Grand Fantasy: A Strange New Worldby Chewed PencilChaptersOld Enemies and Magic CirclesStars and DogsPonies and WolvesDeep into the BreachOld Enemies and Magic CirclesSilverfang felt like he was floating, drifting through the eternal night that plagued his unconscious mind. His large, bulky form was curled into a fetal position, and his steel grey fur seemed to move as if he were underwater. It wasn’t long before he cracked open one of his golden eyes to peer out into his mindscape. Like most mortals, his mental plane was an amorphous place from some old memory. His own mindscape was still somewhat sharper than most, a small hill looking over an expansive field of amber grains. He was now leaning against a massive tree that crowned the old hill; acorns could be seen littering the ground around him. He was much younger now, still not an adult in the eyes of his pack. He felt a pressure on his right shoulder and another on his left leg. The pressure on his shoulder was that of a young human girl, her golden blond hair was blowing gently in the wind. The pressure on his leg was that of a goblin child, no older than twelve. His cropped, blazing red hair greatly contrasted to his olive skin. The goblin’s bulbous nose twitched as if he was inhaling the scent of some ethereal feast. Silverfang smiled. This was one of his fondest memories before the Empire invaded the Wild Lands, a large expanse that belonged to the non-human races of Rathia. He could feel something tugging at the back of his mind, something he knew he needed to do, yet the memory made all of his worries fade away. His comrades were safe. The tugging was far more insistent. That was right, his comrades weren’t safe. They needed him to rescue them, but the problem was how? Silverfang slowly regained consciousness, a groan escaping his matted muzzle. He was chained down onto the floor in a darkly lit room; the torches on the walls gave off a strange purple color. Magefyre… He thought. I must be in some sort of laboratory. He groaned again as his body rebelled against his slight movements. He turned his head as slowly as possible to look at the large runic circle that surrounded him. He wasn’t much for magic, but he recognized some of the symbols. This was a banishment circle. “I see you are finally awake old friend…” An aged voice greeted from the dark recesses of the room. A somewhat tall human walked into the light, revealing his ancient features. He wore a regal burgundy and gold outfit and a small golden crown atop his wrinkled brow. He no longer had any hair on his head, but his beard more than made up for it. The old man had three perpendicular scars on his left cheek, it still looked somewhat fresh. This man was the Mage Emperor himself, Nathael the Fierce. “I am no friend of yours tyrant.” Silverfang replied coldly. Despite how young Silver would look to a human, he was almost as old as the Emperor. “Tsk, tsk… Did that bitch of a mother ever teach you to respect your elders?” The Emperor retorted. Silver knew that Nathael was trying to insult his mother, yet the term ‘bitch’ was a common word to his people. Silverfang growled as menacingly as his pained body would allow. “I should have to punish you for that.” Lightning erupted from the sigil the Emperor drew in the air. Pain lanced through Silver’s body as his back arched and he roared. The old emperor only laughed as the smell of ozone filled the dank room. “Don’t worry Lycan, I won’t kill you. I have something much more special in mind for you” The malevolent tone in the emperor’s voice just seemed to drool from his mouth. “I am going to test a new type of magic on you. By combining a Banishing circle with Runes of Teleportation, I theorize that you will be thrown across the realms of creation.” Nathael grinned madly, his eyes sparkling with hidden, homicidal thoughts. “You won’t die at first, instead you will watch from afar as I slowly crush your measly resistance force. It is said that those who go to the outer realms gain extraordinary abilities. Too bad you won’t be able to use them against me!” Silver could feel the circle heat up and start to glow around him. No, NO! He wouldn’t accept this. He can’t accept this ultimate defeat! Not while the others needed him to rescue them! The magic grew stronger, the air around Silverfang felt oppressive, almost as if it were compacting him into a single point. “I WILL BE BACK NATHAEL! NO MATTER WHAT HORRORS I FACE , I WILL RETURN TO DESTROY YOU!” The Lycan roared at the ancient human. “WITH THE MOON GODDESS AS MY WITNESS, I WILL DESTRO-“ Silverfang was cut off as the magic took effect and he disappeared in a large flash of dark flames. The magic was fading from the room and the temporary portal disappeared completely. “I will hold you to it… Old friend…” ((AN: I know that I had said that I wanted to get into Broken Horn a little more before starting this, but I was hit with the large, wooden bat of inspiration. Once I started writing, I just couldn't stop!)) Stars and DogsStar Shower sighed as she trotted towards the Dark Lyre Woods, shaking her white mane. This particular forest was famous for the strange melodies that can be heard on a particularly windy day as the wind blows through the oddly shaped needles. The town of Treble that sat on its edge was founded by ancient musicians that came to listen to the haunting melodies. She double checked her saddlebags to make sure she had all the supplies she needed to examine the star that fell sometime in the night. Metallurgical book, check. Ropes, check. Astronomy book, check. She even remembered to bring a small blackjack just incase she had to defend herself in the forest. The forest itself wasn’t dangerous; in fact, many ponies would sit amongst the trees and listen to the music. Although, lately, many ponies were disappearing and Mayor Fault, a skinny, dirt brown earth pony with a cobalt mane, had requested that nopony to enter the forest until the detatchment of Royal Guards arrived to patrol the forest. Being the resident astronomer and scientist made her the first choice in investigating the fallen star that fell into the forest late last night. Star still wished that she could wait for the Guards to show up, but she had told the mayor that she could defend herself if necessary. According to her calculations, Star was certain that she was getting closer to the impact zone. Although, the burnt ozone scent that assaulted her sensitive nostrils was another indicator that she was nearing her destination. Star turned around swiftly as she heard something rustling in the bushes only to see a small rabbit dash out and run away. She sighed and lowered the blackjack back into her saddlebag. She didn’t even realize that she had drawn it. Star Shower trotted into a large clearing, or it used to be a smaller clearing until the star had crashed into it. There were broken and burnt trees scattered all about the edge of the large, blackened pit that jutted out like a ribcage out of a rotting corpse. The destruction and decay around her was almost too much to bear. She could see burnt corpses of small creatures that couldn’t get away in time and were consumed by the intense flames from the star’s impact. Carefully, she slid down as fast as she cold without disturbing the pit too much. It really wasn’t all that hard, because the dirt had been melted into glass and stone was melted. Then, she saw it. It wasn’t a star as she had thought, but rather a large, wolf-like creature that lay unconscious inside a circle of strange symbols. As soon as she reached the still form, the runes that were burnt into the ground around it faintly flashed a deep purple and disappeared completely. The creature itself resembled something like a Diamond Dog, only much larger and hairier. It had strange symbols carved into the tops of its paws; leaving large white scars were the fur wouldn’t grow. The runes on each paw were different, although the smaller sets of runes in its palms were identical. A noise. It sounded like something scrabbling down a smooth surface. Star turned too late, three large, black Diamond Dogs slammed into her and sent her flying to the other side of the pit. The middle Dog crept up to her and went to grab her, only to have a large paw grab onto his leg and a gravely voice growl at him in some strange tounge. Silverfang awoke to find himself in the bottom of a hardened pit with a strange, deep dark blue horse fly over him. Looking around, he saw three odd looking Lycans wearing some sort of bandoliers that held different types of gems. They obviously had something sinister in mind for the strange horse, so when the tallest one walked past him; he grabbed its leg and growled. “Don’t even think about it.” Silver wrenched his other arm free, the chains breaking free of the hardened earth, and whipped the chain around the black Lycans legs. The creature yelped and fell to the ground as the other two rushed towards their fallen companion to aid him against the strange creature in the pit. They pointed their spears at Silver, only to have him rip his left arm free and grab one of the spears. “Fyurea” The Lycan whispered as the Flame Sigil on his left paw began to glow, catching his paw aflame. The black dogs leapt back in surprise as the spear haft burnt away in the grey creatures flaming paw. They struggled to get back up and did their best to flee from the fiery wolf. Wrenching the chains off of his feet, Silver stood and rubbed his raw wrists. There was something about him that felt off. He felt younger, stronger, and much much more alive. He turned to the strange horse, which was now shaking and sitting in a puddle of its own urine and had a small blackjack that was wrapped in a green glow that matched the glow on its horn. “Are you al-” He was cut off as the blackjack came and cracked into his skull, stunning him. Didn’t he just get finished saving this damned horse/unicorn thing? He could feel the blackjack crack him a few more times before he completely lost consciousness again. ((AN: I know this chapter is kinda short, but It was a good stopping point and I didn't want to have a super massive chapter. So I cut it up and the rest would be chapter three. Now, Silver may seem like a Gary Stu, but I will be amending some of that in later chapters. He has always had the sigils on his hands so those will possibly stay.)) Ponies and WolvesOh Celestia… I think I killed it.. Star worried as she was dragging the body of the strange Dog through the forest, its head had a nasty gash from where she kept hitting it. You really messed things up this time Star! This thing saves you and you reward him with a nice bludgeoning. Really smooth. She was dragging the creature on a makeshift litter made mostly of rope and a few burnt sticks that didn’t turn to ash when she grabbed them. The least you could do is attempt to apologize, that is if it can even understand you. Gah, what if it decides to burn down the town! I don’t think that there is much anypony can do against it. I mean it summoned bucking FIRE and ripped the chains from the ground like it was butter. Star reached her observatory/home that lay near the edge of town, her mane somewhat frazzled by the time she got to the door. It was close enough to be part of the town, yet far enough so she could have some privacy. Last thing she needed right now was some stupid pony barging in and seeing the creature. Diamond Dogs were not very well like around here, despite what the Alpha tried to do to start friendly relations with the ponies of Treble. Guh! Why did it have to be so HEAVY!She thought to herself as she lifted it with her magic. She slowly laid the creature onto a small pile of cushions that she had piled up in the corner of her ‘living room’. Star sighed with relief as she canceled the magic and grabbed the first aid kit from the other room; she didn’t have to even look to find it. She knew exactly where it was seeing as she was prone to injury when she was concentrating on taking notes. She quickly, and precisely, applied a bandage wrap around the creature’s skull and gave it a quick peck out of habit. It was something her mother always did and it always seemed to help make the pain go away. She only hoped that the creature wasn’t conscious. Thump thump thump Star literally jumped at the noise. Somepony was at her door! She had to hide the creature just in case so she threw the large sheet that she used to cover her giant telescope before heading to the door. “Y-yes? May I h-help you?” Star asked as she opened the door. Mayor Fault gave her a wide beaming grin. “So?Didyoufindit?Whatdiditlooklike?Isitinthere?Whatisitmadeof?” The mayor asked in quick succession. Not stopping to take a breath. Star stared back blankly for a minute, totally forgetting that she was supposed to be finding a fallen star. The mayor returned her stare before Star spoke up. “O-oh… Um, it seems to have burned up into a tiny piece that embedded itself into the ground….” She lied quickly, that was one of her strong points. “The, um, ground was melted and hardened so nopony can dig it up…. I’m sorry?” she added. Not sure what to expect. Mayor Fault frowned, not an angry frown, but a sad frown. “Oh, too bad then. You must feel sad that you didn’t get to study a real star and hold it in your hoof.” Star rolled her eyes. The mayor wasn’t at all stupid, just simple minded. This made him seem younger than one would think if they saw him from afar. “Thanks Mayor Fault, but I think I need to get some sleep now. Goodbye!” Star quickly said and closed the door in his muzzle. Whew, good thing that was over. It wasn’t that she didn’t like the mayor, but the thought of him finding a large creature that strongly resembled a Diamond Dog in her home was not something she wanted to deal with right now. First though, she needed to get cleaned up. She was starting to smell. Silverfang awoke with a groan. His head was pounding like one of the old Lycan war drums from his youth. Next time, don’t save the horse Silver… He told himself, pushing the large sheet that he had woken up under to the side. He slowly opened one of his eyes, squinting in the dull light that hurt his eyes. His head hurt, a lot. It looked to be some sort of observatory, though it was far more advanced than the ones he had seen in his travels. There was a massive brass telescope with several diamonds and sapphires adorning the large tube. The ceiling itself was cracked open to reveal the night sky and it looked like it could be closed again, but the mechanism behind he strange device escaped him. He slowly rose to his paws and stumbled under the disorientation of such a swift motion with a massive headache. Goddess… Silver prayed, looking towards the moon through the hole in the roof. The moon had what looked like a unicorn spot on it rather than a wolf. Maybe this strange place had a moon goddess as well. What have I done to deserve this? Silver heard what sounded like rain, yet the sky was clear of most clouds. It also sounded like it was coming from inside. Silver decided to investigate. He made his way closer to the sound, down a long curving hallway. He realized that the hallway probably reached all the way around, encircling the middle room. There were several doors that he passed; most were empty or full of books and boxes full of strange devices or softly glowing gems. He reached the room that was making the strange rain noise. The door itself had a sign on it like the others, all in a strange, swirling font that he didn’t recognize. Upon pressing his ear to the door, he could hear a strange, melodic voice singing despite the light downpour that could be heard inside. Silver opened the door and saw what could only be described as a tall, misted, glass box that was set into the wall with a silver nozzle poking out of on of the smaller walls. The nozzle itself was the source of the rain noises; it was spraying small streams of water down onto a large, dark blurry blob that was hard to see through the misted glass. The blob had stopped singing and wiped some of the mist off of the glass and stared in shock at Silver, his head cocked to the side in curiosity. “Um… Hello?” He greeted the midnight blue unicorn that had knocked him out earlier. He wasn’t too sore about it, except the headache, and was quite sure he would have done the same thing in her position. It wasn’t everyday you see a Lycanthrope summon fire without the aid of a shaman’s staff. Even then, Lycans preferred to use Shadow and Ice magics. The unicorn gave out a shrill, yet still strangely melodic, scream that made Silver cup his sensitive ears in his paws and curl up on the floor. “GAH!” He cried over the noise. “Please stop!” ********************************************************************************************************************************************************** Star was blushing incessantly as she and the large Diamond Dog sat across from each other at a small, round table. She was mostly embarrassed because she had almost forgotten about him during her nice, warm shower. The creature was still rubbing his ears after her loud scream. Several of the patrolling guards, who finally arrived, came to check on her, but she said it was just a large spider. They gave her a look that told her that they accepted the story, but were still reluctant to believe her. She gave a meek smile to the creature. “So.. What is you name?” The Dog only cocked its head in confusion and shook his head to say that he didn’t understand her. Which was understandable, some of the DD packs spoke in their own languages; especially the older packs that lived deeper in Gem Fido, the Diamond Dog lands. Star only sighed and shook her head. “My name is Star Shower.” She pointed to herself. “Star Sho-wer.” She then pointed to the Dog. Who are you?” The Dog seemed to understand what she was doing and pointed to her. “Staaa-r Sh-oowe-r.” It had said, his voice was definitely masculine; harsh and had a growl in it, but still masculine. He then pointed to his chest. “Silverfang.” Okay, so his name is Silverfang, an odd name to be sure, but who am I to judge. I did attack him after he had saved me. She thought to herself. The first thing she would have to do was teach the Dog some Equestrian so they could communicate. It was going to be a long day today. It was well into the after noon, and Star still hadn’t slept since she found Silver last night. She was starting to get dark bags under her eyes; not that you could see them very well, but they were there. Silver had learned enough Equestrian for simple communication, but it was choppy at best. He could read better than he could speak, his voice was too gravely to get some of the higher tones for some words. They had been talking about his world for most of this time, a Rathia or something. He spoke of his tribe of Lycans(Whatever they were…) that were arctic nomads that lived in the farthest reaches of the Wildlands. She suspected that the Wilds were just uncivilized territory at first, but he had corrected her by telling her of the other races that lived in the diverse landscape. He told her of the sly miners known as Goblins that lived in the mountain regions that were on the eastern edges of the Wilds. They shared their mines with the Dwarves, short, stocky ‘humanoid’ creatures that had an affinity to metalworking. She had no idea what ‘humanoid’ meant, but he said that the Humans were tall, walking, hairless monkeys that were mostly aggressive to all the races in the Wilds and called them monsters. She already didn’t like these Humans. He had also told her about Giants, Elves, Dryads, and even Fairies. He seemed surprised when she had told him that Dragons also existed here as well. The Dragons from Rathia were mostly reclusive, only attacking when their hoards were threatened. She then spent awhile talking to him about Equestrian and its main three races of ponies; the strong and able Earth Ponies, the swift and brash Pegasi, and the regal and intelligent Unicorns. She explained all of their main roles in society and the natural magics which each race had. She also told him about the Diamond Dogs and how much he resembled them. Silver’s stomach growled loudly as they had finished exchanging information about each other and he grinned at her, showing her his large, and very sharp, teeth. I really don’t like where this is going. She thought as she chuckled nervously. “Are you hungry? I don’t have any meat, but I want to see if you could, um, well eat gems?” She stated as a question. “Yes am hungry. Eat gems I don’t think can.” Silver replied in his broken Equestrian. Star beamed and forgot about his creepy grin when she realized that she would be able to experiment with the Lycan. Oh Luna, this will be fun. Eeheheheheheh… Star Shower dashed off into one of her storage rooms and grabbed a ruby and a sapphire with her magic. She returned and placed them in from of him. “Come on, I want to see if Di- I mean if Lycans can really eat gems.” Silver frowned; he never really liked being called a Dog, mostly because of his first impressions of them back at the impact site. Silver looked at the glistening ruby that he now held in his claws; it was small, about the size of a pebble, and shined with a strange light. He gave it a cautious lick, a look of surprise broke out on his face. It tasted like a cherry rather than a stone. He gave it a small nibble, surprised that his fangs even crushed the corner, filling his mouth with a powdery cherry taste. “How is possible?” He asked Star, who was sitting on the other side of the table writing notes in a large book that she carried with her magic. “Well, Diamond Dogs are able to eat gems because of their strong jaws. Same with the Dragons as well.” She explained. “Diamond Dogs can also use their claws to dig through the earth and rend various metals.” “Gems much harder in Rathia. Not complain, gems tasty!” HE said as he popped the rest of the gem into his mouth, savoring the sweet cherry flavor. Star giggled and asked. “What does it taste like? They just taste like rocks to me.” “Like cherry fruit. Only powder.” Star glanced at the sapphire that he now popped into his mouth, a strong tangy taste followed as he demolished the gem. “Tart… But tasty.” He said musingly. He hadn’t tasted anything like it before. “Oh then it probably tastes like a razzleberry. They are blue as well.” She explained. Silver was really liking these gems, but they quickly filled him up. Star looked like she was slightly relieved that he could eat gems, did she not like meat? “What you eat?” He asked curiously, after her stomach growled. “I mostly eat oats and other grains, but I like to eat cake most of all.” She replied, getting up to make her a small salad. Silver was amazed by the strange devices that they had here, like the ‘refrigerator’ that she opened. It kept things cold no matter what the temperature was outside of the box. She also explained about the glass box being a ‘shower’ where one goes to get cleaned. It was almost like a compact stream that could become hotter with the twist of a dial. She returned to the table with a small tossed salad that she proceeded to demolish in front of him. “Ponies *Munch* are herbivores *Crunch munch* and can only eat *Slurp* plants.” Star had a bad habit of talking when she was eating; it came with being a recluse and not having to care what others think of her eating habits. After Star finished she apologized. “Sorry… I am not used to company.” She looked ashamed and embarrassed. “No matter. Is healthy to eats.” He had a similar experience when he first met Bethany, Emperor Nathael’s grand daughter in his den. He had eaten much like Star did, and it had off put Bethany. “Oh!” Star suddenly remembered. “I have to meet with Lyra today! I’m sorry, but could you stay here?” She pleaded. “Just don’t answer the door and don’t eat all of my gems!” She had barreled out of the door and dashed towards Treble. Crap crap crap! I’m late late late! Lyra is going to kill me! Star cried to herself. She and Lyra Heartstrings had been friends since foalhood, but they went their own ways when it came time to start their apprenticeships. Star had stayed in Canterlot, while Lyra went off to Manehattan and then to Ponyville. Star had decided to live in Trebles old observatory when she was given the chance. She knew Lyra had to at least visit the Dark Lyre Woods once or twice. “Did you hear…” “… Heard that another one disappeared…” “…another unicorn too, the poor dear.” “She was a pretty green too…” Star stopped to listen to the rumors for a moment, steadily getting more worried. “Can you tell me more?” Star asked one of the mares that were talking to each other at the small café. They looked at her with a look that told her that they didn’t appreciate being interrupted, but then they caught her worried look and told her. “Poor unicorn mare from Ponyville was seen captured by those Tartarus damned Dogs earlier this morning before the Guards got here. I can’t remember her name though. I think it had to do with an instrument?” The first mare said. “I know she was a nice mint green color with a lyre cutie mark-“ The second said before she realized that Star was already gone. Deep into the BreachSilver was busy practicing his Equestrian with himself in the bathroom when he heard the door practically burst open and Star screaming. “SILVER! WHERE ARE YOU!” Silver popped his head out of the bathroom and saw Star running through the circular hallway. “In water room.” He said as she screeched to a halt, sliding past him. She looked determined and scared at the same time. “I need your help! You remember those DDogs from the crater?! They captured one of my friends and I need you to help me rescue her!” She practically yelled at him. “Why.” Was all he asked. As much as he didn’t like the Dogs, he still didn’t want to kill them. “They capture ponies and use them as slaves in their warrens hauling and digging up gems for them. You got to help me rescue Lyra, she doesn’t deserve that kind of fate!” Star was determined to rescue her friend, with or without Silver. Silver felt anger well up inside him, an old scar on his back started to ache. He knew all too well about slavery and the cruelty their captors could inflict on them. “We go… Now.” He said as his face contorted in anger. A low growl emanated from his throat that made Star shrink back. Silver motioned for Star to show him the way and she dashed off at a full gallop out of the observatory and towards the Equestrian/ Gem Fido border. Silver was hot on her tail. Two Royal Guards were patrolling when they saw a large, grey Diamond Dog chasing a small, midnight blue unicorn. Instantly taking action they followed, yelling. “STOP RIGHT THERE CRIMINAL SCUM!” Star looked back at the two guards, one was a brown unicorn and the other was a white Pegasus, and said. “Hurry up then! Follow us!” They slowed down for a moment, confused by her reply before picking up the pace. Something was going down and they could probably get promoted for helping out or even by capturing the giant Diamond Dog. Silver and the small group arrived at the warren of the Onyxjaw pack, they were called that because the earth they dug through was full of dusty, black coal that coated their fur. It made each and every one of them black as night. Because the mines were full of coal dust, they captured slaves to dig up the gems so that they wouldn’t have to deal with the dust. The Guards looked as if they were going to speak up, but Silver held up a claw to silence them. “Shhh, quiet time now.” He said. They looked at each other and said softly. “And just what is this Dog doing?” They asked Star. She glared at them almost as hard as Silver had. “Helping me rescue my friend of course! Now stay quiet.” She looked up and asked. “Just what do we do Silver?” Silver looked at the opening of the mines and at the two, short, squat guards that stood there with bored faces. “We kill…” This put a scared and disgusted face on all three ponies as Silver continued. “They no have right for life… They must be cleansed.” Star saw the passing look on Silver’s face. What was he thinking about? Silver grimaced and spoke. “Fakest” And a sheet of ice formed over his right claw, forming a wicked blade of pure blue ice. Star and the guards looked at his claw in surprise. Just how did he use magic? Only unicorns could use magic. Before they could protest, Silver was already walking calmly towards the Dogs. “Halt! No further!” The taller of the two coal coated Dogs commanded. Spears lowered towards him. Silver emanated what could only be described as ‘Killing Intent’. Even Star and the Royal Guards cringed as the wave of malevolence hit them. This was definitely not a creature you wanted to mess with. The two Dogs whimpered and curled up into a fetal position as they cried. “Don’t hurt us!” Silver didn’t even stop walking as his ice blade swept through their necks, blood spraying and staining the nearby earth. “No deserve life….” Was all he said to their corpses as he continued in. Star and the Guards looked at each other till Star spoke up. “Let’s get going… He might need us.” But before she could start, the unicorn guards said. “I highly doubt that he will need our help…” The Pegasus agreed. “Yeah, did you feel that oppressive feeling! He could defeat them by just staring at them.” Star was starting to get annoyed. “What? Are you two little scaredy-foals? Come on! We at least need to try.” The Guards sighed and followed her into the cave. Bodies already littered the dark cave, some were just sliced, but others were charred to a crisp. The stench of death was extremely overpowering and caused Star to vomit several times before she stopped smelling it. The Guards were doing their best to hold everything down their lunches, their faces were stoic and had a green tinge to it. What did Silver do? I mean it is obvious, but he seems to be in his own little world… Silver continued deep into the mines towards the smell of filth and rot, smells one would expect in a slave pit. The Diamond Dogs had been becoming much more wary, and had started to try and ambush him. He had just finished with another group and it had covered his fur in blood, giving him a monstrous look. He stood in front of a large door made of iron bars. He grabbed the bars and gave them a shake. They were very sturdy and would probably take too long to melt with fire and too hard for his blade. He thought back to when Star had explained about Diamond Dogs having the ability to cut through metal and earth with their claws. He looked down to his left claws, which were now fully extended. He gave the gate an experimental prod, the claw sank in like he was cutting butter. Silver grinned and slashed at the bars a few times, leaving a large hole in the gate. He stepped into a massive cave that held many ponies and eagle/lion creatures in chains. There were even some Dogs in chains. When he entered, several of the guard Dogs looked up at him and roared at him and charged him. They were much faster and stronger than their smaller counterparts from the outer tunnels. They had barreled into him and knocked him off of his feet. He knocked them back with a fierce kick and righted himself, giving them a hard stare and a loud growl. They charged again, but he was ready this time. The Guard Dogs rushed towards him, only to meet air. Silver was already behind them with bloodied blade resting at his side. The Dogs looked behind them only to fall into halves. All of the slaves had abandoned their work and all sat in the furthest corner from Silver, fearing this bloodied reaper that walked towards them. He stopped in front of a single bloodied unicorn that stood in defiance of him. “I won’t let you harm these poor ponies, MONSTER!” She yelled at him. When she called him a monster, Silver cringed and looked at his own bloodied form. “LYRA!” A voice cried behind him. Star dashed over and gripped Lyra in a crushing hug. “Owowowowow!” Lyra cried. “That hurts Star!” Star sheepishly let go. “I-I’m sorry, I just was so worried about you.” Lyra glanced at Silver and asked. “What is this Dog doing here? Why did he kill his own kind?” Star sighed and explained what Silver was. “He is not a Diamond Dog, or at least I don’t think so. He says he is a Lycanthrope from a place called Rathia or something. I don’t really know how he got here though. It all sounds crazy to me.” Star paused and said. “We need to get out of here before the Alpha gets here. Come on everypony! Follow us and be free!” The slaves cautiously followed Star and Silver to the exit, cringing at the bright sunlight. Outside, there was the entire regiment of Royal Guards waiting. “Halt!” An older green unicorn in battered silver armor cried. The entire group of emerging slaves stopped and worriedly glanced to Star and Silver. The two Guards who were with them walked forwards and responded. “Captain Jade, sir!” Captain Jade acknowledged the two Guards. “Private Forecast and Sergeant Gemstone, report!” The two Guards explained what had happened from the moment when they first saw Silver chasing Star to the moment when they rescued the slaves. The captain stood there in thought for a moment before saying. “Ponies! Retrieve the freed slaves and get them settled in town. Feed them and give them medical attention if they need it.” He turned to Silver and Star. “As for you two, I would like to talk to you in private. Follow me.” Star turned to Lyra and said. “Go with them Lyra, we can catch up later.” She smiled at her mint green friend and followed Silver. Lyra nodded slightly and followed the other slaves into town.
Old Enemies and Magic CirclesSilverfang felt like he was floating, drifting through the eternal night that plagued his unconscious mind. His large, bulky form was curled into a fetal position, and his steel grey fur seemed to move as if he were underwater. It wasn’t long before he cracked open one of his golden eyes to peer out into his mindscape. Like most mortals, his mental plane was an amorphous place from some old memory. His own mindscape was still somewhat sharper than most, a small hill looking over an expansive field of amber grains. He was now leaning against a massive tree that crowned the old hill; acorns could be seen littering the ground around him. He was much younger now, still not an adult in the eyes of his pack. He felt a pressure on his right shoulder and another on his left leg. The pressure on his shoulder was that of a young human girl, her golden blond hair was blowing gently in the wind. The pressure on his leg was that of a goblin child, no older than twelve. His cropped, blazing red hair greatly contrasted to his olive skin. The goblin’s bulbous nose twitched as if he was inhaling the scent of some ethereal feast. Silverfang smiled. This was one of his fondest memories before the Empire invaded the Wild Lands, a large expanse that belonged to the non-human races of Rathia. He could feel something tugging at the back of his mind, something he knew he needed to do, yet the memory made all of his worries fade away. His comrades were safe. The tugging was far more insistent. That was right, his comrades weren’t safe. They needed him to rescue them, but the problem was how? Silverfang slowly regained consciousness, a groan escaping his matted muzzle. He was chained down onto the floor in a darkly lit room; the torches on the walls gave off a strange purple color. Magefyre… He thought. I must be in some sort of laboratory. He groaned again as his body rebelled against his slight movements. He turned his head as slowly as possible to look at the large runic circle that surrounded him. He wasn’t much for magic, but he recognized some of the symbols. This was a banishment circle. “I see you are finally awake old friend…” An aged voice greeted from the dark recesses of the room. A somewhat tall human walked into the light, revealing his ancient features. He wore a regal burgundy and gold outfit and a small golden crown atop his wrinkled brow. He no longer had any hair on his head, but his beard more than made up for it. The old man had three perpendicular scars on his left cheek, it still looked somewhat fresh. This man was the Mage Emperor himself, Nathael the Fierce. “I am no friend of yours tyrant.” Silverfang replied coldly. Despite how young Silver would look to a human, he was almost as old as the Emperor. “Tsk, tsk… Did that bitch of a mother ever teach you to respect your elders?” The Emperor retorted. Silver knew that Nathael was trying to insult his mother, yet the term ‘bitch’ was a common word to his people. Silverfang growled as menacingly as his pained body would allow. “I should have to punish you for that.” Lightning erupted from the sigil the Emperor drew in the air. Pain lanced through Silver’s body as his back arched and he roared. The old emperor only laughed as the smell of ozone filled the dank room. “Don’t worry Lycan, I won’t kill you. I have something much more special in mind for you” The malevolent tone in the emperor’s voice just seemed to drool from his mouth. “I am going to test a new type of magic on you. By combining a Banishing circle with Runes of Teleportation, I theorize that you will be thrown across the realms of creation.” Nathael grinned madly, his eyes sparkling with hidden, homicidal thoughts. “You won’t die at first, instead you will watch from afar as I slowly crush your measly resistance force. It is said that those who go to the outer realms gain extraordinary abilities. Too bad you won’t be able to use them against me!” Silver could feel the circle heat up and start to glow around him. No, NO! He wouldn’t accept this. He can’t accept this ultimate defeat! Not while the others needed him to rescue them! The magic grew stronger, the air around Silverfang felt oppressive, almost as if it were compacting him into a single point. “I WILL BE BACK NATHAEL! NO MATTER WHAT HORRORS I FACE , I WILL RETURN TO DESTROY YOU!” The Lycan roared at the ancient human. “WITH THE MOON GODDESS AS MY WITNESS, I WILL DESTRO-“ Silverfang was cut off as the magic took effect and he disappeared in a large flash of dark flames. The magic was fading from the room and the temporary portal disappeared completely. “I will hold you to it… Old friend…” ((AN: I know that I had said that I wanted to get into Broken Horn a little more before starting this, but I was hit with the large, wooden bat of inspiration. Once I started writing, I just couldn't stop!))
Stars and DogsStar Shower sighed as she trotted towards the Dark Lyre Woods, shaking her white mane. This particular forest was famous for the strange melodies that can be heard on a particularly windy day as the wind blows through the oddly shaped needles. The town of Treble that sat on its edge was founded by ancient musicians that came to listen to the haunting melodies. She double checked her saddlebags to make sure she had all the supplies she needed to examine the star that fell sometime in the night. Metallurgical book, check. Ropes, check. Astronomy book, check. She even remembered to bring a small blackjack just incase she had to defend herself in the forest. The forest itself wasn’t dangerous; in fact, many ponies would sit amongst the trees and listen to the music. Although, lately, many ponies were disappearing and Mayor Fault, a skinny, dirt brown earth pony with a cobalt mane, had requested that nopony to enter the forest until the detatchment of Royal Guards arrived to patrol the forest. Being the resident astronomer and scientist made her the first choice in investigating the fallen star that fell into the forest late last night. Star still wished that she could wait for the Guards to show up, but she had told the mayor that she could defend herself if necessary. According to her calculations, Star was certain that she was getting closer to the impact zone. Although, the burnt ozone scent that assaulted her sensitive nostrils was another indicator that she was nearing her destination. Star turned around swiftly as she heard something rustling in the bushes only to see a small rabbit dash out and run away. She sighed and lowered the blackjack back into her saddlebag. She didn’t even realize that she had drawn it. Star Shower trotted into a large clearing, or it used to be a smaller clearing until the star had crashed into it. There were broken and burnt trees scattered all about the edge of the large, blackened pit that jutted out like a ribcage out of a rotting corpse. The destruction and decay around her was almost too much to bear. She could see burnt corpses of small creatures that couldn’t get away in time and were consumed by the intense flames from the star’s impact. Carefully, she slid down as fast as she cold without disturbing the pit too much. It really wasn’t all that hard, because the dirt had been melted into glass and stone was melted. Then, she saw it. It wasn’t a star as she had thought, but rather a large, wolf-like creature that lay unconscious inside a circle of strange symbols. As soon as she reached the still form, the runes that were burnt into the ground around it faintly flashed a deep purple and disappeared completely. The creature itself resembled something like a Diamond Dog, only much larger and hairier. It had strange symbols carved into the tops of its paws; leaving large white scars were the fur wouldn’t grow. The runes on each paw were different, although the smaller sets of runes in its palms were identical. A noise. It sounded like something scrabbling down a smooth surface. Star turned too late, three large, black Diamond Dogs slammed into her and sent her flying to the other side of the pit. The middle Dog crept up to her and went to grab her, only to have a large paw grab onto his leg and a gravely voice growl at him in some strange tounge. Silverfang awoke to find himself in the bottom of a hardened pit with a strange, deep dark blue horse fly over him. Looking around, he saw three odd looking Lycans wearing some sort of bandoliers that held different types of gems. They obviously had something sinister in mind for the strange horse, so when the tallest one walked past him; he grabbed its leg and growled. “Don’t even think about it.” Silver wrenched his other arm free, the chains breaking free of the hardened earth, and whipped the chain around the black Lycans legs. The creature yelped and fell to the ground as the other two rushed towards their fallen companion to aid him against the strange creature in the pit. They pointed their spears at Silver, only to have him rip his left arm free and grab one of the spears. “Fyurea” The Lycan whispered as the Flame Sigil on his left paw began to glow, catching his paw aflame. The black dogs leapt back in surprise as the spear haft burnt away in the grey creatures flaming paw. They struggled to get back up and did their best to flee from the fiery wolf. Wrenching the chains off of his feet, Silver stood and rubbed his raw wrists. There was something about him that felt off. He felt younger, stronger, and much much more alive. He turned to the strange horse, which was now shaking and sitting in a puddle of its own urine and had a small blackjack that was wrapped in a green glow that matched the glow on its horn. “Are you al-” He was cut off as the blackjack came and cracked into his skull, stunning him. Didn’t he just get finished saving this damned horse/unicorn thing? He could feel the blackjack crack him a few more times before he completely lost consciousness again. ((AN: I know this chapter is kinda short, but It was a good stopping point and I didn't want to have a super massive chapter. So I cut it up and the rest would be chapter three. Now, Silver may seem like a Gary Stu, but I will be amending some of that in later chapters. He has always had the sigils on his hands so those will possibly stay.))
Ponies and WolvesOh Celestia… I think I killed it.. Star worried as she was dragging the body of the strange Dog through the forest, its head had a nasty gash from where she kept hitting it. You really messed things up this time Star! This thing saves you and you reward him with a nice bludgeoning. Really smooth. She was dragging the creature on a makeshift litter made mostly of rope and a few burnt sticks that didn’t turn to ash when she grabbed them. The least you could do is attempt to apologize, that is if it can even understand you. Gah, what if it decides to burn down the town! I don’t think that there is much anypony can do against it. I mean it summoned bucking FIRE and ripped the chains from the ground like it was butter. Star reached her observatory/home that lay near the edge of town, her mane somewhat frazzled by the time she got to the door. It was close enough to be part of the town, yet far enough so she could have some privacy. Last thing she needed right now was some stupid pony barging in and seeing the creature. Diamond Dogs were not very well like around here, despite what the Alpha tried to do to start friendly relations with the ponies of Treble. Guh! Why did it have to be so HEAVY!She thought to herself as she lifted it with her magic. She slowly laid the creature onto a small pile of cushions that she had piled up in the corner of her ‘living room’. Star sighed with relief as she canceled the magic and grabbed the first aid kit from the other room; she didn’t have to even look to find it. She knew exactly where it was seeing as she was prone to injury when she was concentrating on taking notes. She quickly, and precisely, applied a bandage wrap around the creature’s skull and gave it a quick peck out of habit. It was something her mother always did and it always seemed to help make the pain go away. She only hoped that the creature wasn’t conscious. Thump thump thump Star literally jumped at the noise. Somepony was at her door! She had to hide the creature just in case so she threw the large sheet that she used to cover her giant telescope before heading to the door. “Y-yes? May I h-help you?” Star asked as she opened the door. Mayor Fault gave her a wide beaming grin. “So?Didyoufindit?Whatdiditlooklike?Isitinthere?Whatisitmadeof?” The mayor asked in quick succession. Not stopping to take a breath. Star stared back blankly for a minute, totally forgetting that she was supposed to be finding a fallen star. The mayor returned her stare before Star spoke up. “O-oh… Um, it seems to have burned up into a tiny piece that embedded itself into the ground….” She lied quickly, that was one of her strong points. “The, um, ground was melted and hardened so nopony can dig it up…. I’m sorry?” she added. Not sure what to expect. Mayor Fault frowned, not an angry frown, but a sad frown. “Oh, too bad then. You must feel sad that you didn’t get to study a real star and hold it in your hoof.” Star rolled her eyes. The mayor wasn’t at all stupid, just simple minded. This made him seem younger than one would think if they saw him from afar. “Thanks Mayor Fault, but I think I need to get some sleep now. Goodbye!” Star quickly said and closed the door in his muzzle. Whew, good thing that was over. It wasn’t that she didn’t like the mayor, but the thought of him finding a large creature that strongly resembled a Diamond Dog in her home was not something she wanted to deal with right now. First though, she needed to get cleaned up. She was starting to smell. Silverfang awoke with a groan. His head was pounding like one of the old Lycan war drums from his youth. Next time, don’t save the horse Silver… He told himself, pushing the large sheet that he had woken up under to the side. He slowly opened one of his eyes, squinting in the dull light that hurt his eyes. His head hurt, a lot. It looked to be some sort of observatory, though it was far more advanced than the ones he had seen in his travels. There was a massive brass telescope with several diamonds and sapphires adorning the large tube. The ceiling itself was cracked open to reveal the night sky and it looked like it could be closed again, but the mechanism behind he strange device escaped him. He slowly rose to his paws and stumbled under the disorientation of such a swift motion with a massive headache. Goddess… Silver prayed, looking towards the moon through the hole in the roof. The moon had what looked like a unicorn spot on it rather than a wolf. Maybe this strange place had a moon goddess as well. What have I done to deserve this? Silver heard what sounded like rain, yet the sky was clear of most clouds. It also sounded like it was coming from inside. Silver decided to investigate. He made his way closer to the sound, down a long curving hallway. He realized that the hallway probably reached all the way around, encircling the middle room. There were several doors that he passed; most were empty or full of books and boxes full of strange devices or softly glowing gems. He reached the room that was making the strange rain noise. The door itself had a sign on it like the others, all in a strange, swirling font that he didn’t recognize. Upon pressing his ear to the door, he could hear a strange, melodic voice singing despite the light downpour that could be heard inside. Silver opened the door and saw what could only be described as a tall, misted, glass box that was set into the wall with a silver nozzle poking out of on of the smaller walls. The nozzle itself was the source of the rain noises; it was spraying small streams of water down onto a large, dark blurry blob that was hard to see through the misted glass. The blob had stopped singing and wiped some of the mist off of the glass and stared in shock at Silver, his head cocked to the side in curiosity. “Um… Hello?” He greeted the midnight blue unicorn that had knocked him out earlier. He wasn’t too sore about it, except the headache, and was quite sure he would have done the same thing in her position. It wasn’t everyday you see a Lycanthrope summon fire without the aid of a shaman’s staff. Even then, Lycans preferred to use Shadow and Ice magics. The unicorn gave out a shrill, yet still strangely melodic, scream that made Silver cup his sensitive ears in his paws and curl up on the floor. “GAH!” He cried over the noise. “Please stop!” ********************************************************************************************************************************************************** Star was blushing incessantly as she and the large Diamond Dog sat across from each other at a small, round table. She was mostly embarrassed because she had almost forgotten about him during her nice, warm shower. The creature was still rubbing his ears after her loud scream. Several of the patrolling guards, who finally arrived, came to check on her, but she said it was just a large spider. They gave her a look that told her that they accepted the story, but were still reluctant to believe her. She gave a meek smile to the creature. “So.. What is you name?” The Dog only cocked its head in confusion and shook his head to say that he didn’t understand her. Which was understandable, some of the DD packs spoke in their own languages; especially the older packs that lived deeper in Gem Fido, the Diamond Dog lands. Star only sighed and shook her head. “My name is Star Shower.” She pointed to herself. “Star Sho-wer.” She then pointed to the Dog. Who are you?” The Dog seemed to understand what she was doing and pointed to her. “Staaa-r Sh-oowe-r.” It had said, his voice was definitely masculine; harsh and had a growl in it, but still masculine. He then pointed to his chest. “Silverfang.” Okay, so his name is Silverfang, an odd name to be sure, but who am I to judge. I did attack him after he had saved me. She thought to herself. The first thing she would have to do was teach the Dog some Equestrian so they could communicate. It was going to be a long day today. It was well into the after noon, and Star still hadn’t slept since she found Silver last night. She was starting to get dark bags under her eyes; not that you could see them very well, but they were there. Silver had learned enough Equestrian for simple communication, but it was choppy at best. He could read better than he could speak, his voice was too gravely to get some of the higher tones for some words. They had been talking about his world for most of this time, a Rathia or something. He spoke of his tribe of Lycans(Whatever they were…) that were arctic nomads that lived in the farthest reaches of the Wildlands. She suspected that the Wilds were just uncivilized territory at first, but he had corrected her by telling her of the other races that lived in the diverse landscape. He told her of the sly miners known as Goblins that lived in the mountain regions that were on the eastern edges of the Wilds. They shared their mines with the Dwarves, short, stocky ‘humanoid’ creatures that had an affinity to metalworking. She had no idea what ‘humanoid’ meant, but he said that the Humans were tall, walking, hairless monkeys that were mostly aggressive to all the races in the Wilds and called them monsters. She already didn’t like these Humans. He had also told her about Giants, Elves, Dryads, and even Fairies. He seemed surprised when she had told him that Dragons also existed here as well. The Dragons from Rathia were mostly reclusive, only attacking when their hoards were threatened. She then spent awhile talking to him about Equestrian and its main three races of ponies; the strong and able Earth Ponies, the swift and brash Pegasi, and the regal and intelligent Unicorns. She explained all of their main roles in society and the natural magics which each race had. She also told him about the Diamond Dogs and how much he resembled them. Silver’s stomach growled loudly as they had finished exchanging information about each other and he grinned at her, showing her his large, and very sharp, teeth. I really don’t like where this is going. She thought as she chuckled nervously. “Are you hungry? I don’t have any meat, but I want to see if you could, um, well eat gems?” She stated as a question. “Yes am hungry. Eat gems I don’t think can.” Silver replied in his broken Equestrian. Star beamed and forgot about his creepy grin when she realized that she would be able to experiment with the Lycan. Oh Luna, this will be fun. Eeheheheheheh… Star Shower dashed off into one of her storage rooms and grabbed a ruby and a sapphire with her magic. She returned and placed them in from of him. “Come on, I want to see if Di- I mean if Lycans can really eat gems.” Silver frowned; he never really liked being called a Dog, mostly because of his first impressions of them back at the impact site. Silver looked at the glistening ruby that he now held in his claws; it was small, about the size of a pebble, and shined with a strange light. He gave it a cautious lick, a look of surprise broke out on his face. It tasted like a cherry rather than a stone. He gave it a small nibble, surprised that his fangs even crushed the corner, filling his mouth with a powdery cherry taste. “How is possible?” He asked Star, who was sitting on the other side of the table writing notes in a large book that she carried with her magic. “Well, Diamond Dogs are able to eat gems because of their strong jaws. Same with the Dragons as well.” She explained. “Diamond Dogs can also use their claws to dig through the earth and rend various metals.” “Gems much harder in Rathia. Not complain, gems tasty!” HE said as he popped the rest of the gem into his mouth, savoring the sweet cherry flavor. Star giggled and asked. “What does it taste like? They just taste like rocks to me.” “Like cherry fruit. Only powder.” Star glanced at the sapphire that he now popped into his mouth, a strong tangy taste followed as he demolished the gem. “Tart… But tasty.” He said musingly. He hadn’t tasted anything like it before. “Oh then it probably tastes like a razzleberry. They are blue as well.” She explained. Silver was really liking these gems, but they quickly filled him up. Star looked like she was slightly relieved that he could eat gems, did she not like meat? “What you eat?” He asked curiously, after her stomach growled. “I mostly eat oats and other grains, but I like to eat cake most of all.” She replied, getting up to make her a small salad. Silver was amazed by the strange devices that they had here, like the ‘refrigerator’ that she opened. It kept things cold no matter what the temperature was outside of the box. She also explained about the glass box being a ‘shower’ where one goes to get cleaned. It was almost like a compact stream that could become hotter with the twist of a dial. She returned to the table with a small tossed salad that she proceeded to demolish in front of him. “Ponies *Munch* are herbivores *Crunch munch* and can only eat *Slurp* plants.” Star had a bad habit of talking when she was eating; it came with being a recluse and not having to care what others think of her eating habits. After Star finished she apologized. “Sorry… I am not used to company.” She looked ashamed and embarrassed. “No matter. Is healthy to eats.” He had a similar experience when he first met Bethany, Emperor Nathael’s grand daughter in his den. He had eaten much like Star did, and it had off put Bethany. “Oh!” Star suddenly remembered. “I have to meet with Lyra today! I’m sorry, but could you stay here?” She pleaded. “Just don’t answer the door and don’t eat all of my gems!” She had barreled out of the door and dashed towards Treble. Crap crap crap! I’m late late late! Lyra is going to kill me! Star cried to herself. She and Lyra Heartstrings had been friends since foalhood, but they went their own ways when it came time to start their apprenticeships. Star had stayed in Canterlot, while Lyra went off to Manehattan and then to Ponyville. Star had decided to live in Trebles old observatory when she was given the chance. She knew Lyra had to at least visit the Dark Lyre Woods once or twice. “Did you hear…” “… Heard that another one disappeared…” “…another unicorn too, the poor dear.” “She was a pretty green too…” Star stopped to listen to the rumors for a moment, steadily getting more worried. “Can you tell me more?” Star asked one of the mares that were talking to each other at the small café. They looked at her with a look that told her that they didn’t appreciate being interrupted, but then they caught her worried look and told her. “Poor unicorn mare from Ponyville was seen captured by those Tartarus damned Dogs earlier this morning before the Guards got here. I can’t remember her name though. I think it had to do with an instrument?” The first mare said. “I know she was a nice mint green color with a lyre cutie mark-“ The second said before she realized that Star was already gone.
Deep into the BreachSilver was busy practicing his Equestrian with himself in the bathroom when he heard the door practically burst open and Star screaming. “SILVER! WHERE ARE YOU!” Silver popped his head out of the bathroom and saw Star running through the circular hallway. “In water room.” He said as she screeched to a halt, sliding past him. She looked determined and scared at the same time. “I need your help! You remember those DDogs from the crater?! They captured one of my friends and I need you to help me rescue her!” She practically yelled at him. “Why.” Was all he asked. As much as he didn’t like the Dogs, he still didn’t want to kill them. “They capture ponies and use them as slaves in their warrens hauling and digging up gems for them. You got to help me rescue Lyra, she doesn’t deserve that kind of fate!” Star was determined to rescue her friend, with or without Silver. Silver felt anger well up inside him, an old scar on his back started to ache. He knew all too well about slavery and the cruelty their captors could inflict on them. “We go… Now.” He said as his face contorted in anger. A low growl emanated from his throat that made Star shrink back. Silver motioned for Star to show him the way and she dashed off at a full gallop out of the observatory and towards the Equestrian/ Gem Fido border. Silver was hot on her tail. Two Royal Guards were patrolling when they saw a large, grey Diamond Dog chasing a small, midnight blue unicorn. Instantly taking action they followed, yelling. “STOP RIGHT THERE CRIMINAL SCUM!” Star looked back at the two guards, one was a brown unicorn and the other was a white Pegasus, and said. “Hurry up then! Follow us!” They slowed down for a moment, confused by her reply before picking up the pace. Something was going down and they could probably get promoted for helping out or even by capturing the giant Diamond Dog. Silver and the small group arrived at the warren of the Onyxjaw pack, they were called that because the earth they dug through was full of dusty, black coal that coated their fur. It made each and every one of them black as night. Because the mines were full of coal dust, they captured slaves to dig up the gems so that they wouldn’t have to deal with the dust. The Guards looked as if they were going to speak up, but Silver held up a claw to silence them. “Shhh, quiet time now.” He said. They looked at each other and said softly. “And just what is this Dog doing?” They asked Star. She glared at them almost as hard as Silver had. “Helping me rescue my friend of course! Now stay quiet.” She looked up and asked. “Just what do we do Silver?” Silver looked at the opening of the mines and at the two, short, squat guards that stood there with bored faces. “We kill…” This put a scared and disgusted face on all three ponies as Silver continued. “They no have right for life… They must be cleansed.” Star saw the passing look on Silver’s face. What was he thinking about? Silver grimaced and spoke. “Fakest” And a sheet of ice formed over his right claw, forming a wicked blade of pure blue ice. Star and the guards looked at his claw in surprise. Just how did he use magic? Only unicorns could use magic. Before they could protest, Silver was already walking calmly towards the Dogs. “Halt! No further!” The taller of the two coal coated Dogs commanded. Spears lowered towards him. Silver emanated what could only be described as ‘Killing Intent’. Even Star and the Royal Guards cringed as the wave of malevolence hit them. This was definitely not a creature you wanted to mess with. The two Dogs whimpered and curled up into a fetal position as they cried. “Don’t hurt us!” Silver didn’t even stop walking as his ice blade swept through their necks, blood spraying and staining the nearby earth. “No deserve life….” Was all he said to their corpses as he continued in. Star and the Guards looked at each other till Star spoke up. “Let’s get going… He might need us.” But before she could start, the unicorn guards said. “I highly doubt that he will need our help…” The Pegasus agreed. “Yeah, did you feel that oppressive feeling! He could defeat them by just staring at them.” Star was starting to get annoyed. “What? Are you two little scaredy-foals? Come on! We at least need to try.” The Guards sighed and followed her into the cave. Bodies already littered the dark cave, some were just sliced, but others were charred to a crisp. The stench of death was extremely overpowering and caused Star to vomit several times before she stopped smelling it. The Guards were doing their best to hold everything down their lunches, their faces were stoic and had a green tinge to it. What did Silver do? I mean it is obvious, but he seems to be in his own little world… Silver continued deep into the mines towards the smell of filth and rot, smells one would expect in a slave pit. The Diamond Dogs had been becoming much more wary, and had started to try and ambush him. He had just finished with another group and it had covered his fur in blood, giving him a monstrous look. He stood in front of a large door made of iron bars. He grabbed the bars and gave them a shake. They were very sturdy and would probably take too long to melt with fire and too hard for his blade. He thought back to when Star had explained about Diamond Dogs having the ability to cut through metal and earth with their claws. He looked down to his left claws, which were now fully extended. He gave the gate an experimental prod, the claw sank in like he was cutting butter. Silver grinned and slashed at the bars a few times, leaving a large hole in the gate. He stepped into a massive cave that held many ponies and eagle/lion creatures in chains. There were even some Dogs in chains. When he entered, several of the guard Dogs looked up at him and roared at him and charged him. They were much faster and stronger than their smaller counterparts from the outer tunnels. They had barreled into him and knocked him off of his feet. He knocked them back with a fierce kick and righted himself, giving them a hard stare and a loud growl. They charged again, but he was ready this time. The Guard Dogs rushed towards him, only to meet air. Silver was already behind them with bloodied blade resting at his side. The Dogs looked behind them only to fall into halves. All of the slaves had abandoned their work and all sat in the furthest corner from Silver, fearing this bloodied reaper that walked towards them. He stopped in front of a single bloodied unicorn that stood in defiance of him. “I won’t let you harm these poor ponies, MONSTER!” She yelled at him. When she called him a monster, Silver cringed and looked at his own bloodied form. “LYRA!” A voice cried behind him. Star dashed over and gripped Lyra in a crushing hug. “Owowowowow!” Lyra cried. “That hurts Star!” Star sheepishly let go. “I-I’m sorry, I just was so worried about you.” Lyra glanced at Silver and asked. “What is this Dog doing here? Why did he kill his own kind?” Star sighed and explained what Silver was. “He is not a Diamond Dog, or at least I don’t think so. He says he is a Lycanthrope from a place called Rathia or something. I don’t really know how he got here though. It all sounds crazy to me.” Star paused and said. “We need to get out of here before the Alpha gets here. Come on everypony! Follow us and be free!” The slaves cautiously followed Star and Silver to the exit, cringing at the bright sunlight. Outside, there was the entire regiment of Royal Guards waiting. “Halt!” An older green unicorn in battered silver armor cried. The entire group of emerging slaves stopped and worriedly glanced to Star and Silver. The two Guards who were with them walked forwards and responded. “Captain Jade, sir!” Captain Jade acknowledged the two Guards. “Private Forecast and Sergeant Gemstone, report!” The two Guards explained what had happened from the moment when they first saw Silver chasing Star to the moment when they rescued the slaves. The captain stood there in thought for a moment before saying. “Ponies! Retrieve the freed slaves and get them settled in town. Feed them and give them medical attention if they need it.” He turned to Silver and Star. “As for you two, I would like to talk to you in private. Follow me.” Star turned to Lyra and said. “Go with them Lyra, we can catch up later.” She smiled at her mint green friend and followed Silver. Lyra nodded slightly and followed the other slaves into town.
