Fire Emblem: Equestria

by TheHiddenOne

Rating: teen
Tags: Adventure, Crossover, Human, Romance
Length: 25113

The story-telling of Fire Emblem, with the setting of Equestria. Enjoy!

Two Thousand years ago, the benevolent and much-loved Queen of Equestria, Written Glory, was overthrown in a surprise coup d'teat by one of her closest friends, the Draconequus Discord. With his new regime in place, he quickly spreads chaos and fear across Equestria, his crimes against the pony folk so severe that even the dragons, the most isolated of the races, desperately try to locate a weak point so as to overthrow Discord and reinstate the deposed Queen, locked in the deepest part of the dungeon.

One hundred years passed, and many rebellions have risen and fallen as quick as they came. It seemed that Discord was forever cemented in power for good.

The Dawn Brigade, the last remaining rebel force against Discord, in a last ditch effort to find help, throws and ancient, mysterious stone, containing mystical powers over time itself, into the Central Ley Line, whose magical powers are greater than any being on the face of the Known World. The stone finds its way to young Adrian Gecko, a human Hunter taking up residence in the small, sleepy town of Benbrook.

Dragged into this conflict against his will, and considered the savior of Equestria by all who know the rumors, how can one man change the fate of an entire universe?

WARNING! Story contains foul language, gore, and later, copious amounts of time in the bedroom.

Please don't forget to comment!

Published 1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC
Last updated 2013-01-10 22:22:04 UTC

The Sacking of Mareheim

The Silent Guardian

A Friendship is Magic Story

Chapter 2:  The Sacking of Mareheim

A loud CRACK tore through the air, silencing every-pony within the compound.  Celestia willed herself to open her tightly clenched eyes.

Time seemed to slow down as something rapidly approached the executioner from the left, smoke trail and all.  It impacted with the exectutioner's head, leaving the left intact, but blowing bone and brain matter out the right side of his head, mimicking the form of a geyser explosion.

The now lifeless husk of the executioner slumped to the ground with a silent thud, the axe falling harmlessly beside her.

The crowd erupted into disorder.  While normally Discord would have loved such a thing, now was not the proper time for chaos.  She dimly heard him order another of his guards to the execution platform to kill her little ponies, when that same guard's head exploded in the same fashion as the executioner.

Out from below the platform burst Ninian and Nils, who had somehow found the armory and stole back all the Brigade's weapons.  Another CRACK  told her the unicorn announcer was dead, destroying the enchantments on the rope keeping them in place.

"Look!  Up there!"  One spectator cried, pointing with his hoof at the large clock tower to the right of the platform.

Celestia averted her gaze, eyes widened and jaw slacked.  There, leaning off the tower, was the strangest creature she had ever seen.  It stood on two legs, and was dressed in a variety of clothes, it's long purple coat flowing heroically in the wind.  With a death-defying leap, it jumped off the tower, doing a series of acrobatic twirls, spins, and flips, before landing gracefully in front of Sir Tristan.  Grasping a serrated knife from somewhere inside its cloak with its claws, (Hands!  Celestia corrected herself) it sawed the roped binding Tristan, The Sparkles, and Harcos.

Nils tossed Tristan his mighty axe and Arran his huge claymore. The two went to work, felling evil guards left and right. Tristan defended the Northern stairs, buying time for Harcos and Michalis to free the others.  Arran, with his huge, intimidating Claymore, defended the southern stairs from any invader.  The skill with which Tristan and Arran fought, using their hooves and standing upright, demonstrated their far superior skill with weaponry to the grunts in Discord's service.

Strelok and Hikari were freed.  Immediately going to work, Strelok quickly demonstrated his marksmanship, felling a fully armored Armor Knight with a shot through the eyes in his helmet.  Hikari worked her Wind Magic, tossing guards to and fro with the magic's irresistible grip.

Celestia and Luna were freed.  Celestia, being the daughter who took after her mother, quickly activated her Light magic skills, casting spells such as Lightning and Ellight.  She opted not to use her Thani spell:  She couldn't fully control it yet, due to her rambunctious behavior and tendency to get in deep trouble with authority.

Luna was the more composed of the two, if her mastery of the Dark Arts was to be taken into account.  Such mentally taxing spells like Fenrir and Nosferatu required hours of meditation and a peaceful state of mind, something her rowdy elder sister never managed to do.

Eorlund, in his aged state, could not fight, so Harcos, wielding a war hammer, bashed in skulls and crushed limbs in a valiant effort to protect his grandfather.  Soon, all of Discord's guards were dead; all of those who were smart enough to retreat were spared.

Discord grew weary of this nonsense.  He leaped off his throne and summoned his ultimate Dark Magic spell, Imhullu.  The Darkness swirled around him, preparing to strike at the Brigade, determined to finish them off once and for all...

Until the unthinkable happened.

The creature ran toward, tossing aside the strange black metal rod and pocketing its knife for a shorter, silver rod.

Discord angrily threw blasts of Dark Magic at the speedily advancing creature.  It dodged and rolled to the best of its ability, but Celestia saw the deep wounds inflicted on his lower left leg.  Despite these wounds, he continued to run at a speed unlike any-pony she knew capable.

The creature pounced on Discord, shoving the rod into his face, cancelling the Imhullu cloud.  Hissing, he lashed out with his left hand, scratching his face on the left eye.  Howling in pain it grasped its face and fell.  Discord grinned evilly and raised the Imhullu cloud to finish it off.

The creature raised the rod before Discord got the opportunity to fire the Imhullu spell.  A BOOM erupted from the rod, the tip exploding into a magnificent shower of fire and smoke, boosted by its magical aura.  She heard the impact, even as far away as she was.  The Imhullu cloud blocked most of the damage, but knocked him off his feet.  Discord's head made contact with the wall behind him, the suddenness and strength of the impact was almost enough to knock him out.  Even he would take a few minutes to recover from that.

"Adrian!"  Cried  Ninian.  She flew to the creature's side, picking it up and flying back to the platform, despite her small size.  So it's name is Adrian, huh?   Celestia filed the name for future reference.

"Augh,"  the creature groaned.  "Fucker got my leg.  I won't be able to walk so well..."  It said to itself.  Its voice was obviously deep, it build composed of hard angles instead of soft curves, making him a male of... whatever his species was.  Damn it, all this thinking was making her head spin.  This is why she left that stuff to Luna and Hikari.

Nils burst through the main compound doors with a magic-drawn carriage.  Perfect!  Now they could get out of here in style... and it happened to be Discord's personal Carriage!  Celestia chuckled to herself.  That would be a slap to his ugly face when he comes to!

Tristan and Harcos graciously volunteered their hooves and hoisted the creature into the carriage, gently placing him on the couch on the left side of the entrance. Discord, being one to travel in luxury, often would be seen traveling in this pocket-dimension carriage.  Being the embodiment of Chaos and Disorder had its perks, Celestia had admitted once.  Butterscotch patched up his leg, then used his staff to cast a healing spell, stopping the bleeding.

The creature propped himself on the couch with a pillow he found lying around.

"I guess I have some explaining to do, huh?"

__________________________________________________________________

They arrived in Mareheim three days later, under cover of night.  Adrian had told them a most enlightening story, one Celesta was sure couldn't have been true, but the evidence was sitting right in front of her, right in the Underforge where she had created it.

The blue stone her informant in Thatchholm, the same one that gave her life to see the mission was complete, the one she enchanted with a spell so complex that she swore she messed up a few times, was sitting in the massive central stone fire pit.  Where it all began.

Celestia recalled that moment when Adrian revealed the stone to her with a recollection ability she never knew she had before...

How did you get here, anyway?

I believe this had something to do with it.  Do you know what it is?

She stood there, staring at it, the radiant blue light being the only light source in the room.  It mesmerized her, and she suddenly knew why ponies felt time seemed to slow down.  It was so beautiful.

Celestia didn't know what to think of their savior.  She began to recall everything from their enlightening discussion - ahem - interrogation.

He was a bipedal, fur-less creature that seemed to be a cross between a monkey's superior acrobatic skills, agility, and speed, with a gorilla's intimidation factor, great strength, and both of their intelligence, with the tenacity of a Chimera, the shyness of a baby kitten, and the loyalty of a bloodhound.  Truly a marvelous race of beings, she thought to herself.  But what truly struck her interest was their society.

She looked over Luna's notes, when she had impulsively grew tired of the educational experience, and it took convincing, but she decided to go over them anyway  Hey, she couldn't help it if she were a little impatient!  VERY impatient!  She corrected herself.  Her impulsiveness was always her fatal flaw, something she was sure she was getting over...

Anyway, back on topic!  The systems of government were truly complicated, even for Luna.  A three-branch government:  One makes the laws, one enforces the laws, and one interprets the laws.  The First branch, the Legislative branch, or Congress, was made of up two houses: a house whose members would represent the common people, whose number was determined by the population of the State they originate from, and one that had equal representation of two senators from each state.

The Second Branch, the Executive Branch, was headed by the President of the United States, the most powerful man in the country, and potentially the world!  He was the main one that proposed new laws, or bills, to Congress, who would judge them accordingly.  He was the head of the military, the head of the country, etc.  Man, he was busy!  Celestia certainly would not want to be in his place!  Too stressful for her.  She would much rather go on extravagant adventures.

The Third Branch, the Judicial Branch, would make sure the laws passed by Congress were in accordance with the "living rulebook,"  the Constitution, which laid the framework of the country.  If the Law was unconstitutional, the Judicial branch would say so.

Each Branch was tied together by a system of Checks and Balances, to prevent the three from becoming too powerful.  Whew, all that thinking was making her head spin!

Her thoughts shifted back to three days ago, when Adrian saved their flanks from execution at that traitor's hand.  She gazed at the stone in the fire pit.  Was he really the one?  The one Celestia had been hoping for?  Her thoughts drifted again to the countless lives, and friends, that had died to get them to this point.

He must be the one!  I won't let their sacrifices be in vain!  We WILL win, we WILL take back our country, and Discord WILL pay for his crimes!

A knock at the door.  Celestia yelped and jumped in surprise, almost knocking her head against the ceiling.  "C-come in!"  She stuttered.

In from the doorway limped Adrian, bandages wrapped around his leg and eye.  He smiled a small, warm smile, as he closed the door behind him and limped over to Celestia's side.  His coat was thrown over his shoulder.

"Luna said I could find you down here,"  he said softly.  "I wanted to get to know you better, the others have already warmed up to me, but I wanted to talk to you all the same."

Celestia blushed in embarrassment at the sudden attention.  No matter how much she struggled to regain her composure, the tinge of red still was on her cheeks.

Adrian leaned on the ring of the pit, laying his elbows on it.  Celestia pointed a hoof at his eye.  "Is that...?"

Adrian gestured to his eye.  "Butterscotch said it'd be all right.  I'll have a nasty scar and all that, but my eye itself will be fine,"  He said.  "But thanks for asking."

Celestia blushed a little deeper.  She humphed and turned around.  "Well, that's good; we wouldn't want you to see through just one eye!"

Adrian's smile faltered.  "What's with the antagonism here?  Did I do something wrong?"

Celestia sighed.  "No, it's not your fault.  I was, and still am, the face of the resistance against Discord.  Without me, and my sister Luna, as well as every member of our rugged band of misfits, all hope would be lost.  I.. I just feel like my role in all this has been diminished, that's all."

Adrian limped to her side, putting an arm around her.  "Y'know, I'd probably feel the same way, if I was in your position."  He chuckled softly.  "You remind me of my little sister:  always asking if she was important to us.  She'd heard stories about parents who see their kids as liabilities and not important to them.  But she'll always be important to us."  He said softly.  "Always..."

Celestia looked to him with a comforting look.  "What happened?"

"One day, trying to cross the street after school had ended, she was hit by a drunk driver.  I don't know how, but she survived the accident, despite the many horrifying injuries she sustained.  The doctor's told us she wasn't gonna make it...  This was about seven months ago."

"What about now?"

"I can't say for sure now, but she miraculously is on her way to a full recovery.  She's been in a coma for seven months, but last time I heard from the doctors, they said it wouldn't be too long before she wakes up."  He chuckled.  "You should see her hospital room:  it's decorated to the ceiling with get well cards, flowers; in the corner there's a huge mound of candy waiting to be consumed.  On her nightstand, however, there is only one card.  A kid at school, Austin, had been crushing on her, and she was the only one who didn't see it.  He put a card there revealing his feelings."  He laughed.  "Young love... they're only nine years old.  The driver, I'm sure you'll be happy to know, is serving eight years in jail and is taking a class on why drinking and driving is bad for you, although the idiot should have figured it out himself."

Celestia humphed.  "Serves him right, sending such a young filly to the hospital like that.  Who does he think he is?"

"I don't know, Celestia, I don't know..."  Said Adrian.

Cuckoo! Cuckoo!  It's Twelve O'clock!  Go to bed, or face the wrath of Abacus!

Adrian drew his pistol from his holster on his right leg.  "What the HELL was that!?"

Celestia laughed so hard she started to cry.  "That's the clock my sister Luna installed to keep Eorlund and Harcos from staying up to late repairing our weapons!"  She said between laughs and gulps of breath.

Adrian blushed, holstering his pistol.  "It's not funny!  Stop laughing!"

Slowly, Celestia regained her composure, a chuckle leaking out from here and there.

"Well," she began, "we should be getting to bed.  I'll show you to your room."

Adrian waved her off, limping toward the door.  "Luna showed me a few minutes ago.  Don't worry, I remember where it is."  he said.

Celestia pouted.  "Well, alright, mister!  I'll see you in the morning."

She held her head high, eyes closed, unmindful of the floorboard sticking out of the ground.

She struck the board, falling strait onto Adrian, face to face.  The two blushed to such a degree that they lit up that side of the room with their faces.

There the two lay, too embarrassed to speak.

"Um... I think you can get off me now."

"Yeah, sure.  I'll, erm, get right on that."

Despite that, neither of them moved.  They lay there, staring into each other's eyes, Celestia's purple into Adrian's sea blue, Celestia's face drifting ever closer.

Why the hell am I doing this?  He's not even that cute!

Holycrapthehorseisgonnamakeoutwithme

Holycrapthehorseisgonnamakeoutwithme

Holycrapthehorseisgonnamakeoutwithme

Holycrapthehorseisgonnamakeoutwithme

Holycrapthehorseisgonnamakeoutwithme

Holycrapthehorseisgonnamakeoutwithme

Holycrapthehorseisgonnamakeoutwithme.

BAM

"I TOLD YOU I COULDN'T TRUST HIM!"  Strelok roared dramatically, barging into the Underforge.  He looked around, trying to find the source of the sound he heard upstairs, only to look down and find Adrian and Celestia.

He stared open mouthed at them.  His lips began to twitch into a mischievous smile.  "Wonder what Luna would have to say about this..." he mumbled, a little too loudly.

Adrian and Celestia stared at each other.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking, Princess?"

"I sure am."

The two stared at Strelok with evil glints in their eyes.

"Uh, okay you two... We can just forget about this whole thing, I'll shut up, and we can all go to bed, right?  Right?  RIGHT!?"

That morning, Strelok would be admitted into the Town hospital with multiple broken bones and a slight phobia of the color pink.

Dawn, the next day...

Dawn broke, the pleasant chirping of birds rousing Hikari from her sleep.  She softly squirmed in her bed, trying to get just a few more minutes of sleep, but the light would not let her have it.  She groaned and sat up in her bed, her eyes screaming in protest as she wiped the sleep from them.

Her room was blanketed by the streams of yellow bursting through the blinds on her right.  Her bed faced the door, and on either side was a nightstand.  On her left was an oil lamp, strategically placed to light up the entire room at night, and on her right was a stack of books, piled halfway up to her ceiling, decorated with impressive titles such as The Expert's Guide to Dragons, Advanced Wind Magic: Year Five, and, one of the only fiction books in her small library, The World Ends With You.  She couldn't help it; Neku's dramatic story attracted even the stalwart scientist and nonfiction reader such as herself!

The rest of her room was a great mess.  Organized Chaos!  she reminded herself.  The room was littered with materials for making clothes; cotton, polyester, etc, in every color imaginable, along with several mannequins.  She had sworn to herself that once this war was over, she'd take up her dream job as a Fashonista.

She drew the blankets off of her and gave herself a good stretch, awakening her stiff muscles and loosening them up a bit.  She gave herself a sniff.  Augh, she smelled horrible!  A quick shower would do her some good.  But first, breakfast!

She opened the door and walked out of her room and to the left, towards the main room where the Dawn Brigade had their meeting, meals, playtime, hell, the room was used for so much it didn't even have a proper name, other than THE ROOM.  That bothered Hikari.  A room must have a proper name, else it wouldn't be perfect!

She was always the first one to wake up, so it surprised her to see Adrian sitting at one of the tables, drinking a glass of water, gazing out the window into the snowy town, a beautiful blanket of white covering it.  He was garbed in the clothes that Hikari had first seen him in, with the addition of his bandages on his leg and eye.  Poor guy, he'd have a hard time with his depth perception until Butterscotch gave him the OK to take them off.

She trotted into the room.  "Good morning, Adrian," She greeted kindly.

Adrian jumped slightly and turned to face her.  "Oh!  Good morning, Miss Belle."  He said.

She giggled.  "Haven't I told you before?  Just call me Hikari.  Every-pony else does," She said, taking a seat across from him.  "I honestly believed that no-pony would wake up this early in the morning, aside from myself," She began.

Adrian sipped his water.  "Well, when you've been hunting for as long as I have, you have to wake up early, or you could miss the big catch.  Animals have certain morning behaviors too; some are most vulnerable in the morning."  He explained.  They sat there in silence, not knowing what to talk about next.  Luckily, they didn't have to wait long, as Adrian's stomach rumbled louder than a lion's roar.  He reached an arm behind his head, scratching the back of it in embarrassment.

"You wouldn't have anything to eat around here, would you?"  He asked.

Hikari smiled, pointing upstairs.  "The Bartender here is a very kind stallion.  He brings us our breakfast hoof-made every morning.  We try to pay him back, but the only payment he'll accept is 'staying alive'." Said Hikari.

"An' don't you forget that any time soon, eh?"  A thick French accent broke through the stairs leading to the bar.

What seemed to be the Equestrian counterpart to the stereotypical French walked down the stairs, carrying a silver platter.  He walked up to the table where Hikari and Adrian sat at, and uncovered the chef's surprise.

To Adrian's surprise, the dish seemed quite edible.  It was a kind of soup, made from hay, daffodils, mushrooms, and a vegetable broth for Hikari, and a seafood soup for Adrian.  How Adrian knew the chef knew he liked seafood, let alone that meat was a part of his diet, he would never know.  The chef turned to Adrian and gave a small bow.

"I am Gustavo, the owner and proprietor of the Seventh Heaven Bar.  Thank you for coming to the assistance of our most honored guests.  If there is anything you need, Gustavo will see to it!"  He said with a hearty laugh.

Adrian picked up the spoon and gave the soup a taste.  By God, it just melted in the mouth!  The blend of seafood texture, combined with the mushroom broth went great together.  Simply Divine!

"This is some great soup!" he exclaimed, digging into the first real meal he had in six days.

Gustavo smiled.  "I am proud to admit to being the best chef in town, my good monkey!  I never disappoint!"  Adrian nearly spit out his soup at the mention of the word 'monkey'.  He turned to Gustavo, a stern look in his good eye.

"I am not a monkey."  He deadpanned.  Gustavo didn't even bat an eye, his smile growing ever wider.

"Nice try, my good man, but that stare of yours needs some work!  Perhaps a dash of coldness around the irises, or perhaps some kind of scar?"

Adrian ripped off the bandages from his eye, revealing the four jagged scars running diagonally from his left eye.  This time, he got a reaction:  His smile faded slightly, the faintest twitch made itself known in the corner of Gustavo's right eye, an intake of breath so faint that even with Adrian's good hearing it strained him to hear it.

"That will do fine, kid.  I imagine there's not much an old Bartender can teach you, but I'll leave you with this:  A good, hard stare can come in handy, especially when trying to avoid a confrontation."  Said Gustavo, nodding in approval.  Hikari sighed.  "Enough with the theatrics, you old coot.  The others will be waking up soon, and you know how the Dash Twins and Strelok get when they don't get breakfast on time..."

Gustavo reared back in shock.  "Ah!  You are most correct.  Oh boys!"  He called up to the kitchen.  "The others are waking up!  Get that food cooked, and on the double!"  He barked.

"SIR!  YES SIR!"  Came the reply.

Adrian raised an eyebrow as he lifted the glass of water to his mouth.  Jeez, you'd think these cooks were part of a military regiment or something.

"And yes, we were once part of a military regiment, Adrian."

He spit out his water.  The old fart can read my mind?

"No, you're just too damn predictable!  Put your Poker Face ON!"  He yelled, beginning his walk up the stairs.

Adrian turned to Hikari, jaw gaping.  Hikari just smiled.  "Gustavo may not seem like it, but he served as Discord's premier interrogator.  Twenty years ago, he, ahem, retired, from his service.  We still enlist his aid sometimes."  She clarified.

Adrian nodded slowly, digesting the information.  "Huh.  I would never have guessed." he said softly.

The two sat at the table, gazing into the dawn, the sun reflecting off the fresh snow in a way that flattered the town, the glare being a benefit for once instead of a hindrance.  They sat there together, basking in what pleasant silence they could, until the rest of the Brigade woke up and crowded around the main dinner table, feasting on Gustavo's latest masterpiece.

"Ohh... I can't eat another bite!"  Exclaimed Ninian, patting her stomach.  What a hearty meal they had eaten together!  That was no breakfast, that was a FEAST!  Thought Adrian.

Hikari nudged Adrian's shoulder lightly.  "I'm going down to the library today to check out a book.  Want to come with me?"  She asked.

Adrian scratched his nonexistent beard.  "Well, since I'm going to be here for a while, might as well get to know the townspeople!"  He declared.

Hikari smiled.  "But first: A bath!  Honestly, I haven't washed my coat in days!

__________________________________________________________________

The two exited the tavern and walked onto the street, the fresh snow crunching underfoot.  It was still early, and not many of the townsfolk were out and about just yet, but Adrian was certain the place would be busy soon enough.  They walked, or in Adrian's case, limped, down the main street, Hikari naming out places of interest, such as pubs, coffee houses, Police Department, Fire Department, Water authority, and so much more.

"The library we'll be visiting is next to City Hall," she had told him.  "You can't miss it."

Adrian smiled.  Mareheim was very similar to his Benbrook.  In fact, if it weren't for all the ponies wandering around, he'd believe he was home.

Home...

He couldn't help but wonder about his family: about his Autistic little brother Greg, whose case limited his brain to the social skills of a dog and the intelligence of a Salarian; about his old man, reaching the age of sixty-two, and planning to retire from the post office within the next three years; about his older brother Justin, a corporal in the Army Reserves, who would be shipped off to Djibouti next week, about his newborn nephew Cory, three months old, and could eat them out of house and home.

About his mother, an elementary schoolteacher, who toiled tirelessly to the whims of her boss (who thankfully was easy to get along with), the moronic parents of her fourth and first graders, insisting that their child was perfectly justified in their behavior, who came up with the lamest excuses for whenever they had nothing to back up their claims, infuriating her to no end.

Toiling to support her family with what little money her salary gave her, a mere 100,000 a year, each of his parents making 50,000 a year, with about 2,000 in paychecks; barely enough to get them through.  Adrian had resolved to get a job to loosen the strain, but now...

Now he didn't know if he'd ever return home.  How heartbroken his family must be, to believe that he's missing, perhaps even dead.  He allowed a tear to fall from his eye.

Mom... I know I haven't exactly been a good son; hell, I’ve been a horrible son.  But I promise, if I live through this... you'll never have to worry about me again.  I'll turn my homework in on time, do my projects in a timely manner, help you do chores... anything!  He silently promised.

Hikari noticed something was up.  "Adrian?"  She asked in a hushed voice.  "You're crying.  What's wrong?"

Adrian wiped the tear from his eye.  "Homesick.  This place reminds me so much of my own home that I almost believed I was there again."  He said.

Hikari looked away.  "At least you have a home to return to," she began. "My parents were spies for one of the other resistance groups.  Five years ago, Discord tracked them down to my house.  They arrested them, placed them in irons, and... I know not what they did to them.  As a lesson, he had his guards torch my house with myself and my little brother in it.  I escaped without a scratch, but my brother was nearly crushed beneath a fiery support beam.  He suffered from third degree burns all over his body, and to this day, he still is in a deep sleep at that thrice be damned hospital.  He may never wake up." She gritted her teeth.  "That's why Discord has to pay for what he's done.  He took away everything that was dear to me, and I aim to do the same to him!"  She declared.

Adrian nodded.  "I assume the other's have similar stories to tell?"  He asked.

Hikari nodded grimly.  “Tristan’s wife, Isolde probably the most beautiful pony in the land, and his son, Roy, were taken because Roy, who was still a small filly, had made a passing comment about Discord.  He rewrote their memories, making Isolde his consort and Roy cheap slave labor in the camps.  Tristan was heartbroken, and wandered for month’s looking for a purpose, until Luna found him and recruited him to our cause.  We don't know if Roy still lives...  He was the first of us.”

“Harcos and his Grandfather Eorlund were the greatest smiths in the country, until they were cheated out of their business by a rival.  They tried to go to Discord and ask for reparations, and were turned away immediately, of course.  Devoid of a purpose and not a bit in their purse, they became beggars in the streets, until we found them, and they found a job!"

“Ponies believe the Dash twins are orphans, but in reality, their parent’s minds were wiped clean, placed in camps, and trained to serve a different purpose:  Their father was trained as a lowly shoemaker, and the mother, a common whore.  They were then separated to the furthest reaches of the country, and all because they were part of the stunt group the Blazing Angels.  That incident was so traumatizing we had to erase the events from their memories; in fact, we had to remove all mention of their parents: the smallest recollection would  trigger the whole thing.”

“Butterscotch was with Celestia and Luna from the start.  He’s over two-hundred years old, having been given the gift of a long life by the Queen herself.  Before he took care of the twins, he was Celestia and Luna’s caretaker.”

“Michalis and Arran were mercenaries.  We bought them into our service one mission, and that happened to be a raid on Canterlot.  Once they saw the horrors and atrocities committed in Discord’s dungeon, they canceled their contract and joined our group free of charge.”

“Strelok was the last to join us, and he has the worst story.  His family was wrongfully charged for leading a coup d’état.  Strelok was literally chained to a chair and forced to watch each and every member of his family, down to the last child, beheaded before his very eyes.  The scene permanently scarred him.  He spent months mourning his family, at some times, not leaving the graveyard which they were buried for days, often asking the tombstones what purpose he had now that he was so alone.  Celestia found him and gave him one: join us and avenge your family.”

Adrian recoiled in shock.  Discord… he is true to his name, apparently.  How could one guy cause so much pain and suffering.  There must be millions of stories like this!He was so deep in thought that his face slammed into the towering library doors.

A thought came to him.  Perhaps the library would have spell books containing the secret to going home, or something to put him in the right direction?  Assuming the books were written in English and not whatever the ponies’ system of writing was.

Who knows? Perhaps he’ll find something else… something unexpected?

He grasped the handle on the door and pulled, opening the huge doors.  He walked in, Hikari just behind him.  The library was pretty quiet, something not uncharacteristic of a library, but there was something about this quietness that unnerved Adrian.  A library shouldn’t be THIS quiet…  It was almost as if it had been abandoned.

The door creaked, and with a loud thud, shut behind him, as if it were taunting him, sealing his fate.

__________________________________________________________________

The ambient darkness present in the seemingly abandoned library was broken only by the thin rays of light peeking through the small windows at the top of the left wall.  All around them, bookcases taller than he had ever seen before, almost as tall as those in the Library of Congress, lined the walls, each filled to the brim with the widest assortment of books he had ever seen.  He swore that the bookshelves seemed ready to fall over.

Hikari chuckled at the expression on Adrian's face.  "Don't worry," she said.  "The library's always like this."

He shook his head.  "Oh no, I've seen this movie before.  Some alien freak or ninja assassin is gonna burst out of those shadows any moment now!  I KNOW YOUR THERE!"  He shouted, pointing in a random direction.

No response.

"Although..." Hikari began, second-guessing herself, "the library DOES seem a little quiet today.  A little TOO quiet."

"Gee, ya think?"  I've been trying to tell you that."

"Yeah, well, let’s just get that book I wanted and get out of here, if you’re so jumpy!”  She humphed and trotted off into the darkness.

Adrian drew his P226 from the holster on his right side and loaded a clip.  He’d be damned if he didn’t have some sort of protection in this place!  After playing Dead Space, he promised always to have some sort of weapon on his person while walking into a library, be it a gun or a letter opener!

Hikari walked to the huge circular oak desk in the middle of the room. It was clearly made by a master craftsman, if the preciseness of the sanding and the even amount of glaze on all sides of the desk were to be taken into account.  The clever pony was able to carve it out of part of a tree stump, Hikari had told Adrian on the way over. She cleared her throat.

“BARNEEEEEEY!!!!” She shouted at the top of her lungs.

“ARGH!”  A voice called from the ceiling.  Down from the ceiling fell a strange purple thing, dropping to the ground in the middle of the desk, a dust cloud kicked up by the impact.  As it settled, it revealed a small purple dragon with green spikes.  He stood up on two legs, rubbing his head trying to recover from the fall.  He was small for dragon standards, but at his full height, he stood eye to eye with Adrian.

"Damn it, Hikari, I told you not to call me Barney!  I am a DRAGON, not a DINOSAUR!  Plus, my name is Acre!  Geez, why can't you just use my real name for once?"  He asked, annoyed by Hikari's badgering.  She rolled her eyes.

"I'm looking for a new Wind magic tome.  Got anything?"

Acre raised an eyebrow. "What?  I gave you that last wind tome just a couple weeks ago, and you ALREADY mastered it!?  Jeez, you’d think you would like to take a break or something!”  He ranted.

Hikari blushed slightly.  “No, Barney, I haven’t mastered it yet, but I’m getting close to it.  I just wanted the next level now so I could keep studying whenever I can.  I’m sure you understand!”  She said.  Rather quickly, too.  She must be anxious to get that tome, wherever it is.  Adrian thought.

“Alright, alright…” Acre said impatiently.  “The next level of wind spells… let’s see here… You've done Wind and Elwind… okay, the next level is… WHAT!?  You want THAT tome!?”  He exclaimed.

“Yes,” Hikari answered. “THAT tome.”

“B-b-but the last time you tried to use THIS one; you damn near KILLED yourself from the backlash!  Are you sure you’re skilled enough to use it?”

Hikari closed her eyes, replaying the scene in her head.  “I was a fool to attempt the Arcwind spell all that time ago.  And I do remember drifting in and out of consciousness as Butterscotch tended to my wounds.  But I’ve gotten so much more experience, and I think I’m ready now!  So please, Acre, take me to the tome!”

“You called me Acre…”  He said, startles for a second. “If you called me Acre, it must be serious.”  He walked out from behind the desk, grabbing a silver key as big as Adrian’s P226 on the way.  “Follow me:  The only Arcwind tome we have is in the basement.  Be warned, it’s filled with artifacts that are considered very, very dangerous; some have the power to kill dragons in a single blow.”

The three companions walked to the back of the library to another set of heavy oak doors.  Acre inserted the key, gave it a quarter turn to the right, and the door opened on their own, the key still embedded in the lock.  When they finished opening, Acre withdrew the key from the lock and used his fire breath to light a torch on the wall.  Adrian removed the torch from its scone and handed it to Acre.  He accepted the torch and proceeded to lead the way to the Tome.

“You’re rather jumpy there, friend!  Don’t worry, everything down here has been sealed, resealed, and sealed again time after time.  Just don't touch anything and you'll be fine!"  Acre said reassuringly.

Bullshit, I'll be fine!  Adrian thought to himself.  He really should not have played Dead Space before going hunting.  By God, if I see a fuckin' Necromorph down here I am going to lose control of my bowels!

The three companions traveled through the dark tunnel behind the huge basement doors, spiraling down to what Acre described as the 'Restricted Section', full of magical abnormalities, advanced magic tomes, various artifacts, and countless piles of 'useless junk', as he put it.  He had personally restricted the basement due to structural weaknesses, and the sheer danger the artifacts posed to tourists.

One event in particular was caused during the annual Harvest Festival a couple years ago.  A rather intelligent, yet shy colt, whom had accompanied Acre as his assistant during the tours, demonstrated an almost uncharacteristic amount of bravery when he pushed a tourist out of the way of a falling enchanted marble.  Acre blamed it on structural weakness in the support pillars, and the excessive partying in the village had not helped.  While there were no injuries, the marble had transformed the colt, and, well, Acre had put it best.

"The poor colt was turned into a filly!"  He had laughed.  Unfortunately for the colt, there was no going back from there:  this kind of enchantment had no countermeasure, and it would take time that Acre had not to develop a cure.  The colt had no choice but to live the rest of his days as a filly, and later, a mare.  Last Acre heard, he had been getting by rather well.

Adrian's suspicions were confirmed as Hikari's eyes and ears twitched in annoyance.  No wonder those two were always at each other's throats.

They came across yet another oaken doorway.  "The tome we seek is beyond this door," Acre began.  "It's the most highly secure room in the basement, and I'm the only one who can open it."  He reached into the knapsack at his side and pulled out a small knife.  "The wards placed on the door by my predecessors prevent any-pony from entering unless I record the entry here on this blood seal.  All it takes it a slight prick..." - The brief sound of metal slicing through skin sent shivers down Adrian's spine - "...and a touch on the door..." He placed a claw on the door handle, and a small seal-like drawing appeared on the handle.  Three lines of script appeared on the door itself - it looked a hell of a lot like chicken-scratch to Adrian - and faded as quickly as it came.  The doors creaked open, the hinges screeching a most foul noise unlike anything Adrian had ever experienced.

"And voila!  It is open."  Stated Acre.  "Come, come!  Follow me!

The door opened into a quite spacious room, filled with aisles and aisles of bookshelves, each displaying an assortment of tomes.  A strange symbol on the end of one of the bookshelves glowed with a faint yellow light.  Acre noticed Adrian staring rather intently at the first one.

"Oh, that's right," he said, face palming.  "I forgot you can't read Equestrian.  That symbol is the letter 'A'.  Got it? 'A'.  We've got to go down to T.  These artifacts are all sorted by type.  Since Arcwind is a tome, it's gonna be in the T section."   He explained.

"Let's see here... Q, R, S... T!  Now then, Arcwind... Arcwind... where are you?"  Acre mumbled to himself.

Ow!  Adrian thought to himself.  The stone in his pocket was burning his side!  What's going on now?  He pulled it out of his pocket, and it's glow was more intense than he remembered.  That's weird... it's glow is brighter on one side and dimmer on the other.  Is this thing trying to be a compass or something?

Hikari was likewise mesmerized by the stone's otherworldly glow.  She too noticed the compass-like glow of the stone, which pointed them to the U section, or Unknown.  If an artifact couldn't be identified, it was placed here to be studied and then sorted.  It was, of course, the largest section, and ever expanding.  True enough, as Hikari and Adrian approached the U section, the glow on the stone expanded until the whole stone was glowing.  Adrian turned to face the bookshelf, and there in front of his face was an amethyst.  By all appearances it was a regular Amethyst, but Adrian reasoned that if it was in the U section, there must be something special about it.  The stone levitated from his hand, and the amethyst along with it.  It too, began to glow and levitate, until the two stones were leveled with each other.  Then, the glows began to pulse, and the stones drifted toward each other.  The pulses increased in frequency and brightness until the two stones literally melted together and became one stone, a mix of both blue and violet.  The stone descended into Adrian's outstretch hand and landed snugly into it.

A green '3' appeared on the stone, which changed into a '4', then faded.  Adrian's eyes widened in realization.  The stone must have had three charges before it ran out of energy!  Now, since it combined with the amethyst, it has four.  Maybe there are other's like the amethyst out there too?  He wondered.

"Oi!  I found the tome!"  Acre called.  Adrian snapped out of his stupor and immediately walked back to Acre.  "Here ya go, Hikari,"  he said, handing the tome to her.  "And for the love of the Queen, BE CAREFUL with that!"  He ordered.

"Yes, Dad."  She called back sarcastically as the three companions as they left the restricted section and into the Library above.

The library, Dusk, eight PM

Adrian rubbed his temples, trying to massage his aching head during yet another one of Acre and Hikari's arguments.  It's hard to imagine that they could have been master and student once upon a time.  Hikari had insisted on spending the day at the library helping out Acre with Business there, and to help clean the pigsty of a place.  All of a sudden, a foul odor began to permeate the air.

"Ugh, what is that atrocious smell?  Have you not CLEANED this place AT ALL, Barney!?"

"Stop calling me BARNEY!"

Adrian gave a small whiff himself.  He recognized that smell:  it was smoke!

"Smoke?  Do you guys have a bonfire going or something?"  He asked.

"Bonfire?  No, I'm sure we don't have a bonfire going anywhere.  We have an excellent waste disposal system alre-WHAT IN THE NAME OF-!"  Hikari exclaimed as she opened the heavy oak doors to exit the library.

The village was burning.  Every building was lit aflame, and the townsfolk were running toward the harbor.  No one was staying to fight them, which was strange.

"Run, everypony!  Run to the Harbor!"

"Discord!  Discord has found us!"

Hikari gasped.  "Damnit, I knew taking that carriage was a bad idea!  We have to evacuate the village!" She cried.

Damn.  And here I thought I was going to get some rest!  Adrian thought to himself.

"Adrian!  The tavern!  Get to the tavern and get everypony out!  Meet up at the harbor on the northwest side of town!  Hurry!"  Hikari called.

__________________________________________________________________

Adrian sprinted back up the street to the Tavern.  He barged in the door and witnessed a giant bar fight between Gustavo and his cooks against Discord's soldiers.

"Get downstairs, mon ami!  Some of them went downstairs!  We'll hold them off, right boys!?"

"OUI!"  They shouted, fighting back with extra vigor.  Adrian briefly took into account their weapons - rolling pins, frying pans; one had even uprooted a cooking stove and started smacking it into every soldier in sight.

As Adrian kicked in the trapdoor, he readied his pistol and took aim down the hall.  Proceeding carefully, he turned the corner and rushed down the hall.  He reached Luna's door and kicked it open, the sound of splitting wood waking her up.

"Damnit, Adrian, Can't you see I'm trying to sleep?" she said through half opened eyes.  Blinking she started to drift off to sleep... until Adrian flipped her mattress.

"Wake up, Luna!  Discord's attacking the town, and the Tavern's on fire!  We've got to get out of here!"  That woke her up.  She immediately placed on her saddlebags and filled them with her few trinkets and dark magic tomes.  "Get the others, Adrian!  I'll see you at the harbor."  With a black flash, she teleported.

Adrian repeated this process with the other brigadiers, until only Celestia was left.  He prepared to kick open the door when he heard scuffling from inside, along with voices and perverted giggled.  He flew into a rage.  He readied his pistol and kicked the door open.  Celestia was in the middle of four stallions, one of which was very close to removing the title of 'Virgin' from her long list, when he suddenly fell on top of Celestia.  Blood pooled from the back of his head and onto Celestia's coat.  The other three turned and reached for their weapons, but Adrian was too fast.  Each soldier fell with a bullet in his head.

Adrian rushed over to Celestia's side, throwing the body of the dead soldier off of her.  Celestia was in shock, her mouth hung open, eyes were glazed over, and she was shaking horribly.  Adrian felt her pulse and immediately pulled back his hand as he felt it's terribly fast frequency.  "Easy Celestia, relax.  The soldiers are dead, your fine.  Calm down."  He whispered, drawing her in for a hug.  Slowly but surely she calmed back down.

"Adrian!  Thank the heavens you're here.  There were these soldiers, and the pinned me, and they tried to-"

"Hush Celestia, you don't need to tell me."  He said.  He pulled away and told her what was going on.

"Damnit, he found us so soon.  I thought we could hide for a little while longer!  I knew we should have never come here..." She chastised herself.

"Relax, Celestia, you couldn't have seen this happening.  Get whatever you can carry and get to the harbor.  I'll get the rest of my stuff and meet you there."  He said.

Celestia nodded and used her magic to levitate everything in the room.  "Go to the Underforge!  Old stallion Eorlund was down there when I saw him last.  Help him!"  She said.  She disappeared in a flash of light.

Adrian ran out of her room and into his across the hall, picking up his knives, sniper, and shotgun.  He ran to the door to the Underforge and kicked it open.  The flames were more intense down here than in the rest of the tavern itself.  Fearing the worst, he ran down the stairs and into the main forge.

He saw the frail form of Eorlund pinned underneath a wooden beam.

"Eorlund!"  He shouted and rushed to the old stallion's side.  The old stallion coughed.  "Adrian... hold my head up.  I need to tell you something."

He reached a hand behind him and propped him up.  Eorlund was smiling, though his face and main were stained with dried blood.

"Adrian... we only just met three days ago.. I wish we could have had more time to talk..."

"Don't talk!  You're wasting your strength!  Just gimme a sec and we'll have this beam off of you.  He said as he gently dropped Eorlund's head and tried to pull the beam up, but to no avail.  It was just too heavy for him!

"Adrian... the pit... there's something there... I want you to have it."  He said, before breaking into a cough.  Hesitant to leave him, Adrian stood up and walked to the central pit.  In the middle of the massive pit was a sword unlike any Adrian had ever seen!  The double edged blade glowed in the fire light, it's steel seemed to ripple with power as it lay.  He reached out to the sword and grasped it's hilt -which was wrapped in red cloth and seemed to fit right into his hand.  It was surprisingly cool to the touch.  He picked the sword up, but did not waste time admiring it as he rushed back to Eorlund's side.

"I made that sword... for Arran... but now... it's yours.  Wield it... well."  He said, gasping for air.  "Come closer... I have... one last request..."  He reached up a hoof and pulled Adrian's shirt down so he could whisper in his ear.

"Don't let my death... be in vain... Protect Celestia... and... free... the... augh!" He coughed blood.

"Free who?  Free who, old colt!?"  Adrian demanded.

"Free... her... she's in... Canterlot dungeon... and Adrian... please... live..."

Adrian felt Eorlund's grip weaken and weaken until his hoof released its hold.  Adrian grasped the hoof before it fell to the ground.  Eorlund took one final breath of air, and his eyes closed shut, never to be opened again.

Eorlund Grey-mane had died in Adrian's arms.

__________________________________________________________________

Before Adrian had come to Equestria, he had never killed another intelligent being, nor had he bore witness to another's final moments.  Now, within the span of one week, he had done both.  He remembered the conversations he held with Eorlund on the ride up here from Dragon Mountain.  In the brief time he had known him, he earned his respect and admiration, of that of an old stallion who still carried that youthful fire at his advanced age.  Adrian bowed his head in respect, and allowed a single tear to fall from his cheek.  "Goodbye... old blacksmith."  he said softly.  He retrieved the sword's scabbard from the edge of the pit and sheathed it, belting it to his waist.  He ran to the exit, not wanting to be trapped inside the Underforge. He exited the forge, and the entrance collapsed, leaving the Eorlund's body trapped inside.  I'll come back, old colt, and when I do, I'll make sure I give you a proper burial.

He ran to the kitchen upstairs, and saw the place littered with the bodies of Discord's soldiers.  A hastily scribbled note was on one of the stones:

Adrian,

We defeated the soldiers here and headed to the harbor.  Reinforcements are sure to come, so hurry up!  Don't get left behind!

Gustavo

Adrian nodded, and ran through the exit from the tavern.  The fire continued to rage, and seemed to have grown in intensity.

"Over there!  Don't let him get away!" A voice called.  Adrian looked to the left.

He saw a whole battalion of Discord's soldiers.  "Shit!"  he cursed, and took off running, toward the harbor.

__________________________________________________________________

It felt like he had been running for hours when he finally came upon the entrance to the harbor.  He looked over his shoulder and cursed: the soldiers were still in hot pursuit!  He was so close, he couldn't afford to double back now!

He kept charging on ahead.  The docks were just around that corner.  He was going to make it!

Suddenly, and black barrier appeared out of nowhere, barring his path.  Startled, he came to a running stop right in front of the barrier.  He turned around and faced the 250 strong battalion behind him, sweating in fear and anticipation.  No way would he be able to fight off this many.

"Well, well, if it isn't the interloper.  It seems I have you trapped."  A deep, mocking voice sounded.

In a flash of crimson, the tyrant Discord appeared in front of him, in his full, terrible glory.

"I was hoping I would catch you alive.  How are you?  Sorry about torching your home and everything.  Frankly, it was an eyesore."  He said with a straight face.

The soldiers started whispering to each other.  What was up with their King?  He's not usually like this...

Discord's eyes narrowed, his lips curled back in a snarl.  "Tell me, boy, did you really think you stand against me and live to tell of it?"

Adrian said nothing.  Instead, he lowered his head, his hair covering his eyes.  "So... you're Discord.  I expected someone taller."  He said snidely.

Discord chuckled.  "Oh, I'm so sorry if I disappointed you.  Regardless, what you see is what you get."  He retorted.

Adrian looked up, a fire present in his uncovered eye.  "This little chat has been nice and all, but I have a boat to catch.  So if you don't mind, I'm running late."

Discord's snarl warped into a smile.  "Is that so?  Unfortunately for you,"  he said as he became enveloped in black energy, "you're cruise has been cancelled."

The black aura hugged his form, expanding his muscles and increasing his power tenfold.  "I do believe you'll come to thank me later.  I'm about to give you an all expenses paid trip to the Great Beyond!"  he exclaimed.  The dark aura moved to his hands, sharpening his claws to a taper.  He suddenly disappeared and reappeared in front of Adrian, his claws prepared for an diagonal slash.  Adrian's reaction time allotted for just enough to dodge his strike... but he did not come out unscathed. Discord's razor-sharp claws tore off the bandages covering his eye.  At once, Adrian became enveloped with a black aura.  The backlash threw Discord back toward his battalion.

"I-impossible!  How could he have gained this power!?"  He exclaimed.

Adrian had never felt pain like this before.  It was as if his body was being de-atomized and re-atomized over and over again, taken apart and put back together.  He fell to his knees and grasped his left eye, silently begging for the pain to stop.  Eventually it did, and when it did, he stood up and examined himself.  Taking his hand off his head, he looked in shock at his arms.  They were encased in a black energy as it spiraled up his body, up his head, down his legs.  He felt intimidating, confident, and powerful.  It was as if nothing could kill him.

"He he he.. Ha ha... HA HA HA HA!  I feel INCREDIBLE!"  He declared to the heavens.  But more importantly, where did this

new power come from?

Discord shook in fear, something that he had never experienced before.  he looked at Adrian's scar, which, in contrast to the rest of his body, glowed white instead of black.

So that's how.  He thought.  When I attempted to claw his head open, and I scratched him instead, the open wound must have absorbed the power of my Imhullu spell.  This boy has just become more complicated.  He smiled.  But he doesn't know how to control it.  He doesn't even know what kind of glorious power he's just attained.  Perhaps I can use this to my advantage...

Seeing the look on Discord's face, Adrian immediately lost his arrogant attitude.  He turned around and used his newfound power to smash though Discord's barrier.  The black aura exploded into pieces, like a dropped mirror, as he expelled all the energy to break it down.  He took off at a full sprint to the docks.

"After him men!  Do not let him get away!" The battalion commander ordered.

"No.  Let him go."  Discord countered.

The Commander looked puzzled at his King.  "Your majesty?"

Discord's smile warped into a smirk.  "That creature... he may be of use to us..." He mumbled to himself.  He sharply turned on his heel and walked back toward the town square.  "We're leaving.  Back to Canterlot." He ordered.

The Commander, while confused at his Majesty's decision, did not question it.  "Back to Canterlot, every-pony!"

__________________________________________________________________

Adrian made it on board the last ship by the skin of teeth.  Harcos questioned him about the whereabouts of his grandfather, and broke into tears at the sad news.

"No... grandfather... why did you have to die?"  He pleaded to no one.  Strelok, his best friend and confident, moved to his side and put a hoof around him.  Everyone held a moment of silence in remembrance of their fallen friend.

Celestia walked to the starboard side of the ship and looked out to the blazing fireball that was Mareheim.  She shed a tear.

They couldn't save everyone... some perished in the fire, some fell to the sword, and some were captured by Discord, to serve whatever purpose he desired them too.  Her jaw clenched as she freely cried.  It was all her fault.  How could she have not seen this coming!?

Adrian walked to her side and laid a hand on the railing.  "Are you okay, Celestia?"  he asked.

"N-no," she said through her tears, "But I will be.  Just... just give me a few minutes..."  She sobbed.

"We can't go back, huh.  Not for a while, anyway.  I can't begin to imagine how hard this must be for you.  Come on, let's go inside.  We have a long day ahead of us."

"...aven..."

"What?"  Adrian asked.

"I am a craven.  Powerless to save my kingdom, to save my friend's lives, to ease the pain of my people..."

"You didn't have a choice, Celestia.  This was the only action you could have taken.  I know, it's painful, but one day, we'll surely fix all this."

"'Surely'?  Why do words of such conviction hold so much uncertainty when spoken?  Not 'surely', Adrian.  'Assuredly'.  Discord will pay for his crimes.  Today, though, allow me to wallow in this pain, to feel every awful twist of it.  I never want to forget."

"..."

"I will return, Equestria!"  Celestia roared to the heavens.  "Your princess will return to you one day!"

PROLOGUE END

Reminiscence

Fire Emblem: Equestria

A Friendship is Magic Story

Created by: TheHiddenOne

Chapter 3:  Reminiscence

Manehattan Bay, Two days later.  Midnight...

Celestia looked out onto the moon's reflection in the cool water, a forlorn look on her face.  She buried her face in her hooves, a single tear running down her cheek.  How could all of this have happened?  Why couldn't she have been a little stronger?  Maybe... if she had actually gotten up earlier, when Luna tried to... instead of staying up late reading those trashy magazines (even if the young stallions were sexy beyond belief), maybe Old Colt Eorlund would be still alive!  It was all her DAMN-

"Are you out here sulking AGAIN?"

Celestia would have jumped two feet in the air, and quite possibly have landed in the bay, if she were not so emotionally drained.  She turned around to see the weary form of Harcos slowly walking toward her, his hoof steps barely making a sound on the hull.

"Harcos..."  She started, then turned her head out to look at the bay once more.  Harcos walked to her side and propped his back against the railing, spreading his forelegs across the railing and crossing his hind legs.  He tipped his fedora down and started chewing on a wheat stem.  He looked up to the stars with the same look that Celestia bore while staring into the water.

"... Tomorrow morning we'll be dockin' at Midnight Castle..." he said, trying to start up a conversation with Celestia, if only to draw her mind off Eorlund for a few seconds.

"Yeah..." she softly whispered in reply.

Harcos sighed. "It hurts, Celestia.  It really does.  That pain, the pain of losing someone close to you... You once told me you had experienced that same pain, and that nothing hurts as much as it does; one of the only things that can cause true heartbreak."

"Yeah..."

Harcos grimaced.  He gripped Celestia by the shoulders and forcibly turned her so that she was staring right into his face.

"Why do you keep BLAMING yourself, Celestia?  You did nothing wrong!  It's not your fault!"

Celestia averted her gaze as best she could

"But... it IS my fault.  I'm the leader here, I'm supposed to look after my friends.  And now, because I failed in that duty,  one of them is gone forever..."  She said, staring blankly into the space behind Harcos' head.

"True... a leader does watch over his friends.  But don't think for a second that you are to blame for this!  No one here thinks it's your fault.  Not even ME, and that old coot was my grandpa!"

Celestia brought her forelegs up and around Harcos, enveloping him in a crushing hug.

"How... how can you forgive me so easily?  Look at me!  Don't you see how much I suffer?  How can you just... just...

"How can I not hate you?  Celestia, I could never hate you.  When gramps and I were out there, on those dirty streets of that pathetic slum that is Lower Canterlot, YOU came.  YOU were there at our worst, and when we were robbed of everything we ever stood for, you gave us a goal.  A purpose!  You should have seen the look on the old fart's face when I told him the news.  He was happier than ever.  I don't even think he was that happy before my parents passed on."

Celestia's spirits rose, but only just.  "Maybe so, but that still doesn't excuse what I have done.  I was lazy, and incompetent.  Luna always was better at this."

"Luna's a smart mare, that I have no doubt.  But for all her knowledge, and her mastery of dark magic, she doesn't have the same charisma, the same ability to lead like you do, Celestia."

"But I-"

"Y'know what?  That night, when you found us, you gave us a purpose, and hope that we had been lacking for a very long time.  And now, I'm returning the favor.  You want to "redeem" yourself?  Then keep doing what you're doing.  Lead us to victory, and I'll "forgive" you.  We have a deal?"  Harcos asked.  he drew a small knife from under his hat and withdrew a small knife.  He took the knife and made a small incision above his right hoof, letting the blood lightly drip down the hoof, and extended the knife to Celestia.

She raised an eyebrow, then smiled softly in recognition.  She made a similar incision on her right hoof, and, when it was sufficiently coated, took Harcos's hoof in hers.

"On this oath of blood, I, Celestia, Princess of Equestria, and Leader of the Dawn Brigade, make this pledge.  I swear to lead this group of ours to victory against Discord and all who oppose us.  I swear to avenge the death of my friend, Eorlund, the world-renowned blacksmith.  And I swear never to shirk my duty as a leader again."

They stood there, letting the blood on their hooves mingle together, completing the contract.

"Erm..." Harcos began.  "How... deep did you cut?"

"Hm?  Whatever do you mean-AAUGH!"  Celestia screamed.  Apparently, the self-inflicted wound was more severe than intended, as blood streamed out of the small, but deep, cut on her hoof.

Harcos rolled his eyes and put a hoof around Celestia.  "Let's go back inside.  It's rather cold out here, and we need to get that looked at."

________________________________________________________________________________

Dawn...

Ugh... my head... Oh, God that hurts.  Adrian thought as he slowly mustered the resolve to wake up.    The light, usually screaming at him to wake the hell up, was unusually silent today; It was as if the light were more... motherly, he dared to think, more calming in its wake-up call.  Adrian tossed the blankets off of him and took a seat on the side of the bed, stretching out his stiff muscles and popping all the joints in his body.  Giving his eyes one last wipe, he took a look at the window in front of him.

Curtains.  That was why the sun wasn't glaring in his face.  He took a look around the small room, and was immediately confused.  Wood?  This entire room was made of wood!  What the hell?  It could have been one of the hunting cabins he stayed at before, but that wasn't right... where was he?

He stood up, stretching again, and walked to the window and pushed aside the curtains, revealing a vast expanse of water in every direction.  He was on a ship.

How did I get here? He thought to himself. And why am I still in my clothes?  A warm pulse answered him, coming from his jacket pocket.  He pulled on his jacket and opened the small pocket on the inside, reached in, and picked up the small blue stone within.

Only it wasn't so small before.  The stone seemed to have... grown?  And not only that, it seemed to vibrate, glow, and pulse with an otherworldly light, like a candle fire flickers in a light breeze.

Suddenly, all the memories from the last time he was awake rushed into his mind, intensifying his headache.  He plopped back down on the bead, massaging his aching temples while trying to make sense of what was going on.

Let's see... Woke up in a forest clearing... interrogated that one guy.... Flash or something.  Rescued a couple of rainbow fillies, engineered a jail break, stole a carriage, arrived in Mareheim, ate good food... mmm~ fooooood...

Gah!  Getting distracted.  Moving on.  Went to library with Hikari and met this Barney look-alike, but definitely NOT Barney.  Went into a restricted section, got a Wind spell, when the stone here fused with some kind of magic amethyst.  An earthquake.  The town on fire.  Rescuing Luna and Celestia, and Eorlund... Yeah, let's not think about that.  And the whole thing ended on this ship.

Adrian, still rubbing his head, stood up, and wobbled over to the door, somehow having enough balance to walk.

BAM

How wonderful, door.  I was wondering when we could have this lovely little heart-to-heart. Adrian thought sarcastically, sandwiched between the door and the wall.

"Huh?  Where'd Adrian go?  I'm glad he's awake, but I hope he's not overexerting himself..."  Came a voice from the doorway.  It was a little high pitched, but not high enough to be a girl's voice.  One of the kid's, maybe?  Nah, they're not this

subtle.  In that case...

He rapped the door as loudly as he could, which, due to being pinned between the door and wall, was not very loud.

"Oh my, Adrian!  I'm sorry!"  The voice said.  Suddenly, the door was torn off him, and Adrian slowly sank to the ground.  With a quick glance, Adrian confirmed that the voice belonged to Butterscotch.

"Ow... just remember to knock next time..." Adrian politely requested.  Butterscotch extended his hoof and helped Adrian to his feet, who used the wall behind him to support himself.

"Ugh... feels like I just got a major hangover... What happened?"  Adrian asked.

"Well, it's kind of a long story.  We can talk about that later.  For now, you must be hungry, right?"  He asked.

A loud rumbling noise from Adrian's stomach answered him.  "Yeah, I could do with a hot meal to pack away."  Adrian agreed.  "What's for breakfast?"  He asked, as Butterscotch guided him to the ship's galley, where he was immediately swarmed by the galley's occupants, buzzing around him with questions that he could not hope to decipher.  He raised his arms in an attempt to calm down the masses.

"People, people, please!  One at a time!  God, you're all going to give me a major headache."

He had no idea how that worked, but they all shut up.  One little filly in the back raised her hoof, as if it was a classroom.

"Okay... you in the back.  You first.  What would you like to know?"

"U-um..." she stuttered bashfully, not used to so much attention.  "I-i just wanted to know... what your name was?"  She asked.

Adrian smiled.  "My name's Adrian.  It's nice to meet you, miss...?"

"Heartstrings.  Lyra Heartstrings, sir."

________________________________________________________________________________

"So... that's how..."

"Yeah.  That's how the old guy died.  Crushed by a support beam."

Harcos leaned back in his chair in the corner of the galley, bringing a hoof up to his face and sighed into his hoof.  He reached for the old pipe on the coffee table, lit it, and gave it a puff, his eyes downcast in remembrance.

"When I was still a little foal," he said, beginning his story "Gramps would tell me stories of the Old Equestria, under the Queen, that his father had told him.  From what I recall, it was the proverbial paradise.  A land where the hungry were well fed, ponies could do as they pleased, and we could walk wherever we wished without fear.  Discord was the Queen's top general, and her closest friend."  He chuckled softly.  "Some even said that there was something between the two that only showed itself behind closed doors..."

"His sudden betrayal, however, was so unexpected, that the Royal Guard had no time to react.  A dark and foul magic had overtaken him, and changed his body to serve its twisted ideals.  The Queen, apparently, was imprisoned in a place known only as the 'Zone of Silence', the lowest prison in Canterlot's Dungeon.  The Royal siblings were exiled under pain of death, and any supporters were twisted by the same foul being that twisted Discord; into mindless slaves of evil.  Some of the most powerful warriors of that time now belong to darkness, and they have only grown stronger since then."

Harcos paused his story, giving Adrian some time to let the information sink in.  He was immediately reminded of a certain comic book back home, involving a squirrel, a hedgehog, and a mad scientist shaped like an egg.

"I feared," Harcos continued, "That we may never take back the throne from that usurper..."  He said with a hushed voice.

"Countless resistance groups have risen and fallen over the past century, all of them have been eliminated down to the last colt standing.  We, the Dawn Brigade, are the last hope for a free Equestria, but it was only a matter of time before we too, were eliminated."

"Celestia however, had a different train of thought.  When she summoned us together in that small forge three months ago, she gave us the most insane plan I had ever heard.  She had learned of a powerful and mysterious relic hidden deep within Canterlot's treasure vault.  A blue stone that seemed to warp time and space around it, and upon which danced blue, ethereal flames, a stone that could only be touched by beings of order, lest the toucher go mad with uncontrollable rage:  The Fire Emblem.  She  was able to somehow sneak in and grab it, as she's the closest we have to a being of order.  The rest of us are just mere mortals, and Luna's sprit has been marked with Dark Magic, and therefore, unable to touch it."

"Her grand plan was to use the Fire Emblem's powers of time and space to recruit a new warrior, one with enough strength, cunning, patience, drive, and compassion to aid us in restoring our country to its former glory.  And apparently, the stone picked you."

Adrian suddenly found the floor to be most interesting, as he bowed his head and stared at it, thoughts swimming around in his head.  What could he do?  He was just a simple high school student, living in a sparsely populated suburb.  He was too ordinary to be considered a warrior!

"I know this is a lot to take in, but if you can't do it, then we will be doomed to live in darkness for the rest of existence.  And whoever said you had to do it alone?"

Adrian looked back up at Harcos, his eyes laced with confusion.

"You saved our lives from execution, despite never meeting us before, and wanting nothing to do with us.  You helped us escape Mareheim when it was razed to the ground, and didn't leave before every-pony was on the ship.  You may not think yourself to be a warrior, but I see a warrior's spirit within you."

He got off this chair, stood on all four legs at attention, and raised his right hoof in a salute.

"No matter what the ultimate outcome is, I'll be right by your side to the very end."  He said with a smile.

Adrian's dumbstruck face slowly morphed into a smile.  He too got out of his chair, stood at attention, and returned his salute.

"The sword at your hip... was the last sword my Grandfather forged."  Harcos said, dropping his salute.  "It was his dream to forge a sword that would be wielded by the stallion that would finally vanquish Discord, once and for all.  Now, that sword belongs to you.  I know you won't disappoint him."  He said with a smile.  "His ashes might reform themselves and kill you if you do!"  He declared jokingly.

The two friends shared a hearty laugh as they sat back down.  Harcos reached to the coffee table and grasped his mug, filled to the brim of the finest beer Gustavo could find.

"A toast:  to my old Grandfather."  He said.

"Eonia I mnimi."  Adrian returned, clinking his mug with Harcos'.

Everlasting be his memory.

________________________________________________________________________________

"LAND, HO!"  A voice sounded from the Crows Nest of their ship, the Dragon Wing.  As the crew and passengers made their way to the bow, Adrian made his way to the stern.  He pulled out the blue stone in his pocket and held it in his palm, holding it up to the sunset, gazing at the new purple hue it gained from Mareheim's library.

This thing... It's so damn helpful, and yet, I understand jack shit about it.  What did Harcos call it?  Fire Emblem?  He thought, turning the stone in his fingers so that it caught the light.

Personally, I'd call it a, how you say, Deus Ex Machina.  Adrian inwardly sighed.  That insufferable voice was back.

Don't you have anything better to do then pester me when I'm trying to think?  Adrian asked snidely.

Not really.  It gets rather boring being trapped in a cell several hundred feet below ground.  She answered.

Great, now she goes from annoying to downright snarky.  My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

The two paused in their childish banter, their conversation taking a turn for the serious.

So, how was your stay in Mareheim?  She asked.  I hear it was... eventful.

Adrian scoffed.  Eventful?  Try chaotic.  The town burned to the ground, and anyone who didn't get out?  Fried, or worse.  Adrian paused for a couple seconds.  The looks on their faces when we arrived there... they looked at me as if I were GOD.  As if I were a hero.  He unconsciously tightened his grip on the stone.  What kind of hero am I?  I'm just one person!  I'm no hero!  I'm no hero...

You can't save everyone, you know.  She replied.  But even if you can't save everyone, you save everyone you can.

But the people I didn't save will-

You'll have another chance, Adrian.  I promise you.  And when this is over, you'll have saved everyone, even those you couldn't have saved before.

...Why me?  Why did this stupid hunk of rock choose me, out of all people?  Adrian asked, bringing the rock down to his chest.  Now that he actually took the time to notice, the rock was no longer a rock.  It now resembled a strange green amulet.  It looked like it was made by a collaboration of Roman and Gothic artists, with its Roman like columns and Gothic spires.  In the center was placed a blue flower.  A sixth of the medallion was swathed in a dull purple flame, the remaining parts dull and lightless.

The Fire Emblem is one step further to achieving it's true form... and soon, all of its powers shall be yours.

Adrian's eyes widened.  All of its powers?  He asked.

He recieved no reply, the strange voice had already left him.

Adrian's grip tightened on the now medallion-shaped Fire Emblem.  Damn her!  Why can't she give me a straight answer for once?  Scowling, he pocketed the medallion, not noticing that another sixth of the medallion started to turn into pink flames...

________________________________________________________________________________

The orange sunset quietly transitioned into night, as the stars dotted the landscape and the crescent moon shone brightly over the sky.  Luna couldn't help but feel satisfied, seeing her mother's moon up there in the heavens.  Not even Discord held the power to control the movement of the sun and moon.  It was probably the only reason why her mother was still alive...

The night always seemed to calm her.  Perhaps that was why she had chosen to take up the mantle of Dark Magic, or as her canine acquaintance Canas insisted, Elder Magic.  Darkness called to her, darkness calmed her, darkness was her stalwart companion in these dark times.  If it were up to her, she would want to become one with the dark-

No.

No.

No. No. NO!

To completely let the darkness in, would mean servitude to the darkness, to give up anything and everything she believed in, to become a slave.  That was something she was never willing to do.  She would NOT make the same mistake her bet-

She shook her head rapidly.  No, Luna.  Thinking about him will bring back the memories.  Don't.  Do.  It!

But the memories would not be denied.  That tragic event came back to her, the day her whole world crumbled to pieces...

________________________________________________________________________________

It was a bright, sunny day in the city of Everfree, the ancient capital of Equestria, and Luna was getting ready for the most joyous day of her life.

She was getting married.

He was a young colt named Asteri.  Voreios Asteri, or North Star.  Luna was relatively young, at the age of a Hundred and Six.  She had many suitors vying for her attention, including that infuriating Tannen the Griffon, whom she had rejected on numerous occasions, and yet wouldn't get THE MESSAGE!  Ugh!

And then, she met him.  Asteri was one of Tannen's primary bullying targets.  The young unicorn was forced to endure his teasing and beatings for the good part of ten years, since their high school years.  It was quite an uproar when Luna had agreed to Asteri's proposal:  To go to his senior prom as his date.  Every time they tried to get some time alone, so that Luna could properly relay her feelings to him, they were interrupted by Tannen's goons.  Eventually, Tannen himself called them out, right before the traditional 'slow dance' at proms.  During his little speech, Asteri decided he had enough, and knocked him out with one blow.

And that's when Luna really fell in love.

________________________________________________________________________________

The day had finally come, when Luna was going to walk the carpet to her new husband, whom she loved more than the world itself.  The huge doors opened to reveal the congregation, each pony giving wide smiles and heartfelt shouts of praise and congratulations.  The red carpet was decorated with lovely sakura petals, and the Royal Equestrian Band played the traditional 'Here comes the Bride' with enthusiasm that she had never heard before.  But that was not what she was focused on.

All of her attention was focused on the most handsome stallion in the world, her companion in the pursuit of the mysteries of Dark (Elder!  Canas' voice screamed in her mind) Magic, and all of its secrets.  Asteri's reason for pursuing Dark Magic was the same as Luna's:  To discover the risks and threats it posed to all of pony kind, and warn their subjects about its dark and terrifying consequences.

And now, her constant companion, who had been by her side for ten years, was now ready to make the ultimate commitment:  to be her husband, for the rest of his years.

Luna broke down into tears of unbridled joy when he asked the question.

Little did she know that this would not be a happy day.  Nay, it would be the worst day of her life.

Luna did not remember much of what happened after they were pronounced Mare and Colt, but what she did remember shattered her heart to pieces.

Her lost love, which still tugs at her heart a hundred years later, became the victim of the most unsuspecting possession.  The oldest trick in the book.  And it wasn't any dark, malevolent spirit that they had encountered before:  It was Discord.  The Spirit of Chaos himself, had stolen the body of her beloved.

Discord had twisted her love's body to mirror that of his own, and, by the end of the day, destroyed the capitol of Everfree, turning it into a twisted, evil, dark forest that houses every monster known to pony kind.  The only building that stood was the crumbling ruin's of her home for a hundred and six years:  Everfree Castle.

Everything had been stolen from her!  EVERYTHING!  At that moment, all that she felt was rage, and sorrow.  Rage at the spirit of chaos, that had robbed her of everything she stood for, everything that she had to call to her name, and the love of her life.

And sorrow.  Sorrow, because there was nothing she could do about it.  Luna had been incapacitated first, then her mother, the most powerful being in Equestria, was taken out via magic even more ancient than she!  As she lay there, bound to the wall, powerless to do anything, and slowly losing the will to fight, she learned the reason for Discord' s presence.

He wanted her body.  Not for a slave, no.  He wanted her body as his own.  He wanted to possess her, and with her knowledge of the dark arts that surpassed even her mother's, he would rule the world.  She had lost the will to fight.  She closed her eyes, tears flowing down her cheeks, waiting for the end...

But no end came.

She opened her eyes, and saw Asteri before her, absorbing the spirit of chaos into his body.

She remembered his last words as if he had just spoken them.

"It only needs one of us, so I'm letting it take me instead.  Goodbye ,Luna.  I will always love you..."

________________________________________________________________________________

Author's Corner

Hello, avid readers!  It is I, TheHiddenOne, back from my long break of procrastination, month long musicals, medical complications, and Senior year!

First of all, I want to apologize for not getting this chapter out when I wanted to.  Like I said, I had a musical lasting for a month in June, Medical problems in July, procrastination in August, and just enjoying my last year of high school in September.

For all you guys wanting more action, I swear, next chapter you'll get your wish, I simply wanted to focus more on the story and background events than the action this time, as well as introduce some cliffhangers, such as a familiar green unicorn.  Why she's in two times at once shall be explained soon enough.

Since I was heavily inspired by Fire Emblem, not only will the story be in a Fire Emblem format, but I will also post the Stat's and Classes of each character as they are introduced in my blog.

Thank you for being so patient with me, and I'll do my best to get the next chapter in a more timely manner.

Ciao!

TheHiddenOne

PS:  Teen Titans is coming back this spring!

PPS:  The first six chapters were combined into two:  Chapters 1-3 into Chapter 1, and 4-6 into Chapter 2, which is why they were so long.

PPPS:  I'll try to update at least once every other week, and if that doesn't work, once a month, until I get a solid schedule for my homework, Boy Scouts (I'm almost Eagle!), Orchestra, JROTC, Theater, and everything else.

The Worlds and their Secrets

Fire Emblem:  Equestria

A Friendship is Magic Story

Created By:  TheHiddenOne

Chapter 4:  The Worlds and their Secrets, Part 1

The morning sun rose over the horizon, it's gentle rays of warmth and light bathed the land in an almost motherly fashion, gently coaxing the residents of the castle to wake up and face a new day.  Fortunately for Adrian, he was well rested, and woke up without too much fuss.

He slowly propped himself up on the headboard of his rather comfortable bed and wiped the gum from his eyes, giving his stiff arms a stretch.  To his side on the nightstand was his pistol and the medallion, along with a small glass of water to banish the morning dry mouth.  He swung himself to the side of his bed, popped several more joints, stood up, and swung open the curtains, taking in a breathtaking view of the small island Midnight Castle overlooked.  The sea looked like a warm, welcoming blanket of blue, with an occasional breath of wind softly disturbing it's calm shore.  On the horizon he could make out the western edge of Equestria, their ultimate goal.  A small sense of despair came upon him, and he wondered if the land, as enormous as it was, could ever be reclaimed.

He reached over to the nightstand and retrieved his glass of water, and as he drank, he noticed strange ships in the harbor of the small town.  Their hulls took on a peculiar golden color, their sails were the purest white, purer than any he had seen.  Truly, they were the most beautiful ships he had ever laid eyes on, and his heart was warmed at their sight, as if seeing his brother after he returned from his service in the military.

At the same time, the ships struck a chord in his mind, tugging at his memory.  He had never seen a sea-worthy wooden ship in person; with the mass production of steel some two hundred years ago, no one ever used them.  Adrian grunted in annoyance:  the ships would bother him for the rest of the day until he remembered.  He took a small sip of water from his glass and heard three soft knocks at his door.

"Come in, it's unlocked," he called, not taking his eyes off the white-gold ships.  The door slowly opened, and a maid quietly trotted in.

"Good morning, Master Adrian,"  She greeted, a polite smile on her face.  "How do you feel?"

"Well rested, yet a little stiff," he answered, stretching his body and twisting his back, giving small groans of pleasure as he felt every joint pop back into place.  "And please, call me Adrian.  'Master Adrian' makes me feel a little spoiled.  No need for formalities."  He said, smiling.  The maid returned his smile and nodded.

Adrian pointed out to the white-gold ships.  "Who do those ships belong to?  They're certainly no pony ship I've seen, and Humans stopped using wooden ships some two hundred years ago in favor of stronger steel ships..."

The maid walked to his side and looked in the direction Adrian was pointing.  She looked for a brief second, then turned to Adrian, an incredulous look on her face.

"Sir, have you never heard of elves?"

_________________________________________________________________________

The seas calmly parted around the white ships as they sailed into the port.  From the lower deck of the lead ship, a small filly emerged, wearing a green cloak secured with a leaf brooch.  Most ponies would suffer from a sudden HNNNG attack at first sight, but this filly was no ordinary filly.

Because he had with him pipe and weed.

He sat down in a hammock found near the bow and lit his pipe, content in enjoying the morning with a nice smoke.  As he lay down, his cloak slipped off, revealing his cutie mark:  A golden ring around a glowing sword.

Frodo Baggins was certainly no filly, and hadn't been one for twenty years.  He was a full grown, respectable hobbit, thank you very much.

He readjusted himself in his hammock and closed his eyes, enjoying the sea breeze on his body.  He would have dozed off, too, were it not for the approaching hoof-steps of a dear friend of his

"Good morning, Gandalf!"  said Frodo, and he meant it.  The sun was shining and the sea breeze was very cool.  But Gandalf looked at him from under long bushy eyebrows that stuck out farther than the brim of the shady hat he used to wear.

"What do you mean?"  Gandalf asked.  "Do you wish me a good morning, or mean that it is a good morning whether I want it or not; or that you feel good this morning; or that it is a morning to be good on?"

"All of them at once."  said Frodo.

There was a moment of silence between the two good friends, and they broke out into laughter at the absurd moment between them.  "Ah, I remember the first time i said such words over sixty years ago," Gandalf said, chuckling at the memory.  "I said them to your uncle Bilbo, on the day I offered him to join on our expedition to the Lonely Mountain!"

"Yet there was no laughter between us!  I, for one, believe he was quite absurd."  A voice called from below deck.  Slowly, another pony emerged, his body aged many years, but his mind sharp as ever.  His cutie mark was similar to Frodo's; a golden ring surrounding a great red dragon, a solitary mountain it's background.  His name was Bilbo Baggins, and were his story to be told within these pages we would be here until next winter, for he would talk and talk and talk until your ears fell off.

Behind him came another pony, strangely tall for his kind.  He bore many handsome features, of which there are too many to list here, and carried himself as if he were a lord.  His cutie mark was that of a crossed sword and bow.  A ring was also featured in the ensemble, a golden band emblazoned with a sapphire, and a strange leaf background, which is known as Althelas, a healing plant.  This was Lord Elrond Halfelven, a great leader of the Noldor, and a great friend of those gathered on the deck.

The four friends gathered together on the deck and shared small talk between each other, reminiscing of ages gone by.

Elrond told them the tale of Feanor, the Crafting of the Silmarils, of Morgoth's treachery and stealing of them, and the eventual fall of Morgoth at the hands of his father, Earendil the Mariner.

Gandalf also told stories of the First Age, though he was not there to witness it.  He told primarily of Beren and Luthien, and how they stole one of the Silmarils Morgoth had forged into his black crown.  He also told of Hurin Thalion and his son Turin Turambar, and the great tragedies they both suffered.  He also spoke of an ancient prophecy, that Morgoth would escape his prison in the void and be re embodied.  "But fear not!"  Gandalf said. "Mandos, the Valar who spoke this prophecy, said that in Dagor Dagorath, the Final Battle, Turin, son of Hurin, shall emerge from his halls, and will slay Morgoth with his black sword, and that would be his final end."

"Arda would then be broken and remade, and the Silmarils will be recovered out of the Air and Earth and Sea.  Feanor will take them to Yavanna, the Valar responsible for the growth of all things,  and she will break them and with their fire rekindle the Two Trees.  The mountains of Valinor will be leveled, so the light of the two tree shall spread all over the world.  The Elves will awake and all their dead rise, and Eru Iluvatar, the creator, will have their purpose fulfilled."

"But what of Men?"  Bilbo asked.  "Will they share in this light as well?"

"I should hope so, Frodo," Gandalf said, pausing for a quick puff of his pipe.  "But I cannot be sure.  Mandos spoke only of the Elves, and mentioned no Man in names, save only for Turin."  There Gandalf finished his tale, and there was silence for a while between the four friends, pondering the tales that were shared between them, and of the eventual fate of Men, and what might befall them.

"How sad," Frodo said softly, thinking of an idea.

"What troubles you, Frodo?"  asked Gandalf, his brow perking up in interest.

"Lord Elrond, you said that Morgoth, once called Melkor, was greatest of the Ainur in strength and knowledge.   What caused him to become so foul and twisted?"   He asked.

Elrond paused, his eyes closed in thought.  "To tell you the truth, I do not know.  No one, save the Valar and Iluvatar himself know of the cause, though I do remember rumors saying that before the great Music that forged Arda, Melkor searched for the Flame Imperishable, venturing into the Great Void, where he was alone for a very long time."

"Then that must have been where he first started to fall, in the void."  Frodo concluded.

Another silence between them as they thought upon this new information.

"Do you think it's possible Melkor could be redeemed?"  Frodo asked.

Were it not for the centuries of patience and restraint, Elrond would have mocked the notion, but instead he raised an inquiring brow, his eyes filling with a touch of disapproval.  Bilbo, however, scoffed at the notion.  "Someone that evil is better off rotting in his prison," he declared.

Gandalf, however, was not too convinced.  "It would require retrieving him from the void and giving him a body, while keeping his spirit chained by Angainor... It would also require him to be in the presence of pure light to wash away his darkness, and to heal him of his first time in the void.  There would be many trials before this could be done, but it just might be possible."

Elrond chose this moment to speak his mind.  "It is not our place to think of such things," he said.  "The Valar would have to consent to this, and the only power above them is Eru Iluvatar himself.  I, for one, do not believe Iluvatar would consent to such a thing. "

Frodo disagreed.  "I think he would."

Elrond gave him his full attention.  "And why, Frodo Baggins, would you think that?"

Frodo gave him an incredulous look.  "Iluvatar is the Father of All, and that would make Morgoth his son.  Is it not natural for a father to want back his son?"

At that moment, a strange feeling came upon Frodo.  Someone, or something, was smiling upon him.

_________________________________________________________________________

Adrian had found himself in the Great Hall of Midnight Castle, feasting on a breakfast of eggs, bacon, hash browns, and oatmeal.  He had noticed these strange parallels between the pony daily routine and those of humans.  Perhaps there is some sort of explanation?

He took his chair and tray and sat in a corner of the room, away from his friends to think about the information the maid had given him.  Elves?  In Equestria?  The very notion was insane.  Elves were bipedal beings, like him, and were the fairest of all beings, and yet the ponies speak of them as if they are a daily appearance.  Normal, even!  He could not wrap his head around such an idea.

"Why are you sitting here alone, friend?"  A voice asked him.

Adrian turned to his left, and came eye to eye with his host, a great and beautiful white dragon named Naga, the Lady of Midnight Castle and protector of all those who lived on the shores of the island.  Had Adrian not heard her coming, he would have flipped his shit.

He swallowed the egg he was munching on and downed it with water.  "Your maid told me of elves.  Elves!  Here in Equestria!  How is that possible?  Unless you have certain parallels in this land that correspond with what Earth's definition of Elf is..."

Naga shook her head.  "No, Adrian.  There are no Elves in Equestria.  Never have been, until now."

Adrian turned his head to Naga.  "What do you mean, 'until now?"

Naga did not answer at first, a frown on her face.  "Adrian," she began, "have you ever heard of the word 'dimension' before?"

Adrian raised an eyebrow.  "Yes, but what does that have to do with anything?"

Naga smiled.  "It has everything to do with everything!  In each dimension of the universe, a handpicked few are given knowledge of all the others.  I truly envy you, Adrian.  You are from the Prime Dimension, Earth 01, the origin of all the others, and the one all the others are based off of."

Adrian's face morphed into that which one may wear when confronted with something that is so utterly incomprehensible you can't help but go 'what?'.  It looked remarkably like a fish.

Naga chuckled.  "Let's start at the beginning.  In the beginning of time, out of the void arose the One Being.  He is known by many names, to you folk he is known as Allah, Yahweh, or God.  Here, he is known as the Divine One, or Creator.  And in another, he is given a more grand name:  Eru Iluvatar, The All Father.  With me so far?"

Adrian could only nod.

"When the Creator emerged from the Void," Naga began, "he first made his servants, the Angels, and Heaven, where they live.  He then created Earth, your world.  He made exactly according to his wished, and was satisfied with his work.  Many, many, many long ages passed, and one day, he sent an Angel, the identity of whom is not known, to an author by the name of John Ronald Reuel Tolkien.  With the Creator's blessing, the Angel gave Tolkien a mysterious power, one that to this day no one really understands.  The year the Angel visited Tolkien was 1937, the same year he published a book known as The Hobbit.  After The Hobbit's grand success, Tolkien wrote a sequel, often published in three parts, in 1954."

"The Lord of the Rings!"  Adrian said abruptly.

Naga smiled.  "Exactly.  The Lord of the Rings is one of, if not the, most famous book ever written in Earth's history.  And that, my friend, is when the Blessing the Creator bestowed upon Tolkien went into effect.  The book became so popular, and so well loved, that it created a dimension, one where the stories of Tolkien came to life and took on a form of its own."

Adrian's eyes filled with a mixture of shock, disbelief, and excitement.  "Unbelievable!  To think that we humans actually created another world..."

"It seems unthinkable, doesn't it?" Naga asked rhetorically.  And Middle-Earth wasn't the only universe created this way.  Other notable examples include the United Federation of Planets, Alagaesia, the Star Wars Galaxy, and even Equestria.  We owe our entire existence to your folk."

Suddenly, a great weight came upon Adrian's shoulders, threatening to take him out of his chair and throw him to the ground.  It was the weight of responsibility, and it nearly crushed him.  Naga gave him a paw to steady himself.

"It seems like a great responsibility, doesn't it?  Being a member to the race of Humans responsible for creating alternate universes?  Do not worry, Adrian," She said.  "The burden of creating a world is not on your shoulders. Rather, it is the burden of ensuring that Equestria becomes a happy world, as it should be.  For even though we are worlds apart from each other, evil lurks in each and every one of them, and it could ensnare those worlds at any time.  This evil could not be defeated by the actions of the inhabitants of this world alone, so that's why you are here."

"And what of the elves?"

Naga pondered the question a moment.  "To tell you the truth, I don't really know why Elves would be here.  There is something known as The Wall that separates every dimension from itself, keeping evil from bridging the gap from one universe to the next, and it's notoriously strong, and there's... no... way... Creator preserve us!"  She whispered in shock.

"What?  What's wrong!?"  Adrian said, putting an arm around her.

"The Wall between worlds was erected by the Creator himself as a shield!  The only one who can break down The Wall is Him alone.  The only way Discord could break it down, or at least create holes, would if he had found... the Flame Imperishable."

Naga bowed her head, a single tear ran down her face.  "Amanaisal... what have you done?"  She whispered, in a voice too soft for Adrian to hear.

"Waitasec, what's this 'Flame Imperishable'?"  Asked Adrian.  The term was frighteningly familiar to him, just as the White Ships earlier were.  Another piece of Middle-Earth?

Naga looked straight ahead, into the fire at the opposite end of the room.  "There was... another book Tolkien wrote.  A third book, that held within information concerning the history of Middle Earth, most of which during the First Age."

Adrian looked into the fire as well. "A third book?  Never heard of it."  he said.

Naga scoffed.  "That's because it was published posthumously.  After he died.  The book was titled The Silmarillion, and it held the first mention of the Flame Imperishable.  According to the book, Eru Iluvatar used the Flame to create the Ainur, the World, and its inhabitants.  If I remember correctly, he then sent the Flame into 'The Heart of the World', and this gave the world the ability to 'Create'.  Discord must have somehow taken a small ember of it with him, but how?"

Suddenly, an idea found its way into Adrian's head.  "I don't know how he took it," he began, taking the bronze medallion, the Fire Emblem, out of his coat pocket, "but I think this is it."  He finished, presenting the medallion to her.

Naga's pupils dilated and her eyes widened.  "H-how did you come upon this!?"  She all but screamed.

Adrian's arm, which was still around her shoulder, brought her head in close to his and discretely pointed toward Celestia, who was currently engaged in an eating contest with Harcos, Arran, and Strelok.

"She said she recovered the Medallion from Canterlot's vaults, not too long after Discord's successful coup.  She used the Medallion's ability to 'Create' to send it to 'someone worthy' to aid the Dawn Brigade in their cause.  And, since I'm here, it chose me."  He said, with a sense of finality.

"I see..." Naga whispered, taking a few moments to collect her thoughts.  "Then it seems you are meant for a great destiny after all, Adrian."

Adrian withdrew his arm from Naga's side and laid the medallion in his lap.  He was silent for a few long moments.  "When I first came here," he began, "all I wanted to do was find a way home.  I woke up in a forest clearing, with no purpose, and nowhere to go. Then, a voice came to me, telling me to make my way toward Mareheim, and that all would be revealed when I got there.  Damn voice, always leaving shit out..."

Adrian looked up from the medallion and straight into Naga's eyes.  "I know where this voice is:  Canterlot's dungeons.  This voice is my only ticket home.  I've already made an enemy of the current ruling power, so this is my choice:  I swear, for good or ill, I will take part in this Rebellion, over through Discord, and return this land to peace."

"And afterword, you will return home?"  She asked.

Adrian nodded.  "Look around."  he said, gesturing to the Great Hall.  "I am the only one of my kind in this world, and, no matter how beautiful it is, or how many friends I make here, I will not belong.  I have to return home, if only to be with my kind again."  He said solemnly.

"And besides, it's not like I can't come back."  He smiled, and held up the Fire Emblem.  "When all is done, and the world is right, give this to Celestia.  Tell her to call upon me, should Discord ever return from whatever hell we send him to."  The two friends shared a smirk between them.

At that moment, the doors to the Great Hall slowly swung open.  Adrian turned his gaze to the door, and locked eyes with Hugo Weaving (ahem!) Elrond Halfelven.

Every Story has a Beginning

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