Next.”

    “Good afternoon, sir,” the guard at the table to his right said.  He held a quill in his left hand as he was writing on a piece of parchment.  “What items would you be hoping to reclaim today?”  Klein couldn’t answer his question, for his attention was drawn to the griffin standing in between him and the pile.

    Strung around this griffin’s neck, was a silver amulet.

    Evening had come quickly; normal, though, considering how deep into the Autumn season they were.  The cold seemed to follow them South, along with a brazen snowstorm.  Canterlot was simply beautiful, though, with the lights shining through every window as the flakes of snow came down.

    Aiden sat in the music room within the Royal Palace, back to sharpening his skills as a pianist; Moonlight Sonata once again, which Aiden deemed appropriate (and it was among his favorite pieces).  He wished that he had some sheets to work with, rather than having to go by memory.

    Frustration had once again gotten the better of him after twenty minutes of trying to remember each individual note.  He got the beginning movements in C-sharp minor down, but...

    “Fuck!”  Aiden cussed as he couldn’t think of what came next.  Turning his attention to the clock on the wall, which read 8:37.  He was still rather exhausted from the previous day of nonstop marathon running, so he decided that an early rest would help get him back on some sort of schedule.  Then again, it wasn’t like he had to wake up for school or work in the morning, so it wasn’t really of any consequence, but still, he just despised the idea of waking up after ten in the morning.

    Aiden’s steps echoed through the empty hallways of the Palace; he just hoped that he wasn’t disturbing anypony’s rest.  The wind and snow pelted against the windows, as if demanding to be let in.  The horizon had a very dull pink light illuminating its edges.  Upon entering his room, he saw that there was something laid upon the foot of his bed.  It was a pair of white nightwear, comprising a long sleeve shirt and pants.  On top of it was a note, written in pretty cursive.

Had something made for you to wear to bed;

    hope it’s more comfortable than what you always wear--

        -Princess C.

    Aiden smiled at the thoughtfulness of the gift.  Indeed, upon touching the clothing, Aiden felt like he would have the first full rest in a long time.

    He went into the bathroom after slipping his boots off, giving his sore feet a chance to breathe.  His reflection in the mirror looked just as disheveled as ever, only minus the facial hair this time.  He tugged at a few strands of hair before letting them fall back against the side of his face, thinking of how much he could use a haircut.

    He turned his attention from his face to his hands, giving a surprised grimace at how long the nails have become.  It was a miracle that he hadn’t caught them on something.  He brought his left hand up to his lips, biting at the nail on his index finger; knowing that ponies didn’t have nails, he figured he would find nothing in the bathroom that he could use.

    As he moved from one finger to the next, he noticed that the Thorn began to glow.  This caught him by surprise, as he brought his left hand out in front of him, slightly afraid that the ancient super weapon might burn his face off if it was that close.

    “Now you decide to turn on?”  Aiden asked the thing, knowing full well he wouldn’t get a response.  He frowned deeply at the thing, shaking his head.  He looked back at his reflection with a blank expression being given back to him.  He returned his gaze to the Praemian Thorn, facing the back of his hand up.  The usual glyphs of the weapon were illuminated, but the rings on the knuckles that represented his powers were dark.  “Huh, that’s kinda weird...usually this means something bad is about to happen.”  He looked back to his reflection, sighing...

    It didn’t move.  His image in the mirror was still staring at him blankly, the left palm facing up.  Aiden’s head jerked back at the subtle abnormality.  His reflection failed to repeat the action.  It just kept staring at him, its soulless eyes locking on to his.  Aiden was quite certain that he had enough at this point, he just wanted to shout “Nope!” and walk out of the room, but he simply couldn’t bring himself to do it.

    The dead gleam in the eyes of his reflection had captivated him; he simply couldn’t look away, as though a demon had possessed the mirror, and the scourge had spread to his body through his eyes.

    “Apparently I can’t even think without jinxing the situation,” Aiden thought as his hand left hand moved toward the mirror against his will.  When his skin met it, the surface rippled where it touched, as if it were a pool of water.  His reflection, still staring at him with a blank death stare, mirrored this action.

    Aiden felt the reflection’s hand make contact with his own.  The Thorn began to glow brighter once this happened.  The human bit his lip, wanting to look away from what would happen, but his body simply wouldn’t obey.  The reflection tilted its head, and Aiden did the same.  The Thorn grew even brighter; brighter than it ever was before.  His eyes felt like they were on fire, since even they refused his brain’s orders to blink.  His hand began to go numb from holding it up for so long.

    Suddenly, he was given control of his body again, his hand fell back to his side as the Thorn went to rest again.  His eyes were given the relief that they demanded as they began blinking uncontrollably; they even began to water up slightly.  He looked back up to the mirror, and as he expected, his reflection was normal again, mimicking his actions perfectly.

    Aiden closed his eyes and breathed in deeply.  “I’m going to bed,” he stated flatly as he opened his eyes, though no one was around to hear.  He turned back to the bathroom door, and turned the knob.  Opening it, he saw nothing.

    Absolutely nothing; there was nothing on the other side of the door.  Aiden’s eyes nearly widened at the sight of the pitch black void before him, as though the entire universe suddenly just shrank, and comprised entirely of just this little room.  They would’ve likely popped out of his skull, if he wasn’t already accustomed to this sort of thing happening to him in the late hours of the night.

    Looking back at the mirror, Aiden saw that his reflection was now looking back at him with a smile.  Not an evil or devious smile, but rather a smile that conveyed anxiousness or mild excitement.  A few moments of silence passed.  The reflection extended an arm out, pointing out the open door to its right.  Outside the door on the imposter’s side was his bedroom.

    The reflection uttered a single word: “Go.”  The word echoed through the void.  Without saying anything else, the imposter of Aiden walked slowly out of the bathroom, the door swinging shut behind it with a loud bang.

   Aiden turned back toward the void that waited for him.  With little hesitation, and admittedly little thought, the man pushed himself out, into the blackness.

Prologue

Forerunner of the Equinox

By A Horizon Settler

A lost child always returns...

    It was an unusually pleasant evening on this day; the kind of an evening that would be perfect for one to take a long walk down the streets of their city and just breathe in the cool, brisk October air.

    That is precisely what young Aiden did this evening.  But he was not in a city of course, he was wandering the desert, almost aimlessly, the events of the past forty eight hours slamming his memory over and over again.  He was wearing his armor and gas mask of course; here in the Exclusion Zone, you never know when you could be hit by Reborn ambush, or when you might accidentally cross into a radiation hot zone.  But then again, it would probably be for the best that he died out here in this remote area of the Nevada desert, than to report back to base camp, be detained for God knows how long, and be interrogated on the incident over the previous two days.  Actually, it would’ve been best if he’d died along with the rest of his team, fighting against the Reborn militia.

    He found it hard to believe that merely seven or so hours earlier, he was running desperately for his life through the aqueducts and sewers of Detachment 04 as the entire facility was exploding and falling apart over his head.

    In the shadow of these past events, the words of his stepfather from five years before came rushing back to him:  “You’re only fifteen, Aiden; you have an entire life ahead of you.  Are you certain you’re ready to make a commitment as big as joining the Network?”

    The Network...

    It still seems hard to believe that all six of his teammates were around his age the day he met them; fifteen, sixteen, seventeen years old.  He and his team actually only participated in four missions over the five years that they’ve been members of the Network; (or Assets as they’re called)  that includes this latest blunder of a mission.

    Their first mission was in Washington D.C. only three days after they met, and most of them still doubted his ability to lead.  Their second mission was several months later, in Tesanga; a country in western Africa, and later in Xuchung, a small east Asian nation.  Their third mission was nearly a year later, just north of Baghdad; it was in this mission that one of his teammates, Logan Somers, perished.

    “No, Somers didn’t die in that bunker,”  Aiden corrected himself.  “He was just declared MIA.”

    It was three years since that mission.  And now, over the past forty eight hours, the remaining five people in his team were picked off one by one: Alex died in the VTOL crash on the way to Detachment 04, his final words were on his extensive family.  “He did have the largest family of us all...”  Aiden whispered to himself.  Mary was killed while distracting an enormous flame strider...by running around the parking lot of an abandoned school, picking up any explosives she could use from fallen soldiers.  “At least the girl went out, doing what she loved: blowing things up...”  Leon was hit by a Reborn sniper (ironically) in the chest, yet still had the breath in him to curse and swear all the while, beating one last Reborn soldier to death with his bare hands.  David, the poor kid, he was surrounded by Reborn and simply beaten to death; he did manage to take four of them with him by pulling the pins on all of his grenades.  Aiden sighed.  “That was surprisingly courageous of the timid kid.”  And lastly, Emily fell to her death as she and Aiden made their way to the bottom of Detachment 04.

    In his left hand, he clenched the dog tags of his teammates.  With his other hand, he sifted through them, just to make sure he had them all with him.  “Lance Corporal Alex Rey, age nineteen; Specialist Mary Willis, age twenty; Corporal Leon Caine, age twenty one; Private First Class David Bern, age eighteen; and Private First Class Emily Benet, age eighteen.”  Yes, everyone was here.

    He pulled his own dog tag out and gazed at it somberly behind his gas mask.  “Sergeant Aiden Marsh, nineteen...”  All except for Logan’s tag.  “I wonder how old Logan would be?”  Aiden asked out loud.  “He disappeared on that mission about three years ago, he was around Leon’s age...he was born on...”  Aiden shook his head, trying to grasp for the correct answer.  “He was born on...October 29th.”  The realization hit him like a freight train.  “He would be twenty two, as of today...”  He sighs in exhaustion and leans against a small boulder jutting out of the desert sand, his back facing the setting sun.

    Last night he had actually cried.  Sure he had done so before, but the previous evening, in the aftermath of the Reborn incident, he had sobbed profusely over the deaths of his teammates and friends.  He also weeped for his stepfather (he never knew his real parents) whom had passed away from unknown causes nearly a year before.

    One wouldn’t be able to see it, but his eyes behind the gas mask were dry and red from shedding tears.  He turned to gaze at the still setting sun, slowly sinking behind the desert’s horizon.  He thought to himself.

    “It’s getting late...I guess I’ll head back to base camp in the morning.”

    It wasn’t exactly the wisest thing to sleep out in the open like this, especially at night, but he really didn’t have the strength or the enthusiasm to trudge all the way back to base camp, only to be bombarded by interrogators, asking question after tedious question on the events that had occurred these past two days.  Even more so, he honestly didn’t even care if some wild animal came and devoured him in his sleep.  For after the questions were over, and he was sent back home, what would he have to return to?  His stepfather, the only family he ever had in his short life, was gone, his team and friends were all gone.  He would probably be decommissioned from the Network; everyone who ever gave a damn about him or his well being...gone.  He had no one to be cared by and no one and nothing to care for.

    He leaned further back into the boulder he was sitting on and waited.  Whether it was sleep or death that came first, Aiden gladly welcomed it.

    Several hours later, the sky was absolutely black: no moon, no stars, nothing.  He still hadn’t sucummed to exhaustion yet, which was greatly annoying him.  “So, am I just going to have a staring contest with the sky tonight, or what?”  He hoarsely whispered to himself.  It probably would’ve helped if he wasn’t using a rock as a boulder...

    He chuckles.  “Hmph, silly me...”

    A loud, sudden crackling noise startles him to full alertness.  He scrambles for either his automatic rifle or pistol, only to remember that he had neither on him.  “God damn it...” he cursed.  As for the source of the noise, Aiden panned his view across the pitch black landscape.  It actually reminded him of some early 21st century sci-fi film  “Who was the main character?  Roderick?  Raddock?”  He shook his head.  “Focus, damn you, Aiden!”

    It was at this point that he remembered his flashlight.  “Of course, how could I forget?”  After a click of the button, and a small amount of blinking, the light came to life, illuminating the desert landscape before Aiden.  “Good, at least this thing still works!”  As if on cue, the flashlight made a noise and just died like that.  Aiden growled in frustration as he threw the broken thing against the boulder he was using as a pillow, shattering it to pieces as if it were a fragile glass ornament.

    “Well, whatever it was, it seems to be gone now...”  Aiden said, a sudden feeling of fatigue coming over him.  “Finally, I actually feel tired, maybe I can get some sleep.”  He did hear one last thing before surrendering to fatigue.  It was faint and calm...it was a voice.

"We know you by name...your memories are wreathed with our future...our world is in danger, Intervention.  We remember your name...remember ours...return to us..."

Act 2.4

2.4Know where your loyalties lie, child...

    It was another simple Fall morning for most of the upper class ponies throughout the city of Canterlot.  They went about business as usual; shopping at the markets, visiting friends, going to work.  In the Royal Palace, however, there was a state of preparation amongst the Solar Guard and Council of Mages as Aiden, Tempest Runner, and Night Step prepared for their journey to the ruins of Taotras.  The previous evening, Aiden went over some basic training with the bow and longsword he had taken from the barracks’ armory.

    Aiden stood with his two companions at the rear exit of the Palace balcony that looked over the Eastern side of the mountain that Canterlot was situated upon.  A chariot headed by two pegasi guards waited to take them North to the Rachay Mountains.  Celestia stood at the entranceway as food supplies were loaded onto the chariot by the Palace workers.

    “I assume that the three of you are ready?”  The Princess asked, unable to hide the worry on her face.

    “Ready and able, your Highness,” Tempest Runner bowed his head to his ruler.

    “Yes, your Majesty,” Night Step said with the same bow as Tempest.  “We are all well prepared for the task at hoof.”

    “Aiden?”  Celestia shot him a concerned glance.

    Aiden nodded.  “I’m as ready as I’ll ever be, Princess.”

    “Very well,” Celestia sighed.  “It is only fair to warn you though; the Gryphons have recently been making bold territorial claims, and disputes on who owns the Rachay Mountains still continues between us and them.  Now Gryphons rarely come that far South, but if anything occurs, come straight back to me; understand?”

    “Yes, Princess,” Aiden bowed.

    “Excellent,” Celestia said.  “Good luck; all of you, and please do be careful...”  With farewells exchanged, the three boarded the chariot as it ascended into the air and soared away from Equestria’s Capital city.

    Aiden looked back as the city ever so slowly began to sink below the horizon.  He simply couldn’t get over the fact of how this world seemed like it was straight out of a children’s story.  Over the past few days, Aiden studied in the Palace Library and learned of Equestria’s inhabitants and the denizens from beyond his new home’s borders.  Not only were dragons and griffins among the mythological creatures of this colorful world, but within the confines of the darker regions, such as the Everfree Forest or the Rachay Mountains, dangerous creatures such as hydras, basilisks, and manticores made their homes.  Even Cerberus, the three headed guard dog of Tartarus was mentioned in an old text.

    “So,” Aiden said turning to Tempest and Night Step who sat on the other side of the chariot.  “How long until we reach this ‘Taotras’ place?”

    “It’s no less than three hours to the Northern border with Gryphonia,” Night Step casually answered.

    “What’s this place like?”  Aiden asked.

    “It’s hard to put it into words,” Night Step contently sighed.  “I think one should see for himself to truly understand and appreciate the beauty that the Human race has put into their works.”  The unicorn mage paused for a moment. and then looked over at Aiden with a smile  “But I suppose that you being one of those amazing creatures must give you some sense of understanding of  what I speak?”

    “Uh, yeah,” Aiden laughed.  “Sure...” he sighed as he leaned back in his seat and looked up at the sky that stretched on beyond the clouds they were flying over.  “He seems to share Lyra’s interest in my kind,” Aiden thought.  “Well he is a scientist, basically, so I guess it makes sense...”  He corrected himself.

    At this point in their journey North, Aiden closed his eyes and tilted his head back.  Even though he was interested in exploring this world, something told him that he shouldn’t be at all anxious for whatever waited for him at Taotras.

You belong to us, Aiden...

    You have always belonged to us...

Aiden...

    Aiden...

    Aiden!

    “AIDEN!!”

    Aiden awoke with a gasp as the world came rushing back into his vision.  He sat with his six teammates in a land transport.  “Tesanga City,” Aiden thought.  “December of...2211...over a year after the Ashen Siege...”

    “Welcome back to the land of the living, Sergeant,” the voice of Leon Caine said to his right.  Aiden groaned and rubbed his left temple as he let out a yawn.  This resulted in a few small fits of laughter from his teammates.

    “Sleep well, Goldilocks?”  Alex playfully teased.

    “Oh, I feel like I can take on the world, my friends,” Aiden tiredly mused.  More laughter.

    “So as I was saying,” Mary began.  “Is there any real reason why we’re here?”

    “There’s a civil war going on,” Logan replied.  “Our job is to find out why it started and if possible, put an end to it, right?”

    “Well, if it was started by the SLA,” Mary replied.  “Then we should be further North in the Saharan Empire, not down here in Tesanga...just sayin’”

    “Exactly,” Emily chimed in.  “The Saharan Liberation Army are funded by the Saharan government, because Sargon has been looking to annex the Tesangan Republic for years!”

    “Most foreign governments associate us with the Second American Military,” Logan explained.  “If we operated within the Saharah’s borders, then it would only cause more problems back home; more problems that we simply can’t handle, not after the losses we took in the Ashen Siege more than a year ago.”

    “I guess you’re right,” Mary sighed.  “I just hate it when we can’t hit the enemy where they live...”

    “Here we are,” the driver in the cabin of the vehicle said.  “Colonial Street, Market District.”  He pulled a lever to his right and the back doors of the vehicle opened, allowing sunlight to pour in.  Aiden, as well as the others, shielded their eyes immediately, for they were riding in that cramped vehicle for so many hours.

    “Alright,” Aiden sighed as he stood up.  “Let’s get moving, the Captain’s waiting for us.”

    “Geez,” Alex sighed as he stepped out of the vehicle, and into the street of the war-torn African city.  In the distance, gunfire rang out, complimented with the occasional explosion.  “Why is it that after hundreds of years of conflict, this region of the world can’t get any form of stability?”

    “Bro,” Leon replied.  “Almost no region of the world has had any form of stability since the bombs fell nearly a century and a half ago...”

    “Huh,” Alex sighed.  “Okay, point taken...”

    As the seven of them proceeded further down the street, they passed civilians, members of the Tesangan Military, and fellow Network Operatives.  Aiden stopped to ask one of the Lieutenants on where to find Captain Devon Ross.  The officer pointed them over to a tavern further down the street.

    “Thanks!”  Aiden shouted as he motioned for his squadmates to follow him further down the street.  Indeed, the city was feeling the full effects of the war; Tesangan military officials knocked on (and sometimes broke down) the doors of homes, searching for any traitors or Saharan sympathizers.

    Such a scene was more than enough to make Aiden wonder if the side that the Network was taking in this conflict was any better than the other side.  “Maybe, maybe not,” Aiden thought to himself.  “But hey, it’s my job to hurt things, not philosophize...huh, is that even a real word?”

    The bar was empty of souls with the exception of a middle aged man standing behind the bar studying what appeared to be a map of the city, tracing his index finger across red markings on the paper.

    “Ross?”  Aiden asked as Logan closed the door behind them.  The man did not look up.  He extended a hand to his left and picked up a coffee mug.

    “That’s Captain Ross,” the man said as he sipped from his mug.  “Sergeant Marsh, your team is fully equipped and ready for the task at hand, correct?”

    “Yes, sir,” Aiden confirmed.  “We’re all prepared.”

    “Excellent,” Captain Ross replied.  He motioned for the seven of them to come closer.  “Now then, on to the reason you’re here,” he said as he looked down at the map of the city.  “Intelligence reports lead us to believe that a high ranking officer of the SLA by the name of Abrafo Dafari is hiding out at an encampment beneath the collapsed overpass here,” he pointed to a section of road on the map that was encircled in red.  “His detachment is responsible for the massacre of several civilians and Tesangan Military officials.”  He wrapped up the map and handed it to Aiden.  “Central Authority would rather you bring him in alive,” he paused for a moment.  “But if he puts up a fight, then you’re authorized to put him down; we need you guys alive more than him.”

    “Understood,” Aiden said as he turned to his six teammates.  “You heard the man; let’s get moving!”

    Aiden felt a slight nudge against his shoulder as his consciousness slowly returned to him.  “Come on, Aiden,” a familiar male voice said.  “We’re here...”

    Aiden’s eyes slowly opened, revealing the clear blue sky staring back down at him.  He grunted softly as he sat up in the carriage, which felt like it was starting to descend.  He looked over the edge to see several snow capped mountains piercing the horizon.

    “Thank you, sirs,” Aiden heard Night Step say to the two pegasi guards who supplied the ride to the mountains.  They huffed proudly in acknowledgement.

    The Rachay Mountains looked intimidating to say the least; almost along the lines of the Everfree Forest.  The cloudy sky was occasionally interrupted by the rocky spires that dotted the landscape.  The air was rather chilly and the moderate breeze only made it feel colder.

    Aiden cleared his throat.  “So, Night Step, where exactly is the entrance to these ruins?”

    Night Step quietly hummed to himself as he led the other two across a ledge that overlooked a wide ravine that opened up into an almost endless abyss.  “It should be right around this bend,” the dark blue unicorn mage replied.  “You can’t miss it.”

    “What kind of danger can we expect in Taotras?”  Tempest Runner asked.

    “Basically what I explained last night,” Night Step answered.  “Odd looking machines that pop out of the walls and floors; I honestly don’t know how else I can describe it...” he mused as he placed a hoof to his chin.  “The entrance should be...”

    Aiden’s jaw dropped, as did Tempest Runner’s as the trio rounded the bend to come face to face with what Aiden could only describe as something out of a fantasy story.  Etched into the side of one of the tallest mountains stood the entrance to Taotras; a gigantic, metal, rectangular door was planted into the mountain’s side, with a horizontal line across the center, which Aiden guessed to be the opening point; a dim red glow emitted from it.  The door itself was probably around ten feet tall and fifty feet wide.  Two metal pillars stood at each side with glyphs written upon them that also glowed the same dim red as the door.

    The moment he laid eyes upon it, Aiden knew that there was something wrong with this place.  That there was something inside, something evil; something that was meant to be kept within its walls.  Merely glancing at the unnatural glowing red glyphs on the pillars nearly made him sick to his stomach with nervousness.  Yet something else about those ancient inscriptions made him think that he was in a familiar place.  Those glyphs told him that he belonged here; that whatever was inside there was a part of him, and he was a part of it...

    “It looks amazing, does it not?”  Night Step asked the two of them.

    Aiden shook himself out of his trance, much to the unicorn’s amusement.  “Yeah,” Aiden quietly said.

    “I’ve...” Tempest Runner sighed, almost at a loss for words.  “I’ve never seen anything like it...”

    Night Step chuckled to himself.  “Yes; this was my first expedition into a human ruin, and my reaction was quite similar.”  He gave a sigh of content as he turned to the ruins.  “Well, we won’t be solving anything by standing here,” he concluded as he pointed a hoof towards the ruins before them.  “Shall we?”

    “We shall,” Aiden replied as he stepped up to the metallic door.  “How do we open this door?”  He asked as he placed a hand on it.  It felt oddly warm, and he occasionally felt a “pulse” of sorts coursing through it, almost as though it was alive.

    “The last time we opened this gate, we had to press upon the glyphs on the two pillars in a specific order; if I remember correctly..”  Night Step approached the pillar to the left of the gate and examined it closely.  “Let’s see if we can’t get this on our first attempt...” the unicorn seemed to whisper to himself.  “Tempest Runner, make yourself useful and operate the other glyph, would you kindly?”

    Tempest Runner huffed, but obliged, as he trotted his way over to the opposite pillar.  Aiden hummed to himself quietly.  It seems that the two had a history with each other.  “Huh, I was getting this odd vibe from yesterday that they didn’t like each other...” He thought to himself.

    “Alright,” Tempest said.  “I’m in position; what next?”

    “Press down on the glyphs in the order I say,” Night Step said.  “This lock mechanism runs on a timer of about twenty seconds, so we’ll need to be quick when we press down on the glyphs.  Now then, first, find the glyph of the serpent!”  Tempest traced his hoof across the surface of the pillar until he found the image of the animal he was looking for, outlined by the dim red glow.

    “Found it,” Tempest called back.

    “Excellent,” Night Step replied.  “Now, on three, we both press down.  Ready; one, two, thr--”

    “Wait!”  Tempest interrupted.  “By three, do you mean on the number three, or on go?”

    Night Step slammed a hoof into his face.  Aiden snickered.

    “On three!”  The unicorn yelled.  “It’s faster on three!”

    “Oh, okay,” Tempest smiled.  “Ready!”

    “One, two, three!”  The two ponies pressed down on the serpentine glyphs, as the dim red outline turned into a cyan blue.  “Excellent,” the unicorn said.  “Next, find the eagle.”

    “Is this it?”  Tempest asked.  Night Step sighed and quickly trotted over to the other side of the pillar.

    “No,” Night Step said with rising irritation in his voice.  “That’s a hawk.”

    “What’s the difference?”  Tempest asked with a shrug.

    Night Step’s eye twitched.  “You’re a pegasus for Celestia’s sake!”  Tempest gave Night Step a blank expression.  “Ugh; the eagle is larger and has a bigger wingspan!”

    “Oh,” Tempest said as he looked back at the pillar.  “Okay!”

    “You better hurry,” Aiden laughed as Night Step ran by him.  “Less than ten seconds before that timer runs out!”

    Night Step cursed under his breath as he returned to his pillar.  “Ready?”  He asked the pegasus.

    “Ready!”

    “One, two, three!”  As they both pressed down on the eagle glyphs, their outlines also turned from a red glow into a bright cyan blue.  “Very good,” Night Step clapped his hooves together.  “Now the last one is that of a butterfly; you know what a butterfly is, don’t you?”  The mage quickly asked Tempest with the same amount of irritation in his voice as before.

    “Yeah, yeah, of course,” the pegasus casually said.

    “Good; one, two, three!”

    As the third and final pair of glyphs was activated, the red line that ran along the center of the giant door glowed the same shade of cyan as the activated glyphs.  As the gate to Taotras began to open, Aiden brought a hand to his temple as a familiar voice pounded against the walls of his mind.

"Brother...

Release..."

    “Aiden?”  Tempest asked with concern in his voice.  “You okay?”

    Aiden shook himself out of his trance.  “Uh...y-yeah!  I’m fine...”

    Night Step trotted up to Aiden’s left, giving him a similar concerned look, before looking forward.  “Tread with care, both of you,” he said as his horn began to glow a bright blue, providing a light source as he stepped inside the gate, with both Tempest and Aiden not far behind.

    As Aiden crossed the threshold, that same voice again spoke to him.

"Dearest, Brother...

    Welcome to my home...

    I implore you...

    Mother implores you...

    Release us...

    Release yourself...

    My dearest, fallen Brother..."

    Aiden, again shook himself out of another trance as he followed his two pony companions into the darkened halls of Taotras.

    The walls and floors of this place emitted the same dim red glow as the gate and two pillars outside.  Aiden was actually reminded of some underground bunker from before the nukes fell back on his world.  He had explored one before, but this somehow seemed more advanced; he couldn’t place his finger on why that was though.

    The three of them at least knew their objective: find a way past the door that Night Step mentioned, and if possible, shut down that defense system.  “So where exactly is this door that won’t open?”  Tempest asked the mage.

    “Further along this path,” Night Step replied.  “These ruins aren’t as extensive as some of the other human ruins such as Mirosia, Algat, or Celestia forbid, Neris.”

    “Uh huh,” Tempest quietly huffed.

    “How did you get all this information?”  Aiden asked.

    “The Council of Mages has a section of classified texts on the subject in the Canterlot Archives.  I’ve studied them extensively since my apprentice days.”

    “You don’t seem that old,” Aiden said.  “How long have you been in the Council?”

    “Four years,” Night Step reluctantly said.  “I became an apprentice not long after graduating from Her Majesty’s School for Gif--”  Night Step halted mid-sentence as the three of them stopped in their tracks at a turn.

    Tempest glanced up at Aiden with an inquisitive look.

    “I heard it too!”  Aiden yelled in response to the pegasus’s unasked question.  The three immediately ducked behind the wall as something around the corner began to move.

    “Is that one of those “things” that pop out of the walls that you mentioned?”  Tempest asked.

    “It certainly sounds like it!”  Night Step yelled with nervousness in his voice.  Aiden peeked around the corner to see if there was indeed a “thing” popping out of one of the walls.  A bright red light flashed at the end of the pitch black hallway.  Aiden heard some machine whir to life as the unmistakable sound of gunfire filled his ears.

    “SHIT!!!”  Aiden cursed as he quickly ducked his head back behind cover.  After a few brief seconds, the gunfire ceased as Aiden’s lungs finally regained control of his breathing.  “Yeah, that’s an automated turret, alright!”

    “An auto-whozi-whatsit?”  Tempest asked.

    “An automated turret,” Aiden answered.  “It’s an automatic defense mechanism; meaning that you don’t need anyone to operate it.  The machine will kill intruders for you, basically.”

    “Amazing!”  Night Step exclaimed.  “Once again, you humans have proved to be among the most resourceful of all races!”

    Even in the darkness, Aiden could see Tempest roll his eyes.  “Yeah, that’s really fascinating and all,  but can we please get to the part where we render it harmless?”

    “Well, we can’t just rush it,” Aiden said.  “We’ll get shredded to pieces!”

    “I could offer a force field spell,” Night Step suggested.  “It takes a lot of concentration though, so I can only cast it on one of you at a time, or myself.”

    “Alright then, Aiden,” Tempest said.  “Your choice; who should go?”

    Aiden clenched the longsword he brought with him.  “I’ll go,” he concluded.

    “Very well,” Night Step said as he closed his eyes.  As his horn began to glow a brighter blue, a similar colored aura surrounded Aiden’s body.  “Do be careful, Aiden!”

    “Careful is my middle name,” Aiden quietly jested as he unsheathed his longsword.   The turret resumed firing once Aiden stepped out of cover.  The bullets whizzed past his body and harmlessly reflected off the force field that Night Step was providing.  “Good thing my sword is also shielded,” Aiden thought.  “My guess is that these rounds could easily pierce armor...”

    Aiden eventually broke out into a sprint once he was sure the force field was stable.  He ran towards the red light situated on the left wall of the dark hallway when the machine was in sight.  As he got closer, the bullets started hitting him with more force.  After examining the killer machine, he raised his blade in one hand and brought it down on one of the thick wires that connected the machine to the wall.  After firing a few more rounds the turret crackled with electricity and the red light went out.  Silence filled the hallway.

    “Are we good?”  Tempest asked from around the corner.

    Aiden brought his blade down on the machine again, causing more wires and supports to break.  He sliced again, and the turret was now dangling from only a few smaller wires.  “We’re good,” he finally said.

    Tempest and Night Step peeked around the corner to see Aiden sheath his longsword  and give them a reassuring smile.

    “Say, Tempest,” Aiden whispered to the pegasus as they followed Night Step through the metallic hallways of these underground ruins.

    “Yeah?”  Tempest whispered back.

    “Outside, were you just messing with Night Step?”

    The pegasus chuckled to himself quietly.  “Yeah, him and I, we knew each other from a while back...”

    “Huh, you weren’t much of a joker back in the Royal Palace...”

    “Well, duh,” Tempest replied.  “I’m a member of Celestia’s Solar Guard for the Sun’s sake!  We’re always expected to be the usual no-nonsense, super strict elite soldiers that are pictured in the posters.”

    “So...outside?”

    “Yes?”

    “You were just fucking with him?”

    “Just fucking with him.”  Tempest laughed again.  “I know the difference between an eagle and a hawk.”

    “I can hear you both...” Night Step sighed.  “Anyways, we should be hitting that door right about...” he looked forward to see a circular black door with more glowing red writing on it.  “...now.”

    “Woah,” Tempest said as he stood next to the mage.  “That’s rather...intimidating.”

    “To say the least,” Aiden said.  “So how do we open it?”

    “If we knew that, we’d already be inside,” Night Step said.  “This door seems to lead into an inner chamber of sorts, and this outer chamber,” he waved a hoof all over the room they were in.  “Must have a way to open it.”

    “So, we’re just looking around?”  Aiden asked, scratching the back of his neck.

    “Precisely,” the unicorn replied.  “We didn’t really get a chance to inspect this room, due to the danger that those ‘turrets’ posed to the team.”

    “Uh huh,” Aiden said as he spotted an alcove on the right side of the room.  “I have a feeling that whatever you’re looking for might be on that alcove up there.”

    “What?”  Night Step asked as he began frantically looking around.  “What alcove?”

    “There,” Aiden pointed with one hand while gently pushing the unicorn’s head in the direction he should’ve been looking with the other hand.

    “Oh,” Night Step facehoofed for the second time that day.  “I can’t believe that we missed that...”

    “Now the question is, how do we get up there?”  Aiden asked.

    Tempest Runner cleared his throat to get their attention.  The pegasus began flaring his wings.

    Aiden shrugged in response.  “That works I guess; can you carry me?”

    Tempest scoffed.  “I may be a lot shorter than you, but that doesn’t mean I’m weak; climb aboard!”

    Aiden shrugged again and saddled himself on Tempest’s back.  He immediately felt a sensation of vertigo set in when the pegasus lifted into flight.  Much to Aiden’s satisfaction, the ride lasted for less than seven seconds as Tempest landed on the alcove.  “Here we are!”  Tempest said.  “Safe and sound!”  He finished with a laugh.

    Aiden rolled his eyes as he inspected the alcove.  The only thing to be seen was a short, slim black pillar that jutted out of the floor at the back wall; shorter than him, in fact.  Out of curiosity, Aiden inspected this pillar to find a glowing red light at the top of it.  “What is with these ancient humans and the color red?”  He thought as he examined the light.  Immediately, he noticed the imprint of a human hand outlined by the light.  This was an easy one for him.  “Ah, a hand scanner, I suppose?”  Aiden thought with a smile.  Instinctively, he placed the palm of his hand upon it.  After a few moments, the light turned a light cyan.  “I guess they liked that color also...”

    A slight rumble could be heard from below.  Tempest and Aiden exchanged looks briefly before looking down to see Night Step gazing in awe at an opening circular door.  Tempest helped Aiden down to join their companion in staring at what was beyond the door.

    “I can’t believe it...” Night Step sighed happily.  “Aiden, would you like to see what is inside first?”

    Aiden shrugged again and put on a fake smile.  Inside, however, he felt that feeling of “wrongness” resurge.  Aiden stepped beyond the threshold, despite his gut telling him the opposite.  At the same time, though, he felt something else deep within him tell him to go in, that there was something in there meant for him, and him alone.

    The second his entire body was beyond the threshold, the metal door shut behind him, cutting him off from both of his companions.  Immediately he could hear both of them pounding against the door with their hooves, yelling his name, asking what was happening or if he was okay.

    Their cries were drowned out completely as Aiden sank to the floor, clutching both of his temples as they throbbed with agony.  His vision became hazy as something all too familiar again creeped into the confines of his mind.  Something he had heard many times in his dreams before, but this time it felt closer than ever before.

    “Hello, Brother...”

Act 4.3

4.3

“I will bring you back...”

    An environment such as this was more his speed.  Lieutenant Cadmus had escorted Aiden and company to a tavern called the Night’s Banner.  It was a small little inn, nestled into one of the back alleys of the city’s common district.  Inside there were only a few griffins; the bartender, two waiters and a waitress, a few lone patrons, and a small band of off duty guards gathered around a wooden circular table, drinking and talking, occasionally a few bursts of laughter coming from them.

    Upon entering the Night’s Banner, all the heads turned towards whom had just stepped beyond the entrance’s threshold, like something out of an old time western film.  Aiden could never make sense of those little scenes in the old movies, however.  Why was it that whenever the main character entered the bar, all the heads turn towards him and they just stared for a few seconds?  Did the audience not already know that he was the protagonist?  Regardless, Aiden pushed the thought out of his mind with a barely noticeable shrug.  The main difference here was that their stares were mostly justified, given the fact that one of their officers had just walked in with four foreigners and a strange ape creature.

    Their stares remained fixated on the Equestrians for a while, especially the member of the elite Solar Guard and the unicorn mage.  The guards at the table seemed to be focusing more on the three pegasi, while the others eventually turned their gazes towards Aiden. Any sound that was previously making its way through the room was now replaced with silence.

    Cadmus looked over his shoulder to his small group of visitors.  He motioned his head towards the bar.  “Don’t let any of them get to you,” he whispered to the ponies and the human.  “We rarely get any foreigners in this city.  Some of them have never seen an Equestrian before.”

    “Are they always so suspecting?”  Tempest quietly whispered as he and the other three ponies sat awkwardly in the chairs that were obviously meant for griffins, although Aiden didn’t have much trouble making himself comfortable in one of them.  The bartender seemed to be wary, deciding to have the Lieutenant’s order first.  He seemed to be an older griffin, judging by lacking a familiar glow that was in the younger ones’ eyes.

    “How can I help you, Sir Cadmus?”  He asked the Lieutenant, seemingly trying to keep from making eye contact with his foreign company.

    “I’ll have my usual mead,” Cadmus replied with a smile.  He quickly pointed a talon at the ponies and the human.  “Don’t worry about them; Princess Celestia has come all the way from Equestria to meet with the King and his Parliament.”

    “A meeting after all these years?”  The bartender asked.  “For what?”

    “Beats me, Saffron,” Cadmus replied.  “I was just told to give these four a small tour of the city until the actual meeting was ready to proceed, which I imagine would be quite soon.”  Saffron hummed as he turned to the racks of various alcoholic beverages behind him, pulling out a clear bottle with a pale orange liquid in it.

    “Here you go,” the bartender named Saffron handed the bottle to the Lieutenant, who in turn reached into a satchel around his “waist” and pulled out five silver coins.

    “Thanks,” he said as punctured a single talon into the cork of the bottle and popped it out with ease, flicking it into a nearby corner carelessly.  Saffron seemed as though he didn’t mind at all.  He raised the bottle to his beak and took a sip, a smile soon overtaking his face.  He turned to his visitors.  “You guys want anything?”  He asked before taking in another gulp of his mead.  “I’ll pay!”  He said while waving his bottle slightly.

    “No thank you,” Night Step politely declined, as did the two pegasi guards.  Cadmus turned to Tempest Runner, who shrugged briefly at the offer.

    “I’ll take a mug of hard cider, I guess,” the Solar Guard member replied.  Saffron nodded and pulled a wooden mug out from a space under the counter.  He then proceeded to fill it with a sweet smelling, foamy liquid from a large barrel on the counter behind him.

    “What about you?”  Cadmus asked Aiden.  “You want anything?”  Aiden turned towards the griffin officer for a moment before looking back at Saffron as he rested the now full mug of cider on the counter space in front of Tempest.  The young man looked around and rubbed the back of his neck for a second.  He shrugged.

    “I guess I’ll have what Tempest is having,” he said quietly.  Saffron nodded as he filled a second mug with the foamy liquid, passing it to the human afterward.  Cadmus paid the bartender with six more silver coins, who later went on to serve other patrons.

    Aiden looked into the mug of cider curiously before taking a small whiff of it.  He nodded to himself as his nostrils caught the noticeable scent of alcohol.  “Yep, it’s there alright,” he thought to himself with another shrug.  He brought the cusp of the mug to his lips, drinking in a large gulp of the cider.  It certainly had the taste of normal apple cider, the only main difference being the familiar burn of the alcohol following the liquid down his throat; it was slightly stronger than hard cider that he was familiar with. He only barely suppressed a shudder as the alcohol took it’s effect, taking another large sip to try and numb its sting. He wiped his lips of some remaining foam before turning to Tempest.

    “How is it?”  The pegasus asked.  Aiden gave a small nod to respond at first.

    “It’s not bad,” he said.  “I’m not that much of a drinker, but I’ll admit that I kinda like this.”  Aiden took another sip, the sting not as powerful this time.  He placed the mug back on the bar, having had enough of the bittersweet fluid for the moment.  Aiden looked around the small tavern, looking at the griffins simply drinking and talking with one another.  It seemed as though that this was simply how they passed the time on a Saturday morning on which there was nothing better to do, other than gossip about the visit of a foreign leader.

    While Aiden was spacing out, it seemed that Night Step had struck up a conversation with the Lieutenant.  “So what is life like here in Gryphonia?”  The mage asked.  Cadmus shrugged slightly before taking another sip of his mead.

    “Well, every morning I report to the barracks and ensure that the troops are ready for their daily patrols through the city.”  He paused for a brief moment before continuing.  “I typically make my morning route through the interior city streets around the King’s Palace and the Parliamentary Hall.  After a lunch break at noon, I go on patrol again through the North District, and around five o’clock I return to the barracks and Lieutenant Eva takes over for the evening.”  He took another drink from his bottle.  “I return home for the night to my family, I play with the kids, I eat dinner, I go to sleep, I wake up; rinse and repeat.  That’s a regular, pleasant day for me.”

    “So what would be an irregular, unpleasant day?”  Tempest Runner asked as he finished his cider.

    “Today,” Cadmus quickly replied with a smile.  “I’m kidding; while I agree with the irregular part, you all seem like honest folk, and despite from what some xenophobes and bigots might say,  the King tolerates visitors to his country.”  He raised the bottle to his beak and drank again.

    “You said you had a family,” Aiden began.

    “Doesn’t everyone?”  Cadmus asked in a joking manner.  This comment got a few chuckles out of the others.  “I’m just messing with ya, friend,” he said while gently nudging Aiden with his elbow.  “Yeah, I have a wife named Selene; we’ve been married for about seventeen years now.  And I also have two kids; our son, Garrett is sixteen, and our daughter, Gilda just turned eight.”

    “Those names sound surprisingly human,” Aiden thought to himself as he took another small sip of his cider.

    “What about life in Equestria?”  Cadmus asked.  “Surely things are more interesting for you down South than up here?”  Aiden thought quietly for a moment; indeed, interesting would be an understatement for how active his life had become over the past few days.  Tempest however, answered for him.

    “It’s not so different from here,” the pegasus began.  “Except it’s warmer, of course.  Really, for us an average day is standing perfectly still on one side of a door, waiting for our shift to end.  We either return to our barracks, or our homes for some of the guards who live in Canterlot.”  Tempest ended his explanation as he rested his chin on the bar.  Cadmus nodded in understanding took another sip of his mead.  Aiden hummed to himself, always meaning he was deep in thought.

    “What about you...” Cadmus paused, pointing at the human, trying to remember his name.  “Aiden, was it?”  The young man nodded in the Lieutenant’s direction.  “How is life where you’re from?”  Aiden blew a few strands of hair out of his face before answering.

    “Probably not as exciting as you might think in another world,” he replied.  “I get to travel most of the time, which isn’t bad, but my average day involves piles upon piles of paperwork,” he paused for a second.

    “Where’d you travel?”  Cadmus asked, pushing his bottle of mead forward, seemingly finished with it at the moment.  Aiden bit his lip for a moment, knowing that most likely the griffin Lieutenant, as well as Tempest and Night Step, wouldn’t have the faintest idea of the places he had been, such as the Iberian Republic, Quebec, or the Western Expanse.  Still, this would not stop him from humoring the idea, and it would seem rude to simply reiterate his first answer.  Aiden drank more of his cider; this time, the sting of alcohol was absent.  Then he spoke.

    “Most of my adventures led me into the Western Expanse, which bordered my home country, the Second American Republic.  The Expanse was mostly a barely habitable wasteland, with small pockets of civilization hidden throughout.  Just about every single time I went out into the Expanse, I had my team with me.”  Aiden paused to drink more of his cider, knowing that what he would have to explain would arouse memories he would rather leave in the depths of his mind.  “Like I need a reminder that my six friends from my old life are all in bodybags...”

    “Team?”  Tempest asked.  “You had a team?”  Aiden sighed and nodded.

    “Yep,” he replied.  “There were six; seven if you include me.  I was the leader; Alexander Reyes was our engineer, David Bern was our medic, Mary Willis was the explosives technician, Emily Bennett was our special operative, Leon Caine was the marksman, and Logan Somers was in the intelligence department.”  He went to drink from his cider again, only to see that the mug was now empty.  He sighed again, thinking to himself.  “Fuck it.”

    “Hey, Saffron,” Aiden called with a snap of his fingers.  The bartender griffin turned towards the human.  “I’d like another round,” he said, pointing his left index finger down at the empty mug before him.  Saffron nodded and took a second mug out from under the bar, quickly going to fill it and placing it in front of Aiden, ready for consumption.  “Thanks,” he whispered to the bartender, although he doubt that Saffron could hear it.  He quickly turned to Cadmus with a raised eyebrow.  “Sorry about this, but, uh...” he gestured towards the new mug, foaming at the rim.  Cadmus interrupted as he went to pull out more of his silver coins from his pack to pay for the drink.  Aiden stared, surprised for a moment, before thanking the Lieutenant for his generosity.

    “So,” Aiden said after a large gulp from his second mug.  “What is it you want to know?”

    “What were your teammates like?”  Tempest asked.  “Did you consider them actual friends, or more like acquaintances?”

    “Eh, more like close friends with some of them, Alex and Logan in particular, but that’s not to say that I didn’t start to really like the others.”  Aiden paused, looking down into the small cup of hard cider in his right hand.

    “So, what was this Alex like?”  Tempest asked.  “You said he was an engineer?”  Aiden nodded before taking another sip.

    “He was pretty good with electronics, and he had quite a fascination with digital technology, most of which stopped working after the Great War over a century and a half ago on my world.”  He paused for a moment, looking over at Tempest.  "In short; he was all over any piece of broken handheld machinery like white on rice.”  He gazed back into his mug.

    “David was one of the youngest, and had only very basic first aid training when I first met him.  Over the years, he learned more from some of the best doctors on the East Coast, and last I heard, he was thinking about applying for one of the universities up in New Brunswick.”  Aiden brought the mug to his lips; its contents were now depleted to less than a third of what it was.  Tempest and the others seemed to look at him with concern.  Aiden finished with his second mug, and clumsily snapped his fingers again for Saffron’s attention.  Cadmus appeared hesitant to pay for Aiden’s third helping of hard cider, likely fearing what a wasted ape creature would do.  But the presence of other guards seemed to be enough to reassure him.

    “Mary was kind of a rough and gruff girl, but I’d be lying if I said that wasn’t a trait I liked about her.”  Aiden began as he downed a fourth of his new mug of cider in a few short seconds.  He shivered and smiled, showing his teeth in satisfaction.  “In fact, when I met up with her on our last assignment, she showed me a ring on her finger, saying that she was engaged to her sweetheart,” he sighed, cupping his hands in his chin.  “Kind of a shame for me,” he whispered.  “I was actually considering telling her how I felt...” he immediately paused after saying this, holding up his left hand.  “Or no...wait...”   He picked up his mug with his right hand and drank from it again, an unsure look on his face.

    “Maybe it was Emily I had feelings for?”  He shrugged, chugging down the remains of his third mug.  “Ah whatever,” he said with a chuckle.  “Doesn’t matter anymore; I’m the one who’s living right now,” he let out the smallest of hiccups, enough to rouse the attention and concern of his company.

    “Alright,” Tempest said, gently forcing Aiden’s hand down, causing him to let go of the mug.  “It’s only noon, buddy, no need to get hammered just yet,” he said in a joking manner, earning a glare from Night Step.

    “Way to show your concern,” the unicorn muttered.  Aiden meanwhile, pulled himself away from the bar and nodded.

    “Okay,” he agreed.  “You’re right, I shouldn’t drink too much before the *hic* before the summit.”

    “Speaking of which,” a feminine voice from behind the group began.  All heads turned towards a female griffon standing at the entrance.  She too had the feathers on the top of her head dyed a deep crimson, much like Cadmus, possibly an indication for a position in leadership.  She scowled at the Lieutenant.  “I was sent by Ambassador Lamia to ask for your immediate presence at the summit.”

    “Ah, Lieutenant Eva,” Cadmus chuckled nervously after throwing a look at the slightly tipsy human.  “We were just, uh, on our way!”

    “With one of the witnesses half wasted?”  She asked as she approached them.  Cadmus stuttered before his counterpart pointed an accusing talon at him.  “You know that I’m obligated to report you to the Commander for things of this nature, Lieutenant.”  She said, noticeably upset at Cadmus’s blunder.  She approached closer, and spoke softly, casting a glance aside to ensure that none outside the conversation were listening in.  “His Majesty and the parliament are waiting for things to proceed, we just need the three who were present at Taotras to join them and the Princess.”

    “I’ll ensure that they will arrive at the Parliamentary Hall within an hour, give or take,” Cadmus replied with a nod.  “Depends on how long it takes for the lad here to sober up.”  He finished, giving a subtle gesture to Aiden.

    “I’m right *hic*...right here, Lieutenant,” Aiden replied.

    “I can tell, Mr. Marsh,” Cadmus replied with a soft chuckle.  He turned back towards Eva and nodded.  “I’ll ensure that the three of them get there within half an hour.”

    Eva frowned and turned to leave, muttering something that none of them could quite make out, though they were certain it was an insult of some kind.  As the doors of the Night’s Banner closed shut behind her, Cadmus sighed heavily.

    “Sheesh,” Aiden whispered.  “Someone certainly *hic*...certainly doesn’t fuck around.”  Night Step jabbed the human in the ribs, lightly.

    “Aiden, could you please take it easy on the swearing?”  The mage pleaded quietly.  “We’re going to be meeting with royalty; the Princess might not mind hearing it from you, but this is the King of Gryphonia that we’re talking about.”  Aiden breathed in deeply and nodded.

    “Right, sorry,” Aiden apologized sheepishly, another hiccup causing his body to jolt again.  “I’ll be sure to tone it down.”

    “Thank you,” Night Step sighed.  Cadmus stood up, beckoning the others with a talon to follow him out.  Aiden slightly stumbled after them, the two pegasi guards offering a pair of shoulders to lean on.

    The tunnels of Silver River Mines seemed colder than usual on this day.  Griffins and Diamond Dogs alike chipped away at the rock, attempting to unearth, as the name suggests,  silver.  Various other precious metals such as copper, gold, and iron were also among the profits of the mines and the company that owned it.

    For a griffin named Klein, this was simply an ordinary day like any other.  He woke up and had breakfast in the barracks outside of the mines, then he picked up his pickaxe and immediately went to work down in the depths of Mount Frostfire.  The mountain sat by itself in the Basin of Gales, many miles north of the border with Equestria, which allowed for usually temperate climates around the mountain’s base year round.

    Starting his morning shift like any other, Klein had gotten into his usual position, hacking away at a wall of rock deep within the mine.  A Diamond Dog (commonly referred to as Kobosians outside of Equestria), whose name he could not grasp at the moment, stood next to him, also chipping away at the hard rock.  What little he did remember of this particular Kobosian was that he came from the city of Anubis, near the natural bridge between the continents of Rodinia and Zebrica.

    The Kobosians and griffins in the mines typically got along quite well, and open xenophobia was not tolerated.  Today, however, the only griffin Klein at all knew was out sick, and he decided to strike up idle conversation with the Diamond Dog to his left.

    “Same old stuff today, huh?”  Klein asked with a sheepish smile.  The Kobosian did not respond at first, his right ear reflexively twitching slightly every time a pickaxe struck against stone.

    “Hmm?”  The dog’s attention went to the griffin next to him.  This Kobosian was about average size, slightly taller than Klein; his coat was of a pale grey color.  “Yeah, sure; whatever,” the Kobosian sighed as he pressed a paw(hand?) against his ear.  Klein seemed taken aback by the dog’s cold shoulder.  The griffin remained silent for a moment, striking his axe against the stone before introducing himself.

    “Name’s Klein,” the griffin said with a small smile.  The Kobosian shook his head, smacking his right limb into his head again.

    “Jak,” the dog replied in the raspy voice that was common for Diamond Dogs as he tried covering his right ear again.  He winced as though in pain shortly after introducing himself.  Klein frowned.

    “Uh, are you alright, Jak?”  The griffin asked, concerned.

    “Huh?”  Jak turned to Klein for a brief moment before turning back to the stone wall in front of them, pickaxe in hand.  “Yeah, yeah...I’m fine, it’s just a real annoying headache I’ve had since I woke up this morning.”

    “Do you need anything?”  Klein asked.  “I could go to the nurse back on the surface to get you some painkillers, or something.”

    “No,” Jak answered sternly.  “I told you I’m fine.”  Klein held a defensive limb up before turning his attention back to his work.  The two of them continued chipping away at the stone, just like they did every other day.

    The view of Silver River Mines was more than adequate from this small grouping of trees.  No more than a hundred or so meters from the mouth of the cave, the being known as Vanguard sat with his legs crossed as he observed the Gryphonians and Kobosians as they brought a minecart out from the depths, filled with raw copper ore.  The mineral’s next destination would likely be the refinery just a few kilometers to the East, not far from Gryphonia’s capital of Stormview.

    The Forerunner in human form hummed to himself as he rose to his feet.  He narrowed his bright yellow eyes to nothing more than tiny slits as he whispered to himself.  “This will make for a tedious endeavor.”  He began the trek to the entrance of the mines.  No doubt, what he was about to do would rouse the attention of Gryphonia’s government, not to mention her military.  Not like that would stop him, of course; that much he proved back when Intervention awakened him in Taotras.

    He certainly didn’t need to wait for them to spot him.  A young griffin who looked as though she couldn’t entirely comprehend what she was seeing pointed at him slowly with a shaky talon after simply staring at the approaching entity for several moments.  The others around her seemed confused at first; some called her name before others began turning their heads to the direction in which she was pointing.  By this point, however, Vanguard had already dispatched one of the few griffins actually armed with a spear for combat.  The soldier’s head had been obscenely twisted to an unnatural angle by Vanguard’s hands, making a barely audible crack! ring through the air.

    Another griffin soldier no more than two meters to the right of Vanguard jumped, clearly startled.  All he could do was cuss as he tried to load his primitive hand cannon before Vanguard had an ethereal grip around his neck, crushing it with little effort.  At this point, the miners all around were in a frenzy.  He knew they would stay out of his way, and he spared them for it.

    Two griffin marksmen, both armed with loaded hand cannons stood at the top of a watchtower to the right of the cave entrance.  One took aim over the edge, whilst the other rang an enormous bell, likely to alert the mines that they were under attack.  Immediately, he looked to his right to see three griffins take flight.  These griffins were likely emergency couriers, meant to take flight only in case that bell rang, to journey straight to Stormview and alert the King of an attack such as this.

    Normally, he would have let the three of them go unhindered, but he saw one of them look back at the sight of the Silver River Mines.  His eyes seemed to widen in shock at the destruction that the ancient entity had caused in less than a minute’s time.  As Vanguard pulled one of the snipers down from the watchtower with another invisible limb, crushing the griffin in the process, another limb shot out from Vanguard’s right shoulder, this one being visible to the griffins and dogs, however.  It was long, thin, jagged, and it had a texture and color that oddly resembled something close to obsidian.

    The griffin had little to no time to react, as he was impaled through the chest by the razor sharp tendril, the limb exiting through his back.  One of the other couriers cursed as he and his surviving accomplice flew onward, leaving their companion to his fate.  The poor soul at Vanguard’s mercy soon found himself being pulled closer towards the Forerunner, the glassy, razor sharp limb still sticking out of his back, covered in his blood.

    Klein soon felt a wave of uneasiness wash over him.  A quiet pulsating sensation seemed to course through the walls of the cavern, through the air, indeed through his very being, the slowly growing intensity of it pecking at his skull.  He placed a hand to the side of his head, trying to ignore it.

    “Can you feel it too?”  He heard Jak ask.  “That unceasing pulse?”  He didn’t wait for the griffin to respond.  “That is the drumbeat of destiny, my friend,” the dog chuckled in his raspy voice.  Klein tried his hardest to disregard the meaningless rambling, which was easy to do as the pulse grew even louder.  At intervals, a soft quaking sensation made its way through the tunnels.

    “Jak,” Klein whispered as the tremors slowly intensified with the pulse.  “You feel that quake, don’t you?”

    “I do,” he replied, turning completely to face the darkness of the tunnel before them, both of them abandoning their mining equipment.  Distantly, just over the tremors and the pulse, the two of them could hear the faint screams of their fellow workers.  Some were shouting for help, others simply yelling in terror.  A flintlock was fired somewhere nearby, but the screaming did not stop.

    “What’s happening out there!?”  Klein asked, frightened.

    “The workings of Nazzaro,” Jak said, referencing to an evil spirit from Kobosian myth.  After several seconds, the shouts either ceased or were out of earshot for the two of them, although the latter seemed unlikely, as sound could really be carried in these tunnels. It was soon replaced by an echoing tapping sound that resonated throughout the mines.  The pulse and tremors continued their patterns as the tapping became progressively louder, sounding somewhat similar to footsteps.

    “Mercy,” Jak whispered as the footsteps became unbearably close.  Klein looked as though he was about to make a break for it, disregarding whatever it was that was causing the screams of his co workers.  When the footsteps couldn’t have been any further away than just around the tunnel’s bend in front of them, it stopped, but the pulse and tremors continued.

    “Providence watch over us,” Klein whispered as he tenderly placed a talon on the ground in front of him.

    “What do you think you’re doing!?”  Jak hissed through his teeth.  Klein looked back at him, confused.  “Foolish child...” the old dog whispered.  “It waits for both of us, merely beyond that turn!”  Klein shushed the near frantic Kobosian, approaching closer to the bend of the tunnel in the process.  He steeled himself for whatever it was that was waiting for them just around the corner.

    Vanguard raised an eyebrow at the young griffin before him.  The old Kobosian further back in the tunnel was pleading for him to flee back down the passageway.  The griffin, however seemed to be too frightened to utter so much as a whisper as Vanguard continued staring him down.  Vanguard inhaled deeply, causing both of them to tense up, as though he were about to breathe fire upon them.

    “If you wish to run and hide yourselves away,” the Forerunner began.  “I will not hinder your attempts to do so; leave this place now, and I shall spare your lives as I have spared the ones of your unarmed accomplices.”  He slowly raised a finger and pointed it down the passageway that lead back up to the surface.  “This will be your only chance, however.”  The griffin and dog exchanged brief glances with each other before they were running with just about everything they had.  Vanguard sighed.

   “Mother...dearest Mother,” he whispered.  “I still fail to fathom their kind...”  He turned his gaze down another pathway; one that led even deeper into Silver River Mines, a little smirk displayed across his face.  “Now then, if memory serves correctly...” he began the trek into the depths of the mountain.

    This was certainly not a time to try and negotiate with her.  Celestia still appeared just as steamed when she heard of Aiden’s actions.  The two of them walked side by side down the main hall and into the chamber where the summit would be held, Celestia seemingly trying to put on a neutral expression, whilst Aiden tried everything to avoid rousing her anger again.

    Hearing the Princess say the words: “I can’t begin to tell how disappointed and how angry I am with you,” was one of the worst things that he could’ve heard from her.  She had a right to be upset with him though; afterall, one of the individuals that was to accompany you to an important meeting getting half wasted merely an hour before would put a dent in anyone’s demeanor.  Aiden had apologized for his poor choice, hoping that alone was enough to make amends with her, but he could not shake the feeling that the Princess was occasionally glaring daggers in his direction.

    The meeting chamber of the Parliamentary Hall was about as large as Aiden had expected.  The stone that made up the floor, ceiling and walls had a faint green tint to them.  There was a large chandelier that hung from the apex of the domed ceiling, its illumination accompanied by the various torches that adorned the walls.  At the other end of the chamber was a throne; a regal looking brown griffin sat upon it, a gold crown adorning his head.

    “King Samran, without a doubt,” Aiden thought as he and the Princess took seats in chairs at their respective end of a polished wooden table, Night Step and Tempest Runner both to his right.  The chairs were obviously meant for a pony or griffin to sit on.  Rather than make an even bigger fool of himself, Aiden decided that he would rather stand.  The King and his parliament eyed the human; some with curiosity, others with suspicion.  Celestia cleared her throat, still maintaining a neutral expression on her face.

    “Are we ready to proceed, Princess Celestia?”  A member of the griffin parliament asked as he and the others took seats at the other end of the table.  The Princess nodded.

    “I am,” she said.

    “Very well,” the same parliament member said.  “We will begin with the testimony of Corporal Tempest Runner.”  He looked up towards the young pegasus.  “Corporal?”  Tempest looked to Aiden with an uncertain look.  The human smiled and motioned his head in the direction of the foreign government.

    “You’ll be fine, dude,” he whispered.  Celestia looked over to the nervous pegasus, also offering a comforting nod.  Tempest sighed before leaning forward and clearing his throat, ready to give his testimony.  The griffins and their king continued staring as the pegasus stood up.

    “My personal evaluation of the events that have transpired in the ruins collectively known to most scholars as Taotras are rather informal, so I ask that you forgive that,” Tempest began.  Already, the words which were unusual for the pegasus had invoked incredulous stares from both Aiden and Celestia.  The griffins, however, did not respond.  Tempest continued.  “When my two accomplices and I arrived at the ruins, the most imminent threat that we faced were the ruins automated defenses.  These can best be described by our resident human, Aiden Marsh,” he gestured to Aiden, who in turn held a hand up in defense.

    “Tempest,” Aiden whispered to the pegasus.  “May I ask what exactly are you saying?”

    “You’re a human; you would know more about those machines than anyone else in all of the entire continent of Rodinia.”  Tempest replied in a low voice, gesturing to the parliament in front of them.  The griffins stared back, waiting for the testimony to continue.  It was now Aiden’s turn to speak.

    “Being more specific on the topic of automated defenses,” he began.  “They are forms of defense that do not require an individual to operate them, relying on electronic motion sensors to detect when a trespasser approaches, much like a tripwire or switchplate activates a trap.  The primary hazard within Taotras were what we humans call automated defense turrets.  We managed to traverse these hazards and reach the center of the ruins with relatively little difficulty.”  Aiden felt Tempest’s hoof at his side, which he took as a sign to stop.

    “Thank you, Mr. Marsh,” Tempest said as he continued.  “Just outside of the central chamber, our path was blocked by a door that repelled all forms of known magic.  This door was, in fact the reason that Aiden accompanied us on the journey.  When Aiden activated a pedestal, the door opened, unveiling the way into the central chamber.  Once he passed the threshold, however, the door closed behind him, cutting us off.”

    Aiden leaned in and whispered into Tempest’s ear.  “That was pretty impressive!”  He said happily.  “You came up with all of that yourself?”  Tempest sighed before answering.

    “No...”  Aiden tilted his head and was about to ask who helped him, when he looked over one seat to Night Step.

    “Oh...come to think of it, a lot of those terms sounded like something that only Night Step would say...”

    One of the parliament spoke.  “And it was at this point that our lost platoon arrived?”

    “Almost, yes,” Tempest answered.

    King Samran, who sat silently as the members of his parliament conversed among themselves slowly stood up and spoke for the first time.  “And what was it that the human encountered while in the central chamber?”

    Aiden was about to answer that question, when the doors to the chamber opened, two griffin couriers running in, panting for breath.  “Your Majesty!”  One of them shouted in between ragged breaths.  The members of the parliament immediately went into an uproar at the interruption.  Aiden and the others threw glances back towards the doors and the couriers.

    “Silence!”  King Samran bellowed at his parliament, all of whom immediately obeyed.  He pointed a talon at the two couriers, both of whom were busy trying to catch their breaths.  “What is the meaning of this interruption?”  One of them looked up to their ruler before answering.

    “Silver River Mines was attacked, your Grace,” a courier replied.  “By what, we do not know; it was creature unlike anything that we’ve ever seen before.”  The parliament seemed ready to erupt again, but the King held up a talon, silencing them again.

    “Take a breath,” the King ordered of his two messengers.  They did so, taking a few seconds to catch their breathing.  “Now, what did it look like?”

    “I-it walked on two legs, your Grace,” the second courier replied.  “It didn’t look like it had any hair, except for on...it’s...head...” the messenger’s sentence trailed off as his eyes fell on Aiden.  The messenger screamed as he quickly cowered away from the table.  The other one noticed and soon joined his companion.

    “There’s another one!”  He screamed.  “It’s an invasion!  Our country’s under attack!”  The parliament was in yet another uproar, and not even the King could silence them this time.

    “What are they going on about?”  One parliament griffin asked.

    “Silver River Mines attacked by another human?  One of them could take on all the guards there?”

    “Preposterous!  No creature could possibly be that powerful on its own!”

    “I should’ve known that the Equestrian’s would only make another attempt to take our country away from us!”  One voice stood out amongst the crowd.  “Guards!  Seize the Princess and the human!”

    Celestia seemed to be caught off guard by the sudden motion of three griffin soldiers armed with spears surrounding her on all sides with the exception of her front.  Aiden almost immediately jumped into action himself, throwing his body in between the Princess and the griffin behind her.  He held his left arm across his chest, pulling the sleeve back to the elbow.  To his satisfaction, and the griffin’s confusion, the Praemian Thorn was glowing, just waiting to be utilized.  Aiden smirked before turning his gaze to the armed guard.

    “Sorry, buddy,” he laughed as he lifted his arm over his head.  “But you’ll have to go through me to get to her!”  His eyes fell on the many torches upon the walls, each of which became even more inflamed.  The crimson ring of Algat’s River lit up like a Christmas tree, the flames from the torches leaping outward towards Aiden’s extended index finger, the flames dancing in small embers over his head.  Like when he first used this power, Aiden felt little of the actual heat.  The griffins seemed somewhat surprised by this strange magic, but the three guards still advanced, spears at the ready.

    “Guess my attempts to dazzle them weren’t quite enough,” Aiden thought with a frown, not wanting to injure the guards.  He brought his left arm swiftly down from overhead, making a sweeping motion at the floor about a yard in front of him.  The embers descended with the Thorn, impacting on the stone floor.  A semi circle of flames rose up from where the conflagrations ended their performance, causing all three of the griffins to jump back, startled.  Aiden smiled, glad that he wouldn’t have to hurt them.

    “Almighty Ra!”  One of the griffins screamed as he jumped back, dropping his spear in the process.

    “ENOUGH!!!”  A loud, commanding voice bellowed, seemingly rocking the entire chamber, causing even Celestia to shrink back.  All eyes turned towards King Samran, whom was standing up, his eyes glistening a frightening mix of bright red and deep yellow.  Aiden half expected steam to blow out of his nostrils.  The King turned to his Parliament, breathing heavily as he panned his gaze across them.  “Which one of you curs ordered my guards to attack?”  The eyes of the King’s Parliament turned to a particularly old griffin in the middle of the row to the King’s left.  This griffin still stood tall, glaring daggers at the Princess.  King Samran sneered.

    “Elder Garand,” the King hissed as he left his seat.  The griffin named Garand turned his head in his ruler’s direction, not showing surprise that he had upset his King.  “Elder, I am certain that I made it perfectly clear this morning that open xenophobia to our guests would not be tolerated.”  He paused for a moment to try and get a reign on the anger that was no doubt welling up inside of him.  “Would you care to explain why you would order my guards to do so?”

    Elder Garand remained silent for a moment, still staring at the Princess and her company.  “The messenger said it themselves, your Grace,” he eventually replied.  “We’re being invaded; Silver River Mines was attacked by one of these,” he pointed a talon to Aiden.  “Humans...and it appears that the mastermind is no further than the alicorn sitting in front of us.”  King Samran incredulously shook his head.

    “It is not your position to decide that!  The armies of Gryphonia are no longer yours to command!”  He paused, still shaking with rage.  “Another transgression such as this, and I will see you suspended from your duties, Elder Garand!  Is that clear?”

    “Of course, your Grace,” the elder replied, not taking his hateful eyes off the Princess.  “It shall not happen again.”

    “Good,” Samran grunted as he lifted himself into flight.  He landed on the stone floor just in front of Aiden on the other side of the chamber; Celestia and the others turned towards him.  “My most sincere apologies for such horrid actions, your Majesty,” he said to the Princess as he turned to her.  “But the mistrust from the war many years back between our two countries has yet to be funneled out in the older generation.”

    “That much is clear,” Celestia let out a sigh of relief.  “But none were hurt, so you mustn't blame yourself, King Samran.”  The King chuckled to himself softly.

    “I’m not saying I blame myself; twas that old fool Garand who set my guards upon you and your subjects.”  His eyes fell upon Aiden, a curious look on his face.  “And what of you, my strange visitor?  What was that odd display of magic just now?”  The young man brought his left hand up, the Thorn still glowing beneath his flesh.

    “Not entirely magic, your Grace,” Aiden replied softly.  “It’s a rare piece of human technology called the Praemph Thmph...” Aiden suddenly found his lips were forced shut by a familiar white aura.  He quickly turned his gaze to Celestia; indeed her horn was glowing.  She made a motion across her own lips like that of closing a zipper.  Aiden nodded, showing that he got her meaning.  The aura dissipated, and Aiden could open his mouth again.  The King tilted his head, confused.

    “It’s quite the story, your Grace,” Celestia replied with a smile.  A weary smile, but a smile nonetheless.

    The Parliament had been dismissed.

    King Samran paced back and forth through his personal bedroom, Aiden and Celestia looking on as he did so.  The Princess had told her all that she believed was necessary for him to hear: the legend of the Forerunners, Aiden’s arrival here in this world, the concept of the Equinox, and the Praemian Thorn.  The whole explanation took roughly half an hour, give or take.  The King still paced back and forth, his mind no doubt overwhelmed with what he has heard.  The recent news of the attack on Silver River Mines was also taken into account.

    King Samran sighed, rubbing his temples with exhaustion from thought, and began speaking.  “First off,” he began.  “These Forerunners ruled over all living things hundreds upon thousands of years ago until they were deposed by the human race at one point with the help of this Praemian Thorn; humans then became the dominant species for the next several millennia before disappearing themselves...because the Thorn seemed to have adverse effects on the environment?”

    “I know it sounds incredulous, your Grace,” Aiden replied with a frown.

    “Oh believe me, saying that I am having a hard time wrapping my head around this concept would be the understatement of the century.”  He sighed and paused for a second.  “Of course, you’ve already shown me that the Thorn’s powers are true.  And you say that the creature attacking the mines is not a human, but one of these Forerunners?”

    “Judging by the description, it is indeed the Forerunner of the Reclamation: Vanguard,” Aiden said as a barely noticeable shudder ran through his body.  King Samran tapped a talon against his chin, contemplating on a possible course of action.  He grunted softly as he resumed pacing.

    “Well the workers at Silver River can’t wait,” he whispered just loud enough for Aiden and the Princess to hear.  “I believe I should send a detachment to Frostfire Mountain, see at least if there are any survivors.”  Aiden tensed up, a feeling of apprehension overcoming him.

    “They wouldn’t last a second against Vanguard!”  He yelled before he had a chance to  place a hand over his mouth.  The King looked over to him with an eyebrow raised.  “I don’t mean to insult your troops, your Grace; I've encountered Vanguard before at the ruins of Taotras, and at the very least, I have some basic knowledge on what he's capable of.”  The King narrowed his eyes, more indecisive than offended.

    “You’re saying that my soldiers might need your assistance at Silver River Mines?”  He asked.

    “I’m saying that your soldiers will need my assistance,” Aiden wittily replied.  “From what I know, the Thorn is the only method of actually fighting back against the Forerunners.”  Samran resumed pacing back and forth once again, sighing to himself in the process.

    “Aiden,” Celestia whispered into the lad’s ear.  “What is it exactly that you expect to accomplish by going to the mines with the griffins?”

    “We can’t just sit back and let Vanguard slaughter them like animals,” Aiden replied in his own whisper.  “The griffins at Taotras didn’t deserve the fate they’ve been given, and neither did any of the ones that no doubt were killed in the mines.”  He paused for a second, looking down at his left arm, and the ancient weapon that rested beneath the flesh.  “I’m going to save as many lives as I can,” he spoke even softer; he wasn’t sure if Celestia even heard him.  He thought of the team he had back on Earth.  “It’s the very least I can do to achieve some form of atonement for their deaths...”  Celestia reeled her head back, her lips parted slightly.  She definitely heard him.  She likely didn’t understand what he meant by that last sentence, but could tell that he intended for it to mean something deep.

    “What is it that this...” King Samran continued after taking a brief pause for the alicorn and her friend.  “This Vanguard individual wants?”  Aiden shrugged as he rolled his left sleeve back, the Thorn giving off a faint glow.

    “I guess I’ll find out once I get there.”

    The crimson glyphs on the walls and ceiling pulsated in correlation with the tremors that rocked the mines all the way to its lowest depths.  They illustrated words and thoughts eons old.  The ancient door that led into this temple didn’t look quite as old as Taotras, or those of any human ruin.  The temple itself, though, was not of his concern.  The Cipher rested inside, and it would be his if he and his family were to regain the Seat of Abitrath.  He smiled softly as he thought of his rebellious brother, Intervention.

    “He will be here soon,” he whispered quietly.  He chuckled lightly as he lifted his golden eyes to the archway that led into the underground ruins beneath the mines.

    “The Seam of the World awaits us both...”