A Shade's Rebirth

Darkness was all Ihsan saw in his vision. An endless abyss that seemed to go on and never end. Soon an image began to take form from the darkness. A place that Ihsan knew all too well. It was his home, a small village in Aysen. The village was small and nothing impressive, but it was home to hi. The people cared for its neighbour. Nothing has evil had ever descended on this town. Ihsan knew better know which was why the next thing he saw was he vision changing to him standing on top of a hill in his dark armor staring down at the village. "No. Not again!"

The dream Ihsan stared down at the town as he raised his hand conjuring a dark shadowy sword that glowed an eerily red. Behind him, snarls and growls could be heard behind him as monster began to gather behind him. Things that had rotting flesh coming off them or giant humanoid figures with horns carrying giant scimitars. Ihsan gripped his sword firmly in his right hand and slowly raised it to where it pointed down at the village and uttered one word. "Slaughter."

The monsters let out roars of all kinds that echoed all throughout the whole area as they charged down towards the village. Ihsan watched his forces charge for a minute before he soon began to walk down towards the village to take part in the slaughter as well. Soon all through the village the screams could be heard as the monster began to slaughter everything they saw. The village was burning with the smell of fire and burnt corpses and the screams of people as they were killed. The paladin knights that were stationed there rushed to defend the innocent. The paladins were soon beginning to be overrun. Then all of a sudden the monsters stopped and backed away.

The paladins watched confused as they stopped, but soon their question was answered. Ihsan walked forward with his sword gripped in his hand. Every step Ihsan took it seemed to become darker as he approached the five paladins, one of whom he saw was his father. None of them recognized him though he didn't care as he was sent here to do his master's bidding. "Why? Why are you killing the people here?!"

Ihsan stared at them as his father asked him the question. The paladins wore their signature armor that was silver and covered their entire body. They carried a shield that had the symbol of a sword that was pointing downwards with what appeared to be light coming from it. They also had a blue cloth that covered their chest armor that was blue. Painted on it was the same symbol the shield they carried bore. In their hands were maces that were silver with a slight glow white glow to them.

Glancing over to the last paladin who wore the same type of armor without the helmet only his armor, shield and mace were gold. The paladin was a middle-aged man in his early fifties with a blonde hair and beard. His eyes were green.

Ihsan didn't speak but instead walked towards them prompting one paladin t charge him swinging his mace. Ihsan raised his left-hand glowing. The paladin stopped as he felt his body began to spasm in pain. The other three knights charged intending to help their comrade only for them to fall in pain as well. Ihsan father watched with wide eyes as one of the paladins turned in to face him with pain on his face and   suddenly it started to fall off as it decayed and soon his body was dust and bones while a purple glow surrounde them that was absorbed into Ihsan.

"You....took their souls! Your monster!"

Ihsan turned towards the last paladin and spoke. "Your next......father."

Ihsan awoke panting from his nightmare.......no memory.

“I think I'm starting to get used to this.” he thought, half annoyed, opening eyes.

Hovering above him was a pink head.

“Well, clearly I was wrong.”

“Oh my gosh, you're awake! The doctor said you'd be fine, but you slept whole day, so I was, like 'What if he doesn't wake up?', but...” the pink pony, that was for some reason standing atop of him, kept spouting words quickly, until she was interrupted.

“Pinkie Pie, get off it!” shouted some voice, after which strange aura enveloped the pink pony and dragged her off.

Ihsan went to get up only to stop as he felt himself not being able to move. Glancing down he saw he saw strapped down with ropes upon ropes. Had to admit, he never thought of a mummy made of ropes since that was what he resembled right now. Glancing over he saw a pony with a purple coat, dark purple tail and mane with pink highlights, and what appeared to be the image of a starburst on its flank staring at him with a.....glare?

Glancing he saw other ponies as well. One had an orange coat, blonde tail and mane, the braids making me lean towards female and what looked like a tattoo of three apples on her flank. The other one, who seemed on a chronic sugar rush, had a violently pink coat, a darker pink tail and mane that bounced with every movement, and a flank tattoo of… balloons?

He glanced towards another that had a flowing, almost stylish violet mane and tail, a pure white coat and a flank tattoo of some form of three gems or diamonds. It stood with a real sense of grace as if it felt a need to look good doing everything, even something as simple as standing.

Finally glancing at the last two, he saw One had a cyan blue coat, and a blazing rainbow-patterned mane and tail. Its flank mark was a bit more… abstract than the previous three; a cloud with a rainbow-colored lightning bolt arcing from it. It was looking at me almost like it was eager for me to act out of line, giving me shifty, suspicious looks. The other pegasus, yellow with a flowing pink mane and a flank mark of butterflies, seemed to be the rainbow pony opposite; it actually seemed very quiet, keeping its head down as though hoping not to be noticed.

"Um....hi." Was all Ihsan could say. He honestly wasn's sure what to do in a situation like this. They were probably going to torture information out of him. The next action made him think he was going to be as the purple one horn glowed. He didn't feel any pain but instead saw the ropes disappear. "Huh?"

"Sorry about that. We weren't sure how you would react when you woke up." Was the purple one response.

Ihsan chuckled causing everypony to stare at him in confusion. "You didn't think that someone would be madder at being restrained?" Ihsan asked in humor and laughed more as the purple pony rubbed the back of her head sheepishly with her hoof.

"Somepony." Twilight commented.

"What?"

"Its somepony."

Ihsan just stared at her making all the ponies anxious. "Nope."

Ihsan saw something that looked like a small purple basilisk standing on his hind legs.

'This will be interesting.'

“I hope I don't sound rude, but do you mind telling me why am I surrounded by six ladies and some small lizard-thing? Or, for that matter, where am I?”

They all exchanged glances, before the lavender one answered: “Well, you are in Ponyville Hospital, we are here because you saved three fillies that we know and love, and...”

“And I'm not a lizard, I'm a dragon!” snapped the lizard, apparently offended by his comment.

“This thing can talk?” thought Arthas, now not sure if he should expect everything, including plants, to talk in this weird world.....he stopped when he remembered Multani.

“I'm sorry, I didn't mean any offense.”

“That’s okay, we're cool. I'm Spike, by the way.”

“I'm Twilight Sparkle,” said the lavender one, nodding her head. “And those are...”

“I'm Pinkie, but you already know, because Twilight told you!” shouted the ridiculously pink pony.

“Name's Rainbow Dash, best flier in Equestria.” said the cyan one with a rainbow colored mane and tail, which was flying above the floor.

“I could guess.” thought Ihsan, noticing her mane's colors and remembering fillies talking about her.

“Applejack,” said the orange one with blond mane and tail, both tied who was wearing a hat and sounded familiar. “Thank ya for savin mah sister, Apple Bloom.”

“You saved my sister, Sweetie Belle, too,” added a white one with a horn and purple mane and tail which were combed in wavy curls. “You can call me Rarity, or Miss Rarity if you like.”

“Is she a noble or something?” Arthas thought, noticing a slight difference in Rarity's way of speaking in comparison to the other mares.

“And, um.... I'm Fluttershy.” said the one with a light yellow body and a pink mane and tail so silently that Arthas barely heard her.

“So, what’s your name?” asked Twilight Sparkle, when everybody introduced herself. “Girls said you never got to introduce yourself.”

Ihsan sat there not sure if he wanted to tell them his real name. He doubted they heard of him. Finally after some thought he spoke. "I'm Ihsan."