Fire Emblem: Equestria

Welcome to my First Story!  Yeah, I know, the intro starts off a little fast, and may be hard to get your attention, and the first few chapters will be slow as well.  Why?  Well, what's an epic story without a bit of Character Development?

I'd like to thank my AP English Language teacher Mr. Sanks for giving me the knowledge on various rhetorical techniques.  Without them, this story won't be as successful as it could have been.  Thank you, Mr. Sanks!

Now, onward to the first chapter!

Savior

A Friendship is Magic Story

Created by:  TheHiddenOne

Chapter One:  Every Story has a Beginning

Two Thousand Years ago, before the Beautiful Land of Equestria knew peace, the land was ruled by the Iron Fist of the Draconequus Discord, who had deposed the much loved alicorn Queen Written Glory a century earlier.

With the powers of chaos and evil behind him, he imprisoned the hardworking Earth Ponies in labor camps, conscripted the Gallant Pegasi into his own personal guard and army, and the Scholarly Unicorns, he charged as his personal servants, stealing all their minds in the process, making them consciously aware of their imprisonment, yet unable to do anything about it.  The children of these ponies, their free wills retained, knew that to go against Discord meant eternal servitude to the Dark one, and no-pony was courageous enough to stand against him.  It seemed that Equestria was doomed forever.

However, despite these truly dark times, a small ragtag band of freedom fighters arose to challenge Discord's rule.  Known only as the Dawn Brigade, they opposed Discord at every turn, restoring the minds of the captured ponies one by one.

But even with the astounding leadership of the Twin Alicorns Celestia and Luna, the Dawn Brigade was unable to truly strike a blow against Discord.  And Discord, thanks to Celestia's Charisma and Luna's ability to sense impending danger, could neither stamp out the Dawn Brigade, nor douse the flame of hope in the citizens of Equestria.

Ironically, the ultimate fate of Equestria would not be decided by either the Dawn Brigade, nor the Tyrant Discord.  It would arrive by something unlike anything the land of Equestria had ever seen before.  A true Wild Card.  This creature in question was unquestionably the most strangest being all of pony-kind ever came into contact with.  The strange being known as a Human.

How would this human change the course of Equestria forever?  Will he side with the tyrannical Discord, or the freedom fighters of the Dawn Brigade?  Will he save Equestria, or damn it?  Only time would tell.  Only The Silent Guardian knew the answers to these questions.

It is with this that our tale begins...

The secret headquarters of the Dawn Brigade.  The remote town of Mareheim.  Midnight...

Luna trotted down the secret staircase in the back of the Seventh Heaven bar, a nervous quirk in her gait.  The project her sister was working on was truly one of great proportions, even greater than their raid on the Dream Valley Labor Camp, one of the largest of its kind, her sister had told her.  She shuddered at the memories.  They had barely escaped with their flanks intact.  Good thing Harcos Grey-mane had that extra can of smoke pellets and Strelok had his trusty slingshot. She was sure that they would not have made it out alive.

She walked into the main room of their base, smiling serenely at the scene in front of her.  There were the Unicorn brothers Michalis and Arran Sparkle sitting at one end of the small room, near the west side door leading into the dorms, sitting in two chairs facing each other, a barrel between them, no doubt engaged in another hoof-wrestling contest.  The Earth Pony Harcos was rummaging through his saddlebags in the corner, mumbling to himself. Probably complaining about his stash of smoke pellets used in the last mission so carelessly by his friend and brother-in-all-but-blood, the Pegasus Strelok Pie.  Why he was given such a name as Strelok to partner with the name Pie is any-pony's guess.

By the window sat the Earth Pony Sir Tristan Apple, looking out into the snowy landscape, his eyes filled with both longing and sorrow.  Luna's smile drooped a little.  His wife, Lady Isolde Apple, was still imprisoned in the Canterlot Labor camp.  Tristan hoofed the pendant hanging from his neck, remembering the promise he made to her.

By the fireplace in the south-east corner laid the Unicorn Hikari Belle, a descendent of Neighpon immigrants.  She gazed into the warm fire, remembering the night when Discord's elite Pegasi soldiers stormed her house and arrested her parents and younger brother on false charges of rebellion, then set fire to their small house in Stableside.  It was hard to tell if the fire present in her eyes was a reflection of the fire in the fireplace of a representation of the great animosity she bore towards the Spirit of Chaos and Disharmony.

All of a sudden, the filly twins Ninian and Nils Dash burst from the dorms.  "Luna!  Luna!  Luna's here!"  They cried with joy, swarming Luna with all the adorable-ness that twin filly's held.  Each one bore each hue of the rainbow as the color of their manes.  The only way to tell them apart was that Ninian's Mane emblazoned the colors of the rainbow in their proper order, while Nils's mane went in reverse, and were deeper in shade

Slowly walking forward, the normally shy Dash caretaker Butterscotch the Pegasus sternly approached Ninian and Nils.

"Oh, you two!" He began.  "How many times do I have to tell you to settle down and go to bed?"  He pointed at the clock as it struck ten-thirty PM.  "It's quite past your bedtime!"

"But Butterscotch!"  The twins pouted.  "We wanted to see Luna when she got back.  Please don't be mad at us."  Said Ninian.

Butterscotch raised an eyebrow.

"Eep!"  Ninian gasped.  "Please don't do that!  I promise, we'll be in bed in ten seconds flat!"

Butterscotch softened.  He pointed a hoof at the dorms.  "Please go to bed, okay?"

The twins took one last apologetic look at Luna, then slowly trotted back to their room.

Butterscotch sighed.  "Honestly, I have no idea of what to do with them."  He turned to Luna.  "How was your solo, Miss Luna?  Find anything?"

Luna shook her head in satisfaction.  "No guard patrols.  We're in the clear."

Harcos and Strelok sighed in relief.  "Well, at least we have THAT to be thankful for.  I still need to replace my smoke pellets..."  He said, eyes shifting to Strelok.

Strelok just shrugged.

Michalis and Arran looked back up, Arran having won their little hoof wrestling contest.  "Well, we wouldn't have gotten in that jam if I hadn't dropped my Claymore in that ditch in front of the entrance while making our escape.  Sorry 'bout that."  Michalis gave his brother a calm pat on the shoulder.  "We are all clumsy from time to time, brother.  It's nothing to be ashamed about."  He pointed a hoof at Strelok.  "I think we should take this time to congratulate Strelok's deadeye shooting once more!"

"Y'all will get no complanin' from me."  Tristan said, tearing himself from the window, his mighty ax in the sheathe at his side.  "Although, Ah just wish Strelok's bow was fix'd.  It sure is better'n that slingshot o' yers."  Her said, gesturing to the slingshot still in Strelok's saddlebag.

"Aren't you going to join in, Hikari?"  Luna asked the mourning mare at the fire.  She turned, having been calmed by the fire and walked to the central table to join in the conversation.  "I'd say that was a brilliant idea you had, using the complex alarm system against them like that."  Hikari blushed.  "It was nothing, I swear!  Just an off-hoof suggestion I made at the last second."

"An off-hoof suggestion that saved our flanks!"  Tristan chirped in.  "That's why you're our strategist, Hikari.  You always know what to do, unlike us meat-heads!"

The friends shared a hearty laugh.  Luna's smile threatened to split her face in two.  Look at us, a ragtag band of misfits, and yet our group is tighter than any family on the face of the world!  She again joined in the laughter, reminiscing on other exploits they had in the past.

Suddenly, a loud crash, a bang, and the sound of something pulsing with energy appeared from the trap door below the table.  "What in 'tarnation is your sister DOIN' down there, anyway!?"  Tristan said.  "I do not know, but I'm going to find out!"  Luna said.  Opening the trap door with her magic, she quickly ran down the stairs leading into the secret forge, where Harcos and his grandfather Eorlund created all the Brigade's weapons.

There, the brigade was audience to a spectacular sight.  To the right of the forge stood Eorlund, the aged, bearded stallion  looking at a peculiar stone centered in the massive fire pit circle with reverence.  On the left stood Celestia, her disheveled pink mane and her alabaster coat marred with the dirt and grime of the coal dust in the forge.  She turned to the brigade.

"I've done it... I've finally done it!"  She cried in utter joy.

Luna hesitantly took a step forward.  "What is that stone, Tia?"  She asked, gesturing to the azure blue stone l

Celestia allowed herself a broad grin.  "This, Luna, is the answer to all our prayers.  Now, referring back to main plan.  In order to truly defeat Discord, we need not only to rally all of Equestria against him, but the other kingdoms need to lend a hoof, too.  He's simply too powerful to fight on our own.  And while we truly are the most successful of the past freedom-fighting groups in decades past, were still too small to convince any-pony to help us.  Even the Dragons, our steadfast companions in times of great need, cannot help us as we are now.  Which is why we need a new recruit."

"Oh, come on, Celestia!"  Strelok groaned.  "Do we really NEED a new guy?  We've been just fine by ourselves. Why do we need someone we hardly even know, much less that we can trust?"  He asked.

Harcos grunted.  "Like it or not, Strelok raises a good point.  How can we trust this newbie?"

"Discord has spies everywhere.  We can't trust anyone but ourselves.  Even you said that, Your Highness."  Michalis piped in.

"Oh, my little ponies.  Whoever said our new recruit would be from Equestria?  Or from its surrounding countries?  Or anywhere in our known world?"  Celestia asked.

"I do not understand, sister.  What do you mean by this?"  Luna inquired.

"What I mean, dear sister, is that yes, we cannot induct any-pony from this world.  Discord's chaos is everywhere, and we will be unable to trust anyone.  That is why our new friend will come from a place outside the boundaries of this world."  She gathered everyone around the central fire pit where the stone lay.  "This is the magical stone we found in the depths of Canterlot's vault deep underground, our first day together, remember?"

Luna's brow furrowed in concentration.  Yes, she did remember that stone.  The one that always seemed to hold your gaze when you glanced at it.  It always glowed with a soft, otherworldly light.  The reason this stone was so peculiar was that time seemed to slow down, speed up, rewind, even freeze, when one held the stone in his or her hooves.  Her mother once said that one day, this small stone would be the key to Equestria's salvation.  Suddenly, it clicked.

"You don't mean...!"

"I do, sister.  We modified this stone to act as a distress signal, along with its time and space abilities.  I'm going to send this stone to one of our contacts in Thatchholm in Grazezeld.  He'll take the stone to the Central Ley Line, where he'll dump it in to the sea.  The stone will whoever it deems necessary.

"All we need ta' do now is hope..." Tristan said, hoofing the pendant around his neck again.

"I don't like this... It sounds too easy..." Arran said.

"That may be... but what choice do we have?"  Hikari began.  "It's only a matter of time before Discord finds us.  We need all the help we can get.  I say we go with Her Highness's plan!"  She declared.

"Y'all get no disagreements from me!"  Tristan agreed.

"Well, if they're in it, count me in, too."  Said Michalis.

Soon, every member agreed to the plan.  Strelok also went along with it, but he couldn't shake off that weird feeling he was getting from that blue stone.  It felt so... familiar to him, as if he had held it in his hooves a long time ago.  He silently laughed to himself.  What was he thinking?

Celestia turned back to the azure stone in the fire pit.  Her horn emblazoned in a pink glow, she reached out and touched the stone with her magic, and in a flash, the stone was gone.  The Dawn Brigade looked at where the stone had lay, all with the hope that this will be the true turning point of their fight against tyranny.  The fire in the pit slowly dying, everyone retired to their rooms. Celestia was the last to leave, taking one last, long moment to look at the massive pit.

The Sleepy Town of Benbrook, Nine O'clock PM...

The small truck pulled up to the driveway of the red-bricked house on the corner, the smell of smoked meat coming from the bed enticing anyone within smelling distance to investigate.  From the driver's side stepped out Adrian, a youth of sixteen, standing at about six feet, four inches tall, weighing about two-hundred and twenty-five pounds.  The glow emanating from his face was both a combination of a good hunt, and earlier that week, he had just obtained his driver's license.  He was the best crackshot the town ever had, being able to shoot a playing card in two, edgewise.  He attained this skill from a young age, practicing consistently from five.

He was wearing a pair of white tennis shoes, these shoes having acquired a faint hue of brown from the hiking he did over the weekend.  His jeans, miraculously, had no tear in them; he always somehow tore up his jeans when he went hunting.  His dark blue shirt was a replacement from his green one, sadly torn to shreds escaping from a bobcat.  Over his shirt was an old purple jacket, reaching to his lower calves, yet not quite at ankle level.  Once belonging to his old man, its stuffing was goose down, making it very comfortable and warm, especially good to have in this time of year, the transition period from Winter to Spring, when it was coldest.

Adrian Gecko had a lot on his mind, and this recent little hunt of his did nothing to ease the bubbling cauldron of thoughts he was stirring.  Sighing softly, he withdrew a small picture from the glove compartment of his truck.  It bore the smiling face of his crush, sixteen year old Sam Aldelle, a fellow junior, and quite possibly the only girl he'd ever been truly interested in.  Unlike most of the guys in his class who wanted girlfriends just for sex, Adrian preferred the more romantic approach, which did not go unnoticed by his school's female population.  He shuddered at the memory of so many girls trying to dress so sluttish to get his attention.  He resisted the urge to palm his face.  Was everyone at his school a horny little teenager?  Was there no one intelligent at his school?  So he thought... until Sam came along.

Sam was not the prettiest girl to look at; there was nothing outstanding about her, and was purely mediocre in appearance, yet there was something about her that just caught his eye.  Perhaps it was her stunning grey eyes, or the magnificent skill she possessed at art, or the passion she held for their drama class that drew him to her, he could not say.  They became fast friends, and during the past few months, Adrian had learned a thing or two about her.  One: Her parents were divorced. Two:  When she stopped smiling, it looked like she was about to cry.  And Three: She was unsure of her sexuality.

That last one had a particularly strong effect on him.  He remembered when Adrian had sheepishly asked her to dance with him at prom, his joy at when she accepted.  When they arrived at that fancy hotel atrium, he swore the blush on his face could light up the room if it were pitch black.  Mind you, this was a teenage, High-School prom, so all the party songs were played.  Party Rock Anthem, YMCA, Soulja Boy (to his immense dislike), Super Bass, etc.

When it came time to have the traditional couple slow dance, she grabbed his hand and dragged him out to the dance floor, and started to dance.

He never held a girl so close to him before.  His hands rested on her waist, hers around his neck.  She laid her head on his chest as they slowly danced 'round and 'round in place.  The smell of her perfume, the closeness he held her, his thumping heart, "Every Time You Go Away" playing from the speakers.  The best moment of his life.  When it came time to leave, she gave him a kiss on the cheek.  Adrian could still feel her lips there, despite Prom being so many months ago.

That was before Dena came into the picture.

Dena, or DJ as she liked to be called, was Sam's girlfriend from middle school.  She was a lesbian.  And she had her claws all into HIS Sam!  She infuriated him to no end!  It pleased him to know DJ was jealous of him, because she knew that while she and Sam were courting each other, (Courting, Ha!) Sam was attracted to Adrian, and he possessed much more redeeming qualities than she!  Thus began a silent war between the two.  A bitter one, and, until last week, had no clear winner.

It was the day the previous school year ended (his sophomore year, to be precise).  DJ had confronted him at their school's Tennis Court, and showed him at her worst:  A selfish, obnoxious, lying, scheming little brat who would be just as likely to kill you as kiss you (provided you were a girl at least).  He inwardly smirked, as he prepared to crush DJ's ego once and for all!

Until he spotted Sam in the corner of his eye, listening in to everything DJ said.  He could see the tears in her eyes, a silent plea.  He was about to deliver the final blow, but then, he realized what the purpose of those tears were.

She didn't want him to do it.  She wanted him to walk away, to forget about her, not for her sake, nor for his, but for DJ's.  The memory came flooding back to him, of DJ's horrific story of violence, substance abuse, and rape.  She wanted him to give DJ a chance to be happy.

And that's exactly what he did.

He had heard of the term heartbreak before, but now he knew why that word possessed so much dread.  That night, as he lay in his bed, he could not sleep, as there was a great pain in his chest, as if his heart had been torn in two, each beat bringing him pain and agony and suffering beyond his wildest dreams.

Why had he done it?  Why did he have to be so selfless?  Was it truly to give DJ a chance at happiness?  Was it because he couldn't bear to see Sam cry?  Or was it some other reason?  He could not say.  There was only one thing he was completely sure of.

The one girl who truly made him feel in love, who rode the coaster of Love with him, with all its ups and down, was now forever out of his reach, the food to his Tantalus.  He silently wondered if he could ever love again...

He walked to the back of the truck, banishing the photo, and his thoughts, to the glove compartment, pushing his shoulder-length auburn hair out of his emerald green eyes and pulled down the door in the back.  He could just smell that smoked venison on the dinner table!  The two bucks he killed were enough to feed his small family of five for two weeks!  Not that they truly needed the food; with prices going high, it was always healthy to seek alternative food sources.  He could hardly contain his joy.  He reached his hand into his pocket to pull out his car keys, when he felt something that should not have been there.  He wrapped his fingers around the offending object and pulled out a small, azure blue stone.

How did this get here? He thought to himself.  He fingered the stone, turning it over and admiring the way it caught the light.  Pocketing the stone for now, he enlisted the help of his older brother Justin, who was waiting just inside, to help him carry the deer into the garage, where they butchered the deer into precise cuts and stored it in their smoking pit in the backyard.  This whole process took around an hour and a half.  When the clock struck ten-thirty, Adrian walked up the stairs of his modest house and, too tired to change, plopped down on his bed, guns, ammo, knives, and all, and fell asleep as soon as he hit the pillow.

Little did he know that, at this moment, his life, and the fate of two worlds, would be forever changed.

A Forrest Clearing on the Edge of the Everfree Forrest, Seven Forty-Five AM...

Adrian awoke to the sounds of chirping birds.  He groaned, raising his hands to his head in a futile attempt to block the offending sunlight from his eyes.  Wait... chirping birds?

He immediately sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.  He was in the middle of a  small, vibrant forest clearing, with bright green trees and colorful plants.  To his behind were a patch of strange blue flowers, with an intoxicating scent.  While they were certainly beautiful flowers, his gut warned him not to touch them.  Lying beside him was his hunting backpack, an External Frame pack complete with all the essentials of hunting.

To his left was a small pond.  Inside was a thriving ecosystem of frogs, fish, dragonflies, and other assorted amphibians.  To his immediate right was a thin trail leading to a castle.  While the trail itself was inviting, its destination clearly was not.  The castle seemed to radiate darkness and despair, so out of place in a natural paradise like this one.  Immediately, Adrian noticed something even more peculiar:  The aura of darkness only surrounded the castle.  What kind of force dwells there?  Adrian shuddered at the possibilities.

"...sure it was around here!"  a voice reported.

Adrian jumped.  He grabbed his pack and ran for the tree line to his rear, taking great care at avoiding the strange blue flowers, and took cover behind the nearest tree,  immediately beginning a gear check:

A Bowie knife, used primarily for skinning, yet kept in a shape fit for combat.

A five inch folding serrated knife for cutting any kind of rope or vine he encountered.

A M24A2 sniper rifle, used mainly for hunting deer.  Complete with silencer and five 10-round magazines.  He had modified it to carry Tranquilizer darts.

A SIG Sauer P226 with silencer used for shooting small targets at a distance without giving away his position. It was also modified for Tranquilizer darts.

And finally, strapped to the back of his pack was his Benelli M4.  This was in case he ran into any large predator such as Bears or Cougars.

Inside of his pack was a small tent, sleeping bag, mat, and assorted non-perishable food items such as Slim Jims, beef jerky, trail mix, etc.  the outside pockets of his pack contained extra magazines and ammunition, sorted in clockwise order:  Sniper rounds, Pistol Rounds, Shotgun rounds, Tranquilizer darts, and a whetstone.  The darts were used on poachers, since some trespassed on his family's property out in the country, and sometimes Adrian had to tranq a few.  He pulled out his sniper scope and looked around the tree trunk...

...and immediately dropped his jaw.

He saw two horses trotting into the center of the clearing!  Both had pitch black coats, blood red eyes, and armor that just screamed "Look at me!  I'm Evil!"  Both of them had bat wings.  Adrian allowed himself a small chuckle.  Bat wings on a horse?  How ridiculous.  They reached the center of the clearing and turned to talk to themselves.

"Are you sure you're not pulling my leg, private?"  The one on the right asked.

"Of course, Lieutenant!  I saw the flash with my own eyes, I did!"  The one on the left confirmed.  The two were joined by four more horses, all sporting the same getup, the same wings.  This is getting weirder by the minute, Adrian thought to himself.

A strange noise sounded from within the clearing.  Adrian recognized that sound.

He looked to the imprint that he left while lying on the ground.  Crap!  His cell phone was ringing!  It must have fallen out of his pocket while he was passed out.  That would no doubt put the guards on alert and make his job that more harder... wait, who did he think he was, Solid Snake?  He's a Hunter, not a Spec. Ops soldier!

The guards located his cell phone, and began playing with the thing like a four-year old would with a new toy car.

"What is this strange device?"  One asked, nudging the screen with his hoof.

"Your guess is as good as mine, Lieutenant."  The third one concluded with a bored tone, obviously not interested in the device.  His eyes shifted towards the tree behind which Adrian was hiding.  The drop shadow from the tree obscured Adrian from view, that was obvious, but what Adrian saw when he locked eyes with the talking pegasus would scar him for the rest of his life.

Those eyes were empty... cold, but most of all, contained so much suffering.  Those were the eyes of someone who had given up on life.  Now that he noticed, the others held those same eyes.  And those coats... he noticed that the light seemed to bounce off them in the same manner that light bounces off paint.  Just what happened to them?  He could only wonder.

They have been conscripted and tortured by the master of the castle...  a soft voice, feminine intruded in his brain.

Adrian nearly jumped at the voice.  The stone in his coat pocket grew hot.  Instinctively, he drew the stone out of its place.  The azure blue rock began to pulse with an otherworldly light.

Who or what are you!?  He demanded the stone.

Those soldiers you see in front of you are part of an advanced recon unit. I would suggest you keep your distance, lest you alert Discord.

Discord?  Who the hell’s Discord? Adrian asked.

He’s the creature that rules the castle to the west.  If he gets his claws on you, then you can say goodbye to your free will.  His favorite pastime is to mess around with ponies’ heads and imprison them in their own minds.  Go to the town of Mareheim.  There you will find the answers you seek.

Wait, you didn't give me your name!  Hey!  I'm talking to you!  He thought impatiently at the stone.

He received no reply.

Well, that went well.  I suppose that the only way I'll receive my answers is to go to this... Mareheim.  Perhaps the soldiers knew where it is.

Adrian drew his M24, attaching his scope to the top, and loaded a clip of tranquilizer darts.  No lethal force, he decided.  If I were to take them out now, eventually someone would grow suspicious at their disappearance, send in a recon team, and make my life hell.  I'm sure they all have families to go back to too.  I've been a hunter since I can remember... but... Am I prepared to take a sentient creature's life, capable of human level intelligence? He wished he never needed to find out.

He grunted, looking through the scope.  That's some sweet armor.  Almost no flaws or gaps in the armor to exploit.  He panned downward and smiled.  There!  A gap in the armor's knee guards.

He cocked the bolt in his rifle.  I used to be an evil guard dude, but then I took a tranquilizer dart to the knee.  He depressed the trigger, cringing and making a mental note never to make another joke that had projectiles and knees in the same sentence ever again.

___________________________________________________________________

Private Scarlet Flash walked into the clearing with his commanding officer, Lieutenant Monsoon.  His face was one of frustration, trying to convince his commanding officer, who was growing impatient.

"I swear sir, I'm sure it was around here!"  He stated with finality.

They approached a nearby clearing.  Flash, being an expert tracker, immediately sensed the presence of some-pony watching him.  He took a look around the clearing, seeing a patch of poison joke on the right and a small pond on the left.

He inwardly sighed.  His little brother loved science.  He knew he would have enjoyed that pond.  But Discord found out about his studies.  He was adamant about no studying things like science and the arts, and made many restrictive laws barring their study.  At least, they barred those NOT under his control.

So he approached Flash with an ultimatum.  Serve me, or I will arrest and kill your brother, and have you watch while I do it!

What choice did he have?

"Are you SURE you're not pulling my leg, private?"  His impatient commanding officer asked.

"Of course, Lieutenant!  I saw the flash with my own eyes, I did!"  He confirmed.  It was true.  Just this morning, as the sun peeked over the horizon, a brilliant blue flash appeared in this very area.  Hoping to raise Discord's opinion of him and his family, and possibly moving him to let the threat to his brother slide, he immediately reported the event to his Master.  Discord's eyes lit up, and ordered a search.  And here they were.  Hopefully, it would be something BIG.

"Hey, y'all find anything over there?"  A third guard asked.  Flash looked over his shoulder and saw the rest of his squad:  Biggs, Wedge, Porkins, and Davish.  Davish approached the two first.  "We got nothing back there."

"Well, keep looking," Lieutenant Monsoon said.  "We're bound to find something sooner or later.  Or need I remind you of the consequences?"  The team shuddered.  No-pony needed to remind them of Discord's temper.

Suddenly, a strange ringing sound graced their ears.  The six looked frantically around them, trying to find out where the atrocious noise was coming from.

"Look!  There, on the ground!"  Porkins pointed with a hoof.

There, on the ground in front of them, was a strange black box.  Wedge picked up the box and stared at it with a look of confusion.

"What is this strange device?"  Monsoon asked?

"Your guess is as good as mine, Lieutenant."  Biggs answered monotonously.

"You have received a new text message from Nick.  Who’s this 'Nick' guy?"  Wedge said after looking at the strange box, asking no one in particular.

The other five crowded around him, trying to find out who 'Nick' was.  They eventually stumbled upon a diagram with nine circles, which Davish believed to be the basis for a password.  But before they could begin deciphering it, a sickening ilch sound came from Wedge's right knee.  He dropped the box and revealed that a dart was embedded in his knee.  He removed the dart... and promptly fainted, softly snoring.

"Look sharp colts, we're not alone!"  Snapped Lieutenant Monsoon.

The five remaining guards made a circle formation around their comrade.  Biggs decided to investigate the tree line near the Poison Joke.

"I'm going in.  Cover me, Porkins."  He announced.  He left the circle, causing the four remaining to tighten the formation.  He approached the poison joke... then another ilch, and he went face first into the patch, a dart sticking out of his neck.  The rest started to panic.  Porkins broke for the pond tree line in fear, and then fell face first into the pond, a dart stuck in his flank

"Stay on target!"  Davish sternly reminded the two remaining.  With his excitement rising and his self control shot to hell with the possibilities of capturing an unknown creature and bringing good news back to Discord, he charged at the northern tree line, hoping that their mysterious assailant was there.  No dice:  A dart stuck in his rump before he got ten feet, felling him in an instant.  Only the Lieutenant and Flash were left.

"Well, Private,” Monsoon began.  "At least you had the common sense not to charge in like a donkey like these four.  I'll put in a good word to Discord when we get back, see if we can't help you out with your brother and all."  He said.

Flash allowed himself a small smile.  This is why he respected Monsoon.  Although he could be overbearing, strict, and downright rude at times, he always held others before him, and exhibited a true honor that was almost forever lost among Discord's ranks: the old guard of ponies under the former Queen, now long dead, were the last to hold any semblance of honor and integrity.

"I think our assailant is hiding in the tree line behind the Poison Joke, sir," Flash began with his observations.  "It would make sense to hide behind those unpredictable flowers.  They would make the perfect defense.  The eastern edge hold the path leading to the Castle, and the western edge that holds the pond would be catastrophic:  he or she would make too much noise splashing around, as that pond extends beyond the tree line.  Plus, the direction the darts traveled suggests they were coming from the Southern tree line."  He said, finishing his analysis.

Monsoon gave him an approving pat on the back.  "And every-pony wonders why I have you on my squad.  South, it is!"  The two turned around and faced the southern tree line.

"Come on out, criminal scum!  Surrender yourself and you will be given a lenient punishment!"

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Yeah, right, and my hair is black and your squad mates don't have Red Squadron written all over them.  Adrian thought to himself.  And, by the way?   Bad move.  He depressed the trigger on his M24 one last time.  The dart whizzed through the air and landed snugly in the pegasus's neck.  He was asleep without hitting the ground.

One left... Better save this one for some interrogation.  He slung his M24 back over his shoulder and drew his Bowie knife as the pegasus foolishly, slowly walked closer to him.  When he was close enough, he leaped out of the tree line and tackled the thing, forcing the talking horse onto his back and pressing his knife into his neck.  The pony's eyes former hopeless trait was replaced with fear.

“W-w-w-who or what are you!?”  The Pegasus cried in fear.

Adrian removed the knife from his neck and slammed the hilt into the side of the pegasus’s neck.  “I will ask the questions!”  He angrily declared, replacing the blade against his throat.  “First Question:  Who are you, and where am I!?”  He demanded.

“T-t-the northern edge of the Everfree Forest, center of the country of Equestria.  My name is Scarlet Flash, a guard in the service of our liege lord, Discord.”  The Pegasus said.  Despite his attempt to hide his fear from his interrogator, Adrian knew he was shaking in his boots.

“You may think yourself brave, but I smell your fear.”  He said in a deep, raspy voice, drawing on his experiences in the Theater program at his high school.  “Answer truthfully to my next few questions, and you will escape with your life.  How do I get to Mareheim?”  He demanded.

"W-west of here is Dragon Mountain, the highest peak in the Drackenridge Mountains!  There is a gap between the range marked by Dragon mountain.  It's heavily guarded by our best and brightest, and I highly doubt you'll make it through alive, but if you do make it, pass through the gap, and you'll come to the Fjords of Yaktown.  Turn southwest.  Mareheim is at the foot of the mountains, near the center!  Here, I have a map!  Take it, just don't kill me!"

Adrian roughly snatched the map from the cowering Pegasus's hooves.  Taking a brief glance at the worn piece of parchment, he confirmed his story.  Shifting his eyes back to the Pegasus, he asked him one last question.  "What's your name?"

"S-Scarlet Flash, sir!"  He replied fearfully.

"Thank you for your help, Mister Flash," Adrian said.  He took his last tranquilizer dart out of his outside coat pocket and jammed it into Flash's neck.

Satisfied with his work, he turned around and went back to the tree line and fetched his backpack.  He pulled the blue stone out of his pocket.  Strangely enough, the glow the stone had earlier had diminished slightly.  He patted his pockets, checking to make sure something hadn't gone wrong... or right!  The darts he had used to take out the squad of soldiers had somehow replenished themselves!  He took one last look at the stone.  Perhaps this strange stone is the key.  But I shouldn't rejoice just yet:  The glow this stone had diminished slightly, so it must only have a limited amount of uses before it runs out.  Problem is, I have absolutely no idea how many charges I have.  He would have to make EVERY shot count.

Swinging the backpack over his shoulder, he turned and looked to the west.  Those answers aren't going to just come to my by themselves.  Time to start walking.  God knows I wish I had my truck with me... He spotted a rather tall mountain, and, checking the map once more, corresponded with Dragon Mountain.

Well... as the Chinese philosopher Lao-Tzu once said:  "The Journey of a Thousand Miles begins with a Single Step."  He thought to himself.

He took the first step towards Dragon Mountain, to the Fjords of Yaktown.

To his answers.

To his Destiny...

But first, something to eat.  He skipped breakfast!

____________________________________________________________________________________

Three Days Later...

A small, wooded watering hole at the base of Dragon Mt, Nine Twenty-Three AM

The sun was rising in the east as Adrian's stomach growled in protest, the monster demanding to be fed.  Three days ago, his supplies of non-perishable food had dwindled to enough for only a day left. Need... Food... NOW... He thought to himself.  He sighed and chomped down on his remaining chicken breast that he had gotten while hunting the previous day.  His stomach, thanking him for the food, went quiet.  He wished he had his pack with him:  it was mauled by a pack of strange wolves made out of wood.  He killed the damn things, but his pack was lost, along with his tent and sleeping gear.  Oh well, at least he was able to salvage all his ammunition, the stone, and his favorite ring.

This ring was like no other he had before, and it was his most treasured item.  It was a solid silver ring, a pair of serpents intertwined themselves together, their eyes made of green jewels.  Adrian's father, Joseph, explained that this ring had been in their family for untold generations, and the old family tradition was to pass the ring down from father to first son.  Justin had politely refused to take the ring, however, due to his enlistment in the Navy.  He had heard various horror stories about crewmen working on planes, getting their fingers caught on machinery, and having there entire finger ripped off, bone, tendon and all.  He did not wish to risk losing such a valuable heirloom.  Their father pondered this for a moment, and with a smile on his face, praised Justin for his wisdom, and gave the ring to Adrian, his second son.  He had born it ever since.

The tall and imposing Dragon Mountain seemed so very far away, after Adrian had stopped a moment to ponder his ring..  According to the directions left to him by Scarlet Flash, the gap between the Drackenridge mountain ranges was right at the foot of its base.  The map he gave him held a horrifying detail that almost made him puke in disgust.

Yaktown/Dragon Mountain Labor and Concentration Camp

His grandfather was among the members of Easy Company when they found a concentration camp back in 1945.  Being the only person in his squad who could speak German, he was the first to know of the horrors they faced at those death traps.  The stories struck such an imposing blow on Adrian that his imagination immediately created a Nazi-like impression of the Labor Camp.  All the more reason to kill this Discord Guy.

His eyes lit up.  He readied his M24.  A buck had entered his scope from the right.  From previous observations, he knew that these deer were no different from the deer back home.  He steadied his aim, and prepared to shoot his target straight through the head, a clean, quick death...

...until it looked behind him, and ran off.

What the hell?  Who the fuck scared off my food!?  Adrian thought to himself angrily.  He detached the scope from his rifle and started to use is as a makeshift monocular.  He looked to the right, where the buck had looked before it had ran off, and raised his eyebrows.

What do we have here?

He found two small ponies, fillies, to be precise, running like the hounds of hell themselves were on their tail.

The two had the strangest color he'd ever seen.  They were light blue, almost the color of the sky.  And their manes contained each hue of the rainbow, though one went in reverse order, and were darker in shade.

On their tail was a squad of soldiers, each bearing the dark colored coat of the squad Adrian took out a few days ago.  No helmets?  Idiots.

Adrian reattached the scope to his sniper.  Taking out his 7.62 cartridge and replacing it with his tranquilizer darts, he looked back through his scope.

Dekάra!  Adrian thought to himself. Too much tree cover to get a good shot from here.  I'll have to move closer... but if I move closer, I'll be spotted.  What should I do?

He instinctually reached for his shotgun, but paused.  I hoped I wouldn't have to ask myself this, but can I do it?  Can I take another sentient life?  Surely those soldiers have families to return to, and those families will hate me, and I'll start the chain of hatred... But if I don't, who knows what they'll do to those kids?

One of the kids, the darker one, suddenly tripped, taking a nasty fall.  The lighter one stopped and doubled back, trying to get the other back onto his/her hooves.  The squad slowed to a walk, slowly approaching the duo with a predatory gait, faces carved into a sneer of delight.  They stared mockingly at them.

If I don't do something, they'll die, or worse.  Fuck it! He unhooked his shotgun from his backpack and sprinted towards the group.

A fallen log blocked his path.  He took cover behind it, taking one last look at the situation.  The lead soldier took a step forward.

"Thought you could outrun us, ya little brats!?"  He yelled.  His squad mates began to encircle the two fillies.  One of the four soldiers, a Unicorn, quickly hogtied them with rope and left them on the ground.

"Discord will be well pleased with your capture.  The illustrious Dawn Brigade,"  he sneered, "is FINISHED!  We've got a public execution going for your pitiful friends this afternoon, and it's gonna be broadcasted all over the world!  Too bad you won't be able to watch it:  I'm going to take care of you right here and now!"  He said, ready his executioner's sword.  "I'll start with the girl!"

"No!  Please, take my life!  Just leave her alone!"  The colt cried.

Adrian hopped over the log, sprinting toward the executioner, readying his shotgun for a point-blank blast.

The Executioner raised his sword high, preparing to lop off the filly's head, the sun gleaming off his sword...

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Nils watched on in horror and despair.  He couldn't move, he couldn't fly, his friends were captive in Dragon Mountain Labor Camp, and his sister was about to die.  The screams died in his throat, silently pleading to the many deities he learned from Butterscotch for a hopeless miracle.

The Executioner had a maniacal smile on his face.

"Hope you like hell, bitch!"  He raised his sword, the sun gleaming off its blood-stained blade, preparing to make the downward strike to end his sister's life.  Nils squeezed his eyes shut...

Boom

The executioner's head exploded into bits of bone, brain matter, and lots of blood.  Nils, bless his heart, had had to grow up from a very young age, when his parents were taken captive by Discord three years ago.  He had killed before, what choice did he have?  But the now lifeless body of the executioner truly shocked him.  How could a pony hold so much blood?  He started taking deep breaths, staying still, averting his eyes from the body to the direction of the attack, trying to keep himself from going into shock.

Needless to say, it helped.

Running faster than any-pony he had ever known to run before was a strange beast indeed.  The creature wore the strangest clothes; shoes, light blue pants, dark blue shirt, a long purple coat.  It stood on two legs, which means it has arms.  His claws gripped a strange, bright silver, metal rod.

Boom

The metal rod's end exploded in a magnificent shower of smoke and fire.  Nils heard the shredding of metal and the ilch of a projectile impact the guard behind him, felling him.

Two more Booms, and the guards were dead.

The beast turned his gaze to Nils and, kneeling beside him, untied his bonds.  "Are you alright?"  The beast asked him.

Nils was shocked.  The beast could speak perfect Equestrian!  "Um-I-ah-err..."  he stammered.

"I'll take that as a yes." he said, smiling softly. He gestured to the corpses of the dead soldiers. "I'm sorry you had to see that: Shotguns can be quite messy, you see,"  He said, walking over to Ninian and untying her bonds as well.  She was frozen in a state of shock, eyes glazed over.

"Hey, kid!  Got any bright ideas on how to wake up Miss Sleepyhead over here?"  He called to Nils.

Nils walked over to her and whispered in here ear:  "Hey Ninian?  Sorry to tell you this at a time like this, but Luna's getting married and-"

"NOOOOOO LUNA!!  HOW COULD YOU GO GET MARRIED AND NOT TELL ME!?? WHY, WHY, WHYHYHYHYHYYYY!!!" She cried.

"Just kidding, Ninian, she's not getting married,"  Nils sniggered.  Ninian pouted.

"Honestly Nils, one of these days you're going to scare me... to... death...?"  She noticed the bodies.  "What in the HAY happened here!?"  Her face started to pale.  Thinking quickly, Nils shook his sister a few times, quietly reassuring her that they weren't going to die, and that everything would be fine.

"He happened here," Nils said, pointing to the creature with his hoof.  Ninian turned around, and almost passed out again.

"It's all right,"  he said, standing to his full height.  "I'm not gonna hurt you.  I'm a friend.  My name is Adrian Gecko."  He said.

"I'm Nils Dash, and this is my twin sister, Ninian," the colt began.  "Our friends are being held captive in the Dragon Mountain Labor camp.  Please, you have to help them!  They're the only hope Equestria has left!"  he demanded.

"Before we go any further, just who are your friends, and why are they Equestria's only hope?"  Asked Adrian.

"Our leader, Celestia, and her sister, Luna.  They're the daughters of our former Queen.  They founded the Dawn Brigade, the last remaining freedom fighting force in the land.  If they die, all hope is lost. Please, warrior!  Help us free our friends!" Ninian pleaded.

"First off, I am a Hunter, not a Warrior.  And second, why should I help you guys?  It's not like I'm obligated to do so."  Nils sighed.  "Looks like we have no choice then."  He turned to his sister.  "Do it," he said averting his eyes.

"Do what?"  Adrian demanded, only to turn his head and take Ninian's pleading gaze straight on.  It was one of the worst mistakes Adrian could have done.  Needless to say, it worked.

"Damn you kids.  Alright, I'll do it.  But on a few conditions:  Food, water, information, and a spot in your group.  If I'm going to become an enemy of the state, I want some protection."

Ninian cancelled the 'puppy look of death' and beamed in happiness.  "That's ALL?  The princesses could reward you for so much, and that's all you want?  Wow, that's neat!  I would've expected you have demanded 'one metric ton of fairy gold' for your services or something."

Adrian palmed his chest in mock pain.  "Hey now, I'm evil, but not THAT evil."  He said sarcastically.

"Hey, what's that weird blue light coming from your chest?"  Nils asked, pointing to Adrian's jacket pocket.  Briefly, a look of confusion ran across his face until he padded his chest with his left hand.  He tossed the shotgun into his left and fished around in his jacket with his right until he withdrew the stone and held it up, admiring it's sheen.  Sadly, the glow seemed a bit dimmer than the last time he held it.

The twins looked at the stone in his hand, eyes lighting up in recognition.  "You... You're the One!  The one Celestia called for!"  They cried with joy.

Adrian pocketed the stone, holding his hands up in the air.  "Waitaminute, what 'one'?  What do you mean?"  he asked. Nil's expression turned grim.  "The fight for freedom was losing ground, and it was only a matter of time before we were caught.  Celestia decided to go alone into the famous Canterlot vault and swipe a special stone, claiming it had mystic powers over time that even the QUEEN could not fathom.  She worked tirelessly devising a spell to send the stone to the being that's supposed to help us out.  The stone found you, so you're the one!"  Nils explained.

Adrian looked down, immersing himself in this new knowledge.

Destined to rescue an entire country, let alone an entire world from some kind of evil entity that treats his subjects like slaves, huh?  Well, my parents always said I was destined for great things.  Adrian thought

And they were right... There it was again!  That mysterious, feminine voice that talked to him, gave him a goal three days ago.

Are you watching me?  He asked the voice.

Yes.

Why me?

I do not know why the stone chose you.  But whatever the case, I believe the stone made an excellent choice.  I wished you to go to Mareheim because it is the headquarters of the Dawn Brigade, but now that they are in the Dragon Mountain Labor camp, you will have to go there, instead.  Take the siblings with you:  Celestia and Luna are their friends, as well as capable fighters of their own.  They will be a valuable asset.

Um... thanks.  I think.

You're welcome.  Hurry!  Time grows short!

He felt the voice disappear from his mind.

Adrian swung his shotgun around his shoulder and drew his M24, replacing the tranquilizer darts with the 7.62 round clip.  He turned back to the Dash twins.

"All right, who's up for a Jail Break?"

Discord's compound, Dragon Mt, Eleven Twenty-Five AM...

The three companions made it into the compound without much trouble, thank God.  Adrian was prone on the top of the main building located in the center of the compound.  Luckily there were few guards patrolling around.  Guess this Discord guy believed that no one else was brave, or stupid, enough to free the princesses.  That, or he's so sure of his ability to fight that he doesn't need extra patrols.   He  thought to himself.

He could see every member of the Dawn Brigade, sans the Dash twins, who took their post beneath the execution platform set to kill off the Dawn Brigade. According to the descriptions of each member Ninian gave him on the jog over (They didn't get too far from the compound beforehand,) he could recognize each one of them, conveniently placed in a single file row before the biggest crowd Adrian had seen in person.

The Stallion with the orange coat and epic beard was Sir Tristan Apple, the oldest and most mature member of the Brigade.  On his right were the Sparkle brothers, Michalis and Arran, and to the right of them was Butterscotch, the Dash caretaker.  On the far right was their tactician and Wind Mage, Hikari Belle.  On her left were Strelok Pie and Harcos Grey-mane, the Sharpshooter and Blacksmith respectively.  Alongside Harcos was his grandfather Eorlund. And in the center were the Celestial twins, Celestia and Luna.

Looking far left of the platform itself, he saw the evil bastard Discord himself, sitting down on his throne, wearing sunglasses and eating popcorn.  It was easy to figure out why he was called Discord, he was like a mismatch of all sorts of different animals.

A unicorn walked up onstage, accompanied by an Earth Pony wearing the traditional executioner's hood.  On his side was a very large, bloodstained axe.  The unicorn unfurled a scroll and began reading from it.  The execution orders, no doubt.

"By the order of the great Lord Discord, regent of Equestria, Lord of the S and God of the Known World, (What a massive ego, Adrian thought to himself,) I hereby Sentence Sir Tristan Apple, Harcos and Eorlund Grey-mane, Strelok Pie, Hikari Belle, Butterscotch of Dream Valley, Michalis and Arran Sparkle, and the Former Princesses Celestia and Luna, for the crime of betrayal, conspiracy against the Lord Discord, and failure to pay a bar tab (What the fuck?  Adrian thought to himself.  Who executes people for failure to pay a bar tab?).  Signed into order on This, the twelfth of February, The Year of Discord 100.  Does the condemned have any last words?"

Celestia looked long and hard at Discord.  "Get on with it."  She declared unflinchingly.

"Then let the Execution begin!"  Cried the unicorn.  placing a box in front of the pedestal, no doubt to catch her head, the executioner pony  trotted gleefully to Celestia's side.  He raised his axe high, sunlight gleaming from its bloodstained edge.

It's almost Déjà vu.  Adrian thought to himself.  Only this time, I'm doing things my way.

CRACK