After the hallway was cleared out of the magically activated stone guardians, Martin made his way to door that had been at the end of the corridor.

"You ready for this?" Martin asked as he looked to Ghost, who only nodded in reply. Martin closed the gap between him and the door and opened it. Anticipation building in the two as the door creaked and groaned.

It was a difficult time in Ponyville. More specifically, the Castle of Friendhsip. Everypony was in a different section of the castle, waiting for the announcement of some kind of plan. Applejack was in the kitchen along with Spike and Pinkie Pie. Rarity was in a guest room resting on a couch beside Fluttershy who was passing the time with a book. And Rainbow Dash was in the dining hall of the castle, flying as she avoided the banisters and archways. And Luna was wondering the halls, admiring the naturally grown castle. But the two ponies who were discussing about things to come, were Princess Celestia, and Princess Twilight.

"The guards were dispatched..." Celestia said as she stopped mid-pace in the crystal tree.

"Guards? What are you talking about Princess?" Twilight asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Do you remember when I said that an alarm was raised in the old palace in the Everfree?" Celestia turned to Twilight with an air of seriousness about her.

"Yeah? You said it was probably some wildlife..."

"Well the magic in the guards died out one by one. Something is in there."

"Do you think it's the thing that came into town a while ago?"

"Most likely, if it truly retreated, then it would need some place defensible, nothing around here is more defensible than the ruins of the old castle. It is in the middle of the Everfree, not many ponies would go there, or even attempt to go there."

At that moment, Luna walked into the room. "So sister, should we prepare to make our way to our old castle?"

"I think that would be best, lest the creature finds something it shouldn't."

"What the hell is this?" Martin asked as he looked at the chest in the center of the room. After he opened the door and entered the room, both him and Ghost were disappointed to find only a chest and two lanterns that barely lit the room.

"We fought all of those things, granted, they weren't that hard. But we fought those things, all for this?"

"Can we at least look inside the thing?" Ghost asked as he levitated closer to the wooden box.

"Fine." Martin said with a grunt.

The Exo moved closer to the chest and dropped to a single knee before placing both hands on the lid. As he lifted and opened the chest, he moved closer to see what the contents were. The only thing that he could see was a short wooden club. He picked it up and stood to his full height as he inspected the thing in his hands.

"Again, what the hell is this?" Martin slowly extended his arm to show Ghost what they had acquired. Ghost quickly began to scan the the wooden club. As soon as he finished he began to say. "The readings aren't giving any clear answer. But it seems like you could focus energy into it and have it take form, I have no clue beyond that."

Martin looked at Ghost before he continued to stare at the club in his hands. He shrugged and held it tightly as he closed his eyes and focused. A minute later, words began to form in his mind. "Light take shape, let the darkness that surrounds me shrivel away as I consume it to strengthen my own resolve." As his light transferred into the club, it began to take on a sickly purple glow. The once wooden club began to grow into a staff of dark ethereal light. Somehow it seemed to consume the light that touched it but glowed brighter than any light the two ha ever seen.

Martin opened his eyes to see the staff and what it had become. Ghost began to scan it frantically as he said. "I've never seen anything like this. This is something I never expected to see."

"...Let's go test this bad boy out." Was all Martin was as he stared at the staff. He looked to where Ghost was, only to see that he was already gone. Martin chuckled and ran out of the room and down the rubble filled hallway.

"So what's the plan when we find that thing huh?" Rainbow Dash asked as she flew overhead, avoiding low hanging branches and moos that clung to them.

"I believe that if we do find it, we should try to capture it and bring it back." Celestia stated, keeping her eyes on the trail that lead to the castle ruins.

"What if it's friendly?" Fluttershy asked, finally speaking after so long.

"Then we shall treat it like we would anypony else. But so far, it doesn't seem to be anything but an animal."

"But it was dressed! It even had a weapon!" Twilight interjected.

"This is true. From what you've told me it acted as if it were not an animal, but something that thinks for itself."

As the group walked deeper into the forest. A loud whimper echoed through the forest. Out of all the ponies Fluttershy was the one to spring into action with a worried look on her face, she shot off at speeds that would make Rainbow Dash jealous into the brush where the cry came from.

"Fluttershy!" All her friends cried out as they ran after their yellow friend.

"It seems that we're closer than we thought." Celestia said under her breath.

"Aww piss!" Martin said as he tried to crane his neck to look at his back. Ghost appeared behind it and inspected what had happened.

The cloak Martin was wearing had ripped all the way down the middle. The two pieces of fabric separated at the seam. "This was my only one!"

Ghost inspected the cloak and turned to look at the banisters on the wall. He looked back to the cloak and said. "I think I've got an idea."

"There, try not to rip this one." Ghost said as he looked at Martin.

Martin was now in a full robe. Instead of the cloak woven into two pieces down the middle. It was a full robe with both pieces of the old cloak on either side of him. Splitting off into sections, both in the front and back, that had the depiction of both the sun and the moon. Where they met was a blend of both dark blue and a bright yellow. His whole person was concealed by the fabric as it wrapped around him.

"This doesn't look to bad."

"I try." Ghost said.

As Fluttershy flew over the last set of bushes between her and the one who had cried for help. What she saw was something that terrified her to her very core. There in front of her was the creature from before, he was wearing something different and was swinging a staff at a pair of Timberwolves. Whenever the club struck the bark that made up the wolf, the bark seemed to rot away. And as it rotted away, the chunks of bark that fell off seemed to be absorbed into the staff. And the staff shined brighter and brighter the more the wolves were hit.

"Stop!" Fluttershy yelled as she got in between the creature and the wolves. Her eyes filled with fear. She looked to the Timberwolves who were cowering with fear.

Martin lowered the staff back into his robe, the glow disappearing as it shrunk back down to its original size.

"Why would you do this to these poor animals?"

The moment she asked that, the creature crouched in front of her. Fluttershy looked at the creature with a brow raised. She was about to talk before the creature disappeared with a high pitched zap. Fluttershy sat their in front of the whimpering wolves, staring at the area where the creature had been before it vanished.

"Fluttershy!" Twilight yelled out. "Fluttershy where are you?!"

"I- I'm over here!" She answered back.

As her friends and the princesses came out from the brush, looks of confusion and shock was on all of their faces.

"What happened here?!" Twilight asked as she looked between her friend and the two broken Timberwolves.

"It was the creature."

"He did this?"

"You speak the truth Fluttershy?"

"It was. He was holding some kind of staff. And he was hurting these poor animals."

"See? I told you he was evil!" Rainbow Dash shouted.

"...We should keep moving, night time in the Everfree is something I don't want to be caught it." Celestia said as she looked at the ruins in the distance.

Fluttershy looked at the two Timberwolves. Sadness in her eyes. She looked back to the Princess and nodded.

"They're right outside the doors."

"They won't be able to set a foot inside... I ain't letting them." Martin said as he watched the door that led to the forest.

He could see a yellow aura surround the door and it began to open. Martin raised his Ice Breaker and aimed at the door. His robed spilling over both of his arms as the Railway Rifle was aimed to the door.

As soon as the door opened all the way and he could see the group of ponies through his scope. He aimed at the wall above them and fired. The shot went right through the stone like a hot knife and butter. The kick of the gun had caused Martin to move back a foot so he stepped forward to compensate for the loss.

"That was a warning shot!" Martin yelled out as he saw the ponies back out of sight. "You are not coming any closer! You set a foot... hoof! In this place, and it's getting blown off!" His robotic voice echoing off the walls of the ruined castle.

The group of ponies outside of the door were shocked to even hear the creature inside speaking to them. The first one to respond was Celestia.

"Hello? We mean no harm! We just want to talk." She shouted.

Silence permeated the air.

"Bullshit! You fuckers attacked me the moment you saw me!"

Everypony flinched at the language being used. Luna stepped forward peeking her head in the doorway.

"It is true! We mean no harm. Just lay down your weapons and surrender peacefully!"

"Surrender?! PEACEFULLY?! HA!" Another crack of gunfire was heard and Luna pulled her head back. A smoking hole was left in her mane.

"I do believe he wishes to be left alone."

Rainbow Dash muttered something in anger before flapping her wings and flying into the castle.

"Wait! Rainbow! I don't think you should-" But Twilight was cut off as her Rainbow maned friend flew back out with a yelp and smacked a tree behind them. A little bit of her color drained away.

"Oh Rainbow! What did he do to you?" Fluttershy said with a worried tone as she ran over to her friend and inspected her.

"He used some staff thing." Rainbow Dash said as she shook her head and tried to fly. But she barely got off of the ground.

"What the hay did he do to me?!" She screamed.

Celestia's horn lit up as the same aura engulfed Rainbow. The magic disappeared and Celestia said. "It seems he partially drained your magic. I would not suggest going back in there. It seems that he really wishes to be left alone."

"Next one to come in here is getting shot this time!" Martin yelled. They all peaked to see the creature behind his makeshift barricade. A small orb behind him was levitating books and scanning them.

"We can't get close to him without him retaliating in some sort of way." Celestia looked to the sky. "We'll set up camp, see about getting him in the morning."

Everyone nodded, agreeing with the plan. Little did they know, Martin heard everything.

"Fucking little shits, won't leave me well enough alone." He muttered. "I can't just make this place my home without someone trying to kidnap me because I was 'violent', yeah right." He thought as he watched the group of ponies scatter. He moved to the door and closed it. As he walked back, he looked at Ghost silently reading everything he could find.

He smiled at this. As he laid down on a pile of books. He remembered everything that him and his friends had gone through, The Cabal, Vex, Fallen, and the Hive. As he imagined little bits and pieces as another image burned its way into his head. Leaving nothing but the image of a Hive.

Before he went unconscious, he could hear in a deep scratchy voice that seemed to be thousands of other voices pieced together, and it said. "So close Guardian, You can't run from me now!"

And that's when it all went black.

Author's Note

Well, there ya go. He got a new power, and a new cloak. Let me know if any of you see anything wrong. I hope you enjoyed the chapter!