Behind the Shadow

Chapters

Chapter 1: Black Alley (Rewrite)
Chapter 2: Beginning Relations (Rewrite)
Chapter 3 - Classroom Observation
Chapter 4 - Meeting at Joe's
Chapter 5 - A Late Night Occurrence
Chapter 6 - Grudges Revoked
Chapter 7 - Down for the Count
Chapter 8 - Soulful Meeting

Chapter 1: Black Alley (Rewrite)

Author's Note

Hey, so this is a rewrite putting the first and second chapters together. Like it says in the description, I am rewriting the first couple chapters because I feel like the previous versions are not exactly what I expected from myself. This rewritten chapter itself is just painted over the previous first chapter, so ignore all the old comments. If I were you, which I obviously am not, pay attention to this chapter alone. The ones that come after are hot garbage and not really worth the time, but who am I to stop you. I will keep them up intsead of just taking them down because, screw it. Why not? Let people see how bad I used to be and compare it to now(not like there's much a difference). I am a lot more confident in my writing, which is what I needed. I feel like I have gotten a little better.

Just like with any other work of fanfiction, let me know if there are any mistakes. I will gladly go back and fix them.

Edit: 5/22/2020

Chapter 1: Black Alley (Rewrite)

The crisp air chilled the girl, sending shivers down her spine. Pulling her jacket even tighter, she sighed as she waited. Looking at her friends that sat around her also waiting, she noticed they looked just as impatient as she did. The wooden bench she sat on didn’t help the situation as it only added to her discomfort. The last place she wanted to be tonight was in front of the school, Canterlot High School.

“Ugh, when is Twilight gonna get here? We’ve been waiting on her for almost two hours now. If she doesn’t show up in the next five minutes I’m gonna go for a run until she’s here,” the girl said, already stretching for a run around the block.

“You gotta be a bit more patient with Princess Twilight, Dash. Remember she is royalty. Probably just got caught up in some work is all,” replied Dash’s friend, her southern accent gaining her attention.

Dash, or Rainbow Dash as she is more commonly known as, puffed her cheeks then sat back down. “You’re right, AJ. I just can’t stand being cooped up for too long. I need to move or else I get bored.”

Rainbow Dash glanced around the area to see how everyone was holding up in the cold weather. Applejack was standing solid, the only movement she could see was the steady rise and fall of her bosom from her breathing. The blonde farmgirl was only wearing a light, green jacket to protect herself from the biting wind, and dirty jeans from her work earlier that day.

Next to Applejack, Pinkie Pie was visibly buzzing from excitement. The energetic girl had on a light blue coat, but she had taken it off earlier because as she said, “I’m just so excited I feel like I’m gonna melt from all the excitement buzzing inside of me.” And buzzing with excitement she was, in fact she was the only one who did not seem to be visibly cold. Fluttershy and Rarity were a different story however.

They both shivered constantly from the chill in the air, despite the heavy coats they had on. Rarity had brought them, so they couldn’t have been intended for use of practicality, but rather style. Rainbow just thought they looked like glamoured marshmallows, even though Rarity was already one. Leaning against the statue in the middle of the walkway that lead to the doors of Canterlot High was Sunset Shimmer in tight fitting jeans and a black jacket under a leather overcoat. Her head was inclined to the ground, whether she was upset or just toughing out the cold Rainbow didn’t know.

A gust of chilled wind blew by causing them all to shiver. Through looks alone they all saw everyone wanted to leave and be somewhere warm, but they would be leaving their friend out in the cold if they did. Small clouds of warm, condensed air were exhaled periodically as one would let out a deep breath. The bite of cold wind was a small price to pay to see their dear friend.

A strange pulsing sensation within them brought their attention to the marble statue. Something was happening to it. At the base, a single side began to ripple as if a stone disturbed its water-like appearance. The rippling effect began to increase in intensity before a white light burst forth from the center, increasing in size until the entire rectangular face was nothing but white. The light shone on the girls' faces as they gathered in front of the portal exit. It warmed them as they bathed in its warm light, waiting for what would come out of the pool of white. The girls covered their eyes as the intensity of light increased tenfold, then ceased to a dim light in an instant. When they reopened their eyes and allowed them to readjust to the darkened evening they saw what they’ve been waiting for.

“I’m back! Again.”

Faster than they’ve ever moved before, the girls seized their friend in a heartwarming and bone crushing hug. In the midst of it all, Twilight Sparkle wheezed, gasping for air.

“You’re gonna kill me,” she managed to force out. Her lungs felt as if they were two balloons that were forcefully deflated. Everyone quickly realized the damage they were doing and disbanded to allow Twilight a moment to breath. She coughed and sputtered for half a minute, not sure if she’d breath right ever again.

“Sorry Twilight! We’re just so so so excited to see you again that we couldn’t contain ourselves,” Pinkie exclaimed while still literally buzzing with excitement.

Twilight still had a little trouble inhaling much needed oxygen, but after a rough cough that snapped her diaphragm back into place she inhaled deeply. “It’s no worry, really. I know the feeling.”

“Well, I’d be darned Twi. We started to think you wouldn’t actually show up. But ya did!” Applejack smiled widely at her friend who returned the gesture. “So, how’s Equestria been treatin’ ya?”

Twilight laughed slightly letting her breath fall. “Oh, it’s been exciting to say the least. All my duties as a princess have not been dull. Everyone back home are doing their own things, so this ties in nicely with my vacation time.” Twilight smiled, then it dropped. “I’m just a little worried about Spike being alone.”

“I’m sure he’s gonna be fine,” Rainbow assured. “He’s a tough pup- er, dragon.”

“Well, that’s not the only thing worrying me. Recently, Celestia informed me about a strange magical energy similar to the demons of Tartarus that she’s been keeping a watch on for the last hundred years. The princesses told me not to worry about it and I’ve been doing my best, but it won't leave my mind.”

The looks she got from her friends made her uncomfortable, the atmosphere quickly changed, causing everyone to look down as they awkwardly stood around. Way to kill the mood, Twilight.

Rainbow startled her royal friend by throwing an arm around her shoulders. “Don’t worry about it, Princess. If the other princesses said not to worry about, don’t worry about it. You’re here to have fun, not worry, y'know?”

“Rainbow Dash is right, Twilight.” Sunset Shimmer said as she propped herself onto her feet from leaning against the statue. She hadn’t said anything all evening until now. Whether she was tired or just saving her voice was unknown, but the sight of her friend from across the mirror had opted her to finally speak. “If it was a real problem, I’m sure Celestia and Luna would trust you to help with it.” Sunset brought her head up, a welcoming smile plastered on her face. “Besides, you know those two. Not like a few demons would be able to bring them down.” The two stared at each other for several long moments. An awkward tension hung in the air. Breaking the awkward, the two rushed into each other’s arms sharing a warm and friendly hug.

"It's good to see you again, Twilight."

"You too, Sunset."

“Anyway, are we gonna sit here and mope or are we gonna have a good time?”

Everyone cheered as Sunset broke the gloomy cloud that unexpectedly fell upon the area. Pinkie Pie still buzzed excitedly, looking as if she was going to rocket off into the sky at a moment's notice. A soft sneeze caught everyone’s attention towards Twilight. She visibly shivered as a cold breeze blew by. She smiled nonetheless.

The thin alley was a tight squeeze. A fully grown man could touch both sides at once with his chest and back. On the other side, in a square created by the rundown buildings that surrounded it was where he needed to be. He had reached the exit, drawing in a breath before sliding back into the dark space between the buildings. There was no moon nor stars out; a cloudy night that gave him the advantage. He let out a long dragged out breath, slowing his heart to an almost near stop. Now all he needed to do was wait.

Barely half an hour went by. Two groups of men entered the square, each consisting of six men. One group stood straight and tall, dressed sharply in expensive suits tailored to their exact fit. Their straight faces showed signs of disciplined men. The suited men took long, prideful steps as they approached the center of the square.

The other group shuffled to the center, garbed in dark robes with large hoods and baggy sleeves, their backs hunched from spending long hours bent over books and scrolls. They shifted constantly, barely able to stand still for two minutes. Paranoid scholars; they knew something was wrong. They knew their end was sitting silently nearby, waiting for the moment to strike. A haunter of the dark.

The leading cloaked figure in front bowed to the suited man in front of him and the gesture was returned. Words were exchanged, but they were of no interest to him. What was of interest to him, was the contents of the silver briefcase the suited leader was holding. He did not know exactly what was in it, but he knew he needed to get his hands on it. Get his hands on whatever was in that briefcase and prevent it from falling into the wrong hands.

The cloaked leader gazed into the case's open contents, nodded, then the briefcase exchanged holders. Without another word, the two groups turned away from each other and started back to wherever they came from. There it is. The moment he’s been waiting for; the perfect moment to strike, fast and hard. He dashed out from his hiding spot and didn’t stop as he launched himself into a bloody fight.

With a gust of wind, the air pressure in the store had changed, causing the door to swing wildly open. Applejack and Pinkie Pie stepped out with bags in hand with enough junk food to kill a horse and they walked back over to Applejack’s parked truck. Everyone had piled in to make a stop for some late night groceries before heading to Pinkie’s house. The rusted, baby blue single cab truck was beat up and sometimes had engine trouble, but it was Applejack's father’s, and it meant a lot to her just to drive it. Twilight and Fluttershy had cab privileges while everyone had to sit in the bed. Rarity had fussed over it a bit, saying the wind was going to mess up her hair, but eventually gave up when she remembered that Twilight did not have a coat. Having a frazzled head of hair was alright with her as long as her friend was warm.

Pinkie hopped in the bed and Applejack got in the driver’s seat, handing Fluttershy the bags to hold. As she turned the key, a loud boom from the exhaust made her jump and the engine struggled to start.

“Alright now, boy. Come on and start," she urged, patting the dashboard as she did so.

She turned the key again, the engine struggled, then came alive. Applejack let out a “Whoop!” then it died. Her face deadpanned and she slammed her forehead into the steering wheel. Fluttershy lowered her head down to Applejack’s eye level.

“Is everything alright?” she asked.

Applejack sighed. “No, Flutters, nothin’s alright. I can tell y’all right now Ol’ Blue’s not gonna start.”

Fluttershy cast her head down at the announcement. “Oh.”

“It's alright. We can walk. Pinkie's house ain't too far,” Applejack said before hopping out of the driver’s seat. “Alright y’all, Blue’s busted so we gotta walk.”

“Dammit, AJ! You gotta get a new truck.”

Applejack scowled slightly at Rainbow’s comment. Rolling her eyes, she grabbed the bags of food from Fluttershy and waited for everyone else to get out of the truck. When the truck was emptied, Applejack locked the doors and the group of friends began their walk to Pinkie’s house, only four blocks away.

The street was unusually dark tonight. The sky was black with no moon and the stars were blocked out by dark clouds that hung overhead. Few street lamps actually worked, and those that did held dim lights that flashed sporadically, giving the feel of a cliche horror movie. Pinkie would have laughed the situation off if it was a movie, but this was real. She had walked this road many times before, but tonight hung a bad feeling above her head; a weight held by a flimsy rope that was going to snap at any second. The darkened sidewalk gave her an uneasy feeling as she and her friends passed by alleys that held an inky, void-like blackness hiding the unknown.

Most of the walk was made in silence, adding to the already tense atmosphere. Everybody was uneasy, jumping slightly at unexpected noises made louder from the echoes of alleys, and glancing around making sure everyone was okay. The one thing they didn’t account for was the silent footsteps approaching them from behind.

Fluttershy, who had fallen to the rear of the group, had peered into the darkness of an alley as she passed by. A pair of fierce, glowing yellow eyes appeared, causing her to gasp and scream internally. A racoon hopped out of the darkness curiously tipping its head as it gazed at her and gave a quiet chirp before scuttling off to find another dumpster to hide in. Fluttershy let her breath fall as she sighed, relief washed over her as she realized it was just an animal looking for food.

Fluttershy let out a muffled scream. She felt the cold grip of steel as it pressed tightly to her neck, and the warmth of blood as a small trickle made its way down her neck. The man, dressed in a black trenchcoat, held his hand to her mouth and gestured with his head and the two men on either side advanced forward, swiftly cutting off the group and boxing them in. Rarity had turned around to start her way away from the two men, but froze when she caught sight of Fluttershy with a knife to her throat. The man put a finger to Fluttershy’s lips, the universal gesture for staying quiet.

Sunset let out a surprised gasp. She stared at the man for what seemed like hours. The man took his finger from Fluttershy’s lips, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her close. The timid girl squeezed her eyes shut as tight as she could, her pleading whines of fear falling on deaf ears. The man inhaled deeply as he draped a lock of Fluttershy's hair across his finger.

“Ah… Don’t you just love that? The smell of sweet, beautiful, young flowers,” he moaned. He took his hand away from the girl’s waist, running his fingers through her long, silky pink hair. “We got ourselves a nice catch here boys!”

The two men in front cackled like madmen. The two men had thin, sunken faces, and their skin was pale as if they hadn’t seen the sun in months. The deep pits of their eyes housed a darkness behind them, devoid of any human sympathy and filled with a beastly lust. One was tall with lanky limbs and high shoulders, white hair hung just above his eyebrows, and his face was long. The other was of average height with grey hair that almost looked silver. He stood straight with toned arms and a squared chin. The tall one turned his head to his partner.

“You think this big of a group is too much for us to handle, Swift? Not like it matters.”

The toned man answered back, “With this many we might just have a bonus for when we’re done. Which one do you want, Ghost?”

“Whichever one is left alive.”

Swift and Ghost smiled as they cracked their necks and lunged at the two nearest to them. Swift wrapped his arms around Rainbow Dash without giving her a chance, picking her up and throwing her into the dark alley next to them. Applejack tried to get the jump on him from behind, but she was grappled into a full nelson from behind by Ghost. Ghost bashed his knee against her back and shoved her next to Rainbow. Applejack groaned, rubbing her hand on the injury, and trying to stand back up but failing. Swift then grabbed the other girls one by one and shoved them in the alley while Ghost made sure no one tried to escape. Then, the man holding the knife to Fluttershy’s throat - who seemed to be the leader - let up and shoved the poor girl in the alley with her friends.

“Here’s the deal,” he said, handing the knife to Ghost and pulling a pistol out from his coat. The gleam of the sleek black metal drowned out any chance of escaping the girls’ had. “You are going to give us all the money you have, and then you’re going to strip your clothes. I suggest you comply with us or somebody is going to get hurt.” He wiggled the gun in the air with a manic look in his eyes.

“Haha! Golden Bullet’s the boss, so you better listen,” Ghost cackled.

“Shut up!” Bullet barked and slapped Ghost with the butt of the pistol. Ghost stumbled back holding his cheek. Bullet pointed the barrel towards the girls and flicked the gun. With venom in his voice he spoke one single word that shook the girls to their cores. “Strip.”

The walk home was long, but he enjoyed the cold night brought with it. The air always felt fresher to him at night when there were fewer active pollutants. He inhaled deeply, holding the icy air in his lungs before breathing it out in a cloud of moisture. He stopped as a strong gust of wind blew by that threatened his balance, the wind causing the tails of his leather coat that split at the vertex of his legs to flap violently and throw the hood of his mottled gray jacket off.

He stumbled forward, holding his stomach with a grimace. One of the suited men had managed to get in close and stab him with a pocket knife while he was distracted. The other injuries he had received were a bit of an annoyance, the bullets especially. He wiped the blood off on his jacket, and trudged on. He smiled, just glad it wasn’t anything too serious. But, something stopped him from continuing his trek home.

The previous smile he had was replaced with a dark, phlegmatic expression. He heard the screams; there were about three, all of them female. Their screams were quick, cut abrupt as something prevented them from continuing their cry of despair. Whatever was behind those screams didn’t want to attract any more attention than wanted. It got his. He started in the direction of the screams, moving faster with every step until he was in a dead sprint. Blowing by broken street lamps and darkened alleys, he was there in an instant. He slowed to a walk as the divide of buildings making the alley where the screams came from became filled with voices. Voices that weren’t all too friendly, filled with a demanding eagerness.

“Come on, hurry it up!” One voice screamed into the night, but it wasn’t directed towards the girls in the alley.

“We don’t have all night!”

I see. He had a guess of what was happening before he got there and those words just proved it. The demanding words were not directed towards the girls, but rather towards someone else they were waiting for. Taking a deep breath and exhaling it with a low groan he began to whistle as he approached the alley.

Twisted Nerve Whistle

The high pitch and fast rhythm along with the sense of fear it brought with it in the dark of night was perfect for the situation. The very air around him even seemed to be twisting with unease. In a slow stride, he allowed the tune to play out for its full effect.

This was not how Twilight had imagined her vacation to go. She thought everyone was just going to have another sleepover at Pinkie’s, talking, playing video games, and eating junk food. Being trapped in an alley and being forced to take her clothes off was way worse than what she initially thought could go wrong. She may be a pony at heart and not wear clothes often, but after spending time as a human, Twilight had learned that clothing was extremely important to the denizens of this world, and being forced to expose themselves for the sick enjoyment of others was a serious crime. However, she knew if she didn’t comply her friends would get hurt. Filled with embarrassment and self-hate for not being able to do anything, Twilight began to slowly unbutton her shirt. As she looked up at her friends, all doing the same thing, she noticed that Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie glanced at each other from the corners of their eyes. With a curt nod, the three of them let out the loudest screams they could. The man with the gun, Golden Bullet, clutched an ear and barked an order to his lackeys. The two men hurried and did the only thing they could to stop them by slapping the girls with the backsides of their hands. Their screams were stopped instantly as they dropped to their knees.

“You try that shit again and surely one of you will die,” Bullet barked. He strengthened his statement by pulling back the hammer of the pistol and pointing in Rarity’s direction.

“Bastards.” Applejack muttered under her breath, but it seemed to not go unnoticed.

“What was that?” Ghost asked as he brandished the knife in front of her, running the back end of the blade across her cheek, he cackled. “I thought I heard something.” Applejack did nothing but look down.

“Come on, come on, come on! Come on, hurry it up,” demanded Swift, his arms shaking with an excited angst.

Twilight cast her head down as her thoughts started to fill themselves with confusion. ‘How could humans be so cruel? Everyone I’ve met has been warm and welcoming. How could this happen?’ She clenched her fists, trembling with fear and anger, but then she heard something, a whistle.

A whistle that was heading towards the alley she and her friends were in. It made her feel uneasy, giving her a feeling she couldn’t shake, like someone was twisting a nerve in her body. The creepy high-pitched tune began to die down as it got closer. Somebody else was coming this way. Twilight shot her head up and spotted him. A partially working street lamp provided some convenient backlight and prevented anyone from actually seeing him as he loomed at the end of the alley, although with how dark it was Twilight didn’t think that would have changed anything. All she could see - what anyone could see - was a tall, ominous figure shrouded in darkness; his minacious figure a brooding shadow that stood darker than the night, a creature of the abyss blacker than the Void.

The men visibly jumped, casting quick looks to each other as if saying, “What do we do?” Bullet aimed the pistol at the figure and yelled out, “Get out of here, this doesn’t involve you!” The figure at the alley entrance continued to stand there, unmoving except for the ends of his coat waving in a gentle breeze. “Get out of here!” Bullet barked, his voice laced with disbelief.

“He’s not one of you?” asked Twilight, her disbelief clear in her voice.

Swift glared back at her, and with a flash of fear in his eyes he replied, “No.”

Golden Bullet lowered the gun and laughed, a deep, manic cackle. Then he suddenly stopped and fired the gun at the figure. The figure didn’t move and the bullet blew by him. Ghost and Swift shared a glance as they came to a revelation together. They glared at the figure with an evil look in their eyes.

“So here you are, the Blackstone Outcast in the flesh. I had my doubts about this plan, using bait to lure you out. But here you are, right where we want you,” Golden Bullet said as he let his hood fall. He brushed his hand through his golden blonde hair that almost glimmered from a street light. He finally revealed himself as he came face to face with the thing he had been looking for. The man had a grizzled look with stress wrinkles pulling at his eyes and forehead and a prominent crescent shaped scar that curved around his eye. He looked relatively young in spite of his mature appearance. He still had the face of someone in their late 20’s or early 30’s. Bullet narrowed his sunken eyes as he brought out a second pistol from his trenchcoat and aimed the two firearms at the figure. “Right where you will die!”

The figure tilted its head forward, snapping it back up as a single fierce crimson eye glowered from the veil of shadow that concealed his face. The eye of a monster; the otherworldly gaze of a tenebrous monster. In his direful gaze, one could see the fate they would suffer at the hands of this demon. Twilight had only caught a glimpse into it and felt herself wanting to curl up. The hairs on the back of everyone’s necks stood up, their bodies encumbered with shock. The men took a step back. Ghost tripped over himself bumping into Bullet, and the boom of a gun exploded in the alley. The bullet tore through the air and planted itself into the figure before them. The heavy drip-drop sound of blood was heard as the figure lifted his arm and dug out the bullet with his fingers. The bullet tip Clinked as it hit the ground. A deep, inhuman voice echoed throughout the alley.

I̷̙̾ ̸̜͋w̸̱̔ị̶͛l̵̤̒l̵̿͜ ̵̙͘b̵̳́r̶̟̀e̵̼̽a̶͚̓k̷̲̔ ̶̠̀y̷̬͠ō̵̤ư̵̳

The moment those words left his mouth Twilight felt her soul vanish. Her blood froze in her veins as a dark, ominous presence flooded the alley. The air felt heavy, denser than anything she had ever experienced, like swimming around in a pool of molasses. Twilight was for sure her soul had left her body. Her senses had become dull, the overwhelming presence of despair embraced her body throughout, and her wide, tear filled eyes were glued to him. She was sure that he wasn’t here to save anyone, but to kill everybody.

The figure wasn’t even able to take a single step before Golden Bullet emptied his two pistols, screaming furiously. Fortunately, the bullets never met their target as they stopped just before him. A black disk appeared obscuring him and a water-like ripple filled the space before him. The bullets dropped to the ground as the black disk disappeared and he lowered his arm. Bullet seethed in anger and flung the pistols downward, reloading them from a multitude of clips on his belt. He aimed for the figure again, but was prevented from firing as the man appeared in front of Bullet and grabbed hold of his forearm, snapping Bullet’s arm with a flick of his wrist. The sick sound of bone fracturing and Bullet’s scream of pain echoed. Bullet dropped to the ground holding his arm awkwardly in an unnatural angle as he screamed at his men.

“Kill that son of a bitch!”

Ghost and Swift were quick to react, unsheathing tactical knives hidden in their sleeves and lunging at the man. The blades were too fast to be seen, but he dodged back as the blades slashed at him with fury. Ghost and Swift swung wildly at him with no discernable target. He simply dodged, ducked, and sidestepped out of the way of the blades with ease; a dance of agility. Nonetheless, the two blade-wielding men continued their endless stream of attacks.

The man of shadow seemed to have enough of playing their game. He went on the offensive, dodging around the blades and getting in their faces. Ghost and Swift jumped back, putting some distance between them before dashing at him once again. The shadow leaped into the air as Swift dashed by intent on slashing open his stomach. The man kicked off the alley wall, allowing him to fly over Swift and land a solid kick to the back of Swift’s head. Swift went down hard, his head resounding a solid crack off the asphalt as he fell.

Ghost followed up with his own attacks as his comrade fell, now with an extra dagger in his other hand. Ghost got in close, lashing out with both daggers, all the while holding an insane smile that threatened to rip his cheeks apart. The shadow had no choice but to keep his ground and defend against Ghost’s attacks. He noticed Ghost’s attacks were faster and more erratic, and Ghost also began incorporating feints into his wild swings. He defended against every attack almost perfectly by shifting the direction of the dagger with even faster hands that grabbed at Ghost’s wrists, but a few slashes managed to get through. Ghost attempted a feint from the right, but the shadow saw through it and dodged back grabbing Ghost’s wrist then redirecting the attack. The dagger plunged into Ghost’s ribs and he stopped in his tracks. Ghost looked down to see his own hand on the dagger, a look of disbelief on his face as he looked back up.

“H-how?” Ghost’s eyes rolled to the back of his head and he fell to the ground. Blood started to puddle under Ghost as his consciousness faded.

Twilight could barely comprehend what happened. One second the two men, Ghost and Swift, attacked the unknown man and then the next they were on the ground. ‘What is going on?’ She asked herself. “Why was this happening? Who is that man? For Celestia's sake, what is going on?”

Bullet stumbled forward as he fumbled to grab a pistol with his good arm. With barely a second to react, the man slammed his boot into Bullet’s chest. Bullet flew back, his sternum had shattered on impact and most of his ribs were fractured. Bullet grasped his sides and shouted in pain as he landed on the asphalt, writhing on the ground like a worm. A hand shot to his face and lifted him off the ground. He flailed wildly with the gun in hand, firing three more shots into the man before him. The fierce red eye glowed brighter with intensity as a darker, more ominous feeling washed over the alley that filled everyone with dread. With his free hand, the shadow rammed his fist into Bullet’s stomach over and over again. A combination of blood, bile, and saliva forced its way up Bullet’s throat and was spit out, but with his mouth contorted and squished in, it came out in spurts. Bullet screamed in pain as the man tightened his grip, the sound of bones cracking was heard as Bullet’s face was slowly being crushed by a vise.

“STOP!”

A normally soft-spoken voice that was often used to soothe small animals quickly became ferocious enough to stop a monster in its tracks. All eyes turned to Fluttershy, who had tearful eyes and an expression of pure, prey-like fear similar to a rabbit running from a predator, but also a look of extreme sternness in her eyes. She stood up covering her exposed chest, knees shaking.

“Please! Stop this! I don’t want to see anyone else get hurt anymore. I don’t care if they’re bad people, just... Please. Stop,” Fluttershy's soft voice pleaded.

“But Flutters, they…” Rainbow started, her gravelly voice struggled to maintain a sense of bravery.

“I don’t care!” Fluttershy cried out. “I can’t… I can’t stand watching someone getting hurt anymore.” Fluttershy fell back down on her knees, face in her hands as she cried. “No more…”

The man cast his gaze at Fluttershy, then back at the man in his hand. The glowing intensity of his eye unexpectedly died down. Her eyes held fear, but the sorrow and pain drowned it out… and mercy.

"Please…" she sobbed. "Please stop hurting them."

The screams of Bullet were no longer ringing out, just his grunts of pain and effort as he tried to escape. The man turned his head down as if he was thinking about what Fluttershy had said, his glowing eye disappeared along with the despair he radiated.

“You’re… a fucking… monster,” Bullet hissed between ragged breaths.

The shadow tightened his grip. He threw Bullet to the wall hard enough to crack the brick. He struck Golden Bullet with a closed fist that left Bullet’s jaw hanging loose, then shot his knee up across Bullet’s chin. Blood sprayed along the wall as Bullet slumped against the wall, sliding down as his eyes closed and he lost consciousness. He wasn’t dead, but he would be soon. The man crouched down in front of Bullet’s body, and began ruffling through his pockets. He pulled out a folded pile of dollar bills, he counted it, took one bill, then placed the rest on the ground in front of Sunset. Then, he grabbed the pistol Bullet had used, looked it over, then tucked it behind him. Why he grabbed it was a mystery. It wasn’t like he needed it.

Everyone shared embarrassed looks with each other as they regained their composure. Everybody seemed to be okay - mentally traumatized, but okay. Sunset eyed the cash on the ground, hesitantly grabbing it from in front of the man. He may have saved her and her friends, but he obviously was extremely dangerous and unpredictable. Her eyes widened slightly as she counted the money in her hands. There was twice as much as she had originally forked over to Bullet. She glanced back at the man who stood still, staring at something. Sunset followed his predicted gaze and found it burning into Fluttershy. She had a feeling something was wrong. He had saved them, but that didn’t mean he didn’t have ulterior motives.

The man moved to the back of the alley where Fluttershy sat, but was stopped halfway. Rainbow stood in the man’s way with her fists curled and her chest puffed out. “Not another step! You may have kicked those guys’ asses and saved our butts, but I’m not letting you any closer to my friends,” she firmly stated, a fiery determination in her eyes. The man brought an arm up and flicked Rainbow in the forehead, then stepped around her as her head shot back and she rubbed the spot. “Hey!” she shouted after him.

He kneeled down in front of Fluttershy. No longer did the dark presence of power exist. Instead a calm feeling washed over everyone as he tilted his head and held out his hand, but there was still fear held in their eyes. Fluttershy buried her head in her knees, eyes shut tight, with her arms covering her head. With the gentle strength of a giant, the man forced her arms down and raised her head by placing his hand under her chin. Her eyes at level with his, she opened her mouth as if to say something, but closed it and lifted her head to reveal her neck. A gash about the length of a pen made its way across the side of Fluttershy’s throat. Fishing around in his coat for a moment, he brought out a small glass vial filled with a liquid resembling blood. He lifted the vial to Fluttershy’s lips, the liquid flowed down like water. Fluttershy made a face it splashed on her tongue, but let it ease down her throat. The gash began to close, soon disappearing with no sign of it ever being there, not even a scar had formed. The timid girl that would normally flee or hide at the first sign of danger smiled at the man, her expression saying “Thank you”.

The man stood back to his full height, towering over the girls, and swiftly turned around to leave. Something tugged on his sleeve. When he looked back Fluttershy held onto him with all the strength she had left. A large hand slid out and gently took her hand off him. The man whipped his coat around and disappeared out of the alley.

“Hey!” Rainbow Dash called after him as she took chase. When she stepped out onto the street he was nowhere to be seen. Rainbow looked back to her friends. “He’s gone.”

The girls exchanged looks. They were all thinking the same thing, but no one wanted to say it. The alley fell deadly silent as everyone stood around not knowing what to do.

“I’ll say it,” Sunset said, breaking the quiet. “I’ll say what we’re all thinking. What the hell just happened?" She sighed fiddling with her nails. "We should go to the police with this and get those creeps locked up, but there’s something else.” Sunset glanced at Twilight who nodded in return. “That guy… or whatever it was, used magic. It’s been awhile since I’ve been here, but I can still sense magic when it’s used, if only slightly. Twilight, I’m sure you felt it too.”

Twilight gulped. That magic she sensed was similar to that of Sombra or Tirek; the one magic she hoped she would never have to face again. “Yes. That feeling of your body tensing up and your body receiving small electrical shocks, all of that was magic flowing in the air and coming into contact with your bodies. To be able to exert so much… But that feeling of your blood freezing, wanting to curl up and hide… That was not magic, but something else entirely.”

“Wait, magic? But… but how?” Rarity brushed her hair back as she began to think.

“I don’t know,” replied Twilight. “But I do know one thing. Whoever he is, that man is dangerous. I never thought I’d come across it again…” Twilight never finished her sentence as her voice trailed off, her preoccupied thoughts taking over.

“Alright, well look here guys,” squeaked Rainbow Dash. “I don’t think we should stick around here any longer. Let’s just get to Pinkie’s house a few blocks away and hit the hay. I think we all need it.”

Everyone nodded in agreement. What they needed most right now was rest, and lots of it. Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Sunset, and Twilight stepped out of the dark alley and back onto the dimly lit sidewalk. Pinkie Pie and Rarity helped Fluttershy to her feet, who oddly enough, was smiling with tears in her eyes.

“Fluttershy, darling, why are you smiling?” asked Rarity.

Fluttershy looked deep into her friend's eyes, reflecting her own joy of being saved. “I’m just happy everyone is okay.”

He watched them from afar on a fire escape as they left the dark alley. That place forever marked itself in their memories. He followed them with his eyes as they quickly got as far away from the alley as they could. Making a last second decision, he darted back into the alley, then followed the girls from the rooftops until they entered the neighbourhood he was in previously. Dropping down from the rooftops, he kept his distance behind them. They soon entered a two-storey house of common design and locked the door.

He took to the side of the house and jumped the fence into the back yard, settling himself in the large oak tree centered in the yard like an owl. The leaves provided enough cover to completely submerge him in a sea of leaves. He still had a clear view of the yard, and the backside of the house, despite the amount of leaves covering him. A few of the windows of the house became illuminated as someone entered, then returned to darkness as they left. One room, however, had the light on constantly, most likely a bedroom. He did overhear the girls talking about the worst night for a slumber party. The curtains to the room began to shift then open as the girl with the poofy, pink hair slid the curtains apart and opened the window. She leaned over the windowsill, staring out into the night with icy blue eyes. Moments passed, the girl sighed and her eyes wandered over the tree in the yard. Smiling with a wide grin and eyes that literally dazzled, she gave a thumbs up then dipped back inside.

How? He stared back at the vacant window, surprised beyond belief that that girl had seen him. His thoughts raced to find a quick rational answer, but nothing came to mind. Had he not hid himself well enough? No, even creatures with amplified vision to help them see in the dark wouldn't be able to see him. He grumbled, leaving his current branch and climbing higher. There was less cover but the likelihood of someone looking up was low. However, he did not feel quite as sure as before, thinking the best place to keep watch was from the roof. In one movement, he left the tree and silently landed on the roof. Taking a spot with a satisfied sigh, he focused his hearing for anything that sounded like it shouldn’t be making noise.

The one thing he could possibly think of that could put these girls in danger was the two lackeys he only knocked out. He hadn't had the chance to eliminate them while he was purposely intimidating Bullet. Then there was that girl. It was a factor he hadn't considered, yet it was there and it stopped him; Mercy. Why she had pleaded for mercy for those men he couldn’t figure out. Thinking back that girl held those same eyes as someone…

Shaking his head clear of unnecessary thoughts he turned his attention back to his task, but one question had sneaked its way into his mind. “Why,” he asked himself. Why did he bother himself with the conflict? Why did he save those girls from a horrible experience? Why did he follow them back here to keep an eye on them? Why did that girl remind him of someone?

The click of a clamp opening then closing disturbed him of his thoughts. The fence gate of the house opened, then closed quietly. He frowned. He knew the two left alive would find the place.

“You sure this is the place, Swift?” Ghost whispered, his voice ragged from the pain he was enduring. A bloodied rag wrapped around his body.

“Yeah, I woke up just as they left and saw them head this way. They’ll pay for what happened to Bullet,” Swift declared in a hushed voice.

Ghost eyed his partner cautiously. “What about that… monster? He’s the one we should be going after!” Ghost’s voice began rising. “He killed Golden Bullet. Not those girls.”

Swift lunged at Ghost, cupping his hand over his friend’s rather forcefully. “Quiet,” he hissed. “Do you want people to hear us?” Swift darted his eyes back and forth as he listened to the silence of the night. “We’re not going after that monster anymore. Didn’t you feel it? The difference in skill. We’d have no chance against him. He’s a fucking monster. The contact never said anything about him being a fucking demon. You’re lucky enough that he didn’t kill you with your own knife. And those shadows...” Swift shivered as nightmarish images flooded his mind.

The deadbolt on the back door clicked, then the door creaked open as two of the girls stepped outside. One held a broomstick and the other a frying pan. Ghost and Swift ducked down on the grass, hoping the shadow of the house was enough to hide them. The girl with the strange, prismatic hair color wielded the broomstick like a baseball bat while she scanned the yard, her friend with the stetson doing the same with her frying pan. Eventually, they called out to each other giving the ‘all-clear’ before heading back inside, locking the door behind them.

Ghost and Swift let out the breaths they were holding, wiping their brows in relief. “Whew, that was close,” breathed Swift. He elbowed Ghost, who was currently staring at the sky, his mouth agape.

“Hey, Ghost. What’s up, dude?” Swift followed his gaze to the sky and nearly had a heart attack at what he saw.

Utop the house on the edge of the roof, stood the monster that beat Swift, made Ghost stab himself, and maimed Golden Bullet. With no sound at all, he fell to the grass landing softly. Fear struck their hearts, finding themselves unable to move. Ghost tried to scream curses at the man, but no sound made it out. The man lifted his hand to the black veil that shadowed his face, and put a finger where his mouth would be, hushing the men as they struggled. With every ounce of energy they had, they fought against their unwilling bodies, squirming against their malfunctioning instinctive fear response. The man quietly stood there with his hands in his pockets as he observed. The two men began to foam at the mouth as the strain on their bodies became too much. Soon enough, they stopped struggling altogether with one last jerk of their limbs.

He exhaled deeply as he tucked the empty syringe that contained a paralysis poison back into his coat. Standing back up he threw both men over his shoulders and vanished into the darkness. Moments later, he reappeared. Massaging the bridge of his nose, he sighed in relief. Hopefully nothing else would become a bother tonight.

‘Those guys won’t be bothering anyone ever again. But I still think it would be best if I stay here and keep an eye on the place,’ he told himself. It wasn’t like he was going to get any sleep anyway, so why not? Regaining his spot on the roof, he sat with his legs stretched out and his arms folded behind his head. He lay staring at the night sky; a blanket of pure black that covered the sky. It was a pity the clouds overhead blocked the light of the moon and stars. Those were his favorite.

“What do you think we should do,” Sunset asked her friends.

“OH, OH! Throw him a party!”

“That’s your answer for everything, Pinkie,” replied Rarity.

“It’s a good answer.” Pinkie Pie held a prideful smile as she looked at Rarity.

Rainbow Dash sat across from Rarity with a dark expression examining her own fist. “It’s not like you have an answer yourself, Marshmallow. I think we should find the guy. Shake him down for some answers.” Rainbow squeezed her fist tighter as a brief flare of anger rose up. What was she to do when she was so powerless? She wasn’t able to protect her friends when they needed her.

“Ah don’t think that’s the best idea,” Applejack said as she rested her arms on Rainbow’s shoulder, putting her hand over Rainbow’s fist she looked her friend in the eye. “If anythin’ we should stay away from alleys. Y’all saw it and felt it. That wasn’t no man.”

Distressed cries came from Twilight as she huddled herself into a ball, rocking back and forth. Her friends shared concerned glances. “No, no, no, no! This is not how I pictured my first night of my vacation,” she cried. “This is horrible! I came here to get away from the craziness, not get caught up in it! And what was with that one guy? What was with that eye and that presence? He was human wasn’t he? Well of course he was, not like monsters roam this world-”

Twilight was slapped out of her ball of worry. A very red hand mark was apparent on her face as Sunset grabbed her shoulders as she unfolded from her knee-locked position, shaking her with all her might. Twilight could only see blurred versions of her friends as her head rocked back and forth with speed that could rival Pinkie’s nodding when she’s excited. The comical display caught a few off guard making them laugh and lighten the mood.

Sunset ceased the shaking and stared into Twilight’s eyes. “Listen to me, Twilight. We got out of it alive. We’re here and we are supposed to be having fun with our friends. Focus on that for now.”

The words seemed to finally reach Twilight. Her limbs relaxed and she stopped babbling incoherently. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I’m going to get some sleep.”

With a heavy sigh Twilight fell back on the sleeping bag that was positioned under her. Without uttering “goodnight” she slipped into the sleeping bag and turned over on her side, closing her eyes to get some much needed rest.

“I think we should follow Twilight in those regards,” Sunset yawned. “We need sleep, and lots of it. When we wake up, I think we should go with AJ’s idea. If we’re lucky maybe we can find this guy. Thanking him is the least we could do.”

Sunset flipped the light switch, darkening the room save for the lamp that was still illuminated on Pinkie’s desk. She climbed into her own sleeping as her friends slipped into the sleeping bags they were given and plopped their heads on their pillows. Pinkie jumped into her own bed, laying her blankets over herself and falling asleep immediately. The low level of light the lamp gave off was rather comforting. It staved off any dark spots, comforting the girls and letting them know nothing was waiting for them in the dark. The darkness of the alley recreated a fear they thought had long been overcome; a fear of the dark. After tonight there were guarantees that a few would be sleeping with a light on for some time.

Their eyes quickly became heavy and they soon drifted off to sleep. However, Sunset lay awake staring at the ceiling. Sitting up she looked around the room, counting the sleeping bodies of her friends. Embarrassed, she laughed at her own anxiety. Nothing was going to happen to her or her friends and she knew it, but why did she feel so nervous? Playing it off as just those thoughts people get at night after watching a horror movie, Sunset stood up and walked downstairs.

Turning on the kitchen light, she walked to the faucet, turned it on and grabbed a glass from the cupboard, filling it with water and gulping it down. Wiping her mouth with a relieved sigh, Sunset placed the glass in the sink. The floor creaked next to her and she froze in place. Maybe it was Maud, Pinkie Pie’s sister, but that wouldn’t be right. Pinkie said they would have the house to themselves.

Sunset’s breathing became erratic as she slowly turned her head toward the source of the noise. In the dark stood a familiar figure in a long black coat. The light from the kitchen shed little light on him, but it was enough to highlight the outlines of his clothes. Sunset’s breathing became more and more harsh with each moment. He just stood there, the shadows wrapping around him in a cold embrace. Extending an arm with his palm facing her, faint whispers made themselves heard as they circled around her. Her eyes felt heavy and her legs didn’t seem to work right anymore. She grabbed a hold of the counter as she fell, her entire body shutting down with each passing moment. With her eyelids becoming heavier, she caught one last glimpse of the man approaching her before she fell under the waves of the sea of sleep.

Chapter 2: Beginning Relations (Rewrite)

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Chapter 3 - Classroom Observation

The next class of the day was one that Onyx would have no trouble with, but he still dreaded the thought of going through it, Advanced Chemistry. As he walked through the door, he was greeted with a floating tower of textbooks falling towards him. In one motion, he placed his palm in the middle of the bottom book and the top, flipping the tower into his hold and keeping it balanced. A surprised cry came from behind the textbook tower and he turned to see the source. It was that Twilight Sparkle girl he saw earlier.

Taking her appearance in, he noticed she looked kind of dorky and awkward, in a cute kind of way. What was that one word he heard? Adorkable. She was dressed in a light purple blouse with puffed shoulders and red bowtie, a darker purple skirt with a pink six pointed star surrounded by little copies stitched near the brim, and black boots covered by knee-high wool socks. Long violet hair fell to her lower back with two strands of lighter color ran through. Bright eyes that shined with the ambition of knowledge stared back at him with a blazing curiosity he could feel burning into him. Her body was fairly thin, showing a lack of muscle, but she probably made up for it in brain power. She looked like a smart girl.

There was something off about her, though. She had this strange aura. It ebbed around her in a strange manner, as if it was being restricted, confining the natural energy people emit to her body. Also, her scent, while being mostly covered with a lavender scented perfume, was comparable to an equine. Onyx doubted her living on a farm with horses for long enough for their scent to cover hers. There was definitely something strange about this girl.

“H-hey! It’s good to see you again,” she greeted with a smile.

Setting the tower of books on the nearest desk, he turned to Twilight. “Be more careful next time. You’re lucky it was me who walked in that door.”

Before Twilight had a chance to reply, he walked to the back of the class and sat behind one of the chemistry stations the classroom had in placement of desks. Each station was equipped with two stools, a sink, gas release, and bunsen burner. Underneath in the cabinets, a wide array of tools from Erlenmeyer flasks and graduated cylinders to pipetts and crucibles waited to be used.

Resting his hands on his head, he leaned back on the stool and watched as students steadily poured into the classroom. A few minutes later, every station was filled with students and their lab partners. The seat next to him was empty, but he didn’t mind. Maybe the teacher would allow him to work alone.

The bell rang and class had started. Roll was taken, and after seeing Onyx didn’t have a partner, the teacher asked if he was alright working alone for today. Onyx gave a silent sigh of relief, as he preferred to work alone. Class went on as the teacher began their lecture. He wasn’t really paying attention to any of it. He was too busy thinking if the school had the materials he needed to make some more elixers. He used his last one on Fluttershy last night, and he could really use one soon to help speed up his recovery. Getting low on ammonia...

About halfway through the lecture, the teacher handed out worksheets with chemical reactions and directions to balance each formula and state whether the reaction needed a catalyst or not. Looking at it, Onyx deemed it to be fairly easy. Feeling around his pockets for something to write with, he heard a “Pst!” from the station next to his. As he looked over, he saw Twilight and Rarity, sitting across the aisle.

This Rarity girl was, to put it simply, beautiful. Delicate, sharp features set her countenance above others, and her figure was immaculately shaped to perfection with the ideal hourglass figure every girl dreams of, with a thin waist and prominent hips. From where she was sitting, Onyx could see she carried herself with elegance and grace, a posh confidence few could pull off. Lavender hair like the night fell to her back, curled elegantly and held in place with a diamond hair pin. Her sapphire eyes burned with compassion. She was dressed in a dazzling light blue frock with a white frill collar decorated with a circular amethyst in the center, a tight lavender skirt accompanied the frock. She wore purple high heels with large diamonds in the center of the top with smaller ones encircling her ankles, but what caught Onyx off guard was the fact that the heels seemed to be made of crystal. A gold band was wrapped around her right wrist, and when she brushed her hair back, diamond earrings dangling from her ear.

‘Who the hell dresses up like this for school? She can’t do this everyday, though… right?’ He shook his head at how ludicrous the girl dressed. Hopefully those gems weren’t real, they could cause a lot of problems.

Rarity waved an expensive looking pen at him from across the aisle. She tossed the pen over and he caught it, spinning it in his fingers. As he gave her a small wave to show his thanks for the pen, Rarity smiled and winked at him.

‘How generous of her,’ he thought. ‘I don’t think I’m giving the pen back, though.’

The way the pen smoothly glided across the paper was oh so satisfying. A few minutes of going through the worksheet, Onyx set down the pen and went back over his paper. Everything seemed to be correct and he set it aside, leaning back on the stool once again until the end of class.

For some reason, since the class started he felt eyes on him. He ignored it at first, but soon his instincts were flaring. Look to your left. You are being watched. He turned his head slightly to the left, as inconspicuous as possible, and out of his peripheral vision he spotted Twilight glancing over at him. Rarity was doing it as well, but not as often. Even when he was done with his classwork, he still felt their eyes on him, like they were watching him, waiting for him to make some kind of mistake. It made him bristle with unease.

When the bell rang at the end of class, Onyx was the first out the door. Twilight called out to him, but he had already turned the corner and disappeared. She slumped her shoulders in defeat. A reassuring hand on her shoulder from Rarity helped lift her spirits.

“Thanks, Rarity,” smiled Twilight.

“Oh, it’s what I’m here for, darling,” replied Rarity. “I’m sure we’ll see him again fairly soon.” When Twilight looked down and rubbed her shoulder, Rarity could tell something was bothering her. “What is it, Twilight?”

Twilight didn’t answer. She stared at the floor with a hollow look in her eyes, gripping her own shoulder hard, her nails digging into skin. She didn’t spend the entirety of class watching Onyx for nothing. For as he sat there, a fierce power radiated from him like an overclocked oven. She sensed the magic in it, and it carried that same dreadful dark magic she felt in the alley.

The thought of crossing paths with that monster again petrified her with fear. Her friends weren’t in any condition to confront him after such a close call last night. As a princess, and their friend, this was something she would have to do on her own.

“Twilight!” Rarity shouted, shaking her friend by the shoulders.

Blinking away her hollow stare and shaking her head clear of some dark thoughts, Twilight looked her dignified friend in the eyes.

“Is everything alright? You weren’t yourself for a moment there.”

Twilight heard the concern in her friend’s voice. Blinking away her thoughts, she put on a convincing smile. “Yes, I’m totally fine,” she responded without a second thought. “I was just… wondering if this world’s Twilight would be okay with me doing her homework for her. I mean, she is me.”

Rarity softly laughed and flipped her hair. “Oh, you had me worried for a minute there. I have no doubt she is perfectly fine with it.”

“Haha, yeah, right.” With Rarity convinced, Twilight nervously chuckled. As they began to walk to their next class, Twilight felt a deep pit form in her stomach, gnawing at her from the inside.

As Onyx speedily walked to his next class, History, he passed by many staring eyes and quiet whispers. Ignoring them came easy, he was used to it with his line of work. It was a good thing he studied the blueprints of the school the day before. He’d feel pretty stupid if he had to ask for directions now.

A break from these pointless classes would be nice. Onyx understood the point of attending them was to keep a good cover, but it was irrelevant to his investigation into the anomalous magic energy found at the school. He would totally skip the classes and snoop around, but it’d look bad if the new student didn’t show up to any of his classes, and he didn’t want to have to deal with the principal breathing down his neck.

Or he could try to get some rest. That would be good too. When was the last time he actually slept? It’s been so long, the toll it's taken on his mind made it difficult for him to remember. A month at least, two? Maybe longer. The constant stress of his work and people trying to kill him didn’t make it easy for him to catch a single wink of sleep. There was too much going on around him that he felt if he slept for even a small moment, something big was going to happen and he wouldn’t be awake to act accordingly.

Taking the stairs two at a time, he reached the second floor. As he continued to look for the classroom, he found the hallway was strangely empty. Taking a second to taste the air and listen for any passerbys, he determined no one was around, and clumsily slumped against the green lockers. Wincing at the pain flaring up in his body, every nerve feeling like they were on overdrive, his body screamed at him in agony to stop moving and rest. The wounds from last night burned and the feeling of blood treading down his body alarmed him. With ragged heavy breathing, he clutched his sides as his lungs struggled to work properly. Coughing up blood into his hand again only strengthened his body’s warning, but he cast it aside, wiping his hand on the inside of his jacket.

He cursed himself for the condition he was in. He had to find this magic anomaly before anyone else did, and either destroy it or use it for himself, and that meant pushing his body past its already declining limit. Steeling himself, Onyx grit his teeth and stood. ‘Just deal with it’, he told himself, and that he did. Any signs of pain disappeared from his face and his body looked just fine from the outside, but in reality he could barely keep himself standing. He’s had worse, though.

The sound of light footsteps from behind him caught his attention, as they suddenly stopped and turned into a sprint. They were coming straight for him and showed no signs of stopping. Onyx’s reflexes jerked him to the side, dodging his unknown assailant at the last second. Hearing the thud of a body landing on the floor confirmed his success.

Looking at the assailant in question sprawled out on the floor, the big poofy pink hair was immediately recognizable, and so was that overwhelmingly sweet and powerful scent of cake batter. Jumping back to her feet, her soft, cute face and big bright baby blue eyes, full of mirth and cheer, were like a child’s in the sense that they looked so innocent. She was dressed in a white shirt and light blue top and a dark pink skirt that sported three colored balloons on the side, and tall blue boots. With just a glance, she seemed overly cheerful with a contagious smile, she was an overbearing beam of positivity that could make everyone within 15 miles smile with joy.

“Aww, I almost had you,” Pinkie Pie pouted. Her expression quickly changed to a big, jocular smile. “But I’ll get you next time, that’s a promise,” she said, pointing a finger at Onyx with a determined gleam in her eyes.

Onyx stared at her with a slight scowl. ‘What the hell is wrong with this girl? First, she waves at me when I’m hiding, and now she just tries to jump me. She’s like a child, does she have like a handler or something to keep her from jumping random people? Where's her leash?’

His answer came in the form of Sunset Shimmer, panting lightly as she reached the top of the stairs. “Pinkie, why'd you run off like that, and how are you so fast,” Sunset asked, panting. Her eyes brightened and a small smile formed on her face when she noticed Onyx awkwardly standing to the side of Pinkie. Catching her breath, she made her way over to the two. “Hey, Oslyx, I didn’t think we’d see you again so soon.”

When Sunset stood next to him, he took her appearance in for a second time. She was rather attractive with her fair features and charming blue eyes, her red and light yellow hair like a setting sun. She wore a black leather jacket over a light blue minidress with a yellow translucent skirt, a pair of skinny jeans that showed off her enticing legs rather nicely, and black high heeled leather boots. It gave her a kind of soft biker chick look. Taking in her scent once more, Onyx was amazed at how someone could smell like a sunset. It didn’t make much sense to him either.

‘She’s kinda… hot,’ he thought to himself.

“I didn’t think so either,” he replied, stuffing his hands in his pockets. “I was just on my way to class when your friend tried to jump me out of nowhere.”

“I’m terribly sorry about her, she’s easily excitable.” Sunset apologized, reprimanding Pinkie by playfully pulling on her ear. “So, where are you headed, need some help?”

“Er, no. I can find my way there.”

Sunset nodded. “Okay, well, if you do get lost, don’t be afraid to ask. I’m always willing to help.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” Onyx gave a small wave and turned to leave.

When the pair of footsteps behind him didn’t divert their course, he sighed heavily at the thought of them coincidentally going to the same class. Placing his hand on the door handle of the classroom and seeing Pinkie and Sunset excitedly smiling behind him, irritated him beyond belief. It sparked within him a sudden urge to throw hands with the universe. It was like these girls had an innate attraction to him that just served to annoy him.

All Onyx wanted is to be left alone while he gathered information, with no previous interactions with the student body. But these damn girls keep showing up, and while they may not be directly interfering with his work, he would have preferred if they never came across each other again. They probably think we're friends or something now.

The bell rang when Onyx opened the door and stepped inside the classroom. The teacher sat on his desk facing the class with a clipboard in hand. He looked over at the three almost tardy students. He was rather young looking with spiky brown hair and green eyes, a pair of bifocal glasses perched on his nose. He was dressed in a brown sports jacket, khakis, and loafers. Tipping his glasses down, he gave a disapproving glare at Pinkie and Sunset.

"Ms. Pie, Ms. Shimmer. That’s your ninth tardy in a row. I’m afraid I’ll have to write you two up.”

A nervous sweat dropped down Pinkie’s and Sunset’s foreheads. Seeing the situation and somewhat feeling responsible for making them late, Onyx stepped forward saying, “I’m sorry about making them late for class. I’m new here and got lost looking for your room. This is World History is it not? I’ve been looking forward to this class all morning.”

Upon noticing Onyx for the first time since he entered the room, which was odd given as he was in front of the girls, the young teacher had a brief flash of surprise cover his eyes. It passed and he chuckled and had a much more chipper attitude then moments before. “Ah, of course it is, good fellow!” He exclaimed, jumping off the desk and grasping Onyx’s hand tightly. “I can teach you all you want about the people, culture, and civilizations of the ancient world. You may call me Dr. Whooves.”

“Dr. Whooves, huh?” Onyx asked with a small playful smirk. He could play this guy right into his hand. “I’m surprised to see such a distinguished scholar such as yourself in a highschool history course.”

Dr. Whooves gave an appreciative smile and hearty chuckle. “Well, I wouldn't want to flaunt my achievements, but I am proud of them nonetheless. PhD’s in the sciences, but I wouldn’t want to bore you right now with the specifics. Also, I just happen to be the only one in the area with the qualifications to teach this course; a degree I decided to obtain for fun.”

Onyx nodded, impressed with what Dr. Whooves has accomplished at his age. “I see, so am I going to be marked tardy?”

“Oh no, no, no. You’re Oslyx Blackstone, correct?”

“Yes, that’s me.”

“Alright, then, please take a seat, and don’t be tardy again. I won’t be so lenient next time.”

“What about them?” Onyx gestured to the girls still behind him. “They were helping me find my way here.”

The Doctor glanced at the two and ushered them to take a seat as well. “I guess since they were helping you, I’ll let it slide just this once. Now off you go, I’ve wasted enough time as it is.”

The three made their way to the back where three open desks remained. Onyx took the corner, slumping down in the chair and resting his head back, and Sunset sat next to him with Pinkie on her other side. She rummaged around in her backpack for a moment, taking out her notebook and pencil for the lesson. Taking a moment to think, she turned to Onyx and whispered to him.

“Hey, thanks for covering for us back there, but you didn’t have to do that.”

Onyx turned his head to look at Sunset with an uninterested expression. “Don’t think anything of it, just know you owe me.”

He leaned his head back again and shut his eyes. Sunset was a little shocked by his response, she expected him to say something cooler, not to keep track of favors. Shaking her head, she figured it would be best to leave him alone. He looked pretty tired and she didn’t want to keep him from resting, even if it did bother her a little that he was sleeping during class and not learning from the lesson. Her worries disappeared when Dr. Whooves called on him multiple times during the lesson to answer questions or explain certain things, to which Onyx answered all perfectly without opening his eyes.

Sunset and Pinkie shared a giggle when Pinkie whispered “History nut” and “egghead.” They figured he’d get along with Twilight pretty well.

When the bell rang and class was dismissed, the girls didn’t have time to catch a glimpse of Onyx as he practically disappeared from his desk and appeared at the front of the room walking out the door.

Blinking away his exhaustion, Onyx hurried to the boys bathroom down the hall. His jaw tingled and his stomach rumbled. He had started to feel it halfway through class, but didn't feel like he had the strength to get up. Bursting through the door, he kicked open an empty stall. Locking it behind him, he breathed a small sigh of relief. He couldn’t contain himself anymore.

Dropping to his knees with an echo that bounced off the ceramic tiled walls and floor, he leaned over the toilet and proceeded to vomit an alarming amount of blood into the bowl. Heaving over and over, the crimson liquid mixed with water. Onyx’s throat burned from the bile that traveled up, blood overflowed out of his nose, and his jaw had become sore from the muscles tensing up every time a fresh stream spewed from his mouth. It just wouldn’t stop!

‘At least it’s lunch time. Most of the students will be off compass or in the cafeteria, so I should have some time…’ His thoughts drifted off into nothing as he slowly lost consciousness, vomited one last time before slumping against the stall door with blood dripping off his chin.

“You should’ve seen the way he moved! He went through that obstacle course so damn fast, it was like he was flying. Beat my record time like it was nothing. The nerve of the guy!” Rainbow Dash begrudgingly sat back down in the booth of the cafe, crossing her arms with a big frown on her face.

Applejack chuckled and nudged her friend’s arm. “Aw, don’t be like that, sugarcube. You’re the fastest person I know. I reckon in a week or two, you’ll have your name back up ‘n that wall in no time.”

Rainbow Dash huffed and mumbled some curses in response, unwilling to accept she was athletically outmatched. Applejack rolled her eyes and turned to her friends surrounding the table. Twilight and Sunset were conversing back and forth about current Equestrian events and how Sunset has been adjusting since she met the Twilight Sparkle that belonged to this world. Pinkie Pie was stuffing her face with an assortment of pastries from the cafe’s small bakery, bits of danish and muffin smothering her face. Fluttershy and Rarity, peacefully sat next to each other as they scrolled through their phones and sipped from their drinks; Fluttershy with her jasmine tea, and Rarity with her caramel latte macchiato.

“So, uh… did any of y’all else see that new guy around?” Applejack asked.

All action ceased at the question. Pinkie stopped dead from stuffing her face full. The conversation between Sunset and Twilight trailed off into silence. Rarity and Fluttershy looked up from their phones. They all stared at the cowgirl. The only one that didn’t show a reaction was Rainbow Dash, who was still pouting.

“Well,” Sunset started, , “Pinkie and I had him in our history class. He slept through most of the lesson, didn’t really stand out much, if that’s what you're asking.”

“Rarity and I had him in our chemistry class. He worked alone and got everything done early,” added Twilight, leaving out some important information.

“Um, I saw him in the hall,” Fluttershy timidly chirped. Her friends focused their attention on the shy girl, and she tapped her fingers together as her gaze focused on the table, a faint blush on her cheeks. “H-he helped me when I fell and dropped my notebooks. I invited him to have lunch, but he said he had things to do.”

“Huh,” Applejack awkwardly huffed. “That’s nice of him.”

A smirk pulled at Rarity’s lips, a subtle spark of mischief in her eyes. “Is there something you want to know about him? Something particular perhaps, Applejack?” she asked, her voice suggestive.

Applejack caught on to Rarity’s words. Pink stained her cheeks at the accusation. “W-what!? I don’t know what you mean by that,” she said innocently.

Rarity lightly chuckled and playfully clawed her hand at Applejack. “Oh please, dear! We all saw how rough and handsome he was,” she said playfully. “Besides, you and Rainbow Dash saw him as he demonstrated his physical prowess. With all those dark colors covering him up, it’s hard not to make a girl’s mind wonder.” Rarity let her eyes float up as she tipped a finger to her chin, then came back with a soft smile.

“We’re not all hopeless romantics like you Rarity,” Applejack jabbed back. Rarity pretended to take offense and looked away with her chin high. “Anyway, with what y’all said, he seems just like a normal guy, if rather intimidatin’. But I don’t think this Oslyx feller is who he says he is. When we first met, he said he was from Edgecreek. I’ve been down there a few times with my pa myself. The way he said it was strange, like how folks talk when they lie, but I couldn’t tell if he was or wasn’t.”

“Do you think Sunset was right? That he really is here due to an evil plot that has something to do with Equestria?” asked Twilight, the concern in her voice plain to hear. “If his demonstration on the obstacle course is anything to go by, he could be more dangerous than anything we’ve faced.”

Applejack shook her head. Initially, after seeing his display on the obstacle course, she had the idea that he was a part of some wicked plan. Nobody could be that strong and fast, and not be up to something. However, as she thought over it in her next class, she took back her accusations. There weren't any instances where he went out of his way to be rude to the other students, he just kept to himself. “No, I don’t think he’s got anythin’ to do with that stuff,” she replied. “There was something about him that didn’t fit with the same, uh… behavior, like the first three times.”

“Hm, well, if you say so, AJ,” said Sunset, content with her friend’s explanation.

Confusion set in Applejack’s eyes as she looked among her friends. She shook her head as fuzzy memories forced themselves to the surface of her mind. The images were too unrecognizable to be her own memories, yet they seemed so familiar. It was like she was trying to look at pictures in a scrapbook and forgot to wear her glasses. “There’s somethin’ else,” she murmured. “I recognize him, or at least it feels like I do. Like that feelin’ you get when you feel like you’ve seen someone before, but not sure where. I guess it’s sorta like when I met one of my distant cousins after so long I didn’t recognize them. An intense lookin’ feller like that, you’d think to recognize him immediately.” She tipped her stetson over her eyes and shuddered.

She wouldn’t admit it, but just being in his presence filled her with an inexplicable sense of dread. It clogged her mind and brought back memories she would have wished to forget long ago. Her friends became concerned with her behavior. It wasn’t like Applejack to act so scared.

“Are you doing alright, Applejack? You don’t seem yourself,” said Twilight.

A long pause followed, the girl’s stetson coming back up to reveal the heavy look in her eyes. She sighed as she rubbed the bridge of her nose.

“It’s that darned alley and those sick men.” Everyone’s mood sunk at the mention of that awful encounter. The mere mention of it took effect on everyone, their own dreadful expressions showing as well. Applejack looked away, ashamed of her fear. “I can’t get it outta my head. Everytime I think of somethin’ it creeps back in, and everytime I think about it, I’m reminded how damn helpless we were. Sittin’ there bare, robbed of what little money we had, scared out of our damn minds wonderin’ what was gonna happen to us. I was genuinely thinkin’ we was gon’ die in that alley, or something worse.”

Her fists clenched in anger. She was always looked upon as the strong girl that could take any problem or situation at face value and come out unscathed. But now, with her realization that there are far worse things out there than mythical creatures from a parallel world, and she-demons bent on harnessing the magic from that world and taking it over. She had seen horrible things happen in the news and read about them in newspapers, but the one thing she never seemed to forget was the heinous acts of violence carried out by individuals. Sirens and demons were one thing - monsters, yes - but she and her friends were able to defeat those and even change some of them. Those men, though, they were real monsters; and that man in black, she didn’t even want to think about how much of a monster he was. She could tell her friends were thinking the same thing.

Author's Note

It's been a while since there was an actual chapter update, huh? Sorry about that, little thing called a god tier shit memory. Anyway, chapter 4 is about halfway done since I was working on that the same time as this one.

Chapter 4 - Meeting at Joe's

Joe's Donut Diner smelled of stale coffee, pastries, and a faint waft of bacon coming from the kitchen. It was located in it's own lot next to a formerly successful bistro that Joe had taken the majority of its customers from. The diner may not have been as fancy in comparison, but the food was too good to pass up. Modern red booths with tall backs that occasionally wafted the scent of synthetic leather and cleaning chemicals, lined the windowed walls with cheap venetian blinds. The light bulbs that hung above each booth and table illuminated the diner in a dull yellow glow against the night. A wet floor sign was placed in front of the restroom doors and hadn’t been moved in weeks. One of the ceramic sinks had a chunk taken out of it after being hit with someone’s head and had busted a pipe. It might have been Onyx’s doing, but Joe didn’t have to know.

Onyx sat in the diner late at night, solemnly sipping his coffee. He didn’t usually drink coffee, never felt the desire for it like some people, but he figured a couple of months with only about an hour of shut eye was enough to say he needed a little boost. He much rather preferred the variety of sweet tastes of energy drinks, but he was a little light on spending money. His body's condition was worsening with every passing day, and if he didn't get the rest he needed to recover he’d be on the fast track to meeting Death.

He sat in a back booth with the blinds drawn closed. It was quiet, the way he liked it. The only other people present were a young couple that sat in a booth in the front near the door, chatting and eating their meals with delight.

Onyx was tired and uncomfortable. The leatherbound booth no longer provided any lumbar support, the seat foam went bad long ago and was never bothered to be replaced. His ass had gone numb from sitting on the seat that did little to cushion his weight. He put his drink down on the black tabletop, releasing a drawn out breath as his eyes peered into the dark contents of his mug, his thoughts contemplating the last few days, a solemn look on his face.

The information he had gotten over the last few days pertaining to the magical anomalies was less than adequate. Nobody was willing to tell him anything. When he would ask somebody if they have seen anything strange going on around the school they would deny it, or straight up walk away. Interrogation would have been more effective, but he was trying to keep a low profile. A couple kids being interrogated and blabbing out, and he could kiss his inside investigation good-bye. He did get a couple pieces of information, though. A kid named Soarin did mention that there were some things he didn’t quite understand that happened recently involving the Fall Formal, The Battle of the Bands, and the Friendship Games(events that the school held). Another student by the name of Flash Sentry, said that the band ‘The Rainbooms’ were the ones to talk to when it came to that stuff. It seemed he had a personal relationship with them.

Onyx was glad he was able to get some information, but it wasn’t enough. He didn’t know who these Rainbooms were, but it was the best lead he had at the moment and he’d follow it, even if it came to a dead end.

Aside from that, he did get a very good feel of the energy that surrounded the school. There was definitely magic there. Strong magic. However, it was a magic he had never had contact with before. It was more pure than any kind he had ever come across. The magic energy seemed to be harmonic in a sense. The way it ebbed and flowed around the school was uncanny, as it resonated a magical field that gave off a calming effect. Onyx knew from experience that magic is extremely dangerous, and in the hands of the wrong person could potentially destroy everything, so to feel this “peaceful” energy was unnerving to him. After spending so much time around magic that’s really only based on the Chaotic energies of the universe, encountering this new magic honestly kind of freaked him out a bit.

Another thing that he didn’t quite understand; why did he feel like he knew Applejack? He just met the girl a few nights ago, yet when he learned her name a strong sense of familiarity pushed itself to the front of his mind. Her name meant something to him, as hearing it sparked a need to ask how she was doing, but he couldn’t recall anyone he knew having that name. His own thoughts weren’t exactly coherent to him at this point either, so that could be a part of it.

The bell above the door rang as someone stepped through. “Heyya, Sunset! Here to pick up your order?” The man behind the counter, Joe, asked. He was a strong faced man in his late thirties with light brown hair and green eyes. He was usually seen in jeans and a white t-shirt with a white apron.

Sunset? The name roused Onyx from his thoughts and he lazily turned his gaze to the register counter. Sunset Shimmer stood there in tight jeans and the same leather jacket he saw her wearing a few days ago, a content smile on her face as she waited for Joe. Soon after he left, Joe came back to the register carrying a styrofoam container and handed it to Sunset. Onyx soon lost interest and stared back into his coffee. His mind wandered about, his focus fading in and out as exhaustion pulled at his mind.

Sunset paid for the order and looked around the nearly empty diner. “Slow night,” she commented.

Joe shrugged. “Eh, not much I can do about it. These are the easiest nights to be here anyway. Only people we got are that couple, and that guy in the back.” Joe gestured to the back where Onyx sat. “Hasn’t ordered anything, but coffee. I thought about kicking him out, but there’s no one else here, so who’s table is he takin’, huh?”

She glanced towards the back booths, and a small smile formed as she was surprised to see who it was. “Don’t worry, Joe. I know that guy,” she claimed. Joe shrugged, going back to whatever he was doing behind the counter.

She slid into the booth, placing her styrofoam box on the table, and making herself comfortable like she was meeting with an old friend. Onyx stopped his coffee moth-like activity, looking across the table at Sunset Shimmer through half-lidded eyes. She stared back with a friendly smile. ‘Why did she have to come over?’

“Long day?” she asked, doing her best to be friendly. Onyx didn’t answer, choosing to instead take a long drink from his empty cup. “Not much for small talk, are you?” Onyx stared back with that same solemn look. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

Sunset opened the styrofoam box, the sweet smell of bacon wafted into the air. A rather delectable looking BLT sandwich cut in triangular halves made itself known to Onyx; the lettuce was fresh and bright green; the whole-wheat bread looked to be baked only an hour ago, still giving off a warm smell; the tomatoes were still red and firm, not like most BLT’s where they’re soggy and gross; and the bacon was the best part, recently cooked and greasy with a certain crispness to it, as it flopped out the sides of the sandwich. His mouth watered at the sight and smell of it. He dropped his empty mug from his mouth and glared at the girl across the table. Was she tempting him?

“What do you want?” he growled.

“I just thought you could use some company. My friends and I have noticed you’ve been really distant with everyone,” she said, her smile and happy features staying present. “We always try to make new students as comfortable with the school as we can. We were just wondering if you were settling in okay.” The ends of her mouth dropped low and her bright eyes laced concern. “Are you alright? What happened to your face?”

Onyx turned his head to the window to see his reflection glaring back. No longer was it the young and untarnished face he wore; his flesh replaced as bruises and scars began to slowly appear. He brought his hand to his face, his fingertips brushing over deep rivets of missing tissue. ‘Shit, the illusion is starting to wear off!’ The illusion spell he recast to hide himself this morning was already losing its effect, it should have stayed active for at least another whole day. If his magic didn’t last for as long as it’s supposed to, his situation was worse than he thought.

“I’m fine,” he said, his tone slathered with disappointment. Pouring more energy into the spell, he managed to halt the illusion, but he wouldn’t be able to hold it for long.

“Are you sure? It looks like you got in a fight...” Onyx tuned the girl out as he watched someone else enter the diner. A slim man dressed sharply in a striped, grey suit and black dress shoes. The man swiftly walked over to the cashier counter, and as Joe was about to speak, the man hopped the counter, shoving what looked like a balled up cloth in Joe’s mouth. He pulled a handgun out from his suit and pointed the barrel at Joe’s face. Joe froze with his hands in the air. Onyx’s muscles tensed, he needed to do something, but he wouldn’t be fast enough. The suited man pulled the hammer on the pistol and pointed to the ground. Joe obeyed, lowering himself on his belly without a sound. This man wasn’t here to rob the place, so what was he here for?

“Oslyx?” Sunset waved a hand in front of his face. Onyx reared his head back in surprise from the sudden gesture. “Are you sure you’re doing okay?” she asked. “You’re spacing out.” Onyx glanced at Sunset, keeping an eye on the man behind the counter from his peripheral vision.

“Yeah…” he slowly answered. “I’m just tired.”

The bell above the door rang once more as four more men, dressed similarly to the man behind the counter, entered the diner. A quick look revealed that they were men packing some heat, and not small arms. The outline of assault rifles and submachine guns and a shotgun poked through the tight suit jackets. Onyx narrowed his eyes. Razor… this isn’t good. I gotta get these people out of here, he thought.

Sunset grabbed one half of her sandwich and took a bite. The crunch of the lettuce and bacon reached Onyx’s ears and made his stomach rumble. It’s been a few days since he’s eaten, and damn him if that sandwich doesn’t look good. But his surroundings weren’t.

“Sunset, right,” he asked. The girl nodded. “If I buy that sandwich off you, will you leave?”

“W-what? Why would you do that? Besides, this is my favorite place for a late meal, I’m not leaving until I’m done.”

Onyx raised his eyebrow in minor suspicion. She got a carryout order, why would she stay here to eat? “Look…” He started, shifting his eyes over to the men again. The couple that sat across the diner and having a good meal were now facedown in their food. Their throats had been slit and blood spilled over the table, dripping onto the floor. An uneasy feeling washed over Onyx at the site. Where was the reason for this needless killing? If they didn’t want any witnesses, then… This was a hit squad!

His instincts flared up, and Onyx grabbed the underside of the table. Tearing the table from its bolted position, he flipped it over as a hail of bullets stormed the booth. Grabbing Sunset, he pulled her behind the table with him, hugging her tight as he used his body as a shield. The table splintered and was torn apart by the storm of bullets. As he covered Sunset, one lucky bullet managed to be shot low enough to lodge itself behind his right shoulder blade. He grunted as the pain ran through him. Fortunately, the firing stopped, and the clink of empty magazines hitting the floor and the racking of fresh shells gave Onyx a moment to think.

With the small window of time, he looked at the girl and saw the terror in her eyes. Her heart was beating so fast, he could feel it reverberate throughout himself. Unwrapping the girl from his hold, he turned her around. A cold look covered his face, giving Sunset a jolt of unease as she looked at the emotionless face of a stone. He slowly let out a deep breath as the lights began to flicker.

“Things are about to get nasty, but I’ll make sure you stay alive,” he said with a serious look in his eyes.

The lights flicked off for a second and the man from the alley took Onyx's place. In the light, Sunset could see him clearly. He wore a long black coat of thick leather that split into two spearpoint tails in the back. A large hood lined with black fur rested behind his head, as a hooded mottled gray jacket took its place. The same veil of shadow covered his face as Sunset saw in the alley, but now she noticed a thin black mist rising off of him like steam. However, something was different about him, or was something different with her. She didn’t feel that unwavering fear that engulfed her, like in the alley upon seeing him.

The lights shut off and Sunset felt herself being lifted and carried through the air. Her body smashed against glass and it shattered. Landing on the sidewalk, she slowly sat up on her knees. Pain shot through her head, but the sounds from inside the diner had her full attention. Gunfire and screams of pain, windows shattering and the ting of bullets impacting metal. The only light seen being the muzzle flash from the guns. Then, as soon as it started, it ended. There was a pregnant pause where the night was completely void of all noise, the sound of Sunset’s heartbeat being the only thing she could hear.

The window next to the one she was thrown out of burst outward, as a black and white mass hit the ground. “Get down!”

Sunset put her head down between her knees and held her arms over herself. A bone rattling explosion came out of the diner windows overhead and a surge of hot flame blasted out, singeing some of her hair. Her ears rang with a high-pitched scree that deafened her hearing for some time. To her left, the diner went up in a blazing inferno with towering flames sprouting from the windows. To say she was a bit shocked would be an understatement. The real threats of the world never particularly crossed her mind as much as the magical threats she had a part of stopping - not to mention that one time she was a magical threat. Magic, monsters, and magical monsters were one thing; guns, bombs, and bullets were another. Rousing her from her absent mindedness, Sunset heard the sounds of a conversation.

“Are you alright, Joe? Can you stand?” asked a gruff voice.

“I’ll live,” the other replied, though there was a strain in his voice.

“Sorry about the diner. I didn’t think they would be desperate enough to use a bomb vest.”

“Don’t worry about it, Onyx. My insurance will cover it… hopefully.”

Turning to her left, Sunset found the man from the alley standing next to Joe. A sense of sudden terror befell her as the thought of Joe becoming another victim of the man’s bloodlust filled her mind, but it was soon eased as Joe was helped to his feet. Staring at the two, Sunset listened, as the man from the alley talked to Joe.

“Did you have to point me out to the girl, Joe?” He sounded disappointed.

Joe nervously rubbed the back of his head. “Er- I mean, I didn’t think she’d be all buddy-buddy with you.”

The man slapped Joe upside the back of the head. “Dumbass. You’re just lucky I got to you in time before your ass was blown sky high. I could have left you in there, you know.”

Joe looked down at the man’s words, but soon brought his head back up with a concerned expression. “Are you alright?” he asked. “You took a pretty nasty hit in there, man. Not to mention you look like shit.”

Looking at his shoulder, he noticed a long glass shard sticking out. Pulling it out and tossing it aside, the man shook his head. “I’m fine,” he growled. Pulling out a stack of folded bills from his back pocket, the man handed it to Joe. “Just take this and go to the nearest safehouse. You remember where it is?”

“Yeah, it’s the old apartment above the laundromat three blocks away.”

The man gave a curt nod. “Good. Go there after you deal with the police. Make sure you are not followed. I don’t have to remind you what would happen if you’re captured by Razor.” Looking back at Sunset, the man continued. “I have some things to take care of. I’ll meet you in a few days to tie things up and help you get back on your feet.”

As he stepped away from Joe, he felt a hand on his shoulder. Looking back, Joe had a sad look in his eye and his head dipped down. “Look man, I know things haven’t exactly been easy these past years since Bright and-”

The man shrugged off Joe’s hand. “That has nothing to do with what's going on right now,” he said, a subtle hint of hostility in his voice. “Remember, you don’t know me, and I was never here.”

Sirens were heard in the distance, signaling it was his time to go. Without another word, he dashed at Sunset and grabbed her by the collar of her jacket. Despite her attempts at resistance, he hoisted her on his shoulder and carried her away.

“Hey! Let me go!” Sunset yelled, as she squirmed against his hold and pounded her fists on his back.

The man ignored her and continued walking. Bringing her into an alley a few blocks away from the diner, the man stopped. Setting Sunset gently on her feet, he did a quick double take looking behind him. The filthy alley was wide with dumpsters on both sides and a dead end. A rusted fire escape hung on the side of one building.

Upon stepping foot into the alley, Sunset’s anxiety levels increased. Being carried off by the man from the alley was bad enough, but into a dead-end alley no less. The two put together weren’t exactly a good combination at the moment. Noticing that her body was nervously fidgeting, Sunset forced herself to stop. The man had his back turned as he peered out of the alley and into the streets. Seeing the opportunity, Sunset reached into her pocket and pulled out her smartphone. Turning it on, she quickly tapped on the contacts icon and tapped on the first name she saw. Applejack’s name and a small picture of her appeared on the screen as Sunset’s phone rang.

“Come on, come on. Pick up, AJ!” Sunset hissed.

The man turned around, and Sunset quickly hid her phone behind her back, looking as inconspicuous as possible. He slowly walked toward her, and his dark visage unnerved her. Stopping a short distance away, the man rolled his neck, and the shadowy mist that rose off him became thicker as his coat began to evaporate, assimilating with the shadows. Sunset was startled to see who was behind the shadow. The man she knew as ‘Oslyx’ stood before her, only it wasn’t the untarnished and young ‘Oslyx’ she knew. While his countenance kept his handsome features, he was much rougher and gnarled. His face littered with dozens of scars carved into his skin; a deep curved scar that ran from under his right eye through his lips to his chin being one of the most prominent ones. The cold, hard gaze of his eyes was more intense than before, piercing through her soul like an icy dagger. That bright hazel right eye she had been hypnotised by was now cold. The dull grey left eye that made her uncomfortable now frightened her, as it became a deep black in its entirety, completely void of any light it may have had, now a dark pit with no soul behind it.

“I don’t believe it,” Sunset muttered under her breath. Fear braced her being, as disbelief clouded her mind. She couldn’t believe she was just sitting down having a conversation with the monster that saved her and her friends a few nights ago.

Onyx took a step towards her with his hands up in a placating manner, and Sunset stepped back in response. Stumbling over a loose garbage sack, she fell and her phone tumbled out of her hold. It slid across the ground with the screen up. Seeing the phone, a hard look crossed Onyx’s eyes. Realizing her mistake, Sunset crawled for her phone as fast as she could, but Onyx was there in an instant. Picking the phone up, he heard a voice on the other side of the line calling out to Sunset.

“Applejack, call the police!” Sunset cried out, but stopped when Onyx pressed the red button on the phone’s screen, ending the call.

Pocketing the phone, he let out a small sigh. 'Why didn't she just dial 911?' Stepping towards the still downed Sunset, he stopped a short distance away and squatted down. “Listen, I’m not going to hurt you,” he calmly said.

Sunset didn’t believe him. She couldn’t after seeing what he did in the alley, and what he just did at the diner. She backed away until her back met the side of a dumpster, staring at him with wide, cautious eyes. There was no way the monster from the alley was really this nice guy. While Sunset felt something was off about the guy when she first met him, she just brushed it off as her anxiety flaring up at meeting such an imposing person. Thinking back, Fluttershy did say that he helped her when she fell in the hall. Maybe he wasn’t as bad as she thought, but that didn’t excuse the fact that this man just killed people.

Letting out a heavy, irritated sigh, Onyx stood up. Pacing in a circle, he ran his hands through his hair as he increasingly grew frustrated. “Fuck!”

Just Kill Her… A small voice crawled from the back of his mind. Shut up!

He had hoped that he would never have any contact with those girls again, but of all the places he would run into one of them, it had to be at Joe’s. That place was one of the few public spots he was able to relax, but that was only because he knew Joe personally. His night was going pretty well. It wasn’t until Sunset showed up that things started to tilt in a bad direction. Hell, she nearly got killed because of him.

He should have made her leave before anything happened. If it was just a regular hit squad of regular bounty hunters, he wouldn’t think too much about it - take everyone out and move on; however, he knew how Razor operated. They never “ran errands” without someone watching them to make sure things went smoothly, and to keep an eye out for any runners. There had to be someone watching the whole thing go down in the diner. That meant Sunset wasn’t safe. Thinking about it only made him grow more frustrated.

Kicking a dumpster out of his frustration, he bent the thing in half. He paced around in a circle, clenching his fists tight enough to turn his knuckles white. Letting out a deep breath, he calmed down. Looking back at Sunset, he noticed blood steadily flowed from a wound on her scalp down the side of her face. It seemed she didn’t notice and that was good for now, she was already freaked out. He had a spare first aid kit he kept for last resorts he could patch her up with back at the safehouse. Focusing his senses on her, he recognized the fast beating of her heart and the bitter smell of fear. This girl was terrified.

Walking over to the girl, he crouched down in front of her once more with a softened glare. “Look, I’m not here to hurt you,” he said, “But with what just happened, the safest place for you to be right now is with me.” It wasn’t the best way to gain her trust, but if she had any brains, she would know he was right. Putting out his hand for her to grab, he raised his eyebrows to further reinforce his point.

Sunset hesitantly reached for his hand. Having just survived a bomb exploding and a hail of gunfire still had her shaken up, but after seeing the sincere glint in Onyx’s eyes, she felt like trusting him, if only a little. Strange for her to say, as their hands clasped together she remembered feeling his touch once before, before meeting him at school. His hands were rough and calloused, yet his strength didn’t hurt her. It was gentle. As he pulled her to her feet, Sunset felt herself being lifted like she was air.

“Um, Oslyx,” she stammered.

“It’s Onyx,” he corrected.

Sunset looked up in confusion. “But you said your name was Oslyx Blackstone when we met.”

“I lied. It’s a fake name, an alias.” He shook his head. “If I want you to come with me, I need your trust. The least I could do is tell you my real name.”

“Oh...” Sunset trailed off, scratching her head.

Feeling a stinging in his gut, he looked down. His canvas jacket was peppered with holes, effectively ruining the whole thing. Lifting the left side of his jacket, he found his shirt to be missing a piece of itself while the entire bottom half was soaked in dark blood. Turning away from Sunset, he lifted his shirt and found a decent sized chunk of flesh had been ripped away from his stomach, some metal pellets still embedded in his flesh. No amount of dental floss could fix that. The air seemed to get lighter, and he fell to his knee holding his stomach. The taste of blood entered his mouth and he could feel it pool at the back of his throat. A savage cough ravaged his throat and blood covered the asphalt.

His previous wounds weren’t fully healed yet and he felt some reopen in the diner. He was losing too much blood standing around. He had to get moving. Get the girl someplace safe. Patch her up. She wouldn’t survive the night if he left her by herself.

“Damn it,” he wheezed.

A high pitched ringing filled his ears, and he put his free hand to one in an attempt to block it out. The ringing persisted, increasing in volume and frequency. His vision began to cloud, and everything around him became unfocused, becoming illuminated by a bright light. Then, there was something disturbing the ringing in his ears. It was a voice. Faint, but it was enough for him to focus on to start ridding himself of these effects.

“...Onyx! You’re hurt!”

Shaking his head, most of the effects went away. Looking at the source of the voice, he found Sunset standing above him with a concerned expression on her face. He pushed the pain down, and down, clenched his teeth and beared it. Standing up, he covered the wound on his stomach with his jacket. Opening his mouth to respond, he heard voices coming from the street. Aggressively pushing Sunset against the wall with his hand over her mouth, he waited. Five men in sharp suits walked by the alley, and Onyx pushed Sunset down so she was on her knees.

The men stopped to look into the alley and spotted Onyx standing to the side of the dumpster. One made a motion with his hand to stop, but called it off as he spotted a set of feminine legs on their knees just in front of Onyx. Turning around, the suited men laughed at the two assumed lovers and continued on their way.

Once they were a fair distance away, Onyx removed his hand from Sunset’s mouth and helped her up. Sucking in some much needed air, Sunset caught her breath. Placing a hand on her chest as she continued to catch her breath, she looked at Onyx with a wary eye.

“What was that for?” she asked angrily, a faint blush on her cheeks from the provocative position she was just in.

Letting out a relieved sigh, Onyx answered in ragged breaths, “Sorry about that. I would prefer to avoid a fight right now, and it was the only thing I could think of that didn’t involve shoving you in a dumpster.” Peeking out into the street once more, Onyx returned to Sunset. “They seem to be gone now. Come on, we don’t have much time.”

Sunset furrowed her brow. That small amount of trust she had for him was now washed away by his rash actions. “Why should I go with you?” she asked, looking Onyx up and down with a distrusting glare.

“You shouldn’t,” he responded coldly, “But if you don’t, you’ll die.”

“What do you mean by that?” Fear gripped her heart at the words.

Rolling his neck, Onyx shrugged his shoulders and the form he took earlier returned. The veil of shadow that covered his face receded to show his mouth. It would be easier to explain some things right now in order to gain some trust. “I’m sure you remember a few nights ago, when you and your friends found yourselves in a rather undesirable situation,” he said. “Once I left the alley, I stayed close to you, followed you to make sure you made it home. The two, Ghost and Swift I believe their names were, they were only unconscious - didn’t have time to finish them. They followed you and your friends as you got to safety, and planned to kill all of you, as revenge for me killing their boss.”

Clutching her arms, Sunset looked down with unsteady eyes. She could have died and never even known it was coming. A knot formed deep in her stomach at the thought. “Th-they followed us, and wanted to kill us? But we didn’t do anything to them. Did you do something to them?” Sunset asked with despair in her voice.

He nodded. “It didn’t sit right with me, letting you girls go knowing you wouldn’t wake up.”

A wave of relief washed over her at Onyx’s words. Suddenly, something flashed through Sunset’s mind as she remembered that awful night. The memory was a bit hazy, but she faintly recalled seeing Onyx once more before blacking out. “So that was you…” She mumbled. Onyx tilted his head in response. “It was you in the kitchen. What did you do to me then?” she asked with an eagerness in her voice.

“It was just a little fatigue spe-” Onyx stopped himself short when something caught his attention outside the alley. He curled his lips into a snarl of frustration. Managing to catch a glimpse of sharp teeth, Sunset gasped. “We need to move, now!” he growled.

Grabbing Sunset by the arm, he hurried out of the alley. She let out a surprised scream as she was practically lifted off her feet. As the two made their way down the sidewalk, Sunset kept asking where they were going. Onyx’s only reply was, “Somewhere safe.” All of her instincts kept telling her it was a bad idea to follow him; however, knowing that he watched over her and her friends while they slept while Ghost and Swift followed them, changed her opinion about the man of shadows that frightened everybody so much. Besides, it wasn’t like she had much of a choice anyway.

The two trekked across town on foot with little trouble, only stopping to hide when Onyx had felt something was off and decided to hide for a bit. Something was following them, he knew it. He could hear its excited heartbeats as it tailed them. Two beats, close together in rhythm, but separated enough for Onyx to determine the number of organs. This thing wasn’t human, it’s aura was too wicked. When it got close, the beat of the hearts sped up, and a ravenous bloodlust enveloped the beats. When it fell back, its hearts slowed, became calmer and almost hid its presence entirely. It was a skilled hunter, but inexperienced and impatient. Dipping into an alley that crossed through a city block, Onyx slowed his own heart to a near stop and covered Sunset’s scent with his magic. He waited for the following heartbeats to draw further away before emerging and continuing. It seemed to have lost them for now, but it’d be back soon.

By now, he had let go of Sunset’s arm and she followed without question, seeking some form of safety in his presence. The two took to the alleyways and lesser roads, never setting foot onto the main roads for fear of being discovered. Eventually, after going under an overpass, they reached an area of town that Sunset had never been to before. A derelict district that didn’t match up on any maps of the city she had memorized. There were no street lights visible, leaving the entire area in an eerie darkness. The buildings were all run-down and abandoned, their windows were shattered and walls were collapsed. They passed old factories and stores that were long destroyed by time. The only remaining markers that served as a reminder of their existence, were the rusted metal supports that hadn’t yet collapsed. A heavy stale scent of rust hung in the air like a toxic cloud that stung the nose, full of iron and dust. Sunset tried her phone to get a signal, but oddly there was no signal despite passing a cell tower near the overpass.

“Where are we?” Sunset asked, keeping alert to the shadows.

Looking back, Onyx saw the concerned expression on Sunset’s face. He gave a gruff grunt of annoyance. “It’s the old industrial district,” he said. “Long ago, this used to be the driving point of the city. There’s an old folktale about an ancient curse being set on the original Canterlot and everyone disappeared overnight without a trace. Truth is, with the advancement of technology and new labor laws being put in place, it was abandoned and left to rot. With everybody put out of a job, every one cleared out in a single night. Still though, for some reason, this place has been practically wiped from the records, so I’m not surprised somebody like you wouldn’t know about the place. Very few do.”

Sunset cast her gaze down as she followed Onyx, wondering why she had never seen anything about this place in any of the history books she has read over the years. She was so busy in her thoughts that she didn’t notice Onyx had stopped. Bumping into him, Sunset was snapped from her thoughts. Glancing up, she noticed he had stopped in front of an old hardware store, the faded blue sign above the door was damaged to the point that the only text that was readable were the words “hardware Store”. Just above that sign rested another. In a stylish yellow print, the words “Sunny Hills Inn” were flamboyantly displayed over a white background with a faded yellow sun behind them.

Sunset followed him inside. The interior resembled that of any hardware store one would find. Metal shelving was lined up neatly into aisles and the same tools and materials the shelves held ages ago were still there, like an ancient ruin that had not been opened in centuries, perfectly preserving the state of the store. The only disturbance the store had seen was a trail of bootprints leading to and from the back of the store. At the back of the store, she saw a set of old carpeted stairs that led up. The same sign for the Sunny Hills Inn was on the wall behind the stairs. The old stairs creaked under their weight, but held as they reached the top. ‘This must be the Sunny Hills Inn. How disappointing,’ Sunset thought.

The Sunny Hills Inn consisted of three rooms in a single, short hallway with floral wallpaper and green carpet. Two rooms were on the left, and one on the right. One of the doors to the left rooms was missing, and upon peering inside, Sunset found the roof had collapsed in. She watched Onyx as he stood in front of the door to the room on the right. Digging in his pocket, he pulled out a key and inserted it into the lock of the door. Pushing the door open, he motioned for Sunset to step inside. As she did, she saw just how poor the conditions Onyx was living in. Spotting the mattress with the red stain, Sunset almost lost her lunch.

“If you think that’s bad, check out the bathtub,” Onyx snorted. He nudged her arm as he stepped past her. Once he was inside, his coat once again evaporated and joined the shadows. He turned on a lamp that resided next to his floor cot, and took off his canvas jacket. “Come in and sit down. Don’t let the smell bother you too much,” he said before walking into the bathroom. It’s a good thing I moved Ghost and Swift out of here a few nights ago. Probably wouldn’t be the best idea to reunite them with one of the girls, he thought to himself.

Sunset stepped inside the room and was blasted by the potent stench of blood and alcohol, making her eyes water and her nose sting. It was like the walls were made of iron and soaked in whiskey; a sterilized hospital that at the same time was washed over in blood. Powering through the sudden attack on her sense of smell, she shook her head as she continued inside over the moldy carpet. She didn’t want to say how bad the smell was, but this was probably the only place Onyx has, so she bit her tongue. Seeing Onyx gesture to the floor cot, Sunset sat down on it, wrapping her arms around her legs.

Onyx looked at himself in the mirror, and his scarred face stared back. The illusion he cast a few days ago was beginning to wear off, but for it to disappear a day sooner than it was supposed to was worrisome. If he wasn’t able to keep a simple illusion up for a couple days, then his condition was worsening. A tired sigh escaped him when he looked down at his stomach. The bottom half of his shirt was now almost completely darkened from his wound. Pulling his shirt collar away from his neck to see his shoulder, he saw that it was drenched in blood and sparkling from the tiny shards of glass still embedded in the wound. A frown came across his face, as he realized he’d run out of dental floss to stitch the wound closed. Maybe he could find a staple gun around here somewhere...

Looking around the room and seeing the condition it was in concerned Sunset about how safe it was just being there. “What is this place?” she asked.

Glancing at Sunset from the bathroom, he slowly blinked before answering. “It’s a safehouse,” he replied. “I have a few around the city - use them to recuperate and hide out when shit like this happens.”

“Does this kind of thing happen often?” Sunset questioned.

Onyx scoffed in response. “Too often.”

Walking back into the main room with his hand holding his side, Onyx stopped by a plastic bag. “Here, catch,” he said as he tossed a plastic bottle of water at the girl. He then knelt down at the head of the cot and pulled out a small first aid kit from under the pillow. Upon seeing his darkened shirt, Sunset let out a small gasp. She had figured he was injured when he almost collapsed earlier, but he didn’t show any signs of it on their way here.

“You’re hurt!” she exclaimed in worry, putting out her hand to touch his shoulder. Onyx snapped his head to Sunset and darkly glared at her. She got the message and retracted her hand.

“This is nothing. You should worry more about that head of yours,” he said. “You only get one.”

Bringing her hand to her forehead, her fingertips came back down moist with blood. Feeling around her head more, her fingers brushed the edge of a cut. She grimaced at the quick pain that passed over the cut and wondered how she didn’t notice it before.

"Come here," Onyx motioned to the floor next to him.

Sunset scooted over to the man and patiently waited for him to patch up her head. The silence was starting to get to her, so she decided to try and ask a few questions. After all, a lot just happened.

“You’re not exactly a normal student, are you? OW!”

She gave an angry glare to her medic, who twisted the lid back on the rubbing alcohol. “No questions,” he said bluntly, "But, no. I'm not."

“So I’m just supposed to shut up and sit here without knowing anything about you or what just happened?” she asked, a little frustrated.

“That would be preferable. There’s nothing you need to know anyway, it’s all way out of your league.”

His words put Sunset to silence as she pouted, until her thoughts took a different angle. “What if I tell the police about what happened tonight?”

Pausing in the middle of opening a gauze pad, he looked at the girl with a doubtful expression. “You think you can bribe your way to information on the promise that you’ll keep your silence on the events of tonight?” Sunset nodded confidently in response.

"You just murdered five people."

"Oh, did I? Or did they blow themselves up?" Onyx placed the gauze over Sunset's wound and wrapped her forehead with a bandage. "If you do go to the police about this, do you honestly think they'll believe your story on how one man killed five armed men then escaped a bomb detonating while saving two people?"

Grabbing a bottle of painkillers out of the first aid kit, he dropped one into his hand and offered it to Sunset. She took the medicine and swallowed it with the help of the water she was given. Onyx popped three in his mouth for himself, and continued talking.

“They only thing the police will be able to come up with is that; five armed men made their way into Joe’s Donut Diner and detonated a bomb vest as an act of domestic terroism that resulted in the death of two bystanders. There are no cameras to confirm my presence there, nor are there any witnesses, besides Joe; who wouldn’t give any information regarding me to any person or entity, as he would give his life before he talks.” Standing up, he walked over to a duffle bag and began rummaging through it. “But it’s your choice, girl.”

After hearing Onyx’s words, Sunset began to feel like a fool bringing up the idea. Sinking her head into her knees, she asked in a hopeless tone, “Then what the hell am I even doing here then? Wouldn't it have been easier for you to leave me on my own for the night instead of bringing me to safety?”

Onyx stopped his rummaging. Why did he decide to help her? Thinking it over, he didn’t have an exact answer. He just did. That tended to happen a lot.

You should have killed her… No loose ends.

“You’re young. It would be a waste if you died after I saved you once before,” he answered. “I’m sure your friends would want to see you alive too.”

That brought a smile to her face as Sunset began to think of her friends and the memories they shared. If the news that Sunset Shimmer had died reached them, they would be devastated. All the questions and worries she had at the moment had subsided for now. A hopeful smile spread across the girl’s face. She would see her friends again, that she was sure of. And it was all thanks to the monster, the man from the alley.

Yawning loudly, Sunset found the floor cot to be awfully comfortable and laid down. She initially thought that she wouldn't get any sleep tonight, however, a feeling that she would be safe anchored itself in her chest.

“Hey, Onyx,” she called.

He tilted his head up from the duffle bag. “That painkiller kicked in yet, I’m guessing?”

“Yeah…” she yawned once more. “I think I’m gonna try to get some sleep if that’s okay.”

Onyx gave a light chuckle. “What I would give to be you right now. You just rest up, I have things I need to take care of.”

Waiting for an answer from her, Onyx found Sunset to be fast asleep. With a shallow sigh, he pulled the cot’s blanket over her. What the fuck am I doing? I’m not a damn babysitter. Shaking his head, he grabbed what he was looking for out of his duffle bag. A 12-inch serrated dagger sat in his hands, the blade a shining silver color and the grip wrapped in black leather. It was one of his favorites.

Loosening his grip on the dagger, he slipped it into its black leather sheath and attached it to the back of his waist. He gave Sunset one last look before walking out the door and locking it behind him. She’ll be fine. The safehouse is protected, he thought. But his concern did not waiver. However, now was not the time to be nitpicky. There was something he needed to take care of, and it just so happened to follow him.

Author's Note

It's a bit of a long one. I couldn't figure out a good way to split it into two chapter and keep a good transition, so I just decided it's good as is. When I was looking at different fonts in Google Docs I saw one called Spicy Rice. I thought it was funny.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy!

Chapter 5 - A Late Night Occurrence

The soft fall of heavy boots echoed through the aisles of the hardware store. Small clouds of dust lifted as each step connected with the aged floor. As the door was opened, it faintly creaked letting the world know its age. If the walls could talk, they would tell a story of a happily married man who lived a kind life with three children that lived what was left of his life in peace as he ran his very own hardware store. However, that story was long gone, lost to the orphaned building that was once cared for by that same man.

More than 80 years later, another story began with the same walls that were now withering away, watching a lone man only ever walk to and fro. He never touched any of the tools or equipment on the shelves, nor did he disturb the cashier counter and the family photos pinned to the corkboard behind it. He simply came and went. The walls had seen this same man come through many times over the course of a decade with a few wounds as he stumbled his way to the back; always looking like he wanted nothing more than to finally feel that sweet release of death. Now, though, the walls watched him leave with blood dripping down his clothes and the presence of someone with a job that needed to be done. He stepped with the confidence that nothing would take him down. The walls believed it.

When Onyx stepped outside, he instantly felt the presence of something wicked lurking nearby. It was like pin pricking the back of his brain. Trying his hearing, he heard nothing. Complete silence. Not even the wind had dared to blow in fear of what was stalking the shadows. Breathing in the air, only the scent of rust and dust filled his nostrils. No heartbeats, no scent. It’s too quiet for a normal night. With one last trick up his sleeve, Onyx focused on the natural magic energy that flowed throughout the air and earth. The soft feeling of waves gently touched the skin on his face, the waves timed and consistent. Then there was a small eruption in the waves, bringing his attention behind him.

A low growl came from the darkness. Onyx’s stalker pounced in for the kill, only for the prey to be armed. With barely a second to think, Onyx faced his attacker mid-air and delivered a powerful blow to the side of its head. It hit the ground hard, landing a few yards away with a pained growl. Regaining its composure, the creature stood and gave a godless growl filled with venom and hate.

In the dark of night, Onyx could see his attacker plain as day. A monstrous cat-like creature covered in thin black fur and hard shining scales, standing around ten feet tall reared its back. Thin flat horns wrapped themselves around its head. It’s two tails sliced through the air with bladed tips. Razor sharp ivory claws a foot long dug into the asphalt like it was sand and rows of huge fangs were visible through the cat’s hissing. Tall ears stood on its head and seemed to move in every direction at once, picking up the slightest noise. Its eyes were a soulless black that held nothing, but the primal instinct of a hungry animal.

There was only one word capable of describing the being before him. Demon.

He stared at the demon in disdain, an unrelenting wrath and unquenchable bloodthirst began to build up inside of him. As much as he wanted to avoid it, this fight was inevitable. His heart began beating rapidly at the exciting prospect of the impending battle. With everything he knows about these monsters and what they are capable of he stood firm. He wouldn’t let anything happen to Sunset.

“I guess I should’ve expected demons to show up sooner or later. No matter where I go, your kind always follows,” Onyx spat at the demon in a language no human should be able to fluently speak. “Answer one question for me, demon.”

The demon hissed in response, as it began to circle Onyx. Onyx kept his guard up, ready for the demon to try anything. There were things he absolutely needed to know involving this demon: where it came from, if it was summoned, who summoned it, and if there were more.

“Were you summoned and binded under a human’s contract, or are you hunting me for your Lord?”

Hissing again, the demon spoke in the same garbled tongue. “Those who hunt for a Lord are nothing, but hollow thralls with no allegiance to themselves. The same could be said for those who are forced under a binding contract to a lowly human.” The demon spat out the word ‘human’ with disgust. “Coming across you was not warranted, however.”

“So you’re under a contract then.” But for who? Onyx smirked. “Tell me, were the humans that bound you look like wrinkled old bags of nothing in robes?”

The demon flexed its powerful legs and raked its claws through the asphalt. “Your attempts to tip my ire for information are useless, Inhabited.”

Onyx sneered at the demon, clenching his fists at the mention of that name. “So, you are aware of how this will turn out.”

Snapping its jaw, the demon dashed at Onyx. “As it should. I will not be the one to die here,” it roared as it slashed its claws at him.

Stepping back, Onyx was barely able to dodge the swipe. The demon continued its attack with a barrage of quick swipes, pushing Onyx back along the road. Weaving in between the claws, Onyx was able to evade most attacks, but his wounds restricted his speed and flexibility. Blood splashed on the demon's claws and splattered the ground as gashes appeared on his left leg.

Ducking out of the onslaught of vicious slashes, Onyx dodged back and burst through the demon's attack. Rearing his head back, he bashed his forehead against an armored scale on the demon’s forehead, shattering it to pieces. The demon stumbled back, dazed from the force. Drawing his serrated dagger from behind him, he tried slicing the demon, but its fur appeared to be harder than it looked and resisted the blade. With an annoyed grunt, he chose to instead stab the demon, which worked. Hissing in pain, the demon snapped its jaws down on Onyx’s shoulder and slammed him into the road before throwing him across the street and into the base of an old lamp post.

Onyx grunted as he quickly forced himself on his feet. He wasn’t in any condition to drag this fight on any longer than it needed to be. The demon’s fur resisted cuts and its scales, while liable to break with enough force, were too hard for the knife to pierce. Smash and stab, smash and stab.

Reaching for his dagger, Onyx couldn’t find it nearby. Across the street, the demon struggled to pull the dagger from its shoulder with its teeth. Onyx took the opportunity whilst his enemy was distracted and closed the distance; however, the demon was ready and lashed at his body with its bladed tails. Sliding under the tails, Onyx got under the demon and ripped the dagger out from the demon’s leg. Before he could rip into the demon’s underbelly, the demon clamped its teeth on Onyx’s leg and dragged him out from under it and shook him like a mad dog.

Slamming Onyx onto the asphalt, the demon created a small crater from the impact and pounded his head in deeper with its paw, over and over until Onyx’s head was buried in the road. When the demon tired, it looked over its own handiwork and purred with satisfaction.

Onyx lay still in the crater, blood and asphalt chunks blanketing him. A few moments passed and he realized he went unconscious for a few seconds. His head pounded with a debilitating headache. Groaning in pain, he unburied his head and managed to pull himself to his knees with his grip still tight on his knife. Blood flowed from his scalp, burning his eyes as it washed over his face.

“Your reputation precedes you, mercenary. I was expecting more of a challenge from all the tales told of you,” the demon growled as it observed its bloodied and beaten prey. “I assume your weakness is from your lack of mana. I sense you have nothing left in you. You’re just a lowly stain on this world, Inhabited. Like us, in this world you need magic to live. To survive. Without it you’re no better than a walking corpse!”

Gathering what strength he could, he stood up and locked eyes with the demon. A burning fire roared in his chest, begging to be released to raze hell upon his opponent with the destructive force of the sun itself. It clawed at his heart, heating his body to the point it felt like an unwavering blaze would burst out from his chest.

“I… am nothing… like you…” he wheezed.

Pacing back and forth, the demon cackled darkly. “Don’t fool yourself. The only difference between us is your disgusting existence. You, like all born from the Void should know. For you are the stain your traitorous father made when-”

The demon was rendered unable to finish its sentence as a chunk of asphalt had become forcefully lodged in the back of its throat in an instant. The demon didn’t even see Onyx move until his hand was in its mouth. Its eyes widened as a sense of fear had dug into its mind. Onyx wrench his arm out of the demon’s mouth, grabbing its tongue and ripping it away. It choked on the asphalt and blood. Quickly realizing its mistake the demon backed away, hacking up blood and chunks of rock. It staggered back, tripping on its own bladed tail and impaling its leg. As it lay on the ground trying to crawl away, its hearts beat at such a pace the pulsing veins could be seen rapidly pushing its scales up and down. Looking back at Onyx, it tried to cry out and beg to be spared even if it knew it was pointless, but no sounds came from its mouth.

With a quick pace, Onyx stepped towards the demon and grabbed it by its tail. Ripping it back to his feet, he gripped the demon's horns and gave it another hardy headbutt, shattering more of its scales. Then without a second's hesitation buried his knife into the demon’s head. Its eyes slowly rolled back into its head and the body went limp. That wasn’t enough for Onyx though. Tearing his knife out of the demon’s skull, he plunged it back in again and again. A dark blood splattering on Onyx’s clothes and face. He didn’t care, he had to make sure this monster was dead. Dead! Dead! Dead!

His eye twitched and he snapped out of his destructive trance. Looking at the demon he saw a hole the size of a football dug out of its skull. His knife was bent and broken in half. One half in his hand. The other half buried deep in his attacker. He stood there for a moment, his grip on the demon’s horns still tight. It wasn’t his first choice to call upon the small amount of magic he had left. He didn’t even think of doing it. It just happened. The sense of survival breaking his tactical thinking and letting go. Although, if he had instead chosen to fight with nothing but his weakened body he would have for sure been defeated. What then? Was the demon summoned to capture or kill him? Either way what’s done is done. He only wished he could’ve gotten some more information.

Loosening his grip on the demon’s horns, its head fell with a hard thud. Wiping the blood from his eyes, Onyx slowly began to hobble back into the department store. His strength was waning fast. If he didn’t get inside and get his body tended to he’d be sleeping in a pool of his own blood outside. Going through an aisle in the store he found a carpenter staple gun still in the package and grabbed a box of staples to go with it. With shaky legs he crept up the stairs at the back of the department store. Doing his best to not wake Sunset, he slowly opened the door to the room. The door creaked open and he winced at the sound. Creeping in he saw Sunset stir in her sleep and he sighed with relief. She didn’t need to see him like this after what they just went through getting here.

Sitting down once again in the bathroom to patch himself up, Onyx decided to leave the light off to not disturb the sleeping girl. In the near pitch black darkness he could still see as if it was daylight with the sun shining through the windows. Taking a small pocket knife off the counter he sliced open the packaging of the staple gun and loaded in a few stainless steel staples. Placing the gun to his leg he pulled the trigger and slightly winced as they pierced through. It was shoddy work but it was all he could manage at the moment. Halfway through stapling the gashes on his leg he realized he had forgotten to take his pants off and had stapled his pants to his leg.

‘I guess I’m a little worse for wear for my thoughts at the moment. Oops.’ A quiet laugh escaped him at the act. Taking off his jacket and shirt before stapling his shoulder was a better idea. Looking at the state of his clothes, he decided it was something a staple gun wouldn’t be the best suited for. He balled up his torn and bloody shirt and tossed it in the bathtub. There were a couple white t-shirts he had folded up underneath his pillow for a little extra support, but with Sunset here he decided to wait until she was up to get one. For the moment, he could at least get some rest. Shaking his head and letting out a small sigh, Onyx got up from his seat on the toilet. Sitting down against the wall across from Sunset, he leaned the back of his head on the wall. It was still extremely sore but he was happy to give his bed up for the night. Sunset’s soft breathing was a brief respite of white noise. Onyx’s eyes were heavy and he wanted to get some sleep, but his mind was still a bit wired from his small outburst fighting the demon. The adrenaline had worn off and the heat of his magic had long faded. But he couldn’t stop thinking.

The demon seemed to be surprised to come across him. If it wasn’t bound to contract to kill him, then the demon had to be after Sunset. Why? There was nothing special about this girl to summon a fucking demon to kill her. Unless, the Crimson Moon Council knew something he didn’t. Could Sunset be involved with what happened at the high school? All he knows is that there were two magical occurrences that happened there. Some of the students had to be involved in it, unless maybe it was the council’s doing. There’s definitely something strange going on here and he will get to the bottom of it. It would have to wait for now though.

Listening to Sunset’s rhythmic breathing he closed his eyes and fell asleep. It felt as if not even a second had passed when he opened his eyes again. The sharp beeping of an alarm had begun to go off. Looking around for his watch he grabbed it and attempted to shut it off, but to his surprise the alarm had not been set. Hearing the sound to his left he noticed Sunset’s phone screen was on and the display of a wake up alarm was on the screen. It was 7:30 a.m. and the sun had begun to creep through the blinds. Onyx rubbed his eyes and yawned. When he stretched his arms he heard a few satisfying pops and stood up.

Sunset started to stir and soon sat up with her own yawn and stretches. Leaning over she grabbed her phone and shut the alarm off. Her eyes weren’t fully open yet and it took a minute for her to fully wake up. Rubbing the gunk out of her eyes, she noticed she wasn’t in her room and started to silently panic before remembering.

“I thought I was going to have to shut that alarm off before I went crazy,” Onyx joked.

“Oh, sorry. I’m usually up a few seconds after it goes off,” Sunset sleepily replied.

Onyx rolled his eyes and let out a chipper huff. “I’m kidding. Did you sleep alright? That painkiller I gave you knocked you out pretty quick,” he said.

Shaking her head and wiping her hair out of her face she looked up with a small smile. “I slept alright, almost like I was in my own bed.”

She looked up and noticed Onyx had no shirt. She found herself gazing upon his physique. He was extremely muscular and chiseled, his muscles seemed to almost want to burst free. His arms and chest looked so big and strong, Sunset’s thoughts wandered off to imagine what he could do with them. To her. Snapping out her wandering thoughts she looked away in embarrassment, a small blush on her face. Looking back she noticed just how heavily scarred he actually was. Deep caverns of tissue had made their home on his body, mapping out a twisted landscape of pain. Aside from the injuries he had received last night saving her, there seemed to be a few that were older and a couple that were fresh. She thought to herself how he had gotten to be this way and where those other wounds came from.

“That’s good to hear, because I don’t want you getting comfortable in a place like this. You’ll be back in your own bed tonight,” he said. “But do me a favor real quick and hand me a shirt from under the pillow so you stop ogling me.”

Realizing how long she had been staring, Sunset awkwardly fumbled around and grabbed a shirt from under the pillow and handed it to him. “Sorry,” she said.

“Don’t worry about it. I’d be lying if it’s been a while since anyone has seen me like this,” Onyx replied. Slipping his shirt on he knelt down in front of her. “Now we gotta get some things straight before we head out of here. It’s important you don’t tell a single soul about what happened last night and where you were. I’m trusting you with this so don’t screw it up. Got it?”

Sunset nodded in understanding. “I promise. What about my friends though? They have to have been worried sick about me.”

With a small annoyed shake of his head, Onyx stood and put his hands on his hips. “I’m sorry, but you can’t. Make something up for all I care. They can’t know. I only brought you here because I felt responsible for what happened. You never should’ve been caught in the crossfire but you did and that was just unlucky. If your friends find out what you saw it would only bring trouble their way too.”

The way he spoke with a stern yet soft voice helped Sunset see he was right. She wouldn’t want her friends to experience any more trauma than they already have. What happened in the alley was almost too much for herself. “Okay, I understand. I don’t want them to know anyway. Knowing them, they’d end up worrying themselves to death.” She let out a small chuckle.

There were so many questions Sunset still wanted to ask. Her mind began to race. Everything that's happened recently has been quite the experience, more confusing and dangerous than anything she had gone through in the past. She needed to know, but she knew it would be best to ask later.

Onyx nodded and couldn’t help but think how lucky Sunset is to have good friends like that. It almost made him jealous. He had people like that once, but it was so long ago he’d almost forgotten what it was like. Grabbing his canvas jacket he opened the door to the room and called out to Sunset, “Come on, we gotta get going. Don’t want to be late for school.”

Author's Note

Forgot this existed lol

Chapter 6 - Grudges Revoked

Sunset Shimmer followed Onyx as he led her through the industrial district, that old musty smell of deteriorating drywall and rusted steel lingering in the air. When they had stepped out of the department store earlier she noticed a trail of dark spots leading from the door to the stairs. There was also damage to the road and a pile of ash she didn’t remember seeing last night. It was pretty dark, so she just must not have seen it. Thinking back to when she woke up and saw the newer injuries Onyx had, she wondered where he had gotten them. ‘Hopefully he didn’t get into another fight,’ she thought. He’s already done so much for her, if he put his life on the line again while she was sleeping, she couldn’t think there was any way to repay him.

Walking under the overpass she had a strange sensation in her feet. The nerves had gone cold and her toes went numb. She stumbled slightly in her boots, but the feeling suddenly passed as she stepped out from under the overpass. Onyx looked back with a slightly raised eyebrow out of concern.

“Are you alright,” he asked.

Sunset blinked a few times and brushed her hair behind her ears, trying to understand what had happened. It was a little strange, but after what has happened the past few days she chalked it up to a weird occurrence. “Yeah, I’m fine. My feet just fell asleep for a few seconds is all,” she said.

Onyx gave a short nod. “I felt it as well. It happens when crossing under this overpass. I’ve looked into it, but still not quite sure what causes it. I think it’s a barrier of some sort. Placed there sometime when the district was abandoned. Oh, one more thing before we go any further,” he added.

Bringing his hands up to Sunset’s head, she stepped back for a moment, then moved closer to him. Onyx unwrapped the bandage around her head and examined the gash she had. The bleeding had stopped and it appeared to have healed considerably in the short time he patched her up. Last night, the wound was a bit bigger and would have taken weeks to heal, but now it was much smaller and almost closed completely. There wasn’t even any scar tissue left behind. He was a bit surprised, but it was the best thing to happen in the few days he has known her. He gave her a smirk and tossed the dirty bandage in a nearby trash can.

“You heal up pretty quick,” he said. “I’m a bit envious, as you know I’m pretty beat up from the last few days.” The envy was true. If he wasn’t in the condition he was with no magic in this world, his more serious wounds would heal in a couple days, no problem. Unfortunately, he would just have to wait and hospitals were out of the question. He never did like the smell of hospitals.

“I think you're forgetting something as well,” said Sunset, gesturing to her face. Pulling out her phone, she held it up.

Onyx looked at his busted reflection on her phone screen. He brushed under his right eye with his fingertips and felt the rough tissue. Silent words came from his mouth as he mumbled a chant and crossed his hand over his face. Such a simple illusion shouldn’t have taken as much effort as it did. Small visible waves of transparent energy emanated from his hand and danced around his head, surrounding it in a loose web of energy. The web then tightened down on his head and came undone, spreading another wave before evaporating. When he was done, the artificial complexion he had yesterday had returned. Sunset’s eyes were filled with amazement and shock as she watched him. She liked this clean, handsome look more than the rough visage he held.

“Whoa! That’s amazing! What did you just do,” she asked.

Rolling his eyes, Onyx turned and started walking. “Don’t act so surprised, Sunset. It’s not the first time you’ve seen me do something… inhuman. Before you get all excited and shit, I’m not doing any magic tricks for you,” he chuckled to himself. The thought of being a magician with no real magic but extreme skill at sleight of hand amused him. It would be an easier life for sure.

Catching up to him, Sunset wanted to ask so many more questions. While he was right, calling it inhuman didn’t sit right with her, but after what she’s seen what he is able to do maybe it was. All of the acts of magical feats she has seen transformed its users into dark manifestations of them themselves. When they met outside the school, he seemed like he would have been trouble; another problem for her and her friends to fix. She didn’t think that was the case anymore. Onyx had saved her life twice now, and she was grateful for it. She just wished he was a bit more friendly. At least she wasn’t his enemy. The thought made her shudder.

“Onyx, what was that? I didn’t think anything like it was possible,” exclaimed Sunset.

Onyx scratched behind his ear while thinking. It was a long walk to the high school and it only seemed right that she got some questions answered. She already promised to keep quiet and he was gonna risk it. He didn’t exactly expect her to stay quiet on the matter and he was counting on it. Maybe getting closer to her would bring answers to his own questions, like why that demon was sent to kill her. It didn’t make sense to him. He was the one so used to being hunted by them that it flipped his whole thinking. It didn’t make sense. If she was the target then her friends could be too.

“It’s simple. What I just did was cast a simple illusion spell, nothing special.” He brushed it off like it was nothing, but to Sunset it changed everything she knew about magic in this human world.

“That’s honestly pretty amazing! You’re talking about a real spell, real magic. I never thought I’d see something so amazing in my life.” Sunset gave herself a mental high-five. Finally some answers. She felt guilty not being entirely truthful knowing magic truly existed, but she would have to wait and see how he acts. The fact he was able to harness magical energy was mind blowing. If he was able to, were there other people able to as well? And if it’s possible was it Equestrian magic or something else entirely? Everything she knew about magic affecting this world was blown out of the water. After talking to her friends about this, maybe they will tell him about what happened at the Fall Formal, Battle of the Bands, and the Friendship Games. She didn't see any harm in it since he was familiar with the concept.

“What else are you able to do,” she asked, her eyes beaming with curiosity.

Onyx thought about what to tell her. There were lots of things he could do with his magic; not currently with his reservoirs so low. Rest was the best thing to recharge mana as his body would naturally pull the magic out of the air, but it wouldn’t help here. There were other methods such as elixirs, brews, and vapors specially made to restore mana, however none of the materials he needed to craft them existed. At this moment, his options were extremely limited. The mana deprivation also put more strain on his body than he expected, even for the fundamental steps needed to start a spell.

“Well, you’ve seen a little bit,” he stated. “Casting a veil helps keep my identity hidden when I’m, uh, working, and I can throw and amplify my voice. Much like what you heard with my whistling when we first met. Call me crazy if you want, but with your firsthand experience with events recently I doubt you would.”

Sunset stifled a small chuckle then sighed. “Yeah, it’s been an interesting week. I never expected to be caught up in so much craziness.”

He grunted in response. A long pause followed, making Sunset a bit uncomfortable walking in silence. Onyx wasn’t very talkative, with what she’s seen she wasn’t surprised. To be as young as her and have a body so battered it was astonishing he hadn’t dropped dead yet. It had to come with a mind just as wounded. To wonder what led him down this path in life had to be painful for his heart.

Sunset nervously shifted on her feet, hoping to shift the topic of conversation, she asked, “So, how do you know Joe?”

The question kind of caught Onyx off guard. He had expected to be asked about his scars, as that is what people usually want to know. Perhaps he has spent too much time around warrior types. “Uh, it’s a long story,” he said. “I met him through a mutual friend a while ago. I’d rather not get into it.”

The thought of meeting Joe for the first time brought a small smile to his face. Joe was the only person in the whole city he would call a friend and ally. He’s helped Onyx so much in the past that he would lay his life down for Joe, and he knew Joe would do the same for him. The memory quickly turned sour and Onyx grimaced. It was something he wishes he could forget, but to him it was still as fresh in his mind as the day it happened. It bit at his heart. He knew Joe didn’t blame him for it, but Onyx couldn’t let it go.

The contacts he has around the city wouldn’t qualify for his definition of ally, never coming close to a friend. They all owed him favors, and he them. That was just how it was in his line of work.

Sunset noticed his expression turned sour and felt bad for maybe bringing up something that still hurt. “I didn’t mean to bring up anything-” she started, but Onyx cut her off.

“You’re fine. It’s not a big deal. Let’s pick up the pace.” Onyx slowly sped up and Sunset followed closely behind. The rest of the walk went by fairly quickly. The high school was brought into view as the two turned a corner. Buses and cars were lined up along the sidewalk dropping students off. The parking lot was full and students hung around their cars waiting for the bell to ring. Stopping at the curb, Onyx turned to Sunset for one last little chat.

“Hey, I want you to know you did good last night. For the circumstances, you were pretty brave,” he said with sincerity. He knew it was a wild night for her, but she came out mostly unscathed and seemed pretty okay with how things turned out. Well, the killing obviously didn’t sit right with her.

She looked down at her feet, the praise meant a lot to her. Bringing her head up to face him, she smiled. “Thanks, Onyx. I don’t think I would have gotten through it without you, though. Being shot at isn’t normal for me. I have to admit, maybe I had the wrong impression of you. You’re not such a bad guy.” She rubbed her shoulder, a bit nervous saying that.

The thought of the monster from the alley and the inescapable sense of dread faded into the back of her mind like a forgotten memory. There was no longer a reason to be afraid of him, she was sure of it. If there was then why is she alive? Onyx’s first impressions weren’t the best, looking like he was constantly irritated and a bit rude, but he turned out to be someone she hoped to call a friend in the near future.

“I felt responsible, that’s it. Don’t think about it too much,” he grumbled.

“Are you going to be okay? I know you’re pretty tough, but I think you should see a doctor.”

The concern in Sunset’s voice was genuine, even her eyes brightened to where he could see it in them. Onyx wanted to bite and tell her to worry about herself, but he needed help finding out what was going on at this school. She was a sweet girl too. He felt a little guilty only wanting to use her as a tool for his investigation. It needed to be done nonetheless. A job is a job. Letting emotions get in the way would only make things difficult. Maybe having a beer with Joe later would help. He’s been so busy, he hasn’t been able to sit down and see how the donut lover was doing.

“I’ll be fine. I’m not the one you should be concerned about. Just keep your head down for a few days, alright?” Onyx stepped off the curb and crossed the street to the school. He could feel another episode coming on and he needed to get away from Sunset so she wouldn’t keep asking if he was okay. His head was now pounding with a brain splitting headache and he could taste the blood in his mouth.

As she watched Onyx walk away, Sunset said to herself, “Well, if there’s one thing to say about him, he’s tough. And he’s really bad at saying goodbye.” She chuckled to herself. She would probably never get used to that, but if that is what she had to deal with she was fine with it.

The buses had cleared out now and she crossed the road. Stepping onto the school’s property she quickly spotted her friends standing in front of the statue. They looked worried and were constantly turning their heads, hoping to spot their friend among the crowds. Rarity and Rainbow Dash also had their phones out, typing furiously and putting them to their ears every couple seconds. Sunset noticed and thought they must have been trying to reach her all night as well. She felt horrible at the thought, but there was no cell service in the industrial district and her phone had died shortly after waking up.

Pinkie had spotted her and shouted, “She’s over there!” Everyone quickly rushed over and Sunset met them in the middle. They all hugged her tightly enough to break something if she hadn’t tried to push them away. She was glad to see them all after having yet another near death experience, but their hugs were going to kill her before anything else got the chance to.

“What happened last night, Sunset? We were all worried out of our damn minds when AJ told us you called her,” Rainbow sternly yelled, her voice squeaking. “We all kept trying to get a hold of you all night, but you never picked up! What happened?”

Struggling to get her breath back after being squeezed, Sunset put her hand up to make some space. “Look I know you’re all probably angry at me, but my phone’s dead. I thought I saw something in my room last night. It was just a bad dream.”

She hoped that lie would save some face and calm everyone down. “Not buyin’ it,” Applejack scowled. “You can’t lie to us. What really happened?”

Well that failed. Sunset hoped that would work, but after making a promise to Onyx she didn’t want to lay everything out right then and there. She’d have to ease everyone into it to not stir them up more. “Alright, alright,” Sunset paused, thinking how she should continue. “Did you hear about Joe’s Diner last night?”

“Oh good heavens, you weren’t there were you, dear,” Rarity asked. Her eyes widened with shock as she covered her mouth. Everyone else had gasped and began asking if she was hurt, if she saw what happened.

“I’m fine, girls. I wasn’t inside when it went up in flames.” That calmed everyone’s nerves. “I’m sorry if you couldn’t reach me, I couldn’t get cell service where I was after.”

“So where were you? I went to your place last night and you weren’t home,” said Applejack, her scowl had stayed, unwavering.

She didn’t want to go back on her promise so soon after making it, but Sunset had to tell them at some point. Making a promise was a serious endeavor when it came to her and her friends. She made a promise to never keep anything from them after all they have done for her, however she couldn’t tell them just yet. She had to go over it in her head and get facts straight first. The bell had rang and students began heading inside.

“Let’s talk about this later, okay? I promise I’ll tell you everything.” Sunset then set off towards the front doors, waving back at her friends as she went.

Everyone was a bit annoyed and peeved that Sunset had run off without telling them anything, but they all agreed to confront her later. They soon dispersed and headed to their classes.

Applejack and Rainbow Dash began walking to the locker room to get changed for their gym class and talked on the way. They were the angriest and most worried about Sunset. If something happened to her and they weren’t there to help or stop it, they’d never forgive themselves. It weighed heavily on their shoulders and their hearts beat hard. They may have been overthinking it, but it didn’t matter to them. She was their friend and after what happened in the alley, they resolved to work harder than ever before to protect those they cared about.

They dressed down into their workout clothes; skin tight shorts and plain white t-shirts. Ready to put their all into an intense workout they had planned, they headed to the weight room, prepared to put their all into the weight training that was assigned today. The weight room resided above the gym with a track wrapping around the length of the gym and held numerous exercise machines, benches, bars, and weight plates. A row of treadmills sat along the far wall where a restroom was and two water fountains were installed next to the door. A couple students were already warming up on the treadmills and Rainbow Dash wanted to get some cardio, but Applejack reminded her they planned on just strength training for the day. With a few mandatory stretches out of the way they prepared to get to work.

The door to the restroom opened and an uneasy feeling washed over the two, their fired up muscles became drained and tensed, like an icy wind blew straight through their bodies. When they saw the person they knew as ‘Oslyx’ step out, in his dark clothes and heavy boots, the hair on the back of their necks stood up. Goosebumps covered their arms. Any confidence they held had been replaced with anxiety, urging them to cower away. Thoughts of despair and dread took over their minds. The two were too stubborn though, and they quickly kicked those thoughts away and stood their ground in the face of his intimidating aura.

The three of them locked eyes and stared at each other for a moment before Onyx wiped his nose and gave a curt nod, walking over to a bench and weight rack he had claimed with several energy drinks sitting in front of it. He sat down, opened one and chugged it, crushing the can and tossing it into a trash can across the room. With a successful swish he pumped his fist and opened another drink, this time sipping at it.

The sour flavor green apple drowned his tongue with a savory fizz. Hopefully the caffeine would kick in quickly and give him a much needed boost to get through the day. Fatigue wrecked his body, making it hard to keep his eyes open. The inescapable pain that restrained him from his full strength would keep him from training his body to the limit he preferred, but he thought it good to take it easy and at least do something to keep his body from withering. The shoulder he stapled together would be a hindrance too. It wouldn’t be pleasant for anybody if the staples snapped and his shoulder tore open again. He rubbed it, hoping to relieve some of the pain.

Applejack gave Rainbow a solemn look, and she shared it. They were positive he wasn’t a threat, but he still made them feel uneasy. They had to find out for themselves. Rainbow was the first to move, walking over to him with a brisk pace. He hadn’t seemed to notice her standing in front of him yet, so she made herself known. “Hey, nice shot,” she said, a hint of ice in her voice.

Onyx looked up with tired eyes and took another sip. “Thanks,” he replied, his tone lazy and unmotivated. Being tired was an understatement. The two stared at each other for an awkwardly long time. Onyx blinked and layed down on the bench, readying himself to start on his bench presses. “If you don’t need anything, I’d like to get back to my workout.”

Rainbow noticed the bar he was using was stacked with heavy plates to the end, bending it like a wet noodle. ‘He’s not seriously going to lift that, is he,’ she thought. ‘No way, he’s doing it like nothing! That’s over six hundred pounds!’

Onyx wrapped his fingers around the bar and lifted it off the rack, slowly bringing it down to his chest. His muscles tensed and strained, pushing it back up with so much explosive power that it almost flew out of his hands. Attempting to do another, he grunted in pain as the gash on his shoulder threatened to open; skin tearing and blood slowly seeping out. The staples attempting to keep it together, rather pitifully. Five more reps were done then he placed the bar on the rack with a satisfying clink and sat up, rubbing his shoulder to soothe the pain flaring up inside. That was it for the day, any more and it wouldn’t heal properly. Not that anything did anymore.

“Holy shit, dude!”

“Rainbow, language!”

A comical smack was heard and he looked up to the two girls standing in front of him, watching in dismay. He raised an eyebrow at Rainbow’s comment and looked back at the bar, then back to them. He probably overdid it by trying to fulfill his own needs and forgot to keep a low profile. Lifting that much weight would draw a crowd, one he didn’t need. Remembering people in this world were not as strong as him always escaped him. If his shoulder wasn’t busted he’d throw a couple more hundred pounds on, but he doubted the bar would hold any more weight.

Rainbow jumped in his face, almost startling him. “Hey, Oslyx, could you spot us today? We want to go hard,” she enthusiastically exclaimed with a fire in her eyes.

Seeing him lift so much weight, made her forget all about the small grudge she held against him for beating her obstacle course time by two minutes. She felt silly for the pouting she did over something so trivial. Now, her feelings shifted to the excitement of a potential new rival or trainer.

Onyx reared back and his lip twitched, irritated since she does not know what personal space is. Though he had to admit, seeing that bright fire in her eyes gave him some solace to know she was ready to push her limits. Whether she was doing it for herself or to help protect her friends, it almost made him get pumped up himself. He thought about declining, but realized it may help his own interests. Afterall, if he solely focused on Sunset, her friends may end up thinking something was going on between them. Standing up he towered over them with a stone cold face and piercing eyes.

“Alright, why not? I’m not able to do much more today. Shoulder got busted last night,” he said.

Rainbow jumped in the air and pumped her fist. Wrapping Applejack in a friendly headlock she hooted, “You hear that AJ? We’ll be able to pump iron until we drop with this guy spotting us! I’m gonna go until I can’t feel my arms!”

As Applejack wrestled out of her friend’s arms, a large grin appeared on her face. Seeing Rainbow instantly overcome her minor grudge with a show of exceptional strength made her laugh. Out of everybody she knew, Rainbow Dash could hold a grudge like nobody's business. She was honestly relieved by it. Rainbow had been upset all week about her obstacle course time. If she was okay with ‘Oslyx’ then so was she. But she wasn’t about to let her rival beat her. “Oh yeah, we’ll see about that. I’m gonna kick yer butt, Dash,” challenged Applejack. “Come on, sugarcubes, let’s get a claim on a new rack.”

As Onyx followed the girls, he looked back at the rack he was using and saw the coach drop his jaw and clipboard.

“Who the hell is mistreating my equipment?!”

Author's Note

Swallowed a Zynny on accident when I wrote this. Heart burn here I come

Chapter 7 - Down for the Count

“Why the hell am I doing this?”

When Sunset approached him in their history class and invited him to lunch with her friends, Onyx declined with the excuse of no money. When Pinkie joined in with that dinner plate sized smile and insisting food would be on them, he almost couldn’t refuse. It had been about three weeks since he’d properly eaten, his snack rations of jerky and pickles were cleaned out a month ago. Only the liquor he had tricked his belly into being full, but with the last bit of it gone and his body in a sorry state he needed real food. The long nights spent researching and staking out Razor and the Crimson Moon Council hideouts took up most of his time. The idea of food flew over his head with barely a crumb on his mind. But if they were paying, it sounded like fair game. The mere mention of a meal made his stomach growl. He made a mental note to not drain their wallets.

As he scanned the small cafe, a couple hazards stood out to him. There were too many large windows for his liking, making it easy to see who was inside. Sunset and her friends were in a window booth at the front making them easy targets if someone decided to attack. The cafe also resided in the center of a city block making the front door the only reasonable means of escape. He felt uncomfortable being in a public place with a large group during the day. Informants for Razor could spot him, and with several potential targets around him, he couldn’t guarantee they would all make it out this time.

“Well, might as well get this over with,” he mumbled to himself. Rolling his neck in an attempt to loosen up, Onyx placed his hand on the door. Was he overthinking it? No. It was always wise to be cautious in a situation like this. There was no room for complacency.

Stepping inside the cozy little cafe, the smell of freshly baked pastries, grilled chicken, and freshly brewed coffee filled his nostrils. His mouth watered. The mixed scents of the girls he had saved then caught his attention, overpowering his sense of hunger as his mind changed focus. The pleasant aroma of Sunset’s perfume had quickly become his favorite, most likely because he’s spent the most time with her. As he walked down the aisle of booths and tables, he noticed they were all in a pretty good mood. With friendly smiles plastered on their faces and bright eyes, they easily welcomed him with open arms. Except for Twilight. She welcomed him as her friends did, but with a passing sideways glance Onyx knew she wasn’t being completely sincere. She did well at keeping a friendly face, no doubt with practice. Her friends were convinced. He knew better though; the small hint of apprehension that hid in her pupils was enough for him. That look became all too familiar to him over his lifetime. It unnerved him how she looked at him. Could she see what he truly was?

Meeting the girls at their large booth, Onyx squeezed into the open left hand end next to Sunset. Giving a short wave to everyone, he got comfortable. Resting his left arm on the back of the booth over Sunset’s shoulders and propping a leg on his opposite knee a small yawn escaped. “Where’s the food at,” he asked, his stomach growling loudly. “I’m starving.”

A few cute giggles came from Fluttershy sitting across the table. “Oh, you sure sound like it. Sunset and Pinkie went ahead and ordered for you. It’ll be here soon,” she answered with a sweet tone.

Sunset did her best to hide it, but her cheeks faintly flushed red. Feeling Onyx brush against her sent a flare of warmth throughout her body. Just from sitting close to him, she could feel his body heat radiating off of him like a heater. Despite the warm weather, it was calming; peaceful and soft, much like cuddling up with a blanket next to a warm fire on a winter night. She silently wished he could be a replacement for the blankets she had at home. Having such a handsome cuddle buddy would also be a plus. Even with how he could be dangerous, the way he carried himself with a stern, controlled confidence, made her feel the safest she’s ever been. Sunset stammered, “W-We weren’t sure when you were going to show up, so I- I thought it would be nice if you had some food ready, that’s all.”

Onyx gave a nod of appreciation. It was nice of her to think ahead, although he wanted to look at the menu before. That grilled chicken he smelled was heavenly. Either way, food is food. There’s no sense in complaining when it’s free too. ‘I wonder what Pinkie Pie ordered for me. I hope it’s an apple fritter,’ he thought. Those small chunks of apples with the cinnamon absorbed were his favorite part. An old memory from years ago had begun to resurface at the thought of the perfect apple fritter. There was only one woman he knew who could make one with so much love and care, even gods would try to seize their divine hands on one for themselves in place of fabled ambrosia. As he blinked, the memory faded as though it was never conjured from the depths of his mind.

The caramel latte macchiato Rarity sipped from sat on the table half full. She leaned on her elbow with her head in hand. She held a foxy gaze, taking in the appearance and demeanor of the man before her with the astute calculation of a queenly designer. A sly smirk took her mouth. “So, Oslyx, Rainbow Dash and Applejack were just telling us about your incredible feat of stock brawn. I have to say, it makes a girl wonder just how far you can push your limits,” she spoke with an amorous tone that hinted at her own feminine wandering thoughts. Sunset shot her a quick glare of daggers. Stifling an outburst of laughter, Rainbow and Applejack nudged each other with elbows.

‘Is she hitting on me?’ Onyx wondered. “Yeah, I wish the equipment would handle my full strength, but with a busted shoulder I had to take it easy. Don’t think much of it,” he flatly said. A short silence covered the group. Rarity straightened herself out and awkwardly sipped from her straw. Onyx’s food had finally been served by a waiter who promptly set it down and excused himself. Seeing the BLT sit on the plate in front him, reminded him of meeting Sunset the night before. An apple fritter sat on the side of the plate, and with absolutely zero second thoughts he began to devour the food like a starving animal. It wasn’t as tasty as he had hoped, but he didn’t care.

Applejack broke the silence, hoping to finally confront Sunset about the events of last night that worried everyone so much. She tipped her stetson forward, putting on a steady and stern expression. “Are ya’ finally gonna’ tell what happened last night now that he’s here, Sunset? We waited for him, so it’s your turn to spill the beans. Where were you?”

Onyx stopped his inhalation of his sandwich and spoke through a full mouth, “You haven’t told them yet? Kept your promise longer than I thought you would.”

“What promise,” Twilight asked, her voice filled with worry.

Nervously tapping her fingers on the table, Sunset found the courage to bring up the events of last night at Joe’s Diner. Whatever her friend’s reactions were, she was prepared for it. They deserved to know the truth. “Last night when Joe’s blew up, we both were there. Some men in suits came in and started shooting the place up. Onyx was hurt and…” Her voice became shaky. Bearing through the recent trauma, she swallowed a hard lump in her throat that made a pit in her belly. Regaining her composure, she continued. “If it wasn’t for him I wouldn’t be here. He saved my life, again! I owe him my life, we all do.”

They all did? The same question passed through each of their consciousnesses. The sudden realization of who this man was before them sent the girls into a state of shock. That night flashed in their minds; the fear, the inescapable dread, the horrid sight of seeing those grimey men get beaten to a pulp. The blood, the violence, it was too much for them then and it still was. They had hoped to move on and forget about the whole experience. Seems the universe had other plans. Rarity had fainted, causing Fluttershy to hurriedly fan her face with some spare napkins. Pinkie Pie’s hair slowly started to straighten out and turn a darker pink and the joyful mirth her eyes held had faded, but it bounced back with resilience and her smile unexpectedly had grown even wider, tears forming at the corners of her eyes. Rainbow Dash sunk low into the booth’s seat in disbelief, her eyes glazing over. Applejack lowered her stetson over her face, visibly shaken at the information revealed to her. Twilight began to hyperventilate, her heart pounding against her chest in a futile attempt to escape.

Twilight was right. There was something about this guy that rubbed her the wrong way. It caused her soul to attempt to separate from her body; to flee from the powerful dark magic residing within him. The harmonic magic within her swirled in a chaotic hurricane, slashing at the inner confines of her soul and mind, begging to be let out. Her human body couldn’t handle the power, locking her in a stalemate, unable to move or think.

“So, what h-h-happened after,” a frightened Applejack asked. At the moment, it took every ounce of courage she had to ask that simple question. The information laid out to her was a bit much for her at the moment.

“We were chased. He took me somewhere safe and I stayed the night with him. Not like that, I know what you're thinking,” Sunset exclaimed. “I was scared as hell at first and was freaking out, but without him I still wouldn’t be here! It’s because of him that I survived. He’s the guy from the alley that saved all of us!” Lowering her voice to hiss she continued, “And he’s taken bullets for all of us. He may seem dangerous, but the selfless act of sacrificing himself to make sure I came back to all of you is enough for me to trust him with my life! He’s on our side.”

Sunset pleaded with her friends, trying to make them understand. Onyx wasn’t a threat to them, or Equestria. From what she gathered he was just trying to survive in a world that had no gratitude or kindness for him. It saddened her to come to that conclusion, but it seemed to be the best answer she had at the moment.

Bizarrely enough, the known scaredy-cat Fluttershy still held her kind and cordial attitude. When he had given her that vial of red liquid to heal her cut, she felt the benevolent energy he emitted. To her, he was no different than a bear, only being aggressive when the time called for it to protect something. Her soft teal eyes shed a small tear. She would always be grateful for that night he saved everyone. He didn’t have to heal her or help her in the school’s hall, yet he did out of the kindness of his heart.

Wiping his hands free of crumbs on his pants, Onyx calmly placed his hands on the table in front of him. With the information out, there was no use hiding now. He’d confirm Sunset’s account. Hopefully with this knowledge reaching them they would be open to sharing information on the magical anomalies that took place. Opening his mouth to speak, he stopped. A small glint of light appeared from the rooftop of a building across the street. He thought nothing of it as it disappeared, but a second one appeared on top of the building next to it. His eyes widened as his heart thudded in his chest. Launching his body over the table, he knocked Twilight to the side in the nick of time as a large caliber bullet shattered the window her back was turned to. He wasn’t so lucky though, as the sniper round pierced a golf ball sized hole straight through the right side of his chest and exploded out his back. It knocked him back with the force of a cannon, slamming through the cashier counter and into the wall behind it. The limestone cracked and almost gave way to the force his body pushed against it, leaving a vague indentation in the stone. Blood spilled out his chest like a sick crimson fountain, leaving a dark pool to form at his feet. An agony filled scream erupted from his throat, threatening to tear it apart from the inside out. Counter attack! It’s the only chance you got!

“Everybody get down,” he commanded, through ragged breaths.

The cafe full of customers was sent into a panic, everyone screaming and ducking under the tables and getting behind any cover they could find. Instinct took over with retaliation at the forefront of immediate action. Sliding the pistol he had taken from Golden Bullet out from his pants, a thin black aura of light enveloped the gun as it circulated the trigger and barrel. Taking fast aim, he fired a shot. The black light aura condensed into a solid form of energy that encased the bullet in a shroud of darkness. A powerful shockwave of condensed energy erupted from the barrel as he pulled the trigger, blowing the gun to pieces in the process. The shockwave shattered the remaining windows and deafened everyone in the immediate vicinity.

The glint of glass he saw before shattered into hundreds of small shards, light refracting off of each and every piece. A portion of the building’s roof crumbled to the ground with a headless body following the debris. Tossing the pistol to the side, Onyx attempted to get to his feet, using every bit of strength he could muster. The white hot pain in his chest was too much, but he had to move and get these girls out of here! Coughing up a substantial amount of blood and clenching his teeth, he forced his body to move. Blood caked his lips and continued to freely pour from his chest. Every muscle screamed at the strain and urged him to give in and lay there. Bullshit! He couldn’t give up, not for a single second. A surge of adrenaline pumped through his veins, numbing any pain he had. Getting to the booth the girls were at, he ripped the table top off its post and leaped outside. He yelled back at them, “If you want to make it out of this alive I suggest you stick close to me! Move!”

The Rainbooms quickly followed the command of the booming voice without a second thought. They climbed over the broken glass, huddling behind the makeshift table shield and followed as Onyx stumbled his way to the end of the city block. With the table shield providing cover from any other unseen snipers, the group stopped behind a parked semi-trailer. A brief moment gave them a chance to catch their breath and count heads. There were only six. Where was Twilight? Realizing she was still on the floor of the diner, Onyx urged the rest of them to make it to the next block corner.

“Make a run for it and turn at the laundromat. You’ll see a white door with red markings. Get inside and wait for me,” he told them.

Out of breath, Rainbow Dash yelled back in her own adrenaline surged state. “We’re not going anywhere without Twilight! We have to go back for her!”

This was no time to argue. “I know. Just go,” snapped Onyx. The illusion cast over his face was gone, revealing his true, battle worn face. Sunlight reflected off the sharp canine teeth he bared at her, serving as a reinforcement of his command.

Rainbow Dash took a small step back, frightened at the display. Looking at how scared her other friends were gave her the resolve to get them to safety. She locked eyes with Applejack, who gave a curt nod. “Okay, fine. You better bring her back alive,” Rainbow shouted as she and Applejack herded their friends to his instructions.

As Onyx watched the group turn the corner a small wave of relief washed over him. Now he didn’t have to shepherd a group to safety and could move with no restrictions. Readying himself to make a dash for the cafe, his legs tensed with power. Letting out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding, the concrete sidewalk exploded from his initial push. If there were more snipers, they couldn’t hit what they can’t see. Shots rang out as he flew by, missing him by only inches and kicking up chunks of concrete behind him. As he passed the cafe in a blur, the pink highlights in Twilight's hair made it easy for him to spot her. Reaching through the window, Onyx grabbed the girl’s shirt by the collar and hoisted her on his shoulder in one swift movement as he passed by. With another burst of unworldly speed, Onyx continued on down the street in a flash, only slowing down to turn into an alley. Tensing his powerful legs once more, the power launched him into the air to the third story of a fire escape. With his free hand he grabbed the railing of the fire escape and used the momentum to swing through the air. Landing on another fire escape at the end of the alley, he got to the opposite end and leapt to the ground with a soft thud.

There he spotted the white door with red markings; a circle with two lines converging to the middle, but not touching. Bursting through the door rather clumsily, he slammed it behind him in a hurry. A single wooden staircase was before him and he rushed up it, skipping steps five to six at a time. No other doors existed except for the single one at the top of the staircase bearing the same marks as the one he came in through. All six other girls stood there waiting for him, their faces plastered with shock and fear. A few had slumped against the walls and started to cry. He gently laid Twilight on the floor and made an attempt to move to the door. He couldn't, his body prevented it. Clenching his teeth again, he could feel two of his molars shatter. Just a couple more steps. That’s all he needed, then he could rest.

Something prevented Onyx from moving, the feeling of a soft force pushing on his chest. Through blurry and spotted vision he could barely make out the red and yellow of Sunset’s hair. She was moving her mouth, but her voice was heavily muffled and drowned out by a high pitched ringing in his ears.

As Sunset stood in front of the man on death’s door preventing him from moving any further, she tried to talk to him, to have him explain what just happened. Looking into his eyes, she saw they were glazed over, almost a milky white. Seeing the blood drip from his lips, she stepped back in horror and felt a sticky substance on her hands. Dark red crimson covered her hands. A pit formed in her stomach, and a scream caught in her throat. Why was he always getting hurt when she was around? ‘Is this my fault?’ she asked herself.

The adrenaline surging through his body suddenly came to a halt. It was impossible to breathe, each breath being too short and stinging his working lung. Every fiber of his being strained against the damage as he could feel his body beginning to shut down. Stumbling into the door, he rested his body against it. Trying the doorknob with a weak grip he found it was locked. Through the blood spilling from his mouth he managed to choke out a few simple words and the door’s lock clacked open. Opening the door, he barely took two steps inside the small apartment before crashing to the floor.

‘This is it. They’ll be safe here. They’re in good hands.’ Tunnels formed in his vision and he closed his eyes.

The girls could only watch as Onyx fell, their feet frozen in place. A voice yelped out in surprise from the other side of the doorway, snapping them out of the shell-shock. “Holy shit, Onyx! Come on, man, not again!”

Applejack, Sunset, and Rainbow rushed over to find Joe crouched over his friend’s body. When he noticed the other people outside the door, he recognized the girls that would come into his diner on occasion. If Onyx brought them here it was for a good reason. In the years Joe has known Onyx, everything the man did had meaning. With no time to lose, he left his friend on the ground, rushed the girls inside, carrying Twilight in his arms and setting her on a nearby couch. Applejack kneeled down beside her, staying by her friend’s side.

Joe’s heart pounded in his chest. When he first heard the multiple footsteps coming up the stairs he thought the worst. Hitmen had found the safehouse and came to clean up any witnesses to the bombing at the diner. Seeing his friend pass out with blood pooling from his chest was worse. Clearing off a table with his arm, dishes crashing to the ground, he lifted Onyx onto it. Gripping his shirt, Joe tore the fabric apart and saw how bad the situation was. The hole that pierced through Onyx’s chest was hard to look at. ‘This is really bad,’ he thought. Holding down the building bile in his throat, he pulled his phone out of his pocket to make a call. There wasn’t anything he could do to help, but he knew someone who could. Onyx was still breathing, but only barely. Hopefully, he held out until then.

The soft footsteps of Sunset and Fluttershy caught Joe’s attention as he set his phone down with a shaky sigh. Seeing the sullen expressions on their faces confirmed what he had already assumed. They were with him and saw it happen. Poor girls. Tears dripped off their cheeks as they stood trembling. Sunset, his favorite customer, held her stained crimson hands tightly to her chest. The two gazed at their savior on the table with hollow eyes, broken and unmoving. Biting the inside of his cheek, Joe did the only thing he could do. Throwing his arms around them in a hug, he spoke softly to them with words of encouragement.

“It’s gonna be okay. I know it’s hard to see him like that, but I’ve known Onyx a long time and he always comes out on top in the end,” he whispered, the caring tone of a father being carried on his voice. “Things may look bad, and you probably blame yourselves, but trust me when I say the best thing we can do right now is wait.”

Pulling away from the girls, Joe held a soft and cheerful smile hiding the intense pain he felt blazing in his chest. The only thing he wanted to do was fall to his knees and cry, but not in front of them. Leading the two girls from the kitchen into the small living room, he helped them all get cleaned and patched up. The small cuts on their arms and faces were made quick work with the help of a medkit from the bathroom. Once he was done, Joe left the living room and pulled the curtain that separated the rooms closed.

Joe had been in this exact situation many times before, and he felt sorry for these girls having their first time with it be so bloody. The mercenary on his table had shown up on his doorstep too many times to count, some in worse conditions than he was now. Each time, Joe thought he was dead. By now he thought he would have gotten used to it, but it never got any easier, only harder as the years went by. The thought Onyx may not survive crushed him. Seeing the one and only person Joe could call his best friend, his brother, constantly on the verge of death drove a grief stricken stake through his heart.

“You bastard, now look what you’ve gotten yourself into,” Joe murmured with his voice strained. Leaning over the table, he put his ear to Onyx’s nose. He heard no breathing. Taking Onyx’s limp hand in his own, his eyes began to water and he choked on his own words. “Make it back this time, man. Don’t let those sons of bitches think they got the better of you. You still have a promise to keep Bright Mac.”

Grief twisted Joe’s face as the water works were set free. Gripping his friend’s hand tightly, Joe silently cried. Tears fell from his face and a lump sat in the bottom of his throat. The want to scream out his woes was drowned by his worry of the girls in the next room. What felt like hours passed as he sat there, praying for Onyx to give him some sign that he was still alive, however small it was. Feeling something move in his hand, Joe looked down and saw Onyx’s fingers twitch before giving a soft squeeze. He could barely feel it, and it lasted only a second before it was gone. Joe breathed in deeply, exhilaration filling his body at the feeling. Swallowing the lump in his throat, he wiped his puffy, red eyes. It may have seemed like nothing, but Joe knew this was Onyx telling him to not worry. With a glimmer of hope now resting in his heart and mind, he softly thanked whatever divine beings watched over them.

Gaining a drip of the high confidence Onyx had, Joe stood with a new understanding and conviction. Now, all Joe needed to do was take care of the girls in Onyx’s place. He wasn’t entirely sure why they were here, or what was going on. Onyx never really talked about the jobs he was currently working on. He always liked his privacy, and Joe gave a soft chuckle to himself. Even after knowing him for over twenty years, Onyx still kept his secrets. Joe understood, the line of work Onyx was in carried a great deal of danger in the underworld of Canterlot City; even the slightest bit of information put a price on your head. A passing mention of a highschool was brought up a while ago over some beers, so Joe figured it was relative. If students of the same school were brought here by Onyx’s own hand, he knew there was a strong viable reason. Taking a deep, lungfull breath, Joe steeled his resolve to ask questions on his own behalf. He was sure Onyx would understand; the drive to find out what happened to his best friend took the forefront of his mind.

Joe’s muscles tensed as he balled his fists, a slight anger tensing his muscles. As he let go and let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding, Joe stepped through the curtain and closed it behind him. The thought of his departed daughter holding a step in his course of thoughts, keeping him calm. With a calm demeanor, Joe sat down on an open seat of the same couch Twilight lay on. He folded his hands, and examined the girls around him. They weren’t in good shape. Whatever happened between them and Onyx put an obvious toll on their mental state. Pushing his fatherly instincts to comfort them aside, he began asking questions with a cold professional tone.

“How do you know, Onyx?”

The question brought some of them out of their stupor, looking at Joe with half-dead eyes. Minutes passed, each waiting for someone to take the lead and answer. Eventually, Rainbow Dash braved it and answered. “We almost got mugged, or worse, in an alley. He showed up and… took care of them. He showed up as a new student at school going by the name of Oslyx, and we didn’t know it was the same person, until what just happened,” she answered.

“Heh, sounds like him. What happened,” Joe asked.

“It happened too fast to get a grip on, but the window at the cafe shattered and he ended up on the other side of the cafe. We got outside and he went back for Twilight. Told us to come to a door with red markings, and we came here.”

“That sounds just like him. Always putting the lives of others before himself. The son of a bitch never knows when to quit,” Joe said, grimacing. With Joe’s experience of helping Onyx on a few jobs, he knew it was the work of Razor snipers. “What happened to her?”

As Joe gestured to an unconscious Twilight, Applejack tipped her stetson. “We don’t know. She just stopped movin’ and passed out when she was pushed out of the way.”

“Hm, I’m sure she’ll be fine. Onyx may know how to help, but he’s not in any condition to be doing anything,” said Joe, a hint of worry crossing his face.

“What do we do now,” asked Rainbow, her voice scratching at a high tone.

As Joe took a deep breath, he said, “The only thing we can do is wait. As much as I hate it, only time will tell when Onyx makes it out of this. When he does, he’ll have a plan, no doubt. He always does.”

Sunset Shimmer raised her head from in between her knees. The worry she felt for the man that saved her and her friends had seemed to double from her friends’. She had to know more about him, hoping it would help distract her from blaming herself. If only she hadn’t invited him to lunch. Drying the tears from her eyes, she asked Joe, “Just who is Onyx? Why’d he risk his life for us?”

“It’s not my place to say,” answered Joe. “Onyx is a private guy for a reason, but I can say this. He’s a mercenary that rarely acts like one. He’ll go through Hell and back for someone if he has to, he’s always been like that. If he saved you once, expect him to do it again and again.”

“You keep talking like he’s going to survive! How could anyone live after something like this,” Sunset burst out, frustrated and scared. She was sick of seeing people die, much less her savior.

Joe balled his fists, knuckles turning white. He refused to believe it. “He’s not going to die! He always survives, it doesn't matter what happens, death isn’t an option for him,” yelling out in his own frustration, Joe realized he went too far.

Shaking his head, he left behind the curtain. If there was a door it would have been slammed. With grief fogging his mind, producing a bottle of rum from a cabinet, Joe drank. Onyx was always the one with a plan, always seemed to know what to do in a crisis. Without him in functional condition, Joe felt useless and broken. He wasn’t one to make plans and take action, just a supporter of a mercenary’s jobs.

“You better heal up quick, Onyx. I can’t do this without you.”

Chapter 8 - Soulful Meeting

The moment Twilight could move, she opened her eyes. Only the pure darkness of the surrounding environment met her eyes. From what she could see, a flat and endless tenebrous expanse pulsing with chaotic dark energy stretched on with no end. It reminded her of the astral plane dreamscape Princess Luna often inhabited to watch over the dreams of the citizens of Equestria. The differences, however, were strong; the heavy pressure surrounding her as strong pulses beat down on her body like waves of gravity, the sense of a growing heat, and the utter absence of light. A growing notion moved itself to the front of her mind. This was not the physical plane, it was something else entirely.

Thin ripples of a water-like substance resounded from her still body on the dark wet ground, traveling a short distance before fading and more ripples followed. It was cold, almost freezing. Even though it barely touched the top of her hands, she felt the cold wash over her and stick to her bones. Yet oddly enough her skin didn’t feel wet. Even her clothes were completely dry. There was a small moment of curiosity that was quickly pushed aside. Feeling the smooth black surface under the thin layer of water, she gathered the little strength she had and stood against the pressure. It was difficult at first, but she soon found her balance.

“Hello? Where am I,” she called out, hoping for an answer from somebody, anybody. Her words were met with silence. Not even her own echo came back to greet her.

As a wave of anxiety rushed through her body, heating her face and sending small pricks along her arms, Twilight found herself unsure of what to do. With only a hint that she must be in some sort of astral plane, she began to trudge in an aimless direction to get a hold of her racing mind. Her thoughts drifted from worrying about her friends, and wondering about how she had ended up in this dark place. No spell was cast to separate her astral form from her physical body as her human form greatly restricted her use of magic. The last thing she remembered was seeing the new student, Oslyx, sit down with everyone at the cafe. She felt the same monstrous dark energy as the night in the alley, gripping her heart in icy claws. Then, it was revealed he was the same person. After that she found herself in this oddly empty plane, completely alone and afraid. Wherever she was, she knew she had to find a way out and fast.

She could feel herself slowly growing weaker with every step, her magical energy leaving her body with a will of its own. No, it was being siphoned from her through unknown means. Trying to focus on containing her magic within her body, she quickly found it was no use. This plane she was in was draining her with every second that passed. The few minutes she had been walking felt like days had passed. The passage of time was wrong. Counting her seconds, Twilight lost her train of thought and started over. Shaking her head and holding her shoulders tightly, a feeling of hopelessness seeped into her mind. She felt like she was intruding on a secured enemy fortress with no way out. Was there even a way out?

“You seem lost,” a deep, gravelly voice said from behind her.

Twilight jumped at the sudden inclusion of noise, the first thing she had heard since waking up. As she quickly turned around, her jaw dropped and her heart sank. Sitting on the ground before her rather relaxed and unfazed at the current environment, was the monster from the alley and her newest classmate. That same monstrous energy she felt in the alley radiated off of him, creating a sinister aura so powerful Twilight felt like she was being choked despite standing several yards away. Despair racked her mind, bringing forth the memories of her encounter with Tirek. The dust and smoke of an ill fated catastrophe filled her lungs and the dark clouds of an empty wasteland clouded her mind's eye. Magic flowed wildly outward with gnashing teeth, yet had a sense of control to it; confined like a beast on a leash. The weight and pressure of the environment increased tenfold, almost crushing her beneath her own body. Heat blasted over her, burning her from the inside out. Before Twilight could scream from the pain, the demonic magic dissipated into nothing; condensing itself back into a point within his body. Yet, that ominous feeling Twilight had never left. It gnawed at her from the inside.

As she laid eyes on him, he had a grizzly, scarred appearance that was new to her. Eyeing his shirtless body Twilight could see the wicked carvings of scars painted across his body, and a nasty hole in his chest oozed with a viscous black liquid. It unnerved her a bit to see someone with so many vicious scars, and she was curious to hear how he had gotten them. The idea of living a life to lead to such a mangled body made her uneasy, distrusting. There was no reason she could think of for a person to live with the disastrous consequences of their actions raked into their body. Not without a good reason, and as far as she was concerned there was no reason to kill those men in the alley.

Letting out a deep breath, Twilight calmed herself the best she could. “Where are we,” she asked through shaky breaths.

Cocking his head to the side, Onyx narrowed his piercing eyes. “We’re in the confines of my soul - my soul plane. How and what the hell are you doing here?”

If Twilight heard right, he just said soul plane. She remembered reading a couple books in Equestria regarding the philosophy of souls, and the topic of soul planes appeared in only a few short passages. Soul planes were an ethereal construct of the connecting spiritual energies between one’s mind, body, and soul, where the mind would occupy separate from the corporeal world when the body is gravely injured or close to death. Twilight thought the idea was ridiculous as someone would have to come back from the dead to prove a soul plane was real, and even then the evidence would be purely anecdotal with no physical evidence. Now, seeing it with her own eyes, she believed every word she had read. Excitement flushed away any anxiety she had, driving her want to take notes and document what it was like to experience one firsthand. It was interesting that she was attached to his soul without casting a complex spell to link to it. However, through her scholarly thoughts she quickly realized that if this was Onyx’s soul plane he was in a state of dying. It was a lot to take in so quickly, but she needed to be strong; to find her own answers.

“I- I don’t know how I’m in your soul plane. What I’ve read about them is miniscule, but I know there has to be some perfectly logical reason. If this is your soul plane, what happened to you,” she asked, a slight wavering in her voice.

Onyx shook his head, a cold look on his face. “Damn souls, always ever changing. That being said, I shoved you out of the way, took the bullet instead. Saved your life again,” he responded with a sharp toothed sneer, pointing to the hole in his chest. “Someone’s after you and they’re not being subtle about it.”

Taking a step back, Twilight felt a hard pounding in her chest. “W-what? Why would someone try to kill me?” Twilight exclaimed with eyes of panic.

Why would someone try to take her life? She hasn’t done anything to harm another person, much less create a reason to be killed! This visit to the human world was just supposed to be a break from her royal duties and to divulge more into human technology, not some screwed up game of death.

Standing up with a quiet grunt, Onyx appeared in front of her in the blink of an eye. The imposing stature of him caused Twilight to stumble a few steps back out of fear of the sudden movement. She lifted her arms up in defense, readying herself for a but soon lowered them as she saw he was calmly standing with his arms crossed. He held an impassive expression on his face. Being so close to him, she felt even weaker. Her magical energies being forcibly pulled out of her body towards Onyx, feeling like a silk sheet being lifted off of her. Feeling herself lose control of her legs, Twilight fell to her knees, the freezing watery substance splashing around her.

“I’ve been thinking the same thing,” growled Onyx. “I had some suspicions about you and it seems I wasn’t far off from being right. That magic I sense in you is bound to bring around the wrong kind of people. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen, it doesn't belong in this world. You don’t belong here, Twilight.” Kneeling down to Twilight’s level, he placed a comforting hand on her shoulder and continued, “If these people are after you, I need to know why. Only then can I do a better job at keeping everyone alive.”

Twilight could feel the weight of his hand, not only on her ethereal form, but on her body. It was gentle and had a firmness to it that unexpectedly calmed her. Through heavy eyelids, Twilight stared at the man. She searched his mismatched eyes for any sign of insincerity, but couldn’t find any. Only the light of an unshakable will shone through his bright hazel eye with a fiery intensity. That burning fire she saw in him was similar to the look of her mentor watching over her kingdom; a commitment to keeping those in his care safe. As much as she didn’t want to admit it with her pride as a princess, she was helpless in the human world against conventional weapons.

Even with the original human Twilight Sparkle taking her place they would be in constant danger. The ability to call upon Equestrian magic through the music they played wouldn’t be enough. The power Onyx had, however dark and despairing it was, was probably their best hope. It still didn’t fully convince Twilight he was on their side, but she’d play along for now for the sake of her friends. Stuck in this abstract plane of existence, trapped inside an empty void, there wasn’t any other option then to tell him. So, she told her tale; leaving out some details that she thought would jeopardize the relationship between Onyx and her human friends. If he knew Sunset Shimmer and the original Twilight Sparkle were the cause of so much destruction, she didn’t want to think what he would do.

Onyx listened intently to Twilight’s explanation. He took in every word doing his best to memorize and rationalize each minute detail. From being the Princess of Friendship from a parallel world sent to this dimension to help put a stop to the magical threats that put Equestria at risk, to the power the Rainbooms held within them. To him it made sense. There were stranger things he’d come across in his life, dimension hopping wasn’t exactly new to him either. His intuition told him there was something odd about that statue at Canterlot High. Learning it was a dimensional portal to a world of magical creatures that resided in a realm of Harmony did come like a slap to the face, he didn’t expect it. Thinking back to when he came across Twilight in class, the inhuman scent she had posed a question to him of her true form, but it wasn’t important at the moment. Throwing in the fact the magical anomalies he began investigating were the result of the girls he saved using the magic from Equestria opened more doors then he could shut. He had to admit, if they stopped these threats on their own, maybe there was more to them than just being a bunch of students thrown into unfortunate situations.

Getting a straight answer like this was unsatisfying. Onyx would have liked to play detective and follow the leads he had, but getting information from the source was always the better option. Quick and efficient; mercenary work was better that way. Although he wasn’t exactly getting paid for this personal project he started, there was more at stake than a simple paycheck. The power these girls had would draw the crude crowds that only seek it for themselves. The demon The Crimson Moon Council sent after Sunset was enough for him to know how desperate they might get.

“Damn, sounds like things got a little more complicated. So, this portal to Equestria, is it open now?” he asked, stroking his chin.

Twilight lazily shook her head. “It won’t open until I send a message using a scroll I reverse engineered from Sunset’s book. Until then, it will remain closed.”

“Good.” Rubbing his chin and pacing back and forth, Onyx began to make a plan. Twilight had to go home. She was a liability and at too much risk staying in this world, and since she was royalty there was a great deal on the line if she wound up dead. He never really got along with nobility types, too many snobs and pretentious pricks worried about keeping their reputations. In his books though, Twilight was alright. She appeared to be more absorbed in the lives of those she cared about. He could see a powerful ally in her in the future.

If the original Twilight from this world was still out there, he would need to find her before anyone else did. Hopefully, she was still alive. What really stumped him was how anybody else knew. Sure, the students were there as witnesses, but the anomalies were mainly isolated events. There had to be somebody that witnessed it as an outsider and sent it through the grapevine. Regardless, the information was out there in the underground of the city.

“Let’s get you home then. You’re too much of a liability if you stay here and I can’t have that. Once I’m on my feet again, I’ll get you home safely,” he said, kneeling back down to a weakened Twilight. Seeing her sapped of all energy almost made him feel bad for taking it from her, but it needed to be done. Without it, his body’s healing process would take months to get him on his feet again with the damage he has sustained recently. She owed him anyway, he was just taking it as a favor.

“Why are you helping me?” Twilight asked, holding her hands to her chest with the tone of a scared child.

Upon hearing that simple question, Onyx felt himself freeze in place. He had heard that same question thousands of times and could never give a true answer. He was just doing his job, doing what he knew how to do. “Sometimes a man doesn’t need a reason to do what he knows is right. Getting you home to those you call family is one of these times.”

Twilight struggled to stay sitting up, her body losing all sense of control. She slightly swayed side to side while staying on her knees. She didn’t understand how he was so complacent with the situation; being so close to death and acting like it was a minor inconvenience. “Just what… are you?”

“Just a merc with too much to make up for - promises to keep. That ageless soul of yours holds a weight not many can bear. That’s something we can stand on level ground with,” answered Onyx. The expression on his face was one of deep regret, and his eyes held a deep pit of yearning behind them. A melancholic hole with little hope to be filled.

“What about my friends,” she questioned, her voice quite fragile.

A small smile pulled at the corners of his mouth. Of course she would ask about them. “Don’t worry, they’re safe. Joe from the diner is watching over them.”

Now laying on her back with barely any energy left, Twilight gave a small smile. Perhaps she was wrong about being apprehensive toward Onyx. Her lessons in friendship should have served as strong reminders. The reasons she had were valid; his first impressions were dreadful and somewhat rude. Although, he’s done nothing but himself in harm's way. It’s not everyday a monster capable of empathy is on her side. Well, there was Discord but he’s a special matter. All the fear her heart held for him began to break away bit by bit. Reaching out her hand he gently took it, and Twilight thanked him with a fragile voice. All she wanted to do right now was close her eyes and sink into the cold water beneath her. It was strangely comforting now, washing her mind free of worry. She could feel herself fading away into nothingness, her soul separating from the Chaos and reforming back into its original state of Harmony.

As she faded from the dark ethereal plane, Onyx made a request. A simple one. “When you get back to the waking world, tell Joe to quit drinking my rum will you?”

Shooting up in a frantic state, Twilight struggled to control her breathing. Flailing her arms and legs around, she didn’t notice Applejack got smacked across the face. As her heart rapidly beat in her chest, she took notice of the small, mostly empty apartment through fuzzy vision. Light from a ceiling lamp reflected off the bare white walls and hardwood floor. There was no furniture except for the dusty leather couch she layed on and an unkempt bookshelf with several books carelessly placed on it. Two doors were at the end of the room, one leading to a small bathroom, the other door was shut. She was no longer in the dark place, back in her own body. A feeling of euphoria rushed through her body as her nerves reignited, connecting her mind and body back to her spirit. The fuzz in her vision faded, soon bringing reality back into a clear view.

“Hey, y’all, Twilight’s awake!” The voice of her country grown friend took Twilight’s focus. She couldn’t even begin to explain how good it was to hear Applejack’s voice after being subject to true silence within the soul plane.

Not even a second passed before Pinkie landed on the couch from the air, her body landing squarely on Twilight, and wrapping her in a warm bone crushing hug. “Twilight! I’m so happy you’re awake, now we can throw a Survived an Attempted Assanisation Party!” The poofy haired girl excitedly shouted.

Twilight let out a cheerful giggle. It was one of the stranger parties a Pinkie Pie decided to throw, but as she learned long ago there’s no party like a Pinkie Pie party. Returning the hug, everyone else had hurried over and either joined in or kneeled down in front of the couch. Joy and relief covered their faces at the sight of Twilight’s recovery, a few quiet tears being wiped away

“We were all so worried about you. I’m glad you’re alright,” Fluttershy meekly commented. The girls eagerly nodded in agreement.

“You were out for a few hours, want us to catch you up to speed,” Rainbow questioned, giving a soft nuggie to her newly awakened friend.

Glancing across each face in front of her, she sheepishly rubbed the back of her head. “That’s alright, girls. Onyx gave me the details. I’m just glad everyone is safe.”

Confused and quizzical glances passed around the room. “But, Twilight, how is that possible,” Rarity pressed, her face twisted in confusion. “He’s been - well, out of commission so to speak since we got here. Oh, I do hope his jacket doesn’t have too much filth on it.”

With a soft sigh, Twilight swung her legs forward and sat up. She wasn’t sure how to describe her experience being detached from her body in an astral plane, and there wasn't a guarantee any of them would understand. She honestly was at a loss as well. “Well, I’m not entirely confident on how. The short answer is, I believe it was a type of astral projection created from our magic clashing then coalescing into an astral plane separate from reality where his spirit was as well.”

That didn’t help anyone understand any better as most of them were still confused. Magic was still fairly new to everybody. Sunset on the other hand got the jist of it. She got a little jealous hearing Twilight spoke with Onyx on a level she would never be able to.

“Did he say anything else?” Sunset asked, hoping for some good news.

Twilight scratched her head, thinking for a moment. The memory was a little fuzzy, like it happened years ago. “He said he’d get me back to Equestria safely. And something about Joe drinking his rum? I have to go tell him!”

Leaping to her feet and rushing to the curtain that led to the kitchen, Twilight soon found herself falling instead. Only when she was caught by Applejack and Sunset did she realize the state of exhaustion her body was in. Twilight gave an embarrassed, “Thanks,” before her friends helped her to the curtain. They stopped in front of it, seeing shadows move behind the curtain. Hushed voices came from the kitchen, but as they stayed quiet they could barely make out what was being said.

“Look, I know he already owes your group a few favors, but that elixir is what’s going to turn this corpse back into the monster Razor is so afraid of. Do I need to remind you he gave you the damn recipe for it in the first place?”

“Fine, don’t let this go to your head. He owes me a few personal favors anyway. Get him back in the game and I’ll put some work together for him. I’ll be in touch.”

The front door clicked shut as the unidentified man walked out. Wary of the man, the girls listened to his distant footsteps as he made his way down the stairs. When they were gone the girls peeled the curtain back and shuffled their way into the kitchen. Joe stood in the center, holding a small corked vial of a crimson liquid. The same kind that Fluttershy was given days ago in the alley. He stared at the vial, lost in it, his eyes unmoving as he swirled the liquid around in his hand.

Only when Sunset called out his name did Joe snap out of his stupor. He gave the three girls a drowsy look then waved them over. With a small stumble, he slid the only chair in the kitchen over to the girls. Joe rubbed the bridge of his nose as they sat Twilight down.

“Before you say anything let me apologize for yelling at you,” Joe groaned, a slight headache pushing against his eyes. “It wasn’t right. I’ve seen him like this more than I care for, but it still scares me everytime.”

Applejack and Sunset share a deep look of understanding. They get it. If one of their friends got in an accident, they’d be shaken up too. Twilight scanned Joe’s drunken face, familiar with the look after staring in the mirror after one too many glasses of wine at her castle. She could see the pain he was trying to dull with booze.

“Aw, don’t worry ‘bout it none, sugarcube,” Applejack forgivingly pawed the air. “We’re all a bit shaken up good. It’s understandable.”

An ache caught in Joe’s throat seeing the farm hand wave his outburst off. She was so much like her parents. It pained him to see her in the moment, but she was strong willed. If Bright Mac and Pear Butter were still alive they would be proud of her. “Yeah, I guess you’re right,” he replied, hiding the aching in his throat that threatened to crack his voice.

The creaking of the old apartment’s floors filled the kitchen as a short silence fell upon it. The countertop groaned against Joe’s weight as he shuffled over and leaned against it. His sore eyes fell over the girls. They had something to say, but looked nervous to bring it up to him in his inebriated state. As he reached for another swig of rum, he was stopped.

“Wait, Joe! Onyx said that was his,” Twilight burst out, reaching her arms toward him. There was a glimmer in her eyes that caught him off guard.

Bringing the bottle away from his lips, he arched his brow. How did she know that? She was out cold when they arrived… unless. A sudden realization came to him. Joe was aware of the soul plane as Onyx had explained it to him a few times. He never could fully wrap his head around it as magic and its complex intricacies was Onyx’s forte.

Setting the bottle down, Joe’s green eyes locked with Twilight’s purple. “So… you talked to him,” he murmured.

Twilight nodded. “It sounded important to him,” she said with a half smile, shrugging her shoulders.

“And the one thing that stingy ass has to say to me is to keep off his booze.” As he ran his hand through his hair, Joe quietly laughed to himself, gleeful tears slowly pooling at the corners of his eyes. Out of the corner of his eye, Joe swore he saw a raised middle finger from his half-dead buddy.

Gripping the elixir tight in his hand, the green eyed baker staggered to the oak dining table being used as a temporary examination table. Brushing the loose fabric of Onyx’s shirt aside, he took a long look at the hole punched through the mercenary’s chest that showed the bloodied wood underneath. Joe’s nose flinched at the stench of a metallic tang. To his surprise, the wound showed signs of closing itself. A thin white outline of newly scarred tissue was present on the outside perimeter. With a smirk, Joe uncorked the vial. ‘Always coming back from the brink, aye buddy?’

Shoving his fingers in Onyx’s mouth, Joe pried open the stiff jaw. He poured half of the vial’s contents in Onyx’s mouth and the other half in the chest hole. As he did so, Applejack and Sunset joined him. Leaning on the table, they watched as the elixir was quickly absorbed by the bloodied body of their savior. In a few short moments they could visibly see the miracle Kool-aid slowly piece together an appalling spider web of flesh and tissue. Skin was regrown, the punctured lung was closed, and the hole was filled. The only mark left behind was a white penny sized dot serving as another stark reminder; an addition to a large collection Onyx would never forget.

Joe gave a soft pat to the robust chest of best friend and turned to the girls with a hope filled smile. “It’s a pretty neat site. Keep staring at my boy and I’ll have to start charging’ you,'' he laughed.

Sunset’s face flushed red and she turned away. “I- I wasn’t…”

“We’re all adults here, Sunset. No shame in admiring him,” Joe said, giving her a playful nudge. “I’ll even give you a discount since you’re my favorite customer.”

A soft giggle came from Twilight and Sunset soon joined in, shaking her head at the thought. On the other hand, Applejack found herself lost in her thoughts. She stared intently at Onyx, trying her best to figure out why he seemed so familiar. A few days ago, she had never seen his face before. Or had she? That sense of familial familiarity didn’t go away. Memories that didn’t quite seem to be hers floated to the surface, creating a blurry collection of scrapbook polaroids. Deep down she knew there was something to it. She was confident in her memory, but he was the one thing she couldn't get a clear hold of. Seeing the faces of her mother and father for the last time was clear as day, she could never forget the love they still showed in their smiles at the casket viewings.

Closing her eyes tight, Applejack tried to call upon the names and faces of each extended family member in the large Apple family. Aunts, uncles, and cousins twice removed came back to her, all except one. When her parents were still alive, there was a man her father told her to call uncle. At the time she understood he wasn’t really her uncle, but a very good friend of the family. He disappeared shortly after the passing of her parents. Despite digging into the deepest recesses of her memory, there was almost nothing Applejack could remember about him. Only a blurry glimpse of being carried in the man’s arms as her mother and brother walked alongside them down the long driveway of their farm.

It couldn’t be the same person, Applejack was sure of it. It wouldn’t make any sense if it was. Aside from his gruff appearance Onyx seemed so young, not much older than her. Through the scars and caked blood, she could spot the youthfulness in his strong features. He carried a visage of strength and purpose with stoic expressions and hardened eyes; jarring yet caring through the compassionate flame in his eyes. It frustrated her that she couldn’t put the pieces together. Out of every person she’s met she figured a man with such an imposing look wouldn’t escape her. Gripping the table with enough force to scratch it, Applejack let out a forceful huff of air from her nose.

Feeling a hand caress her arm, Applejack whipped around to meet Sunset’s concerned eyes. “Are you okay,” she asked.

Forcing a smile to hide the frustration, Applejack flicked her stetson up and nodded. “Just ‘bout as good as I can be. I’m just wonderin’ what we could do to repay him and coming up with nothin’.”

Sunset noticed her friend’s smile falter and the corners of her mouth droop. It was one of Applejack’s lies. She could feel the turmoil Applejack’s mind was in, swirling with confusion and heartache. The want to press her friend for the truth was pushed out of Sunset’s mind. There was enough stress going around, causing more wouldn’t be any help.

“Same here, AJ,” replied Sunset, looking down at her feet. Bringing her face back up to meet Applejack’s, they stared into each other's eyes with a conviction to do what they could, however trivial it might be. Repaying a debt as great as theirs wouldn’t be easy, but they were prepared for it.

Author's Note

Getting back into writing so I plan to keep a steady flow of chapters coming out. I stepped away from the fandom for a while to focus on work and missed it. Also, I'm glad to see there's some of you enjoying what I've put out. Feels good, man!