A Gamer In Equestria: Rebornby The Dark BronyChaptersChapter 2 - Everything has changedChapter 3 - A Royal DreamChapter 4 - A Rude AwakeningChapter 5 - Today Just Gets Weirder and WeirderChapter 6 - A Chaotic Day Part 1Chapter 7 - A Chaotic Day part 2Chapter 8 - A Chaotic day Part 3Chapter 9 - The Start of Something New.Chapter 11 - Meeting a ShadowChapter 12 - Along Came A SpiderChapter 13 - Let the Prank's CommenseChapter 14 - This is Why I Hate Parties.Chapter 15 - A New Type of ElementChapter 16 - Me and My EgoChapter 17 - Jagged ClawsChapter 18 - A meeting with ChaosChapter 19 - Craig VS BlueChapter 20 - Being Thrown to the WolvesChapter 21 - The Call of the AlphaChapter 22 - Never Trust Your ShadowChapter 23 - A Soul Reaper and an AI.Chapter 25 - A Family Reunion Part 1Chapter 26 - A family reunion part 2Chapter 1 - I had a bad dayChapter 10 - It’s a new Dawn, Day and Life for meChapter 2 - Everything has changedSomething has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.Chapter 3 - A Royal DreamSomething has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.Chapter 4 - A Rude AwakeningAuthor's Note Hello everyone, I finally decided to release a new chapter, heads up for anyone who decides to pick out error this chapter has not been cleared by the editor, however, I have not seen or heard from him in a month. Once this chapter is cleared by my editor I shall update the chapter and leave a blog post to tell you. I am sorry this chapter took so long and is unlikely to perfect at this time. As always hope to hear from you The Dark Brony Chapter 4 - A Rude Awakening There was this soft, buzzing ring echoing in both of my ears alongside a throbbing sensation in my eardrums. I open my eyelids only to be greeted by the sight of a wooden nightstand and a plastic guard railing that prevented me from falling off the soft white bed I lay in. Even if I could muster the energy to roll off the platform, my hands were bound to the sides of the bed. I looked away from the neatly crafted nightstand and stared at the figures resting at my side. Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo and Applebloom. They were huddled around the bed, looking down at the floor with grief. I slowly lifted my head up and with tired eyes, I spoke. “Who died to upset you lot so much?” The heads of the three fillies instantly shot up. They cheered with delight before wrapping their hooves around my neck, cutting off the air I needed to breathe. I choked and coughed until I was able to pry the little fillies hooves away from my windpipe. “How did I get here?” I said whilst rubbing the back of my head with my right hand. “You were out for a while, we thought you were dead, or worse!” Scootaloo reacted, not quite answering my question. Applebloom stepped in. “Well, when we were tryin’ to get ya back to Ponyville, two nice gentlecolts came to the rescue from out of nowhere! One of them was really funny. He kept saying all kinds of funny words and stories, he had this really deep voice too!” “Yea, he also had an accent like bloom here!” Scootaloo jabbed her friend’s chest with her hoof. Applebloom slapped her friend's hoof away from her front body before continuing her story. “Well, not exactly like mine but a lot different. Very different! He wore this strange looking hat as well, it was big and fluffy. The other was a bit more serious and kinda quiet; really nice though! He never really spoke loud. He had this kinda sad smile, he also wore this creepy looking sweatshirt-” “Seriously, in the middle of summer!” Sweetie Belle imposed, crossing her hooves. “Yeah, he also had this cool looking necklace with metal beads and two small metal things at the end that spelt out his name and everything!” The orange pegasus jumped with excitement. ’They sound like dog tags to me...’ I thought. “He also had these beautiful wings that were jus amazing!” Apple bloom cooed. “They were huge, large enough to cover you, Craig!” “Yeah...a show off with them too,” Scootaloo grumbled. I was impressed at how well the girls seem to describe the whole story without having any trouble whatsoever. I was even more surprised that the girls managed to survive out in the forest while, I myself, had been a burden to them. I was just glad that they were safe and out of harm’s way. My attention was brought back to the two ponies the crusaders recently talked about. “So I’m guessing that they helped you bring me here?” I asked, still drowsy from what felt like a long sleep. “Yeah, some stallions came by and helped us to Ponyville hospital!” Scootaloo smiled. “Did they leave you with a name or a way for me to thank them?” “No, not really...” The filly said as her ears drooped. I sighed with defeat, knowing I wouldn’t get any more information. “Well, I’ll probably see them again eventually.” I lay in the bed and stared up at the white ceiling. I slowly breathe in, feeling the stale air in the room enter my lungs as my chest began to rise. I exhaled and I attempted to sit up, and I slowly begin to feel the strength in my upper body. Strange, I felt like I had power stored within...my own blood? I felt rings around my wrist suddenly, and I was pulled back by the force and landed back on the white pillow behind me. I rose my left arm to see a white cuff strapped to the side of the bed. I look over to my right only to find the same restraint. I rose an eyebrow before turning my head to see the hard working and somewhat sceptical face of Applejack. A large stetson adorned her crown, her mane was as blond as growing wheat, her coat was the bright colour of orange, and a strong odour of cider and apples surrounded her form. This was The Element of Honesty… “Umm, why am I tied down?“ I ask with a puzzled expression, not noticing the restraints until now. “Sorry sugar cube, ain’t my idea. The doc thinks ya’re dangerous. While I will be honest, I sorta thought the same at tha time,” She said with a hint of guilt, removing her stetson before bringing it close to her chest. “Can’t be too careful and all”. “I really don’t blame them,” I shifted my head forward to see my large body still strapped to the overly small bed. “ I do look like a monster and a threat, don’t I?” With another look of guilt resonating off the orange mare, she placed her Stetson back on her head before giving a weak smile. “I’ll try ta talk to them when they aren’t as jumpy as they’re now” “See! Ah told ya he was alright!” Applebloom jumped in, who later starred at her sister intently with furrowed brows. “So now you can let him go right?” Applejack reached down with her hoof to pat her sister’s head gently, the bow that tied her mane behind her head bobbed up and down. “Sorry, ah can’t Applebloom. Not till the doc says so.” A smile was fixed on my face at the affection the two mares displayed. I laid back down and stared at the ceiling before another thought came to mind. Luna I tentatively turned my head towards the two sisters to stare into their abnormally large eyes. “Well,” I began with a hint of scepticism. “Once I’m released I need to try and find Twilight.” Both Applejack and Applebloom stare at me with confusion. The small yellow filly yet again trotted over to the left side of the bed where she placed the bottom of her chin on the smooth rails. “Why ya lookin for Twi?” “Luna contacted me whilst I was out and said Twilight would be able to help me,” I said, answering immediately while also acknowledging the little filly’s strong accent. “What!?” Scootaloo argued, marching over to Applebloom’s side. “Why would Luna want you to go to Twilight!?” The question brought up a good point, why would luna ask me to see Twilight? It would remain a mystery for now. I shrugged my shoulders at the favoured fan of Rainbow Dash. “I have no idea, but I should probably listen to royalty. After I’ve been discharged from the hospital that is.” “Ah can help ya when ya get out too!” Said Applebloom. I then slowly tilt my head in the direction of the small yellow filly before raising my left eyebrow. “And how do you plan on doing that?” I asked with the same puzzled look as Applejack. Applebloom opened her small mouth exposing her red, saliva covered, tongue. Unfortunately, her sentence was made short as the small door on the opposite side of the room opened. It's hinged squeaking at the first motion of the door. Taking her place in the doorway leading into the hall of the hospital was a white earth pony. Her mane and tail was a light pink, a thin white cap with a red cross in the middle adorned her head and that same cross was on both sides her flank, but was instead surrounded by small hearts. “So I’m discharged?” I ask as I attempt to lean forward and flee the bed but to no avail. The nurse gasped and quickly trotted over to the side of the bed where the two fillies stood awestruck at the nurse’s quick actions. “No!” She calmly yelled with a sheepish smile. “Not. Yet.” She said, tightening the restraints on my wrist and leg, which began to hurt. I then stared at her before I said “Why do you need to tighten the restraints this much… it’s actually digging into my skin,” as I contorted my face in pain. “Nurse!” The voice of the western mare bellowed, scaring the nurse away from the third restraint, near my right ankle. “What in tarnation are ya doin!?” “Applejack I was only-” “Only what! Hurting our friend here!?” “No no that’s not what I-” “Well, couldn’t ya hear em-” “Relax,” I said, raising my hand as far as I could. “She’s only doing her job, even if she’s not really thinking about my health at the moment.” I admittedly said before staring at the nurse with a half-open glare. “Could ya at least loosen the restraints?” Said Applejack to the still thunderstruck nurse. “He ain’t going nowhere,” The nurse shook her head furiously up and down with complete understanding, afterwards smiling at me. She stepped back and turned to a silver cart which lay in the middle of the room. With a clipboard now in hoof, she continued to stare at me with her eyes. “Sorry, I just came in to check up on you and make sure you’re okay,” leaning her head down onto the cart, she clenched a silver pen in her mouth which she directed to the clipboard in her grasp. “I need to ask you a few questions before we can determine whether we can let you leave.” I then looked at her be then said “Fire away then.” “Are you experiencing any pains whatsoever?” “If you mean more than when I got here. Then no.” “Alright. Do you, in any way, feel dizzy or loopy?” “Not in any way, no,” I replied The pen between the white mare’s teeth wobbled and shook with each word that was written on the bare parchment. With a single smile, she slid the pen between the metal clip with a satisfied grin. “Thank you, I’ll be sure to send this to the front desk.” As she turned to exit the room, she apologized to me for the earlier fiasco and departed. Applejack, with what appeared to be a relaxed stature, approached the front door of the room and closed it gently. No sound protruded from the iron mass. “How long do ya reckon it’ll be before the doc comes in?” “Absolutely no idea I’m afraid,” I replied whilst squirming against my bonds. The same look of guilt once again appears on the blond mare’s face. Her green eyes gazing at the straps wrapped around my wrist and ankles. Trotting to the side of the bed, she reached over to my appendages and loosened the restraints. My arms and legs were free and able to move. And I was thankful for that. When I looked at Applejack, I could see a sense of relief. “You know you didn’t have to do that,” I said, rubbing my wrist and ankles, now feeling the oxygen and blood flow through them. “But I am thankful you did.” “Awww!” The three fillies who were huddled together chimed at the scene which was displayed before them. Applejack dipped her head down in the direction of three crusaders, a single glare from ponyville’s best athlete was enough to send burning chills down the young ones’ spines. Time ticked by as we sat in the quiet room waiting for the doctor to excuse me from my sentence which was granted to me by means of sleep and exhaustion. It was only half an hour before he came in and declared I was in good health afterwards scowling at Applejack for releasing me. I dashed out the door and ran down the few halls and stairs with the fillies close behind, we reached the lobby where we found most of my belongings leaning up against a bare wall. I either strapped them over my shoulder or held them firmly in the palm of my hand. Stares of uncertainty, fear, and confusion littered the lobby. Although there were only three ponies, it felt closer to a dozen. One cowered in the corner of the waiting room, the pony at the counter hid under her desk, and the other showed no signs of motion other than the repetitive turning of a newspaper he held in his hoof. His face was hidden but two green eyes revealed themselves peeking through two cutout holes in the newspaper. I sigh with an obvious sign of irritation, knowing that my existence scared and frightened the ponies. “I knew this was going to happen! Everyone’s terrified at the mere sight of me.” I lift my arm to point at the group, only to witness the same sense of fear resonate off the ponies. Applejack noticed this and scowled at them with a stomp of her hoof before staring up at me. “Well we can’t do much about that Craig,” Applejack declared. “What would you do if ‘ya saw somepony who’s big’a than you were and different lookin?” I take that into consideration and imagine the thought. “Fair point, I’d probably be scared as well,” I admitted. “Not like that’s new to me.” I muttered. The ears on Applejack’s head stood straight before swerving in all directions. “Now! Quit that their negative talk, we have ears too ya know! Jus be glad for who ya are Craig, you probably have y’re own special talent that nopony else could match! That and ya saved my sister!” She boasted, later patting the top of her blushing siblings head with a hoof. “Yeah―I suppose you’re right―It just feels weird; me being able to save someone…” I brought my hand to my chin and thought to myself quietly, hoping Applejack would not hear my voice this time. “Almost like it’s just a dream,” The more I questioned the logic behind this strange occurrence of events, the more I questioned whether or not I was actually alive. Applejack opened the door to the front of the medical centre. “Well, C'mon, grab yer things so we can get goin’ ta Twilight’s house. Hopefully, she’s there and not spendin the entire day ‘stickin her snout in another book.” She said heading in the direction of the exit. “An hopefully I can repay ya for saving my little sis.” “You don’t owe me anything Applejack.” I sighed. “Ya sure do like sighing don’t ya?” Applejack raised an eyebrow in a joking manner. “What? It’s depressing to think your whole family believes that you’re dead!” Her smile dissipated quickly and was replaced with a look of stigma. “I-... I’m” She stuttered and choked as if touching upon a personal conversation. “Am sorry ta hear that...” “Don’t worry about it Applejack, my past is my past. I’ll just have to live with the memory of them-” “Hey~!” Sweetie Belle jumped in with a sheepish smile, trying her best to diffuse the emotional conversation both I and Applejack were having. “Has Scootaloo ever told you who she’s so~ obsessed with?” “Hey!” Scootaloo hollored with red cheeks. “I’m not “obsessed”! I’m just a huge fan of Rainbow Dash.” As I stood there, I saw the opportunity to play dumb and mention Equestria’s best flier. “Rainbow Who?” I said with a playful grin. “Sorry, the name doesn’t ring a bell.” Scootaloo gasped. “You don’t know who Rainbow Dash is!? She’s the most awesome pony in Equestria!” “Hate to say it girls, but you lot are the only creatures I know.” “Y'all can’t be serious ‘bout that,” Applejack questioned, raising an eyebrow. I look back on the past and slowly dip my head towards the floor, displaying a sombre expression that worried the group around me. “You weren’t joking. You really have nopony left.” “It’s why I want to avoid causing anyone pain.” “Then that changes today!” Applejack stomped. We continue our talk with a lot of emotion and stress. I explain to them my past life and how it’s like where I was before I came to this cartoonish world. I explained who my parents were, my schooling life, my job, and basically anything simple. They asked a lot of questions like “Where did I live?” and “Did we have flying chariots that’s not controlled by pegasus?” We even talked about a few ponies I haven’t even met yet like Fluttershy, Rarity and Pinkie. Applejack gave me a speech about how the world was governed by a powerful princess known as Celestia. As we finished our some-what long conversation, I attempted to walk outside of the clinical area and into the open, only to be stopped by Applejack’s strong voice. “Ya leavin without us?” She said in a playful manner. I turned to face the apple bucking mare to explain to her why I wanted fresh air. “Just a quick warm up and some training.” I gestured my hand to the window next to me before opening the door. The bell above it rung loudly. When I felt the cool air of wind hit my face, I felt like I could breathe! Well...normally at least. I took a step forward from where I stood and observed the hospital. It was 3 storeys, 9 meters in height. It was very small. Which was logical seeing as most of the ponies around here were small. Pint-sized really. I gently place my bag down on the cold soft grass and unzip the top. The inside of the said bag was stuffed with white clothes and large trousers. As I stared at the large bag, I found a clean cloth wedged deep between my shoes and jeans. I reached my hand into the bag and produced a small white shirt. I place the cotton garment next to me and close the bag, afterwards taking the shirt I wore now and replacing it with the shirt I held in my hand. I lifted my guitar bag up and placed it on the side of the hospital. “That’s what that was when ya bucked those Timberwolves!” Applebloom shouted, pointing at the case, exiting the hospital and joining me by my side. “Oh, so that’s what those things were called?” Again, I played dumb. “Mind if ah ask what y’re doin out here?” Applejack asked. “Just taking a few laps.” “Around the hospital?” I nod my head. “What are ya? An athlete?” “No, but I used to take Taekwondo.” Hoping that this satisfied her question, I began to stretch. Once I had finished stretching I decided to simply take a small jog around the hospital, it was at that point that Applejack walked up beside me. “So you’re just... Running?” “Yeah, I’m just raising my heart rate.” “Mind if I join ya?” She smiles. “Mind if you get miles ahead of me,” I smirked. “I doubt you’re that slow.” She retorted with a cocked eyebrow and a sly grin. We shall see... I then bring myself towards the floor and into a starting position, like I was almost coming off the starting blocks on a running track. As soon as I sprinted off the block, Applejack was instantly ahead of me and quickly gaining distance on me. I began to think that the whole thing was pointless! I mean come on, I was no athlete! Applejack turned the corner of the hospital and was quickly out of sight. I then sigh in defeat and begin to slow down to a jog instead of a run, however to my confusion I felt a strange burning sensation in my lower body as I began to realise that the world around me seemed to be moving faster. No. Not the world around me. I was running faster and within seconds I had passed Applejack and already disappeared from her sight around the next corner. I then begin to think and wonder how it was I was running at such speeds. How was I able to pass Applejack within less than a second? I managed to slow myself down before stopping near the entrance of the hospital. I then collapse onto the floor and feel a sharp surge run through my skull. I brought my hands to my head. “What the hell is happening to me?” I muttered. “Whoo-wee, Craig, I ain’t seen anypony gallop like that!” Applejack praised, grabbing her stetson with her hoof and smacking it on her side with excitement, finally managing to catch up to me. I don’t answer, still staring at the hard soil beneath me. “Are you ok partner?” Applejack called with concern tone. “What is happening to me? I never had these skills before, so why do I have these skills now?” Joining Applejacks side was Sweetie bell: “Craig, are you Okay?” I look up at the two and stared into their large eyes. “I don’t...know?” I said, still gripping my skull with both of my hands. “I could never move that fast before, same as I could never make that sword from earlier… I just don’t know what’s happening to me and… It scares me.” I confessed. For a long moment, we stared at one another. It was then that Applejack broke the silence. “Craig you don’t need to be scared of who you are.” “I’m not scared of who I am,” I interject “I’m scared of what I could become.” I stared back at the floor. I shook my head, I stood up and picked up my guitar and bags from the wall they lean on “I need some alone time. When Twilight and Scootaloo come back I’ll be behind the hospital!” “If yer going ta blow off steam then that’s fine with me. I’ll be sure ta come get ya when they come by...” “Thank you.” I then began to walk out of sight of them as I heard Sweetie Belle say “Are you sure he’ll be alright?” Just before I turn the corner I heard Applejack reply “I don’t know, but all we can do is hope.” As I rounded the back of the building I just laid back against the wall as I began to think. These powers, what do they have in common? The first time it was a sword from Skyrim and then some sort of intense speed boost, what is the link between them? I then stop and think about the dream as I continue to think, and how did I even know how to wield that sword, I never used one before? It makes no sense. I then reach towards the guitar and say “and this. Why do I get the feeling I can use this? I’ve never played before, but I feel as if I know how to play now.” I then carefully pluck at the strings that seemed to come easily, without practice and without even trying, I was able to play. I began to feel a bit more cheerful. I then grabbed hold of the guitar and played an acoustic version of Boulevard of Broken Dreams by Green Day. Https:// (green day boulevard of broken dreams) I walk a lonely road, The only one that I have ever known, Don’t know where it goes, But it’s home to me and I walk alone. I walk this empty street, On the Boulevard of Broken Dreams, Where the city sleeps, And I’m the only one and I walk alone I walk alone, I walk alone I walk alone, I walk a… My shadow’s the only one that walks beside me, My shallow heart’s the only thing that’s beating, Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me, ‘Til then I walk alone. Ah-ah, ah-ah, ah-ah, aaah-ah, Ah-ah, ah-ah, ah-ah I’m walking down the line, That divides me somewhere in my mind, On the borderline, Of the edge and where I walk alone Read between the lines, Of what’s fucked up and everything’s alright, Check my vital signs, To know I’m still alive and I walk alone I walk alone, I walk alone. I walk alone, I walk a… My shadow’s the only one that walks beside me, My shallow heart’s the only thing that’s beating, Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me, ‘Til then I walk alone. Ah-ah, ah-ah, ah-ah, aaah-ah, Ah-ah, ah-ah I walk alone, I walk a… I walk this empty street, On the Boulevard of Broken Dreams, Where the city sleeps, And I’m the only one and I walk a… My shadow’s the only one that walks beside me, My shallow heart’s the only thing that’s beating, Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me ‘Til then I walk alone… As soon as the song finished I heard the sound of breathing behind me as I turn around to see the familiar image of Applejack looking at me in surprise as she says “Wow ya’ll can really play.” I then rub the back of my head and say “Can I? I’ve never actually played before, I found this with my stuff when I woke up this morning.” She then looks at me and says “Are ya serious? Ya’ never used it before? How are you that good?” I then pick up my bags and say “I’ll be honest, I think it has something to do with whatever it was that happened to me, but whatever it was I am grateful it happened.” She then smiles and says “Well if yer grateful that you ended up here, maybe you should try to get along with everypony.” I then smile and says “Give Pinkie a day and I probably will.” She then looks at me and says “an’ how do ya’ know about Pinkie?” I then gave a small smile. “Luna told me about her.” Which of course wasn’t a complete lie. Applejack only smiled back. “Anyway, you should probably come back. Scootaloo found Twilight, an’ they both heard you.” I then cringed. “Oh, was I on some sort of medication? I rarely ever sing in public because I think I sound like a cat in a vacuum cleaner.” She then looks at me in confusion. “Never heard that saying before? I meant that I sound dreadful.” Applejack could only shake her head and smile. “Well, it sure didn’t seem that way.” I chuckled and picked myself up. “Well let’s go and meet the resident bookworm.” With that, I began to walk back towards the front of the hospital. As I got to the front of the Hospital I saw a purple unicorn standing next to Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo that I instantly recognised to be Twilight Sparkle. As I got closer I heard Applejack shout. “Twi, over here!” She then turned towards us and began to scream. “Applejack! Be careful, there’s a monster behind you!” I could only sigh. “Nice to meet you too Twilight.” Applebloom, a little hurt, went to confront the unicorn. “Twi, he’s no monster, for one he saved us from a pack of timberwolves.” She then looks back to me and says “What did you do to them? Release them from whatever control you have over them!” I sigh again and try and make my case. “Twilight, I have done nothing to them… in fact, if it weren’t for them I’d probably be dead by now.” “Like I’d believe that!” she shouted. I then see her horn and eyes begin to glow. “Release them from your control, or else.” She stated with a quiet anger. Applejack steps in front of me then shouts “Twilight, stop! He has done nuthin’ wrong!” I pinch the bridge of my nose and throw a sigh Applejack’s way. ‘I seem to be sighing a lot today…’ “I said this wouldn’t work Applejack… Look I know you just want to help, but I don’t think it’s going to work, I’m just...too different to fit in here…I won’t waste your time Twilight, I’ll just leave and go back to the Everfree and disappear. Scootaloo then runs up to me and tries to stop me, her forehooves clutching my gut “Don’t! You know what will happen if you go back there! You’ll die… I don’t care what anypony thinks! You saved us and I will not let you go back in there.” She let go and stomped her hoof, more than likely to tell me that she was putting her foot down about this. I kneel down and ruffle her hair, a bit of my spirit lifting. “Scootaloo...You know I want to say here… but if all that will happen is...” I gesture to Twilight and her slightly diminished orb of magic. “This. What hope do I have of not being treated like dirt? Honestly I...think it’s better for everyone if I just didn’t exist.” I guess what I said must have struck a chord with Twilight, as she gave me this look of...pity? Regret? “Applejack is what he said true? Did he really save them?” Twilight then asked. “From what Applebloom told me, he saved them from a pack of Timberwolves. They’d be dead if it weren’t for ‘im.” She then looks back to me, her eyes filled with guilt and doubt. “Is this true?” I return the gaze, a bit of conviction filling my voice. “Yes… they followed me in after I fled… I didn’t want to scare anyone so I hid…but they followed me into the forest and we were attacked…I only got them out because of something that’s happened to me, changing me…Somehow I created a sword that made them ignite into flames and then I did everything I could to get them out and then… well, then I collapsed from blood loss.” Twilight’s horn finally stopped glowing. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know...I thought you were attacking Applejack.” I smiled and shrugged. “No harm done Twilight, I don’t blame you. After all, let’s face it, I do look like a monster, so your fears are perfectly understandable.” Twilight then looks to me, her ears folded back. “Why are you so forgiving? If I did that to anypony else I’d expect them to not want anything to do with me, so why are you being kind to me?” “Probably because you were only thinking about the safety of your friend, and the fact that Princess Luna told me to seek you out, seeing as she told me you could help me. I’ll be honest though, I don’t really see how.” I admit Seconds later I see a small purple reptile appear near Twilight, a scroll in it’s claw. “Twilight this letter just came for you.” he then looks towards. “Twilight what is that thing?” The drake asked. I shake my head and sigh. “My name is Craig, I’m… well, lost and have no idea what’s happened to me, but I’d rather not dwell on the past. So, what’s your name?” The reptile then looked towards Twilight clearly scared… which actually wasn’t surprising as I was almost three times the size of them until Twilight reassured him. “Spike it’s alright, he won’t hurt you.” I kneel so as to meet his gaze. “Spike, I swear on the memory of my family that I mean you no harm.” This then caused Twilight to look at me in surprise. “What do you mean by the memory of your family?” I turned away, my eyes now focused on the ground. “Twilight… I… Don’t even know if my family is still alive… one minute I was in my room and then the next I was in the middle of nowhere. In a bog to the south of here, I think… well south of the everfree.” I look back up, hoping to change the topic. “Well anyway, you got a letter from the princess. What was it about?” Twilight, with a bit of trepidation, begins to read the letter. “You… the letter is relating to you.” “Wait? what?” I asked, my eyebrows raised in curiosity. She then smiles and gives me the note in her magic. “It may make more sense if you see it.” I retrieve the parchment and read. My faithful Student, I would like to advise you about a creature that may be arriving in Ponyville soon. It will unlikely be hostile but it will be afraid. Please help the creature, it was described to us in the past as a young child, likely alone. He may have powers he can’t understand and according to my sister will be searching for you, she has also informed me that the creature is named Craig. I will be arriving in Ponyville soon to meet him, please make sure he is safe until I arrive. I will leave this task in your capable hooves. Princess Celestia I look at Twilight, my mind silently freaking out, and tell her how I feel about this situation. “You can’t be serious. The Princess wants to meet me… welp I’m out of here, can’t do it.” Applejack, no doubt catching on to my sudden spike in paranoia, starts to ease her way towards me. “What are you…” However before she can finish her sentence I had already begun to run away shouting: “I’m sorry, I just can’t!” With that, I disappeared back around the side of the hospital and attempted in hiding amongst the hills beyond... As I began to run across the brow of a nearby hill, I get to thinking. THIS is crazy, there’s no way I could do it, I’ll break down from the stress if I try to talk to her. I then look towards the sky as I stretch one hand upwards, Even now, I can’t find the freedom I want I’m still so trapped by my past mistakes...even in a new world, I’m still limited by my own fears. Shaking off my self-loathing, I catch a rainbow contrail .in the sky. Apparently, it was Rainbow Dash being… well Rainbow Dash and it was highly likely she had already noticed me and was judging me, waiting… so unlike her. I clear my head of those thoughts. Maybe I’m just being paranoid. There was a change in direction in the rainbow mare’s flight path. She angled downward in my direction. I quickly realized that Rainbow Dash was indeed targeting me and had me in her sights. I opened the palm of my hand which was wrapped around the sash of my bag, letting it drop to the floor. I dove to the side, letting the rainbow-coloured projectile pass by. The earth shook as the mare hit Equestria’s soil. I rolled onto my side and stared at the still form that lay on the ground. I place my hands on the ground and slowly stand to my feet. I hesitantly position one foot in front of me. “Hey?” I lean forward to gain a better visual. “You okay?” I ask in a concerned tone of voice, hoping the mare that attacked me was still alive. An undesirable groan vibrated from the Element of Loyalty. The wings on her side beat with fresh flowing blood. I watched her rise from the floor and rub the back of her head with her hoof. “Ok,” She groaned. “That hurt.” “I’m not surprised,” I mutter under my breath. Walking towards the bag I let fall to the ground, I glanced back at the pegasus with the same look of concern. I picked up my bag and opened it, producing a white shirt. “We need to get you to the hospital.” I tied the shirt around her wings to restrict the blood from flowing out of the wound. “That should hold for now, but we still need to get you checked over!” “Don’t touch me.” Again, she groans. “Listen you think Scootaloo would like to see you die due to an unseen injury?” I ask calmly. “If you hurt her in any way, Celestia help me!” “I haven’t hurt her… I did the opposite actually. Timberwolves attacked her, Sweetie Belle and Applebloom, I saved them and then,” I then close my bag up as I throw it over my shoulders. “Well let’s just say blood loss isn’t new to me.” I then proceeded to carefully pick the pegasus up and walk back towards the hospital. As I got nearer to the hospital I looked down towards the Pegasus as I realised that she had stopped moving. Placing my index and middle finger on her neck, I found that her pulse had become much slower than I had expected. Seconds later a strange feeling of dread came over me as I realised that her injuries were far worse than I thought them, and by moving her I had caused even more damage. With as much care as possible, I lay her on the floor and start to wrack my brain. “There has to be something I can do,” Looking at my hands, I begin to put my thoughts in order. “Whatever happened to me, maybe her only hope… I need to know the link… Skyrim, speed… wait speed may be Sonic… games… is it manipulation of abilities from games?” I then begin to think What games have healing as a mechanic? I then look at the pegasus’ body taking note that she was running out of time. Placing my hand on her chest, I focus... Something. “I don’t have much time… I’ll just go with restoration magic, it’s all I know I can access right now.” I close my eyes, take a deep breath, and whisper: “Grand Healing.” My eyes open to a glowing light that appeared around my hand as the pegasus’ body began to glow white. Exhaustion begins to fill me but even then, I kept up the spell for as long as I could. It was a minute until I dropped the spell and collapsed, breathing hard as I heard the pegasus begin to stir. “What happened?” “A miracle, a miracle that just saved your life,” I whisper out. Grimacing in pain, she turns to me and asks me, “Why… help me?” To this, I just smirked. “Do I need a reason to help a friend of Applejack’s?” I try to stand up but collapse on to my knee. “Look, I’m uh...unable to move or fight back. So if you uh, want to hit me, injure me or even kill me, go ahead, I won’t stop you.” She shakes off her fatigue, a thankful smile on her face. “Dude, you know I’m not gonna to kill you. But you know...thank you.” I smirk and get the need to give a bit of snark. “Oh, the famous Rainbow Dash has emotions? Who would have thought.” She laughs and flicks my forehead with her tail. “Yeah, but if you ever tell anypony you’ll wish I did.” “Duly noted,” I muttered as I let myself lay on the ground. “I’m just going to rest...I feel like I just carried a mountain.” I then roll onto my back and look up to the sky breathing in the daytime air. “You know, I’ve always wanted to be able to fly,” I say whilst raising my left hand towards the sky before continuing my train of thought. “See the world in a new perspective… I suppose you get to do that every day.” She gives me this surprised stare. Like I just said the most profound and philosophical thing in existence. “Hey kid, what’s your name?” “Craig. You can call me Craig, and I guess you’re Rainbow Dash? Dubbed “The most awesome pony in Equestria”; by Scootaloo.” “Craig… A pretty strange name for a pony.” Joked Rainbow Dash. I gave her smirk in retort. “Do I look like a pony to you?” “No, but you do look like a minotaur.” I shift my eyes upwards. “I’m not a minotaur. Does it look like I have horns to you?” “But if you’re not a minotaur what are you?” She asked as she circled around me and sized me up. “I’m what’s called a human or Homo-sapiens.” She then looks at me in confusion. “Humans. I thought they were a myth?” “And I thought the same about Pegasi and Unicorns,” I reply Rainbow Dash laughed at the notion no doubt. “C’mon, ponies? A myth… you can’t be serious?” “I’m deadly serious…, unless you’re kind’s seriously that good at hiding…ponies are a myth where I come from, well all except Earth ponies.” “So what? You come from somewhere that only has Earth Ponies?” Asks Rainbow Dash. “Umm well, yes, but the ponies where I come from aren’t all that sentient.” She circled back around me, her hoof on my chest and fire in her eyes. “Say that about my friends again… I dare you.” I sigh, for what had to be the hundredth time today. “I said where *I* come from, not here… that’s really not the case *here*.” I stated with emphasis. I manage to find the strength to sit up, taking a few breaths to keep steady. “Well, I think I better go back. I may have royalty to see.” Rainbow dash gives me an odd look, kinda like if I had just grown an extra head. “Who’s coming to see you?” “Princess Celestia from what the letter Twilight got said,” I reply Now it looked like that head had a hand for a face. “Why would the princess want to see you?” She asked in disbelief. “I don’t know… Luna seemed to know a bit about me though.” “You’ve met Luna?” asks Rainbow Dash. I then smile, grabbing my bags as I get myself off the ground. “Wel, it was in my dreams. It was when I fainted after saving Scootaloo from Timberwolves, but yeah, I’ve technically met her.” “So you saved Scoots from a pack of Timberwolves… and why did you run when you heard that you’d be meeting the princess?” Asks Rainbow Dash. “Well I’m kind of scared of Celestia… I’ve heard of the things she’s done… even to her own sister, and I guess I’m worried she’d do the same to me.” “Craig, she wouldn’t hurt you without reason.” Replies Rainbow Dash. “But what if whatever it was that caused my powers to go haywire… I could hurt innocent peo… ponies. If that did happen she would send me to the moon and seeing as how humans aren’t immortal I’d die up there, alone.” Rainbow Dash then looked at me, conviction in her eyes. “Well… if what you have told me is all true… I’ll help you, the princess trusts me.” I had to smile, a bit of hope building up inside me. “Why wouldn’t she trust the element of loyalty.” She then looks back at me with a bit of shock. “You know about that?” “Well yeah, I know all about you and your friends,” I admit. She then looks at me in confusion and her head tilted to the side “What are you, a stalker?” “Nah, I’m just a child who’s learning as he goes.” We then begin our walk back to the hospital grounds, my resolve strengthened. Chapter 5 - Today Just Gets Weirder and WeirderSomething has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.Chapter 6 - A Chaotic Day Part 1Author's Note Thank you to Solarkness for helping to improve this chapter. Chapter 6 - A Chaotic Day Part 1 As I began to wake up again I found myself back inside what seemed to be a blurred hospital as I began to feel like the throat was on fire before hearing two faint voices in the room around me. I then heard one of them say “Look he’s waking up.” I then attempted to sit up to find that this time my arms weren’t tied to the bed and were free to move as I rubbed my eyes before I was able to see both Twilight and Applejack looking at me clearly worried before Applejack placed a hoof on my chest before she said “Careful their partner, don’t move too fast.” “Fine… what was the number of the train that hit me, though? That hurt.” I admitted. “It’s called your powers,” replied Twilight before saying “and what was that white light that surrounded you when you collapsed?” “What… a white light… you sure?” I asked as they nodded their heads before I thought The only white light that surrounds you I know of is the Zenkai boost from Dragonball Z, and if that's true it means I may be able to use Ki from it. I then smiled before I asked them “Anyway how long was I out?” “jus' till the mornin'. Think ya feel ok to move around” asked Applejack. “Yeah I'll be fine… I’ve lived through worse” I replied. “How can you have been through worse?” asked Twilight before she continued to shouted “you had second-degree burns along the inside of your throat! If it wasn’t for the magic that was used you’d be dead right now!” “Twilight… I have had to go under the knife multiple times in my life for surgery to save my life… this isn’t the first time I’ve been near death and lived to tell the tale.” I admitted as I lifted my hairline as a symbol in the shape of a crucifix was visible on my forehead causing both Twilight and Applejack to gasp before I let my hair fall back and cover the scar before I continued to say “I’ve been in positions most would have just decided to pull the plug and survived so yes I have survived worse.” “I’m sorry I didn’t know,” stuttered Twilight. “Relax Twilight I hold no hatred towards you for something you didn’t know about.” I explained before I added, “anyway, Applejack I believe that you need to get to work on the farm instead of worrying about me.” Applejack then looked at me before saying “I guess ya right” “Applejack, I was also wondering if you need any help on the farm, it would be an honour to help you.” “I couldn't accept ya help Craig. Ya may not be better” She replied hastily. “Listen Applejack. Back home I get injured most days and was doing martial arts the next day. I'm pretty sure I'm fine” “Even then… how can you be sure you’ll be fine doing that and why do you think you’d be able to handle the work?” To this, I just shrugged before I said “I’ve always been quite weak, I had issues with falling over and cutting my head open from a young age, hence how I got the scars on my forehead.” “So ya’ think ya’ can handle workin’ on the farm because you’ve handled other things in the past?” She clarified. “Yes, Applejack. Yes, I do. But we're getting off topic as I said, I know when I am well enough to work. I also know when I want to help somebody, and I’d like to help you Applejack, and like you, I don't like backing down.” Applejack sighed before saying “Ya seriously won't not help me will ya?” “Nope. I'm determined to help you Applejack.” “Fine I guess ya can come too and help,” replied Applejack. “Thanks, Applejack, you won’t regret this.” I replied cheerfully before I turned to Twilight and asked her “So I guess you’ll be going back to the library?” “Yeah, I do need to get back in case anyone comes in to get some books… It still is a public library even though ponies don’t come in often.” She admitted sadly. “Well… if I ever move into Ponyville, I may just visit every once in awhile… could always find a good read… well if your written language is like mine that is,” I admitted. “You didn’t use Equish where you were from?” Asked Twilight. “No, I used English… It seems to be spoken the same but I don’t know about written.” I explained. Twilight then grabbed a small sheet of paper before she handed it to me as she said “Can you read this.” I then skimmed the page before I said “Sort of it has some similarities to written English but then some differences those being the symbols above some words. It looks like your language is a mix of English and possibly French.” “Hmm… looks like you’ll need to relearn how to read and write.” “Great” I muttered before I continued to say “I’m gonna need to wait again aren't I.” “You should,” Admitted Twilight. “But I bet ya won’t” added Applejack. I then chuckled before said “Nope” as I opened a nearby window before I whispered, “I wonder if my powers would allow me to float using Ki like the games?” I then heard Twilight say “Craig what are you doing?” “A bit of experimentation, ” I said as I vaulted out the window. I then heard Twilight shout “Craig!” Before she ran towards the window before she stopped before she spluttered “What the…. How are you… That's not possible” as I just floated back up to the window as she shouted, “How are you flying!” “Absolutely no idea I just thought about it as I jumped and I was hovering like this.” I said as I began to descend towards the ground as before whispering “That was amazing… and I can do that at will.” A minute later Applejack and Twilight ran up next to me before Twilight shouted “are you crazy?!” “Probably” I instantly replied. “Well, anyway… I say we get moving and get back to the farm.” “Okay then, we’ll see you later Twilight,” I said as both me and Applejack made our way to Sweet Apple Acres. Once we reached Sweet Apple Acres I quickly realised that all my stuff was missing before I said “Where did all my stuff go Applejack?” “Ya don't need to worry about ya things. Me an' Applebloom brought ya stuff here after the incident last night.” “Thank god I'd hate to lose them. They're all I have left from home. I say we get to work. What do you need me to do?” “I guess I need ta harvest the corn. Ya could 'elp with that if ya like?” Suggested Applejack. To this, I just smiled before I nodded to her and said “Let's do it.” Once we reached the corn field Applejack said “Just wonderin' do ya know how to pick corn?” I then just looked at her before I said. “no, I don't... But no time like the present to learn right.” She just looked at me before she said “I like your Attitude, Craig. Right here's what you do to harvest corn.” -One explanation Later- “Okay, I think I understand so is this how I do it?” I confirmed with Applejack. “Yeah ya got it” I then looked up towards the sky before I asked “Um... Applejack, are the clouds normally pink?” “No. Why?” she looked at me with a puzzled look. “look up,” I quickly said She then looked up and said, “What in Equestria is goin' on?” At that moment it started raining but we noticed something strange about the rain. “Applejack is the rain normally brown?” “No, not normally...” At this moment Rainbow Dash flew by the farm and shouted, “Hey I didn't tell you to go anywhere!” At this moment Applejack shouted back to her, “Rainbow Dash what's going on with this rain? I mean chocolate milk. I mean chocolate milk rain!” “There's crazy weather all over Equestria!” To this, I just looked at her before I asked, “How crazy we talking?” “Cloudsdale's getting soaked by a major cola storm right now. So beyond Pinkie crazy.” At this both me and Applejack turned towards each other before we said in unison, “Pretty crazy then.” Rainbow Dash then looked at us and said, “Don't worry. I'm not leaving you until I get control of Ponyville.” As she began to fly off, we heard what seemed to be a popping noise from behind us. We then quickly turned around to see the corn behind us turning into popcorn before our very eyes as it covered Applejack completely as I heard Pinkie Pie say, “Why would you wanna stop this?” As she dived back into the popcorn. Applejack then popped her head out above the popcorn as we both just ignored Pinkie as we heard Rarity say, “Ahem. I heard about your troubles, Applejack, and I came to see if there's anything I can do without getting wet. Or dirty. Or out from under my umbrella. Oh nice to see you when you're not fainting.” To this, I just looked at her clearly unamused before I replied, “Charming... nice to meet you too.” Applejack then looked towards the orchards to see all the apples almost triple in size before causing the trees to topple over as all the animals starting to eat the fruit. Applejack then shouted, “Fluttershy do something!” I then saw Fluttershy try to talk to Angel only for the little spawn of satan’s legs to grow instantly, I then heard Fluttershy say, “No! It's not possible! I must be seeing things!” I then turned my head around knowing Twilight will appear over the hill momentarily and as expected caused me to internally smirk as I thought, It's a shame that the fail-safe spell will fail. I then looked at a Twilight as I began to mentally count down. three, two, one fail. I then chuckled as I heard Twilight say, “My fail-safe spell... failed. What do we do? “Uh, give up?” Spike said. Rarity then said, “Spike, Twilight will come up with something,” as she placed an umbrella that was mounted on a saddle onto Twilight’s back. I then began to think, cue a solution in three, two, one. I then turned my head towards Twilight as I saw her start to trot towards Dash who was stuck in a cotton candy cloud as she said, “Time for plan B, Rainbow, can you corral all those clouds in one corner of the sky?” Rainbow Dash then saluted Twilight before she began to collect all the clouds together in one place in the sky as Twilight said to Applejack, “I need you to bring those high-strung storm clouds down to Earth,” with that Applejack then lassoed the clouds together as she began to drag them down towards the ground. Twilight then walked towards Fluttershy before she whispered something to her before she said, “Oh dear. I hope none of the animals see these delicious chocolate-filled cotton candy clouds. I'd hate to have to share them,” as Applejack tied the clouds to a nearby fence. I then heard Pinkie say, “You and me both, sister,” Just before all the animals that had been eating the fruit ran towards the clouds, before knocking Pinkie out of the way before she shouted, “Hey!” As the animals ignored her and continued to eat the clouds. I then heard Applejack shout, “And when y'all are done with that, feel free to have some popcorn for dessert!” I then turned to Applejack before I said, “Well said. And Spike that is why you never give up.” Twilight then turned to me before saying, “You got it, Craig. You should never give up. There's nothing we can't overcome if we all work together.” I then muttered, “Yeah together,” as I thought about my family back home. My thoughts were then interrupted as a green flame flows out of Spike's mouth which left a scroll resting on the ground between us that Twilight quickly picked up in her magic and began to silently read after which she gasped and said, “Come on, girls. Princess Celestia wants to see us all in Canterlot immediately!” I then sighed and said, “I guess I'll see you when you get back” Twilight then looked at me before saying “You'll see Celestia as well she asked for you too.” I then rubbed the back of my head before I said, “Why would she need me… I’ve got nothing I could add to the group.” “Well, "maybe she just wants to see how you're doing?” replied Twilight. “Maybe… where did you put my guitar?” I asked Applejack Applejack then replied, “I'll get it for ya,” and with that she ran into the farmhouse. I then turned towards Twilight and said, “Twilight any idea what Celestia wants you all for?” She then looked towards me and said, “No but I have a feeling we'll find out soon.” I then turned back towards the farmhouse to see Applejack carrying my guitar, “'ere it is Craig.” She then continued to ask me, “Why do you even want it?” I then looked at her before I said, “I don’t understand why but I feel like I need to have it with me. Anyway, let's go.” Applejack then smiled at me and said, “Are ya’ walkin’ or flyin', to the station?” “Flying?... Since when can you fly?” asked Rainbow Dash. “I worked it out earlier,” I replied as I began to float up into the sky next to Rainbow dash before she said, “That is amazing… where are your wings?” “Don’t have any… I think I’m manipulating Ki,” I admitted. “Ki? What's that?” asked Twilight. “Well, it’s basically spiritual energy… it can be used in many ways from flying to… well creating attacks, some very dangerous one that could potentially destroy the planet.” “What!” screeched Twilight, “Why would anyone want that sort of power.” “It’s anime… it never makes sense why people want anything in those worlds Twilight,” I explained, “Anyway, shouldn’t we get going?” “I suppose,” replied Twilight. “Okay then,” I then smirked before saying, “Rainbow.” “Yeah?” “Race ya,” before flying off as she shouted, “Hey no head starts!” before she flew off after me as the rest of the girls ran off after us. -A train ride later- A matter of an hour later we all arrived at Canterlot. As we arrived at the palace we all rushed towards the throne room as I just walked and was easily able to keep pace with everyone excluding Twilight and Rainbow Dash. As soon as we reached the throne room Twilight instantly saw Celestia and said, “Princess Celestia, we came as fast as we could!” “Thank you, Twilight,” before she turned to the rest of us before she continued to say, “Thank you, all.” I then turned towards her and bowed before I said, “It is an honour Princess,” I then stood up straight, “However, I have a feeling that we're all here for more that a mere chat.” “That is, unfortunately, correct.” “Is this about the weather? And the animals' weird behaviour? What's happening out there? Why isn't my magic working? Is ther–,” Twilight said hectically. Celestia then just looked at us and said, “Follow me,” with this, we all began to walk down the hall as Celestia continued to say, “I've called you here for a matter of great importance. It seems an old foe of mine, someone I thought I had defeated long ago, has returned. His name... is Discord.” “Discord,” I muttered before everything clicked as I said, “Wait he’s the creature that refers to himself a the prince of Chaos.” “Yes, he is Craig… looks like you're remembering things or have you known the entire time since you got here,” asked Celestia “What do you mean he knows,” asked Twilight as I began to shake. “Craig… I know what we are in your world… we are just a story in your world are we not?” Celestia asked me. I then lowered my head before I said, “How did you know that,” causing everyone to look at me in surprise. “My old friends,” she replied cryptically. “You mentioned these ‘old friends’ who are they,” I asked clearly getting annoyed. “They were like you, they were humans,” She answered “Wait… you mean the humans that were in the history books in the library, they were real?” Twilight asked. “They were Twilight but we need to get back to dealing with the current threat, anyway Discord is the mischievous spirit of disharmony. Before my sister and I stood up to him, he ruled Equestria in an eternal state of unrest and unhappiness. Luna and I saw how miserable life was for Earth Ponies, Pegasi, and Unicorns alike, so after discovering the Elements of Harmony, we combined our powers and rose up against him, turning him to stone.” I then heard Rainbow Dash shout, “All right, Princess!” “There's a problem, isn't there. Same as Luna's time on the moon the spell only lasted for around 1000 years, but you hoped it would hold Discord forever” “Yes, however since Luna and I are no longer connected to the Elements, the spell has been broken.” Twilight than just looked at Celestia in confusion before she said to her, “No longer connected?” I then turned to her and said, “Since you now bear the elements both Celestia and Luna has no control over them. Meaning that the six of you are the only ones who can use them.” Celestia then smiled at me then said, “You've explained that quite well Craig, you really do know a bit about the elements don't you.” “Thank you. I suppose I do,” I replied as I began to feel a bit flustered, “Anyway, I guess the next thing to ask is where we are now” “This is Canterlot Tower, where the Elements are kept inside since they were recovered. I need you to wield the Elements of Harmony once again and stop Discord before he thrusts all of Equestria into eternal chaos,” explained Celestia. I then saw Pinkie looking at one of the glass windows before she said, “Hey, look! We're famous!” I then thought, More than you know Pinkie, more than you know. I then heard Princess Celestia say, “You six showed the full potential of the Elements by harnessing the magic of your friendship to beat a mighty foe. And as Craig said although Luna and I once wielded the Elements, it is you who now control their power, and it is you who must defeat Discord!” I then looked at them and said, “We both know you are more than capable of defeating him.” Twilight then looked at us and said, “Princess Celestia, Craig you can count on–” I then heard Pinkie shout, “Hold on a second! Eternal chaos comes with chocolate rain, you guys. Chocolate rain!” I then looked at Pinkie before I said, “Yeah but also unmatched sadness, and a world where nopony smiles or laughs. I think we all know that's not the sort of world you want. I felt like that was my world for years Pinkie. It hurts; a lot.” Twilight looked first to Pinkie before rolling her eyes then towards Celestia and said, “Don't listen to her, Princess. We'd be honoured to use the Elements of Harmony again.” At this point, Celestia opens up some large golden doors and collects a jewel encrusted box contained inside. We then heard Rarity say, “Ooh. You can keep the Elements. I'll take that case!” “Really Rarity, you would want a box over looking Fabulous again?” I chuckled. She just looked at me before saying, “I guess you're right,” She then quickly backpedalled before she said, “Wait I never got a chance to ask you your name before the incident last night.” I then laughed as I said, “Well you’ve heard it from everyone already but let's start over,” I then place my hand out before saying, “My names Craig and it’s a pleasure to meet you Miss Rarity.” Rarity then looked at me before saying, “Well at least you have some manners even if you have an awful fashion sense. You really must allow me to make you some proper clothes when we get back to Ponyville.” “I say that we have this discussion after the current threat if over,” I replied as I thought, Did she forget I came directly from working on the farm and that I don’t have a home? “I guess you're right.” Celestia then looked at all of us before he said, “Have no fear, ponies. I have total confidence that you will be able to defeat Discord with these!” She then opened the box causing everyone excluding myself to gasp as they realised that the box was empty then seconds later I heard Pinkie say, “Oh, well. If anyone needs me, I'll be outside in the chocolate puddles with a giant swizzle straw.” “The Elements! They're gone!” Twilight shouted. Me and Celestia then looked at each other before she said, “That chamber is protected by a powerful spell that only I can break! This doesn't make sense!” “I have a feeling we know who did this ” I then turned to one of the glass windows and shouted, “Discord! Come out and show yourself!” I then heard a voice that I hadn't heard before say, “Oh, you're no fun.” Celestia then shouted, “Discord... Show yourself!” At this point a creature that had the head of a goat, a deer antler on the right, a goat horn of the left, one long fang, yellow eyes with red pupils, a donkey's mane, and a goat beard. The rest of his body consisted of the right paw of a lion, the left talon of an eagle, the right leg of a dragon, the left hoof of a deer, the right wing of a purple bat, the left wing of a blue bird, and a dragon tail witch and a white tuft of hair at the end appeared in one of the many glass windows that were littered around the room. He then turned to Princess Celestia and said, “Did you miss me, Celestia? I missed you. It's quite lonely being encased in stone, but you wouldn't know that, would you, because I don't turn ponies into stone… although it was fun talking to those friends of yours and oh their son, they did have high praises of the boy always talking about him saying that he’ll be around here one day and they’ll see him again,” he then looked towards me before he glared at me before stopping as he stuttered in surprise, “You… how are you here… you should be in that other world.” I then looked at Discord in shock before I said, “How, what, how do you know that?” “Oh, all the fun I had with those people… how much chaos they caused you… oh the fun it was seeing you suffer,” chuckled Discord. I then glared at him before saying, “I… I… I don’t understand,” however deep down I completely understood where he was going with this. Celestia then looked at me in shock before she shouted, “Discord what did you do!” “I may have used my time in stone to torture him back home… oh, it was fun manipulating all those children's minds to ruin his life.” I then slowly sunk to my knees as I muttered, “No… this can’t be, that can’t be the reason for it… no, it just can’t,” before I slowly curled up into a ball and began shaking. “And there he goes again back into a mess… oh, it’s hilarious to see him like this in the flesh… it’s even better than before,” he said as I saw him create a bucket of popcorn that he started eating. I then slowly stood up as I continued to shake uncontrollably before I muttered whilst getting louder as I spoke, “She may... have been the first... to turn you to stone, but she won't... be the last,” I then shouted, “Now come and face me you chicken!” as my hands clenched into fists. Celestia then looked at me clearly worried before saying, “That's enough Craig, you need to calm down,” She then turned to Discord and asked him, “What have you done with the Elements of Harmony?” He then looked at Celestia as he said, “Oh, I just borrowed them for a teensy little while,” He then snaps his fingers, and an image of the elements disappear, from the stained glass window he was in. At this both me and Celestia said, “You'll never get away with this, Discord!” After this, I heard Discord say, “Oh, I'd forgotten how grim you can be, Celestia. It's really quite boring.” I then heard Rainbow Dash shout, “Hey! Nopony insults the Princess!” And then seconds later she began to fly towards the window as fast as she could but Discord just moves to another window and she crashes face first into it, but strangely the glass didn’t break. He then teleported back to the window he was in previously before and said, “Oh, you must be Rainbow Dash, famed for her loyalty, the Element of Harmony you represent.” Rainbow then looked at him and said, “That's right! I'll always be loyal to the Princess!” I then heard him say, “We'll see about that.” Seconds later I heard Rarity say, “I can't believe we're wasting our time talking to a tacky window.” Discord then looked at Rarity before he said, “The beautiful Rarity, representing the element of generosity if I'm not mistaken?” I then heard Applejack say, “So you know who we are, big deal.” He then turned to Applejack as he said, “Oh, I know much more than that, honest Applejack.” Seconds later I heard Twilight say, “You seem to know our strengths too.” Discord then looked at Twilight and said, “Yes, Twilight Sparkle and yours is the most powerful and elusive element, magic. Fluttershy's is kindness and Pinkie Pie's is a personal favourite of mine – laughter.” Whilst pointing to each of them in turn. I then heard Pinkie trying not to laugh before Twilight shouted to her, “Pinkie!” I then turned to look at Pinkie as she says whilst laughing, “He's standing on your head!” I then looked in the direction she looking and, see him dancing on top of one of the stained glass images of Twilight. He then turned to me before he said, “And then, there's you. I have no idea how you got here, or what significance you have. I don't see how you could even be a threat to me, you're just a weakling that no one will ever care about,” he then laughed and stared at me, “A freak like you couldn't do a thing to me,” he then teleported behind me and whispered to me, “I bet your parents were even bigger freaks than you.” With that, my eyes suddenly sharpened before I said with venom in my voice, “What did you just say about me and my family.” “Your family are freaks,” he spoke slowly drawing out each word. I then closed my eyes before what felt like the hilt of the sword in my hand before I opened my eyes to see a sword in the shape of katana that had a black leather hilt and a brass guard in the shape of a coiled serpent. I then quickly brought my hand backwards as the sword sliced his right leg causing him to scream out in pain as I just remained embedded in his leg before I swept the leg tearing the blade out of his leg I then angrily said, “You can insult me all you fucking like, but when you insult my family, you have gone too fucking far!” My hand then began to glow as a white ball of air appeared in my hand before it struck Discord sending him flying backward, I then put two my fingers in front of my forehead and disappeared only to reappear milliseconds seconds later behind him and shouted, “And you're one to talk about being a fucking freak. Just look at yourself!” I then took a deep breath in and shouted, “Fus Ro Dah,” that instantly displaced the air in front of me and in turn caused Discord to plummet back towards the ground. He then clicked his claws together causing him to disappear and then reappeared in one of the glass windows breathing slowly and says “What, the hell, are you. How did, you get that sword… how did you do those things to me,” He then looks towards me and continues, "You’re like those freaks I met last time." I turned to him and said, “I am the person you should never piss off Discord,” as the sword disappeared and I began to calm down, I then smirked before I continued to say, “The sword I struck you with was called Dragonbane. It is a sword that has been created with the exact purpose of doing more damage to dragons and I can see you; are part dragon.” I then see everyone looking at me surprised until Celestia said, “I am disappointed in you Craig. We will be having words.” I then lowered my head before, saying, “Okay princess” I then began to leave until I heard her say, “I didn't tell you to leave,” she then turned to Discord and said, “Okay Discord stop stalling! What have you done with the Elements of Harmony? Tell me unless you want Craig to hunt you down and strike you again.” I then looked at him and said, “It would give me no greater pleasure than to make you suffer for what you said about my family.” Discord then looked at Celestia and then said, “Celestia. Really? Fine, I'll tell you, but I'll only tell you my way. To retrieve your missing Elements, just make sense of this change of events. Twists and turns are my master plan. Then find the Elements back where you began,” then with a laugh he disappeared. A second later Celestia turned towards me and said, “Now Craig why did you do that” I then just looked at her before saying, “I don't know. As soon as he said everything to me about what he did, it was like something inside me just snapped and I wanted to… well, kill him.” Applejack then looked at me in surprise at what I said before she asked me, “What did he say about ya family, to make you react like that?” “He said that my family are freaks, disgraced their memory,” I whispered so it was almost unheard. To this, both Applejack and Celestia walked up to me. Applejack then just looked at me whilst Celestia calmly said, “Craig, family is important, and I will agree that what he said to you was wrong. However, you can't defeat him without the elements,” she then smiled and continued to say, “However I can help you stop him.” I then looked at her and asked, “How?” She then smiled at me before she asked me, ”Could you please give me your guitar?” “Huh… what will giving you my guitar accomplish? What, am I going to so sing him into submission?” Celestia then smiled at me as she said, “You’ll see.” I then shrugged my shoulders before I passed her my guitar as it was enveloped in a bright yellow light, I then looked at her suspiciously as a second object began to float into view that looked similar in design to the Master Sword from The Legend of Zelda, before both items were surround in a bright light that caused me to shield my eyes from the flash. Seconds later the light faded as my guitar began to fall towards me, however strangely the sword was nowhere to be seen. Once it was on my lap I noticed one difference with the design that made everything make sense. On the back of the guitar, there was a clear symbol embedded into the wood in the shape of a sword. I then looked at it as Celestia said, “Touch the symbol with your hand.” “Okay,” I said clearly doubting here before as I touch the symbol. However to my surprise, the guitar's shape changed dramatically as it changed into the shape of the sword that she had picked up in her magic as well. I then looked carefully at the blade to see that it had what looked like Celestia’s cutie mark embedded, on the side of it blade. I then looked back at her and said, “Wait a second, this is a sword, and why does it have your cutie mark on it?” To this, she looked at me and said, “This is a gift, that I am giving you. You said you wanted to help protect Equestria, however, you are unarmed, and have no weapon that you could use to defend yourself. Furthermore, it has my mark on it as the sword does something special; please touch the symbol.” To this, I look at her quizzically before I said, “Okay.” I then touched the symbol as the blade began to glow in a red light before bursting into flames. I then looked at it in amazement and said, “What does it do?” To this, she just smiled at me and said, “This allows you to cleave through any defence or illusion that you may face,” seconds later the flames died down before the blade returned to normal and looked as if it hadn't been ignited at all. She then said, “You will also want this,” she then starts to lower a white metal sheath with a black trim around the edge, that was connected to a belt in her magic before she said, “Here's something for you to carry it with.” I then looked at her and asked, “How can I turn it back into a guitar?” She then grinned mischievously before she explained, “Take a look at what I just gave you.,” I then looked at the sword’s sheath as I noticed that there was a small indentation in the shape of a guitar embedded into the metal. She then continued to say, “If you ever want to turn the sword back into a guitar, all you need to do is put the palm of your hand on the indentation.” I then sheathed the sword before I looked at her before saying, “I don't know what to say. I don't deserve this,” I then bowed to her the said, “I guess I need to earn the right to wield this, Princess Celestia,” I then began to clutch my head before saying, “What’s happening?” A voice then said, “No cheating, you will have figure this out without your memories, have fun without them,” Before I heard the sound of . I then slowly stood up before I heard Fluttershy whispering, “Can we go home now?” I then looked at her before I said, “I'm afraid not Shy. We have some missing elements to find and deal with a deranged god. But first, we need to deal with his riddle.” I then hear Applejack say, “What do you reckon he meant? Twists and turns and ending back where we started?” “Wish I could tell you… but it’s all blank, I can’t remember anything that could help us,” I admitted sadly. “But the Princess said you knew what was going to happen, how can you not remember?” asked Rainbow Dash. “I don’t know… It feels like a large portion of my memories have just disappeared,” I explained, We all then looked towards Twilight as she said, “It’s fine, it’s not your fault,” before she said, “Twists and turns... twists and turns... twists and turns! That's it! I bet Discord hid the Elements in the palace labyrinth!” I then looked at Twilight before I asked her, “how does that fit in with the second part of the riddle when he said, ‘then find the Elements back where you began?’” She looked at me as she tapped her hoof on her chin before she said, “I guess they could be near the entrance.” To this, I looked at her doubtfully before I said, “I guess there's only one way to find out… but I doubt even he’s that stupid as to make it that simple.” “Well, we don’t know what’s he's like… he could make it that simple expecting us to think there’s more to it.” I then heard Celestia tell us, “Good luck, all of you. The fate of Equestria is in your hooves,” she then chuckled before she continued to say, “Or hands in your case Craig.” To this, both me and Twilight said in unison, “Thank you, Princess. We won't let you down,” and with this, we all made our way towards the labyrinth. As we began to approach the castle's labyrinth, I began to think, Why would he do that… why torture me for years and why use everyone around and even more importantly… why me of all people? What made me that important, he could have used a celebrity's child to cause more chaos than I ever could. I then heard Twilight’s voice say, “Craig are you alright?” I then shook my head before I replied, “Yeah, sorry was just thinking about things that's all.” “What were you thinking about… I’m sure it can’t be that bad?” said Rainbow Dash “Well not bad… I was just thinking about why the Princess gave me the sword… it’s just confusing me, I just don’t think I'm worthy,” I lied. She then started laughing before she said, “Craig you don’t need to be worried about not being worthy after all you’ve done already.” “Ya’ saved my sis an’ her friends and you saved Rainbow here, ya 'ave spent the whole time ‘ere provin’ that you’re worthy of what you 'ave been given,” added Applejack. I then began to laugh before I said, “I suppose you’re right… but I worry that if what happened earlier repeats itself I could put you all in danger or even kill an innocent pony.” Rarity then looked at me before saying, “Honestly darling, I'm sure you can control a temper, even if it causes you to go mad and attempt to kill a god.” “Way to put his fears to rest Rarity,” groaned Rainbow Dash. “Don’t worry… I know that I’ll just need to keep you all safe… my only worry is that now that I'm armed I risk losing control and in turn putting everyone in more danger.” Twilight then walked up to me and calmly declared, “You can protect us all because we will always be by your side and will help you to stay calm, besides how can you get mad with Pinkie around.” I then heard Pinkie laugh before she announced, “Yeah. How can you be mad with me around?” I then laughed before I continued to say, “It's not possible for me to feel sad. I just hope nothing happens to you to change that… if only I could remember what’s going to happen, I may be able to predict where the elements actually are.” “Don’t worry about it, it’s not your fault,” said Twilight seconds before she declared, “okay we're here. Dash you fly ahead to see if you can see our elements in there.” “No problem, Twilight,” Dash replied before preparing to fly into the air, however, just before she got airborne both her’s and Fluttershy's wings disappeared from their backs. I then quickly turned towards Rarity and Twilight to see that the same had happened to their horns. I then heard the four of them scream before I looked up towards the sky and shouted, “Discord! Where are you?!” There was then a flash a light from in front of us before Discord appeared in front of us before he began laughing as bolts of lightning were visible around him as he said, “Oh that is priceless,” however he stopped as soon as he sees me and said, “Oh not you again, why don’t you just go home… oh, wait I forgot you don’t have a home anymore, do you?” I then glared at him and shouted, “Give them their horns and wings back Discord!” “Not till they have played my little game, they’ll get them back in due time, it’s the first rule of our game,” explained Discord. I then shut my eyes before I said, “No more games Discord, this is your last warning. Give them their horns and wings back... Now” “And I said not till they play my game, besides what are you going to do make me laugh myself to death.” I then opened my eyes and announced, “I warned you and now it's time, for you see the error of your ways,” I then launched off the ground leaving a mist of dust behind me as charged towards him my right hand on the hilt of my sword before unsheathing it as I got closer to him. I then heard a faint click and he disappeared from in front of me. I then closed my eyes again before a blue light appeared to my left before I opened it as it arced towards a single spot in the air before a yelp of pain was heard nearby before I placed two fingers on my forehead and I disappeared before reappearing behind him as I whispered, “Time to pay the piper.” I then punched him directly between his two wings before I heard a loud cracking noise from his back as he plummeted towards the ground. I then teleport once again and punch him back towards where we were seconds before, I then teleported ahead of Discord as I brandished my sword and got ready to strike him with it. However at the last second I heard another click before he disappeared. I then heard an ominous sound behind me mutter, “My turn,” before something grabbed my left arm before I felt it smash into something before I heard a loud cracking noise as I began screaming in agony which caused me to drop my sword. I then felt what seemed to be almost like claws tearing into my back before I was thrown towards the ground as I heard a voice say, “That was pathetic… I expected more from you.” I then looked up slowly reaching for my sword before I said, “This isn't over, Discord,” as I reached it and used it to support myself before I continued to say, “Not by a long-shot.” However seconds later I began to fall forwards dropping my sword in the process before hitting the floor face first. I then heard Fluttershy run up to me and shout, “Craig!” I then heard her shout, “Does anyone have any bandages or anything to keep the pressure on this!” Whilst she pushed her hooves against the gash trying to stop the blood flowing from the wound. I then collapsed onto my knees as both Fluttershy and Applejack grab me and as Applejack shouted to me, “Craig, stop, you can't beat him... not in this state.” I then heard Twilight say, “We'll play your game Discord, just leave him alone.” “Wonderful, all you have to do is find your elements and you win,” replied Discord. Applejack and Fluttershy then moved me to rest my back against a wall as Applejack said, “We'll beat that no good Discord then we'll get you help, Craig. Just hold on.” “We can’t leave him like this! He’ll die from blood loss if we don’t stop the bleeding!” argued Fluttershy which ? surprised at the fact that she was actually fighting her case. “The longer we take the less chance Craig has of surviving this… we need to hurry,” Rainbow Dash argued. “But… he won’t survive if we leave him bleeding like he is,” Fluttershy replied once again. “If we don’t go soon he won’t last long enough for us to save him,” Twilight pointed out. Fluttershy then lowered her head before she said, “Okay,” as she made her way towards the entrance to the Labyrinth slowly looking back at me, as she was followed by Twilight who quickly declared, “Never fear, girls. We have each other!” I then heard Rainbow Dash shout, “Yeah! Like Twilight said, there's nothing we can't overcome if we all stick together!" They then all walked into the entrance of the labyrinth as I heard them all shout, “Together!” Before they placed one hoof forwards before multiple hedges surrounded them and sealed them inside the labyrinth. Discord then turned to me and said “you have no hope Craig, You will never stop me you simply are not powerful enough to do so” he then clicked his claws together teleports beside me and whispers “I will break the elements and make them hate you. Just like I did before you came to Equestria, you will be alone again.” My eyes then open wide as I mumble out, “No, I don’t care how strong you are now… you won’t hurt them?” “Like you’ll be alive to stop me. You’re dying, you’ve got an hour at best,” replied Discord before he clicked his claws and disappearing as a dark figure appeared in the sky, before seconds later I heard someone shout, “Are you okay?” I then slowly looked up to see the figure of Princess Luna standing in front of me. I tried to tell her I'm not but I struggled to even utter a single word. I then saw her look at the wall behind me as her eyes went wide as she saw the crimson streaks of blood dripping down the wall that created a small puddle on the floor before she yelled, “We need to get you to our sister, you'll die without her help… but we won’t be able to get you there… unless.” Her horn then began to glow as I felt a cooling sensation near the gash in my back, however I could still feel my hot blood coming out the wound if not at a slower pace than before. She then proceeded to carefully levitate me onto her back and carried me back into the castle. Chapter 7 - A Chaotic Day part 2As I was carried through the castle I kept hearing Luna say to me “Just hold on Craig we’ll get you help, just don’t die.” But all I could think was Well today went from bad to worse. I couldn't protect my friends and I found out that Discord was the one who screwed with my life before I got here. That just leaves more questions like how did he get his magic to my world whilst he was in stone? And if he could manipulate my world what else could he have done? Could he be the reason I am here? Did he pull me into Equestria if so what is his motive he clearly wasn’t aware I was here? Right now though I need to focus on surviving long enough to save everyone from him. I then heard Luna shout “Sister! Sister! Where are thou?!” She then muttered “We can’t let this happen, We couldn’t protect them last time we won’t let the same happen again.” I then thought What’s happened that they regret? I then heard a voice say “what's happened now Luna?” I then heard a gasp for the voice shout “What’s happened to him, this is bad we can’t let this happen” I then weakly whispered “I’m fine, I just need to be bandaged up and i’ll stop him.” However it seemed like they hadn't heard me as Luna said “We found him just outside the labyrinth,” I then groaned “I’m fine,” “Craig, You are not fine… Discord did this to you, you back is cut open, it’s a miracle you survived this long.” Celestia said. “You mean by all right he should be already dead!” Luna exclaimed. “Yes… I know what must be done,” Celestia said as I was lowered onto the ground before I felt a burning sensation in my back and I began to scream in agony as I began to feel like my entire back was burning, before within seconds the pain subsided before I could feel what seemed to be my skin morphing which began to make me shiver from the feeling before I felt what seemed to be a small needle go through the skin on my back. I then asked them “What are you doing?” Only to get no reply before I then heard what sounded like someone panting before I felt the burning sensation returned in my back as I began gritting my teeth to prevent myself from screaming again, after a few seconds that pain began to fade as well before I slowly began to breath normally before I heard the sound of someone collapsing behind me, as I slowly began to attempt to stand up before collapsing onto my side as I heard another sickening crack which to my surprise popped the joint in my arm back into place. I then once again tried to stand up before I said “Dammit… What just happened” “Me fulfilling an old promise” muttered Celestia. I then looked over to her as I saw a small pool of blood around her before I screamed “What did you do!?” “Saved your life, you shouldn’t die when you are still young” Celestia admitted, “For a someone who’s lived as long as you have, you really didn’t think that through, I’m not worth giving your life for,” I replied “But you are… you would willingly give your own life for others, you deserve to live,” “And your still needed, by everyone here” I reply before my hand begins to glow before Celestia looked at me questionably before I said “relax, this will close the wound.” After a few seconds the light began to fade before Celestia said weakly “Thank you,” before she attempted to stand. I then quickly said, “No, Princess you need to just rest and wait for some medical attention, the spell healed the wound over but it may still have left something extra which I can’t see, i’d get a medical expert to give you the once over, but rest would be beneficial, I’d recommend being carried in magic, carefully.” “If your sure” she replied before closing her eyes. “We are not sure why you worry about us, we have lived long enough to make our own choices.” “Yes, you have but you also don’t need to sacrifice yourselves so willingly. You both have ponies who would give their lives for you.” “We guess you are right even though my sister would never let the guard fight for her.” “She’s afraid of sending them to die a pointless deaths, isn’t she.” “Yes we are… but we are more afraid of you putting your own life at risk.” “By chance is it something to do with that old promise she mentioned.” “It is… You're going after Discord again,” Luna replied “I’ve got choice… I know what's happened, whatever he did to me is wearing of I am remember everything, I know his next move.” “Whats Discord going to do?” “He’s going to separate the girls from their elements and then… then… I can’t remember… dammit,” I groaned in annoyance. “We won’t worry about that for now” Luna said “Do you still have the sword my sister gave you?” I then looked towards the floor before saying “No… when Discord broke my shoulder I dropped it… It’s likely still near where you found me.” Seconds later we heard a voice behind us say “Princess Luna one of the guards found this near the Labyrinth.” We then turned around to see a white unicorn that had dark blue mane and tail with some brighter streaks that was running through it. He was wearing what looked to be purple and gold armour and appeared to have what looked to have a six pointed star on a shield shaped buckle resting near the front of his armour, and was holding my sword in a bright pink glow. “Thank you Shining Armour, We were just looking for that.” As Luna slowly began to the remove the sword from Shining Armour’s magic before she levitated it into the air much like Celestia had previously before it began to shine in a dark blue light causing me to shield my eyes from the light. Once the light faded I looked back towards the sword to see that it was slowly rotating before Luna slowly slid it into its scabbard that was attached to my side. I then looked at Luna questionably before I asked “What did you do?” She then smiled back before she said “Take a look at the blade.” I then slowly drew my sword from the scabbard to see that there was an indentation in the shape of Luna’s cutie mark embedded into the blade on the opposite side to Celestia's. I then looked back to her before I asked her “what will it do?” She then began to chuckle before she said “try it out.” I then slowly placed my hand on the symbol which caused the blade to covered in a black light but strangely I saw no other differences until I heard Shining Armour and some of the nearby guards shout “Who turned out the lights!” I then rose one eyebrow as I contemplated what that meant as i sheathed the sword then said “So Luna, this can create the effect of darkness or blindness on everyone in the area?” I then continued to say “I hope I can work out how to have it affect a single target.” I then saw her smile as she said, “if thou focuses on specific targets to blind, then yes” she then continued to say “You need to stop Discord and save Twilight and her friends, however, this is not a task that thou will take on thy's own we will be sending you with help” I then rose an eyebrow before saying “Who?” “Captain Shining Armour requested that he would be able to stop Discord.” “You mean the guy who scared of the dark?” I pointed out as we saw Shining armour shaking on the floor. Luna then looked at me before we heard him mutter “get off her… no leave her alone.” “Umm… could the sword have made him see an illusion of someone they care about being attacked?” I asked her. “That is possible” she replied We then heard Shining Armour say “Get away from them.” I then rolled my eyes before I said to Luna “I think we should help him.” “Let me” she replied as she lowered her horn towards his head before it began to glow before fading before she said “Shiny wake up” Shining armour then shot up before shouting “Twilight! Cadance!” As he kissed Luna before backing away blushing in embarrassment before stuttering out “I’m sorry Princess, I don’t know what came over me.” Luna then began laughing before she said “you have no need to apologize.” I then looked at Shining Armour before saying “So what makes you think you can fight Discord?.” “Well I don’t have one… but I want to save my sister and her friends but it’s clear you can’t do that without almost killing yourself.” Shining armour pointed out. I then sighed before saying “sadly you’re correct, I tried to protect them and well failed… I’m not strong enough to stop Discord alone, the only way have a chance is if i have friends by my side and if not friends an ally.” He then stared at me almost like he was judging me before he said “Well if you really want to help my sister, you have an ally by your side. However you are not going to fight alongside me without armour of your own, can’t have you almost getting killed again today.” “I haven't been meaning to almost kill myself today, but I doubt any armour you have in the armory will fit me.” I admitted. Luna then smiled before saying “well actually we do have one piece that would fit,” as she levitated over to me a dark black chestplate that had patterns engraved along the sides of the plates and a shield that had similarities to Shining Armour’s but in black and had no star on it and instead had a pattern that held a similar design to that of the rest of the chestplate in her magic before she said “This was made by a friend a long time ago, she originally had it made for her brother but she never got the chance to give it to him.” “But if this was supposed to be given to her brother why give it to me?” “Her brother is gone and you need it more that he ever would have” she admitted as she tightened the armor to my body as a bright blue star appeared near the top of chestguard. I then looked at Shining Armour as I realised that it was the same symbol that I saw on his armour before I said “Inducting me into the Canterlot guard are we? If that is the case I wish to do something to this armour” I then close my eyes and two objects appear in front of me. The first one being an enchanting table and the second being a black soul gem both of these being from the game Skyrim. I then slowly opened my eyes before quickly placing both my hands on the table before I remembered two enchantments from the game those being both health regeneration and fortify health and stamina. I then took my hands off the table and said, “That should help deal with any injuries that occur and allow me it strike him with the sword for longer” I then looked back to Luna before I asked her “Have the elements left Canterlot yet?” She then looked up before saying “we believe they left five minutes ago.” “Dammit, We need to catch up to them,” I then gripped my forehead as more of my memories flooded back as I remembered the events that happened in the show to bring everyone back to normal. I then turned to Luna and asked her “is it possible for you to send Twilight's friendship letters that she sent to your sister back to her?” To this she just stared at me and said “yes. But we don't see what that will do.” “You'll just have to trust me on this Luna. I'll just say that this knowledge is from my past” I then realised that Twilight would likely think the worst for me and said “And could you send her an extra one saying that I was saved by your sister and yourself.” Luna then simply nodded understandingly as I saw that she to saw what I was thinking before she said “we understand.” I then nodded to Luna before I turned to Shining Armour and announced, “we need to get to Ponyville, fast.” I then began grin mischievously before I continued to say “and I know the perfect mode of transportation.” He just looked at me with a look of confused on his face before I smiled then asked him, “How do you feel about seeing the world from a pegasi's point of view?” He then looked at me before he shouted “you can't be serious!” I then looked at Luna before we both began to laugh before she said “thou probably is.” “Oh, I am. But we need a wide open space to launch from.” I then heard Shining Armour declare whist clearly questioning my sanity, “there's a large space outside the castle, just behind the labyrinth. It faces towards Ponyville. Will that suffice?” I just looked at him quizzically and asked him “how big we talking?” “Big enough it fit half the castle in the space,” Shining Armour replied. I then smiled and said “That's more than enough space to launch from. Lead the way” With that we both began leave the throne room before Luna shouted “Captain Armour could I have a word with you alone?” “Of course Princess,” He replied before he turned to me and said “Would you mind meeting me by the labyrinth?” The very thought of that left me shaking as I remembered what happened earlier before I stuttered out “No problem” I turned around before making my way towards the door as I heard Luna shout “good luck!” I then turned back to her before I gave her a salute as I walked out of the throne room and back towards the labyrinth. -10 minutes later- As I arrived outside the labyrinth I looked down the path where the girls had originally walked down into the labyrinth as I thought I was to cocky, I let myself think I was powerful enough to beat Discord alone, but i’m not i’m still mostly human but i somehow gained new abilities along with a big ego to boot. I then looked behind me to see the wall that I was placed against still stained crimson with my blood before I looked up to see what looked like two figures I hadn't seen before against the windows. I then heard someone say behind me “Right then how are we getting to Ponyville?” which snapped me back to reality as I looked away from the window. “As I said we fly to ponyville” “Fly? How are we going to do that?” Shining armour asked. I then looked at him before I smiled as I looked to the open area of land nearby and closed my eyes before a large purple jet plane that had multiple fleurs-de-lis decals along the hull and the world ‘SAINTS’ written in bold along the back of the ship. I then walked towards the ship before I looked back towards Shining armour as I saw him slowly stepping backwards as he stuttered out “What is that thing?” I then smile as I say “This is the VTOL, it is how we are getting to Ponyville.” The door to the cockpit then slowly began to open as I jumped in before I said “come on! Jump in!” I then tapped my hand on the seat behind me before I asked him “or do you not want to help your sister?” He then glared at me before he shouted “I would never abandon Twilight!” Before he jumped into the seat behind me and said “let's go.” I then quickly nodded my head as the cockpit door began to close before he heard an almost robotic voice said “Initiating start-up sequence” I then began to slowly raise the ship off the ground before I pressed a big red button on the cockpit before we heard a similar voice to before say “flight mode engaged” before I began to fly the ship at full speed towards Ponyville. As we flew towards Ponyville I shouted to Shining Armour, “I hope you don't mind but I fly better with music!” I then reached toward the disc drive as a song I vaguely remembered began to play. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEnxIbwlNG8 Halfway through the song I shouted to Shining Armour, “do we have a plan to deal with Discord?” “Yeah. Find my sister and her friends and get them to stop Discord.” “And what about fixing the elements?” I asked him. He then looked down at me and shouted, “What's happened to them!? What's happened to my sister!?” “Discord happened. He messed around in her friends heads and changed what makes them fit their respective Elements, for example he made Fluttershy cruel instead, of kind.” “How do you know this?” Shining armour asked in confusion. “I'm from another world or reality, although Discord messed with my head so much, that I don't know what to believe anymore” I then sighed before I continued to say "how could I not have remembered about the maze being a trick." “Wait another world or reality? Does that make you an alien?” “I guess it could. Although it seems to be Discord knew exactly who I was, but I don’t understand how.” “I thought aliens were scary monsters that are not to be trusted? But you don’t seem to fit that description.” I just smiled at him and said “I will leave you to cast your judgement on me. But nevermind that, we need to help the elements and to do that we need to remind them about who they are and not who Discord has made them.” “How would we do that?” “My guess with Twilight is that we need to remind her that she still has friends who will stand by her side through thick and thin. Then we will make the rest up as we go along.” “Okay so we do have a plan then” “Yes we have the basis of a plan and now it's time to start once we land.” I then pressed the red button again as we heard the voice say “hover mode engaged” causing wing flaps to open and cause the ship to slow down instantly before falling to a near stop as I began to slowly lower the ship towards an open area on the outskirts of Ponyville. Once we landed we heard the ship AI say “powering down” as the door opened and we both jumped out of it as it began to fade away. I then breathed a sigh of relief before I muttered “thank god we were on the ground or that could have been painful.” I then looked at Shining Armour as he stared at where the jet was a second ago before I shouted “Equestria to Shining Armour! You okay?!” “Yeah just. What happened to the ship?” “Made with my powers the ship wasn't permanent. I'll be honest I'm surprised it lasted as long as it did. Now let's save your sister and her friends.” We then nodded to each other as we both began to run towards the main gate. As we tried to sneak through the town I began to think Right then mental checklist. Step one, save Twilight. Step two ask Shining and Twilight to help save Rarity and Applejack whilst I help Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie. Step three, Get everyone to sort Dash out whist I distract Discord. Yeah this plan will need be changed quickly but I'll make it up as I go along. Shining Armour then put his hoof out in front of me then whispered “Careful there's Discord” whist he pointed towards the Draconequus. We both then stood still for a few second as we heard him laugh before he said “It was so easy to mess with Twilight's head just like her little friends. Not just that but that freak from that other world is gone as well, how he got here is a mystery but that doesn't matter now that there is no one left that can stop me.” with that he disappeared as me and Shining Armour continued across the road towards the library. I then grunted before muttering “I really hate him right now” Shining Armour just looked at me and said “he'll get his just desserts soon enough.” “I hope you're right” I admitted before I continued to say “right we're here.” As we arrived at golden oaks library and slowly walked towards it. As we reached the door I looked towards Shining armour before I whispered “ready” to which he just nodded his head. I then knocked on the door and said “Twilight…” And got no reply. “Twilight are you there?” We then heard someone shout “Go away!” Before a blast of purple magic flew towards me which I quickly blocked with my sword knocking it away before resheathing it. I then stared at Shining Armour and we both sighed before I turned back to the door and shouted “Twilight, I'm not leaving till you listen to me!” “I don't even know who you are! Leave me alone! He’s dead, and it’s all my fault.” I heard as I slowly heard someone faintly crying behind the door. I then looked back at Shining Armour before saying “You try.” To this he looked at me before nodding his head before he walked up to the door as he calmly said “Twily it's me.” We then heard a voice quietly say “Shining Armour?” “Yes it's me Twilight.” I then heard what sounded like a lock being opened on the other side of the door before I flew open as Shining Armour was hit by a gray blur that I realised was twilight, I then looked at her before I said “you look like hell Twilight.” Twilight then glared at me before igniting her horn before Shining Armour shouted “Twilight what are you doing?!” “It can’t be him… Discord killed him, it was my fault, I chose to leave him.” Twilight muttered as he lowered her head. I then knelt down before I said “Twilight. Look at me” She slowly rose her head to look at me as I continued to say “I was saved by Luna and Celestia and, I’m sorry for making you think it was your fault, I should have been more careful and not so cocky.” Shining armour then said “Craig you can’t blame yourself for this, it wasn’t your fault.” We then heard a voice from upstairs shout “Twilight!” “Spike!” Twilight shouted as she turned and ran upstairs causing both myself and Shining Armour to look at each other other before we slowly made our way to the stairs. Once we reached the top of the stairs we saw Spike on the floor surrounded by multiple scrolls as I heard him say “make it stop.” Seconds later Twilight lifted up one of the scrolls up in her magic before she said “these are all the letters i’ve written to the princess since i’ve lived in Ponyville” She then lifted two more up before she said “But why would she send them back?” She then picked up another scroll before she said “what’s with this one, it’s not in mine or the princesses hoofwriting… who wrote this one?” Dear Twilight Sparkle, We are sure thy have seen thou's brother, and a creature that says it's name is Craig. Well we are writing to tell thee that it is Craig. We found him outside the labyrinth after what we believe to be a fight. When we found him he was injured and in great pain. We took him to our sister who healed his wounds and then she collapsed from exhaustion. We sent him and thou'sts brother to help stop Discord. We hope thou the best of luck. thous hopefully, Princess Luna She then looked at me before she began hugging me and said “It it you, I didn't kill you, we all blamed ourselves for what happened.” “Twilight... you're... crushing... my... lungs” I muttered as I realised that I was unable to breath clearly. She then released me and said “Oops sorry, It’s just good to know your alive and that this wasn’t my fault.” “Twilight, Don’t worry about it, it wasn’t your fault… maybe you should read the letters that the princess sent you she must have had a reason.” I pointed out “Oh, thanks Craig.” She replied as multiple scrolls were held around her in her magic as she read each one out loud one after each other "Real friends don't care what your cover is, Friendship is a wondrous and powerful thing, And like the path cut through the orchard, there will always be a way through, The best thing to do is stay true to yourself, everypony has a special magical connection with her friends. Maybe even before she's met them." which as she said the colour slowly returned to her. I then looked at Shining Armour as we just nodded to each other as Twilight said “Spike! Craig! Shining Armour, it's all so clear! Can't you see? Discord's trying to distract us from what's important. He knows how powerful our friendships are, and he's trying to keep us from seeing it. Do you remember what I said the first day we arrived in Ponyville? I told you that the future of Equestria didn't rest on me making friends. But the opposite is true! The friendships I've made since I've been here are what saved Equestria from Nightmare Moon. And now they need to save it from Discord!” I then smiled to her and said “I saw it the moment my memories started to return… and Spike, you may want to just rest here while we deal with this” To which I just heard him groan in pain as yet another Scroll appeared. I then nodded to Twilight and Shining Armor before we walked down the stair and back into the library before Twilight said “So… what's the plan we know I was brought back to my senses but how?” “You were reconnected with your element, you remembered the magic of friendship and it brought you back, we’ll need to do the same for everyone else.” “Still it was weird the fact that he used what we thought was your death to make us blame each other.” “Wait he used me… I’m really that important to you all to mean anything to you.” “Craig you are our friend… I’m just sorry that the others don’t realise your still around, your death helped to tear us apart, both Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy were upset about it,” Twilight explained. It was at that point everything clicked as I said “that’s it he used me to break you all.” “What do you mean Craig?” Asked Shining Armour. “I mean he used the fact they were each blaming themselves as an insecurity to start getting them to doubt themselves before changing them into well… their opposites.” “So we were all tricked by Discord… that's why he separated us in the labyrinth, so he could use our individual doubts to defeat us,” Twilight admitted. “Well then I say we take him down, but first we need to get to the others… the question is who to save first?” I then look at Twilight before I asked her “What do you think?” “I would say we should get to Applejack first, the way everypony's acting she will be able to get them to listen… and if the worst should happen she can help us round them up.” I then look at her before muttering “You're the last person I expected to try and tell a joke Twilight” I then sighed before continuing to say “but you're right, we’ll make our way to her first… although I think we should split up, if Discord see’s me it’ll make getting everyone back to normal much harder.” “I suppose you're right… but how will you get around you’re not exactly going to able to hide from him and move quick enough in your armour,” Shining Armour pointed out. “I’ve got a short term plan for that until we have a few of you back together.” “If you're sure” I then placed two fingers on my forehead before saying “I’m sure, I’ll meet you at Sweet Apple Acres.” To which they both nodded to me as they made their way to the door before I disappeared from the room. Seconds later I reappeared a fair distance away from the Library looking back towards the town as I began to think Twilight will not believe what I just did, wish i could see her face. I then turned back around before muttering “well then, let's see if can find Applejack anywhere nearby, she shouldn't be that far from the farm.” I then looked around before saying “Now where did I land” I then looked above me to see a sign that read ‘Sweet Apple Acres’ just in front of me as I thought. Lucky me I must be better at using Instant Transmission than I thought before I slowly began to walk up the path towards the farm. As I approached the farm, I noticed what looked to be Big Macintosh who seemed to be acting like a dog and digging holes in the cornfield I was working in earlier, I then looked towards the main farmhouse to see and elderly mare dancing and Applejack sitting down behind the mare eating an apple core before taking a bite as a section reappeared connected to the apple before she threw it away. As I approached her I heard her say “And so I tried to defeat Discord, but none of my so-called "friends" would lift a hoof to help me. “Well, being I was otherwise occupied with not dying I couldn’t really do a whole lot to help you could I Applejack?” I said to her. She then quickly looked towards me before saying “Well Discord we meet again here for round two?” I then quickly look around me before I said “I don’t see Discord around here Applejack” I then turned back to her as I realised that she was charging towards me as she said “Discord stop taking the form of Craig” “What are you on about Applejack!” I shouted as I jumped out the way rolling over one shoulder before I said “I’m not Discord.” As I began to reach towards my sword before I thought No i can’t use that she has no idea what's going on as she turned back towards me and began charging me again. I then slowly took a deep breath before I said “Applejack, stop I don’t want to have to fight you.” “Stop actin’ like him, you killed him, it’s your fault.” “You don’t want to fight me we’re not enemies.” I shouted before once again reaching for my sword as I quickly drew it before placing my hand on the image of Luna’s cutie mark instantly Blinding Applejack before she shouted “Discord! What did you do to me!” I then used the fact that I blinded her to sneak behind her before I quickly grabbed her and pinned her to the ground before I said “Applejack calm down it’s me, It’s Craig, I’m not dead, Celestia and Luna saved me, just please just stop, this isn’t you.” “You ain’t him, you can’t be, We left you to die, We all purposely left you to die” I then calmly said “Applejack you are not a lier.” She then looked up at me with her eyes wide before he normal colour began to return to her from her head downwards before reaching her back hooves before I released her and sheathed my sword as I took a step back before she placed one of her hooves by the side of her head before rapidly shaking it before she said “What happened?” “You thought I was Discord, attacked me and I had to stop you from trying to kill me.” She then lowered her hat to her chest before saying “Craig… I thought I saw you die, then I saw a vision of me and Twilight feudin' and fightin'. I couldn't face the truth, so I started tellin' lies. Can you ever forgive me?” I then rubbed my chin before saying “It’s not me you need to apologise to Applejack.” I then point behind me and say “It’s more her you need to apologize to” as Twilight and Shining Armour appeared behind me as I stepped out of the way. Applejack then looked to Twilight before saying “Twilight… can you forgive me?” She then smiled at Applejack before saying “I already have,” Applejack then looks to me before saying “So what's the plan?” “I’ll explain in a minute… can we talk in the barn, I feel I bit too exposed out in open with Discord around.” I asked Applejack. “That's probably a good idea” She agreed before we all made our way into a nearby barn. Once we get into the barn I look around me to see that there was a lots of farming equipment resting against a far wall, against the right wall was what appeared to be a plow and laid out in rows along the left were some hay bales piled ontop of eachother. “Okay then what's the plan?” Asked Applejack. “I had a plan, but I just don't want to continue on this path alone anymore. I'm just one big target travelling alone and I don’t want travel alone through the town, so the new plan is to stick together,” I explained. “That's not much of a plan” Shining armour pointed. “It’s part of a plan!” “How much do you actually have?” asked Applejack. “twenty percent of a plan,” “You can’t be serious,” groaned Applejack. “Well being the original plan initially consisted of me going to each Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie alone, whilst the rest of you helped Rarity before we all went to get Rainbow Dash.” “That’s a better plan, why scrap it and start over?” asked Twilight “Simple, i’m scared of losing control and killing or seriously injuring someone, my first reaction when Applejack charged me was to reach for my sword, if i do that to someone else and can’t stop myself it would be dangerous,” I explained. “So you are worried about hurtin’ somepony?” Applejack asked me to which I nodded as she continued to say “Right then, so who are we goin’ after next?” “I’d say we go after Fluttershy, she is the closest I think,” “It’s likely she’ll be near her cottage,” Twilight replied. “I can get us there faster than walking could” I admitted “Craig no flying!” ordered Shining Armour. “I wasn't planning on it. My plan was to use the technique I use to teleport to take us there directly,” I explained. “Okay, I don't care how strange your powers are there is no way you can teleport.” Twilight argued. “Twilight, What do you think i did when I disappeared earlier?” I replied cheekily. she then continued to say “Right to get from here to the cottage it will take a lot of bursts of magic to teleport us there, you would be exhausted if you tried that many spells without practice.” I then laughed before I announced “One burst to take us all there” Twilight's eyes then opened wide before she shouted “One spell! You've got to be joking!” “let’s see shall we.” I replied before I continued to say “all of you place your hooves on any part of my body and we'll get going.” Seconds later they are all began to place one of their hooves on my legs before I place two fingers on my forehead before i closed my eyes and said “Don't remove your hooves or you’ll be left behind” then seconds later we all disappeared from the barn leaving no signs we were even there. Once we reappeared after teleporting Twilight jumped away from me before she said “I knew you couldn't do it.” I then began to laugh before I said “turn around Twilight” She just smiled at me before she began to turn around as she said “there’s no way that worked.” however once she turned around to see multiple trees that seemed to have birdhouses hanging from nearby trees and what seemed to be burrows running next to a stream and placed next to a path. At the end of the path there was a small cottage that seemed to have a roof that was made of what looked to be grass. Twilight then looked back at me and asked “How did you do that?” I simply replied to her “the power of anime Twilight. Don't question it. It has no logic whatsoever.” She then looked at me questionably before she asked “whats anime?” I then shook my hand before I said “I'll explain later. In fact I'll show you one later after this whole mess is sorted.” “I guess that's okay” she muttered. I then looked towards Applejack and Shining Armour to see them shaking their heads before I said “Right then, once you are all ready let’s go a fix Fluttershy.” Once they were ready they all nodded to me before we began to make our way up the path towards Fluttershy’s cottage. Once we reached the door to Fluttershy’s cottage I looked towards everyone before I said “I will try to talk to her first see if it snaps her out of it.” Everyone then looked towards me before nodding to me before I turned back towards the door before knocking on it and saying “Fluttershy are you okay in there?” only to get no reply. I then knocked again and shouted “Fluttershy are you there!?” We then heard a faint noise as quiet as a whisper squeak “go away” before I heard a window break before I quickly spun around before an object come flying towards me and in turn hit me in the face along the bridge of my nose before I scrunched my eyes together before looking down to see a bucket on the floor. I then stopped as I heard a voice behind the door whimper “It's my fault. I should have stayed with Craig, not left him injured. It's my fault he's dead.” At this I slowly walked toward the broken window and then stopped just out of view as I heard her mutter “I should have stayed with him. I should have got help. Not entered the maze with the others, it’s all my fault.” “you care that much for me Fluttershy? What have I done to deserve to much kindness from you?” I asked her from outside the building. I then heard a faint voice say “Craig? Is it really you?” “Yes it is, could you open the door?” “Prove it’s you” “How do you want me to do that, I don’t know anything that only we would know, we only just met.” “You have one thing that matches you, a song can say more than words alone.” “So you want a performance, I can do that” I then rub my chin as I think but what song would work? There’s not many that won’t draw attention to myself… maybe... I then smiled before I said “I’m going to play a cover of a song called What Makes You Beautiful” with that I switched my sword back into my guitar before I began to perform the song. You're insecure, Don't know what for, You're turning heads when you walk through the door. Don't need make-up, To cover up, Being the way that you are is enough. Everyone else in the room can see it, everyone else but you. Baby you light up my world like nobody else, the way that you flip your hair gets me overwhelmed, but when you smile at the ground it ain't hard to tell, you don't know, oh, oh,You don't know you're beautiful, that's what makes you beautiful. So c-come on, you got it wrong, to prove I'm right I put it in a song. I don't know why, you're being shy, and turn away when I look into your eye-eye-eyes. Everyone else in the room can see it, Everyone else but you. Baby you light up my world like nobody else, the way that you flip your hair gets me overwhelmed, but when you smile at the ground it ain't hard to tell, you don't know, oh oh, you don't know you're beautiful, that's what makes you beautiful. That's what makes you beautiful. Baby you light up my world like nobody else, the way that you flip your hair gets me overwhelmed, but when you smile at the ground it ain't hard to tell, you don't know, oh oh, you don't know you're beautiful. That's what makes you beautiful, oh and that's what makes you beautiful, that's what makes you beautiful. Baby you light up my world like nobody else, the way that you flip your hair gets me overwhelmed, but when you smile at the ground it ain't hard to tell, you don't know, oh oh, you don't know you're beautiful. If only you saw what I can see, you'll understand why I want you so desperately, right now I'm looking at you and I can't believe, you don't know, you don't know you're beautiful, you don't know you're beautiful, and that's what makes you beautiful. Once the song finished I looked towards the door to see it slowly open as a small gray pegasus walked out of the cottage and glared at Applejack and Twilight before she looked at me before she ran towards me and grabbed my leg before she said “It is you, I didn’t get you killed,” before she slowly released my leg. I then nealt down to face her before I said “Fluttershy you could never kill me willingly, you are the kindest creature i’ve ever met, I would trust you with my life if it was ever needed.” She then looked at me before saying “Craig… I, I.” I then lowered my head towards her as I said “both me and you are similar, we both has it rough through life and we are both stronger because of it.” I then kissed her on her forehead before her original colours began to return from her head down towards her hooves. She then slowly looked around before she said “Oh no! Twilight, Applejack, I just had the worst dream!” She then looked where she was grabbing before she said “but if I am still dreaming I don’t want to wake up.” “Well considering this isn’t a dream you may want to stay awake.” I joked before she let go of my leg before she said “Craig… You're, alive.” “Well, yeah… like i’d die without fighting for those I care about,” I then looked towards the town and muttered “Besides, it’s not like it’s just everyone here i’m fighting for now.” They each then looked towards me in confusion before I smiled and said “So who’s next” “Well we’re nearest to Rarity’s, so i say we go there next,” Twilight admitted. I then groaned before I saying “Well this one will be on you to sort her, I doubt I mean that much to her.” “So how are we gonna get Rarity back to normal?” asked Twilight. “Hmm i’m not sure…” I then gripped the side of my head as more of my memories began to return before Fluttershy looks at me before saying “Craig are you okay, what's wrong?” “Just memories returning” I replied to Fluttershy before I continued to say “Twilight what about a memory spell, could that counteract the spell Discord used on everyone?” Twilight then looks at me and says “and you didn’t think to tell us to try this till now why?” “Well I didn’t have the memories relating to that till now, it’s all hazy and I only get small pieces of information at a time” “Fine” She muttered before continuing to say “Craig, let's get going can you teleport us all again?” “I can try, all of you grab hold like before,” I then realised that Fluttershy had no idea what I was doing as I said “Fluttershy, I need you to place a hoof on my left arm or my legs, I’m going to get us to Rarity’s quickly.” She then nodded to me before hovering next to me and placing a hoof on my shoulder before the others followed and I placed two fingers on my right hand against my forehead before Fluttershy quickly wrapped herself around my neck as we disappeared. We then reappeared just outside the boutique as everybody but Fluttershy lets go of me. I then looked at Fluttershy who has her eyes closed and was still curled up around my neck before I whispered to her “Fluttershy. We're safe, you can let go now.” She then slowly opened her eyes and whispered “what happened?” as she let go of my neck and hovered just above me. “We teleported” I replied before my legs suddenly gave way beneath me and I fell onto my back. “Craig, are you alright,” they all asked me clearly worried. “Yeah. Guess I can't teleport myself and four ponies as easily as I thought” I then attempted to look towards them but fail to do so due to the weight of my armour and muttered “God that takes it out of me.” I then calmly said “I just need to rest for a minute, you girls go ahead and help Rarity.” Fluttershy then just looked at me before she said “Craig I'm not leaving you a second time, last time we did it left us all thinking the worse.” she then turned to everybody else before she said “You all go ahead. I'm staying with Craig.” “But what if Discord come here?” Twilight asked me I then looked at her and said “We'll be fine, go help Rarity.” To this they all looked at me and as Twilight replied “Okay. We will help Rarity then be back,” with that they all headed towards the boutique. I then looked towards Fluttershy and asked her “why did you blame yourself for me being injured earlier Fluttershy?” “I thought something had happened outside the labyrinth, when you wasn’t there after we came out, it was weird. I felt like I was behind a wall but was able to see everything that I was doing at the same time.” To this I smiled at her before I said “No. Luna found me and took me to Celestia who healed my wounds. Luna was also the one who gave me this chest plate and she improved the enchantment my sword.” “What else can you do with it now?” she asked me. “I can create an Illusion of it being pitch black. When Luna asked me to test it, it made Shining Armour scream like a gi… sorry here I guess the phrase would be mare.” “So you can make your enemy blind?” “In a way I guess I can.” We then looked up as I heard someone shout “What do you think you're doing? Get away from my gem! Get away--!” I then looked at Fluttershy before saying “I don’t want to ask.” to which she nodded back to me in agreement. We then saw a large bolder being pushed out of the boutique by Rarity before she said “Let us never speak of this again.” Everybody then turned and began walking towards us before Rarity said “So you aren't dead.” “Nope, but looks like Tom is to you.” “I thought I said for everyone to never speak of that… infact how did you know about that?” “Well we all have secrets Rarity, that is one of mine,” I explained. “Well it’s good to know you are still alive and here.” I then smiled at her and said “and it’s good to be alive.” “Just don't do that to us again darling.” “I'll try my best Rarity, but I won't make any promises.” Seconds later Shining Armour said “Okay everypony that leaves two of your friends to save. Who are we going for next?” “Probably Pinkie. Rainbow Dash's location is unknown at the moment,” I explained. Twilight then looked at me in confusion before she asked “what do you mean by Rainbow Dash's location is unknown at the moment?” “I mean that I don't know how to find her without Pinkie's hot air balloon, as she's likely to be flying or on a cloud, also you know how easily pinkie can find her,” I explained. “Okay then one more teleport and we're at Pinkie's” announced Twilight before she made her way towards me again. To this my eyes opened wide before I said “No. Not a chance I'm teleporting whilst carrying another pony. Just carrying you lot last time did me in. Sorry but we're walking to Sugarcube Corner.” “You managed it before, why not now?” Asked Shining Armour. Seconds later Fluttershy quietly said “You saw the state of him last time. How much worse do you think he will be carrying somepony else?” I then nodded to Fluttershy before I continued to say “I'll be too drained to help against Discord. I'm not risking you all falling a second time. I will be there standing by your sides” Applejack then smiled at me and said “An I'll be happy to be with ya.” before everyone else said “we all are.” I then lowered my head towards the ground before I began to laugh and looked towards them as I began to smile before I said “first time in years I've had a group of friends stand by my side, and say that want to be with me. Normally it was me against the world.” To this Twilight announced “Like we’d abandon you Craig, you're our friend and we always stick together.” “Well it won't be all of us till we have Pinkie and Rainbow back,” I pointed out. Twilight then nodded to me before she replied “then let's save our friends,” before she nodded to everyone and we all made our way to Sugarcube Corner. “So how we gonna 'elp Pinkie?” asked Applejack. “I'm going to talk to her” “How are you going to help her?” asked Twilight. “I think that she is feeling similar to how Fluttershy did. Think about it this way she had a new friend but before she could make me feel welcome in Ponyville she believed I was killed. That would be the final straw for her,” I explained. To this Twilight then said “I guess you're right. Good luck.” I then walked towards the door and said “luck will have nothing to do with it.” Once I got inside I heard a voice say “welcome to Sugarcube Corner” however before I can say anything I heard a scream come from a earth pony mare that had a bright blue coat and a two toned red and pink tail and mane who then whimpered “please don't hurt me.” I then put my hands up and said “calm down. I'm not here to hurt you.” She then asked me “Then what are you here for?” “To help Pinkie. I know I look strange but I swear I am not here to harm anyone. You must have guessed something's wrong with her?” “I did but I didn't want to upset her” I then smiled at her before saying “do you mind if I go up to see her?” With that she smiled and said “Please do she's in the second room on the right.” “Thank you Mrs Cake” I replied before bowing to her before I made my way up the stairs. Once I reached Pinkie's room I knock on the door and shout “Pinks you in there?” I then heard her shout “Who are you!? In fact I don't care, just go away!” “Not a chance Pinkie. I'm not leaving without my favourite pony being back to normal” “Who are you?” “Pinkie, it’s me, Craig.” I then waited a second before the the door flew open as a bright Pink blur grabbed hold in me and shouted “Craig it's you I thought you were dead or worse I so happy to see you again I should throw a thank Celestia you're not dead party.” I then laughed and said “How about we both throw Discord a this is why you don't mess with the elements of harmony party?” to this she looked at me with a disapproving look before I put my hands up and said “yeah bad idea.” She then smiled at me before she said “Seriously of all the names you could have thought up you chose that” “Cut me some slack Pinkie I'm not you. I have to make thing up as I go. It's not like I can break the fourth wall whenever I want. Anyway let's go to everypony else just Rainbow Dash left to save” Pinkie then looked at me and asked me “Is Dashie still in a bad way?” “We don't know. We haven't seen her yet, but shall we get going?” She then nodded to me before we both began to walk down the stairs as we heard Mrs Cake say “I see your better Pinkie.” she then looked at me before she said “ and I guess I have you to thank for helping her.” I then clench my hand and place it on my chest then said “it was no problem. I would never abandon a friend.” She then smiled at me before she asked me “but how did you know my name?” “Mrs Cake, my name is Craig, I am from... well actually I am questioning that after something Discord told me. Anyway I know a bit about Equestria and the inhabitants of this town prior to my arrival yesterday.” “So you were the strange creature we heard customers talking about?” Pinkie then began bouncing around before she said “yeperoonie you got it” I then smiled and looked at Mrs Cake then asked her “Do you mind if we have this conversation later. We need to stop Discord, to ensure that everypony is safe” “No problem just keep Pinkie safe will ya,” requested Mrs Cake. “No problem. With any luck she'll be the one looking after me.” With that we both walked out of the door, shutting it behind us before we walked towards everyone else. Once we got close to them Pinkie ran up to each of then excluding me and Shining Armour before she began to give each of them a hug. To this both me and Shining both smiled at eachother. I then stopped as heard a faint noise in the distance. I then quickly looked around and asked everyone “did any of you hear that?” I then heard the voice again but this time even clearer I managed to hear the words “help me.” My eyes then open wide as I say “wait that's Scootaloo's voice” not even considering how i was able to hear her. To this all the girls turned to me before Twilight said “wait did you say Scootaloo?” Second later we heard the voice again but this time it was a clear as day, “Get away! Somepony! Anypony! Help me!” I then looked to everyone before saying “All of you go help help Rainbow I'll buy you some time.” I then began to run towards Scootaloo’s voice before I look beside me to see Shining Armour running next to me as he said “You think I'd leave my teammate alone?” “Not a chance, let’s stop Discord for a long as possible” He then smiled and said “Wouldn't have it any other way” I then smiled before I replied“let's go we have a pony to save,” we then nodded to each other as we both ran towards the sound of Scootaloo's screams. Chapter 8 - A Chaotic day Part 3Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.Chapter 9 - The Start of Something New.As I sat on the long train ride to canterlot I just stood there and contemplated what I had just done. Well I have to say this is strange to think about I have Discord in my head, a house to return to and Scootaloo as a daughter soon. Life couldn't be better. However, I was quickly cut off by a certain Draconequus that said “Oh of all the things on your mind I'm the first. How quaint.” “Great you can hear my thoughts” I groaned before I decided to try something “what am I thinking about now?” “You're thinking about what happened to Scootaloo's old dad. But you know it doesn't make sense what happened.” “Discord in my world Lightning is a random occurrence. However here it can be controlled and in theory, be aimed at a pony but I don't know enough about how lightning works here. I'll need to ask Rainbow about it.” “We got plenty of time till we reach Canterlot why not ask her now?” “I suppose you're right” I then opened my eyes to see everybody staring at me I then just ask “what?” Twilight then looked at worry pasted over her face before she said “Thank Celestia you're alright I thought you couldn't hear us. We were talking to you but you were completely unresponsive.” I then smiled before I told her “I was asleep Twilight, but unlike you, I'm a bit big for those tiny bunks so I slept standing up” “That wasn't the only thing you were doing Craig. Were you aware that you were creating sparks from your hooves… or whatever you call those things?” “Sparks? No, I wasn't aware of that Twilight and there called hands.” I then began to think about my powers before I said “Skyrim of course.” “What does a game have to do with this?” she asked. “Would you believe me if I said it was magic? I have just one question was the sparks a certain colour?” “I wouldn't believe it's magic but for the sake that it is it was a dark blue colour similar to the shade of Luna's mane.” “In that case, that could be a destructive spell with the properties of lightning.” Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy then looked at me before Rainbow Dash asked me, “Wait you can create lightning from your body?” “I could in the game, but I was never great with that type of destruction magic. I was more adept with fire based magic” I then clicked my fingers and a red spark appeared and I slowly open my hand to see an orb a red light emanating from my palm I then clenched my fist again and the light fades. I then look to Twilight and said “that was the basis of a fireball spell.” Her eyes then twitched before she said “but, you don't have a horn. By all rights, magic shouldn't be possible for you to do.” “In my world that would be the case the same goes with me floating in the air but here something has happened to me to give me powers, also Twilight I think I proved earlier that I can do magic, you’re just choosing not to accept it.” A brown and grey coated stallion with a black and red mane and tail then appeared standing next to me before he said “to be fair that’s not something I can't tell you because I don't know myself.” “Okay, then Discord then how did I learn those abilities?” “Maybe, because your world was void of magic, you never had a source to pull magic from, and now you're in a world which has it your body is accessing the ambient magic around you and using it in a way you know how to use,” Discord explained. “So you're saying Craig’s powers are feeding off the magic surrounding him to allow him to use his magic and abilities?” Asked Twilight. “That’s one theory, the other is that whatever brought him here adapted his body and powers to survive.” “That still doesn’t explain how I am able to instantly master weapons and gear I pick up?” “And once again I don’t know, I never planned for you to come to this reality.” I then sighed before I said, “well I guess it can’t be helped I’ll just need to figure this out in my own time.” I then turned to look at Rainbow Dash before I said “by the way I was wondering what you could tell me about Equestria's lightning?” “Oh Mr I can create lightning from my hands need to know more about lightning,” Rainbow Dash smirked. “Yes, I do Dash. I need to understand how it could have killed Scootaloo’s previous father.” Rainbow Dash then sighed before she said “In all rights, it shouldn't have been able to kill him the lightning clouds that Equestria manufacturers at the Rainbow Factory are supposed to go around a pony's body. It's been made that way to protect everypony. The only way it could have happened is if somepony targeted him or he was carrying something that conducted the lightning towards it. “Okay, but where would the cloud have to be to hit him?” “It would have had to be right above him or he would have had to be inside the cloud at the time. But even then somepony would have to manually discharge the cloud.” “Okay, then that tells me that the death of Scootaloo’s father wasn't an accident. Somepony wanted him dead.” “But who would have a reason to do that?” “I have no idea but we do know it wasn't an accident, and that the culprit would have been a pegasus. Oh god my head hurts I need to rest fighting Discord took a lot out of me” Discord then laughed before he announced, “I thought that you didn't try against me.” “Oh I didn't Discord but considering the fact that I haven't eaten anything in two days I'm just hungry it’s just leaving me a little drained.” I then heard Pinkie say “I'll go and grab you some food Craig” before she disappeared in a pink blur. I then just smiled before I said “she's one of the kindest creatures I've ever met reminds me of one of my cousins. Always full of energy.” I then looked towards the ground and muttered “hard to believe I may never see her, or any of my family again.” as I sunk to the ground to sit on crossed legs. Applejack then took off her hat placing it near her body before she made her way towards me and placed one of her hooves on my shoulder then said “as long as ya don't forget em they'll always be with ya” She then reached towards my chest and said “in ‘ear” I then smiled and said “if you were meaning in my heart you would want to point to here” I then move her hoof just in front of the location of my heart. I then heard Rainbow Dash say “besides you have the squirt now. That's sort of a family.” “I suppose after one door shuts another one opens. I may have lost my old family but I can always start again.” Fluttershy then smiled before she said “I suppose you are taking the changes well. I mean you lost everything and yet you still act like this is normal for you. I can't understand how you must be feeling.” “You know what Fluttershy you are right about one thing. I am acting as if everything is normal and you know why” I then stood up and announced "and this is why” I then flicked my guitar from the ground into my hand before I began to sing a cover of Feeling Good by Michael Buble. Birds flying high, you know how I feel. Sun in the sky, you know how I feel. Breeze driftin' on by, you know how I feel. It's a new dawn, it's a new day, it's a new life, for me. And I'm feeling good. Fish in the sea, You know how I feel. River running free, You know how I feel. Blossom on a tree, You know how I feel. It's a new dawn, It's a new day, It's a new life, For me. And I'm feeling good. And I'm feeling good. Dragonfly out in the sun, you know what I mean, don't you know. Butterflies all havin' fun you know what I mean. Sleep in peace when day is done, That's what I mean. And this whole world is a new world, and a bold world, for me. And I'm feeling good. I'm feeling good. Stars when you shine, you know how I feel. Scent of the pine, You know how I feel. Oh freedom is mine, And I know how I feel. It's a new dawn, It's a new day, It's a new life.It's a new dawn, It's a new day, It's a new life. It's a new dawn, It's a new day, It's a new life, It's a new life, For me, And I'm feeling good. I'm feeling good. I feel so good. I feel so good. And I'm feeling good. As I finished the song I looked towards Rarity and Fluttershy before I said “I’m definitely feeling good.” I then heard the sound of someone applauding behind me before I turned around to see a small group of ponies looking towards me and strangely not running away in fear of my presence. I then smiled before I heard a voice from the crowd say “You know you're not that bad,” Causing me to look around before I saw a white unicorn with a cyan and cobalt blue colored mane and tail, that was wearing some black and purple glasses and a set of headphones on her head. She then continued to ask me “Is music your special talent?” I then shrugged my shoulders before I said “I don’t have any idea I'm afraid, my kind don’t get any indication of what their talents are.” I then shook my head before I asked the pony “but enough about me, my names Craig, may I ask your name miss?” She then walked closer to me before saying “Well most ponies know me by my stage name DJ Pon3 but my friends call me Vinyl Scratch.” “Well, then Miss Scratch it’s a pleasure to meet you.” “The pleasure’s all mine.” Vinyl replied before she continued to say “It’s my pleasure to meet the amazing creature that saved Ponyville.” “How did you know that?” “Pinkie, she’s not exactly the best at keeping quiet about new friends, she was talking about you as she travelled through the train.” “That sounds about right for Pinkie,” chuckled Rainbow Dash. “Yeah, but she got something wrong, I’m nothing amazing.” Vinyl then looked at me before saying “So maybe Pinkie wasn’t accurate when she said you were an amazing friend.” “Don’t you ever say that about him,” shouted Rainbow Dash “Rainb…” “Don’t you ever say he isn’t an amazing friend he could have abandoned us after what happened to him but he came back to save everyone instead.” “Rainbow Dash calm down!” I shouted causing her to jolt back before I said “It doesn’t matter if that's her opinion because that's all it is. Maybe I’m not as great of Pinkie made me out to be, it’s not like I'm anything special.” “Craig! You single handedly defeated Discord. You can't say anyone helped you to defeat him.” Rainbow Dash shouted. Vinyl then froze before she stuttered out “That was you, I heard the commotion from the station, a few of us were hiding there waiting for the train to arrive so we could escape.” “Guilty as charged” I chuckled. “So I guess that makes you a hero?” Vinyl asked me. “You bet he is!” Shouted Rainbow Dash. “No I'm not a hero, I’m just a guy that was in the right place at the right time.” I then smiled before saying “You know, I remembered a song that fits me at the moment, it called Hero. I then began to perform the song. Let me go. I don't wanna be your hero. I don't wanna be a big man. Just wanna fight with everyone else. Your masquerade. I don't wanna be a part of your parade. Everyone deserves a chance to. Walk with everyone else. While holding down. A job to keep my girl around. And maybe buy me some new strings. And her a night out on the weekend. And we can whisper things. Secrets from our American dreams. Baby needs some protection. But I'm a kid like everyone else. So let me go. I don't wanna be your hero. I don't wanna be a big man. I Just wanna fight like everyone else. So let me go. I don't wanna be your hero. I don't wanna be a big man. I Just wanna fight with everyone else. Your masquerade. I don't wanna be a part of your parade. Everyone deserves a chance to; Walk with everyone else. As I finished the song I once again heard everyone around me applauding me before Vinyl said “You sure your special talent doesn’t have something to do with performing, you seem to be very good at it.” I then began laughing before I said “I doubt it, besides I'm my own man, if I need to perform to live then I'll do it, same as I became a guard to allow me to help everyone.” “Well then if you are ever in need of a DJ just ask for best DJ in Equestria and I'll see what we can do,” Vinyl said calmly. “Will do Vinyl. Might call you up to open one of my performances in Ponyville.” I joked “More like you covering me, I'd always be headlining any show.” “Sure you would,” I chuckled as she walked away. “Once you get settled, give me a call” Vinyl replied as she began to walk out of the carriage we were on and back into the attached carriage she came from before. Once she had gone and the door separating the carriages shut Rainbow Dash shouted “Do you know who you just spoke to!” “Yeah Vinyl Scratch, a celebrity DJ, no big deal,” I admitted. “Craig you just spoke to a celebrity like it was nothing. Most ponies would die for a chance to speak to her and you got to perform to her not once but twice!” Shouted Rarity. I then rubbed my head before I said “Okay maybe I was a bit calm about meeting a celebrity.” Pinkie Pie then walked back into the carriage somehow carrying a box on her back before placing it on the floor before throwing me a small box that read ‘Daisy and Daffodil Sandwich’ before she said “Nope Vinyl’s a nice mare. She may seem to be a big deal but she prefers to be treated like anypony else.” “Thanks, Pinkie,” I replied as I opened the package that the sandwich was in before I said “So I guess heard me performing.” “Yep, I heard the whole thing sound like you and Vinyl and friends now. Hey, maybe one day we should perform with her.” “Yeah maybe. Wait. what do you mean by we?” “Well yeah you need a band and I would like to be a part of it.” I then tilted my head to the side before seconds later looking back at her. I then placed my hand out to her and said “welcome aboard Pinkie. You've already proved yourself to be adept with the drums and I couldn't think of anypony I rather perform by my side.” We then heard a voice over the loudspeaker say “Attention everypony we will be arriving in Canterlot shortly.” I then sighed before I said “guess this is our stop, we best get moving. I'll meet you girls on the platform” I then began to walk towards the door to the carriage we were on, as I waited for the train to come to halt before exiting the carriage. When we finally arrive at the palace both me and Discord began to organise a plan for when things inevetibly got out of hand... or claw depending on the individual. “Discord you will need to say out of the way whilst we talk to Celestia. I have a feeling if she found out we didn't reseal you, she'll have my guts for garters,” I explained. “Your what?” Discord asked me in confusion. I then sighed before I said “she'll end me, or put me in stone for one-thoudand years.” “Oh I hope you don't deal with that, it's not a nice experience, at least I could still have fun using my magic.” “Oh yes, all the fun had ruining my life, you know I could very easily ask them to put you back in stone.” I then stopped before I remembered what he had said earlier before asking him, “didn’t you mention something about me being a different reality.” “Well yes… but why does that matter?” “There was a few stories from back home that would have referred to me as a Displaced.” “A what?” Discord asked me “A Displaced or Dimensionally Misplaced, from what I remember most of the time the person who was Displaced is sent to an alternative Equestria from buying an object of some kind. But there are rare occasions when this happens from finding an object or from just plain dumb luck,” I explained. “So these other realities have no connection to each other?” “Well no they all can meet up but I'll explain more later, right now we have a meeting to attend.” I admitted before I continued to say “Just promise me you'll stay quiet whilst in the meeting.” “Fine but if she tries to do something I'm going to throw her off.” “Using your magic are you?” I chuckled Before I heard a voice shout “Craig, What’s wrong!” I then smiled before I said, “Look like they're worried about me, we’ll talk later.” Discord then chuckled before he said “Good luck.” I then opened my eyes before I saw Luna staring at me as she shouted “Craig! Craig! Is thou okay!” I then flinched backwards before I said “Please Luna, can you not shout, I just spaced out that’s all.” She then backed away from me slightly before she said “We are sorry, but at least thou is okay.” “Well, it would make sense for his mind to feel all over the place. After all he has done so much for us in such a short space of time,” Celestia admitted. I then bowed to the Princesses before I said “it was an honour to do that for you and your pe... ponies. Besides, if someone needs help I will make it my job to try and help them.” “As is a noble mission for a new father to protect those thou cares for?” Luna announced. “Wait how do you know about me adopting Scootaloo?” I asked in surprise. “A ponies dream can tell us a lot of things about current events,” Luna explained. “So she was dreaming about me?” I checked in surprise. “Well that and thou saving her from Discord then defeating him alone” “So you know about that,” I said as I looked to the ground. Celestia then said “we know that you have show kindness to a creature that almost took your life. I also know he is here right now so maybe you should tell Discord to show himself.” I then gulped before I said “Discord she knows you're here. You might as well come out.” “Oh I was enjoying playing minesweeper in there,” Discord groaned. I then stopped at what I heard him say before I asked him “Wait I have games in there?” “Yeah. Minesweeper, Snake, Hill Climb Racing and Jetpack Joyride,” he clarified. “Oh god don't download anything else you might just cause me to buffer.” which caused both me and Discord just laugh as everyone else just stared at us in confusion I then smiled at them before I said “inside joke. You'd only understand it if you've seen how a computer works on the internet back home. “Craig, why did you choose not to reseal Discord and let him remain free instead?” Celestia asked. “I spared him because of something I felt. I felt like he was terrified of something or someone, he told me that he was threatened whilst he was in stone, and that someone was going to destroy him, I refuse to let him die and I won't break a promise.” Celestia then smiled before she said “that's a very noble thing for you to do Craig. But I have a feeling there's something else you're not telling us.” I then rubbed the back of my head before I said “Well from what Discord told me, I believe that I am what is referred to as Displaced. In layman's terms, it means that I have come from a different reality, not a different planet like I originally thought.” Twilight then asked me “Wait so you're saying the multiverse theory is true and that It's possible for us to travel between different realities.” as she pulled out a notepad from somewhere. “Well, not alone it's not. Not many people know how it actually works apart from someone called The Merchant. There are literally thousands of other realities each with a small difference in them although I can’t tell what it is here.” “What sort of difference do you mean?” Twilight asked. “Well, I can tell you more when I actually get to see what it’s like first hand.” “Is there a way for you to travel between these worlds?” “Yes there is, but only between different displaces realities. We can use an object called a token, it's an object that represents a different Displaced.” Rainbow Dash then asks “Do you have one of these token things?” “No I don't, I need to make one, but first I need an object that says what I am.” I then looked at my guitar before turning it back into a sword before I asked Celestia, “may I make a copy of the sword you gave me to use as my token, it does show who I am after all.” Celestia smiled before she said, “You may.” “Thank you” I then drew my sword from its sheath, held it facing away from everyone in my right hand while loosely holding my left closed and then closed my eyes. I then carefully slowed my breathing before I felt what seemed to be a small object appear in my other hand. I then opened my eyes before opening my left hand to see a small replica of my sword in it that almost looked like a small amulet that could fit on a chain. I then sheathed my sword before I turned back to everyone and said “this is the token that will be seen by other displaced. All that I need to do is record a message that any Displaced will hear.” I then sighed before I told everyone “I have no idea what to say, though.” Luna then said, “Maybe thou should just say who thou is and what thou believes in?” “I think you're on to something there Luna give me a second,” I then closed my eyes once again before the amulet of my sword began to glow. I then said “Hi my name is Craig. If ever you are in danger, are scared, frightened or even just need an ally to stand by your side in your darkest hour. Call on me and I will come and do everything in my power to aid you.” I then open my eyes again before glow ceased before I said “the message is now transcribed in the token ready to be sent off.” I then heard Twilight say “Do other displaced have tokens similar to yours?” “Well yes but I have no idea what they look like until I get summoned or I find someone else's and summon them to me.” I then stop as I realised it would be easier to keep a previously transcribed copy of my token on me to copy when I met someone who didn’t have my token. I then muttered “I just thought I'm going to need more than one of these things” I then closed my eyes once again holding the amulet in my right hand another replica appear in my left hand. I then put one of the tokens into my pocket and then moved my hand with the other token in it in a downwards slashing motion before a small black rift in the space in front of me was visible. I then slowly placed my hand inside and let go of the token as it floated away from my hand as I pulled it back. I then removed my hand from rift before it began to reseal leaving no clue it was ever there. I then heard Twilight stutter “what was that?” “It's called the void, It's a space between realities. Displaced use this space to travel between realities we also use it to send our tokens between the different realities.” “So this void, is it dangerous?” Asked Twilight “Well, I don’t know anything about the Void apart from what I already said... I’m sorry Twilight.” “Don’t worry about it, I can’t expect you to know about something like that,” Twilight admitted. “Well now that’s sorted I suspect we should expect to see more of your kind in Equestria?” asked Celestia. “Yes, but I can't promise they'll all have good intentions. Some of them may want to cause trouble. We will need to be ready for when that happens.” “So there will be people like you appearing all over Equestria?” asked Twilight. I then shook my head and said “not all over Equestria. They will most likely appear nearby if they use my token. If they ever are a threat I will be able to stop them and if they aren't bad, I will be nearby to help them. They shouldn't cause any damage that can't be fixed. At least I hope that's the case.” “You seem sure you can handle them,” Celesta replied. “To be honest from what I remember there are few displaced who would want to cause harm to anyone.” To this Celestia said “Well Craig I trust you. I will also leave Discord to you, on your head be it. I just want to know where you will staying whilst you are in Equestria?” “I have a place organised thanks to the Mayor in Ponyville. She has offered me a place to stay at on the concept that I perform some music in town on some occasions.” “Well, when one of those shows come up ask Twilight to send me a letter I believe both me and my sister would like to see you perform,” Celestia said calmly. I then once again bowed to her and said “I would love to perform to royalty. I'll make sure that I get Twilight to send you a letter near any performance I get.” “We would be grateful to hear thou's music again,” admitted Luna. “Would you like a performance now?” I asked calmly “Thou would do that?” She asked in surprise. “Yeah why not. I've got time” I then brought my guitar that was resting against my back to my front before I began to check each of the strings and then began to play Boyce Avenue's cover of Coldplay's Viva La Vida. I used to rule the world, seas would rise when I gave the word. Now in the morning I sleep alone, sweep the streets I used to own. I used to roll the dice, feel the fear in my enemy's eyes. Listen as the crowd would sing, "now the old king is dead! Long live the king!" One minute I held the key, next the walls, were closed on me, and I discovered that my castles stand, upon pillars of salt and pillars of sand. I hear Jerusalem bells are ringing, Roman Cavalry choirs are singing, be my mirror my sword and shield, my missionaries in a foreign field, for some reason I can't explain, once you'd gone there was never, never an honest word, that was when I ruled the world. It was the wicked and wild wind, blew down the doors to let me in. Shattered windows and the sound of drums, people couldn't believe what I'd become. Revolutionaries wait, for my head on a silver plate. Just a puppet on a lonely string, oh who would ever want to be king? I hear Jerusalem bells are ringing, Roman Cavalry choirs are singing, be my mirror my sword and shield, my missionaries in a foreign field, for some reason I can't explain, I know St. Peter won't call my name, never an honest word, and that was when I ruled the world. Hear Jerusalem bells are ringing, Roman Cavalry choirs are singing, be my mirror my sword and shield, my missionaries in a foreign field, for some reason I can't explain, I know St. Peter won't call my name, never an honest word, but that was when I ruled the world. Once I finished the song I heard Luna announce “Thou has improved since we met you in thou's dream yesterday” “I need to be good, and I guess I have had a little practice. Heck, I even have a group of amazing friends and an amazing band member.” I then smiled at Pinkie as she said “yeperoonie we’ll make a fantastic team.” “Well we look forward to seeing what you two can do together,” announced Celestia. “Thank you,” both my myself and Pinkie replied. Celestia then said “and to thank you for what you have done for our people, we would like to give you all a room in the castle for the night.” She then turned to Shining Armour before she said “Shining Armour would you mind showing them to their rooms.” He then bowed to her and said “It would be a pleasure” He then looked at all of us before he made his way towards the door. “Thank you,” We all said to the Princesses before we followed Shining Armour out of the room. One by one we each were shown to our rooms until only me, Discord and Shining Armour were left. Once we reached a room further down the hall Shining Armour said to me “you know you are truly and amazing creature. Not only have you quickly learnt to control your new powers but you were able to use them under pressure. You would make a good soldier.” “Like you will make an amazing husband.” I pointed out. He then just stopped before he asked me “How do you know about me being engaged?” “Hello from another reality I know about Princess Mi Amore Cadenza and the fact that you are getting engaged to her… it also helps you screamed her name before you kissed Luna earlier.” “Okay well two things one, never mention that to anyone and two after what you did today you're more than an ally. I'd be inclined to call you a friend.” “Well if I was honest with you I saw you as that from the beginning.” To this he just smiled before he said “Anyway I would like to give you this.” he then handed me a scroll and then continued to say “I heard the mayor say about you needing documentation to prove who you are. I went ahead and had Spike send Celestia a letter in advance so she could get something for you. This is basically a document to say that you are part of the guard… the only problem is I didn’t know your full name, so Luna filled it out for me.” I then opened the scroll to see what they had used for my name before I stopped as I saw the name ‘Craig Jordan Rhodes’ clearly near the bottom of the Scroll. I then look back to Shining Armour as I rolled the scroll back up and said “How did she know my full name? I haven't told anyone that.” “Well who knows, she seemed sure when she handed me that scroll.” I then smiled before I said, “Thank you, you didn’t need to this for me.” “Well, what are friends for” Shining Armour then continued to say “I would also like it if you attended the wedding when it comes around.” I then stopped before I asked him “You'd really want a strange creature like me at a wedding?” “Well yes, it is a royal wedding and I would like to have somepony or as you keep saying someone around who I know is prepared for what's coming.” “So it has nothing to do the fact that you want a performer to help entertain everyone?” He then began to rub his mane before continued to say “That may amount to a bit of it.” “Well, you can have me free of charge.” I chuckled before I said, “I would never ask a friend to pay for me to perform. Although I would hire more than me... maybe get that DJ... what was her stage name... DJpon3?” I suggested. “Thank you. You don't know how much easier it is now I have a little less to worry about if we can't get some more entertainment, it helps you've recommened someone else aswell.” I then stopped as I thought yeah you just need to worry about the Changeling’s and Queen Chrysalis attacking Canterlot. I then told him “anyhow I would like to get to my room and finally get some sleep that's not been forced due to injury.” He then just smiled and said, “Yeah you've earned that much after the day you’ve had.” With that, we both said bye to each other before I entered my room for the night. I then heard Discord say “Well it looks like your life is getting better. Not only is everything ready for you to adopt Scootaloo but we are going to a royal wedding.” “Well buddy I suppose you're right but I was wondering who we will be visiting or be visited by first. I wasn't joking when I said there are thousands of different realities.” “Well wherever we go, we go as a team.” “Wouldn't want it any other way,” with that I took my guitar from my side before placing it on the floor next to me. I then slowly began to lay down on the bed to find that the armour did not disappear as I lay down and thought well… looks like it’s going to be hard for me to get a comfortable night's sleep as I began to attempt to drift off into a natural sleep for the first time in two days. Author's Note And now Craig's token is back out again, however, he is still gonna be unavailable for crossovers for a while, I am also sorry for the high amount of musical content in this chapter. If you saw any problems or want to ask about anything to do with the chapter please don't hesitate to ask in the comments. Thank you The Dark Brony Chapter 11 - Meeting a ShadowAuthor's Note This is a rewrite of Crossover I did with kingrulerworld's story The Price Of Power. I enjoyed the Crossover the first time and I enjoyed seeing it again now, You can expect more to come in the future as we get closer to getting back to the where the old story was before the restart. Hope to hear from you The Dark Brony Chapter 11 - Meeting a Shadow -Craig POV- Once I arrived at the train station I looked down the tracks and see that there is no train is in view. I just sighed as I thought My life has changed so drastically in so little time. This time, three days ago I was sitting down in my room about to give up on life and now I'm standing in a world I could only dream existed. “Craig do you know what was going to happen if you hadn't come to this world?” asked Discord from inside my mind. “Probably the same as in the show I’d guess.” “No there was one difference to the show. My reasons for doing this.” “You did it to save yourself so what?” “In the show, I wasn't living in fear of being killed. That difference would have caused me to seek help but they wanted me to cause someone to lose hope. So I tortured a being that had little to lose and a lot to gain. I never assumed you’d even find a way to get here, which was when I saw you knew had to keep the ruse going… but I didn’t want to keep it going until I saw…” He then went quiet. “Let me guess the person who threatened you?” I checked to which he just muttered “Yes...” I then just smiled before I said “Discord… I'm here to help you, you know that.” “Yeah I know… Craig was you aware of your eyes when you were fighting me?” “Well no, why you ask?” I asked him as I looked towards the timetable to see that the next train was supposed to arrive in one minute before I thought At least things can't get any stranger. “Well, it’s becau…” Discord said before I heard him scream causing me to say “what the...” however before I could finish my sentence I felt a jolt of pain shoot through me as I fell onto my knees and put both my hands against the sides of my head. I then managed to look up to see the train coming into the station. The train then stopped before everyone stepped out onto the platform, However as Twilight looked around the platform she saw me with shock plastered over her face before she began to run towards me and shouted “Craig what's wrong!?” however before I could answer her a portal appeared below me which I fell into and closed behind me before Twilight could reach me. -Unknown POV- I woke up on the train next to Starlight. She was still sleeping so I got up and looked around. The train car had a desk, two beds, and a table. Probably shouldn’t have slept with Starlight. Oh well, she’ll never know. I sat down at the desk and opened my book. I started making some of the scrolls I’d need when a sword dropped on my desk. It looked like the sword from the Legend of Zelda. Weird. It had Celestia’s cutie mark on one side and Luna’s on the other. Very weird. I picked it up and a voice shouted in my head.Hi my name is Craig. If ever you are in danger, are scared, frightened or even just need an ally to stand by your side in your darkest hour. Call on me and I will come and do everything in my power to aid you. I reflexively sent chakra through it and felt a strange wave of energy pass through me. After a moment of hoping I didn’t do anything world-breaking, I put the sword down and sensed the train. At the back, there was a new power. It was comparable to my own but it felt different from anything I’d felt before. It was possibly very dangerous. I’d wait to see what it did before I did anything else. -Craig’s POV- Once the light faded I shook my head before I saw that I was no longer at the train station but was instead on a train. I then blinked, before I said “Discord you there?” “Yes. Any idea where we are?” “On a train. I wonder if I just got displaced?” “Any skills from games you could use to find out?” I then scratched my head and said “there was sensing power levels? I could give that a try. If there anyone one with a larger power level I should be able to pick them up from the crowd.” “Might as well give it a shot,” replied Discord. “It's the best chance we have of getting answers, I guess” I admitted before I closed my eyes and instantly get hit by a wave of energy and grab my head again however I manage to regain composure and focus once again. Seconds later I tried again and managed sense a stronger power further up the train and tell Discord “found someone with a high power level. Could be our guy?” “Let's go and find out.” “Yeah” I agreed before I opened the door between the carriage and walk towards where the energy was coming from. As I continued to walk through the train I could sense his energy getting stronger and stronger. No not energy... Chakra. “Discord you felt that too right. it’s the same type of energy as when I cloned myself against you. This guy must have been cosplaying as someone from Naruto.” He then asked, “Naruto wasn’t that another anime?” “Yeah. I just hope it’s not Pain or Orochimaru. neither of them are good news,” I then stopped and said “to be fair it could be bad if it’s Naruto or Sasuke they're both dangerous. I just hope that this guy's in control of himself.” I then continued to walk through the train and eventually some of the ponies on the train saw me and instantly hid from me, leaving me to think what has this guy done to scare them this much? Seconds later I felt a nearby power level skyrocket as I approach a door to the left of me. I then carefully reach towards it before slowly opening it to see someone who looked like Sasuke Uchiha sitting next to sleeping unicorn as I think what the hell is going on? -Unknown POV- “Well now. That’s not something you see everyday,” I said. Standing in front of me was another human. It was the power I was sensing earlier. I must have summoned him with the sword. “Who are you?” I asked as I eyed him suspiciously. “Names Craig and from that getup I guess you are Sasuke?” “Second question: why couldn’t you have been a beautiful woman?” I then turned my head to see Discord standing next to me as he says “Strange the aura around you is similar to that around you Craig,” he then clicks his fingers and Craig’s body changes into that of a woman's. “I can work with this,” I said wondering how Discord escaped again. “How is it you’re here? Both of you. And why don’t you recognise me, Discord?” To this Discord said “We are not of this world. Your world's version of me is probably still in stone whilst in our world Craig here defeated me single-handedly and the elements weren’t used on me.” Craig then said, “I suppose you found my token and then summoned me here.” He then turned to Discord and said “okay the jokes over Discord turn me back to normal.” “Wait, before you do that,” I said. “Want to do it? I haven’t seen a woman since I first arrived in Equestria like over a thousand years ago. I’m starting to feel things for horses. Unnatural things.” Craig then just chuckled before he asked me “One what the hell is wrong with you and two that explains the Unicorn there. What is she your marefriend?” “What? NO!” I yelled. “She’s just an employee. Besides, I’m married.” My outburst woke up Starlight. She shook the sleep out of her eyes and sat up. “Why are there two of you?” she asked groggily. “Take a closer look, Starlight,” I said. “This guy is different.” “Oh Faust, not another one,” she whimpered. “God am I really that bad? What has he done to make you think I'm evil?” asked Craig in confusion. “I didn’t do anything,” I said. “Ponies are just super sensitive.” “DIDN”T DO ANYTHING!?!” Starlight screamed. “There was a special newspaper release last night! You put Princess Celestia in the hospital! An ALICORN! YOU PUT AN ALICORN IN THE HOSPITAL! And then you let an Ursa major loose in Canterlot!” I smiled, “I really think I deserve a medal or something. Do you know how hard it is to give an alicorn lasting injuries?” Craig then looked at me before his eyes turned blood red and he punched me straight between the eyes and said “What the fuck is your major malfunction. Do you realise how many people you could have killed? Were you born stupid or something because that is just pure stupidity!” I rubbed my face in pain, “Ow, you dick. Everything was calculated. There were no ponies on the street during one of the busiest times of the day. I couldn’t sense anything from the houses either. Clearly they had all been moved someplace safe. The only casualties would have been the guards and they signed up for that kind of thing. Plus Celestia can raise the sun in her sleep. I know, I’ve seen her do it before.” “That’s not the point. The point is that in my world I have protected the innocent and you have soiled that very claim in this world. The only way this could be even stranger is if you were married to Luna for god’s sake” “Yeah, so about that…” I started. “You’re married to Princess Luna?” Starlight screamed. “Yes?” I responded. Craig’s eyes then went wide as he said to Discord “Turn me back to normal now.” with that he quickly turned back into a man and then asked me “You were going to start a relationship with me and you're married to royalty. Were you dropped on your head when you were born?” We then all turned our heads towards Discord as we heard him laughing and he said “oh Celestia this is just priceless you're saying that you are married to Luna and you wanted to do another guy from another reality. You are crazy you know that and I should know I am the god of chaos.” “My marriage with Luna was an accident. Although I am still technically king of Equestria. When I was imprisoned they forgot to strip my title. We were on a mission, there were some dragons, it’s a long story. And who said anything about a relationship? Relations. Not relationship.” “You’re disgusting,” Starlight said. “Aww, don’t be like that,” I pleaded. Craig then said “That is just strange. but I'm not one to judge people on one action they make. why do you think I forgave Discord for trying to kill me, and making my life back home a living hell. besides I may be loyal to Celestia, however, I am also a free man in Equestria. Oh, and by the way sorry for punching you, I have a bit of a short fuse.” “It’s fine,” I said, “I would probably get punched in the face more if ponies were as aggressive as humans. But don’t forget, I’ll tag you back eventually. So I’m curious. You already know my powers; what are yours?” To this Craig just smiled and said “my powers are quite strange I can manipulate any power from any game I have played. For example, I am able to use thu'um from Skyrim and I have also managed to perform a shadow clone Jutsu. But you already know a lot about how chakra works I imagine.” “Interesting,” I said, “So you played Skyrim? Does that mean you can use God Mode?” He then scratched his head and said “To be honest I've never heard of that. But it is likely that I could if I knew how it worked.” I activated my Sharingan and placed Craig under my genjutsu. I showed him how to use the console commands and the effects of God Mode. “You’ll get unlimited health, Magicka, and stamina,” I told him as I released him. “You’ll also eliminate the need for cooldowns and be able to cast any spell even ones you don’t normally have the capacity to use. Wanna see if you can do it?” He then looked at me and asked me curiously “sure it’s safe to try whilst we are on the train. wouldn’t it be better to try when we are outside?” “That is an excellent point,” I said grabbing his shoulder. “We won’t be gone long Starlight.” -Badlands- I teleported us to an open field in the Badlands. I had a fought there a long time ago and some of my shurikens remained. “Go for it,” I said. He then closed his eyes and then said “here goes nothing” second later his body began to glow. hH then open his eyes and said “this feels strange.” he then quickly turned around and asked me “wait do you feel that?” “Yup. You feel like a bottomless well of power.” “Yeah but that's not what I mean. it feels like we're being watched” he then turned his body around and brought his hands to his side and then shouted “Kamehameha!” second later I see a crevice filled with changelings staring at us he then said, “I knew something didn’t feel right.” “Haven’t seen changelings in a while,” I said. “Want to test out your new powers on them?” “Nah they’re not worth the energy it would cost to do so” “You’re no fun,” I activated my mangekyou sharingan and surrounded the changelings with black flames. “Tell your queen, Sasuke’s back,” I instructed them. I quelled the flames and they flew away. “So how will you test out your powers?” “I can see one person who would be a great sparring partner.” “Well then,” I said drawing my sword, “Let’s do this.” -Craig POV- With that, I grabbed hold of my guitar and turn it back into my sword and then quickly unsheathed it and said “Ready when you are” I then bow to him and hold my sword ready to defend myself. He runs at me and slashes. I defend and we start sword fighting. He’s quick and his sharingan gives him a slight advantage. I then smile and say “Nice try maybe it’s time for a bit of fun” I then quickly perform a Shadow Clone Jutsu and say “you ready for some fun” I then shout “Mul Qah” and each of the clones begin to charge towards him. I then jump off the ground and just float there and watch as he tries to fight each of the clones. He forms his own clones and one of them starts breathing fireballs while another blows wind from either side. When the two attacks collide, they turn into fire tornadoes that come after myself and my clones. To this, I just smiled and then placed two fingers on my forehead and teleport into the centre of the tornado and hold my sword up and walk inside the tornado and wait to see what he would do next. All of a sudden giant timberwolves run through the fire and attack me. To this, I just smiled and said “not bad Sasuke.Shame these aren’t real or I might have actually been worried” I then placed my hand on the back of my sword on top of Celestia's Cutie Mark and the Timberwolves begin to fade away I then shouted “FiemZiiGron!” and I completely disappeared and the Tornado stopped motionless. I then saw Sasuke standing outside of the where the tornado stops and he looked straight at me. “You can’t hide from the sharingan,” he said with a smile. “Now let’s see how strong you really are.” He forms Susanoo’s bones and fires a giant purple arrow covered in a black fire at me. I then just smiled and stood there and the arrow hits me with a direct blow. however once the flames scatter over the battlefield I simply said “Well that was ineffective what else you got or do you want me to start trying?” “No,” he says. “This was a pretty good test. Taking one of Susanoo’s arrows to the face is a pretty good indicator. Wouldn’t you say? What I really wonder is what happens to your body once you turn God Mode off.” I then laughed and said, “Wait you thought I had it on I turned it off after the changelings arrived I haven’t been using God Mode at all during this fight.” He looked confused, “Then what was the point of this fight?” “To prove to you that you're not as powerful as you made out. Now do you want me to fight properly?” “Not particularly. I am on the run after all. Spending too much time in one place and fighting with you is a huge ‘Here I am’. Besides,” he grinned. “You helped me lead them in the wrong direction.” “By them, I guess you mean the royal guard, and don’t worry I don’t think they’ll get here for a while.” “Next time, eager beaver. I promise I’ll beat you senseless, how’s that?” he said as he grabbed my shoulder. We teleported back to the train. -Sasuke POV- Once Craig and I were back on the train I saw Starlight talking with Discord. Starlight’s hair was a mess and she seemed very agitated. Her ear and eye were twitching. “What’s wrong with you?” I asked her. “Oh nothing,” she said sarcastically, “just talking about how you humans are chaotic and violent species with a god of chaos from another world. I think I need to lie down.” Craig then looked at Discord and asked him “what did you do?” To this Discord replied “I didn’t do anything. Why so offensive?” “I’m going to have to ask that you do not traumatise my employees,” I said. I walked over to Starlight. “Speaking of speaking, Starlight stick out your tongue.” “Why,” she asked while complying. I pointed two fingers at her tongue. Cursed Tongue Eradication Technique. A black mark showed up at the back of her tongue. “Now if you try to reveal any information about myself or my new associate here, your body will be paralysed,” I said. I turned to Craig, “Got to cover our bases. You should use that one sometime. Helps protect captured allies.” Craig then said, “I honestly don’t think that my friends would be like that and besides I don’t even know if I would need to do that to anyone.” I then knelt down next to Starlight and say “are you OK. I’m sorry if Discord scared you at all.” “I’m fine,” she said. “It’s just a week ago, I never really left the lab and now… it’s just a lot to take in.” Craig then just smiled and said “To be honest at least you’ve had a week to get use to being around one human. I’ve only had three days to get used to the whole population of Ponyville and Celestia and Luna. It’s a lot different to home.” Starlight then smiled at Craig and closed her eyes, resting on the bed. “She’s a lot tougher than she looks,” I pointed out. “You're no weakling yourself,” Craig admitted. He then asked me “have you made yourself a token yet?” “A token?” I asked. “Is that what those weird things are? No, I haven’t made one.” “By weird things I take it you're referring to the blade that you found?” Craig checked. “Among other things,” I said. “By the way, I’m keeping the sword. Looks awesome. You can’t have it back.” To this Craig just smiled as he reached just under his top and pulls out a chain that has a copy of the blade attached to it. he then says “I don’t think that it is an issue. you can keep it.” “Great. Then I should give you this,” I summoned a small jade magatama necklace. I held it to my chest and whispered, “I am Sasuke Uchiha, Black Sun of Equestria, Two-Legged Pony, etcetera, etcetera. Should you need my assistance in any endeavour, just give me a call and I will appear.” The necklace multiplied as soon as I finished speaking and the copies disappeared. “That’s unusual,” I said as I handed Craig the original necklace. Craig then smiled back and said “Thank you. I'll be honest if you ever do need my help just ask and I will come and help you” He then turned to Discord and said “We better be heading off soon. Everyone's probably worried about us back home.” with that Discord disappeared from in front of me. Craig then proceeds to place my necklace around neck next to his own and placed them both back below his top. “It has been a pleasure,” I said. “We’ll have to do this again sometime.” To this Craig simply smiled and said “I look forward to it.” He then extended his hand out and we both shook each other's hand. He then reaches towards his amulet once again as it begins to glow and then a small gateway appears near the door and he walked towards it. Just before he walked through the portal he put one hand up and waved just before he stepped through the door and disappeared. -Craig’s POV- Second later I arrived back in my own reality before I stood up, rubbed my head and said, “did all that really just happen?” I then reach towards my chest and felt the necklace Sasuke gave me resting against my chest before I thought that did happen... I didn't imagine that. I then looked up to see that I was just outside Sweet Apple Acres before I smiled and began to walk up the road and towards the farm. Chapter 12 - Along Came A SpiderAs soon as I arrived at Sweet Apple Acres I looked around to find that it was quiet before I shut my eyes and felt around for any signs of life around me. I then felt a small group of ponies in the barn before I began to walk towards it. As I got closer I could hear the sound of familiar voices says “He just disappeared. He was right in front of me and he just disappeared.” I then heard another voice ask “Why would he just leave ya in the middle of the station?” “I'm sure he had his reasons, ” another voice said quietly. “What possible reason could he have for leaving Scootaloo?” I then stepped up to the door before knocking. Seconds later I heard the sound of someone walking up to the door and as it opened I saw everybody inside staring at me. I then put my hands up in the air before I said “Before you say anything I have a reason for disappearing.” I then heard Twilight say “Okay then let’s hear the reason. I would love to hear why you left us at the train station.” I then hear Applebloom say “And left Scootaloo at the school when ya said ya would pick her up” “Okay here is my reason. I got displaced in another reality.” “Wasn't that what you described to us yesterday?” asked Twilight. “Yeah , it was. Anyway, after I disappeared, I arrived on the Canterlot express in a different reality. Where I met a Displaced named Sasuke Uchiha and his 'employee' Starlight.” “You met two Displaced!” shouted Rainbow Dash. “No I only met one, Starlight is a Unicorn.” Rainbow Dash then asked me “So what does his token look like?” I then just smiled and reach for the necklace Sasuke gave me before I took it off my neck and showed it to the group. I then said “This is the token he gave me, if either of us ever needs help we will be able to call each other.” I then heard Fluttershy ask me “Was he nice?” To this, I shook my head before I said “definitely not. In his world, he had put the Celestia into the hospital, asked me to kill innocent creatures just to test my powers and then used a horrible spell to threaten Starlight.” I then heard everyone gasp before Twilight shouted “He injured Celestia!” “Yeah, he's that powerful. And I got to see his powers first hand and I doubt that was even using his full power, in fact, I could sense that he was holding back. If he ever came to this reality he could be a massive threat.” Twilight then asked me “What was the spell he put on Starlight?” “From what he said the spell will paralyse her if she tries to tell anybody about me or humans in general. From what I remember in the show, it was referred to as a curse mark.” “That is the worst possible thing, ” Rarity said before she fainted somehow landing on a couch. I then rolled my eyes and said “I have to agree with Rarity on this one, but I can promise you that I will never use that on anypony it's just wrong, it inhumane... or whatever way you say it.” “Wel, at least you know right from wrong. Unlike him,” Twilight announced. “Yeah, anyway Listen girls after the day I've had I think I want to just rest at home.” I then turned to Scootaloo and said “I think you might want to see our new home. But I recommend we wait for Rarity to wake up and head back with her and Sweetie Belle.” To this, both Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo looked at me in surprise before they asked me “Why?” I then smiled before I said, “Because we live just across the road from them.” Seconds later Rarity regained consciousness and Sweetie Belle shouted “Sis did you hear Craig and Scootaloo are moving in across the road from us!” To this, she smiled before saying to Sweetie Belle “Well that is good.” she then looked to me before she asked “Craig would you like to help me model some clothes for you when you get time?” “I'd normally say no to that. But I know you well enough to know if I don't you will begin to tell me that I must. So yes.” “Thank you, darling,” she replied with a smile. “However. If anything comes up you will stop and let me deal with it.” I added She then sighed before she said, “if I must.” I then smiled before I asked her “would you like to head home together, my lady.” “Always a gentlecolt,” Rarity replied. I then say to Scootaloo “Let’s head home” I then heard both her and Sweetie Belle say “See you later Applebloom.” I then looked to everyone else before I said “we'll see you all later.” before the four of us left the barn and began to walk home. Once we reached Carousel Boutique we all went our separate ways only saying bye to each other before entering our own homes. Once we got inside I turned to Scootaloo and said “here we are.” She then looked around the room before she said “I'm actually in my own home.” I then see a tear start to form in her eyes as she continues to say “It' been so long since I haven't slept in a box.” I then knelt down next to Scootaloo and hugged her then said “I will never make you do that again along as we live. That's a Pinkie Promise.” I then stood up then said, “I say we head up to bed we've got busy days tomorrow.” Scootaloo then looked at me and said “Yeah I guess we do.” I then smiled at her before I said “Want a lift upstairs?” “Yes,” she admitted almost looking away like she was embarrassed. I then knelt down and picked her up as she begins to rest her head against my arm. I then walked up the stairs past my room and open the next door down the corridor. However, when we entered the room I notice that it is completely empty. I then looked to Scootaloo before I said “I'm not having you sleep on the floor.” I then rubbed my head and then continued to say “Would you like to sleep in my room tonight?” She then looked at me and said “Are you joking? I would love to!” I then laughed and said, “sounds like you're asking me out on a date.” I then looked back at her and smiled before I said “let's head to my room.” Once we reached my room I walked up to my bed and placed Scootaloo down on it. I then placed my guitar next to the desk before I then walked back over to the bed and began to lay down next to her before I thought I never dreamt I would have a life like this. I then turned to Scootaloo and said “I wish you could have met my family.” To this, she looked at me and said “I bet I'll meet them someday.” I then smiled before I kissed her on her forehead and said “chances are you're right. We’ll just need to wait for that day to come.” With that, we both climbed into the bed, pulled the covers over us before we then began to fall asleep as she rests her head against my chest. Just before I fall asleep I whispered “Life couldn't be better” before I then drifted off to sleep. The next morning I slowly rose from my slumber to the feeling of Scootaloo sleeping quietly next to me. To this, I just smiled and slowly got out of my bed before I walked up to the windows and opened them as light flooded the room. I then heard Scootaloo say “Oh morning already? I guess my day starts faster than normal.” To this, I just laughed before I said “forget about me that quickly Scoots?” See then turned to me and said “Oh dad sorry I forgot that you adopted me” with that she climbed out the bed and said, “What have you got to do today?” I then just smiled and said “Well I’ve to find you a bed so you have somewhere to sleep. I can’t have you sleeping in my bed every night.” She then smiled back to me before she said “I guess you're right.” she then asked me “Do you mind if I use the shower first?” “Go ahead” I replied, “It’s not my place to say you can’t.” “Thanks” she replied before she walked out of the room before I hear the bathroom door shut. I then walked over to my desk and picked up my guitar and put the strap over my shoulder before seconds later a small portal appeared just above the desk as a mobile phone appeared on my desk. I then began to think what the hell is this? The phones voice mail said, "Hi listener I'm Jeffery the Spiderman. If you need a friend, some help in a fight, just someone to talk to, hell a person to relate to use on speed dial 1 and I might pick up...ok where is off button on this...ah there." “Oh, so a merchant tricked this guy as well.” I stopped as I thought I guess a lot of people have been going missing in America. I wonder how long he’s been trapped in Equestria? I then heard the bathroom door open and see a wet Scootaloo walk back into the room as she said “Ah best shower in a long time” she then turned to look at me before she asked me “hey what you found?” “Seems to be another token,” I responded. “Cool, can we. How did you phrase it, Summon him?” asked Scootaloo. "Yeah I don’t see why not, but I guess it may be better to get everypony together no doubt that Twilight will want to see how this works,” I replied. “Yeah, you're probably right about that.” “Okay then Scoots get dry and then could you get Rarity and Rainbow Dash and have them meet me possibly near Fluttershy’s, and if you could explain to them what's going on.” She then smiled before she replied to me by saying “Yeah no problem” before she grabbed her Scooter and rushed out of the door towards Carousel Boutique. Seconds later I picked my guitar up of the floor on put it over my shoulder supported by the strap and left the house locking the door behind me. -Unknown POV- As I ran from a rather angry Celestia I let Hybrid take control to keep us moving faster than my spider speed. As Hybrid ran with my body in control, he web slings through Everfree. While we were swinging through the trees, I let my mind wander to random thoughts and idle hopes that I don't have to deal with clone me and the universe getting confused when someone calls me and sends us both. Thus causing a major confusion for the other guy/girl/thing. Once hybrid got us the safest distance away from angry Celestia Fat-asseus Cake Addict, he swung us to our lab to rest and think, since Alduiin really did a number on the changelings and ruined most likely screwed over a chance peaceful relations with them. I also wondered who else has found my cell phone token and has yet to use it. I also realise I need to let Lee know how Hybrid is doing. During my mental musing, I feel my cell ring, this time before I answer I pick up my Iron spider suit. Which then reminds me I need to make some more suits to fight the powerhouses of my world; Tirek and Sombra. -Craig’s POV- Once we had gathered everyone in a field just outside the Everfree forest I turned and looked at everybody and said “Okay this may seem different but I’m going to call this Jeffery to us. I have no idea what he is like and if he is dangerous.” I then grabbed hold of my guitar and turn it into my sword then said “You can never be too careful. Please stand back” I then see everyone nod and take a few steps back before I pressed one on the phone's speed dial to call Spiderman. Seconds later a man dressed in a black spiderman suit with a red a gold backpack on appears in front of us and then said “Hello you called on your friendly neighbourhood Displaced Spiderman." I then looked at him and said “pleasure to meet you must be Jeffery, names Craig pleasure to meet you,” I then put my hand out to him and we shook each other's hands. Seconds later I heard Rainbow Dash say “Who the costumed guy?" "I am the Spiderman, Ironspider, and Hybrid." Said Jeffery. I then looked at him warily before I said “Hybrid oh shit. Please say you can control him?” "So you're familiar with the Hybrid Klyntar, good and yes he is tame enough, much like Toxin and his first owner had a deal going." Said Jeffery then asked, "What are you and how did the Merchant trick you? And Rainbow Dash, you seem to be a consistent egomaniac...sweet" To this, I smiled and said “well first I only know of Hybrid from a game back home and maybe a comic or two. Second I don’t know of any Merchant I don’t actually know how I got here. Third I am not based off anyone and I don’t completely understand the origin of my powers, but from what I can understand I easily can manipulate any power from any game I played back home.” "Wow was the game you played for Hybrid info, Marvel Avenger Alliance on facebook. That is a cool power set you have." Said Jeffery. “Yes, and yes, I guess my powers are pretty cool, especially the fact that I can do this” I admitted as I began to hover above the ground. "Well, I must ask what brings you to calling me?" Asked Jeffery. “I’ll be honest it was just curiosity. No other reason for it although I guess that I wanted my friends to know displaced exist and I didn’t make it up,” I admitted. "Well that is cool, well I figure as long as I'm here maybe we can have some fun," Jeffery said. I then looked at him, as I slowly descend back onto the ground then asked him “what do you have in mind?” "I think maybe we both play a prank on Celestia, also do you have a token I can have to summon you some other time?" Asked Jeffery. I then smiled and said “Yeah I have a token” I then grabbed my necklace from below my top and reach for the token attached to it. I then closed my eyes as a replica of the blade appears in my other hand. I then looked back at Jeffery then said “here you go” as I passed him the token, which he promptly put in his belt. I then looked at him and said “I don’t think we should mess with Celestia. Don’t really want to get on her bad side after four days in Equestria.” "You have been here only four days I have been in mine for about 1000 or so years." Said Jeffery. “Yeah and I don’t think anypony here in Equestria would take that kindly.” I then smiled and said, “But maybe Pinkie and Rainbow could be good candidates for a prank?” "Yes, they are good targets, should I use my iron spider suit or Hybrid, or stay as black suit spiderman?" Jeffery asked “Probably for everyone’s safety stay as you are except for rainbow use your iron spidersuit to get her.” We then heard both Pinkie and Rainbow Dash shout “Not cool Craig!” I then smiled and said “Not like you weren’t thinking of pranking me.” Jeffery said, "Or me," before he chuckled. I then smiled and said “How about to liven it up we have a challenge, Displaced VS ponies? Whichever group pulls off the best prank wins,” I then looked at everyone and asked them “that okay with you lot?” "I am game, " said Jeffery then Hybrid took over and said, "We are too." I then heard Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie say “Do we get a head start you do have superpowers after all.” I then looked at Jeffery/Hybrid and asked him “what do you think?” "We don't see why not." Said Hybrid I then smiled and said, “Okay girls we’ll give you a head start.” With that, they all made a run for it as I heard Rainbow Dash shout “we will get you!” Jeffery then whispered, "You know my spider sense will keep them from pranking us." I then smiled and whispered back “yeah and anyway I have a trick up my sleeve as well.” "What kinda of trick is it a way to get around the pinkie sense?" Asked Jeffery. I then smiled and simply replied, “All it takes is a bit of chaos.” "Discord?" Asked Jeffery Seconds later Discord appeared behind him and said “you know it.” I then smiled before I said, “the only creature Pinkie can’t predict.” "Deadpool?" Jeffery asked. I then chuckled before I replied, “I’ll give you that but I meant Discord.” "Ok, well at least that's cool," said Jeffery. I then smiled and asked him “okay then how do you think we should prank them?” "By first tricking them into thinking we didn't do anything and managed to prank all their friends and after they are so paranoid from this they don't sleep. Then the next day when they pass out from sleep needin' we then laugh since they pranked themselves," Said Jeffery. I then heard Discord say “that really won’t work Pinkie won’t sleep when she’s focused on something.” "Everyone need sleep eventually, so they will pass out if they don't or better yet we could just prank Celestia and frame Pinkie and Dash." Said Jeffery I then shook my head and said “I’m not framing my friends.” Seconds later we heard a voice behind us say “You think I’d let you prank Rainbow Dash by yourself?” We both then turned around and see Scootaloo standing there with a smile as I said smugly “Defecting to the dark side are we?” She then smiles and says “yeah and besides they won’t expect me to be working with you." Jeffery said, "they will not." “I guess you're right” I admitted before I continued to say “okay then I think that's enough a head start for Dash and Pinkie. let's get started.” I then look at Discord and told him “You take Pinkie, Jeffery Scootaloo we’ll take Rainbow” Seconds later Discord nodded at me then disappeared. Seconds later I asked, “either of you got an idea on how to get Rainbow?” To this Scootaloo just looked at me then replied “No idea.” “You got any?” I asked Jeffery before I added, I'm“Any that don’t include Celestia or destroying the town." "I do, you familiar with Cupcakes story?" Asked Jeffery. “Yes I'm familiar with that grimdark Fanfiction,” I admitted before continuing to say “but let's not talk about that here.” I then realised what he is implying and shouted “No we are not doing that to her. We would essentially ruin her life!” I then stopped as I realised “Hybrid’s talking isn’t he.” "No, that as me. I can be a bit of a sick person." Said Jeffery then Hybrid then took over and said, "Well we could since Dash know almost every prank in the book. Try something random, like... maybe have her house filled with a huge timed explosion that will cover her and her house in whipped cream and honey. then leave clues that make it look like Pinkie Pie did it then have those two go at it, while we rig some of their war pranks blow up in their face." I then said "okay and how would we set everything up in case you don't know I can’t walk on clouds.” Jeffery said after hybrid retreated, "Do you have a cloner machine since well I don't know the limits of your abilities, or maybe you could ask Twilight to help you. After, that we start up the prank." Seconds later Scootaloo says “Or I could just set it up?” I then sighed and said, “Yeah but you can’t climb up to her cloudhouse.” "Well I could fly her up there," Said Jeffery. I then asked, “You up for that Scoots?” “Oh definitely. When can we start?” "Let's get the stuff we need first, also who should get the incriminating evidence to frame Pinkie?" Asked Jeffery. “And what would you recommend. It’s not like we have a party cannon we can set everything in,” I pointed out. "Okay, well I'll be back once we get the gear," replied Jeffery as he walked to a party store. I then shouted back to him “Okay then see you later!” -Jeffery’s POV- I started to make my way to the party store. As I walked there I smiled since I had money on my person. Once I got there I entered the store, but as soon as I was inside I stopped dead as I saw Pinkie Pie taking all the prank gear. Seeing this I took a chance and take some of her hair to use as incriminating evidence. I then stored it away before I said to Pinkie, "Hey Pinkie, I have an idea for you." Pinkie then stared at me before she asked me “and what idea’s that Jeffo?” "Why don't you have me help prank my team, in exchange you keep me out of pranks. Who else would expect a double cross?" I replied. “Hasn’t Scootaloo already sided with you?” "Yes, but since due to that, I figured why not have a double agent. So what do you say?" I replied. “I don’t see why it’s a bad idea. it’s not like you just took a bit of my hair.” "I must ask Pinkie do you break the fourth wall?" I asked curiously. "Oh, you mean when I talk to people nopony else can see? Yeah, all the time." "Yes, well it's interesting to peer into the multiverse, isn't it? Well let's get working," I replied smiling. “Yeah. Do you have a plan to deal with Dashie?” she asked. "Why do you ask?" I asked her. “Oh, I just heard you and Craig talking about using me to start a prank war between me and Dashie and frame me for a prank at her home. Was that your plan?” "Well, I thought, maybe rig a timed trap that when Dashie is asleep it goes off and completely covers her and her house in either whipped cream or frosting," I answered. “Oh that's why you got a lock of my hair, you were going to use it to say that I was there. You know you could that by ripping the corner of a Wonderbolt poster in her room for the same effect right?” "Really, she is that easy?" I questioned. “Yeah, she idolises the Wonderbolts. Damage a poster and she would be mad." "Oh, want to help me do this?" I asked smiling. “Yeah It would be fun to trick Dashie and that way I get to work out what Craig will want at his Welcome to Ponyville Party." "Cool, do you think that I should do the ripped poster or the frosting prank," I inquired. “Why not both?” she asked. "Great idea" I replied smiling then I asked, "Do you know know where I can get the whipped cream to do this prank?" Chapter 13 - Let the Prank's Commense-Craig’s POV- As I and Scootaloo walked up the street we felt the strange feeling of unease as we imagined one of our friends planning to jump out of nowhere and get us earlier rather than later. later I turn around before I asked Scootaloo “Does something feel strange to you or is it just me?” Scootaloo looked at me with a raised eyebrow “Yeah like someponies watching us.” “I wonder” I replied looking around, I then closed my eyes and checked for nearby life around us. Seconds later I felt Twilight standing in a nearby alleyway behind us before I opened my eyes and sighed, tilting my head to the ground in disappointment before I shouted “I can see you Twilight come out!” From behind the corner of the stone wall, Twilight revealed herself, walking out from behind the Alleyway “Hello again, Craig” she said, grinning in an evil way. “Was there something you wanted to ask me?” She smiles as she pulls out a small chalkboard “Prepare to be pranked, what is 658 x 823 x 45?” I stared at her in disbelief, for once I thought Twilight had lost it “That’s the best you got Twilight?” I looked at Scootaloo and see her mouth touching the ground “Have you ever pulled a prank in your life!?” “A math problem is not a prank, Twilight,” I added. “It is if it’s a hard one!” Twilight said shaking her hoof at me. I shook my head in disappointment “No, the mare-do-well fiasco was a better prank than this... that was a prank. This is just a poor excuse of a badly thought up plan.” She then rubbed the back of her head with her hoof and nervously laughed “Yeah I guess it is, back to the drawing board I guess.” “Or you could help us prank everyone else?” Scootaloo grinned. “You heard Craig Scootaloo, I’m no good at pranking, what use would I be to,the one of, ” Twilight said, lowering her head. She looked up at me then Scootaloo and said “But what about the whole ponies versus displaced thing. If I join you it would no longer be us versus you and Jeffery.” “Scootaloo turned to the dark side. why not you too?” I admitted whilst grinned evilly. “Come on Twilight!” Scootaloo tried to say in a deep voice, but failed due to her small vocal cords that were held in her throat “Join the dark side, we have cookies~” Scootaloo then magically rose a cookie into her field of vision with her hoof. She bit into it, small brown crumbs covered her mouth as she chewed very slowly. Twilight laughed, tears of joy fell from her purple eyes, she brought her hoof close to her eye and wiped the tears away with one swipe. “Twilight one of the strongest unicorns in Equestria. If you work with us I don’t think Rainbow would stand much of a chance” I said, as I crossed my arms close to my chest. Twilight thought for a moment, though I did have my doubts about her agreeing to join us “Make them daisy flavour and we have a deal” “Deal!” both me and Scootaloo say in unison before she brought out a basket from behind her filled to the brim with cookies. Twilight then levitated a cookie from the basket and brought it close to her mouth, The purple unicorn then bit down on the soft doe and chews with her mouth open. “These are good what did you put in them?” Scootaloo took out a cookie from the basket, examining it “Just flour, milk, sugar and…” I noticed Twilight's legs began to wobble and her eyes slowly closed “Why do I feel so tired?” Twilight said, strafing left and right. Scootaloo then looked at Twilight with the most evil smile I had ever seen, it would sure out-match the wicked smile of Discord “That would be the last ingredient... Sleeping powder.” I then smiled and informed Twilight “And that!” I motioned my hand towards Scootaloo “Is how you pull a prank.” Twilight then collapses to the ground on the cold dirt and began to snore. I then looked at Scootaloo before I said “Well done! You are a lot like Dash you know that?” She looked at me with wide eyes “Yes!” She pumps her hoof in the air in excitement. I knelt down, grabbed Twilight and put her over my shoulders before I look over at Scootaloo “Scootaloo grab hold of one of my legs.” She then looked at me with a confused look and asked “why what are you doing?” “Showing you what it’s like to be Twilight. We’re going to teleport.” Scootaloo then grabbed hold of my leg then said “this is going to be awesome!” I then smiled and said “All aboard next stop Twilight's library” I then placed two fingers on my forehead and we disappeared from the street. -Jeffery’s POV- After a small amount of information on where to get the whipped cream. I proceeded to get it, while in the Iron-Spider suit. Once I managed to haul the damn thing up to Dash's house along with a homemade timer and pressure plate to go off when Dash lays down on her bed. After finishing the deed with help from Alpha Red, since my trap rigging know how sucks. I then flew back to find Craig, hoping that I was able to find him. My thoughts also started to drift to what I can do in my world since I really didn't want to have a life of unrelenting super heroics, sleep, tinkering, and preparing for an event that may never happen. During my thinking, my spider-sense went off. To which I barely get time to react, by barrel roll out of the way. What I managed to dodge is a speed flying Rainbow Dash. Seeing the Cyan blur fly by me I decided to test the limits of the Suit flight capability. Rainbow Dash looks behind her most likely she hears my suit propulsion system flying to catch up with her. She stopped to question me I hope since well she did nearly crash into me, but didn't question it. Which I found odd since that must mean she see a bunch of weird ass shit flying and doesn't question it. I then said to Alpha Red, "Alpha Red, play Iron protocol music from my Iphone." Alpha Red said with the British accent that sounded like Alfred from batman, "On it sir." As I stopped to hover and wait for Rainbow Dash to catch up Black Sabbath's Iron Man is playing through the speakers in the suit. Rainbow Dash then flew up to me and said, "What the hell are you?" I answered smirking, "It's me Spiderman." "What do you want." Asked Rainbow Dash "I want to race you if you are up for it." I retorted. Rainbow Dash said after smirking, "I'll race and beat you." "Okay from here to Celestia's throne room," I answer her unasked question of location. Rainbow Dash taking no chances of being beaten and started to fly away to Canterlot. To which I then used the flight systems in my suit to start flying after her. I actually started to catch up to her rather easily, which caused me to chuckle and change the music to a random song for racing. As we raced I laughed since I was passing her with my suits flight capabilities. This has strangely kept my mind off the stress and craziness that I had been having due to everything. "Feels good doesn't it to relax, maybe this was what you needed a fun displacement call in to unwind." Hybrids voice chimed in my head. I nodded in agreement since Hybrid might be right. I had needed this since the back home was nothing, but stress and the major events of my little pony since time skipped ahead while I visited other displaced and helped them. During my thought, I auto pathed my fight and didn't even notice that Rainbow Dash was now ahead of me until Alpha Red said, "Sir, Miss Dash is now in the lead. Permission to change from autopilot back to manual control?" This snapped me out of my muessing and I said, "Alpha Red, permission granted, and reroute 50% of the power to the thrusters." as I started to accelerate forwards as I flew around all the clouds Rainbow Dash put in my way. Even with this going on I still managed to pass Dash after about 22 seconds. As we both got close to Canterlot, I felt a sonic boom and then saw a rainbow blur move past me that headed towards Celestia's castle. I then stopped since well I lost and I'm was not willing to maybe destroy all of space-time to win a race. -Craig’s POV- Once we arrived at the Library I heard Scootaloo shout “That was awesome!” “Yeah I know, although I have only managed to teleport five ponies at a time,” I chuckled in agreement. We then heard a voice above us say “That’s still pretty impressive.” This caused me to look up as saw Spike above us. He then continued to ask me “what did you do to Twilight?” “Well we are in the middle of a prank war between me, another displaced and Scootaloo and we’re against everyone else. All we have done is pull a prank on her,” I admitted. “What was the prank?” “We tricked her into eating a cookie that had sleeping powder mixed in with it,” explained Scootaloo. “She’ll be asleep for a bit but she’ll be fine after she wakes up,” I added. Spike then smiled at this and said “at least she’ll be fine when she wakes up.” I then heard a loud noise that seemed strangely familiar echo from outside that caused me to turn around and look outside. As I looked outside I saw what appeared to be a circular rainbow that was moving outwards from a central point radiating across the sky which I realised was Rainbow Dash’s signature flying move The Sonic Rainboom. I then turned to Scootaloo and Spike and declared “looks like Jeffery and Rainbow Dash are doing something stupid. Spike look after Scootaloo I’ll be back in a bit.” they then both nodded their heads before I proceeded to place two fingers on my forehead and teleported towards where The Sonic Rainboom had originated from. -Jeffery’s POV- As I made my way back towards Twilight's Library to maybe try and prank Twilight, I wondered what everyone was thinking as they saw the Sonic Rainboom. I then landed on the ground outside Ponyville and shifted back to normal costume mode, before I started looking Craig. As I walked through the town I kept looking around for anything strange. During my search, I found the library and enter inside of it. As soon as I got inside I saw Scootaloo in there by herself before I said, "Hi, Scootaloo." She then looked back to me before she said almost quietly, "Hi..." "What?" I asked. The orange pegasus simply replied, "You just missed Craig he left to find you and Rainbow Dash." "Oh, well might as well sit and wait for him to return, " I said taking a seat in a chair. I then closed my eyes to nap before I let Hybrid take over for now. -Hybrid's Pov- After we took control of Jeffery we looked around to take in our new surroundings. Seeing the orange one that Jeffery had talked too. We asked, "Hello, when do you think Craig, will reappear with Skittles?" Scootaloo just shrugged back to me, "Not sure, but I hope it's soon since you're kinda creepy looking." "Well, we are sorry," We apologised as we shift our look to a less scary look, which caused Scootaloo to relax quickly. Scootaloo then asked, "So, what do you and Jeffery even do for fun?" "Um well, Jeffery just tinkers and uses his skills to prep for anything to go wrong, strangely enough, we do play chess." "Wow that's kinda lame," Said Scootaloo. "Well, I can teach you how to play." We said Scootaloo raised an eyebrow and then replied "Sure why not we can kill some time." Well after we found Twilight’s chess board and all the pieces for it. We set it up and got ready to play. -Craig’s POV- As I reappeared I looked around to see a Rainbow coloured blur flying towards Canterlot Castle as I thought Oh god, what has Jeffery done now? I then began to fly at full speed towards the blur and within seconds had covered a few hundred metres as I slowly managed to catch up to the blur that I realised was Rainbow Dash. As I got closer to her I shouted, “Hey Dash wait up!” She then momentarily looked back and saw me slowly gaining on her and began to slow down. Once she stopped she looked at me and said, “Good to see you, Craig, have you seen the guy in that awesome suit of armour? Me and him were having a race.” I then smiled as I told her “I hate to disappoint you but you were talking to Jeffrey, he was using his Iron Spider suit. My guess is that he decided he couldn’t win and stopped racing you and headed back to town to rest” I then stopped and shouted “Oh shit. We need to get back now!” Rainbow Dash then looked at me in confusion before she asked me “Why is there a problem?” I then looked at her with a hint of fear in my eyes and told her “If Hybrid's in control then yes there could be. He’s dangerous.” “Nightmare Moon level dangerous or Discord dangerous?” Asked Rainbow Dash. I then quickly said “more dangerous than them both.” I then turned my head and looked back at ponyville then asked her “want to get back extremely quickly?” “What do you have in mind,” she asked clearly interested. I then smiled as I realised that she has never been teleported before I then looked back to her and announced “Instant Transmission.” She then stared at me in confusion and replied “Instant what?” “Inst ant Transmission. It’s the techniques I used when I was battling against Discord in the palace two days ago. When we were travelling around to save everypony I used it to move us a lot faster. All you need to do is grab hold of my leg and I can get us back to Ponyville instantly.” She then smirked and said, “If you can get back to Ponyville that fast I will personally train under you and learn some of your tricks.” “Grab one of my legs and I’ll get you there before you can blink,” I chuckled. She then carefully placed one of her hooves on my leg as I slowly placed two fingers on my forehead and told her “Off we go,” before second later we disappeared from the sky. -Twilight’s Library- Once we got back to Twilight's Library, I saw that Hybrid and Scootaloo was playing...wait is that chess? I then laughed and said “Chess that brings back memories. I used to play with my cousin and dad before everything happened.” I then look at Hybrid and asked him “how's Scoots doing Jeff?” Hybrid said, "Jeffery is asleep, we're in control, and Scootaloo is doing good, she is surprisingly a fast learner." “That’s brilliant, Oh and sorry about getting you two mixed up,” I said quietly. "How, we look different from Jeffery." Asked Hybrid whilst he rose where his eyebrow would be on his face. I then shook my head and said “you give off a similar energy to him I use that instead of how you look.” I then continued to say “I struggle to remember people from how they look plus it helps to check if it is them I’m talking to.” "Oh anti-changeling measures clever," Hybrid said with a smile. Scootaloo then looked at us in confusion and asked me “what’s a Changeling?” Hybrid then moved his queen and said, "Checkmate." I then smiled and said “Check again Hybrid” I then moved Scootaloo’s knight and took his Queen and said, "Slightly off.” "Nice use of telekinesis." Said Hybrid who has his bishop take a pawn and said, "Should we answer Scootaloo's question?" “That event hasn’t happened yet. Their whole race is unknown at the moment they may as well not exist.” "True, but you should always get everyone prepared so you can maybe do better than Jeffery since we kinda screwed up going for the peaceful method, due to reasons," Said Hybrid. I then smiled and said, “What did he do, Call in a Displaced to help him?” "Yes, but the attack was already going on so we couldn't do much else. Though some good did happen we did meet some of my cousins...sisters...still don't know on the classification for that," said Hybrid scratching his head then he shrugged. “Why do I get the feeling there are more symbiotes in the multiverse." Second, later scootaloo asked “What event, what did they do, what attack, what's a symbiote?” she asked quickly. Hybrid said, "To answer all the questions. Yes, there is are more Symbiotes, in fact, we got spawned from a Displaced Venom. The questions I'm not sure if we should answer them due to as Pinkie Pie would say spoilers." Seconds later we heard Scootaloo moan before she said “oh come on dad, not even a hint.” I then shook my head and said “Sorry Scoots no can do, the event has to happen it’s imperative that it does. One small change could mess the timeline up even more than my existence already has?” Hybrid is thinking now when he says,"Might as well tell her since then maybe you can be ready. Plus who know she may know some." I then sighed and told him “thanks to Celestia, I can see through any illusion. this includes the Changeling's ability to change how they look.” Seconds later Scootaloo screamed “Come on dad! I want to know about these Changeling. for all we know my special talent could be finding them!” To this, I smiled, looked at Hybrid then back to Scootaloo and told her “A changeling is a bug like a pony that is covered in what seems like black armour plating. They can change their shape into anypony they see, use magic and fly. They feed off love to survive, and this is the reason why they disguise themselves as ponies you know and trust.” I then turned to Hybrid and said “anything you’d like to add?” "Yes, they taste like pork, that is honey glazed, and they also share a hive mind link," said Hybrid. I then smiled, looked back at Scootaloo and tell her “okay that's all the non-world breaking things we can tell you Scoots. However, we can’t tell you about the specific event.” To this, she began to inquisitively ask “Why?” “Let me think Scoots. Discord should be back in stone, but instead, he is in my head and at the moment trying to prank Pinkie.” "Yeah, good way of not causing a panic," said Hybrid with a smirk. I then smiled and asked, “Did Jeffery get the stuff we need to pull off the prank?” "Yes," Said Hybrid then he asked showing a very out of character amount of care, "can we ask you a huge favour when Jeffery wakes and takes control?" Dash then said before I could speak, "Hey red guy you never answered what is a Symbiote." Hybrid said, "Oh, sorry about that Skittles. Symboties or Klyntars as they are really called are and I quote from Jeffery's memory from the best source of info he has also this is the condensed answer. Klyntars are normally benevolent beings that travel the universe to help the universe by turning people into the ideal warrior at the right times. The balance though must be perfect, or else the Klyntar may become corrupt. A one of the Klyntar's will basically tell lies and false truths to ruin the name of their race, plus also be murderous psychos like Carnage and slightly like Venom, but they might be exception we aren't sure." I then whispered, “And at some point you.” "In cannon 616 marvel yes, but our respective Displaced reality no, Jeffery is keeping us in check and also it is slowly changing our personality and outlook." Said Hybrid honestly. “But didn’t you says seconds ago that if the balance is incorrect you will lie? How do we know that's not the case now?” "Due to this." Said Hybrid who then started to do the Pinkie promise with words and motions and once done, "We promise that all we have said and will say out our information is the truth." Second later myelf, Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash look at each other as I said, “sound legit.” "May we continue a little bit of what information we're going to give off that we have left, or do any of you three have any questions?" asked Hybrid. To this the three of us shook our heads, however, seconds later we heard a voice behind us shout “Yeah, I’ve got one. What the hell Craig! You said we were on the same side and then you and Scootaloo prank me!” "Oh Twilight, wow didn't think you were going to wake yet. Did you take notes on what we said?" Hybrid asked it is unknown if he is joking. “Yes I did, but I'll talk to you later.” she then turns back to me and said “I’m waiting” I then sighed and said, “Somebody needed to show you how to pull a real prank, and besides I wasn’t going to prank my daughter was I?” "You could, it would have strengthened the family bond," Said Hybrid sagely. Second, later Scootaloo said, “I doubt it, besides I know my dad would be able to tell if I was going to trick him.” I then smiled and rubbed Scootaloo’s head then said “Thanks.” She then just grinned at me and said “Oh come on if it was the opposite way round would you be any different?” “Probably not?” I admitted. I then turned back to Hybrid then said “did anything strange happen when you were gathering what we needed for the prank?” "Nope." Said Hybrid since it's not a lie strange is a relative term for the person whose perspective it is. I then looked at him and said “so Pinkie predicting everything Jeffery did wasn’t strange?” "Not really, " said Hybrid. Seconds later Rainbow dash said, “that’s just Pinkie being Pinkie.” Hybrid said, "Okay." “You're not finding it strange that I know what happened but I wasn’t there?” "No, since you're just pulling a Deadpool, by breaking the fourth wall to read an earlier chapter." Hybrid retorted. To this, I laughed and muttered, “Yeah okay you got me.” Hybrid then nodded back and laughed too. Second later I realise something and said “Oh shit.” "What?" Asked Hybrid. “I just realised that Pinkie is working with us now, and Discord is getting ready to prank her." "Oh not good...wait we never promised that Discord would never strike." Said Hybrid. I then looked at him and quickly admitted “It doesn’t matter. The only reason I pranked Twilight was to show her how to do a real prank.” I then closed my eyes and whispered “I hope this works” I then closed my eyes and tried to sense Discord. As I reached out across the town I manage to sense him then latched onto to his brainwaves. I then telepathically shout to him “Discord stop! she’s on our side.” He then stuttered out “Since when can you contact me this easily?” “Mutant powers.” I admitted, which wasn’t a complete lie “anyway come back to Twilight's library. We’re all here.” “Okay, Craig see you soon.” I then opened my eyes back in the library and said “thank god I stopped him.” Hybrid smiled and said, "Twi, we can answer all questions now if you want." Twilight then said, "Okay" then she magics to her a new notebook. Then asked, "Why do you speak when talking about yourself use 'we'?" Hybrid answered, "Since we are made of four different Klyntar's, whose names are Lasher, Agony, Riot, and Phage." Twilight wrote that down and asked, "Is this thing normal?" "No" answered Hybrid "it isn't since we are a rare case." "How do you reproduce" asked Twilight still writing. "Genetic randomization then we drop off a portion of ourself that we genetically randomised. That offspring is then left to fend for himself unless they are the 1000th spawn of us. Then they lose all genetic memory. With that, they would be mentored by for the most mentally stable of the Klyntar in the planet at the time." Said Hybrid Twilight asked, "Are you going to spawn soon, if so can we get a Klyntar to study?" Hybrid then stopped thinking then said, "We are not close sorry. Wait let us check our gene time" then Hybrid closes his eye, after doing so Hybrid said, "Soon probably before we leave we will be spawning, but if we do you guys are getting it. Be careful though with it since it may be a bit hard to control." Twilight said, "Yay, I promise to take care of it." Hybrid said, "okay Twilight...we wonder is the pranking is still going on." Twilight was about to go grammar nazi on Hybrid to which I would have laughed, but she doesn't for some reason. Hybrid smiles and said, "So what, else do you wish to ask of us." Twilight asked, "What do Klyntar's eat?" "We take nutrients from our host that is excess and not necessary to the host." Said Hybrid. Twilight wrote that down and said, "Cool, I think that is all." Seconds later I heard Rainbow Dash groan “Come on guys this is boring.” I then looked at her and said “if you want to go home you can. I’m sure you could use a rest, not like you don’t do it often when you are supposed to be working.” She then looked at me and sighed then said “fine” she then turned to walk out the house however just before she leave she say “I’ll see you all later” and with that, she walked out of the house and then began to fly towards her cloud house. As soon as we can no longer see her in view I turned to Hybrid and asked “Is everything ready?” Hybrid nodded and then said, "Yep." I then placed my hands together, tap my fingers together and say “Excellent” Hybrid said, "It is excellent," Hybrid then doubles over and the said somewhat pained, "but if you don't mind it seems our mental clock for when we will spawn is very off also Jeffery will be awake in about ten minutes." Hybrid then slides off Jeffery and then slithered his/their body over to the bathroom then used a tendril to slam the door shut. Twilight said, "Well that is interesting, it seems that the Symbiotes are able to act like a water when they are hostless, need to keep a mental note of that for whoever gets Hybrids spawn, who until properly named should be called singularity for point of conversational convenience. That also begs the question to do Kylntar's even have genders or is it just that that assign one based on who their first host is, to dictate such identification." She then continued to ramble on about science stuff that isn't important to normal people/ponies. I then turn backed Scootaloo and asked her “So what do you think about this whole Kylntar thing?” She then smiled and said “Pretty Cool” I then looked at both Scootaloo and Twilight and say “When it comes down to it what would you two call it?” They then both shrugged at me then said “no idea” I then scratched my head and said “If it was me I’d call it something like Bii Sah Spaan which means Blue Phantom Shield in the language of dragons well maybe change the first bit depending on its colour though I’d probably shorten it.” To this Twilight said “I guess you do have ties to that Draconic language” she then looks at me then asked me “what is the name of the language?” “I believe that it’s Dovahzul,” I admitted. Hybrid then came out nine and a half minutes later with a white and blue mix goo bundle then said, "Ok this is the first spawn of Hybrid, who want this little one of ours? Whomever gets it gets to name it." Jeffery who was still sleeping and appeared to be having the best sleep he’d had for a while. Twilight then looked at me and declared “Craig you have it. you probably know more about them than us.” I then looked at her then turned my head towards Scootaloo and said “You both okay with that.” She then smiled and said “Yeah why not. I don’t want a cutie mark in looking after aliens anyway.” I then turned back to Hybrid and said “looks like the little guy goes to me.” Hybrid then tossed the Klyntar onto me before it then started to slide onto me as this happened it felt cold as it comes in contact with my skin. I then began to shudder then said “Man that feels weird. it feels like someone's poured ice cold water down my back.” Seconds later Discord appeared behind me and said “Craig we need to” however he stopped then gestured towards the Klyntar sliding across my body then asked, “What is that?” I then looked towards him and said “This would be a Klyntar. it’s the same thing as Hybrid.” Seconds later it began to crawl towards my face before it slowly covered it leaving what looks like a dark blue suit covering my entire body. I then heard Scootaloo say “wow dad you look different.” Twilight then looked at me and said “This is amazing I need to record this” with that she created yet another notebook and started to write me more notes. Hybrid then went back and rebounded with Jeffery, then Hybrid said, "Don't get power drunk on the Klyntar's extra powers." I then smiled and said “don’t think that will be an issue. I’ve got powers that can do anything. If it was going to happen it would have happened already.” "Okay." Said Hybrid before he asked, "So, you think Dash will be mad?" I then smiled and asked, “Want to find out?” "Not really." Said Hybrid “Okay then fine by me” I then shut my eyes and whispered “three, two, one action,” I then reach towards Hybrid's shoulder and allow him to see an image of Rainbows house and seconds later we saw an explosion of cream that filled the house to the point of it bursting. I then telepathically shouted to Rainbow Dash “and you're out. Ponies lose Displaced win. Better luck next time Dashie.” Hybrid then laughed and said, "That is funny, man we wonder if Skittles will come back to hurt us now," before he patted my back and said, "Promise us if you find Venom's token tell him we are okay and not as crazy as the canon counterpart." I then smiled and said “She will tomorrow but you’ll be gone by then” I then looked back to him and said, “do you mind telling me what I should look out for if I ever find his token?” "It looks like a mini scythe” Hybrid explained “Good to know” I then continued to say “and I’m going to guess that I’m likely to see him looking like Venom?” "Maybe , maybe not quite frankly Lee might be bound to Twilight and look different. Other than that we think that's it." Said Hybrid. I then smiled and say “I guess they are a perfect match for eachother I would guess Lee’s a bit of a bookworm.” "No clue, but we figure they would since Lee isn't acting like Venom of cannon 616, they are." said Hybrid then he said, "Jeffery is up now." Jeffery said, "Well what did I miss when I was asleep?" To this, I smiled, gestured towards myself and said “take a few guesses” "Hybrid spawned." Jeffrey answered then said, "Wait don't answer I'm right aren't I. Did Skittles fall for our prank?" “Hook, line and sinker, oh and I’d be ready to make a quick escape if I was you.” "Well for a quick escape just say our contract is done then I'm gone," Said Jeffery. “In that case, you may want to get ready.” We then heard someone shout “Craig you're so dead!” I then looked back at Jeffrey and said “Rainbows on her way. Listen if you ever need help don’t hesitate to give me a call.” "Can do." Said Jeffery. I then saluted him and said “our contract is done” before he disappeared. I then turned back around, sighed then muttered “Best get ready for hell.” Seconds later one of the library's windows exploded into pieces as I hear Rainbow Dash shout “You're so dead!” She then ferociously charged towards me as I extend my hand forwards and she stopped dead in a purple bubble. She then shouted, “what the hell Twilight!” To this, I just smiled and said “That wasn’t Twilight Dash. That was me” the bubble then began to dissipate as I rushed behind her and immobilised her by holding her on the ground. I then whispered to her “You calmed down yet?” to this she just nodded her head as I released her. She then muttered “are you always going to do that?” “Only if I need to” I admitted with a smile. We then all just smiled at eachother as Rainbow Dash said “Anyway there's something I wanted to show you and the squirt. It’s back at your home.” I then turned to Scootaloo and said “want to see what it is?” She then looked at me and replied “Are you being serious... of course, I do.” I then smiled and said to both her and Rainbow Dash “Grab hold and I’ll get us there quickly.” To this, they both smiled as Rainbow Dash said “Instant Transmission?” To this, I just nodded my head as they approached and placed a hoof on my legs. I then heard Rainbow Dash shout “This is going to be awesome!” and with that, I perform the motions to carry out the skill as we disappeared. Chapter 14 - This is Why I Hate Parties.Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.Chapter 15 - A New Type of ElementAuthor's Note Thank you to Wanderer_Mike for Doing this crossover with me. If you are interested in Mike go read his story Guardian of Equestria. Chapter 15 - A New Type of Element -Unknown POV- I finally arrived at my mansion in the Everfree Forest. I swooped down to the trees below and landed roughly on the green lushes leaves of the dark tree. My Fire Strike wings instantly vanished in flames and ash, as he came out from my right arm plate. A small whistle escapes his beak as he admires the new house. “You weren’t kidding when you said Claw Leaf remodeled big.” He spoke in a deep tone while he admired the scenery around him. “Told ya,” I replied. Looking around, I noticed a few Timberwolves around the house pacing and sleeping. “Claw Leaf, did you have some visitors?” “Some pegasus guards flew overhead after they saw you flying away. ” Claw Leaf replied “I hid the mansion and put some security, just in case they decided to land” I nodded, as Fire Strike looked around “Are you kidding me?” “Not the time for this conversation. Nice to see you again, Strike. Although I can only feel you.” Fire Strike looked at me. “Order of the Elements, isn’t it?” he asked. I nodded. “Fine.” Strike admitted, looking around. “Leaf, I hope you thought of adding a few rooms for each one of us.” “Try the top floors.” Leaf replied towards Fire Strike, before directing his speech to me “By the way, another token arrived.” I raised an eyebrow. “Another? What is it this time?” “A amulet.” I traded a glance with Fire Strike, before we both walked inside, directing ourselves towards the living room. There I noticed an amulet in the shape of a long sword, somehow similar to the one Zelda used to have, with Celestia’s and Lunas’ Cutie Mark embedded on each side of the blade. I calmly approached the blade and touched it. A message instantly sprung into my head. Hi my name is Craig. If ever you are in danger, are scared, frightened or even just need an ally to stand by your side in your darkest hour. Call on me and I will come and do everything in my power to aid you. I tilted my head “Somehow, I expected Link's’ name, but Craig?” I spoke out loud. I look at Fire Strike for a moment, then back at the sword. “Should I call him?” “You’re not in danger.” Claw Leaf started. “Or scared.” Fire Strike added. “Or frightened.” Leaf continued “Or in your darkest hour.” Strike finished. “You’re right. But I do need somebody to have a chat.” I then picked up the sword and raise it in a knights’ salute. “Hey there Craig, Mike Elemental here. I’m not in any peril right now, but I do miss another human to talk to. You’re available?” -Craig’s POV- As I slowly rose my head I began to rub my forehead as I feel a strange sensation all over my body. I then looked around me and see what looked to be my amulet glowing on the desk beside me. I slowly touched the hilt of the amulet and hear a voice as quiet as a whisper say “Hey there Craig, Mike Elemental here. I’m not in any peril right now, but I do miss another human to talk to. You’re avaliable?” Yeah might as well, I could a bit of a wake-up call I thought. I then quickly grabbed a piece of paper and the pen from a nearby draw then wrote “Got a call from a Displaced be back soon. see you later, Craig.” I then continued to walk downstairs and placed the note on a table. Once I was sure Scootaloo would find it I continued to walk back upstairs to my room and grabbed my guitar from beside my bed and put the strap over my shoulder. I then grabbed my amulet, raised it above my head and then quickly slashed the amulet downwards in a vertical motion directly in front of me that created a portal that was large enough for me to walk through. I then placed the amulet back around my neck and walked through the portal and towards wherever this Mike was. -Mike’s POV- A few minutes after I made my call, a portal suddenly opened in the same place I was standing a few minutes before. Fire Strike jolted at the sudden appearance from his perch, as the entire tree shook when Claw Leaf felt a strange presence. “Easy guys” I spoke to both “I believe my call has been answered.” even so, I kept my left hand at the ready in Strikes’ view. Seconds later a figure similar to mine began to walk out of the portal. Once he had passed through, he opened his eyes, looking around until he focused on me. With a smile, he said “You must be Mike” he extended his hand out “I’m Craig. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” I relaxed my left hand and raised my right, grabbing Craig’s and shaking it. “Nice to meet you too, Craig. And it’s good to meet someone new, even if they’re from an Alternate World.” I then point towards Strike “That’s Fire Strike, a phoenix and the Flame of Loyalty.” At the mention of his name, Fire Strike puffed out his chest, showing his regal self towards Craig. Craig then smiled and said “Well, I might as well introduce you to my friends” seconds later a Liquid form began to appear from between his clothes and slowly covered his body, leaving what appeared to be a dark blue suit covering him. Once his body was completely covered he said “This is BiiSahSpaan or Bii for short” Seconds later I heard a voice chuckle and then Craig said “and as you can guess” he then pointed at him and continued to say "this is Discord.” I blinked at the draconequus. “My world or his?” I asked Discord. To this, he just smiled and said “Craig’s, I do owe him for the trouble I caused to him.” “Good to know,” I said, turning to Craig. “I think Discord must have some kind of grudge towards me in here, after the prank, I managed to pull. Either way, what’s your timeline?” Craig then looked at me and said “in my world, we are around three days after Discord was released from stone the first time. “In other words, you got in the beginning of season two.” To this Craig just smiled then said “Eyuup.” “Okay,” I glanced at Discord “More than enough. But where are my manners?” I moved my hand towards a pair of couches “Get yourselves comfortable while I prepare a drink. Tea?” To this Craig just shook his head and said “No thank you I'm fine”. I then looked at Discord to see that he had already got himself a drink of lemonade. “Right.” I then walked towards a small couch, picked up a kettle with water before I put it at Strikes’ level, “Heat it up, please.” Fire Strike arches his head, and a small stream of fire comes out of his beak towards the bottom of the kettle. Five seconds later, the kettle starts whistling. “So, can you tell me how you ended up in Equestria?” I asked, pouring the boiling water into a cup while thanking Fire Strike. To this Craig looked at Discord then said “well Discord screwed with me for years before I arrived in Equestria before he was released from stone, but to how I got here… well, I don’t know.” I blinked, turning to Discord. “You can do that?” To this he smiles and says “Yes but it wasn’t easy but i’d had years of practice in breaking the fourth wall as you all like to call it. I then used my magic to find a being whose life had been destroyed by chaos.” “Why?” He then looked down to the ground and muttered something that I didn’t hear. Craig then said, “Someone threatened to destroy him whilst he was encased in stone, he hasn’t told me who but I believe him.” I frowned for a moment, until I felt my couch tug my arm. Claw Leaf sending a message. “I see.” I started slowly. “And if Discord doesn’t want to tell, then that means he’s afraid of whoever threatened him. Even for a being of Chaos.” To this Craig nodded his head then shut his eyes before I heard a voice in my head say “There's more to it than I'm willing to let everyone know. I’m pretty sure who it is but I don’t want to risk Discords safety until I have evidence to prove who it is.” My eyes widened, and before I could speak, Claw Leaf beat me to it “Okay, now that we know that you can speak telepathically, let’s put a few rules: one, warn Mike beforehand, if you don’t want a sudden mind trap; two, never pull that unless in case of extreme emergencies; three, signal the next time you do it. I’m Claw Leaf, the Nature of Honesty, by the way.” Craig then smiled and said “I wondered who it was I knew there was a third life source around here and duly noted. Oh and do yours and Fire Strikes personalities match your element counterparts?” Fire Strike recoiled, as I tilted my head “Okay, I’ve been meaning to ask, but what kind of powers do you have?” Craig then opened his eyes and said “I can manipulate anything from any computer game I've played. Up to yet, i’ve used things from Dragonball Z, Skyrim, Saint’s Row and Skills from Naruto.” “A Reality Manipulator.” Fire Strike spoke up for the first time. “What he saw once can be replicated at will.” Craig then smiled and said “I guess I can create things like this” He then closed his eyes and a black sword appears on his back. he then opens his eyes and quickly unsheathes the sword and holds it sideways and then said “as easy as that.” I eyed the sword for a few moments, nodding “Quite the useful ability you have.” He smiled “yeah, I pulled a similar trick on Discord and summoned a sword that hurt dragons more than normal.” "So your abilities depend on your knowledge from games, anime and cartoons." I said, thoughtful "Gotta admit, that's one of the best, yet dangerous ability you have." “No just games the skills from Dragonball Z are from a game called XenoVerse. I haven’t tried anything from cartoons,” admitted Craig. “Then don’t try it. You have Pinkie as the perfect example.” I told him before sipping some tea. He just smiled and said “Yeah, she’s not that bad, though. She’s quite a good drummer as well, we are part of a band.” I lowered my cup, looking at him. "Cool. Maybe one of these days you can summon me to one of your concerts." I put down the cup then got myself comfortable on the couch "Don't you have any questions? So far, I'm the only one doing them." Craig rubbed his head and said “That's one thing about me I omit from all conversations I have the social side of Aspergers.” he then sighed and said “I’m terrible when it come to meeting new people.” He then looked to the side of him before he smiled and asked me “I do have one question? Why is Celestia and Luna hiding outside? You piss them off or something?” My eyes widen at the question “What?” I instantly jumped off my couch, reaching the window beside the main entrance, and took a peek outside. “Claw Leaf.” “I can’t feel them.” Leaf reported “They’re veiling themselves quite well.” “Why didn’t you hide the mansion when we got in?” Strike asked, sliding towards the other window. “The mansion is hidden.” Leaf retorted “Otherwise, we would already be surrounded by their guard.” “I doubt it.” I turn towards Craig “Are you sure they’re hiding outside?” I asked. To this he just nodded his head and tells me “I can sense their power levels.” He then shuts his eyes “they're using magic. Tracking magic.” he then opened his eyes “They're tracking you using a spell.” He then walked up to me, placed his hand and my chest and whispered “Spell Break” and said “There, they can’t track you anymore.” I look at my chest for a second, thinking. How did they manage to follow me this far? And this is Leafs' territory. Surely they know the risks of an ambush from him by reaching me. I blinked. "Craig, can you do the same to Fire Strike?" I ask, looking at Craig. “No problem give me a second” He then moves his hand towards Fire Strike and repeats the same process as before. He then looked back at me and said “Let me deal with the Princesses.” I shook my head. “No. Celestia and Luna are after me. Celestia especially.” I glance at Fire Strike, lifting my right arm. Strike nodded and spread his wings, before turning himself into fire and taking off towards the armplate on the arm, disappearing. The armplate changed color, becoming red with his insignia. “If they saw you, things could get even more complicated, and I don’t know how to remove a petrification spell from the outside.” He then smiled and said “Yeah. But when are you not you? Besides, they can’t hit what they can’t see.” I put my hands on his shoulders. “Let’s keep the surprise attacks for another time.” I look outside. He once again smiled and closed his eyes and seconds later becomes a perfect copy of me. He then mimicked my voice perfectly “Like I said when are you not you?” I stared at him for a moment, as an idea formed in my head. “I suppose pranking them a little wouldn’t hurt,” I said, grinning. “Give me time to give you room to move.” “Hmm… I have a better idea. Ever watched Tom and Jerry?” -Third POV- Mike calmly walked outside the mansion, noticing the door disappearing between the leaves of the tree. He stopped at the edge of the tree, looking around. No-one in sight. “Showtime,” he muttered before taking a deep breath. “MARSHMALLOW! MOON PIE! COME OUT COME OUT WHEREVER YOU ARE.” The reply came out instantly. “STOP CALLING ME THAT!” No sooner Celestias’ voice was heard, both Princesses revealed themselves from the veil that was covering them. No big surprise when they revealed the armour they wore the last time both sides fought two millennia ago. The only difference was that Celestia was red with rage and Luna was flushed with embarrassment. “Those still fit?” Mike asked, eyeing the armour “Even after all this time?” Celestia's’ glare was strong enough that it felt the entire forest was about to enter dry season. Luna looked at him. “It is not as if we’ve been getting ourselves out of shape after so long.” Mike raised an eyebrow. “Maybe not you Luna, but my question was more directed towards Celestia.” Luna pursed her lips, looking unamused. “And Celestia, could you lower the temperature? There are living beings in the forest that don’t like that kind of heat. Especially when you’re drying the spring and putting the Everfree on the verge of a forest fire.” Celestia kept glaring at Mike for a couple of seconds before realizing he was telling the truth. The lake that surrounded the tree was turning into steam, and the column of trees that surrounded it were starting to have dry leaves. She took a deep breath, closing her eyes. After a full minute, the temperature was back to normal and the Sun Princess had regained her regal posture. Her glare, however, didn’t waver. “You should know by now that I’m being very patient towards your insults and provocations.” she spoke, keeping her voice leveled. “Yet, your actions have been proving otherwise.” I replied “Sending spies after me towards the Badlands was also a bad move, considering the group of dragons that showed up after I reunited with Fire Strike.” Both Princesses stared at him, wide-eyed. “You got Fire Strike back?” Luna asked suddenly. Mike tilted his head towards them, raising an eyebrow. “Oh yeah. How do you think I figured you were close enough for me to throw an insult?” he smirked. “Even after two millennia, those necklaces can still be used.” Celestia winced at the answer, but quickly recovered “It doesn’t matter. We can still defeat you, even if you have only one Elemental Spirit.” she said, lowering her horn. Mike frowned “I’ve told you already. I’m not going to fight you.” Luna took position besides her sister “It matters not if you either want to fight or not. You better surrender and return to your stone prison.” her horn lit up. “Otherwise, be ready to face us at full strength!” Celestia finished, her horn also lighting up. Mike sighed. “Fine. I’ll take the chance to try something new then.” Taking a stance, he took a deep breath and let out a shout, and two arms suddenly popped into view. Both princesses stared in shock at the sudden appearance of the new arms. Mike then shouted again, and another pair of legs popped into view, side-by-side with the first pair. He looked at both Princesses with a maniac grin, and with one more shout, another head popped beside the first one. Celestia and Luna just stared in horror, their eyes complete pinpricks, as each pair of heads focused on each one of them. Both heads changed a brief glance, before turning back and asking at the same time, hands twitching “Do you know what time it is?” Both Princesses stared at the sudden transformation, unable to talk. Both gave a slow, small shake of their heads. Mike's’ grin widened “It’s HORROR TICKLING TIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” both heads yelled, their voices echoing through the Everfree as red wings sprouted from his back. Without giving them any time to react, Mike charged towards the Princesses cackling crazily, four arms stretched and fingers moving in wiggling motions. As if that triggered an old memory from the Princesses, both screamed and disappeared in two flashes of light, moments before Mike could reach them. He stopped in midair, looking around. “Are they gone?” the left head asked the right. Before coming out of the mansion, Mike and Craig had come to a plan. Something both remember from a show in their Worlds. With that in mind, Craig hid behind Mike and Bii camouflaged him in order to hide his presence until the right time. The second head shook “No.” he whispered. Suddenly, he pulled to the side, as a dazzling white light passes by where both were just standing. Mike looks up. “I believe your senses are a little off in this World,” Mike spoke. Out of the sky came a light blue chariot, pulled by a pair of pegasus wearing armor of the same color as the chariot. Both armors covered their bodies completely, only revealing the feathers of their wings, telling the color of their coats: dark blue and lemon yellow. On the chariot, a unicorn wearing the same kind of armor looked down at them. “Elementalist!” the Unicorn called. A Mare by the voice. “Surrender yourself to the Order!” Mike landed on the top of the tree, allowing Craig to detach from him, still looking at the chariot. Craig then shouted, “Who on Earth is that?!” Mike's’ eyes narrow “Trouble.” he looks at Craig “You asked me what I did to piss off Celestia and Luna. My answer lies in my past here, since I was a stone statue for two thousand years.” he explained hurriedly, then passed Craig a small, glowing marble “This is my token, in case you need to summon me.” Craig then nodded his head before he said “thank you” after that he tell Mike “If you're telling me to leave you’ve got no chance. Besides it looks like you are in danger and I don’t leave my friends behind; ever.” Mike tilts his head, as a small smile appears on his lips “Craig, I admire your trust, and you can expect mine in return.” he turns towards the chariot “You better get ready for battle.” “It’s time to show them what we can do.” Seconds later his disguise disappeared and he flexes his hand as his guitar came to him. he then flipped the guitar onto his back and places his hand on a strange symbol on the back. Seconds later a sheathed sword appears at his side along with a dark blue chestplate he then shouts “Come and get me if you think you're hard enough.” Mike clenches his right hand, and the armplate where Fire Strike resides starts to glow. The glow spreads through the white stripes until they touch all the armor, changing it to match the same color of the right armplate. A second later, the black suit bursts into flames, disappearing right after, leaving Mike with a set of a red suit and light armor. A japanese sword materializes from the flames in front of Mike, allowing him to grab the handle. With a swift move, Burning Edge gleams at the sunlight, as Mike points it towards the Chariot. “I remember leaving a message to the previous members of your order!” Mike shouted “This is the third attempt you try at me and the Elements!” Burning Edge erupts into flames, as the entire armor also fire up “You really are hard at hearing, aren’t you?” The ponies in the air smirked. “We do not fear you or your Elements!” the unicorn shouted, “Your attacks will not affect us, and your Elements are useless against us!” Craig then shouted “It’s not just the elements you need to deal with this time. Leave now or you won’t leave at all!” he then began to levitate off the ground and then stopped level with the chariot. The group of ponies looked at the newcomer Displaced, surprised that he was flying without any wings, and the mare lowered her horn, preparing to shoot him. “I would think twice before doing that,” Mike called, still from below. Everypony glanced down, as Mike takes off, stopping on the other side of the chariot, hovering. “You know, the order really has an awful sense of timing.” he starts, leaning the sword on his shoulder “Honestly, attacking me on my home turf? And right when I have visitors, not knowing what they can do? Not to mention that the entire forest is being watched, and thanks to recovering Fire Strike, this place is about to get livelier with a band of migrating phoenixes that will probably start scanning the skies.” he frowns at the unicorn “I don’t need to hit you with the Elements. I can simply break that chariot, forcing your guards to carry you. And all I need to do to deal with you three is forcing you to be low enough for Claw Leaf to be in reach. After that, he can decide if you’re going to be the next meal of the Everfree” Mike smiles, revealing all of his teeth “or if he’ll share the meal with me and my guest.” he looks towards Craig “Ever tasted pony?” He then smiled sadistically and said “No but maybe Bii would like to give one a try?” “Tastes like lamb, I assure you.” Mike said, licking his lips towards the mare, then at the pegasus “All meat, no fat. Pegasus have a slight taste of turkey in there, near the region of their wings.” Everypony present was tense enough at what Mike said. All three swallowed loudly. “Take my friends’ advice.” Mike pointed the sword towards the edge of the Everfree, his face neutral “Leave. Before I decide what kind of meat I should cook later for dinner.” The pegasus didn’t wait a second. They bolted in fear, moving as fast as they could while wearing the armor and pulling the chariot. Mike heard another rhythmic flapping and looked up in time to see another chariot flying fast in the same direction of the first group, carrying two ponies. Craig then smirked and closed his eyes as a small pistol appears in his hands he the point it above his head and shoots three bullets straight towards the sky then shouted “and don’t come back!” Second, later he flew over to Mike and said “Sorry I couldn’t resist.” Mike looked at him and smiles, shaking his head “It’s okay, after all I couldn’t resist in pulling that prank towards the princesses too.” he looks towards the two chariots leaving the Everfree, then back at the tree, his eyes narrowing. “Two chariots, one pulling a pair, other pulling one…” he muttered. Craig looked at Mike. “What do you think the purpose of this attack was and when do you think Celestia tagged you?” “Celestia never tagged me. It was a charm I gave her twenty five hundred years ago.” Mike replied, still looking at the distance “A way for me to know if she was ever in danger. It seems that she managed to reverse the location spell on the charm.” he turned towards the top of the tree, his eyes narrowing “And this attack was aimed at taking me out to obtain the Elements.” Without warning, Mike turned towards the tree, lifting Burning Edge as if it were a spear, and threw it. The sword blurred through the air until it hit the top of the tree. A short cry was heard, before a pony appeared right in front of the blade, fumbling back. He looked at the blade in shock, before reaching his head with a hoof. Mike landed loudly right beside the blade. “Consider yourself lucky.” he spoke coldly “I wasn’t aiming for your horn.” Craig then walked up to the now hornless unicorn and said “are you okay?”before he sighed “okay stupid question, Second and third question, Do you have a name and what are you doing here. Oh and just so you know think of this as good cop bad cop, you do as I ask and my friend here won’t hurt you any more.” The pony stared at both of them, before assuming a defiant stance. “You get nothing from me.” he snarled. Craig then looked to Mike and said “go ahead” He then whispered to him “Don’t kill him just rough him up a bit.” Mike cracks his knuckles, grinning “Oh, I’m going to enjoy this.” he then starts rubbing his hands. “Craig, there’s a full body armor under his cloak, protected with paralysing poison for those who touch it.” he then flex his fingers, making them crack “Can Bii remove them without any risk?” Craig shrugged and said “Most Symbiotes are, the only poison that they weren’t immune to what specially made to kill them” Craig then walked over to the unicorn as Bii forms a sharp blade and quickly slices some leather straps that are holding the armour to the unicorn's body. As it begins to come off Craig said “if you tell us your name I promise I will make sure my friend here doesn’t kill you.” The pony laughed. “Please. I’ve been trained to withstand any kind of pain. Do you really believe hitting me will do you any good?” “Who said anything about hitting?” Mike spoke, approaching the pony, now revealing his coat. pale orange. “I’m not gonna beat you to a pulp. I’m not going to kill you.” Mike blinked, and his eyes flashed blue for a few seconds “But I wonder if the treatment I’m going to give you will make you reconsider.” The pony glared at me, keeping his stance, but his hinder legs were quivering. “I know all of your treatments. No matter what you do, you’ll never break me.” Mike's’ grin widened. “Challenge accepted.” Without warning, Mike dashed towards the unicorn, his hands flexed like claws. “Here’s a funny fact about pressure points.” he started, hitting the unicorn under the muzzle with two fingers “If hit in the right order with the right strength and precision, any kind of pent up stress can be relieved. But what happens if we hit them in the wrong order or miss the pressure point or don’t apply the right strength?” Craig then smiled and said “you can cause complete paralysis to the target's body. leaving them immobile until a time you decide to let them move.” He then walks up the side of the unicorn and whispered “Imagine what we could do to you in that time.” Mike raised a hand towards him. “Don’t get in my range, or the treatment will hit you,” he spoke without slowing down the hits. Craig then said “you still have time to tell us what we want” and then proceeded to walk away. “Or not.” Mike stopped “What you said was partially right, Craig. But my treatments have a funny side effect.” “Like what?” Craig asked. Mike shook his hands, sighing in relief “I have three treatments that I consider forbidden to ponies. But against dangerous creatures or prisoners, they’re the most lethal.” he smiles at the Unicorn “Purgatory, Hell and Reaper. Guess which one you got?” The unicorn stood still, eyes wide at Mike's’ question. Mike approached him and flicked his forehead. The reaction was instant. The unicorn fell to the ground, twitching and spasming violently, unable to scream. Craig then looks at Mike before he said “release him.” “Just because he cannot scream, doesn’t mean he cannot speak.” Mike told Craig, kneeling on front of the pony’s face. “Hell is one heck of a treatment, you know? All the nerves in your body just became sensitive spots from the accumulated stress, becoming too much unbearable to withstand.” the pony gasped for air, his legs twitching “It won’t kill you, but the pain you’re feeling is going to put you into an eternal agony.” Craig then said “tell us what we want to know and i’ll make him stop” The unicorn stared at them both, clenching his teeth. “N...nnnn...” “Don’t make me use the Truth treatment on you. And believe me, that one is even more painful.” Mike added as a matter of fact. Craig then walked up to Mike and said “let me try something.” Mike looks at him and nods “Go ahead. But be warned, touching him will worsen the torture he’s feeling right now.” Craig then nodded his head and knelt down next to the unicorn and said “I don’t like to see creatures suffer. Please let me help you.” The unicorn then looks at Craig and says “I don’t fear your threats!” he managed to growl between clenched teeth. Craig then sighed before he drew his sword and the unicorn then begins to flinch in fear. Craig then rotates the blade and shows the unicorn the side of the sword with Celestia’s Cutie Mark on it and says “You know I am a Canterlot knight and do want to protect the innocent but I can’t help you unless you tell us your name, I swear on my parents memory that I won’t kill you but if you don’t tell us not only will I make sure you feel more pain but I will start scanning your mind to get the answers I want. I imagine that there wouldn’t be much of a brain left from the mess I could leave it in.” he then walked up to the side of the unicorn and said “I can’t imagine your family would like to see you as a broken, slobbering mess. I wonder what I could do to them, I bet the everfree would love to see what your family tastes like. One click and I can have them all here in cages and feed them one by one to the Timberwolves, And you know the best thing I could do is force you to watch them being devoured. It’s your choice.” Mike looked at Craig with a raised eyebrow “Wow. Dude, you can be quite a nightmare when you want.” he said before turning around “I’m gonna call the pack. They sure would love some ponies for dinner.” Craig then smiled “The balls in your court, little Unicorn. The information we want or your family’s lives are forfeit. Do you want to risk it?” The Unicorn stared his eyes pinpricks. As Mike reached the limits of the tree and prepared to give a sharp whistle, he gasped “Wait!” both Mike and Craig looked at him “Camouflage. That’s my name.” Craig then smiled and said, “Thank you Camouflage, now why are you here?” Camouflage gasped and groaned, trying to hold the torture of the treatment. Mike approached him, kneeling in front of him. “Camouflage, we’re both being patient with you. Claw Leaf is holding back at my order, and Fire Strike sometimes has a really short fuse when either my life or his are at risk. I didn’t call the timberwolves, but your order knows very damn well who’s the one controlling them.” his eyes narrowed “Last call, Camouflage. Three questions: What is the order of the Void, what’s your mission here and why?” Camouflage stared at Mike, trembling. He gulped visibly, still trying to hold on against the torture, until he saw Fire Strike materializing from Mike's’ right armplate, red eyes glowing towards him. “T-the order of the V-Void…” Camouflage stammered “w-was created two thousand years ago, after the Week of Darkness. I-Its objective is the capture and destruction of the Elements. M-My mission was to infiltrate your house and capture the Element of Fire and Nature when they were at their weakest moment.” “Tough luck with that.” Claw Leafs’ voice was heard “I admit, you managed to hide your presence on top of the tree, but the moment you entered the mansion, your talent would become useless.” Mike kept looking at Camouflage for a few seconds more after his confession. He then sighed and pressed a spot behind his head. Camouflage tensed and went limp. Craig then looked at Mike and said “is he going to be okay?” “Yeah, don’t worry.” Mike replied “I released him of the treatment.” with a snap of his fingers, a trio of timberwolves appeared between the foliage of the trees “Take him to the outskirts and leave him there. Make sure he’s not touched by any predator.” he then thought for a moment. “Your kind included.” The Timberwolves nodded, but before they took him away Craig shouted “What one minute.” Craig then walks up and whispered “I swore I'd never use this” he careful opens Camouflages’ mouth and points his fingers at his tongue then says “Cursed Tongue Eradication Technique” seconds later a small black mark appears on the back of his tongue, he then whispers to Camouflage “I’m sorry but I have to ensure you never tell anybody about us if you ever do from now on you will be paralyzed. May Celestia have mercy on my soul.” he then nodded to the Timberwolves and said “take him away” Two of the wolves disassembled themselves, forming a larger version of themselves. the third one then picks up the Unicorn and gently lowers him on the back of the combined. Once he’s strapped, Mike goes into his mansion and comes out writing a message on a piece of paper. Marshmallow, Start looking for secret organisations bent on hunting me and the Elements. Otherwise, I might start hunting them. This is one of their members. They call themselves the Order of the Void. Lay off the cake you’re eating in frustration and start searching. Mike The wolves waited patiently as Mike finished the letter. With it finished, he rolls it and ties it around Camouflages’ neck. With a nod, the timberwolves depart at a fast jog towards the edge of the Everfree. “Let me guess: that was from Naruto.” he finally spoke towards Craig. Craig then sighed “yeah. I learned it from the first Displaced I ever met. He was sent to Equestria as Sasuke Uchiha and when I met him he had just hospitalised Celestia. He then used that technique to prevent his assistant from saying anything about me.” “Each World with its problems, it seems.” Mike said “Thanks for the assist back there.” Craig then said “No problem nobody hurts my friends” “That wasn’t the only assist I was talking about.” Mike added with a grin. Craig then smiled, rubbed his head before he said, “you mean the threat to harm his family don’t you.” Mike chuckles “I was talking about the prank we did to the princesses.” “Oh yeah. I’ll admit that was brilliant,” Craig chuckled. Both burst into laughter as the memory of the prank came to their heads. “I think Celly is going to have some nightmares after what she saw. And Luna… I don’t even know how she’ll react!” “That's something I was wondering. Why did that scare them so much?” asked Craig. “I used to tickle them nonstop when they were fillies. Every. Single. Time.” Mike explained with a wide smile. “Seriously that’s what terrified them. Oh my God that's hilarious.” “Try growing up while getting tickled for any reason.” Mike explained “They were so adorable I couldn’t resist spoiling them each time I saw them.” his smile faded “Until they hit their teens. After that, I simply tickled them each time they did something wrong or got into trouble.” “So in essence you see them as your children,” asked Craig. “More like little sisters.” Mike said “I saved them from a pack of Manticores when I came to Equestria. Nice way to discover my powers and the Elements.” Craig then smiled at Mike before he asked him “want to see them when they can’t see you?” Mike shook his head “No, let them be. It would be rude to spy on them. Also, I have other plans for the future.” “Okay then” he then looked at the sky and “I better head back soon my daughter will probably be worried about me.” Mike nodded. “Okay then.” Mike looks at Fire Strike “Can you get his sword?” Fire Strike nods and prepared to take off, but Craig said “there’s no need” he then reached under his top and pulls out a perfect copy of the blade and says “I have my own copy” Fire Strike stares at the sword “Always prepared to go back, it seems.” he spoke. “Wouldn’t say I'm ever prepared for anything, but I am prepared for most of the unexpected.” Mike smiled and approached Craig “Then I guess this is goodbye.” he pulled out a pair of bracelets. In each there were three feathers, each one a different color, one leaf and one dragon scale “This charm is meant to protect you against enemies. If you’re attacked while wearing it, it will trigger a defensive barrier from one Element. If ever in danger, it will provide protection.” he passed both to Craig. “Be warned that it only has energy for one defense from each Element. Good for escaping dangerous situations.” Craig then smiled and said “Let's hope I never need to use it.” Craig them smiled and said “If the order ever give you trouble again, or Celestia and Luna don’t hesitate to give me a call.” he then rubbed his head and said “one good turn deserves another, do you remember Dragonball’s potential unlocking do you want to to boost your power as thanks?” Mike shook his head. “I’ll pass.” he raises his right arm, touching the white stripes. “In comparison to Goku, I also have my own training gear, ready to jump out in case I need to fight seriously. And I don’t want to get too much overpowered. But I’ll keep your token at the ready, just in case.” “It has been a pleasure to meet you Mike.” he then laughed and said “If you had took my offer you could have been Mystic Mike.” Mike smiled wryly “I already have two titles, don’t need another one.” he said, “May the Elements protect you from future dangers.” Craig then smiled and saids “Same to you” he then raised one hand to his head then salutes Mike. He then takes his amulet off his neck and quickly slashes the blade of the downwards creating a large hole similar to the one he appeared from originally. He then placed the amulet back over his head and begins to walk through the portal and disappeared from view. Chapter 16 - Me and My EgoSomething has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.Chapter 17 - Jagged Claws-Craig’s POV- I arrived back in my Equestria. I realised what I had just agreed to do something unimaginable and that my hands were shaking and my palms were sweaty. “Oh god!” I muttered. “A war between other displaced, what the hell have I just agreed to!” As I walked down the street I heard ponies of different genders and colours greet me with warm smiles and open hearts. However. The cheery attitude I once had this morning was replaced with fear and worry, leaving me in silent as I walked down the path and past my friends without even seeming to notice them, leaving what was just confused faces on the ponies behind me. I walked closer to home when a loud familiar voice snapped me out of my train of thought. “Hey, Craig! How you doing!” At first, I just ignored her and continued my walk, It was when Rainbow Dash flew up next to my ear and shouted. “Equestria to Craig are you alive in their?!” I motion my head left to right, trying to shake the ringing sound out of my ear. “Oh sorry, I have just been told something a bit worrying,” “What do you mean?!” She asked shifting her body. I tilted my head close to the ground, guilt-ridden across my face. “War,” I muttered. She was muffling a laugh with both her hooves while she hovered in the air. “Ba ha, Oh~ Good one, Craig you really fooled me there, haha. Right!” I kept my head tilted towards the ground, trying to show Rainbow Dash that I was not joking what so ever. “...Craig… you’re joking, right?” Her tone quickly turned to worry. At that point and time, I could feel the eyes of praying ponies directed towards me and Rainbow Dash as if they were trying to listen in on our whole conversation. Their stone glare digging straight into my heart. I leant in close to dash's ear and whispered. “Let’s not speak about this here," I pleaded. "let's wait till I’m at my house. Ok, Dash," I leant back and noticed that her eyes had dilated to a smaller size. “OK," she quietly replied. “Thanks” I continue to walk into the direction of my home while Rainbow Dash hovered close behind. When I looked back I could see that all of the nearby ponies were very confused, I was surprised they didn't hear me and Dash's short going conversation even though ponies had much better hearing than humans. When I looked up into the sky, I found the sun peacefully planted in the sky, it reminded me of a certain ruler of Equestria. Celestia is not going to like this, I thought. As we steadied down the path to my home Rainbow raised her hoof to ask a question, she hesitated but never spoke. She put her hoof down and ended the tension between us. When we got back to my home, I was greeted by a still small little door that was meant for ponies, not humans. I opened the door, gestured Rainbow to come inside and closed the door. I flipped the lock on the handle, locking the door so that nopony would barge in on our conversation. “Okay!" Dash quickly shouted. She took in a deep breath and exhaled. "Can you please tell me what you mean by "War"?!" She asked in a shaky tone of voice. I sighed, knowing Rainbow Dash she wouldn't stop asking until I either gave her the answer or told her the truth. So either way, she was going to know. "What I mean by that dash is.." I sighed again, slipping my lengthy fingers through my hair as stress flowed through my aching head and chest. "That... During my recent Displacement, I heard of a war between two Displaced. One who I have already heard off and kinda met and another which I've never seen or heard of. When I found out more about this, our enemies I heard that there is a creature that refers to himself as "Killjoy" that started all of the war off and could potentially be very dangerous.” She then looked at me and said “God you sound like Twilight, but I don’t see how this affects you.” I then sighed and said, “it effects me as I am now part of that war.” She then looked at me and shouted “what the buck! Why in Celestia’s name would you join a war!” I then looked at her and said “I joined it to protect those who are close to me, you, Scootaloo, Twilight, Everypony.” She then just looked at me and asked me “protect us from what?” I then nod my head before I said “I can’t tell you any more, however, I can tell you that some of these guys have had years of experience in honing their skills. I know at least one even defeated Celestia and Luna and another is a murderer.” “You can’t do it you're facing monsters, murders and Celestia knows what else!” she shouted as he looked directly at me. “It’s not just this reality need to protect. I met some innocents during my last adventure, young foals, one was attacked and I saved him, I then met the Displaced of that world and let's just say I need to help friends and uphold a promise” I then heard Rainbow dash say “But… it’s a war, you could be killed.” I then looked at her and said “Ask Twilight about the multiverse theory, to sum the bit I'm worried about up, when realities collide they merge or destroy each other this would mean that the whole universe would not exist killing all the inhabitants of both realities, but I am no physicist so I could be wrong about my fear.” “Everypony could die.” Rainbow Dash whispered almost unheard I then nodded my head and said “that is why I need to fight, if I can’t stop what's going to happen he could kill you, Twilight, Scootaloo, everyone.” She then looked me dead in the eyes and says “then you need to be ready for anything.” I then looked at her in confusion and asked her “what do you mean?” “We are getting Celestia’s help.” “Wait what?” She then smiled and said “you’ll see. But first, we need to see Twilight.” I then just rubbed my head and think “what is she planning” with that we then begin to walk out of my house and towards the library. -Unknown POV- Far off in the Whitetail woods in Equestria, A small orange creature was cutting and chopping through leaves, roots, branches and bushes with a large silver machete with its tip cut clean at the end. “First thing ya know yu’r hav’n fond memories with y’er dear old nephew after not see’n him for ov'er 1,720 years. And as ya just about ta give’em an old gift ya walk straight in’ta ah bloody Gat-way!” He said aloud with a semi-high pitched Scottish accent. He walked through the Whitetail woods with no sign of stopping or resting. "Right lad, jus remember what th'e, Angel said ta ya and find ah well-managed city or village and tell them ta direct ya to the nearest capital and ask for elp!" He prepped himself. "That!-" He brought the knife in his hand down upon a tree branch, cutting it out of his way leaving a small opening for him to fit through. "-Or jus survive off th'e land until ah Canis comes ta find ya!" He stopped and questioned his last option. "I'll choose th'e first!" As he cut his way through the forest, water like sounds made its way to his large furry ears. He travelled further and was met with a revine, possibly a 75-foot drop down into a strong, rushing current. He raises his arms high above his head and drops them to his side in a dramatic motion. "Great!" He said slowly. Putting his knife in its respective holster. "Great," He repeated. He threw his fist in the air and shouted. "What else can ya throw at me, mother!" As if on cue, large deep breaths and low growls pushed the orange bipedal creature forward from behind, tempting him to jump and take a chance with the fish. He slowly tilted his head back, finding that most of the space behind him to be occupied by a large lion-like creature with bat like wings and a scorpion-like tail. The orange creature nervously smiled at the fierce monster that blocked his only escape route. He spun around and put his hands close to his chest, pointing them outward to show the lion he meant no harm. "Hey, lad!" He said in his happy tone. "Would ya min’d directin me to th'e nearest-" Large sharp claws swooped past his head, by habit, he dogged the lethal blow by mere inches. Again, he spun around 190 degrees and jumped off the cliff into the ravine. The wind past his ears, making a loud whistle sound as his fall accelerated. While in the air he motioned his legs straight, crossed his arms and crashed into the rapid stream with no injuries. He made a quick stop to admire the blue water and swam up. His head hit the surface of the water, he struggled for air. The current pulled him side to side, each time he hit the riverbed wall he cringed as it was felt with great force by the small animal. The strange creature was pulled under the water and dragged across the floor, driving him Into sharp rocks. Blood seeped out of the wound under his belly. Crimson dyed the water as the strong current started to calm. His eyes felt heavy and his body began to weaken from the cold and the thrashing. He struggled to lay the back of his body flat on the stream's surface. Floating like a boat he managed to get his body in the right position, letting his body rest and relax. His vision went dark and his heart slowed, taking the cheerful animal into a soft sleep. Flashing images of him and his family passed him by as they represented something close to his heart, his soul, and his mind. After watching time pass, he slipped from consciousness. -Craig’s POV- As we made our way towards Twilight’s library, I could tell that things were extremely tense between me and Rainbow Dash. I sighed as I attempt to create a conversation between us. “Dash mind explaining what's going on,” I asked. She didn't reply, only stare in awe at the colourless floor. I smiled as I rethink the past, I close the distance between us and shouted next to her ear. “Craig to Dash, you alive in there!” Amazingly I surprised her, she shakes her head back and forth, but as I am imagining she is trying to get rid if the loud ringing sound in her ear. “uhh yeah, just…” she tilts her head towards the ground and whispers. “Worried… You and...” Again, I sighed as guilt spread through me. “let's just stop at the bridge and just have a rest,” I offered the stressed mare. She looked at me with her rose eyes and nods with her head. We made our way onto the bridge, I leant over the rails of the pink coloured bridge “You sure there’s no other way” She then looked at me and I just shook my head at her. I then sighed and said “I don’t think there is. I wish there was another option but I don’t-" I then stopped as I saw something small floating in the water. Rainbow Dash then said, “You don’t what Craig?” I don’t reply as I was fixated on the strange object in the water. It had an orange texture to it and seemed small. Like a child's toy. “What's wrong?” Rainbow asked. I then noticed the water around it is coloured Crimson and my eyes open wide as I run off the side of the bridge and down the bank on the other side. Without thinking about my own safety I just run into the water and up to the creature in the water and carefully pick it up out of the water and walk back up the bank on the side and shouted “Dash go get Fluttershy take her to the library this creature is in bad shape. I’ll get him to Twilight and see if she can help him.” She just looked at me questionably and flew over to see what I was worried about but as soon as she saw the strange animal she instantly flew off as I began to ran towards the Library and said “Hold on little guy, don’t die on me." I reach for the front door of the library I quickly push the door open to find Twilight organising her books and neatly putting away scrolls. I shook my head remembering the reason I was here “This isn’t the time to think about that I need to help this creature” I then shouted “Twilight!” She then turned around and said “Oh hi Craig what's…” she then saw my arms stained in blood and screamed, “what did you do!” I then quickly say “me nothing but found this creature bleeding out, we were too far away from Fluttershy’s to get her, you were the closest person I could think off. Think you can help it?” She then looked at me and said “put it down on the table I’ll see what I can do.” I quickly rushed over to the nearby table and carefully place the animal down. Twilight rushes over with a medical kit in her mouth, places it on the table and opened it with her telekinetic magic and takes out a small rag, places it over the gash on his side and putting pressure on the wound. “We need to work quickly!" Twilight yelled, taking in a deep breath. "I’m not sure how long this thing can last!” I then nodded my head and said “Just do your best, you just need to keep him alive till Rainbow Dash gets Fluttershy here. She’ll know what to do” She then sighed and said “Let's hope your right” As we continued trying to save the small creatures life we became more and more anxious as it became clear neither of us knew what we were doing and understood that we needed Fluttershy to get here as soon as possible. I then decided that we needed more time and I place my hand on the creature's chest and cast grand healing which gave the creature some more of his energy back. Seconds later Fluttershy came through the door and quickly started to examine the creature at this point I walked out the way and took a deep breath as Rainbow Dash walked up to me and said “Are you okay?” “Yeah just worried about the little guy.” She then looked at me and said “the little guy seems to be getting better you did a good thing, Craig.” I then looked at her and said “Then why do I feel like something's wrong. Like he’s not from this reality, it’s like how I feel when I see another Displaced. I can’t explain it.” “I’m sure he’ll be fine we’ll just have to wait and hope for the best.” “Let’s hope it wakes up soon,” I admitted hopefully. Fluttershy ran through the house, picked up the small animal off the table, tucked him under her wing and ran to Twilight's room, not bothering to ask the owner if she may occupy or use the bedroom. Though Twilight didn’t object, she knew that the animal was in pain and thought it would be fine to let the small creature use her bed for the time being. Twilight turned to me with an angry glare. “What did you do, Craig!” She shouted. I raised my hands in the air in a defensive manner. “I didn’t-” “He didn’t do it, Twilight!” Rainbow cut in, she flared her wings open and put her body between me and Twilight. “We found him on our way to your house. He was near the old ponyville bridge soaking in the water. When Craig found him he ran into the water and brought him here, to your house because you were the closest to us!” She said stomped her hoof on the old wood floor. The tension in the room was agonising. Both friends having a stand off to the end. When Twilight regained her composure, she walked over the nearest table, sat in one of the many chairs and smacked her head on the hard surface of the wood. “Sorry, Craig…” Twilight apologised, leaving the room in an empty silence. -Unknown POV- The small creature slowly opened his squinted eyes. Light from the nearby window illuminated the room he was now in. Said room was made of wood, plants, and the windows were made of glass. As he began to sit up, a sharp pain ran from his side to his whole entire body. He looked down and found that his wound from earlier was healed slightly and that they were covered in thick white bandages, soaked in blood. He also found that he was covered in a blanket and his body rested on a very soft bed, possibly made of cotton. When the orange creature managed to sit up without falling back down on the soft bed, he took note of the large room and the cracked door to his left. Voices, male and female were heard. He also took note that his shirt and all the rest of his belongings were missing. Unlike his family, he never liked showing his fur or any other part of his body to sapient creatures, he saw it as uncouth and disturbing. He hopped off the bed and landed on the on the wood floor with his small feet. He tip-toed his way to the cracked door and pushed it open with the palms of his hand. *CREEK* He flinched at the loud sound. From outside, chairs scraped across the wood floor as footsteps made themselves clear of the oncoming guest. The small animal quickly jumped over to his bed and covered himself with the blankets, laying in the same position he woke up in. The door swung open with a loud gasp accompanying it. Silence, then a sigh of disappointment from what he assumed was a female voice. "Oh..." The voice said aloud. "Just give him time, Fluttershy. He'll come around?" A young male voice spoke with sympathy. The door closed and the clopping of hooves made their way outside, leaving the room in an empty silence. He took a peek over his shoulder and found the door behind him to be -as said before- closed. He hopped to his feet and looked out the window that was closest to him. He saw that he was in a little town or village, inside a tree. He put both of his palm on the windows surface and pushed. Unlike the door, it made no sound and fresh air flooded the room. It was when he saw the locals, he questioned where he was. Again, he jumped off the bed and landed on the solid surface of the wood floor. He ran over to the corner of the room and threw open the door to the closet. He pulled out a small green blanket and wrapped it around his torso. He walked over to the door where he believes the strange creatures came from and opened it, ready to meet the locals. -Craig's POV- As I got back down the stairs I just collapsed and murmured “It’s all too much, war, worrying about that creature, it’s just too much.” I then lower my head into my hands whilst looking towards the floor. I then felt a small figure tug on my shirt and I look up to see everyone looking at me in surprise. I then look over my shoulder to see the creature I saved looking at me. "So are ya the bleedin bloke that saved m'he?!" It said with a semi-high pitched Scottish accent, as it's squinting eyes stared at me. I then looked at him and replied “Well yes and no, I found you floating in the river but you were saved by Twilight and Fluttershy” I then pointed to each of the respectively and then continued to tell him “I just brought you here” He just stared at me in disappointment. "Come now lad, yes or no, did ya save m'he?"! He asked, raising his eyebrow. I then sighed and said, “I guess I did in a way, but I don’t take credit alone I have to say it was a group effort.” The small orange creature quickly took my hand and shook it up and down. "Well thank ya for sav'in m'he!" He directed his eyes towards the girls. "And thank you as well girl's!" He motioned his head back at me "The names Paorach lad, nice ta meet'cha!" I then smile and say “Craig and it's a pleasure to meet you.” I then look at him and ask “this may be a touchy subject but what happened to you to give you all your injuries?” Paorach put his hand on his chin and hummed. "Well, lad ah-..." He stepped back and turned his attention to the group in front of him. "Sorry if I'm act'in a bit normal about this, ya get used ta it after traveli’n far off into the depths of space and time!" He turned his attention back to me "But as fu'r yu'r question lad, all I was doin was really mindin ma own business when I jumped in ah ravine full ov sharp rocks and the like!" He continued, waving his hand up and do as if he were describing rushing water. "I went ah wee bit close ta th'e floor of the stream and th'e rock cut onto m'he skin, pullin it off m'he wee skinny body!" I then looked at him and said “Wow you were unlucky.” I then think about what he said and said “Wait did you say space and time? That sounds a lot like the Displaced.” Paorach scratched the top of his head in confusion. "Displaced?" He asked. "Ah don't know what ya mean by that lad?!" “I suppose I may be wrong but the Displaced are being who have been removed from their own realities into a different one in my case from Earth to Equestria.” He took his hand from his head, down to his chin, scratching it. "Sorry lad, but never heard of such ah thing in th'e Canis's archives? Sorry lad, just too much ta take in right now. Remember, just got out ov bed!" He chuckled, walking over to one of the chairs next to the table. "Thanks again for Savin m'he life lad, th'e Canisis will be in your debt when they find out ya saved their shaman!" He laughed. I then turned to Fluttershy and asked her “Have you ever heard of Canis before?” She then looked at me and says “It's a dog I think?” I then shrugged my shoulders and said “well that explains that I guess” I then turn to Poarach and said, “Do you even know where the rest of your kind are?” "It's been a while lad, haven't seen m'he kind in 50 years! Time just flies fu'r m'he!" His smile grew. "But if yer talkin about the Canisis, then yes, seen them 2 days ago!" I then smiled and said, “I guess I better help you find them, I need to make sure you get back to them safely.” Paorach muffled a laugh, his cheery demeanour stayed the same. "Haha, hold on there!" He said, waving his arms at me. "They don't live here lad!" I then looked at him and say “Wait what? You're from a different reality aren’t you, I guess you need a token to get you back home.” He took the token out of my hand and placed it gently and carefully in the other. "Whoa, wait, lad, let m'he finish!" He looked up at the ceiling. "Ah never said ah wasn't from this reality!" He pointed his index finger up at said ceiling. "They live up there!" He smirked. Rainbow Dash then shouted “You mean you live in the sky? How? You don’t have wings? how do you fly?” I then shook my head and said “I think that it’s more likely that he means that he comes from another planet.” Paorach folds his arms over his chest. "Well kinda," He said gesturing with his hand. "Th'e live in th'e "depths" of space, they don't have a planet. Only ah moon." “I guess that means that your people have a lot of advanced tech?” "Floating islands lad, not ships..." I then laughed and said “Sounds like something from Sonic the Hedgehog” He turns his head away and mumbled something I could hardly hear. He looked back at me and frowned. "...Try not ta insult them when ya meet them, they don't like ta be harassed and their very sensitive ta mean words," “Any specific words I should avoid” "Na, just try not ta be a jerk!" He chuckles and jumps off his chair, onto the floor. "They may be wonder’in where ah am by now. Am an alchemist so I need a few things to contact them... It's a magic slash science thing lad, hard ta understand." I then smiled and point to Twilight before I said “If it’s science and magic you need to talk to Twilight, I'd say she’s our resident techie” Paorach slowly walked over to Twilight with his hands behind his back. “So ya th’e one about magic? Well, ah suppose ya could help m’he with contacting them… all ah need is one large crystal!” “Sure! It’s so fascinating to see another creature from another planet! This could help a lot for my research on space!” She said happily. They were about to leave out the front door of the library when Paorach stopped and look at me. “Hey lad will be back in ah bit. We jus going ta‘get a crystal, ah large one at that!” The door shut and opened back up, with Paorach jumping through and landing on the table. “Mind if ah have m’he clothing and stuff back?!” He said, embarrassed by not having his shirt and only a blanket wrapped around his torso. I then smiled and said “We may have, but we only found you with your trousers. Don’t worry I’ll talk to Rarity about getting you some new clothes.” “Thank’s but no thanks, lad!” He said in a worried tone of voice, waving his hand side to side as if to say no. “It’s ah special shirt made from ah special sheep or wool. It’s ah gift from the Canisis!” I then sighed and said, “Well I'm afraid you didn't have it when I found you... but I'll fly upriver and see if I can find it for you.” “Thanks, lad… You said you can get another for m’he- fu’r th’e time being… Right? “Yeah just ask Twilight to take you to Rarity’s and she’ll sort you something out.” I then stopped as I remember something “Oh and be careful not to get wrapped up helping her. Let's just say it won’t be an enjoyable experience.” “Well… OK, Oh head towards th’e woods where there are white trees!” That said, he joined Twilight to head to Rarity and set off to find a large crystal. I then turned to Rainbow Dash and said “Want to help me find it for him it will be easier with the two of us.” She then just nodded her head and said “Why not, I've got nothing better to do.” I then smiled and said, “OK then let's get started.” With that, we walk out the door and we both begin to fly towards the river to try and find the shirt. As me and Rainbow Dash made our way towards the Whitetail Woods, we found the place to be, honestly, very white. We later found a large ravine surrounded by paw prints and yellow fur. My mind instantly thought of a manticore and probably Paorach. We climbed down the steep cliff and reached the bottom. We searched for thirty minutes and not long after we found Paorach's shirt submerged in the shallow water, wet and not a single scratch. Rainbow Dash flew back up while I jumped scaling the cliff to the top. I propelled myself to the surface and landed on my feet. I looked towards Dash and gave her a thumbs up, signalling that we have the garment. We voted to go back to ponyville, knowing that the walk would be long. We decide to strike a conversation, to pass the time. “So, Craig. What are humans like where you’re from?!” Rainbow Dash asked. “Well most of them I met were dicks, the only one’s I truly trust would have been my family and to some extent my martial arts instructor, but apart from that I wouldn’t say a majority of them were pleasant.” I then smiled and said, “There were a few people though who were bearable however most of these I never physically met, a lot of them were people I met through online media.” “Online media?” She said tilting her head. I then smile and say “You remember the laptop I had when I arrived, that was one of the ways I got in contact with them. One of my main friends was someone I met while writing stories” I then begin to frown and muttered, “I wonder how he’s doing now?” “That’s kinda cool! Meeting somepony you can talk to from across Equestria! Sounds like something Twilight would be into?!” I then laughed and said, “Yeah, that reminds me, never let Twilight get hold of my laptop she’d probably try to disassemble it to see how it works.” I then smiled and said, “But yes it is quite cool the only problem was the difference in time zone’s a lot of them were based six hours behind me, always made it difficult to talk to them.” “That’s a bit of a letdown?” “It was but I always say when life gives you lemons make lemonade.” I stopped in my tracks as the feeling of magic washes over my body, but dash somehow didn’t notice. I turn around but found nothing behind us. Dash quickly saw that I fell behind and called my name. “Hey, you okay, Craig?” She asked, flying over and elbowing my shoulder. I then rubbed the top of my forehead and said “I… Don’t… know, Something feels… Wrong?” When Dash turned to walk in the direction of ponyville she was stricken with fear. “Craig,” She whispered. I hear the bushes on the sides of the trail fidget and move. “Craig!” Rainbow yelled, tugging on my shirt. “Whats… Wrong?” I muttered out clearly in agony. I turned around and found that the road was occupied by a large, Orange to Red, 5.9-foot wolf, his size surpassing mine. I then managed to stand up and say “What the hell, Dash behind me… now!” I then quickly drew my sword in one hand and formed a fireball in the other. The wolf angrily barked and growled, the sound echoing off the peaceful wood forest as saliva dripped from the wolf’s mouth. The wolf walked forward, Each step he took, he made a black paw print that scorched to ground, sending smoke from the soil to the air. I then gulped as wherever he stepped he left a scorched pawprint in his wake. I turned to Dash and shouted.“Get out of here I’ll hold it off!” Rainbow Dash then took flight into to the sky, making her way into the direction of ponyville. The wolf barked more and I saw something I thought I would only see in a horror movie. The wolf’s muzzle and jaw opened and split in two, something I would normally see from a zombie in Resident Evil. Smoke left the muscle of the now open wound. razor sharp teeth decorated its mouth, threatening to crush any meat that enters it’s now morphed mouth. I then slowly backed up and muttered “Not good” my hair then began to glow as it slowly rose from my head and turned almost golden. I then say “It’s now or never” I then brought my hands to my side and shouted “KAME...HAME...HA!!!” Seconds later a large blue beam expanded from where my hands were and hit the wolf dead on. However, when the beam faded I found that the creature was still standing and didn’t seem to even have a scratch on it. I then spluttered out “Nothing! I’m screwed, I can’t go near it and I can’t hurt it from a distance.” The wolf smirked and laughed in a deep voice. His body coming ever closer to mine. “Help! Help!” The all too familiar raspy voice yelled. Out from the bushes rose another wolf but with a much larger body, different colour fur and holding Rainbow Dash from her wings with its mouth. The wolf had large angel like wings and bright white fur, with amber eyes. She was female and showed the face of confusion. “Dash!!” I shouted as I clench my fist against my sword. “Get the fuck off her!!” I then bolted forwards as a black gun appears in my other hand as I shot three times at the first wolf, he flinched with every hit. I then jumped and kicked it in the side of the head and pushed off and propelled myself towards the second one and threw my fist towards the jaw of the second one but stopped just before and instead struck her in the chest causing her to drop Rainbow Dash from its mouth as I grabbed her before unloading a whole clip into the wolf's face. The White wolf’s face was set with fear with its ears dropped to the side of its head The wolf fell onto the floor, moaning in pain. I heard the first wolf shout something in a strange language. He took off towards me as if he were not affected by the bullets I shot into him. He motioned his head up, and threw it down, sending a sharp pain down my back. Although the wolf was in front of me and at a good distance, he somehow managed to send fire down my back onto my skin as smoke emerged from the back of my shirt. I then stopped as I realised one important fact “Fire” I then close my eyes as my hands began to change from skin to flowing water. I then shout “Water VS Fire!” I then send as much water as I can find cascading towards the wolf which started to slowly push him back. The red wolf quickly brought together his split muzzle, he grunted as he struggled to keep his pose. He was dripping with water, although I thought he could no longer use fire, he was still a threat with his teeth. He began to regain his footing and trudged through the flowing water. I noticed this and put more power into my water attack. He slipped and fell, sliding on the now wet soil. A single silver male voice yelled from behind, I quickly spun around and was kicked in the chest by a blue airborne wolf with his hind legs stretched out, making contact with my upper body. He propelled himself off my body and successfully accomplishing a backflip while landing on all fours. My ribcage caved on my lungs, making me wheeze and heave as I struggled for air. I fell on the ground, scratching at my throat for oxygen. I moved my hand across my chest feeling my appendage dip into my body, feeling the pain and worry wash over my mind. I coughed blood which poured down my face. “CRAIG!!!” Rainbow screamed while whaling her hooves back and forth, trying to break free from the white wolf’s grip. When I looked over at Rainbow I saw that the white wolf was, again, carrying Rainbow by her wings, somehow unharmed by the bullets I placed in her head. She motioned her head towards the red wolf who only took the features of anger and disgust. “What brought you to attack them!” The white wolf muffled a yelled, her voice easily matching that of Celestia’s. “Did you not smell him!” The red wolf yelled back. “He is drenched in his scent!” I then shouted, “Wait you understand me?” I then turned back to the white Wolf and say “how about this, if I put my blade away you release my friend.” “Simple words are not enough, human,” She said calmly. “We have no reason to bargain, you are in no position to speak at this very moment.” I then angrily shouted “And you had no right to attack us! All we were doing was trying to find our friend's shirt that got lost when he was attacked and arrived in out town bleeding to death!” I coughed, each time I spoke I was interrupted by a sharp pain in my upper body. “We were not the ones to attack first! Our monster of demons over here was merely trying to scare you, and he was told to keep his distance and not interact!” The blue wolf stepped in. “So it was our disobedient Canis who started all this, I will say only that!” I then turned to the new wolf and said “And pray tell what we did to warrant that action!” “Our friend, you are drenched in his scent and blood!” The white wolf yelled, letting her grip on the rainbow mare ease. “We fear you have killed him!” I then clicked on to what was going on and said “Wait, you mean Paorach? I didn’t kill him I found him bleeding to death in the water he’s back in town after being patched up! In fact, he’s trying to contact you. He said he wanted his shirt back that he lost and me and my friend here came to find it” The white wolf took a step back, surprised by the speech I gave her. She shook her head with concern. “You… As you say, he is alive and unharmed?” She asked me. “Yes he’s unharmed, a little injured after what happened to him, but we did not harm him in any way whatsoever!” I then look at her and say “Would you kindly release my friend” “He’s lying! He should be deemed food-” “SILENCE, FLAIR!” The white wolf yelled, sending an echo around the forest. “Your muzzle is to remain shut and unmoving till the remainder of our journey!” Her eyes gazed across my body, examining the damage that was done to me. “Wolf, take this skittle,” The blue wolf wrapped his teeth around the wings of the mare and held onto her the same as the white wolf did. “I believe this was all a misunderstanding, we apologise for our actions and your first impression of our kind.” She said with a concern and soothing voice. White particles wrapped themselves around my body, making the wounds I had dissolve and disappear. It was when it stopped, I was able to breathe normally and able to move. It was when I saw the white wolf pacing back and forth her angered appearance replaced with concern. “Alpha?” The blue wolf asked, his words were muffled due to the feathers in his mouth. But no answer was given. “Alpha?” No reply, but the decorated wolf could tell something was wrong with his own leader. “We can resolve this Alpha?” He said with a soft gentle silver voice. “That all depends, Wolf. We kidnapped a species of this land, we harmed another who was only thinking in self-defence, and we managed to threaten them due to our actions and appearance,” She let her head dip with sadness. “It’s obvious we will not be forgiven for our actions,” I then smiled and said, “Well you're wrong on not being forgiven, after all, if I can forgive a god for making me live through eighteen years of hell and can forgive your kind for a few minutes of suffering.” I then sighed and said, “besides I knew that your kind wasn't like you were acting, I met Paorach after all.” “Your government is different human, they will not be as forgiving as you, we know your kind well and most of your kind is blinded by the evil your leaders holds. But the African American man changed that when he was elected king,” She said, smiling at her thoughts. “He was very kind… though I may be wrong, for there are different species of humans, so I have seen.” “Species… no, we refer to them as different races, and yes I will admit that some of my kind are blinded by darkness, but all it takes is one man to create chaos or create a light to burn that darkness away.” The white wolf pondered Craig’s words, uncertain of his speech. “Tis different human,” She turned to Rainbow, examining her. “But I am more worried about this rainbow-like creature. I fear more for this one, I’ve never seen her kind before?” “I’m a pony and don’t forget it!” Rainbow yelled, still trying to escape Wolf’s grip. I then sighed and said “Dash calm down” I then turned towards Alpha and said, “Would you mind putting her back down, that might be one way to repair your relation with their race.” Alpha, concerned about the thought, decided to compile. “Wolf,” She signalled. Wolf slowly loosened his grip on the mare and placed her on the ground. Rainbow rubbed her wings and ran over to me, checking to make sure I was okay. “Craig! Are you okay?” Dash asked, putting her hoof on my arm and shaking it profusely. Even with our strange situation, I still managed a smile. “Yeah I’m fine. I guess we found Paorach’s rescue party, the better question is are you okay?” “Pff, I’m fine,” She boasted. I then laughed and said “Good to know” I then began to look more serious and told her “can you forgive them for what happened?” Rainbow put her hoof to her chin. “I… guess?” I then smile and look back to the wolves and say “See like me most of the ponies in this world are similar to me in moral.” I then smiled and said, “But let's be fair to Dash if she hadn’t forgiven you would have probably have been in a bit of trouble.” “I would agree,” The Alpha replied. “If you would not mind, will you take us to our shaman?” She asked. “No problem” I then scratched my head and said “So there's five of us should be doable” I then looked at them and said “Grab hold I'll get us back in an instant” The three wolves looked at one another, confusion written on their faces. “We do not understand?” The Alpha replied. “Ok, well…” Rainbow Dash started to explain. “Craig has these awesome powers that are just awesome! So he can do anything that is like, Fly, copy stuff from other games and it’s just so AWESOME!” She put her hooves to her cheeks. “Way to make me feel even more powerful than I am.” I then turned back to the wolves and said “Though it wasn’t much good against you, I can’t believe you survived bullets to the face?” “Yes… For that question, you did not shoot me with your weapon?” She weakly smiled with concern. “You shot yourself, near your foot… It was a mere illusion and alteration spell,” I then looked at them and muttered “For god's sake that’s ridiculous I thought I'd nailed you from where I was” “...Do you remember when you felt pain in your mind, just before we encounter you?” “Yeah I thought something was wrong that's when Dash alerted me to your presence. That's another thing how did you catch her? She’s faster than near enough everyone I know the only exceptions being me, Pinkie and maybe one of the displaced I met if he didn’t hold back” Alpha spread her angel like wings out, making the other two wolves look smaller in comparison. “My wings?” She said flatly. “Though to catch her, it took me some time.” “I guess she underestimated how fast you could go,” She continued back to her story about her magic. “So as we were discussing, My magic was brief as it’s effects do not last long, It takes your mind and makes you think you've done harm to others, but in reality, you put harm to yourself.” “Well I guess it could be worse, I could have ended up killing myself?” She drew her head back, alarmed by what I said. “It’s not possible to have one kill themselves with hypnotic or illusionary spells” “I wouldn’t let some ponies catch wind of your spells.” I then looked at them and said “Anyway let's make our way to Ponyville.” I then gesture to them “You only need to be in contact with me or this to work” “I would rather walk!” The red wolf yelled angrily, walking away from the group. “I do not want your filth, oil like skin to touch my fur!” With that said, he walked down the dirt road in the direction of ponyville. Alpha turned her attention back towards me with an apologetic look. “I apologise for his words and actions,” She motioned her head back to the red wolf. “He hates the human race and is holding a strong and elongated grudge for what they have done to him” The words she spoke caught my interest. “What did my kind do to him?” I asked with a raised eyebrow. “I wish I could change his opinion on us. I for one don’t wish for him to hate me for as long as I live” “He was venturing the planet ‘Earth’ when he was struck with one the human's shocking machines. He was sent to the human scientist and was being dismembered by them,” Her face saddened. “They managed to make him no longer feel physically and he has taken a new path, far from our tradition,” She looked back at me. “I wish we could change that as well, Mr…?” I then angrily stab my sword into the ground and say “I can’t believe my kind would be that evil! If I ever get a chance to find those monsters I will show them how it feels to be dismembered” I then shook my head and said, “where did that come from?” I then scratched my head “Anyway since I came here I have refrained from using my surname. Not even my daughter knows it.” “But you must have a name I can call you by?” “Yeah, just call me by my first name, I don’t mind us speaking like friends” I then smiled, put my hand out and said “Craig” I then picked my sword back up from the ground and quickly sheathed it. Alpha put her right paw out in front of her, shaking my hand, “It is nice to meet you, Craig. I am Alpha.” She directed her attention to the blue wolf. “And this is, Wolf,” Wolf smiled, not saying or speaking a single word. “Ah, Alpha, the leader of the pack I presume?” “Yes, I am the leader of our kind,” She smiled. I then smiled back and said, “You may want to meet Celestia and Luna, they are the Princesses here and the highest authority in Equestria.” “I will Craig, thank you,” She smiled. “Shall we make our way to the village or town that our shaman currently occupies?” “Of course as I said before you just need to be in contact for me to move us.” The two wolves nodded their heads and moved closer to me. “You too, Dash don’t want to leave you behind.” “Alright!” She replied, placing her hoof on my shoulder. I then slowly raised my hand towards my forehead, touch it with two fingers, close my eyes as we all then disappear from sight. We were greeted by the site of white and purple, the area was littered with garments and cosmetics furnished on the ground and walls. As we let go of each other, Rainbow flew out the door with her hoof covering her mouth and Wolf seemed to hunched over almost as if he were ready to spew on the spot while Alpha stayed on the scene unfazed. I scratched the back of my head, concerned for the wolfs well-being. “Wolf, you okay?” “I’m… Fine, Just… Not used to such a form of… Quick transportation,” He replied, closing his eyes in pain as his stomach growled. “I did warn you about the ‘instant’ part of what I was doing, but still Dash isn’t doing well either” I then turned to Alpha and said, “You seem to be fine, though.” She closed her eyes and smiled at me. “I am a leader, we must learn to cope with our situations,” “I wish I could find it as easy as you especially after what I’ve got to do soon.” "And what would that be?" She asked. A scream came from the other side of the room. As this was Rarity's home and workshop, it was obviously her. "Oh, my!" Rarity squealed as she stepped in front of Alpha. "Your fur! It's so beautiful and white!" She said, rubbing her hoof against Alpha's body, feeling the soft surface of said fur. "Tell me, who does your fur, to make it so beautiful of course?!" I then laughed and said “Am I invisible again Rarity” Rarity only stares at Alpha, not paying any sort of attention towards me, the gleam in her eyes showed she was more interested in the figure in front of her. Alpha looked at me with a somewhat uncomfortable look. "Is this a friend, Mr Craig?" “Prepends how you’d class a friend, wouldn’t say we're close but it’s hard to make tight bonds in a few days.” "Is that a no Mr. Craig?" She asked as Rarity kept rubbing the surface of her body. I then sighed “yes we are friends but not close, let me help” I then walked up to Rarity and click my fingers just in front of her face then say “Personal space Rarity!" "Huh, yes dear?" She let go of Alpha and directed her attention towards me. “Rarity, have Twilight and Paorach came by here today” Rarity's eyes widen with happiness as she recalled the not too recent encounter. "Why yes darling, they came by ten minutes ago. Though that small little orange thing does not have a taste for fashion!" She pouted. "If I could have convinced Twilight to keep him here, I could have made some improvements to his clothing and show him how to dress." “I don’t think he’d want that, he was rather set on his previous shirt which me and Dash went to find and met Alpha, Wolf and another one who didn’t want the quick way back." "Well..." She stood next to Alpha and brought out her hoof. "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance Alpha, I am Rarity," Alpha shook her hoof with her paw and gave her a friendly smile. "As is the same Ms.Rarity," She nodded her head towards Wolf. "And this is, Wolf Ste'fur Spirit," Wolf also shook Rarity's hoof up and down gently, his size towering over both me and Rarity. Rarity hesitantly laughed as reality showed her that she was very small compared to these wolves. She closed the distance between us and whispered in my ear. "They are quite tall?" “And I wasn’t when I got here? I can only just get in and out my door each morning” I arguably whispered. "Their features are slimmer and could easily fit through the door if they crouched down, same as you Craig?" She whispered back. then laughed and whispered, “point taken, but you realise they probably heard all that right.” She looked back at the two, Wolf waved at us while Alpha examined Rarity's creations. "What if they did," She turned back to me. "I would take it as a compliment." She puffed her chest out, trying to stay true to her words. I then nodded my head and said “You may, but what about other races, you don’t know anything about their traditions, and I don’t either” "Well... That would be a difficult situation to be in," She admitted. “Just be careful, don’t want to make a whole race hate you.” I then muttered, “Mine already has.” "We are a kind of peace and protection. I apologise, I overheard your conversation," Alpha said, still keeping her directed attention on the clothing. “It’s not a problem.” Rarity was taken aback by the sudden voice. "Oh, I- I am deeply sorry if I offended you in any way Alpha!" She bowed her head. "I took no offence to it Ms.Rarity, do not fret, " She said with a soft voice. “Anyway, Rarity do you have any idea where Twilight and Paorach went after leaving?” Rarity put a hoof to her chin, pondering the thought. "I believe they said they were heading to a gem store or they were going to go out to the edge of ponyville to find a crystal?" She put her hoof down on the floor. "Why do you ask darling?" “They wanted to find a large crystal so Paorach could get in contact with his kind. but that's not an issue now so I was going to find them to save them some time.” "That is so sweet of you darling" She pat my shoulder. "I suggest going to either the ponyville market area or next to Fluttershy's, that would be the best decision." She calmly walked over to one of her many drawings that were plastered on the wall that helped design her dresses. I then turned to Alpha and Wolf and said “Let’s try to catch them up. maybe be better to do this on foot this time” They nodded and began to exit out the front door of the home. Alpha ducked to avoid the impact of the doorway while Wolf managed to hit his head, later on, he learned his lesson and crouched out the door. I then smiled and said “See you later Rarity” and then just teleported myself out the door. I then instantly reappeared outside the door and asked “where do you want to try?” Wolf started to walk in the direction of ponyville market area without saying a word to both me and Alpha. “Do not worry, we shall go search at this ‘Fluttershy’s’ while Wolf looks in the local areas,” I then just nodded my head and shouted “See you later Wolf!” Wolf looked back and nodded his head at us without a word, for not talking at all, he sure was quiet. I then turned to Alpha and asked “Why doesn’t he talk?” “He is very social and will talk occasionally, though I am uncertain of why he is not now?” She turned to me. “Aside from the many questions one has, shall we leave to this ‘Fluttershy’?” I then smiled and said, “Yeah, oh one thing the last bit of her name does say a lot about her she is very shy around new people.” She nodded and understood. The walk was not long but It was not short either. We were greeted by a hill with a small cottage on top of it, it's green and brown textures told that it was old and fragile. I walked up to the door and knocked on it three times with my fist. Hoof steps made themselves clear as they approached the wood door. Said door creaked open as a small cream coloured pegasus reviled herself. “Y-Yes?” She asked in a soft and timid voice. “Hi, Fluttershy how you doing.” She heard my voice and opened the door a lot wider to reveal the interior of the home. “Oh, hello Craig,” “Hi, just a quick question did Twilight and Poarach come near here earlier.” “Who?” She asked, confused by the situation. I then sighed and said, “that creature you helped to save?” “Oh!” She quickly remembered but shook her head. “Well they did come by, but they said they were going back to the library to get… something?” She said, closing the door halfway but still keeping eye contact with me. “Is something wrong Fluttershy?” “No! No!” She quickly replied. “Just uhmm… busy?” “Busy with what?” “...Things?” “I won’t press on if you don’t want to tell me, if you ever need my help just ask?” “uhmm… thanks?” She said as she slowly began to close the door. “Well, I'll see you later? “Okay, Fluttershy I’ll see you later? Although I wish you could have met some of Poarach’s kind?” Fluttershy poked her head out of the door and saw Alpha who sat next to me. She seemed unfazed by the Canis. “Cool,” She said with little enthusiasm. “What’s wrong? you're acting different you're normally more enthusiastic when it comes to meeting animals.” “Wait,” Alpha cut in. “Do you hear that?” She lifted her head up, her left ear twitched. “No I don’t but I can sense something strange” I then shut my eyes and sense something wrong with Fluttershy. I then opened my eyes and reach for my sword and shouted “Who are you and what have you done with Fluttershy!” Alpha runs behind the home, searching for the sound she heard, while me and Fluttershy stare at eachother. “What gave it away?!” She said angrily. “Many things but you didn’t sound like she normally would, plus she’d never push a friend away!” “So what!” She shouted. “It’s not like you’ll find out who I am If I just told you. Besides, you don't even know if this body is the real Fluttershy, so you can't do a thing about it!” She smirked. I laughed before I said “I don’t need to know as I can just do this” I then charged forward and grabbed her by the neck as my other hand touches her forehead and I look into her mind. I open my eyes and say “Changeling. So you're attacking the elements before the wedding.” I then smirked at it and said “I wonder what hurting you could do to little Chrysalis?” “It would do nothing Mr.Craig, only alert the insect-like creatures.” Alpha came from behind the house, holding a gagged and tied up Fluttershy on her back. At that point my blood boiled as I grabbed hold of her even harder than before and say “Being your queen can sense what I’m doing I’m going to give her a message; you fuck with me or any of my friends you will see me at my worst, no holding back, no mercy. This is your first and last warning, the next time I see any changeling a full mind wipe will be the least of your worries. but Chrysalis because I know your hive is connected so I am leaving you with a gift” I then link in completely with the changeling mind and sent a high pulses electrical charge through the hive mind’s network that second later causes the whole system to break into screams of agony I then grab hold of the mind of the changeling I am grasping and wipe everything and let her drop to the floor as her disguise disappears and it crawled to the walls of Fluttershy's house. “Craig!” Alpha called, she looked back at the pale pegasus on her back. I then turned back and ran towards them and say “Fluttershy you Okay” “Would you mind untying her, Craig,” “No problem, I’ll have you free in a second Fluttershy” I then attempt to loosen the rope to find that for some reason they they wouldn’t break I then sighed and said “Fluttershy you’ll need to stay calm I’m going to try something” I then click my fingers and a small flame appears in my hand and I carefully start to burn through the rope as it slowly begins to weaken and fray where the flame made contact with it. After a few moments the remains of the rope that were trapping her snapped off releasing her from her bonds. I then looked at her and say “Are you okay?” Fluttershy runs up to me and puts her hooves around my body, hugging me. She weeps and cries as her whole entire body begins to shake uncontrollably. I then knelt down and grabbed hold her and said “It’s okay now Fluttershy it can’t hurt you anymore, it’s no more than a broken shell I have erased its memories and could remake them in any way we want.” She said no words but only nod. She looked over at Alpha and weakly smiled. “Thank you…” Alpha smiled as well. “You're very welcome, Ms.Shy,” I then looked to Alpha and said “Thank you for finding her, If anything happened to her I wouldn’t forgive myself.” She put her paw up in front of her. ‘Its fine, Craig. You were the one to untie her,” “I suppose I did.” I then looked at Fluttershy and asked her “What to do with that creature, I say being that it hurt you, I’ll let you decide” Alpha put a paw to her chin and hummed in a questioning tone. “I am uncertain? But… We could benefit from this body as it holds much of their magic and their DNA,” She looked back at me, “But I must ask, who are they?” I then looked at the ground and said “they are being who shouldn’t have appeared yet they weren’t supposed to arrive till the wedding, but now their queen has pushed me to the point of no return.” “What do you mean?” “In the reality I came from, this was all fiction I thought I knew what will happen… Well I thought I did but this event didn’t happen and if this has changed who knows what else could be different.” I then sighed and said “And by pushing me past the point of no return I mean that they pushed me to threaten them with everything I have, nobody hurts my friends be that old or new, that's why I swear to you if anything ever hurts any of your kind just ask and I will protect your kind!” “...That is very thoughtful you Craig,” Alpha smiles. “I just wish I could find those who destroyed… I never did ask our red friend's name did I?” She looks back at the supposed trail the red Canis was going to come from. “His name is Flair Fin’ra Lovingheart,” She leans in close to me ear. “But don't tell him I told you his last name,” She giggled. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but his name is a little ironic isn’t it? And don’t tell him what?” I then wink and laugh. “It might sound ‘Ironic’, yes. But he is kind when not being viewed.” She laughed. “Mostly to inanimate objects and shy creatures,” She looked down at Fluttershy who sat inches away from her. “Such like you Ms.Shy,” Fluttershy blushed. I smiled at the two. “Fluttershy do you want to come with us and-” I turned around to face the shapeshifter. “We will bring along this changeling for good measure” I walked towards the terrified creature and carefully pick it up and place it across my shoulders. I look back at Alpha and show her the changeling. “Probably best to take this thing with us.” Alpha wrapped her right wing around Fluttershy, bringing her close to her side and hiding her upper body. “Do you Miss, Shy?” Fluttershy hesitated, but nodded her head and followed, intimately close to Alpha’s side like a small cub next to a mother bear. We made our way down the hill of Fluttershy’s home, walking down the dirt road. From a distance, we noticed that the town’s ponies seemed to scatter in the market area. I then sighed and said “looks like Ponyville met Wolf!” “It would seem so,” Alpha agreed. “Wolf is adequate, if rocks are thrown he shall not attack. He’s very tolerant,” I then look at him with worry and say “that's not what I'm worried about when I first arrived I almost caused a lot of problems, like angering Twilight and almost being rammed by Rainbow Dash. I don’t want a repeat performance of my arrival.” Alpha pondered the thought. “What sort of magic does this “Twilight” use?” I then looked at him and said “I’m afraid I don’t know. However, her talent is magic and she was trained by one of the princesses.” “And this princess, she is the ruler?” She asked me with a raised eyebrow. I then nodded my head and said “Yep!” We walked further to the town and saw ponies flee their homes and shops with horrified looks and bewildered stares. We turned the corner of one of the many houses, and to our amazement, Applejack stood up to the large dog in the middle of market area. “Give me a few minutes” I told the white canis next to me as I jogged over to the Applejack and Wolf. I shook my head in disappointment. I put my body between the two, stopping their argument. “Break it up you two!” I shouted at both Wolf and Applejack. “Craig!?” Applejack said with surprise. “Well ain’t it about time ya got here. Tell this here dog to get out of the market area! He’s scar’in off all meh customers and he broke the wheel ta meh wagon!” She shouted, demanding results. “T’was a mere accident,” Wolf pleaded, his ears were flattened to the side of his head. “I was merely trying to find a friend” He said apologetically. “Yea! Well, the only friend yer gonna find here is ah broken leg!” She replied. “Firstly he’s looking for Twilight and a ‘little Critter’ that we helped earlier today. Second you have to consider that it was most likely an accident and you of all peop-… ponies must understand that. Thirdly I think you should calm the hell down before I have to make you stop by force,” I cut in clearly serious about my threat. Applejack was astonished by my threat. “Well-, He-,” She pointed her hoof at the Canis behind me. “Oh! Fine!” She sighed. “But why are ya take’n his side! He’s the one who just waltz right int’a town and starts looking around!” She argued. “Yeah and who’s the guy who felt like he was going to be attacked and feared for his life when he first arrived? You could have said I was just looking around as well, also i’m taking his side because he is my friend and as you all remind me ever so often you don’t leave a friend behind” Applejack, again sighed. “Fine! Twilight and the little critter are back at the library, she told meh ta tell ya’ll to go their if ya ever come back from… Wherever ya’ll went off ta?” “Whitetail Woods, and thank you. I’m sorry for any trouble Wolf caused” Wolf nodded in response. Me and Wolf walked over to Alpha and Fluttershy where they were watching from a distance. After discussing what happened in the market are to both Fluttershy and Alpha, we walked towards Twilight’s house. After a short walk up the streets of ponyville, we managed to make it to the library. As we arrived, I walked up to the front door, I sighed. “Who wants to guess we need look somewhere else” I then knocked on the door as say “Twilight you here?” ...That was fast? Twilight’s voice sounded behind the wood door. WHAT!!! Footsteps slammed across the wood floor of the library. The door quickly swung open, revealing a small orange animal, standing on two legs. Paorach stared at me for a while. “Well, it’s about bloody time ya got here! It’s been ah full two hours!” He yelled argerly. “And you!” He pointed at the Canisius. “How did ya get here so fast, ah just sent the bloody thing?” I then smirked and said “In my case just say your friends gave me a hard time, to be more specific your blood on me. I’ll let you connect the dots.” His features were neutral, and his emotions blank. I assumed he was taking his time figuring out what happened. “...We'll just be glad ye’r still alive lad!” He weakly smiled. “To be honest, ah thought they would take some time ta get’er!” “I thought the same, but it was a surprise when they found me.” I then scratched my head and said “I wasn’t great at not insulting them though guess I should have been more carefull instead of jumping to conclusions when we met.” I then smiled as I threw him his shirt. “We found this for you.” Paorach quickly snached the small fabric out from the air and threw his temporary shirt behind him, landing perfectly on Spike's head. He folded the shirt over his head and wore the green garment. “Thanks lad!” He bowed. “So, where is that burning corps?” He asked me. “Ah know he came with ya, so don’t try ta fool m’he!” “He didn’t come back with us, he chose to walk back as he didn’t trust me… not that I blame him after what my kind did to him” “Alright, Angel!” He called the white Canis. “Our friend gets ah freebie!” I looked over to Alpha who was just as confused as me. “What do you mean?” “You know what i’m talkin about lad!” He replied. “I mean that we… Ah think its called “IOU”, ah think?” I then sighed and said “As nice as it is, I would prefer that you don’t owe me anything. I don’t like having to force people to do things for me.” “Is anything I’m say’n sound like I don't want to owe you!?” He raised his left brow. “I’m say’n ah want ta at least repay ya for savin m’he life!” He lift his shirt up, showing his new scar. “Ah mean- look at this here! It was right on m’he stomach!” “I know… however there is a reason why I saved you. You see I don’t like to watch creatures suffer, I don’t like to see things die, it’s one of the reasons I didn’t destroy Discord after he had me suffering for years on end” I then reached down and touch him on the shoulder before I said “And it’s for that reason that you don’t need to owe me as it’s just who I am... besides I don’t even know if I could risk letting any creature worry about if I would ask them to do something for me.” Paorach stood on the spot with eyes of concern. He straightened the goggles which were slightly crooked, he reached his hand behind his head and scratched his scalp. “Well…” He pondered. “If y’ur that bent on havin no hand or al’least a gift, ah can't stop ya from that.” “Thank you” I then stopped as I think before I said “Actually there's one thing you could do. Is it possible for you get send a message to my family… Just tell them that I am still alive, and that I miss them.” Paorach jumped in the air with joy. “Ah knew ya would come through!” He shouted. “Sure can lad! So! How do ya want m’he ta tell them!” He fistpumped the air. “Ah letter?... ah visit?.. or ah sign of hope!” I then look at him in surprise at the second one and said “wait are you saying I could physically get back home!” “Whoa lad!” He put his hands on his hip. “Yes…” His face saddened. “Technically... Yes, but, its hard ta pinpoint th’e exact location ov y’ur home. Ya could wind up anywhere if you're not careful… Our way of travel, is not meant for human kind!?” My smile the disappeared as I muttered “Well I guess there's always hope and that's the main thing.” I then look to everyone then said “Although even if that was the case I wouldn’t go home, I have a daughter to look after, a better life than before I left and peo… ponies who I can actually trust.” I then smile and click my fingers as a old style camera appears in front of us I then look to everyone and say “Please stand in front of the camera, there's only one surefire way that they’ll think I’m alive.” I then looked at the sky and said “although Scoot’s should have finished school by now.” We then heard a voice behind me shout “hey who forgot about me!” I then see Rainbow Dash standing behind us with Scootaloo next to him shortly followed by Sweetie Belle and Applebloom. I then laughed and said “How could I forget about you.” I then smile and say “Want to get in the picture?” “I’m gettin in” Paorach yelled. Wolf shrugged his shoulders. “It would be fine?” He said, walking in front of the camera. Alpha smiled, and walked over to the huddled group. I then smiled at the bizarre group of cannis and ponies, walk over to the camera the say “Everyone ready?” The group nodded, waiting for the photo to be taken. I then set the timer to a few seconds then ran and knelt down in between the group and then almost instantly the camera went off as i looked towards it. I then walked up to the camera and looked at the photo as Twilight began to envelop the picture in her magic. She then smiled and said “what we don’t want this disappearing because of sunlight.” I then laughed and said “okay thanks, Twilight.” I then looked at the picture and smile as I placed it in my hand and put a small amount of magic through it that makes a exact copy of the image. I then looked to Twilight and said, “Is it possible for you to write the message as much as I hate to say my writing is dreadful.” She then smiled and said “Spike mind writing on the back of this for us?” “Sure what do you want writing?” I then scratched my head and said “I guess something like.” If you are reading this, you should be able to guess who this is from, If not look at the picture. I just want to tell you this is not a hoax or a lie this is me and the image is authentic and also that I am alive and I miss you. Please don’t forget about me as I love you. Thank you for looking after me through the worst days of my life. Your lost boy, Craig. I then began to almost cry as Spike writes the letter and Scootaloo trotted towards me. “Dad, you okay?” She asked, holding onto my leg with both hooves. I looked at the small filly who is cradling my leg. “Yeah Scoot’s i’m okay, just can’t believe that I finally get to tell my family that I’m alive. I don’t think any other Displaced get this opportunity” I said, rubbing my eyes of the tears I shed. Wolf’s left eye turned transparent red as a tear began to form. He covered his eye with his paw and slowly walked out the library. Alpha followed Wolf outside, worried for the young pup. “We will be back,” She informed the group who later left the room. Paorach took the note from Spike’s hand and places it firmly in his satchel. “Will see ya in ah bit!” He said running out the door. I then quickly followed them out the door and shout “Thank you! Thank you for everything!” I then brought one hand up to my head and saluted to the wolf like creatures. “You're very welcomed Mr.Craig!” She replied. As they faded out of view the sun began to set. They left. I then looked back to everyone and said “I guess we all better head home I need to make sure Scoot’s gets to bed.” “Ohh~ But I'm not tired” She wined. I then shook my head and said, “Yeah but you went to bed late last night and I don’t want you falling asleep in school. I got into enough trouble for that when I was at school as a kid, and besides. You said that yesterday and I had to carry you to bed?” She then began to mutter something I couldn’t hear. “We’ll see you all tomorrow” I laughed. With that, they all wave to us as we begin to walk back home. Chapter 18 - A meeting with Chaos-Unknown POV- Today, I decided to move out and about to explore the Badlands. The cultists had already made a map, but I wanted to see it with my own eyes. So, after leaving the underground base, I chose a random direction and started walking. After about an hour of walking across the desert, I came upon a strange structure. It reminded me of the Tyranid Hive Fleets but grounded. And as black as a shadow. Curious, I stepped towards the peculiar structure. Then the Bug ponies showed up. They almost looked like they appeared out of the ground, because suddenly, I was surrounded by at least a hundred of the horrid things. I quickly charged my energy into my staff, but it was knocked out of my hand by an armoured bug, and their spears all levelled at my head. Thinking quickly, I fed power into my hand, and it shot out, disappearing into a small portal. When I pulled it out, in my hand was the sword Amulet with the strange message. I grunted. Now or never, I guess. I fed some power into the Amulet and felt a connection to it in an alternate realm. My powers quickly latched onto the other end, and pulled. Seconds later a white light began to glow and a human in a dark blue chest plate appeared in front of me holding its head. it then said “I hate it when people force me through portals” he then stood up and looked around to see the creatures surrounding us. he then turned to me and said “what the heck have you done?" "I simply walked towards the strange building when they popped up out of nowhere. Now then, should we just stand here arguing while they try to tear us to pieces, or are we going to break out." I replied. He sighed, nodded, and braced for combat. I remembered a basic levitation spell from a book I read during the war, and my staff flung back to me. Gripping it, I fed it a large dosage of power from the Warp. While I could use some of my warp powers without the staff, I used it to amplify my power tenfold. I slammed the blade edge of it into the ground, resulting in a massive shockwave. The Bug things reeled from the blast, but while most of them were swept away, some remained, clearly stronger than the others. I grinned from within my helmet. "That should even the odds a bit," I told the newcomer, to which he rolled his eyes. The rest of the bug pony things charged, mostly focusing on me since I released that shockwave. I raised the staff, then, thinking better of it, placed the staff in my pocket dimension. Instead, I drew my Bolter Pistol. The Tyranid copycats, because, I mean seriously, look at them. All they need now are some big giant Carnifex's and they would be a complete ripoff! Anyways, I voxed in my report of the Tyranid wannabe to my other brothers, telling them to meet me at these coordinates. I then shot lightning at a bug, frying it instantly. I had too many on me to see how the sword guy was doing, but I was too preoccupied to care at the moment. Irritated, I raised my bolter into the air and fired it once. The bugs all flinched. "Okay, now that I have your attention, cease all hostilities and take me to your leader before anyone gets--" a groan of pain emanated from one of the downed things. "--Anyone else gets hurt. I only came for an examination of your apparent home, and this is the welcome party? I'm not impressed. My brothers will be here in but a moment, and trust me when I tell you that they will not show mercy like I am. Do I make myself clear?" I yelled, and the bugs nodded. I looked over to my new 'partner'. I could tell from the moment I looked at him that he was one of those 'Heroic' types. And I could tell that he sensed the bone-chilling powers of the Warp I unleashed earlier. "So, should we head in, or do you want to wait here for my brothers?" I asked. He shrugged, and so we waited, the Bugs eyeing us warily. After about thirty minutes, Khârn and Zhufor came into view. Another ten, and they were close enough for communication. "Khârn. Zhufor. Welcome to the Tyranid Wannabe school. This is.... forgive me, I forgot to ask your name. I assume it's Craig, as the amulet suggests?" He nodded. I turned back to Khârn and Zhufor. "This is Craig, a human from an alternate world as far as I'm aware," I told them. They both looked at him and nodded in greeting. Craig then looked at them both and said “It’s a pleasure to meet you” "The pleasure is ours. I am Khârn, Chaos Space Marine and Champion of Khorne. This is Zhufor, also a Chaos Space Marine, and a Khornate. And I see you've already met Ahriman, our brother sorcerer. So, Ahriman, what is this? It looks like a miniature Tyranid Hive Ship crash-landed and burned into a black husk. And what are these bug creatures? I admit, they look a little like Tyranids, but there's more bug than 'Nid. For example, 'Nid's don't have cheese legs." Khârn said, turning to me. Craig then smiled and said “these things are called Changelings they a pony like creatures that can fly, use magic and shapeshift. They also follow a queen and are all connected as if they were one mind.” I nodded. "I see. Well then, let's go meet the Queen of these... Changelings. I would like to discuss a few things with her. Oh, also, Khârn, Zhufor, don't forget to later make your own tokens." I replied, before marching into the hive. Khârn looked at Zhufor, then at Craig, shrugged, and followed. After a few minutes of wandering through the hive, we arrived at what appeared to be the Throne Room. A few guards took up positions, guarding their queen. I looked up at her, then bowed. "Your majesty," I said sarcastically. The queen scoffed. "Who and what are you, and why do you intrude upon my hive?" She asked, glaring at us. "I have come with a... business proposition. If you will hear me out without your guards attacking me or my friends here." I replied. She looked at me, then to Craig and the two Khornates. "Are they some sort of honour guard? If so, they aren't much." She told me, to which I just looked at her. "No, they aren't. And even if they were, just one of us could defeat your entire hive singlehandedly. So, I suggest you not make any of them angry. Just in case, though. You guys should wait outside the throne room. Any bugs give you trouble, you know what to do." I smirked, but also sent out a small burst of Warp energy, too small to notice even by a magic user, and sent it in a wide area to scan the entire hive. Craig's POV As we walked out the room I threw a small device into the corner of the room and then said “You realise you don’t own me but I will leave you two in peace” I then smirked before I said “have a nice date” with that I followed Khârn and Zhufor out of the room. Once we got outside I then asked “What is your brother hiding? I’m not that thick there’s something wrong with him” "Oh, he's always hiding something. Ahriman's a follower of Tzeentch, God of Change, 'magic', schemes, and more." Khârn replied, glancing at the doors. “But you still trust him I don’t not one bit” I then clicked my fingers and said, “let's see what your brother sent us away for.” I then threw a small projector onto the floor that brought up a screen showing an image of the room. "So, strange creature, what business brings you here?" The queen asked. Ahriman leaned on his staff. "I honestly doubt you know about this, but do you know of what the ponies call, 'The War of Darkness?" He asked. She nodded. "Yes, I remember. I was a part of it." She replied. "Well, I don't care which side you were on back then, but do you remember who Luna's Top Librarian, as well as her Right Hoof, was?" She looked to be thinking about it. "I believe his name was... Ahriman? Why do you ask?" She replied. "Oh, that's right. I forgot to introduce myself. I am Ahriman The Exiled, once Chief Librarian of The Lunar Guards mage squadrons. I lead the armies of the Night in the Siege of Manehattan. I summoned and controlled the Deamons that finally claimed the Keep. I am Champion of Tzeentch, God of Change, Sorcery, Knowledge, and Strategy. In the final battle between Luna and Celestia, I, along with my brothers, were banished to the Warp, a Realm of all emotions and thoughts ever made by any creature in this universe. The remnants of my Librarians brought us back from it. For us, it was a century. For them, it was a thousand years. And I want you to join me. We are going to give them a taste of revenge." Ahriman declared. To this, I just sighed and said “always hating Celestia but still another Displaced I meet being banished seems to be a running trend with the alternate Celestia's.” Khârn looked at me. "If you were just banished, with feelings of hate towards her, into a Realm that contained every emotion ever felt, for a hundred years, trust me, you would be angry too. Granted, our feelings were probably heightened due to the emotions, but still." He told me. I then smiled and said “I understand what you mean, even though what happened to me was different I still understand what you must feel. However I have forgiven the one who caused me pain and now he is a trusted ally maybe the best thing you could do is to just forgive her.” Khârn snorted. "Sure, if you're a normal human. For one thing, normal Humans who look into the warp will go insane, and they can't even see its true horror. The only way we survived with our sanity intact was because we were Space Marines, and also, we are used to it. We Chaos Space Marines spent more than a thousand years in the warp before we came here. And normal Space Marines are bred Xenophobic. We see a creature that is not human, we get the urge to kill it." He stated. “Wouldn’t say I’m completely human anymore either but oh well.” I then turned to see a changeling lunging towards me and sighed as a blue tendril flew out of my back and speared the Changeling straight through the body then just as quickly as it appeared removed from its body and disappeared. "Impressive. But we are made to fight. You are not. We can't do peace. We can be diplomats, sure, but peaceful civilians? Nope. Impossible. Our entire purpose in life is to fight.” “Then you will struggle in the upcoming years the world is at peace... Well mostly.” I then looked back at the screen and continued to listen to the conversation. The queen looked at him, smug. "Prove it." She ordered. The temperature in the room dropped suddenly. "As you wish." He replied, before focusing his magic onto his staff. It began to glow a dark red, and a portal made out of every colour, even some that didn't exist, appeared in between the two. A horrendous creature stepped out. Its skin was a bright red, with razor sharp teeth and a forked tongue for a mouth. Its tail was ablaze with fire, as was the massive sword it carried. Upon its head rested a strange glyph. With a snarl, it lunged at the queen, only to be held back by a chain, which ended at Ahriman's hand. "This, your highness, is a Bloodletter. A Deamon of Khorne, and denizen of the Warp. It is with these that the Keep of Manehattan fell. Normally, it takes a lot more to summon, but as this is only an example, it will die off and return to the Warp in but a moment." As he said that, the beast screamed, before disintegrating, and returning to the portal, which closed afterwards. "Believe me now?" He sneered. The Queen nodded. "Well, Ahriman, I am Queen Chrysalis. I believe it is in our best interest to work with you. After all, I too have a bone to pick with Celestia. But what of Luna?" She asked. "Her? I have no reason to serve her anymore. Even if I did, they would try to kill me on sight." He replied. "Well then, I guess I can consider your offer. Where should we meet?" Chrysalis asked. "We will meet at the mountains. Three o'clock PM, on Sunday." He replies, then marches towards the door. I then quickly switched off the screen and picked it back up off the ground just before Ahriman came back out the door. "So, are you all ready to leave?" He asked. I just nodded my head at this then said “Ready when you are.” "Then let us be off." With that said, Ahriman and the other two began walking towards the exit. When we exited, Ahriman turned to me. "As a gift of thanks, I give you this." He reached his arm out, and a portal sprung up. He reached his hand in and pulled out a massive gun. "It's a Bolter pistol. I don't know if you can use it, but if you can, then it won't be just an ornament. It has infinite energy ammunition. It should serve you well." I then reached out picked up the gun and said “Thank you” I then brought it up in line with my sight and pulled the trigger as the gun instantly fired and my back leg moved backwards to compensate for the sheer amount of force the gun released. I then looked at them in surprise and said “That's got a lot of power behind it.” I then look at them and said “Is there anything I can do for you?” "I doubt it. We got pretty much all we need at the moment. Khârn controls an entire tribe of Dragons, I lead the remainder of the Librarians, and Zhufor.... he doesn't need an army. His Terminator armour is like a tank." “Well let’s hope I never have to go toe to toe with any of you.” I then took my necklace off and place it in my right hand, close my eyes and my hands began to glow. As I open my left it had two perfect copies of my token resting on my palm, I then tossed the copies of my token to Khârn and Zhufor and said “If you ever need my help don’t hesitate to give me a call.” "Alright. If that is all, then you are free to leave. Let's see, how do you do this again? Oh right." Ahriman told me. "Craig, our contract is complete." He recited. He then tossed me a staff. "That's my token. If you ever need my powers, give me a call. Just send your thoughts into it. It will also unlock a being's ability to look into the Warp, and control its power. But only if you want it to." Once I returned home I muttered “Idiot he thinks I don’t understand what he is doing, he thinks I didn’t know he knew about my device” I then laugh and say “Fool, I know that man is evil” I then looked at Ahriman's token and say “This controls the warp, what was the things he did, he opened a portal maybe to a pocket dimension and said I could see the warp at the cost of my sanity… definitely don’t want to risk that.” I throw it over my shoulder and it attaches to my back. I then looked up and sighed as I realised what was likely to happen “If any of them find out about that war they will be there without a shadow of a doubt… I need to be ready in case there on the opposite side of the war” I then grabbed the bolter Pistol I was given and look at it once again and sighed “as great as this is, am I sure it’s right to wield the things that monster gave me.” with that I placed it near my hip as it connected to my clothes. I then placed my hand on the scabbard and it changed back into my guitar making it seem like I hadn’t received the weapons. I then began to walk down the street, however, this didn’t last long as within second I felt a strong pull begin to affect me as I think Not again best prepare for another headache and with that, I disappeared from the area around me. Chapter 19 - Craig VS BlueAuthor's Note Hello Everyone, This was another Crossover this on being with LostFaith and his story The Alpha. I can promise you that this will not be the last we hear of Church. And with is chapter, we are one chapter away from where we left the original story. Chapter 19 - Craig VS Blue "Today could not get any worse!" I quietly said, evaded the patrolling group of royal guards left and right, as I evacuated Porussia citizens from an attack that I wanted no part of what so ever. I look up and find a strange glowing object flying towards me. It reminds me of something from Zelda but not quite. It looks like it has a blade on a part of it with two sides and two Cutie marks on either side adjacent. One is Princess Luna’s and the other is Princess Celestia’s. "Not the face!" I screech. I hear someone talking and look at the amulet glowing. "Hi my name is Craig. If ever you are in danger, are scared, frightened or even just need an ally to stand by your side in your darkest hour. Call on me and I will come and do everything in my power to aid you." I kick the sword but it doesn't move. I tap it and it glows brighter, nearly blinding me. “Hello.” I state blankly, not actually expecting anything to happen. *Flash* My polarized visor prevents me from getting blinded again. A human kinda? is sent sprawling in front of me from an unseen portal. He has black hair with a set of green eyes and is holding a guitar. As he begins to stand up he moaned “I fucking hate getting dragged through portals, I really need to learn to ignore these headaches.” He then looks towards me before he said “Are you the one who summoned me?” I look at him blankly. “You what mate?” He then sighed and said, “Did you find an amulet that looks like a sword that glowed before I arrived?” “Eh… This thing?” I pick up the aforementioned object and wave it in front of his face. “Yeah, that's my token.” He then looks at me and asked, “Have you not heard of the Displaced before?” “If you aren’t referring to slipstream space or something like that then I have no idea what you are talking about…” I answer. He sighed, “No the Displaced are beings who have been sent from one reality to another.” He then looked at me and said, “It looks like you got Displaced as a spartan from Halo.” "Uh... Does this have anything to do with having over 10 personalities?" Craig looked at me and then said as he clicked his fingers “wait... multiple personalities… Oh hell, you must be Church, Epsilon or the Alpha depending on your perspective and yes you got changed into him, in essence, you have all of the Freelancer AI with you including Delta, Sigma and Omega." I do something that I know freaks out everyone and my voice becomes distorted and is like a combination of all the Alpha fragments as their holograms appear outside my armour. "We. Are. Meta." I shake my head. He just shrugged and said, “at least you're not bonded with a symbiote from the Marvel Universe and have Discord in your head, not that they both aren’t a good thing." Randomly, another amulet falls from the sky and hits me in the head again. "Seriously? Is it supposed to do that?" He just looked at me in confusion then said “no not really heard of the same person getting multiple copies of a token... Strange.” "Huh. So about this "displaced" topic, if that were true then what are you even supposed to be?" He then laughed and said “My terms of Displacement was different to most other. I wasn’t tricked by a merchant but was dragged through a portal after Discord tortured me for years back on earth, So i ain’t actually a copy of anything.” "Ha. Yeah um about that... I knew something was wrong with that guy as soon as I saw him. I just was too curious and plus, who doesn't like to love life on the edge from time to time?" Craig rubbed the side of his head and said “point taken, but anyway is there anything specific you want help with?” "Uh... Yeah. How do I make these... tokens." I picked up his token and threw it in the air and wait for a few seconds before I caught it with one hand. "Might make my life a lot more interesting." Craig smiled and said, “First you need to find an object that you want to use as a token.” I detached my energy sword and hold it up waiting for Craig to continue. "Okay..." Craig just looks completely frozen in thought so I walk in front of him, drop my energy sword and unsling my sniper rifle, aim it over his head and let loose a round, causing a shell casing to eject from the side and a very loud gunshot to be heard for miles. Craig shook his head, strangely unfazed and said, “Sorry was just remembering the process. Right after you have decided what you want your token to be you need to… what was it… oh yes put some energy into it and then put in some information about yourself that others will hear, you heard the one I used." "Uh... Energy. Let's see... Energy... I leave my possessed armor and jump into my energy sword which is still laying on the ground. "It's a sword not a fighter jet! No but in all seriousness, if you ever need someone to hack into technology or just talk or fight, summon me, Epsilon-Church." The energy sword duplicates, leaving the original unchanged but with a copy right next to it which is glowing. I exit the sword and re-entered my armor. "Anything else?” “In terms of your token? Not that I'm aware of. However, if I’m right about Church you're not normally an amazing shot… no offence” I was about to get angry but I realised something. "Well, I'm good with fluke shots when it comes to ricocheting. But that requires a surface." “Ah yes… The only reason I was asking is because I was wondering if you wanted me to calibrate your rifle to you so you can fire it more accurately.” Pinkie Pie suddenly popped out of thin air. "You will do no such thing!" She screamed with a satanic scowl before disappearing. "Uh... Maybe you could do that really fast?" I whispered to Craig. “Okay could you just fire one bullet so I know how much I need to adjust it for you.” I pick up my energy sword and attach it to my hip and then aim the sights of my sniper rifle at a tree near an abandoned town. I fire, and the round plays Pinball with the houses quite literally. After a few seconds all the windows are shattered. "Uh... Is there any way for you to make a setting so I can switch between Church's usual accuracy and extreme accuracy?" For reference from now on we are going to call his usual accuracy flukeshot and then the extreme accuracy deadeye. Craig then smiled and said “I believe I can by the way if Pinkie comes after me whilst I'm sorting this could you please stop her or I may have to use one of my little tricks” A Pinkie Pie that looks strangely holographic appears and speaks in an electronic voice, "The Pinkie Pie 4th wall breaking army has no reason to attack you if you keep flukeshot aim as a setting." She disappeared. "I will never get used to that shit. It's like an army of pink Deadpool equines." I throw my sniper rifle at Craig who catches it. “Okay give me a few minutes” he then closed his eyes and the rifle levitated from his hands ands begins to hover in front of him. Seconds later it began to slowly change as a small switch begins to form on the side of the gun and it slowly falls back into his hands. he then opens his eyes and says “Do you mind if i just take a test shot?” I shrug, "Go ahead." He then smiled and said “Thanks.” He then brings to look down the scope and takes one shot that bounces off the wall of the tallest building in the village and hits the same spot as mine. He then smiled “flukeshot works.” He then flipped the switch and once again looks down the sight and aims straight at the tree we hit. He then pulls the trigger and a bullet goes flying towards the tree however when we look where the bullet hits we see the tree begin to slowly shake then topple to the ground as Craig looks at it in shock and shouts, “What the hell! Thats insane” he then passes the gun back to me and says “You try.” I take the sniper rifle and aim at the center ground of the village to see if it gets lodged into the ground instead of bouncing like flukeshot. What happens next is completely accidental. The entire ground starts shaking intensely and every building in sight starts to slowly sink to the ground until all that is visible is a giant crater. Craig and I look at each other and nod and we slowly back away. He then said, “I think I need to reduce the power of that setting.” I look at him like he's gone insane, not that he would ever actually be able to tell. "Uh. No thanks, I think I want to keep this setting." Craig then asked me the million dollar question, "Why is there an infinity sign on your sniper rifle ammo counter?" "I dunno. WHOA WAIT A MINUTE!" I yell. If that means what I think it means does that mean... "Hey, Craig?" “Yeah, what do you think it is?” "Have you seen seasons nine and ten of Red Vs Blue?" “Yeah saw up to the start of season 13… why?” "Let me sum it up for yours. Agent North. Super fast sniper rifle. Basically automatic. See where I'm going with this?" “I think so.” I pulled up the rifle and time seems to slow down as imaginary targets appear in my field of view and I slowly right myself and fire automatically taking them all out one by one. For Craig however... Earrape. He then dropped to the floor covering his ears in pain. I hear some flapping of wings in the sky and turn around to see a couple dozen chariots of pegasi, the Elements of Harmony, and the Royal Sisters. I quickly run towards Craig and tap him rapidly. He looks at me and removes his hands from his ears. I motion behind me and ask, "Know a teleportation spell?" I ask desperately. “Yeah but only when I can focus” he then muttered “Bii Camo quickly” with that he instantly disappears completely from view. I focus on Omega and he does what I need to do without hesitation. A nanosecond later I'm completely invisible but since Craig and I are relatively close in distance we can see each other. "Fan out and find the traitors!" Princess Celestia orders her guards who all salute and jump off the chariots and start searching for us. "Uh, Craig? Do you think you can help me find us a spot to lay low for a while?" He then smiled and whispered to me “No problem you just get to the forest, I'll give you a window to move.” With that he began to move towards a wall across from the guard and a faint glow appears in his hands and a small tube appears. He then pushes a small dart into it and it shoots towards one of the guards and he begins to fly towards one of the other guards and begins to attack him. As soon as the other guards saw him then they began to head towards him in an attempt to subdue the mad pegasus with that we both began to run into a nearby forest. As we reached a spot deep inside the forest with Craig panting and me waiting for him to regain his breath. Craig's cloaking had already worn off half way through the forest while mind had just now deactivated. "Delta, report," I ordered. A holographic green spartan appeared and spoke, "They did not see us leave. There is a 99.4% chance they are too busy still trying to subdue that guardspony." "Good. Did you mark Craig as friendly?" "Done." Delta disappeared. Craig then stood up and said, “Good don’t want to be hit by that gun now, there wouldn’t be much of me left after if it connected.” Gamma and Delta appear suddenly in front of us and Gamma talks in his Stephen Hawking voice, "Your displaced conversation earlier." I regard him curiously. Delta continues for him, "Theoretically that would mean things from the universe your costume was made about would start appearing in a space rift. Correct?" What? Is he saying what I think he's saying? "Uh, Craig? Does that actually happen?" “Does what happen?” Without hesitation and very confusingly, the two ai fragments repeat the entire conversation. "Does it?" “Umm I’m afraid I don’t know I haven't heard about it happening, but saying that I haven't heard of multiple copies of the same token appearing before so who knows.” I groan and point up. "I think I know why they asked that now." Craig looks at where I'm pointing. "Aw... you've got to be fucking kidding me." A pelican that is very much on fire and getting closer crashes right next to us after a few seconds. "Okay, Craig. I'm going to ask you a question and I want you to answer it truthfully. Okay?" “Okay, what do you want to know?” "Why did you say the forbidden words and evoke Murphy's law?" “I don’t understand what you mean?” "Then why is there a pelican gunship... Wait. Gunship? Holy shit! Help me open the back!" I rush over to the back of the pelican and try to pry open the hatch but it doesn't budge. Craig then walks up to the door and places one hand on top of it and some blue tendrils seep in between the gaps in the hatch and spread out and then rip it off the door completely removing it. What is seen inside has brought many to tears with its beauty. ROWS upon ROWS of every single type of weapon is inside it. "Is that a fucking gravity hammer?! It is!" I pick it up and put it on my back. "And an incineration cannon?! Craig! We're rich!" He then laughs and says “Until Celestia finds this and finds a way to use them on us.... we need to take what we want and destroy the rest, she can’t get a hold of this stuff.” "Do you have pocket dimension technology?..." He then looks at the staff on his back and says “maybe but I've never used it before the guy i got this from said this could cause insanity” he then reaches for the staff and says “but it’s that or ponies wielding these weapons” "Is that a token?" “yeah, it’s from a Displaced I met recently, It gives me access to something called the warp.” "Is the warp a pocket dimension?" “I think it can be used that way… Only one way to find out” he then smashes the staff on the floor and a small portal appears beside him. “Come one lets's get this stuff away” "Wait!" I take the staff from him and hit the ground with it extremely hard. Nothing happens. "I'm an AI I can't really go insane. So... maybe I can replicate the effects of the staff by hitting something with it or something? Would that imbue the thing I hit it with if I charge it with energy?" He then looks at me and says “I don’t think you can get it to work.” He then looks at the staff and says “We have no time to mess with the portal we need to get this stuff out of here.” "Fine. I'm going to try something." Suddenly all the fragments of Alpha appear in front of me and Craig's eyes widen. "Time to go meta." I suddenly feel stronger, more angry, and many other feelings. My armor starts to change until I'm taller and look exactly like the Meta's armor except mine is blue. I run towards the pelican and slam the hatch shut before literally grabbing the whole fucking thing and throwing it into the portal. After a few seconds I revert back to normal, drained. "I didn't think that would actually work." “You and me both” he then hit the staff on the floor again and the portal closed, Craig then proceeded to put the staff back on his back. "Erm... So how will I get some of the weapons if I... wait a second. Are you serious? I just realised something. These weapons were all at infinite ammo and energy." I grab the incineration cannon and it forms in a really cool way before finishing in my arms. "Then again... I have no idea how we would even get energy for forerunner weapons in the first place." Craig shrugged his shoulder and said, “I don’t either but…” He then stopped and said, “hide quickly.” We then activated active camo before disappearing from sight. Seconds later Twilight, Rainbow Dash and Applejack walk towards where we were standing previously. I then hear Applejack say “Ah heard him and that other feller over here. Where'd they go?" Craig then looks at me and starts a psychic link with me then says “Let me lure them away.” I nod at him "Did you get any weapons from the gunship?" He just shooks his head and said “Nope but I won’t need it just give me a minute” he then quickly changes from standing on two legs and instead turns into a dark blue pegasus with a black mane and tail along with green eyes. He then nods his head as his camouflage fades as he begins to walk carefully in front of Applejack and then promptly collapses. Seconds later they look at him in shock and run over to him, at this point, I realised what he is up to as I see a small image of a bullet hole in his back hooves. "We have to get him help! What if Church is being possessed? He might not be in control of his actions! Rainbow Dash." Rainbow turns to Twilight, floating in the air. "Get Princess Celestia, the Elements of Harmony, and the rest of the gang here!" Rainbow Dash salutes and takes off in the direction of her leader. Huh. I thought as I see Twilight and Applejack thinking of a battle plan and not noticing Craig's body slowly dissolving until after he is already gone. By then we are already far away. 2 hours of running later Well... more like me just running nonstop 40 miles an hour while carrying Craig. I finally slowly down and look back. We already passed three villages by now, not that anyone saw us in the thick of night. I put Craig down who wakes up as soon as I drop him. He then slowly sat up and muttered “I need to stop making my injuries work so effectively. I even felt it then.” "Yeah well... Now, what do we do? We definitely aren't in Equestrian territory anymore if that city has anything to say." I point at the gigantic mountain range in front of us with a huge ass fortress on it. Craig then looks at me and says “what is this place?” We both hear something that nobody wants to hear. "For the holy flag! Kill the blues!" "Please no." I moan. A bunch of screaming and gunshots is heard and then nothing. "Okay, so you know what? I want to go home." The shooting renews again afterwards. "I think we both know who that is… but he can’t exist… Let me try something” He then changes into a red solder with Pink Armour and shouts “I didn't know you could put a flag there! What a tight fit!" I swear you could hear the record scratch as every single red and blue soldier just stares at us. I take a moment and then shouted while pointing somewhere randomly "Hey he has the flag!" Everyone looks at a blue soldier who actually had the red flag. He sighed. "Well, shit." And everything dies. Except well us. Cause you know. Can't have that happening. "How do I send you back?" I ask curiously. He then looks at me and says “Most people you just say our contract is complete but I can get back whenever we are ready. Anyway, do you want to sort out what you need from the ship?” "Open the portal" I order bluntly. He then smiled as he changed back to his original form and grabbed the staff off his back and smashes it against the ground again causing a massive portal and the ship to just fall out of it. Strangely the ship appears brand new again. "That's epic, a repairing portal. Not that the ship was really that damaged. Take any weapons you want but leave me with at least two types of every one of them. It looks like I have a new personal vehicle." He then looked at me and asked “you sure?” "Yeah, it will give me more space anyway. Not like we need ammo since everything is infinite." He then smiled and said “Okay then." He then walks in and takes a look at what was there and then kneels down and picks up a helmet that was on the floor and says “Am I okay to take this?" "Eeyup isn't that an EOD helmet? That's fucking epic." And it was. It looked to me like a black EOD helmet with red eyes. I then looked at it and said “may need to change its colour but it looks okay” he then carefully places it over his head and says “what do you think?” I simply give a thumbs up. "Anything else? You can still grab one of everything you know." “Okay,” Craig then look at a Sniper rifle similar to the one I have and places it on his back he then proceeds to pick up a standard assault rifle, pistol, a few grenades and a rocket launcher. he then walks back out and says “I think that will be enough” "Okay well if you ever need anything just call." My token falls from the sky and hits Craig in the nuts before falling to the floor. I cringe. "Anyway. Craig. Buddy ol pal, our contract is complete”. Craig then smiled and saluted me before he disappeared and said “If you ever are in trouble you know who to call.” Chapter 20 - Being Thrown to the WolvesAs I arrived back in my Equestria again I just thought And now I am armed to the teeth with halo weaponry… This is seriously happening in just a few days. I hope Equestria calms down soon. I then looked at myself and said “Don’t want ponies getting the wrong idea” with that I turned my sword back into a guitar and said, “That's better.” I then looked up as I saw Twilight run up to me as she shouted “Craig we need to head to Canterlot!” “What's the emergency?” She just smiled and said “No emergency just some training for you courtesy of princess Celestia and Luna.” I then sighed and replied, “Dash told you about what I've got to do.” “Yeah… I still think you're crazy for doing this.” “Please, Twilight don’t remind me.” She then smiled and said, “okay Craig let's get to the station the train leaves in a few minutes.” “Ok let's go.” with that we both began to run towards the station. Once we reach the station we saw that everyone was there waiting for us and I said “you all coming along to see me get thrashed by whatever Celestia has planned for me.” I then saw Rainbow smiled and said “You really think the guards can do you in?” “No, but no reason I can’t humour them, I’m worried about getting knocked around by Shining Armour” I then heard Twilight say “I doubt you’ll need to fight him he’s probably busy” “Twilight he’ll be overseeing his guards training most likely which will include me” Rarity then walked over to her before she said “and even if he is I doubt that Craig will use everything he’s got.” “Yeah, I wouldn’t use the majority of my gear. Some of the stuff I've recently acquired are quite dangerous, lethal in fact.” They then all looked at me in confusion as Twilight asked “What do you mean?” I then think about the dangers of showing them whilst on the platform the say “It’s not exactly safe to use them here… how about this I will demonstrate most of the weapons once we are at Canterlot where it is safe to do so” She then looks at me and asked “why most and not all?” “One of the weapons are very dangerous. It can cause insanity if you look into the portal it creates.” “Seriously Craig… insanity, pretty ridiculous lie… it’s even worse than my prank” replied Twilight. “Applejack am I lying to her?” She then looked at me, then to Twilight and said “I hate to say it Twi but I don’t think he is” Twilight then looked at me and muttered “that is crazy, just crazy, that makes no sense” with that she walks onto the train. “I think I broke her again,” I chuckled “I’m sure she’ll be fine” Fluttershy whispered “I hope your right,” I muttered before we followed Twilight onto the train. -3 Hours later- Once we arrived in Canterlot we walked off the train and onto Canterlot station. I then looked up to see that there were a few guards waiting for us, at this I pointed towards them then smile to the girls as I said “I think Celestia send us an escort to the palace?” Pinkie then looked at me and said “think she expects you to cause trouble” I then laughed and told her “Maybe… but I don’t plan on causing any.” She laughed then whispered “Oh Craig… you're a Displaced it kind of comes with the job per say.” “I suppose you’re right” I then looked at everyone, rubbed my hands together then said, “alright let’s get this party started.” I then heard Pinkie shout “hey that's my line!” At this point, we all laughed as we left the station under the escort of the guards. As the guards escorted through the castle, both me and Pinkie eavesdropped on their conversation. Seeing as we had nothing else to do other than waiting until we got to the throne room. “Hey… did you hear about those huge dogs that entered the castle?” The guard whispered to his comrade. Seeing as all the guards look the same, it was hard to point out who was talking and who was not. The other guard looked back at his friend with a raised eyebrow. “Dogs? What dogs?” “Guess you didn’t hear." He started. "There is a pack of wild dogs in the castle, saying they are here to make "peace". Like they are some higher class or honourable warrior or something,” “Sounds like some weird rumour going around the castle, that isn't true!” He whispered back eagerly to his close friend. “No, I’m telling you! I saw it! A massive white dog that was taller than Celestia herself!” “I’d say the Canisius are more important than you for one, and secondly I'd say that they are likely here to talk to us and the Princesses!” I leant in and whispered into their ears, sending chills down their spines. The two guards gulped in response, ending their somewhat quiet conversation. We turned a corner of the maze-like castle, ahead of us were two large gold doors with small silver handles decorating its front. The two guards ran to the sides of the doors and opened them, revealing the throne room and it contents. As usual, the room was large and seem to show royalty in every corner. We entered the royal room and to my amazement, we found Alpha and Celestia talking to one another at the large center table. Celestia noticed our presence and slowly turned her attention to us. “Ah, Craig. Come, sit down.” She said, pulling out seven of the chairs on the other side of the table with her telekinetic magic allowing me and my friends to sit down. “Thank you Princess” I smiled, walking towards the chair. “And it is a pleasure to see you again Alpha” I bowed before sitting in my seat. Alpha nodded her head with a smile. “As well, Mr.Craig,” “I see you have met Ms.Engel Mor’feea?” Celestia replied. "Yes and I can say our first meeting was… memorable” I weakly smiled, scratching the back of my head with my fingers. Alpha coughed with her paw next to her muzzle, remembering their first encounter. “Yes, it was… Unexpected to say the least,” She raised her head. “But as always, It is nice to meet you too Mr.Craig,” “Anyway, how is everyone doing since we last saw each other?” “Fin’ra, Ste’fur, and Paorach have all been fine. They are actually walking this world as we speak,” She smiled. “I’m glad our encounter left a good impression, in the end, I’d feel bad if I caused your kind to avoid us over that misunderstanding” Celestia looks at both me and Alpha with confusion. “And what misunderstanding would that be?” Alpha looked back at the ruler with a warm smile. “A simple rock that had been accidently thrown, Celestia,” Celestia's concern look was now dotted with worry. “Well, at least you settled your differences without problems?” “Dan’t Worry Princess! They dan’t hold unta grudges f’ur long!” A familiar semi-high pitched Scottish accent sounded through the room. From the entrance of the throne room, two earth ponies were pampering a lunging biped, hands behind his head in a moveable hammock. "It all depends on what happens in th'e situation!" He slowly rose from his pose on his newfound bed and waved at me. "Hello, lad!" He smiled in a happy demeanour. He jumped off his hammock, performing three front-flips before landing perfectly on his tippie-toes. "How ya doin on this'er fine day!" He smiled, putting both hands on the side of his hips. "OhmyCelestiahe'ssocute!" Pinkie yelled, squishing her cheeks together with her hooves, making her lips pucker. She leant in close to me and whispered. "What is he~?!" She asked, pointing her hoof at the orange biped. “A good friend Pinkie” I then looked at Poarach and asked him “It’s good to see you again how are you feeling?” “Th’e day is getting ah lot better!” He happily said, walking over to the table and taking a seat of his own. I then smile and say “Pinkie Pie meet Poarach, Poarach meet Pinkie Pie” “Nice ta-” Pinkie quickly snatched Poarach's hand and shook it drastically up and down, lifting the small creature up, keeping him airborne for a short duration. “Hi, I’m Pinkie Pie!” “Pinkie personal space” “Oh, sorry!?” She let go of Paorach’s hand, letting him land face first onto the marble floor. As soon as his body made contact with the floor, I noticed a silver transparent octahedron envelop his body, it quickly faded just in the time it took to appear. I quickly glanced back at Paorach, confused on what just happened. “What was that?” I asked. Paorach put the palms of his hands on the floor and pushed himself upright, standing on both paws. “It’s called “Barrier” It reduces force taken ta one’s form” He cringed, rubbed the front of his head. Scratch marks were visible on his face. “Is this bracelet ah enchanted ta keep th’e spell on m’he. Although not as powerful...” Again he cringed at the small bump that was now growing on his forehead. “It helps,” “Ah, similar to some spells in games. I believe there was one in a game I played only days before I arrived here, what was it called ... Witcher? I believe the spell was called something along those lines... What was it?” I thought to myself, putting my hand up to my chin. “Quen... or was it... Aard?” I muttered. The chairs in the room scooted back, causing everyone to hold onto their seats. “Ok maybe not that one” “lad!” Paorach said with disappointment, getting to his feet and sitting back down in his seat. “What ah used was ah part of Abjuration magic!” I rub my head, uncertain of the word he used. “I’ve not heard of that before… but saying that I come from a world without magic. So, I suppose that makes sense?” “Ok lad… Abjuration magic focuses on magical energies to provide protection. It can take a number ov forms, including warding off specific types ov weapons or creatures and discouraging or dispelling enemies!” He gave a quick description, dramatically taking off his goggles and cleaning the lens with his thumb. “Abjuration also includes ah variety ov spells involving avoidance and repellency. Abjuration spells concentrate on eliminating or hindering sources ov potential harm rather than repairing the damage. Seeing as It’s rarely used lad, not many know about it!” “I suppose that makes a lot of sense... a lot more sense than all my powers.” A cough made its presence clear. Paorach put his goggles back on his head and turned to Celestia. I did the same. “Shall we continue with our meeting Craig?” I then smiled and said “Ah yes, sorry about that please continue” “Thank you, Craig. I heard about what you shall soon attend from my faithful student and I wish to give you as much time and training to prepare you for what lies ahead. I have decided that the best way from you to train is to face the full force of my army whilst not using any of your advanced weaponry.” “Seriously Princess I can’t use my advanced weaponry…?” I then rubbed my head and continued to say “thank god now I don’t need to worry about seriously injuring one of my opponents.” “And if You do defeat Celestia's Army, You will be training with one of my pups,” She smiled. “I and Celestia have been discussing this matter and she has convinced me to help you, but you must earn it,” I then look at them in confusion and said “You really want me to face a pup? No offence but in my world it’s like attacking a small child… I’d say it’s pretty wrong to do that?” Alpha laughed, her voice echoed across the royal walls. “You will see what I mean Mr.Craig when you are finished…” “Okay, I look forward to meeting him” I then turn to Celestia and said, “when do you want me to start training?” She then smirked before she simply said “now” with that she ignited her horn before we were all teleported outside. As we appeared outside the barracks I saw that we were in a large yard where I saw what must have been just a few hundred soldiers and I look at her and say “that's the whole army, Celestia? I hate to say but it seems quite underwhelming considering that this is the force that’s supposed to be able to protect the whole of Equestria.” She just smiled and said “we'll see soon won’t we” I just nod my head as I changed my guitar into the sword and with that producing all of my weaponry, of which I removed then placed them against a wall behind us before I turned back to Celestia then said “okay ready.” I then turned to my opponents and bow to them then quickly ready my sword as Celestia just nods as four pegasi bolt towards me. I then just smiled and said “Lets see what you can do” I then waited until the last possible second and then slip to the side and instantly uppercut one of them in the chest which cause him to instantly collapse then within seconds I dropped next to two of the others and quickly knocked their heads together instantly knocking them out. I then looked around for the fourth one of the pegasi but failed to find him. I then shut my eyes and sensed a figure rapidly falling toward me as I looked up and saw him moving at what seemed to be as fast as a bullet towards me. I then pull my hand to my side and as he gets nearer and thrusts it upwards just before he makes contact with me causing him to collapse onto the floor in pain holding his muzzle. I then looked around to see that I was surrounded by twenty-five more soldiers that all seemed to be Unicorns. I then look around in worry and move my hands into one symbol and shouted “Shadow Clone Jutsu!” I then saw the unicorn's back away as now instead of me being surrounded the circumstances had changed and my clones had surrounded them outnumbering them two to one. They all then charge towards them and in turn strike them each down before they can even cast a spell. I then turn towards the remaining ponies to see that that what remained were what seem to be forty earth ponies, twenty-five pegasi and eleven Unicorns. I then smiled as I saw that the one who was leading them was no other than good old Shining Armour. I then smiled and said “let's have fun with this thing” with a click of my fingers With that all of the clones charged towards the Earth ponies and unicorns each holding a ball of seemed to compressed air in their hands and charged towards them. As each one makes contact with a pony sending them flying backwards as the majority of them smashed into the surrounding walls whilst an unlucky few get knocked into the air causing many of the pegasi to come crashing to the ground unconscious from the force they were hit. I then looked up to see almost all of the remaining forces dropping their weapons and running away apart from just Shining Armour and one Pegasus. I then called off all of the clones as they disappeared and I shouted “Shining! How about we make this interesting just you two against me!” They then looked at me as Shining Armour says “okay then, you best be ready Craig.” With that they both of the ponies charged at me Shining armour on the ground whilst the pegasus in the air. I just smirked and took a breath before I whispered “Yrden” Which instantly creates a small circle on the ground infront of me which as they move into it caused Shining Armour slow down. During which time I quickly dispatch the confused Pegasus as I quickly ran forward, jumped into the air as I brought my knee up into his chest knocking him out of the air and leaving him unconscious before he hit the floor. I then landed behind Shining Armour and said “Sorry I’ll rephrase that one on one” We then turned toward each other as he said “You took out my whole guard singlehandedly and you don’t even look like you’ve even started trying.” he then smiled as he continued to say “let see how our newest recruit lasts against a captain” with that he charged towards me as I closed my eyes and I begin to feel like time began to slow. I then open them as I quickly sidestep him and attempt to strike him in the side however before I make contact a small shield appears in front of my hand as it appears in a purple glow. “Okay then let’s turn it up a notch” With that I jump backwards as a red flame appeared in my hand before I threw it at Shining Armour however instead of hitting him it instead struck the ground beside which knocked him off balance from the explosion it released, I then charged towards him and managed to catch him by sweeping his front hooves out from under him causing him to fall to the floor. I then jumped into the air before I buried my sword into the ground beside his head. The girls cheered me on, raising their hooves and stomping the ground with excitement. Fluttershy fainted and Twilight seemed to breathe in and out at fast speeds while putting her hoof onto her chest. I rose to my feet and offered a helping hand to the guard on the ground. He nodded and took my hand with his hoof, I pulled him towards me. As I supported the soldier to his hooves, I saw two white figures approached me, one with her chest puffed out and her head held high was obviously Celestia, while the other was none other than alpha, her wings tucked next to her side. "It was very entertaining to watch Mr.Craig," alpha praised me with a smile. "I'm impressed by your magic powers and skill," I then blushed and said “Wouldn’t say it was that amazing” I then looked at Celestia then told her “And sorry about holding back on your guards and Shining" Rainbow dash flew towards us with her jaw wide open. "You were holding back!" She yelled, waving her hooves at the unconscious pile of guards. “Yeah I've never needed to go full out… think the most I’ve ever gone to was around maybe forty percent and that was against another Displaced. I’d say I used about twenty percent at a push.” "I see..." Celestia hummed, looking back at her entire squad of guards who were now struggling to their hooves. "I may need to give my guards more training?" I then smiled and said “Give me a few minutes Princess” my body then began to glow as I walked up to each guard I subdued then whispered “Grand Healing” as they instantly begin to feel stronger and begin to stand up almost as if they hadn’t just be knocked out. I then turn to Celestia and say “that should help them.” with that the glowing ceased. "You still cease to amaze me, Craig," She shook her head with a weak smile. I then rubbed my head and said “Thank you, Princess. but all I did was fix the mess I caused.” "So Mr.Craig" Alpha started. "You have peeked my interest. I will allow you to train with any of our pups and learn from them... That is if you wish?" “It would be an honour.” "That is wonderful!" She smiled, walking towards the castle. "Walk with me Mr.Craig, and I will show you who you will be with," “Okay, then Alpha ready when you are.” with that I collected up my weaponry from against the wall before I followed her towards the castle. As we walked through the castle, it was like an endless maze of marble and glass with gold props hugging the walls of the hallways. "Who would you like to train with Mr.Craig?" She asked, shifting her wing. “Who is there to train with?” "You may train with any of us, as long as you have reason to. Paorach is available, he may be small, rude, and... Immature, in some situations, but he knows much." She said admiring the stained glass that we passed by. "There is Ste'fur, Wolf, who knows much about patience and change, who would gladly help you. Fin'ra... I am uncertain of him. Although..." She put her paw next to her chin, her face contorted to concern. "There is Tel'den," “Why are you unsure about this Tel’den? Is there something I should know?” "No," She shook her head. "He is fine and well, but I worry more for him than I do for the rest of my pups," “Why do you worry about him… is there something wrong with him?” I asked. "There are many things wrong with him. He is not very social with his own brothers and sister, isolating himself from his own kind. He will visit and come from time... The only worry I have for him is that I feel like he is different from us... Like he is not a Canis..." Her head dropped close to the floor, saddens very clear in her voice. "The only reason I am putting him as a candidate is that he is here, on Equestria ground" I then look at him, my eyes filled with determination and say “I know who I’m training with… Tel’den!” Alpha lifted her head with ears pointing to the ceiling, astonished by my sudden outburst. "Are you certain Mr.Craig?" She tilted her head. I then nodded my head and say “As sure as I can be… He sounds a lot like me, he isolates himself, avoids contact with other beings, doesn’t act like others do, he seem similar to me before I arrived on Equestria. and besides, only a diamond can make a change to something that is the same as itself.” I then smiled and said “You never know we may be the only ones who can help each other solve our own downfalls. "You are very kind as always Mr.Craig..." She giggled. "I shall summon him then. Where do you wish to meet him?- umm, may I suggest somewhere less populated?" I then scratched my head then say “the best place would be the everfree but that's not exactly safe… give me a minute” I then close my eyes and try to get in contact with the Mayor. As soon as I manage to get a link with her I say “Mayor can I speak with you?” "...Who's there!?" She asked looking around her office. “sorry if I startled you… It’s Craig. If you're looking for me you won’t find me nearby I’m talking to you telepathically from Canterlot” "Oh?" She said with a confused voice. "Ok... So, what can I do for you, Craig?" She sat back in her chair, her eyes still searching the room. “Okay, I know this is a bit out of the blue but I was wondering if I could get your permission to set up a training field in a large empty place outside of town, I also thought you could use it as an area for ponies to perform when it’s not being used.” "Humm. I do not mind you... Training in or around ponyville, but setting up a large area away from the town is a bit tricky Craig. Is the grassland not that wide or open, and ponies could always go to the hills and practice... things?" “You won’t need to worry about building it, I can prepare the land and build it up overtime and I was thinking as more of a larger area for when musical artists or performers come to town instead of packing lots of ponies into the town centre.” "W-Well!" She thought. "I guess Craig," The mayor sighed with defeat, knowing that I would not give in with a polite no. "Mind if I ask how you are going to do this?" “Not at all. I plan on working with the local community over time starting as just a small stage and a large space in front of it and slowly building it up overtime until we have a good size area for ponies to use” "Okay Craig," She leant back in her chair, looking up at the ceiling. “Oh, and sorry about the surprise call I’ll try not to do it again.” "Thank you Craig?" She wrote down notes on a blank piece of paper with a quill. "Just be sure to clean up when you are done?" I then laughed and said “No promises with my luck I'll be all over the place… almost like Pinkie.” "Don't remind me," She sighed. “Okay, I hope to hear from you later gotta get back to my meeting.” I opened my eyes and faced alpha. She was waiting with patience. "Did you ask for permission to train in this... Place?" “Well yes and no… we have a permission to use it but in return, I need to build a stage and prepare it for use.” "How do you plan to accomplish this on your own Mr.Craig?" “by one of my kind’s most hated topics… hard work and on a brighter note I’m going to get help from the community.” “I See” She was intrigued. “Where is this location if I may ask. So that I may send Tel’den to this location.” “It’s the field just outside the main entrance ponyville, for simplicity's sake tell him to meet me at the entrance to the town”. “As you wish” I sat outside Sugarcube corner, in the small wood chair that sat next to a pink wood table, just outside the candy coated building. I watched ponies of different bright colours enter and exit pinkies home. Either walking out with a smile on their faces or leaving with a cardboard box filled to the brim with cakes or sweets. It was all fine and relaxing, I was only waiting for the unintroduced Canis who I have yet to know. I stared at the edge of town, waiting for the strange creature to appear over the green, grassy hills. I took In a deep breath... And exhaled. All the while looking at the endless rows of large earth mounds that surrounded the peaceful village. I had already made plans to summon the building I told the mayor and alpha we would be training with when we meet. It was then, that I noticed a small figure approaching Ponyville’s front entrance. I squinted my eyes, trying to get a better view of the far off figure. It was another pony, His coat was white with gray scattered around his body, his mane was very short with a dark grey colour and his cutie mark was the USB connector symbol pointing upward. The obvious things that were noticeable about the stallion were that a titanium prosthetic leg occupying his left hind leg, and he seemed to slouch with his head half ways from the ground. He walked into town and from what I could guess, he seemed to be paranoid and insecure. The only emotion he seemed to show was a blank stare. I then sighed and muttered “he really is no different than me before I came to Equestria,” I then stood up and began to walk towards the pony I assumed was Tal’den as I thought I hope this doesn’t seriously backfire two of us who struggle with being around others trying to get over it… This sounds like a worse idea every second. “Hello!?” He said as I approached him in a low, gravelly, monotone voice, his eyes directed to the ground with expressionless features. I then sighed, knelt down so I was nearer to his eyes level and said “Are you Tal’den?” His ear twitched and swivelled in my direction. “That I am... Tech Tel’den and you are Craig?” He asked in the same low monotone voice. “Yes, I am… I’ve heard a lot about you from Alpha but I for one do not like to go on the word of others I prefer to understand them from my own meetings.” “Then you must know that I am not a pony if you have talked to leader Alpha. I am a being of a sentient species” He specified, moving his head to the side to allow his ears to point towards me, his fully grey eyes examined nothing but air. “As are all these ponies they're not like the ponies and horses where I'm from and anyway if what she said was true, you and me are more alike than we make out.” “Is that so?” He asked, tilting his head. “Yes Alpha said you avoid contact with your family, me I avoided all contact out of fear of being hated and always attempted to hide my face.” He hummed. “...Shall we train, do you accept or decline?” He asked. “I accept and am ready when you are.” “Then where are we going to train. I look around and I see nothing but darkness. The only available description I can make out from this land is an open area?” “You’re looking where we are training give me a second” I then closed my eyes before a building similar in shape to the Colosseum in Rome appeared in the open space. I then open my eyes, point toward the newly made stadium and say “that is where we’re training” His head rose from its position, he sniffed the air. “Are we safe from prying eyes? “Once we get inside I will create clones of myself to ensure nopony or nobody watches us.” “Then let us proceed inside.” “Ok then let's go.” As we walked inside we are surrounded by pristine marble walls that are engraved in gold and walk over what look like ancient mosaics that are in a multitude of images and colours. As Tel’den followed me through the arena his form began to static. His body changed and morphed quickly from an equine to a Canis. His fur was white with small grey lines appearing on certain parts of his body, battle scars. His left hind leg and right foreleg were replaced with thick metal in the form of a dog’s leg. His eyes were covered with a strip of white cloth that wrapped around his head and his tail was cut in half, leaving metal to replace what was left. As I look at him I cringe as I say “looks like someone did a number on you…. what happened?” "I was once a normal Canis, not a “Ceaseless”. HQ was attacked by enemy forces. Enemies thought I was a Ceaseless, they tortured me to reveal info on HQ. I did not know any. They gouged out my eyes, severed my tail for my body, they cut off two of my legs and they poured acid on my lung, heart, and my throat." I then begin to feel terrible as I walk over to him place my hand on his shoulder and say “I am so sorry, nobody deserves that sort of torture… if you ever want revenge for what they did to you just tell me where to find those monsters and I will end them. Nothing hurt my friends.” "Yes... The monsters, but I died when they were finished with my corpse" His emotions did not change neither did his voice. "I was dead for ten moons..." I then sigh and say “I’m afraid I don't understand what you mean by ten moons” “10 years" he quickly replied, walking further into the arena while I walked beside him. I then look to the ground and say “Ten years… I wonder how long I was gone before I got a message to my parents and younger brother?” "It all depends on how old you were before you came to the world" “I was eighteen when I arrived, I still am, I only went missing a few days ago.” He was silent for a short duration. "I am 567 years old in human belief. Before I turned into..." He looked at his right foreleg, the sound of a piston sounded from within the metal prosthetic. "This... I was 21, the average lifespan for a normal Canis is 57 to 78. But for a Ceaseless, or Immortal, it is usually 90,000 to 700,000." “Wow, I never thought about a being living that long… to be fair before coming here I never believed in magic, gods or any of the things in this reality.” "I do not use magic Craig, although I do wish I could have it back. You should favour your life My heart was destroyed by the acid, my heart is where my soul lays. But that I have a heart made of metal with sheets of iron. I can no longer use magic for my soul can not remain. It would rust. I am a walking corpse if I do not have a soul. Then I do not have life inside of me," “I think you're wrong about not having life… just because you lose something doesn’t mean it’s gone, I believe that if you want something hard enough you can amount to anything, you just need to not give up on yourself. look at Flair, for example, he was killed by my kind, he lost everything, and yet he didn’t give in, he persevered and now he can at least say he’s working for something he believes in.” “He was not killed and his heart's still beating!” His voice rose from Its previous quiet and monotone self to a much louder, angrier form. “He was only experimented on, and he was asleep! I was not! And I was awake for my torture” “And that brings me to my second point you say you don’t have a soul but I my experience everything does every plant, every creature that has life, you still walk you still breathe and you still have emotions, you may hide it but you still have a feeling for others.” I then muttered “As did I even after all my injuries” I then looked back at him and said, “You’re a survivor, you don’t give in, in my eyes that gives you as much of soul as anyone else.” “Emotions!?” His monotone voice reappeared, but a look of surprise was plastered across his face, even with those covered eyes of his. He looked down at his paw, he brought it up to his throat. He shook his head. “Disremember this conversation, we will train” He walked further into the arena and sat down. “What do you want to learn” I then smile and ask. “That depends onHammer-space… what can you teach me?” “Using weapons and Conjuration. I am more familiar with guns and projectiles.” I rose my hand to counter his words, but his voice sprung to life before I could say anything. “-I am unable to use magic. But I never said I did not know how to use it. looking at your musical instrument” He pointed his head at the guitar on my back. “It is eHammerspace, there are weapons contained in the object?” I then smile and say “Yeah the weapon is a sword I was given by Celestia which she and Luna the improved using their magic.” “Other weapons than the sword?” He asked, adjusting the metal box that lay on his back. “Yes but it may be easier to show you rather tell you” I then place my hand on the back of the guitar as my sword, Ahriman's staff, and Churches sword and all of the guns I had acquired during my travels appeared on my body. Tel’den seemed mesmerised by the weapons that lay scattered on the floor. He walked slowly over to the weapons. One of the guns were enveloped in a fuzzy, transparent texture. The MA5D slowly rose from the ground and hovered close to Tel’den’s face. He placed his paw on the white bandage around his head, lifting up the right side of the bandage, revealing a blue bionic eye. His reaction was that of surprise. I then look at him in confusion then ask “What's wrong?” “This is UNSC technology… Where did you claim this weapon?” “I didn’t claim it, it was given to me by another Displaced a guy who had been turned into a guy from the show Red VS Blue. He gave them to me as thanks for helping him.” I then tap my helmet and say “He also gave me this” Tel’den looked up to see the helmet I held on my head. He looked back at the assault rifle in his magnetic grip. The large box that was placed on his right side opened. Two ammo clips rose from the metal box. One of the two clips levitated towards the bottom of the assault rifle, replacing the clip that was held in the gun. The recently detached clip levitated back to the metal box and disappeared from sight. The sound of metal slugs scraped against a hollow container. He looked down the sights, determining the metal guns accuracy. “Do you know how to use it?” I then look at him and say “yeah it’s one of my strange powers, I can instantly learn and understand how to use anything I find” “What about functioning ammo?” I then rub my head and say “look at the ammo count.” Tel’den looked at the guns blue textured ammo counter. “I understand the clip size. I was referring more to how much ammo you have.” “It doesn’t run out… it doesn’t need to reload same goes for all weapons I have. I only ever need one clip.” “Then this weapon is flawed.” He placed the gun gently back on the floor. “Same as the rest, there are rarely any weapons that have infinite ammo, that or this weapon is only a fake” He walked over to the rest of the guns. “Even I do not have infinite ammo…” “When we found them they were in a UNSC Pelican and were like this after they came out of The Warp” “...” He stood there staring at the guns for a short moment. “Then what are we here for?…” He said walking towards the exit of the arena. “What do you mean?” I asked in confusion “You seem to know everything there is to these weapons and have no clue of what you don't know. How are we supposed to train if you know all!” “Because I don’t understand everything… I understand how they work but I don’t understand much else… my powers let me master things quickly but don’t give me any actual knowledge of their limits” His mind wondered. He thought for some time. staring into my eyes. He sighed with annoyance. “Then I will show you.” “thank you” I then bowed to him as I heard a voice say “Come on Craig, I need you!” I then spun around and asked, “Did you hear that?” He lifted his ear, scanning the area for any sound. “I heard a voice?” I then looked down to my armour and say “Wait… my token is someone contacting me… wait that voice… Church!” I then quickly grab the amulet the said “Oh man Church you only gave me half a day without a call, that's fast… Give me a second” I then look at Tal’den and then sensed another group of ponies and said, “Sorry guys looks like I need to call it a day early.” Tel’den looked at me with a face of confusion. He placed the white cloth back over his eye, concealing his bionic vision. He turned around, looking in the direction I shouted towards. I then turned to the entrance and said “I can sense you all… Alpha, Twilight, Celestia, Rainbow Dash you to Paorach” “Ah come on lad!” Paorach angrily yelled, the illusionary sphere that surrounded them shattered, revealing Paorach who was atop of Alpha’s back. “Maybe we wanted to stay hidden! And not let em know!” I then smiled as I picked my stuff up and said “Sorry you lot I've just been summoned I need to head off… I’ll be back as soon as I am able” With that, I opened the portal to Church's world and walked through it. Before I left the world, I could hear the faint monotone voice of Tel’den, followed by the working of springs and pistons scraping against metal. Author's Note And we are back to the end of the original story, next up something completely new and the first in a long line of crossovers. If there are any mistakes please drop a message below See you all next time. Chapter 21 - The Call of the AlphaAuthor's Note This was another Crossover this on being with LostFaith and his story The Alpha Chapter 21 - The Call of the Alpha -Church’s POV- With a covenant threat looming overhead quite literally in my case I had little choice but to go to extreme measures to fix the threat. I exited the library right after Celestia finished her power transfer and walked into my pelican. “How are the systems?” “All systems online. What do you need?” I transfer my electronic copy of the map of Equestria to Virgil. “Destination: Edge of the border. Speed: Mach 8.5” -Two hours later- As we arrived at the edge of the border and I waited for the gunship to land. When it did I got out and took Craig’s token from the pile and say, “Come on Craig, I need you!” A few seconds later a voice came back through the amulet and says “Oh man Church you only gave me half a day without a call, that's fast… Give me a second” I then hear him say “sorry guys looks like I need to call it a day early.” Seconds later a bright portal appeared in front of me as Craig walked through it and it closed as soon as he was clear. He then looked at me and said “Well what's happened for you to need me so badly?” “Pop quiz, what destroyed Reach?” I then saw Craig’s eyes widen before he said “Oh hell you got the fucking covenant to deal with great I'm getting pulled into two wars.” He then continued to say “okay then what do you need to do?” “Well first, what do you think will happen if we destroy the ships above us currently? Exactly, more will come to finish us off. We need to scare them off somehow. Flood? No. Too risky. Uh… no. Forerunners will only attract their attention. Shit.” “Or maybe you could just go up there and try peaceful negotiations…” “Um, Craig… Have you taken any drugs or alcoholic substances recently?” “No, but I have been hit round the head by half the Equestria army. so yeah that could be it.” “Virgil, open the hatch.” The hatch of the gunship opened. “Now Craig, have you read any of the Halo books? Every single weapon even the ones that were prototypes that were never released in Halo are in this pelican. It’s using Red Vs Blue logic where it’s bigger on the outside than the inside as it may be a facsimile of the pelican they transferred Sheila into. Now look in.” I pull out my m99 Stanchion rifle. “You see this? It’s a fucking Gauss sniper rifle.” I pulled out a M6J Carbine and threw it to Craig. “What's eating you up so much… listen, buddy you're talking to a guy who doesn’t want a full-scale war, that could kill everyone on Equestria.” He then looked up and said, “Listen, if push comes to shove there is one thing I can try to do and that is rewrite their captain’s memory.” I get a shit-eating grin inside my helmet. “Can you breath in space?” Craig then scratched his head and said, “Did Bardock in Dragon Ball Z?” “I don’t know, I never watched that show,” I said blankly. I then smiled and said “He did when fighting an alien who could breathe in space, I am able to manipulate any ability, skill or technique so yes I can.” An idea enters my head and my grin is so big it could split the planet, yes it’s that big. “Wait a minute, bigger on the inside… LOADING BAY! ARMOR! AI! DRONES! Oh my god. Mexican Army! Yes. So much yes. We have to do it! It’ll be like Halo legends ‘The Package’ except with Mexican space robots!” Craig then smiled and asked “Are you sure you don’t want them to speak Spanish and call them Lopez?” -2 hours later- We had finished assembling all the sets of armour and installing voice chips in them. “Activate Lopez Protocol!” Yes, I made a protocol for that. “López se ha activado.” They all say in their native language. Craig then smirked and said “Sorry but I feel like one's going to turn evil and attack us” “Si usted es Simmons te mataré.” The Lopezes say dangerously. Craig then put his hands up and said “and they know about Simmons we are in trouble” He then smiled and said “No, mi nombre no es Simmons . Mi nombre es Craig y yo no soy tu enemigo.” (No, my name is not Simmons. My name is Craig and I am not your enemy.) “Ah, hablas español a diferencia de ese idiota roja Sarge. Él es como un borracho rusa en su estupidez.” (Ah, you speak Spanish as opposed to the red idiot Sarge. He's like a Russian drunk in his stupidity.) "Wow, that’s fucked up. That hurt what feelings I had left." Craig then said “Estoy de acuerdo contigo López Sarge era un idiota absoluto.” (I agree with you López, Sarge was an absolute idiot.) “Ok, I get you guys like talking to people that speak your language but can we move on and get armoured, we are going to space to take out covenant. “Pacto?! ¿Estas loco?” (Covenant? Are you insane?!) “I don’t know. Am I insane?” “Sí. Sí, tú eres.” (Yes. Yes, you are.) The Lopezes all say in agreement. “Okay, then just make backups of yourself.” The Lopezes all facepalm. Craig then looks at me and says “Seriously Church? You realise they are all just one program, right?” He then turns to the Lopezes and says “Sin ofender” (No Offence) “RACIST!” We all say to Craig as we crossed our arms. He then raised his arms and said “Yeah I'm sorry” “Seriously? You guys already made two million backups?!” I shout in surprise. “Nunca está de más estar preparados, idiota.” (It never hurts to be prepared, idiot.) I look around at the group of thirty Lopezes and say to Craig, “Half of them are with you. Get them armed and ready.” I turn to the rest of them which don’t move. “You heard that?! Half of you with Craig and half of you with me! Get armed and I need a sitrep!” Half of them move towards Craig and stand in front of him, awaiting orders. Craig then turns to the other half and says “Ya has oído la IA Estamos mejor prepararse.” (You heard the AI. We best get prepared.) “Warning,” Virgil says. “Precursor presence detected. Identified as Flood, and are capable of Neural Physics. You have been warned.” “I fucking hate my life.” I cursed. “At least they can’t screw you over buddy.” “You know why it said Precursor presence? The Flood were created from the ashes of the Precursors when humans and San 'Shyuum ate pheru which were infected by the ashes which failed to revive the Precursors. This infected humans and other life forms. These motherfuckers mean business. They hate all life for destroyed them. I’m only worried about your survivability.” “You and me both. I think I need to get in some XCOM Genetic Modifications.” “Recommended loadout for this mission: Forerunner weapons. No Covenant presence detected. If you look close you will see a flood hive connected to that ship. We need to stir it away from the planet and towards the sun.” I said. “I got a better Idea” He then put two fingers on his forehead and disappeared. I looked around since my promethean vision shows him as completely gone. My eyes rest on the window. As I looked towards the location of the hive and see a tiny spot that is barely noticeable floating nearby I then see a bright blue light flies towards the Hive and the smash into it leaving it pieces as it begins to just float away from the ship and slowly begins to break apart. Seconds later Craig then reappeared back in the Pelican and said “That should thin the numbers a bit.” “Warning: Flood spores en route towards planet Equis.” I sighed and was about to get up before I fall to the ground immobile. The Lopezes collapse as well. “Electrical failure in sector 6! Warning: Energy failure. System failure.” Virgil’s voice starts to distort as the pelican starts to go off course. -Craig’s POV- I then saw all the Lopezes collapse suddenly. “Electrical failure in sector 6! Warning: Energy failure. System failure.” Virgil’s voice said. I turned towards Church as he collapsed and shouted, “Church! Church you OK” Delta’s distorted hologram appears in front of me and said, “I’m afraid you are going to have to restore the power somehow. This unit is suffering failures.” He disappeared. I then muttered “dammit wish one of you guys were active right now could really use the technical knowhow to fix this mess.” Suddenly a hologram of Church appeared as he exits his armour. “Me. Inside your head. Now.” I then nodded my head and quickly grabbed my helmet and put it on as Church accesses the neural Interface in my helmet and Bii begins to cover my body encasing me in my symbiotic skin I then asked “You okay up their Church?” “Your architecture isn't much different from this Pelican's…” “Don’t get any funny ideas.” I said, “You really don’t want to piss Discord off.” “Fine. I’m going to activate your HUD and I need you to get armed. There should be a weapons bay around here somewhere. Grab any Forerunner weapons you need.” I then said, “Okay,” With that, I ran towards a Z-180 Close Combat Rifle/Asymmetric Engagement Mitigator otherwise known as a scattershot and a Z-130 Directed Energy Automatic Weapon also known as a suppressor. “New energy source found. Enough power has been restored to keep autopilot enabled but I’m afraid your MJOLNIR Mark VI Generation 2 army will not be active.” The pelican rights itself back towards its destination. I rolled my eyes and said “Absolutely bloody brilliant” I then ran towards one of the doors and said “Church where is the nearest power source we can use to refuel the ship?” “Hehe… Yeah, about that. You’re looking at it.” I look at him in confusion. “What?” “You see that sun right there? Yeah, it’s an artificial star. My guess is that it is forerunner-made.” “How are we gonna sort this out then we can’t leave the ship to get it otherwise they’ll take over… Got any good ideas.” “Wait. Something’s happening. The flood spores… they’re actually burning in the atmosphere. That isn’t supposed to be possible. Or at least very unheard of.” Church’s projection flickered for a moment. “There.” A waypoint appears on my hud about 300m away. “There should a backup power generator in that direction. I run through the corridor and up some stairs until I reach a door that was locked. “Fuck the doors locked. We got any way to open this or does it need to be forced open?” “You realise you are talking to an artificial intelligence program right?” Church quips sarcastically. “Yes… yes, I do. Okay then could you get this door open I know this is Delta’s speciality but you should be okay” “Delta.” Church’s voices rings out. A hologram appears next to Church. “Yes, Epsilon?” “Get this door open.” “I’m afraid you are going to have to wait a moment. Virgil has currently locked herself out and is denying communications.” A hologram of Tex (Allison or Beta) appears next to Delta. “Well, she probably has a very damn good reason for doing so.” “Beta. I have not seen you in a while. The door is unlocked.” With that, the holograms disappear. “Okay then wasn’t expecting that let's sort this generator out then stop that invasion before it begins” With that, I ran into the room as I heard the sound of footsteps outside the door “fuck… you deal with the generator I’ll deal with our uninvited guests.” “If you say there are Flood in there I will literally fucking scream,” Church says. “I don’t know what it is but I can swear I heard something outside.” “Do you want to pull a Halo 2 on those fucking flood if they are outside?” I then smiled and announced “thought you’d never ask.” “Delta, are there any space pickles in here?” “Covenant antimatter charge located.” A waypoint appeared on my hud, right next to the banging that is coming outside. “I really don’t like where it is located. Chance of survival: 13.9%” “Great. The percentage has a 13 in it. We are fucked.” Church moaned. “Oh quit your bitching,” Tex said. “Could be worse I could act like Agent Carolina” “*sigh* Did you really just talk about her in front of Tex?” Tex’s hologram appears and flipped me off before disappearing. “Oh bad thinking on my part, sorry.” I then grabbed the scattershot from my back and get ready to fight and whispered “We got any music up there?” The instrumental version of Breaking Benjamin’s Blow Me Away starts to play in the background. I then smiled and put three fingers up and begin to count down and on one kick the door down, sending it flying, revealing a small group of grunts, one of them saying, “We barely got out of there! The demon is here somewhere. We must kill it.” “Ok I’ve had enough I think it’s time for the best battle plan of all time” I then fire off one shot and obliterate one of the grunts and said “It’s called shotgun to the face.” “LEEEEERRRRROOOOOYYYYY JEEEENKIIIINSSSS!!!!!” Gamma/Garry shouted. What? If he couldn’t tell a knock knock joke then he had to choose an even worse one. Seconds later multiple black tendrils shot out of my body and begin to impale each of the grunts on them and instantly retracted leaving the dead body of multiple grunts in my wake. I then looked up and said “You are fucked.” At that point, I grab my staff and smash it on the floor and a portal opens up below the group of grunts sucking them into the Warp I then closed it and said “Prepare for insanity.” “That shit is seriously fucked up.” Before Church can say anything else something that makes me literally shit myself appears. A dozen flood juggernauts jump through the glass, shattering it. “I don’t even want to know how the fuck that is possible,” Church says, pointing at the abominations in front of us. I just look at Church and say “how's the reboot going for the generator?” “All systems online. Life Support Online. Artificial Gravity Online. Shielding system online. FTL Drive online. Starboard cannons enabled. Self-Protective Priorities Authorized.” Virgil announces. “Disable United Nations Space Command Emergency Priority Order 098831A-1.” Church says I justed look at him in confusion. “Cole Protocol disabled. Are you sure about this?” Virgil asked. “Affirmative.” Delta replied. I then looked at my side and said “ok time for something new I then grab my bolter pistol and form a fireball in my other hand and shouted “BARBEQUE’S ON!” I then throw the fireball just in front of the juggernauts that begin to launching them backwards from the force of the explosion and then fire the bolter pistol multiple times at them getting multiple headshots with each shot. Down the corridor, we heard a shout, “Usted no va a destruir el López Ejército pesado!” (You will not destroy the Lopez the Heavy Army!) With that, all thirty Lopezes charge and fire. “Targets identified.” One of the Lopez’s assault rifles pulls a Freckles and shouts every single enemy in sight. “Targets neutralised.” “This is why I am scared of Freckles.” Church said. I laughed and told him, “Same here, before and after.” “Had a bad experience?” Church quips sarcastically. “Nah just saw how badass he was beforehand… hey if the covenant and the flood are here that could mean you could get Agent Maine to deal with in the future or even the rest of the gang appearing.” “Wait a minute. Flood, covenant. In season 1 Master Chief was mentioned… Project Freelancer… Staff of Charon… Mother of Invention… We need to find out what season this is. But how?” “If only we knew someone who could break the fourth wall.” Discord’s distorted voice is heard, “Oh shut up, you read too much fanfiction.” “Why does his type of humour remind me of Wyoming so much?” “I honestly have learnt to ignore it.” “Wait a minute. I just realised something. The freckles assault rifle said targets neutralised. Does he mean… all of them onboard? The lopezes could have taken out all invaders since the power has restored...I remember outfitting the lopezes armour with promethean vision.” “I don’t know.” I then closed my eyes and said, “There's some left feels like there in the control room.” “Fucking hell, why did I have to get a Tardis pelican. I mean I’m not complaining, it’s just… It feels too easy.” “Yeah, I thought the same thing it’s like…” We then feel the ship getting dragged by something, “We can’t catch a break today. What are the chances of blowing up their tractor beam?” “Hyperdrive, Warp drive and Interstellar teleporter have been enabled.” Virgil’s voice says over the intercom. “Excuse me?” Church says in confusion. “SOMEBODY PLEASE TELL ME WHY THE FUCK WE ARE IN A DOCTOR WHO PELICAN?!” Delta’s hologram appears in front of me. “The chances are 199.3215223%. Hmm, my systems are functioning normally so I am unable to gather how I received that percentage.” He disappeared. “Okay, Virgil where are we going?” “Destination: Unknown. This system has not been catalogued by the United Nations Space Command.” “Okay, this is getting ridiculous… Virgil who entered the commands to where we are going?” “Do you talk to your mother like that?” She quips. “And for your information, I did. I locked the system out to these unggoy who are trying to hack into me.” “Wait, why are there only grunts here? Is it another grunt rebellion? I swear, the last one almost destroyed the entire covenant.” “Unknown.” “Virgil Send me the coordinates of the grunts. we’ll deal with them” “Access denied.” Virgil replies to me. “Access override, level Alpha.” Church says. “Access granted. Welcome back, Director.” I look at Church and whisper, “Wait a minute, she didn’t notice that before?” He just shrugs. “meh suppose it never gets old” “Virgil! What is the real classification of this ship?” “Ship identified as G79H-TC/MA Pelican.” “Director override.” “Ship identified as Project Freelancer G79H-TCTA/MA Quantum Pelican Experiment #2601” “Hey, Craig? Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” “I don’t know” “Good because that would be fucking creepy. So, what I’m thinking is, we should destroy the whole covenant fleet. This is an experimental prototype pelican which uses quantum mechanics right? Well, there has got to be a mac cannon on here or something.” “Virgil are any experimental weapons on this ship that will work? if so send them to my hud.” “Designation Craig, you realise you forgot about the covenant antimatter charges right? Before I allow to use any others you must first go through with your original plan. Organisation is important.” She says icily. “Okay, I do not want to piss her off.” The sound of a palm hitting face is heard throughout the galaxy. “Did you really forget that plan?” Church asks, sounding strangely betrayed. “Sorry, a lot to deal with right now. cut me some slack I'm only one guy” I then shook my head and said, “I should have done this earlier.” “Oh, dejar de poner excusas. Esto es por qué las máquinas son superiores.” (Oh, stop making excuses. This is why machines are superior.) One of the lopezes who we forgot about said all too enthusiastically. “I’m basically the same thing as you and yet I’m insulted.” Church replied to Lopez who facepalms. “Yeah, Yeah don’t blow a fuse” I then closed my eyes then whispered “Shadow Clone Jutsu” I then looked at the copies and said “get rid of any covenant soldiers you can find” With that, they all just nodded their heads and disappeared. “Fucking Naruto.” I cursed. “Whats wrong with Naruto?” “I’m just saying that because you’re OP as fuck. Not that I’m not OP as fuck as well.” I then smiled and said “okay let's deal with that Covernet ship” I then teleported outside and moved my hands to my side and shouted “Big Bang Kamehameha!” with that a massive beam burns through the whole ship disintegrating it completely. “Case in point. That is why you are op as fuck. You even went through the shields.” I then shook my head before I said “Oh god did I just do that… that's insane” “Yes. And it was cliche as fuck. I’m so proud of you.” Tex says sarcastically. “Are you done yet or have you got some more insults to go?” “Maybe. You never know. She’s only female.” Tex’s hologram appeared and she punched Church in the nuts. “Ow you fucking bitch!” She flips him off and disappears. “You really shouldn’t have gone there, buddy.” “Okay, well the flood is pretty much gone, and the ships are disintegrated and I didn’t get to go through with my plan.” Church grunted. “We should try to find a way to contact the UNSC or something. Actually no that’s a terrible idea. But if we don’t do that then how will we find out what season we are in of RvB? I already know we are past Season 5 of MLP.” Maybe you’ll get lucky and a ship will just come into this Solar System.” “Nice try but-” Before Church can finish red lights start to flash. “Slipspace rupture detected.” A ship bigger than the Mantle’s Approach exits a slipspace portal. “Do you hate me or something, because I don’t know what I did to deserve this. YOU SHOULD KNOW by now that Murphy’s law loves to fuck with people here!” “Hey, it could worse it could be one of the red or blues from Blood Gulch.” “The mantle’s approach is over 100x larger than the unsc infinity and this ship is at least 10x bigger than the mantle’s approach. So tell me, what could actually equal worse?!” “It could be that ship from Halo 4 at least I think it was.” “Which one? The didact’s ship? Because funny story… That ship you’re talking about is the Mantle’s Approach. An-” A black hole suddenly appears and pulls the entire ship back, literally tearing it in half and suck the halves in before closing. "Craig, I can't. Craig our contract is complete." Before Craig could react he was pulled into the portal as I exited his helmet. Chapter 22 - Never Trust Your ShadowSomething has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.Chapter 23 - A Soul Reaper and an AI.Author's Note This is the Start of the War of Shadows, these will be added and may appear at near random intervals also there is near no editing done as I can't bear to reread this but if I can get ahold of the edited/retconned version of this I will remove and readd this chapter. Hope you enjoy this and as always please drop your opinions in the comments. Side Story 1 - Let the War Begin! Dark Magician was in the watcher room again like always to see what the other displaced are up to. He then felt something pulling him and when he knew it was summoning. So he went and grabbed Dark Magician Girl just as a portal opened up and we both walk in as it closed. We both appeared in front a castle that looks like a giant treehouse that was made out of crystal. “So we are at some point after season 4.” Dark Magician Girl said as she looked around. “Yes, but the question is. Which Displaced does this Equestria belong to?” Dark Magician asked as he tried to spot where the displace right then. “I guess that’d be me,” Said a voice from behind the duo. They spun to see a tall pale skinned, haired, and clothed man who wore a trench coat. His right eye was missing, but the other was grey, and a pair of wings of white and black were sprouted from his back. “My name is Time Spinner, welcome to land of the screwed!” He flashed his shark teeth as his arms went up. “We know who you are since I saw you talking to some displaced like Max and Lance. Not only do I know that you are founder of a version of the Power Ponies. So my name is the Dark Magician. I am an ace to the king of games, co-productor of all elements and cmc and the watcher of all Displace and it's nice meet you.” Dark Magician said as he offers a hand to shake. Time didn’t take it though, “Okay, kind of weird… Fine, whatever. Welcome to the battleground of the war of- you know what? I won’t say it since you already know most likely. What side do you choose, I’m setting up the bases right now.” “Oh oh. We are going on Lee’s side of this war and my name is Dark Magician Girl and I am happy to meet you Timey.” Dark Magician Girl said with a Pinkie size smile. Time Spinner opened a portal, this one immediately sending all three of them to a night club, “Well… That’s a new one… I’ll have to remember that one… Anyways, this is the first base of the Alliance. Make yourselves at home, it’s only temporary.” A vortex to the void opened up in the room soon afterwards, walking out was what looked like Discord wearing a full body cloak and drinking a 58 ounce soda with 3d glasses. He finished the drink and soon eat both it and the glasses. “I heard your call, so what’s happening this time? I have you know I almost missed Avengers Age of Ultron with spider-man!” “Tuff nuts, I’m working on a war.” Time Spinner sighed, “Look, you weren’t called, but if you want you can stay… Wait, did you finish it?” The one eyed Displacer asked. “Had to take it with me on the go, boy is that movie theater going to have a riot.” the cloaked Dranconquess said looking around. “So let me guess two of your displaced decided to go about killing each other? Well I think I’ll stay, might need some help keeping things from getting out of hand with magic.” He soon spotted the two Dark Magicians. “Oh hello there, I’m Loki God of Balance.” Loki answered. “Hello I am the Dark Magician co-productor of all elements and cmc and watcher of all Displace.” Dark Magician responded as Dark Magician Girl gives Loki a hug. “And I am Dark Magician Girl. Its nice to meet you along with your Discord and evil anthro Twilight Sparkle.” Dark Magician Girl said grinning. Said Discord and Evil Twilight appeared behind Loki in their Astral forms. “Well that’s a party pooper I was hoping to surprise them with us.” Astral Discord said. “Won’t matter they might just die in a war the least on their minds should be Astral ghosts.” Astral Twilight answered. “It’s amazing how you both haven’t started fighting each other…. again.” Loki said as he floated away and to Time Spinner. “So then how many are coming to this war?” Seconds later a bright portal appeared in front of us another human walked out of the portal and looked towards everyone and said “Well this is a small group that’s arrived up to yet.” “Hello Craig I am the Dark Magician and this is my girlfriend Dark Magician Girl.” Dark Magician said as he point at Dark Magician Girl who is still hugging Loki. Craig then smiled and said “Pleasure to meet you all, and you too Discord and Twilight.” “Actually we are him.” Discord pointed to Loki. “Yeah can you both return to my mind now?” Loki asked, the two Astral forms disappeared. “Hey I’m Loki, God of Balance I’ll be neutral in what’s to come.” “Okay then it’s good to meet you,” Craig said before he continued to say “I guess i’d better introduce one of my mates” seconds later yet another Discord appears beside him and just smiled at everyone. “Anyways…” Time Spinner said in annoyance, “Enough interruptions! This is the base for the Alliance! The Empire's base is almost co-” “Hey Craig!” Jubilee appeared next to Time, “What’s up?” Craig just smiled “Oh hi… to be honest I haven’t had much of a break since I left it’s only been a few days and all I’ve had is a bunch of meetings with other Displaced I think about two in just a day. But enough about my time what you’ve been up to?” “Nothing much, just getting some brain matter in my hair, meeting Displaced, annoying Time and Sylar, that kind of stuff…” Jubilee said. Craig just laughed and told both her and Time Spinner “Seems you’ve both had the time of your life.” The pun got a chuckle from Loki who saw Time Spinner glare a bit. “That was Discord.” Loki ignored the protests of his Discord in his mind. Time Spinner rolled his eye, “I hate those puns… In any case, I welcome you as well to the war. Sylar!” Another human male appeared wearing glasses and a top hat, “Yes, it’s done, now can I go?” He sighed. Time ignored him, “Okay! Empire base is complete! I’ll show you later, but right now I guess I’ll answer any questions you have.” “Yeah. So what are this Equestria’s Elements be doing during this war?” Dark Magician asked as he slap Dark Magician Girl in the ass which made her go eep and grin at him. “Simple,” Time said as a chart appeared out of nowhere. There were four images, one of the Elements just having fun, another where they fought Changelings, the third showed them beating Tirek and the last depicted them versing Starlight Glimmer. “They’ll be kicking ass and chewing bubblegum with the Alliance. And no, I’ve taken care of the rainbow power by stealing Twilight Sparkle’s ‘magic’.” “Why did you take her magic? She’s useless without it.” Dark Magician Girl asked frowning. Craig then looked at him and said “Nobody’s ever useless, no matter what their circumstances are. Even if they’ve got no magic she’ll still as much moral support as everyone else.” “He means the power of magic in harmony not her Alicorn magic.” Loki answered then turned with a raised eyebrow. “Right?” “Of course Loki, what fun is there is magic rainbows of destruction that would seal any Displaced in stone. And what fun is there in a magicless Twilight.” Time chuckled, “I’m a monster, not a villain.” The ground shook a bit as a vortex opened up and out walked a black metal armored Alicorn with magma flowing under them being seen between plates. “I figured the place wouldn’t be big enough for my full form, Hello I’m Netherion, or Deathwing nice to meet you all.” “Well now we have the embodiment of the planet here.” Loki commented. “Time, Chaos, Earth. What’s next, Retroness?” Asked Jubilee with a snicker. “A bear maybe?” Asked Dark Magician Girl as she snickers with Jubilee. “I guess that can be bear-able.” Dark Magician joked. Time Spinner just groaned. “Next question?” Time asked. “You just asked it,” Jubilee tried. “You walked into that one Timey.” Dark Magician Girl said laughing. “Where the Alliance’s leader?” Loki asked. “Back home for now, I’ll call him when I’ve got everything ready. Shouldn’t take too long.” Time responded, “As for Folteren… He’s… Around…” “So what do we do in the meantime?” Dark Magician asked while looking at a book. Time Spinner face palmed, “Of course! I knew I forgot something… You’ll be diplomats today!” A goofy grin spread across his face, “I’ve got an Alliance General waiting for you! Wait, are you all on Lee’s side?” “Yep we are.” Dark Magician Girl said grinning while eating a cupcake. Deathwing turned to Loki about to ask. “Yeah…. I don’t think having a Void dweller who can level a Universe on either side a good idea I’m neutral.” Loki answered him. “There are a couple neutral’s, yes. I’m also on Loki’s side,” Time stated, “I think most of you are ‘Heroes’. Meet Blossom when you’re done conversing here. I’ll be in the Castle of the Two Sisters if anyone needs me. Sylar and Jubilee wika be here if you want to ask questions, and Loki will… I guess he can watch and do damage control if anyone ‘dies’ and send them home for a week. That okay for you?” “Sure why not, though I might scatter some supplies around, nothing too major mostly for healing.” Loki answered. “Okay! Blossom is waiting at Ponyville Train Station due east of here. If you get lost, ask Loki to call Jubilee for directions.” “I live to serve.” Jubilee saluted. “Any questions?” Time finished. “No.” Deathwing answered. “We are cool.” Both Magicians said at the same time. “So then guess you all can head off good luck.” Loki said giving them a talon thumbs up. “Oh, and remember, Ponies aren’t your friends, and neither are they your foes. Make a good impression on Celly and Lulu so your team can get Equestria as an ally.” Time added, and he then faded away. Jubilee stepped forward, “Kay! You are free to leave whenever you want! Go as a team, or as individuals. Your choice!” “Ok. Well then. Last one to the train station is Blueblood.” Dark Magician said as he and Dark Magician Girl teleports to the train station. “They never grow up…” Sylar mumbled to himself. “Teleportation? That’s a cheap way to win a race if you ask me.” Loki answered. Astral Twilight voice rag through his head. “Oh like you one to talk?” She asked. Deathwing sighed. “It would be best if I meet with them first.” Deathwing said remembering he was in Alicorn form. “They are sun and moon, I am the earth they're a strange understanding between us.” As the group of “Heroes” got to the station they couldn’t find the Dark Magician duo anywhere. “That’s strange, shouldn’t they be here?” Deathwing asked still in his Alicorn form. A piece of paper appeared. I delayed their appearance, Teleporting for long distances is out it seem with some exceptions. signed, Loki. Craig sighed, then looked at the note and said “Brilliant better keep that in mind.” A girl with red hair, pink eyes, wearing a pink one piece dress, high socks, a pink bow in her hair and glasses sat outside of the station reading a book. She was the only living thing they saw, so she had to be Blossom. Two moments later the two Magicians appeared next to the group and both of them aren’t happy. “D*** it Loki!” Shouted a very tick off Dark Magician. “Looks like we’re going to have kick Loki or Blueblood’s butt for this.” Said Dark Magician Girl with a sweet smile and a twitchy right eye. “Looks like you came in last place. We need to find you a prize for being the least punctual I guess,” Craig joked. “Whatever.” Both Magicians said rolling their eyes. Deathwing gave a chuckle, turning to Blossom. “Hello, I’m Netherion, Time Spinner told us to come see you.” The planet-Dragon in Alicorn said. Blossom didn’t seem to listen until Deathwing said ‘Time Spinner’, to which she slammed her book shut and squeaked in surprise. She pulled off her glasses and stood up clumsily, “S-sorry, didn’t notice you there!” “Are you kidding? How can you not notice someone that big?” Dark Magician deadpanned. “My sister talks like Pinkie Pie, and I’m the only one she does talk to. My other sister used to beat up Hydra’s while screaming references as loud as Luna… I built up a tolerance to the world around me when I’m reading…” She blushed in embarrassment at the last part, but kept a deadpan through every other word. Craig then smiled and said “Don’t worry about it. I’m the same when it comes to music.” “For the record I’m in my Alicorn form.” Deathwing added, he may have been bigger the Celestia but he wasn’t that big. “So what now you cute Powerpuff Girl you?” Said Dark Magician Girl whos is giving Blossom a hug. Craig then sighed and hit her around the side of her head before he said “Show respect to your superiors.” Blossom backed away a bit, shaking off her confusion, “U-uh… We board this train to Canterlot. It won’t take too long, since the Castle is just up that mountain.” Blossom pointed towards Canterlot, “But, there is one problem… Strange black ponies are appearing around there. My guess is King Sombra’s joined Darth Folteren.” “If the Princesses and mane six are in trouble there. Then let’s get going and kick Sombra’s butt back to hell.” Dark Magician said. “They just started appearing. I’ve got everything set up, and Lee’s units are already in the train.” Blossom walked around the side of the station a gestured to the train, “This is the Exposition Express. Don’t look at me, Time named it.” Craig then sighed and said “Not surprised… at least he didn’t call it the time train.” “Let’s get going then.” Deathwing said. Blossom stood to the side, “Oh, and since there’s been more surprises, Spinner told me that we needed another Displaced.” Just then, a wormhole appeared. A guy jumped out with four raptors behind him and asked “I guess it’s time for the war then right?” Eyes wide, Blossom backed up, “Wait! Raptors!?” “What you got a problem with us?” the grey one with two blue streaks running down her back said. “N-nothing… Just…” Blossom struggled for words, but luckily, a blond girl with pigtails and a light blue version of Blossom’s dress popped her head out of the train. “She’s an egghead!” Her high pitched voice called over, “She was into Dinos a lot! Like, a lot.” “Well then at least we got off to a good start. My names Owen.” Owen said. “Hello Owen” Craig then walked up to him and shook his hand then said “The names Craig, nice to meet you.” “Likewise.” he said shaking his hand “So what’s happening now?” “Now? Hehe.” Dark Magician Girl said while wearing a TF2 Medic outfit. “Let’s go do some medicine.” She added. “Ve shall make zem cry vid Sasha” Owen said in his best Russian accent and snapped his fingers and a minigun appeared in his hands and his outfit changed into a TF2 Heavy one. “Hello, Equestria to idiots!” Blossom said waving her hands in front of the two, “We don’t have all day. Meet Lee’s army,” She gestured to a dozen pony-shaped steel armor. Craig the muttered “I feel like I’m seeing the army of lopezes from yesterday...” “Cool mind if I bring my own?” Owen said gesturing to the portal and a couple raptors, one with a cybernetic tail and Pteranodons, one with a metal wing walked through wearing body armor and lasers attached to the side “We're gonna be on a train right, so I brought my two best raptors and flyers with me.” Blossom’s eyes almost glowed, “YesyesyesyesyesyesyesYES!!!” She squealed, “I- uh- I mean, sure,” She tried. Bubbles, the girl whose head was hanging outside of the train mouthed ‘egghead’, and slowly brought her head inside. “Right can we get going now?” Dark Magician said after he facepalmed at Blossom’s reaction to the dinosaurs. “Oh, uh, yeah! Sorry everyone,” Blossom whistled and the armors quickly jumped onto the train. “Get on losers!” Yelled a Rainbow Dash lookalike, “Me and Rarifruit are getting bored!” Craig then looked at the lookalike and asked “Rainbine. How far did Time go with his Displacements?” “Unicron is his biggest!” Rainbine replied, “He did a lot!” “I ain’t even gonna try and work that out.” Craig said whilst walking onto the train. “Allons-y.” Said Dark Magician Girl as she ran into the train with Dark Magician. When everyone was inside, Rainbine greeted Owen. “Hey! Sup Owen!” “Sup Rainbine long time no see.” Owen said. The cyborg pegasus gestured to a Rarity lookalike, “That’s Rarifruit. Pinkis is doing good too, but she’s on the other side.” “Bubbles! Get this piece of uncouth metal going!” Rarifruit shouted in a shrill voice. “I got it.” Owen said pushing the metal pony. “What are you up to dino boy?” Dark Magician Girl asked Owen. “Trying to help Rarifruit.” “With what?” She asked. “She wants the armor moved somewhere else.” “Ok.” Dark Magician Girl said as she gets out a cupcake from nowhere and start eating it. “What’s that a magic infused cupcake or a Pinkamena Diane Pie cupcake?” Owen asked. Craig then laughed and said “Do we really want to know if it’s made of ponies?” “You’d be surprised…” Rainbine said with a green face. “Oh god no... You can’t be serious.” “Crud I think I’m gonna be sick.” Owen said walking to the side of the train and puking. “One… Cupcake… That’s all I ate and I didn’t know that Pinkis made it with…” Rainbine flew over to an open window and threw up. Owen finished puking and asked “When are we gonna reach Canterlot?” Craig then looked at him and said “It’ll be a while.” He then went back to tuning his guitar. “Somewhere around an hour,” Said Blossom. “Song montage!” Owen shouted and snapped his fingers and strummed an electric guitar. Craig then smiles and says “What song were you thinking of?” “We will rock you by Queens?” Asked Dark Magician. Craig then laughed and said “Anyone know how to play drums?” “Me!” Said Rainbine, “Used to be an amiture musician when I was human!” “Sabaton No Bullets Fly.” Owen suggested. “I’ll be honest I've never heard that one” replied Craig. “From a Swedish Metal band.” Owen said. “Explains a lot, before I came to Equestria I lived in England.” “Shall I start?” Owen asked. “Give me second… Discord mind breaking the fourth wall buddy?” Craig then smirked, clicked his fingers as a drum kit appeared then said “okay ready.” Rainbine jumped on it, “Guess this’ll do,” “Cut me a break, I had to use my powers to get that for you.” Owen strummed the guitar faster and faster and sang. From down below an enemy spotted, So hurry up rearm and refuel, But through the bomber's damaged airframe, See wounded men scared to the bone. Look to the right and then look again, And see the enemy in the eye, No bullets fly sparred by his mercy, Escorted out, Out of harms way. Fly, fighting fair, It's the code of the air, Brothers, Heroes, Foes. Killing machine, Honour in the sky, B-17 flying home, Killing machine, Said goodbye to the cross he deserved. He risked his life two times that day, To save an unknown enemy, Escort to safety out of the kill zone, A short salute then departed. Fly, fighting fair, It's the code of the air, Brothers, Heroes, Foes. Killing machine, Honour in the sky, B-17 flying home, Killing machine, Said goodbye to the cross he deserved. Fly, fighting fair, It's the code of the air, Brothers, Heroes, Foes. Killing machine, Honour in the sky, B-17 flying home, Killing machine, Said goodbye to the cross he deserved. Once they finished Craig smiled then said “You two ain’t bad… Not as good as Pinkie but still not bad.” “Thanks.” Owen said and snapped his fingers and the guitar disappeared. Rainbine growled. Craig then smiled and said “Ya know there’s a bit of time.” he then turned to everyone and said “any other requests?” Deathwing eyes opened for a moment. “I have none, never really listen to music… other than the sound of volcanoes.” “There’s one song I used to do but it’s very long… what was it called Through the fire and the flames or something like that?” “Through fire and rain?” Blossom asked. “I have a better idea!” Rainbine announced “Don’t Mine At Night.” “Wasn't that a parody song by a member of the Yogscast… who was it BebopVox or something like that?” asked Craig “BebopVox YOGSCAST, and yes.” Blossom said, reading a book about Dinosaurs. “Okay might as well give it a try” Craig said as he clicked his fingers as a set of turntables appeared. He then walked over to them and began to perform the song. Got my helmet on my head, Figure out what that zombie said. Lava all over the room, Gotta' half heart left, man, I am doomed. Don't have any iron bars, my pick just broke into some shards. Scary noise what should I do, Go left or right I'll have to choose. Visions of last time, flash inside my mind, I'm scared. Oh well. and I'm pretty sure, there's a big creeper, Right there! Don't mine at night. I know you're lookin' at that cave, and you're feelin' kinda' brave, Go to bed you'll be alright. Don't mine at night. There's nothing that is gonna' change, If you just wait until the day, Zombie wanna' eat your brains. Don't mine at night. I know it's me you're gonna' thank, Make a bed it's not too late, three wool and three wooden planks. Don't mine at night. How many times I have to say, Drop the pick and walk away-a, Woah, Don't mine at night. Don't mine at night. Don't mine at night. Don't mine at night. Don't mine at night. Stomach's all tied up in knots, This labyrinth, I'm gettin' lost, This is really gettin' old, Found like two pieces of coal. Down one way there's just stone, Monsters won't leave me alone, Down another there's some lava, And of course I get, PWND. Remember last time I tried to mine at night, I failed, so bad, I lost all my stuff, It was really tough, That's it. RAGE QUIT! Don't mine at night. I know you're lookin' at that cave, And you're feelin' kinda' brave. Go to bed you'll be alright. Don't mine at night. There's nothing that is gonna' change, If you just wait until the day, Zombie wanna' eat your brains. Don't mine at night. I know it's me you're gonna' thank, Make a bed it's not too late, three wool and three wooden planks. Don't mine at night. How many times I have to say, Drop the pick and walk away-a, Woah. Don't mine at night. don't mine at night. Don't mine at night. don't mine at night. D-O-N-T M-I-N-E. D-O-N-T M-I-N-E. D-O-N-T M-I-N-E. D-O-N-T M-I-N-E. Don't mine at night. I know your lookin' at that cave, And your feelin' kinda' brave. Go to bed you'll be alright. Don't mine at night. There's nothing that is gonna' change, If you just wait until the day, Zombie wanna' eat your brains. Don't mine at night. I know it's me your gonna' thank, Make a bed it's not too late, 3 wool and 3 wooden planks. Don't mine at night. How many times I have to say, Drop the pick and walk away-a, Woah. Don't mine at night. don't mine at night. Owen clapped his hands and said “Bravo bravo.” “Nice singing.” Said Dark Magician Girl as she get out another cupcake to eat. “Sorry for me asking but are those chocolate flavored cupcakes?” Deathwing asked. “Nope they’re toffee flavored.” Dark Magician Girl say grinning. Rainbine backed away from her, “No cupcakes!” Deathwing raised a metallic eyebrow. “Something you’re not telling us?” Owen whispered in Deathwing's ear, “The cupcakes are pony flavored maybe.” Deathwing thought it over. “Who would even eat one like that? They are supposed to be sweet not taste like cooked meat… well maybe the griffins….” Everyone was looking at Deathwing wide eyed. “What?” “Sigh. The cupcakes Dark Magician Girl have been eating aren’t made from ponies.” Dark Magician said annoyed. “Forgive Dasher, she got scared when Pinkis fed her a cupcake made of a pony… She’s been scared ever since…” Rarifruit said with a sigh. “It tasted… Like strawberry…” Rainbine whispered, face pale. “Are we there yet?” Owen asked. “No worries here.” Dark Magician Girl said as she get out a can Bonk to drink. Blossom sighed, “Speed up time…” And like that, they all appeared in Canterlot. “There… HAPPY!?!?” “Jeez no need to be grumpy.” Owen said. “I’ve been trying to make this as not fake as possible! With no threat of death, Time feared it’d get boring.” Blossom sighed, “C’mon, I think Sombra is waking up the rest of his army. Rainbine, Rarifruit, Bubbles, stay here and guard the train. Everyone else come with me to the castle! Understood!?” “Yes ma’am!” Owen said “Crystal clear.” Said both magicians at the same time. “Very Well.” Deathwing simply answered. “No problem.” Answered Craig. “Well, what are you all waiting for?” Blossom took to the sky, “The Merchant? Come on!” Deathwing raised his wings and took off for the castle. Owen got out the model bike and it enlarged and got on and rode to the castle with the raptors and Pteranodons following behind. To this Craig just sighed and said “Another race, we must look like a group of kids… No point in staying behind,” with that his legs began to glow and instantly disappeared in a cloud of smoke that led towards the castle. “Time to open a portal to the castle.” Dark Magician said as he opens a portal to the castle and walked in with Dark Magician Girl. “No teleporting!” Yelled Bubbles with red eyes. A unicorn next to her simply said, “No Teleporting yes but opening portals are fair game.” The unicorn answered with a smile. “Shouldn’t you be with Time about now? I think he’s calling the neutrals now.” Bubbles retorted. Loki rolled his eyes. “Fine.” With that he was gone though the ground. Celestia sat in her throne room drinking a cup of earl tea with a content smile. Two guards posted by her sides looked tired, even if they tried not to. Pretty soon there was a scream from the other side of a double door, which was soon kicked open with four humans, two Raptors, and an Alicorn. “Nice first impression, guys…” Blossom deadpanned. “Are you all really that dim?” Craig said clearly annoyed. “Yeah. It should have more fare to the first impression.” Said Dark Magician. “In hindsight we didn’t really have a plan.” Deathwing answered. The Solar Alicorn’s cup soon fell from the shock. Craig then quickly opened his hand as the cup stopped falling before he placed in on a nearby table then said “We are sorry for the intrusion Princess.” He then brought his hand over his chest and bowed to her. “Who are you?” Celestia asked, shaking herself from her daze. “Our specific names are of no importance. We are the Alliance of Heroes, human being turned into these forms and have chosen to fight for good. An evil tyrant and his army come here to destroy you and us. We need your help.” Blossom stated. Deathwing simply had the wind drown her out. “Hello I am Neltharion the Earth-wander, I be quick a great evil soon to come and I can tell you felt it too, I humbly ask for your help and I and my friends offer our own.” Deathwing finished with a bow. Craig then smiled and said “Princess my name is Craig and where I come from I’m a member of your guard.” He then quickly placed his hand on the back of his guitar and it turns into a sword he then said “You were the one who gave me this sword, you gave it to me as a way to defend myself when everyone was attacked by Discord, however I now see it as a symbol of loyalty, to you, to your sister, and most of all to all the citizens of Equestria.” Celestia shook her head, “Please… Repeat yourself… Why are you here?” “There is going to be war here in this Equestria and we need your help as an ally.” Dark Magician said as he gave a small bow which Dark Magician Girl did the same. Blossom rubbed her temples, glaring daggers at the Alicorn/Dragon. “The being known as Darth Folteren has already set up a base. Our leader wishes to give you protection and in return, you supply us with the necessities.” “What is this war exactly?” The solar princess questioned, a bit worried. “And why here?” “Simple, Folteren is a misguided man, who’s twisted his reality and the many who serve him.” Blossom explained. “And I don’t know why here specifically. I’m General Blossom.” “So you’re here to wage war in my kingdom?” “Not to wage war Princess… to protect your ponies,” replied Craig. “Plus nobody will get killed and even if they do. Then they will be revived back to life.” Dark Magician Girl said. Blossom giggled nervously, “Yeah… About that… Only Displaced and their armies are… safe. It’s a real threat for the inhabitants.” “Wait… innocent civilians could be killed… I don’t care what any of you think but I would rather die myself than let any ponies suffer.” said Craig “It won’t just be ponies who will be affected.” Said a deep voice from inside the castle. “Hi Asphyxious.” Dark Magician Girl called out. The Lich Lord Displaced then came out of the wall and bows to the others. “It is good to see someone that I know. But I can’t help but see this war as foolish.” Said Asphyxious as he put his arms behind his back. Craig then smiled and said “In more ways than one… it’s just like brothers arguing.” “Agreed, but I must make one thing clear. I will be neutral in this conflict.” He said bluntly as he looks around at the other displaced. Craig then once again smiled and said “At least I know who is who in this war.” “Me too.” Dark Magician said. Asphyxious looked pleased at this, it was kind of hard to tell with his head being a skull and all. Blossom cleared her throat, “Sorry, but Neutrals can’t be in Canterlot. Time Spinner’s hosting that somewhere else.” Asphyxious, Dark Magician and Craig look at her. “So… where was it where we were meant to meet up then?” Asked the Lich as he looks to the others. “Looking at the wrong person mate.” replied Craig. “There’s a place called the Tomb of Starswirl. That’s where the Neutrals are. You won’t be able to go there today though.” Blossom stated. “Why is their base at a tomb?” Dark Magician Girl asked confused. “Sounds interesting, but I think I can get there no need to sleep like this. But the hard part is getting there.” Said Asphyxious as he looks outside. “Where is this tomb?” “It’s in the ruins of Skybard, in the North, near the Crystal Empire but to the east.” Blossom stated. “We know where we’re going then. Dark Magician if you will.” Asked Asphyxious as he moves to stand by his side. “I am helping Lee in this war Asphyxious.” Dark Magician deadpanned. “Me too.” Dark Magician Girl said happily. Asphyxious growled softly at this as he moves away. “Just open a portal and I’ll make the rest of the way by foot.” He asked calmly. “Okay, something tells me that you didn’t get laid today.” Dark Magician said as he open a portal. “One of my mates was almost killed… I have every right to be angry.” Said the Lich Lord coldly as he walks into the portal. “Must be a future thing for you to see Dark Magician.” Dark Magician Girl said to Dark Magician which he nods in agreement. Craig then waved to him, “Good luck.” Asphyxious laughed at this then said. “I need no luck… Just for my enemies to be stupid.” “Don’t we all?” laughed Craig before the portal closed behind the Lich. Blossom places her hand over her ear where an earpiece appeared. After listening a bit, she voiced her reply. “Sure thing Knox.” Turning her head to the others, she said. “Guys, I need you to go down to the Marketplace. One of our Commanders is having some troubles. Mind helping him? I’ve got this here, no use boring you.” “Sure what kind of trouble is it?” Dark Magician asked. “Terry says it’s Sombra’s goons flooding the city. Oh, and just a warning, he’s very… Egotistical. Just try not to piss him off, he’s a real asset.” Blossom stated. “Owen, mind staying with me?” “Sure.” Owen said, shrugging. The creature turned in their general direction, and roared. “Who are you maggots!?!?” Deathwing who was quite looked at him. “I’ll handle this.” The alicorn flashed back into his dragon form. “Okay.” Both Magicians said as they ran to kill some goons. “I said,” The creature said, walking forward. “Who are you?” “Simple.” In a burning flash, Deathwing returned to Dragon formed. “The Earth, literally.” Deathwing had a chuckle. “In all seriousness, I’m Neltharion the Earth Wander, but I go by Deathwing.” Another being walked out of the broken building. This one was wearing a Spiderman costume. “Ignore Abomination, he’s taken the war thing too seriously. I’m Grand Commander Terrance Knox, or Superior Spider-man to you guys.” Four spider-like arms appeared around him. “You must be the re-enforcements I called for…” “Yes we are. My name is Dark Magician Girl and my boyfriend’s name is Dark Magician.” Dark Magician Girl said as she appeared behind Abomination. “I guess you’ll do.” Superior Spider-man said. “There’s an infantry AT-AT coming towards the city. A few actually. Me and Abomination can’t leave our posts because of Sombra’s shitheads, and the few Imperial Scouting Droids, so I’ll need you guys to take them out, as well as their escort team. Can you guys do that?” Craig then smiled and said “Tell us where to go and we’ll hold them off.” Deathwing’s form altered until he was in his human form. Maul in hands he gave a smile. Superior pointed towards the walls of the city, “Hurry up, if they get here the city is lost and all the ponies here will die. My man can’t handle something that powerful!” Craig then looked up then said “I’ll buy you some time.” He then began to levitate off the ground and disappeared. Deathwing’s wings formed as he took off into the air. He came landing into the fight sending bounders up which he smashed at the attackers. He made a raising motion as the clouds readied their lighting. Dark Magician fired a magical EMP blast at the Imperial Scout Droids, frying their systems. Outside the walls of Canterlot, three AT-AT’s were… Walking up the mountain… Craig then appeared above them then said “I don’t think you’ll get far.” He then brings his hands to his side and shouted “KameHameHa!” Seconds later a blue beam of light explodes from his hands destroying the AT-AT below him. The second AT-AT aimed it’s head at Craig and shot him so hard he went flying and was disoriented. “Gah, stupid tanks!” He then looked back towards the AT-AT that shot him, draws his sword and then charges at the cables attaching it to the wall and somehow manages to slice them causing it to stumble, but it didn’t fall. Black magic held it’s feet to the stone. “dammit why won’t this thing fall!” “Need a hand?” Deathwing asked the lightning Deathwing summoned struck him with his hands raised a massive bolt shot third and toar through the AT-AT. “Thanks, needed the support.” shouted Craig Deathwing nodded. “DARK MAGIC ATTACK!”” Dark Magician Girl yelled as she blast the AT-AT with dark magic. “Nice Shot.” Dark Magician said which made Dark Magician Girl blushed. There was an explosion in the market place. “Oh now what?” Dark Magician Girl asked. The Superior Spider groaned as he sat up… Well, tried to. Abomination was on top of him, most likely having saved him from the explosion. “Someone get Abomination off of me!” He yelled. Craig then walked over and said “I got you.” two blue tendrils then appear and slowly rolled Abomination off of The Superior Spider’s body before he asked “are you okay?” The Spider sat up and brushed himself off. “Yeah, but the markets aren’t. Hope their owners have insurance.” “Especially the pony that owns the cabbage stall.” Dark Magician Girl said as she ran by them. Superior looked to the stall and noticed it was a pile of rubble. “I’ve seen-” He was cut off as it suddenly caught on fire for no reason. “Nevermind.” “I feel sorry for cabbage stall owner.” Dark Magician said as he blast a goon that was about to attack the Superior Spider-man from behind. “Hey! Where’d that Death Knight go!?” Yelled Rainbine who had flown over to them. “What Death Knight?” Superior asked confused. “She’s the one who attacked the market!” Dasher replied. “Maybe she went to the bathroom?” Dark Magician Girl suggested. Superior groaned, “She’s a Death Knight, she can’t go to the bathroom… Why do you ask?” “Alduin and Deathwing had her captive, but they left her and she most likely got away!” Rainbine reported. Everyone face palmed at this. “You better not be facepalming at me!” “Nope.” Dark Magician Girl said as she hides her hand she just use to facepalmed. “Definitely not you Rainbine. More the fact that they let an enemy escape after defeating them,” admitted Craig. “Good! Cause it wasn’t my fault!” Rainbine said before flying off. Superior crossed his arms. “Well, I’m surprised Canterlot’s still standing, let alone there haven’t been any casualties.” He stretched a bit. “Guess I gotta give you an objective, huh…?” “What is it?” Dark Magician asked. “Well, before that explosion happened, one of my Spiderbots located an encampment in the Cloud District. They have vital information that could jeopardise my operations here. I’d say that’s the most important thing, but there’s also a squad of Clones trying to evacuate a large group of citizens.” Discord came floating down. “So you need someone to get the information back, or erase it? I’m up for that.” “They’re somewhere in the east, here.” Superior gave Discord an odd device, “This is the only way to retrieve the data by the rules. Destroy the droids, plug this in, and we’ve got our stuff back. There are five of them scattered around.” “Okay a stealth mission it is.” Discord body soon became a copy of a droid. “Wish me luck.” He said as he floated off. Superior was focused on a data pad. “Luck is an illusion, and you’d do best to know that.” Discord seemed to ignore that as he headed off. “Now what?” Dark Magician Girl asked. “Because I think all the goons are gone.” She added. Superior laughed. “These boneheads are respawning enemies! And if you listened, I said there was a group of clones who are helping the citizens escape. They’re currently under fire from a bunch of droids. When you’re done, meet me at the southern part of the city, and I’ll give you something else to occupy your time.” “Okay.” Dark Magician Girl said as she pulls a TF2 Sapper out of her hammer space as she flew off followed by Dark Magician. Craig then smiled and said “There ain’t no rest for the wicked.” He then began to follow Dark Magician Girl. Five clones hid behind cover with ten ponies who were cowering in fear. “Where’s that backup!?” Yelled one named Waster. “They’re a little busy!!!” Yelled their captain. “Did someone call for backup?” Dark Magician Girl asked as she and Dark Magician landed next to the clones. “Oh thank god!” Said another clone. “The cavalry!” “Quiet Visor!” The Captain said. He then saluted. “My name Captain Beckett sir and ma’am!” Craig then landed next to the magicians and asked “are you all okay?” “We’re fine, but that unicorn filly needs to get out of here and get medical care. There’s a few CIS Droid Tanks blocking our path out of the city, already two groups got killed trying to make a run for it. Take those things out, and we’ll be able to get out of here.” Said Beckett. “I think there are around twenty three of them-” “Twenty-four Captain.” Corrected Visor. “They’re lined up so we can’t escape. Folteren’s forces seem to have the intention of giving us no Quarter.” Craig then looked at Beckett and said “Please take me to the injured… I know a bit of healing magic to help her.” Beckett brought Craig to the filly, who was hacking and coughing. Ash covered her body as well as blood, and her left hind leg was severely broken. “Our medic tried to fix her up, but we don’t have the supplies or time to help her. She might get an infection if she doesn’t have one already.” Craig then nodded to Beckett and then looked to the filly and asked “Are you okay miss?” “It hurts…” The filly said, tears brimming in her eyes. Craig then knelt down and said “I’m going to help you… this may sting a bit so forgive me.” He then placed his hand over her and then said “Grand Healing.” Seconds later she was surrounded by a faint white glow which began to heal some of the injures as she became able to breath easier and her hind legs began to heal. He then whispered it a second time and the injures completely disappeared. He then looks back to her and said “Are you feeling any better?” “Y-yeah…” “That’s good, what's your name miss?” “T-Twinkle Sage…” “Well miss Twinkle, You need to keep out of sight. My friends and I will deal with the threat outside.” “We’ll get rid of all the tanks for you.” Dark Magician said as he and Dark Magician Girl who was wearing a TF2 Spy outfit walked back to the group. Craig then nodded to them as he followed them and said “Let’s deal with these robots.” “Its zapping time.” Dark Magician Girl said. Craig then smiled as he grabbed his Bolter pistol and a Plasma Sword as a blue synthetic skin covers his body. He then said “Let's do this.” “Let’s.” Dark Magician said as he charge at the tanks with a EMP blast and frying their systems. Craig then shouted “I’m with you!” He then runs forwards whilst shooting and slicing the droids as he approached the tanks. Once he got close he brought his hands near to each other then shouted “Final Flash!” Seconds later a bright yellow beam destroyed all the droids and the tank that was in front of him. He then shouted back to Dark Magician “Your turn!” “DARK MAGIC ATTACK!” Dark magician shouts as he blasts the tanks. A clone trooper shouted, “Boom!” As he and two other troopers threw a grenade each at the last tank of that area. The three exploded in key areas, sending the tank backwards in what they could only assume was shock. “Finish it!” “Okay.” Dark Magician Girl said as she blasted the tank. It exploded, causing the surrounding droids to fall over. The clones shot them until they were dead. Visor laughed as he looked at Dark Magician Girl. “Damn, you guys make that look easy…” “Oh stop it, you’re making me blush.” Dark Magician Girl said blushing. “Well then you just made my day.” Visor added. “Shut it Visor! We’ve got more tanks up ahead!” yelled Beckett. “Sorry Cap!” Visor apologised. “I got an easier way for this.” Dark Magician said as he open a portal right under the tanks and they fell in. “Beckett! Why didn’t you tell us he could teleport!?” Waster asked. Beckett grumbled, “I’ve never met a Displaced other than Bly...” “Guess that’s taken care of.” Visor added. “Alright! Visor, Patch, you two take care of the cives! Waster, Redeye, you two scout out X-23’s last location, I’ll report back to Commander Knox.” Beckett said. He then turned towards the Displaced. “Is there anything I can do for you sirs and ma’am?” “None at the moment.” Dark Magician said as Dark Magician Girl shook her head. “Well, if you do, we’re at your disposal.” Beckett said. “You guys should return to Grand Commander Knox.” Superior was sat next to Abomination, who was still unconscious. A human male stood beside him wearing a black tuxedo and had his hands clasped in front of him. “Who’s the tuxedo man?” Dark Magician Girl asked as she and Dark Magician landed next to Superior. Craig then landed next to them and said, “That's the million dollar question.” The man held out his hand. “Agent Coulson.” Craig then smiled and said. “Ah, Agent of Shield I presume?” “Technically yes, but I’ve never met Fury.” “He’s a Displaced. The most useless Commander, I might add.” Superior added. Craig then sighed and said “Even if someone’s not powerful they are still useful in other ways… heck they could be an amazing tactician for all I know.” “It’s okay, he has a superiority complex. My comrades say what I lack in power I make up with dealing with his bitching.” Coulson smirked. “You must be Craig.” “Yes and it’s a pleasure to meet you.” “I am the Dark Magician and this is my girlfriend Dark Magician Girl.” Dark Magician said as he offers a hand to Coulson. “Just to make this clear, Superior, Abomination and I were Displaced together with a bigger group.” Coulson stated, shaking Dark Magician's hand. “I’ll be your handler until such time as Webhead gets on his feet.” “Which Webhead? Lee or Superior?” Dark Magician Girl asked. Craig then sighed and argued “You want to insult either of them?” “I’m right here.” Superior growled. Coulson, ignoring the Commander, chuckles. “There are quite a few of them, aren’t there?” “Yeah there's a third I met.” replied Craig “Oh yes I have seen a few while I watch all of the Displaces back in my Equestria.” Dark Magician said while thinking about those spidermen and Gwens. “Yeah, well there are four on the Alliance’s side and one on the Empire’s. Three are in my group, and I’m not even counting Lee.” Coulson shook his head. “Anyway, since Alduin and Deathwing let Shea escape, you’re going to have to pick up the slack. There’s another Imperial Commander by the name of-” Craig then punched into his hand and said “who’s the target?” “Why don’t you wait for him to finish.” Discord said as he floated up to them. He handed Coulson the drive. “Here’s the intel by the way.” “Thank you,” The drive shrunk, and Coulson placed it into his pocket. “The Commander's name is Crona. You may know him from Soul Eater.” Craig then sighed and said “never heard of it… this is one of the moments I wish I listened to my anime loving brother.” “I do but it’s only from Loki memories.” Discord said with a shrug. “I have heard of Soul Eater but I didn’t watch it. All I know of it is that one person turns into a weapon and another person can use it to fight with.” Dark Magician said while Dark Magician Girl was eating a cupcake. “Well, it’s like this. There’s a weapon that turns into… You get it. And there’s a Meister… Hope I said that right… Well, only certain Meisters and Weapons can team up, but Crona’s weapon is… Different…” Coulson looked to a pad of paper he pulled out of his pocket. “Something like a demon weapon… I don’t know, but it’s best you don’t touch it or Crona’s blood.” “Demon Weapon? Huh? I wonder if I could call Erza over to this Equestria to help fight this Crona.” Dark Magician Asked with a thoughtful look to his face. “Okay, that’s good. Discord, I need you to bring Abomination and Superior to the medical bay, it’s somewhere near the castle I think.” Coulson said. “Crona was last spotted near the south part of the city before we lost communications there. There might be other Imperial Commanders, but we don’t know. Speak to Wasp, she’s set up near that area.” “Very well.” Discord said as he floated away to get Abomination and Superior. “Wasp? Who’s next Deadpool?” Dark Magician Girl joked. Craig then laughed and said, “With the way my powers have been recently I’m halfway there.” “Right then. Let’s go hunting for a Crona.” Dark Magician said as he and Dark Magician Girl fly off to the south part of the city. “I can’t catch a break today” muttered Craig as he began to follow them. Explosions went off left and right while the Wasp was crouched behind a building that was falling apart. “Why did I get picked for this…” She sighed. A voice then shouted “Hey, need some help?” Wasp looks around, trying to locate the speaker. The voice then shouted again “Above you!” Wasp looks up to see Craig, Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl. “Oh thank gosh! Can you help me out!?” “Just give me a target and I’m set.” Craig said as he landed next to Wasp. “And we will send them to the Shadow Realm.” Dark Magician said as he landed with Dark Magician Girl. “I’m guessing Coulson sent you after Crona… Great… Well, might as well get my sorry ass out of here! Look, the comms tower was damaged when Crona arrived. I tried to get some troopers up there to fix it, but we’re so uncoordinated without communications that I sent them in blind and I haven’t heard back from them. They’re most likely dead, but there are still some guys here I wanna get home! Mind fixing it?” “Sure and don’t you worry Waspy. We will fix that tower for you in no time.” Dark Magician Girl said with a Pinkie sized grin. “Do you even know how to?” Wasp questioned. “Nope but Dark Magician is a being of understanding. So fixing that tower is no problem.” Dark Magician Girl said still grinning. “Well, still. If you can’t figure it out, there’s a carrier that contains a bunch of Astromech Droids that can do it.” Wasp said, “And if you want, take one as your own. As a reward, if you want.” “Dibs on R2-D2!” Said Dark Magician shouted with a smile. “I don’t think we have that guy, but there’s a similar one. You like purple? R3-D3 is a good one.” “Okay. I can change its colour to blue later.” Dark Magician said nodding. “Or we could just name it Twilight bot.” Dark Magician Girl said giggling. “Twi-Bot!” Wasp adds. “Or Iwt! Nah…” “I think I’ll avoid taking it. The ponies in my world are in what feels like the dark ages it would send Twilight over the edge,” admitted Craig. “Suit yourself. It could come in handy.” Wasp said. “Well, hurry up! I don’t have all year! The tower is the only sci-fi building here!” Craig then nodded his head and said “Let’s go.” He then vaults out of cover drawing his Plasma sword and Bolter pistol and begins to charge into the oncoming bullet fire. “LEEEERRRROOOOYYYYY JEEEEENNNKKKKIIIINNNNS!!!!!!” Dark Magician Girl shouted as she and Dark Magician follow Craig and blasting some droids that he saw in the way. “Ahh!” One of the Droids yelped as it hid behind a pebble… Dark Magician Girl giggled at that droid before blowing it up. “Too easy.” She said. “Worst hiding spot ever.” Dark Magician said in agreement. “Without a shadow of a doubt” agreed Craig “There’s the tower.” Dark Magician Girl said as she points to the sci-fi looking tower. It was black and smooth, with blue lines traveling upwards. “Okay and I bet our target’s around as well,” Craig said. “Then let’s get there quickly.” Dark Magician said as he and Dark Magician Girl speeds up to the tower. Once they reached the foot of the tower Craig said “Okay, I’ll keep an eye out. You focus on the repairs.” “Roger that.” Both Magicians said as they enter the tower from behind. Along with grabbing the purple R3 on the way. While they did that, Craig noticed a blond pigtailed girl wearing a trench coat and a miniskirt. She was skipping around, not seeming to notice the mayhem. Craig then looked towards her and just shouted “Hey, what are you doing here miss?” She just ignored him as she went over to a squad of clones and waved at them. They jerked back as a scythe appeared in her grip and she cut them down. Craig’s hand then fell to his sword as he ran over towards the girl and shouted “Hey, you! Leave now if you don’t want a fight, but if you do I am more than happy to oblige.” The girl turned to Craig, showing him her hollow green eyes. Her head tilted, and she grinned sadistically. “That’s a funny word… Oblige…” She started twirling her Scythe a bit, and spun a few times before freezing up. Craig then sighed and asked “what is your name, miss?” “Miss? Do I look like I’m old!?” She tossed her weapon into her other hand. “Maka Alburn!” “No older than me but heck you can’t think someone’s young or old in this world. Now, miss Alburn, what are you doing here?” “Isn’t it obvious? Helping Crona!” Maka started twirling her Scythe with one hand. “And stop calling me miss!” “What would you prefer me to call you then?” Maka rolled her eyes. “How about something less… Annoying? Like my first name?” “Okay then, Maka. Second question, who is this Crona?” An anime vein appeared on her forehead. “You know who he is. You’re trying to capture and/or kill him! Well guess what?” She slammed her Scythe into the ground, which brought up ten Super Battle Droids, weapons pointed at Craig. “I’m not letting you!” “Okay then Maka, I can promise you that wasn’t my intention. But if you want to do this then I guess you leave me no choice.” The Droids opened fire, sending a barrage of red towards Craig. He then closed his eyes as a blue lightsaber appeared in his hand and he deflected the blasts back into the droids which in turn destroyed them. He then turned to Maka and said “where is Crona? Don’t make me beat it out of you.” “I’d rather die…” Maka said, clicking her left index and thumb, which summoned a dozen CIS Tank Droids around the tower, each aiming their cannons at it’s base. They opened fire, having the full intention of tearing it down. “MIRROR FORCE!” Shouted Dark Magician from inside the tower which created a barrier that send the attacks right back at all the CIS Tank Droids and destroyed them. Craig then turned back to Maka and said “I gave you fair warning.” He then ran towards her and shouted “Rasengan!” causing her to be sent flying backwards. He then reappeared behind her and elbowed her square in the back which caused her to collapse onto the ground. Maka screamed in pain. Her body spasmodically twitched, and her Scythe lay twenty feet away from her. A clone on the sidelines held a scanner in his hands, which he proceeded to break. “It’s over nine thousand!!!” “It’s actually over eight thousand.” Craig pointed out. “Must have been a malfunction…” The clone mumbled as one of his brothers patted him on his back. Maka coughed, trying to readjust herself to be propped up by the remains of a pillar. Craig then sighed as he ran over to her and said “stay down.” He then struck her along multiple pressure points which completely paralyzed her. He then knelt down and said “I’m sorry Maka.” “No you’re not… You aren’t sorry… At all…” Maka said as she slumped over. “Crap…” Craig then knelt down and said “If you had just told me what I wanted to know this could have been avoided… I’m sorry but now I must take you as my prisoner.” “You think you’re… A hero just because… You’re fighting for what's ‘right’?” “No, I never identified myself as a hero… I only fight to protect those I care about or to protect the innocent. You harmed somebody and I had to stop you.” “And you don’t think I care about someone? Maybe I’m protecting Crona…” Maka groaned. “I know you care for him and that’s why I’m sorry for doing this to you, we were both only doing what we thought was right.” Wasp jogged over, wheezing. “Jeez! You guys work fast! Comms just went up, and a unit of clones located Crona.” “I told you it was no problem.” Dark Magician Girl said as she and Dark Magician came back with R3-D3. Craig then looked at Wasp and said “We also have Maka here as our prisoner. Don’t worry about her attacking you she’s completely paralyzed.” “Kay, I’ll take psycho back to base. Crona’s in Hoity Toity’s old manufacturing building. Apparently, the Empire thought it would make a good camp for its Commanders.” “If it’s a camp for their commanders we’ll need backup before we attack,” Craig said. “Backup you say?” Dark Magician Girl asked with a grin. “What are you thinking?” Craig asked. “Well back in our Equestria we removed monsters from the heart of ponies and seal them stone tables. We found a way to summon those monsters to fight for us when we feel like being lazy. Which is very rare for us to be.” Dark Magician Girl while grinning at the idea. “Or maybe my sister Blaze and our other friends from our Equestria could come and help fight Crona.” Dark Magician suggested. While they continued, Wasp dragged a moaning Maka along with her and called in a drop ship. Craig then looked towards them and said “but first I will make sure Maka is taken into custody safely. Once it’s done I will catch up with you.” “Really? I can take care of it, you don’t have to baby an Alliance Commander. Besides, maybe Coulson can help you. He’s pretty agile.” Wasp said as the drop ship arrived. “That's not the reason, it’s more to allow her to move again after she gets to base,” Craig admitted. “Oh, we can do that too. Heck, I’m pretty knowledgeable on paralysis.” Wasp said. “So, should I call Coulson?” “Sure why not.” Dark Magician said. Wasp got Maka on the ship and pressed a button. “Hey, Agent! Looks like these bigshot Displaced need some help from your stun gun!” “Not funny Wasp. Why are you really calling me?” Coulson replied. “I’m serious. Right, bigshots!?” Wasp asked. “Yeah.” Both Magicians said. “For once in her life she’s being serious,” Craig said. Coulson sighed, “If you knew her better, you’d know that when she’s serious, she’s not… If you really need backup, I’ll call Misty.” “Oh come on! I love watching you flail!” Wasp gushed. “I hate you Wasp…” “I wonder what Pokemon Misty has.” Dark Magician Girl said. “I think they are going to be water type Pokemon.” Dark Magician said to Dark Magician Girl. “Most likely” Craig agreed. “You’d be surprised…” Wasp said. “Need anything before I go? That clone with the green paint should take care of everything anyways! Later!” With that, the ramp closed and the ship left. “She means me…” Grumbled a clone in green armor. “My name is Captain Hulk… Sirs and ma’am...” “There’s a joke in there but I am not going to say it.” Dark Magician said to himself. “The green paint is where I get the name… Wasp’s idea… Guess it’ll do until I’m dead. Do you need my squad's assistance?” “Yes. We are going after Crona and we help all the help we could get.” Dark Magician said to Captain Hulk. “Perfect. Glad to know we’re your first choice for your human shields.” Hulk said sarcastically. “More like you guys taking out Crona’s guards or droids while Dark Magician, Craig and me fight Crona. Is that alright with you, Hulky?” Dark Magician Girl asked. “Not like I have a choice…” Hulk grumbled. “Forgive him, he’s one of the oldest clones.” Said another trooper. “Some reason he doesn’t like shooting clankers. Or fighting…” “Maybe he’s a pacifist?” Craig suggested. “I’m not a pacifist, I just don’t like fighting a war that doesn’t make sense to me.” Hulk said, before signaling his Troopers to head to Hoity Toity’s place. “Scout the area, but do not engage until Misty’s here!” They saluted and ran off, leaving Hulk and the Displaced behind. “This war is pointless… You Displaced don’t know what’s really at cost here. The inhabitants, and the soldiers are dying here, and the more that join, the more good people die.” Craig then sighed and said “I agree with you, this war is pointless, it’s basically like two younger brothers fighting over a toy.” “Try being the toy…” Hulk said pulling out a minigun. “I wasn’t referring to you. I meant their arguments are pointless, I used the toy thing as an analogy.” “Well… Let’s hurry up…” “Misty is being a real Slowpoke getting here.” Dark Magician Girl while giggling at her joke. Suddenly, a shuttle arrived and landed, lowering its ramp to reveal Misty and a Togepi. She hopped off, flashing a smirk. “Some of us don’t have portals.” She said. “Well now you are here. Crona better be prepared for trouble.” Dark Magician Girl said. “And make that double.” Dark Magician said. Craig then sighed,“Any more Team Rocket lines and I will paralyze you.” “Wobba Fett.” Misty smirked. Hulk snarled. “Can we get moving?” The Captain asked impatiently. “Wait for me.” Discord said as he flew up to them, “Sorry I’m late wanted to rendezvous with you all as soon as I was done.” “Well there you go, you’ve done it.” Hulk said. “Can we capture this Crona kid?” “I think the answer is yes.” Misty stood in front of Hoity Toity’s place, Pokeball in hand, standing over a few Battle Droids. “Hulk, secure the area outside the building.” She ordered. Hulk grumbled and signaled his unit to split up and do what the Commander said. Misty opened her Pokeball, summoning a Dugtrio. “A Dugtrio?” Dark Magician Girl said confused. “What?” Misty asked. “Nothing really. I just thought you would use water type Pokemon.” Dark Magician Girl answered. “If she has a ground type I wander if she has a bug type as well.” Dark Magician said to Dark Magician Girl. Craig then smirked and said “If she has her phobia as well I very much doubt it.” Misty shuddered. “Don’t go there…” “That’s a yes on the phobia part.” Dark Magician Girl said giggling. Craig then smiled and said “At least you don’t have Acrophobia. It does my head in when I’m flying but I’ve learn’t to ignore it since I got Displaced.” “Try being around Wasp…” Misty grumbled. “Anyway. Let’s get in there and beat Crona up really good.” Dark Magician said as he checks his hammer space. “So who’s going to knock?” Asked Dark Magician Girl. “I was thinking Dugtrio.” Misty said as she pointed towards the door, which was thrown off it’s hinges by a headbutt. “Knock knock.” Dark Magician said. “Housekeeping.” Dark Magician Girl said giggling. “Let’s hope we can do this without too many casualties,” sighed Craig. “These are Droids, not organics.” Misty said. “Well… Not sentient? I dunno. Doesn’t seem like they're on this floor...” Once inside they saw the middle of the room had what looked like a large pile of droid body's put in it. Craig then closed his eyes then said “I can sense five living targets in there, but I can’t sense any more than that.” he then opens his eyes. “Dugtrio, use dig and figure out what’s here.” Misty ordered, and Dugtrio nodded and went underground. That’s when they heard a loud hiss from the pile of dead robots. Then a large skull like head pokes out and looks at Misty in the face as it mandibles move. Craig then looked at Misty and said “Get behind us.” Misty screamed and scurried behind Craig. The metal worm then started to dig its way into the floor as black smoke flowed behind it. All that left is a hole in the floor where it once was. Craig then closed his eyes and sensed where the creature would reappear and then said “It’s gone.” “What… Was that!?” Misty yelled. “A metal worm.” Dark Magician answered Misty. “B-but Folteren doesn’t have any bugs yet!!!” Misty said, fearful tears streaming down her cheeks at the thought of fighting bugs. “No, that worm belongs to an Iron Lich we know.” Dark Magician Girl grinned. “It’s not funny~!” Misty whined as Togepi hugged her from behind. Craig then sighed and said, “Don’t worry Misty, it’s gone and if it does come back it will be turned to ash.” Misty sighed. “We’re gonna need help…” “Yeah some dino help.” Dark Magician said nodding. “J-just call him…” Misty said as she pulled out another Pokeball. “Right. Hey Owen get yours and your dino’s lazy ass out here right now!” Dark Magician Girl shouted. A boom sounded and and ODST dropship landed in the middle of the droid pile and a few others outside landed as well. The first one opened and Owen came walking out. “Did somebody call?” he said. The other dropships opened and six raptors walked out, one having a metallic jaw and another had a very spiked tail. “That would be me.” Dark Magician Girl said waving her hand. “Hello again. So what’s the reason you called me here?” Owen asked. “We need your help with dealing with some droids.” Dark Magician answered. “Alright then, just let me get my Z-6 rotary cannon.” Owen snapped his fingers and the minigun appeared in his hands. “Girls, come over here.” Owen said. “Coming dad.” a raptor with blue streaks running down her sides came with the other five raptors. “You guys are our eyes in there. Lead us to the other droids in here.” Owen said. They walked forward and smelled the air. “Sir, the droids are on the upper floor.” the raptor with the metal jaw said. “Good job Carnifex. Radio the Dactyl brothers to shoot any enemy that comes out of this house.” Owen ordered. “Sir, yes, sir!” “We knew they were there…” Misty mumbled. “Anyways, I’ll check the basement to see if there’s anything useful. Commanders can be slippery and get away like the Magicians, so I’ll be as quick as possible. I expect Crona to be on top, so take this guy with you.” Misty announced as she summoned a Blastoise. “Cool! Let’s give Crona a shell of a beating.” Dark Magician Girl said as she and Dark Magician flew to the top. Craig then sighed and said, “I better try to paralyze this one as well.” “Hurry up Owen, you’ll be left behind.” Misty commented as she went downstairs. “I’m comin’,” Owen said following Misty downstairs. Blastoise growled as he tried going down the stairs. “Should be a squad up ahead. You take ‘em out.” Misty said. “Aw blast it!” Yelled a Battle Droid before Dark Magician Girl whacked it over the head. “You are too slow!” Said Dark Magician Girl giggling as she another droid. “Now where is Crona?” Asked Dark Magician as he look around. Craig then looked around and sayid “No idea, but I’ve got an idea how to get a reaction from her… but it’s likely to piss her off.” “Like calling her girlfriend?” Dark Magician Girl asked. “Crona’s a boy actually…” A feminine voice says from behind them. Spinning around, the trio saw a robot girl with black ‘pigtails’. “So you’re Lee’s ‘heroes’?” Craig then said, “What do you think kid?” “Wow, you really don’t know who you’re talking to. I’m Folteren’s lead General Chaos Jenny. Don’t call me kid.” “I knew who you are.” Dark Magician said. “Then you should know I’m allowed to use my full power unlike you.” Chaos smirks. “Wanna go cry to your momma?” Craig then sighs and mutters “I don’t use my full power… ever” “Oh, Chaos Jenny? You do realise you're fucked when facing me?” Dark Magician Girl asked while wearing a TF2 Spy outfit and holding a zapper. “And I can use an EMP spell.” Dark Magician said as he points his staff at the robot girl. “I am surprised you didn’t bring Robotboy with you.” He added. “I don’t need him.” Chaos laughed. “And that EMP won’t do a thing against me. I’ve made adjustments...” Craig then sighed and said “Unless we remove your batteries then you can’t do anything.” “Shut up, you’re talking is hurting my ears.” Chaos said as she sent a laser blast into Craig’s chest, sending him through the side of the building. “I’m sick of hero players…” “That’s gotta hurt. Hey, where did Dark Magician Girl go to?” Dark Magician asked looking but only to spot her declocking behind Chaos Jenny and placing the zapper on her back. Unfortunately, it short circuited. “I’m not normal hardware!” Chaos yelled as her torso spun to face Dark Magician Girl with a cold glare. She sent her fist into Dark Magician Girl’s stomach, sending her crashing into the floor. Dark Magician Girl just get back up smiling while opening hand to reveal some screws. “Look you got a few screws loose.” She said. Chaos glared. “I thought you’d be easy. Guess I overestimated Time’s commitment. This isn’t my strongest body, and it won’t be the last.” Her eyes lost color, and a timer popped up in it. “A bomb? How lame.” Dark Magician said as he open a portal right under the body bomb and it fell in. But it slammed into his back. Craig then reappeared and said, “Allow me.” He then threw it out the window and then throws it high into the air as it disappears. Then fell back down towards Ponyville… And right on top of Twilight’s castle… BOOOOMMMM!!! Craig then muttered, “Fuck my life.” “Craig you moron. You blew up Twilight’s Castle.” Dark Magician said deadpanned. Craig demeanor then completely changed before he said “You’ve got to get away from me. Quickly.” “Why?” Dark Magician Girl asked confused. Craig then looked towards them as they realised that he eyes had turned blood red and he said “my powers have overloaded you need to get to safety.” “Right.” Dark Magician said as he opens a portal to the moon right under Craig and he fell in. “Biiitttcchh!” Dark Magician Girl yelled. “Now where is that yellow belly Crona is hiding?” Dark Magician said out loud. Dark Magician listened carefully and heard a sniff and quiet breathing from his left. There was a reinforced door with the remains of Droids and a lot of blood over it. “I think he’s that way.” Dark Magician Girl said as both Magicians walk to the door. The breathing picked up, and the two heard whimpering. Both Magicians looked at each other confused before opening the door. Inside, a pink haired boy sat curled up in a corner, shaking like a leaf. “Huh, that’s Crona? I thought he would be older.” Dark Magician Girl said looking at Crona. “Yeah.” Dark Magician said. “I wonder what Craig’s doing on the moon.” He added. “P-Please, leave me alone…” Crona said. “Why?” Both Magicians asked. “J-just… Please…” Crona sniffed. “Why are you here?” Dark Magician Girl asked. “She means why are you in this war?” Dark Magician asked which Dark Magician Girl nods at him. “M-mr. Spinner Displaced me… I was forced to become one of F-Folteren’s Commander thingys…” “Hmm, right, how to deal with this problem?” Dark Magician said to himself. “The rules do say that if a displace get killed he or she get brought back to life in their Equestria and can’t rejoin until after a week.” Dark Magician Girl said thinking on what to do. “Hmm, maybe we can give him a painless death so he can relax back in his Equestria for a week.” Dark Magician suggested. Crona’s eyes widened. “N-no! I don’t have an Equestria! None of the Commanders do!” “Really? I thought all displaced have an Equestria.” Dark Magician Girl said. “Not really.” Discord came floating next to them. “Some Displaced are lost in other multiverses, and a few have no real home as they are created as companions for Void Dwellers.” He answered. “Then what should we do with him?” Dark Magician asked. “Well that depends, killing him could be permanent if he doesn’t have a way to be reforged if he dies like me and Evilight.” Discord said as he started to think, “Perhaps we should ask Time Spinner.” “Or maybe you just take him as your prisoner… Like you were ordered to.” Captain Hulk walked into the room. “Where’s Craig?” Discord looked around then looked up. “I’ll go get him.” With that he turned into lightning a few moments later Discord returned with Craig from a bolt of lightning. “He was on the moon, near where Loki set up camp.” “Okay, taking Crona as a prisoner it is then.” Dark Magician Girl said. Craig then knelt down next to Crona and said, “Time to take you to Maka.” as he sounded like he was before he overloaded. He then picked Crona up and put the boy over his shoulders. “I’ll go check on Misty,” Hulk said. “Now that is taken care off. What now?” Dark Magician asked. “Do you feel that?” Discord asked, outside the clouds darkened. Around beings of fire appeared into existence while Discord looked on. “Well, this is unexpected.” He stated looking on. The fire beings looked up and moved to them. “You are Alliance.” The fire being said. “The Earth Wander, and the Elemental Lords have sent us, we are yours to command.” “Neat.” Dark Magician Girl said. “Glad to have your assistance,” Craig replied. “What would you have us do?” He asked. “How about watch and deliver this captive?” Discord asked pointing to Crona. “Very well.” He said as they surrounded Crona. Craig then took him off his shoulder and said, “Nothing will happen to you. I promise.” He then passed him over to one of Fire elementals. The elementals moved out with the captive. Discord turned to them. “Ok, so what’s next? Or is this it?” “Well I don’t know,” Craig admitted. “We could possibly try asking Coulson.” “Right, can’t Misty call him?” Dark Magician asked. “Yes, yes she can. I guess we better go ask her.” “So, where is she?” Dark Magician Girl asked. “I got a better idea. Hey, Discord, could you take us to Coulson?” Dark Magician asked looking at Discord. “Sure hold on.” With a flash they turned into lightning and soon appeared right in front of him. Coulson was talking to Wasp about something serious, but the antennaed girl seemed to be making a joke about it. “And you let it get away?” Wasp snickered. “It had a Lightsaber, what was I supposed to do? Get my arm chopped off?” “Or you could force it to drop the lightsaber.” Dark Magician Girl said giggling behind Coulson. “Oh ha ha.” Coulson rolled his eyes. “Did you take care of Crona?” “Yes. He is now a captive.” Dark Magician said. “You make it sound like a bad thing.” Coulson said. “In any case, you’re all free to go back home. We’ve kept you here longer than we thought. If you want to say goodbye to anyone before going, feel free.” Craig then turned to Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl and said “Catch.” He then threw them both an amulet in the shape of his sword and then says “if either of you ever need help don’t hesitate to call me.” Both Magicians took Craig’s token and then gave him theirs. Which is a Yu-Gi-Oh! card version of themselves. “Same goes for you,” Dark Magician said with a smile. Discord looked down for a moment. “Great, well, I’ll see you all later.” With that he disappeared through a portal. “Well, Dark Magician Girl and I need to head back to see how my sister is doing running Neo Domino Town,” Dark Magician said as he opened a portal and steps in. “See you all in the next Alliance chapter. Bye.” Dark Magician Girl said giggling as she step into the portal as it close. “I’m not going to miss those guys.” Coulson stated. “Ditto. Think Blossom will play Halo 5 with me?” Wasp asked. “At least you didn’t spend the day with them. And who knows, you may get lucky.” He then tossed them both a copy of his token then continued to say “If any villains come after you lot shout me.” “Of course.” Coulson said, before turning to Wasp. “Maybe we shouldn’t focus on games right now, we just lost Canterot, one of our biggest assets-” They continued their conversation as they went towards Canterlot Castle as I opened a portal and walked through it. Chapter 25 - A Family Reunion Part 1Author's Note This is a Crossover between me LostFaith and his story The Alpha and Nicranger and his story Hichigo in Equestria. I would also like to apologise for the lack of content recently I mean when did I release the previous chapter of his around last May? I had become burnt out on this story and just no longer wanted to edit it but beyond it's destroyed all my motivation to continue the story. However even though this story has been dead since then I have been working on a few new projects that seem to have gone well and reignited my inspiration to write one again. These stories are Kamen Rider: Equestrian Shade which can be found on my channel. The Second is called The Freelancer and The Huntsman that can be found on DarkSpider's profile. The third is called For Honor and the Creed which can be found on Wayward Shadow's profile. and my latest story called In Darkness there is Light and in Light there is Darkness If you could give any of these stories a look into it would help us all tremendously, and maybe even reinspire me to write again. As always I look forward to hearing from you, See you all next time. Chapter 23 - A Soul Reaper and an AI. -Church’s POV- "Uh... Hichigo. Trees of Harmony don't give a shit about American rights." “Too bad cause that’s what I’m going with. I am NOT apologizing for a second time.” "You are lucky. I wasn't asking you to." “Well if the worst thing I have to do is say ‘I’m sorry’ then I don’t think there’s much trouble in it. I just hate saying it.” A familiar token hit me in the head. "Ow. Should I or shouldn't I? Craig needs to get a token that doesn't hit people in the face or nuts." I said in annoyance. “Wait hold up who the hell is Craig and what just hit you in the head?” Asked Hichigo. "Take this and scream at it to get over here," I throw the amulet like token at Hichigo. Hichigo looks at it for a second before looking at me with a raised brow. “Seriously? Fine if that's what you want…. GET THE FUCK OVER HERE YOU PIECE OF SHIT!” A voice shouted back to me, “Go fuck yourself,” before it sighed and said “I’m on my way,” Seconds later a small portal opened up behind Church as another figure appeared behind him as he charged over and punched him from behind and shouted, “That’s for last time Church!” Hichigo stared at the scene for a second before he said, “Okay I’ll bite, who the fuck is this violent fuckhead?” "He's not exactly violent per se... He's mad about... Wait what are you mad about again?" I asked in confusion. Craig then sighed and said, “Maybe the fact that last time we met you sent me off without warning and then when I got back I was almost killed… and oh yes the fact I just got back from fighting in a war… sorry, I’m just extremely stressed at the moment.” “Join the club buddy. I just had such an emotional moment with a tree that I think I’m losing my mind.” "I'm not stressed. I just had my stressed relieved. Bow chicka bow wow," The mares that were still there blushed at this. “Church I swear to god if you don’t shut the fuck up I will beat the piss out of you and no damn twig is gonna stop me!” "Don't be so sure. I quite enjoyed the show," The Tree of Harmony said angrily. “Great the tree’s a perv. What are the odds!?” Hichigo announces while throwing his hands into the air in frustration. Craig smiled and said, “You two are even worse than those damn space marines.” "Ahriman doesn't happen to be one of them does he?" “Yeah… why?” "Because he may or may not have been summoned by yours truly." Craig said, “Let me guess, you have his token as well now,” He turned to Twilight and said, “Twilight don’t mess with Church’s tokens, you really don’t want to meet some displaced we’re not all kind people.” “I second that motion! Now…. what do we do cause I don’t want to spend anymore time around the pervy tree,” Hichigo said while jerking a thumb at said tree. "I object. Unless you want Discord in your head again," I said as I barely held back giggles. Craig smiled and said, “You're acting like I don’t see that as normal.” “Well, nothing is really normal in magic pony land dude. But Church… YOU KNEW WHAT WAS HAPPENING AND LEFT ME LIKE THAT!? GIVE ME ONE GOOD REASON WHY I SHOULDN’T USE ZANGETSU AS A CLUB AND BEAT YOU DOWN RIGHT NOW!?” "This Discord made it seem like he was stuck in a time loop for a few million years. Also, we were all in on it including Zangetsu." Craig laughed and said, “Ok your Discord is a bigger jerk than mine.” Hichigo then curled into a ball with a small thundercloud over his head and started drawing circles in the dirt while muttering, “Why do I have to be stuck with these bastards?” Craig then walked up to him and said, “If you're talking about me you're gonna get a bit of a beating.” “There is nothing you can do to me that Virgil can’t do better. I fear her and love her at the same time.” "Stop digging your grave," Virgil said from behind him. Hichigo jumped at least a thousand feet in the air at that. Holy shit. “You know it was a compliment right Virg? Please don’t hurt me,” He yelled from very high in the sky. "He is fun to troll," Virgil said. “I heard that,” Hichigo said from behind Virgil as he had more than likely used his Sonido to get down faster. She didn't even move, "I'm an AI. You can't sneak up on me." Craig remarked, “Yeah, I agree, it’s fun to troll people reminds me of when I tricked Twilight.” Twilight walked up to Craig and kicked him in the nuts before walking away. He just got wrecked. Hichigo winced at this, “I feel ya dude, I got my gonads kicked by the ficus over there not too long ago. But what’s your Equestria like? Mine is plainly obvious, I know Church’s is ponified but what about yours?” He then just stood up and shouted to Twilight “That the best you can do!” He then turned back to Hichigo and said, “It’s mostly similar to here but in my world I just beat Discord a few days ago.” "No. You signed your death warrant for your balls as soon as you said that." I say as I watch Twilight charge a spell that causes extreme pain and shoots it straight at his nuts. I winced, "Oh damn..." To this Craig just smiled before he whispered “Feim, Zii, Gron” and he disappeared from sight before he reappeared behind Twilight as he extended his hand trapping her in a purple bubble then said “Calm down Twilight.” "Um, Craig... Have you always been Rule 63ed?" I asked in horror. He just smiled and said, “nope, first time didn’t hurt and the second time it didn’t hit me.” "You guys wanna get drunk or fight waves of enemies?" I asked. Craig then smiled then said “just like last time… not gonna send me back like you did before are you?” "Oh shut up." I teleport all of us straight into the simulation chamber. "Wave one, Nazi zombies," I say. The princesses and ponies run away in fear. "What a pussy... oh wait." Hichigo gets a manic grin on his face once a horde of undead start coming towards us. “Less chitchat more combat! GERONIMO!” The battle crazed loon then leaps into the horde head first cleaving through them with his blade. To this Craig just sighed and said, “I can’t go one day without fighting.” he then touched the back of his guitar as all his weapons appeared and he draws his sword and Bolter Pistol and began cleaving through them like they weren't even there. "Wave two, Kamikaze Special forces." A wave of Japanese soldiers wearing power armor and wielding huge miniguns as well as railgun machine pistols start appearing and shoot at me, sending me flying into a wall and almost killing me with just one shot even with my armor. Just then the front line of soldiers were all cut down by what looked like a flying buzzsaw attached to a length of cloth. Then the cloth tightened and was pulled back into Hichigo’s hands revealing Zangetsu back in its giant cleaver form. A soldier shot a railgun at Hichigo which blew off one of his arms. "They aren't kamikaze for nothing!" From the stump of Hichigo’s arm, a new one shot out. Damn that healing factor really comes in handy! “Well, either way these fuckers are dead!” "Wave three, Trevor Philips and the Joker!" A bunch of Trevor's ran out carrying fucking RPGs and miniguns while jokers carrying ridiculously long revolvers started shooting at us. "...Oh shit." Craig then sighed and said “let me” Seconds later multiple dark blue tendril appear around him and then fly towards the Trevors and Joker spearing them all though the hearts as they all drop to the floor before a single bullet is fired. He then looks back to me and said “got anything else?” "Wave 4, Cyborg Superman." Oh shit if we kill him he'll just come back. We have to convince him to not come back somehow. “Fuck you Superman!.” yelled Hichigo as he hold out his right hand and starts charging up what I assume is his Cero attack. “Let’s see you take this you man of steel reject! CERO!” He then fires a beam the same size of the one he used against Quaker at the cyborg. Cyborg Superman just dodged using his superspeed before throwing a hundred punches at Hichigo in less than a second. Craig then just sighed as he grabbed Ahriman's token from his back and smashed it against the ground causing Cyborg Superman to fall into the warp just before it sealed up leaving him trapped there. "Wave 5, Thanos." "I CALL BULLSHIT!" I scream. “I call shit of bull. BE A MAN AND DEAL WITH IT CHURCH!” "But this fucker has all the infinity stones!" “Then just get the stones from him! If iron dong could do it why not us!?” Craig then said “give me one second” He then disappears and landed next to Thanos before he pulled the gauntlet off his hand and then reappeared back beside us and said “you can handle him can’t you?” Hichigo then uses a simple Bala and puts a hole right through Thanos' head watching as he crumples to the ground. “.... That was kind of boring. How about we get a guy from MY universe?” "We are lucky these enemies were nowhere near as strong nor intelligent as the real deal. Not even by a thousandth. Imagine fighting Galactus times a thousand." I say with a huge wince. Craig then muttered “don’t give the simulation any ideas” "Yeah... that would destroy this universe in a few seconds..." I say fearfully. “Oh and summoning a bunch of random joe schmoe’s is any different?” "Yes. They aren't an all powerful being who eats worlds as if it were eating simple crumbs." “And that's why we’re using one of Hichigo’s enemies instead! Now where the fuck is the console so I can type the shit in?” "Enable neural commands," I say. "Ok now think of the enemy." Hichigo seems to be thinking for a second before in the middle of a field appears a guy dressed in white pants and an open white vest with a sword at his waist. He has spiky blue hair and a hole in his gut, but his most unusual feature is the piece of bone on the right side of his face that is connected to his jaw and looks like fangs. “May I introduce Espada number six. Grimmjow!” Hichigo announces as if revealing a new car. "You're on your own for that one," I said in annoyance. “Be thankful I didn’t give him his resurrection form. But if you don’t want to join in more fun for me!” Hichigo then leaps at this ‘Grimmjow’ and they both clash blades making a small shockwave upon impact. "Don't make me spawn Galactus times a billion," I reply seriously. Craig then looked at him then said “shall we let him have this one, I did ruin the last few without trying” "Sure." We watched Hichigo as he fights. He seemed to be having the time of his life as he continuously clashed blades with his opponent. The whole fight lasted another half hour before he finally cut down the simulation and landed in front of me and Craig lightly sweating but never losing his grin. “You know that was pretty fun! I only wish he was the real deal.” "Uh. You do realize that if we spawned the exact same one bad things would happen?" “I know, but it's just not the same ya know? When you fight someone for real they have more instinct and are a lot more challenging!” "Yeah okay let's do the bonus round and watch the waves kill each other," I say. "Bonus Round 1, Master Chief and The Arbiter vs. The flood. Fight!" “Now all we need is some popcorn and we’re golden.” Craig then smiled and clicked his fingers as three bags of popcorn appeared in front of us. He then said “Bottomless popcorn at your request… thank Discord” "You guys stay back here. They won't shoot a fellow spartan." I say as I run straight into the fight and start shooting at the flood with a binary rifle. "Identify yourself Spartan." The Master Chief said in a no-nonsense voice. "Spartan A-375." I lie. I start shooting at flood left and right. "What the buck are they doing..." Rainbow Dash asks Hichigo as she appears next to him. “Killing shit. Popcorn?” He said holding out the bucket to her. She snatches it and scarfs down a lot of it at once. The rest of the Elements and princesses arrive and stare in horror as the Spartans and arbiter fight the flood. Craig then looked at everyone and said, “you think this is bad you should have seen Church and me when we were fighting the flood last time I was here?” “Yeah me, him and Virgil killed a bunch of ‘demons’ not too long ago. I personally ripped the kings head off and now Church and I are Kings of the demon kingdom.” Hichigo said. "Wave 6. The hood." We hear. Hichigo and Craig stare slackjawed as gangs from GTA V start spawning. "Nigga get yo ass outta here before I fuck you up!" A balla yelled. And a huge ass firefight ensues. “Okay, I need to get in on this shit! Girls hold the popcorn I got a gang war to participate in!” yelled Hichigo as he runs into the chaos. Craig then sighed and said, “I’ll let you two handle it. Don’t want to ruin your fun” The arbiter picks up a police officer and impales him with one arm. "THIS IS THE LSPD! WE HAVE YOU SURROUNDED!" A fucking tank drives towards the gangsters and blows them up in one shot, sending cars everywhere. “Fuck the police!” Hichigo said as he cuts the tank in half with Zangetsu and proceeds to do the same with anyone near him. "This is the army! DROP YOUR FUCKING WEAPONS!" A squadron of fighter jets flies over Hichigo before shooting missiles at him. A cargobob drops a tank down in front of the remaining criminals as it flies away with marines parachuting out. "I change my mind. You are pardoned. I don't want to deal with this fucking bullshit." Celestia said as her sister and the elements stare at her with jaws agape. She teleports away. “BRING IT ON!!” screamed Hichigo as he charges the oncoming military. Everyone even the Spartans could only stare in awe at how someone could be so reckless. "IF YOU WON'T SURRENDER THEN WE WILL HAVE TO RELEASE THE KRAKEN!" A legitimate Kraken with Chuck Norris riding it appears from the sky. Craig then sighed and said “who wants this” He then passes his popcorn backwards and then look at the Kraken and shouted “Big Bang Kamehameha!” the beam then strook the Kraken disintegrating it instantly. "HELP US AVENGERS!" The avengers jump out of a helicopter and charge at Hichigo. "HULK SMASH!" The Hulk said as he hits Hichigo hard enough and caves in his face while sending him flying into a wall in a bloody mess. Craig just sighed and he puts the Infinity Gauntlet he took earlier on and uses the Stone of power and instantly crushes almost everyone in the room excluding anyone he deemed as an ally. "That fucking sucked, Console ban the infinity stones!" I say, making Craig lose his power and the gauntlet with the stones. Craig then laughed and said, “hey I'm just using everything at my Disposal to fight… Not my fault I still had the gauntlet.” "Wave 7, The Merchant." "You have got to be fucking with me," I muttered. “Oh, I call first dibs!” Calls Hichigo before he then turns to me and said in all seriousness. “And I want a rematch with Hulk.” Before Hichigo could even take a step forward his arms blew off and his legs turned to bloody chunks. The Merchant took a step to finish him but was blown back by an energy blast from my binary rifle and disintegrated instantly. "You don't want to fight that..." I say seriously. Fluttershy vomited before fainting in her vomit while Rarity did the same. "Did you really almost get one-shot?" I asked Hichigo. “Sorry, I’m primarily a close range fighter. It’s just how I roll.” His limbs then regenerate and he stands up cracking all of his new joints. "He literally almost killed you with a simple 1887 shotgun," I say in concern. “I didn’t have my Hierro active. I didn’t want to use it as a crutch and actually try dodging for once. Next time I’ll have it up to the point a meteor couldn’t penetrate my skin.” "The Merchant's shotgun should be much stronger than a fucking meteor. You know that right?" Craig then smiled and said, “So you two hate the Merchant… in my opinion I wouldn’t say they're that bad.” "Nope. I don't hate them. I applaud them. To get that many of us? Can't be that easy." Hichigo and Craig stared at me with horror and confusion. “How can you applaud that fuck? I mean yeah that is pretty impressive, but he took us away from our world with basically no way to return home. Everyone we love back there is forever gone from us! I wouldn’t be applauding that guy if I were you.” "May it's because I never had a family?" I replied with a smirk. “Not to sound insensitive dude but not everyone doesn’t have a family back home probably worried sick over them. I for one had a pretty good family. Hell, my brother went to a con with me dressed as Ichigo and watched as I vanished. That is not the last sight anyone would enjoy.” "Maybe he erased our existence and replaced us. Otherwise everyone would be panicking." “That doesn’t make me feel any better.” "Hehe. Well, to be honest, I didn't expect it to." Craig then sighed and said “at least you haven't seen your mum and brother as statues in the fucking Canterlot statue garden” "If I had family and that happened I would fucking glass this entire goddamn planet." The ponies looked at me in fear. “I would most likely slaughter the entire population of Canterlot.” "And after glassing it I would release the flood to kill all survivors," I say coldly. “wow... just wow… I really should be worried about what goes through your two’s heads.” "And then I would bring them back to release the flood instead of glassing so they could watch as their family turned into infected monsters. AND THEIR screamed WOULD FILL MY EARS AS I LAUGH AT THEIR AGONY!" I screamed in Omega's voice. "..." Everyone just stared at Church in shocked silence. “Do I need to knock some sense into you, dude? Not even I would be that cruel.” Said Hichigo in shock. "THEY DON'T CALL ME OMEGA FOR NOTHING! I AM ANGER." "Remind me to never piss you off," Luna said. “Well, you better bring Church back right now Omega. Calm your tits.” Hichigo said while gripping Zangetsu tightly. "WELL MAYBE YOU SHOULDN'T MENTION THE SONIFICATION OF LOVED ONES!" “AND YOU THINK THIS IS ANY BETTER!? LOOK AT YOURSELF!” "I would rather not do that," Church said calmly. “Church. I won’t even begin to try and figure out what life was like for you back home, but we are in a new world, each of us! So let’s just try and live with what we’ve got. You’ve got your sister which is more than I have by far.” "That doesn't change what I will do if that happens. In fact, their agony will be tripled. Now then, it appears to be Lunch time." I said as if nothing had just happened. Everyone just gaped as I have a complete change of mood and calmly walked to the cafeteria while whistling. "He has issues..." Pinkie Pie whispered to herself. Craig then smiled and said “Don’t we all” "Simulation over. Scores, The director vs waves, 8-0. Flawless victory." “And now Church has a bigger ego… great,” muttered Craig. "Preparing for lunch. The cafeteria is now open in sector 27 room #19362b4." "There is no fucking way that this place is that big!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed. “Oh, you’d be surprised sweetheart. LUNCH TIME!” Hichigo then runs out of the area nothing but a white blur with a pink one following shortly after. Craig then sighed and said, “Come on girls we might as well try to follow them” with that we began to head towards the Cafeteria. "Keyword being try," Craig said after 15 minutes of wandering around aimlessly and passing Lopez bots. "This is the automated broadcasting system, lunch ends in 15 minutes." Craig then muttered, “They can’t be fucking serious…” "Warning, a guest has gone missing, all units be alert for any suspicious activity." Craig then said “I’m not missing just lost you try not getting lost in this place” “To think that Church got lucky and had a ship like this crash near him. I want one!" Rainbow Dash complained. I then smiled before I said, “yeah I know… I was there, you may not remember me though but saw you, Twilight and Applejack, you were so worried about that stallion wasn’t you.” "I think you are confusing us with Church's universe," Twilight said in befuddlement. I then scratched my head and said, “Oh I’m in Hichigo's universe… I didn’t realise.” "Hichigo was last sighted in the teleportation grid, he could have gone anywhere in the universe by now." Craig heard. He then quickly looked around and said “Damn ship and it AI’s I'll never get used to that.” "Yeah, because you were supposed to get used to it in the first place," Fluttershy said sarcastically. The other elements look at her in shock. Craig then looked at her then closed his eyes and said “you're not Fluttershy are you” "I am. But that doesn't mean I have to be a fucking doormat. Plus we are lost in a ship with tens of thousands of rooms." She retorted. He then muttered, “I need to be on my guard when you start acting like this in my world.” before he sighed and said, “Okay I believe I can sense Church in a room ahead of us, it really isn’t an easy job to searching for a robot.” "He's not a robot. He is an artificial intelligence. Those are two completely different things." Twilight said. “Yes he himself is an AI but the suit he’s in is robotic,” Craig retorted. "Actually it is the mechanical version of the Mark VI Generation Two MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor." Twilight lectured. He then sighed and say, “I'm not going to argue with you Twilight… it’s not worth it.” "You can't argue with proven facts anyway," She said as she walked towards a door that said Lift 9. I walked past Craig and then towards Lift 9 before placing a palm into a scanner, opening the door and closing it behind me before they can follow. "I'm sorry, but this area is a director only access point. Only personnel with level Alpha access may proceed." Craig heard from the door. "So much for that," Fluttershy said in annoyance. Craig then smiled and said “maybe not” he then closed his eyes as his body changed to look like Church and then said whist perfectly mimicking Church's voice “like I'm gonna let a door dictate where I can go.“ "I'm sorry, but you are not allowed beyond this point. Any further attempts will enact Cole Protocol, the systematic destruction of this entire ship and all personnel to prevent information from entering enemy hands." The voice said coldly. Craig then sighed and said “I ain’t gonna risk blowing this ship up.” "Wise decision. You wouldn't want to risk the deaths of over 7,000 crewmen after all." It said back. He then asked the computer “would you please direct us to the cafeteria then” "There should be a lift fifteen levels above you. Select room #19632B4." Craig then sighed and said, “well we won’t reach it before lunch ends then… shame.” The terminal for the console that was talking to Craig earlier changes to show me with a Hunter helmet from Halo 5 instead of MJOLNIR. Almost the exact same one Agent Locke had. "Need a lift?" I asked. Craig then just sighed and said, “a lift where exactly?” The floor Craig and the elements were standing on started moving upward while the ceiling did the same. He then looked at me and said “see you in a minute hopefully” "This is the director, signing off." The screen goes blank. I then just smiled and said, “scratch that girls we may get their after all.” They reach their destination and step off the lift before watching it descend again. I then smiled as they begin to walk towards where they were told the Cafeteria was. -Craig’s POV- "2 Minutes remaining until lunch is over." "Aww... I didn't even get to eat!" Pinkie Pie complained. I then heard Discord say “I’ll handle this you take a rest” I then muttered to Discord “Fine just don’t cause any trouble” He then muttered back to me “fine, fine… no chaos.” “Okay then I'm going to rest.” I replied before giving Discord contol. -Discord’s POV- I then sighed and said whilst mimicking Craig’s voice “Let me sort you something out, it’s my fault you didn’t get to eat anything” I then looked at everyone and said “what would you like?” "Cocaine. Just kidding no, um... Chicken... wait no...Pizza!" Pinkie finally decided. “any specific topping?” "Don't overcomplicate things you dunderhead!" Pinkie Pie scowled. “Pinkie you're talking to the guy who had to deal with a younger cousin who was similar to you.” Pinkie Pie's eyes widened before she slapped me in the face angrily. "That was mighty disrespectful of ya," Applejack said in a stern voice. "Indeed." Rarity agreed. I then sighed and said “fine I'm sorry, it’s just you all remind of someone from my family… each of your personalities fit them to a tee.” "Are you calling us unoriginal?!" Rainbow Dash screamed as she got up in my face. “No, not at all… All I mean is that you all have similarities to the people I used to know.” "Hey, Craig! What is a girl's best friend?" Church asked as he walked up to us. “Do you mean back on Earth? If it is the case Diamonds” "The correct answer is passive aggression," Church said as everyone gasped at him as a bunch of mlg sound effects played. "*Airhorn* Get fucking wrecked!" "Too soon!" Pinkie Pie complained. "That's mean!" A waitress mare screamed at him. "You're not denying it! *Airhorn*" He retorted. "Shots fired!" I heard a stallion yell. I then sighed as I clicked my fingers and essentially muted the sounds and Church. I then turn back to everyone and said, “Look I'm sorry...it’s only been a few days for me since everything changed for me and I just don’t like disappointing peo… ponies” I didn't hear anything and looked to see Church making lewd gestures to mock mares. I then glare daggers at Church as I turn and Strike him directly in the dick and say “shut the fuck up.” He doesn't even flinch before he presses a button that ejected me out of the ship and into space. I then sighed as I used instant Transmission and teleported back inside and said, “you done throwing your hissy fit yet Church.” "Disable artificial gravity and life support." I suddenly feel weightless and start losing air. "Get in the corner and think about what you've done. They are used to my jokes." I feel gravity return to me and air regained, but I can't teleport out. "No magic for five minutes." I then laughed and said, “The only magic I use is my spells from Skyrim, and I ain’t used that.” I then walked forwards and said, “and besides I don’t need air to breathe, don't forget I was able to breath in space when I blew up the Flood ship Church.” "You still ruined the moment. Now sit in the there." I feel the ground beneath me rocket out of the ship and I see I'm in a life pod orbiting the Sun... which is full of cracks... Wait what? How?! -Craig’s POV- I then began to take back control of my body and said “Discord remind me to never let you control me when you use your magic” He then appeared sitting on my shoulder and said, “yeah I screwed you over there didn’t I.” “Yes, yes you did...” I then looked at the Sun and said “How the hell did that happen… Something must have happened to Celestia?” “She’s probably had her magic drained, blocked or she’s injured and using the Sun to help her heal.” “She can do that?” “Yes… well, it was, a while ago since it last happened.” I then sighed and said “Discord first things first.” I then clicked my fingers as a pizza appeared back in the ship with a note saying “sorry about everything that happened Discord took control of his magic and in turn me, I had little control over my actions, please forgive me. Craig. -Church’s POV- A ripple was felt throughout the pelican. “I've been here for too long,” I said. “I'll only be able to stay for a few hours longer before the portal forcibly collapses in on itself.” I sighed. “That's not something I would survive.” I then threw my arm down and walked towards the launch bay, as I watched as Craig floated in the pod back towards the pelican. As soon as it latched back onto the ship I grabbed a Hydra MLRS and attached it to my back. “I can't stay here,” I said to Craig. Craig then sighed and said, “I see… look I'm sorry about earlier… I shouldn’t have let Discord have control.” “This doesn't change anything. I've been here too long. My way back is starting to collapse,” Church said tiredly, “If I don't find Hichigo… Tell him I had no choice.” I then turned around and walked towards a panel which I pressed before I disappeared. Craig then turned around before he said, “I better apologize to the girls… that's going to cause a lot of problems for me.” He then began to walk back towards where he could sense the girls were. -Craig’s POV- As I got closer to the cafeteria I began to get a strange feeling of dread in the pit of my stomach as I thought I am going to get hurt… a lot for earlier. I then sighed as I arrived at the door then muttered “it’s now or never” I then opened the door and walked in to see the girls all staring daggers at me. Rainbow Dash silently walks up to me and puts out her hand as if in greeting before punching me in the nuts. I sighed and said, “Okay Dash I deserved that… but maybe you want to beat up Discord instead of me?” She doesn't say anything as she walks away. “All visitors must exit the pelican in 5 minutes.” I heard an electronic voice say over the intercom. I then smiled and said “we better get off the ship” I then looked at Pinkie and said “How was the pizza I sent you?” I get the silent treatment. I then sighed and then said, “okay all of you wail on me… I really don’t care anymore” “All visitors will be registered as unauthorized personnel and therefore threats to the security in 4 minutes.” “This way to the exit.” A pony stallion in black Mark V Gen 2 MJOLNIR armor wielding a shotgun said as he points to a corridor that ends with an open hatch. I then walked over to the hatch and said, “Okay you can all beat me up after we get out.” “Warning: All visitors are no longer welcome. Combat doctrine is now in effect.” The mares ignore me and walk away from the pelican and towards Ponyville. I then shouted to them “I’m sorry I was such a dick to you girls.” They just keep on walking forward. A holographic image of Church appeared in front of me. “I can't stay any longer. Tell Hichigo that I must go and please for the love of god teach him to make a token,” The hologram disappeared and the pelican started its engines before shooting off into a portal which closed behind it. I then sighed before I said “Can I get fucked over anymore than I already have?” I then heard a voice that I instantly recognised to be Ahriman shout "Hope you enjoy this present, Craig!" Seconds later I saw a grenade appear from the portal and landed next to me and I muttered “goddamit Murphy…Feim, Zii, Gron” The grenade then explodes and I just stand there unaffected by the blast myself however the ground below me was a different story as the blast had left a large hole below me. I then heard another voice I know to be Khârn’s shout "Yeah, and fuck you too!” as the portal shut in front of me. I then stood up and muttered, “what do they have a Pinkie Sense… damn, that annoying.” “SON OF A BITCH!” yelled Hichgio as he hit the ground a little ways away making a small crater upon impact. In the sky a fairly large dragon was glaring down at Hichigo’s form as he pulled himself up. “You made a new friend?” I asked. Popping his back and neck to get a kink out Hichigo turned to me and shrugged his shoulders while he lifted up Zangetsu. “No the fucker is just a little pissy because I found his horde and took some shit. I don’t know why they leave their hordes just lying around for everyone to see and I found a nice little crown that had my name on it so I took it and here we are.” said Hichigo while he idly picked his ear with a pinkie. “Oh great, that’s just great,” I groaned in Dovahzul. “Could be worse, I could have screwed his daughter. Did you know that dragons have a full dragon form and a more human form like the ponies yet they don’t get their full dragon form until later on in life? His daughter told me that shit right before he showed up and slapped me with his tail.” said Hichigo with a smile not at all concerned about the dragon flying down towards them. “One second buddy” I said before looking towards the dragon before I shouted “Joor Zah Frul!” before it was surround in a blue glow as it fell to the ground in front of them before I said to the dragon in Dovahzul “Easy there, you need to calm down.” “That’s what I told him before he started going off about me ‘defiling his daughter and stealing his treasure.’ Seriously dude not everything is about what you have.” said Hichigo as he took a seat on the ground. “You little welp! You came into MY cave and tried to mate with MY DAUGHTER! I should roast you alive right now!” cried the dragon as he stood to his feet showing him to be a quadruped and about the size of a house. “You and what army you overgrown iguana!? Zangetsu would turn you into a pair of boots with one swing!” yelled back Hichigo in anger as he stood holding his blade tightly. “Calm down both of you!” I ordered. Hichigo looked at him for a second before turning away with a huff the same time the dragon did. “He started it.” they said in unison making them glare at each-other more to the point lightning was shooting between their eyes. “I don’t care who started it, but god dammit I have seen enough fighting to know this isn’t the way, and besides I don’t care how much treasure you have it doesn’t give you the right to try and kill anyone,” Iargued. “Honestly I was more concerned about my daughter. I’ve heard of this one before and his reputation among females.” explained the dragon with a glare at Hichigo who was looking shocked at the accusation. “Hey! Just cause I have a healthy appetite for the female form doesn’t mean I just go sleeping with any women who will bend over for me, I’ve got standards ya know!?” My eye then turned red before he motioned his hand downwards and he pinned both Hichigo and the dragon to the ground and shouted “Both of you stop arguing or god dammit I will show you want i’ve learned during the bloody War Of Shadows!” “There was a bloody War Of Shadows? AND I WASN’T INVITED!?” cried Hichigo as his battlelust had kicked in and he was itching for a fight. “Well it only started recently, and no you wasn’t invited,” I said still holding them down as his eye continued pulsating. “Well that’s not fair!” said Hichigo as he just laid there not even bothering to try and get up. “Why would you want to go into a war?” asked the dragon in surprise. “Cause I live for battle that’s why you moron!” answered Hichigo with a snarl. “Look you don’t want to be there, there are people miles stronger than me there, you wouldn’t live long,” I argued. “I’m already dead buddy. I’m practically an arrancar that means I’m half malevolent spirit and half soul reaper. And I still haven’t ascended to my final form yet! I’ve only just been able to summon my Bankai and there is still so much more for me to unlock and the only way I can do that is by taking on stronger opponents.” said Hichigo in a surprisingly serious and analytical tone of voice. “Did he just make sense?” asked the dragon in surprise once more. “He did… alright… once this mess is sorted out I will spar with you and see if you are in any way set to fight in the war, if not you don’t go deal?” “I can live with that.” said Hichigo happily before turning to the dragon, “as for you bub how about you fly on home and talk to your daughter about what actually happened. Also tell her to call me cause I get lonely.” finished Hichigo with a fake sad tone at the end. The dragon just responds with a snort of smoke before looking away. “Okay i’m going to release you both now, but if you try to go at eachother I will pin you again,” I said as I slowly released his hold on them. Hichigo instantly hopped to his feet brushing the dirt off of his white outfit as the dragon merely stood there for a moment staring at Hichigo in curiosity. “Just stay away from my daughter whelp.” was the last thing the dragon said before taking off and leaving Hichigo there to roll his eyes at the pathetic attempt to scare him. “So I assume the others headed back to their own Equestria?” he asked while leaning against his blade. “Church did he said he was sorry he couldn’t stick around but his time had run out… he did ask me to help you with a token.” “Token? You mean like the thing I used to summon him here?” asked Hichigo with a hint of interest. “Yeah… same as I’m assuming Church asked you to use to summon me here.” I added. “Alright! Sooooo how do I make one?” asked Hichigo. “Right then, first you’ll need an object that you want others to find to represent yourself, it can be anything like Church had a plasma sword and I had my amulet.” Hichigo thinks about what he wanted to represent him for a moment idly tapping his blade. A few seconds later he freezes up and slowly looks at his large cleaver of a blade before an inhumanly large smile spreads across his face. “I think Zangetsu right here would make a great token.” “If you're sure about that then you’ll just need to focus and say a phrase that a person who finds your token will hear.” Now Hichigo looks down on his blade in contemplation. What did he want others to hear when they found his blade? It would have to be something unique to him and something that gives a good representation of what and who exactly they are summoning. A whole minute goes by before Hichigo is ready. “I am Hichigo, wielder of Zangetsu, King of the Demon lands and the Slayer of Hollows. Call upon me if you wish to see your enemies fall to pieces or just need a friend. Call out my name with Zangetsu and I will come.” chanted Hichigo. “Not bad if I say so myself and it should now replicate itself and head off into the void leaving you with the original,” I said calmly. “Yeah. You know being a displaced isn’t as bad as I thought it would be. Sure I get violent a lot easier now thanks to mixing with Hichigo’s personality but I got to say knowing that there is others out there in the multiverse in the same position as me makes it a bit more bearable.” Hichigo said with a smile as he looked at his reflection in his blade. “Anyway do you want me to send your token off, some peoples just multiply others need em placing into the void for them?” “Send them off please. Who knows I may get a call earlier that way and help some poor sap who really needs it.” “So true,” I said as he was grabbed his token before creating a small break in the area around him then said, “Please may I have your token?” Hichigo silently hands it to him while staring at the small break in the area and is reminded of a garganta. I then carefully placed his hands into the void whilst holding Zangetsu before he held it inside for a few seconds then removed it as before he held two of them in his hand before he said “and done.” before he passed the original version back to Hichigo and placed the copy on his back. “Thanks man. So any other displaced guys or gals you know of?” Hichigo asked offhandedly truly curious on what other types of displaced he may encounter in the future. “Where do I start, As you know there’s Church.” “The tech guy with the surprisingly hot sister that I am currently in a very long distance relationship with.” Hichigo cut in but waved on for me to continue. “There was also two people displaced as Dark Magician and Dark Magician girl, a black suit spiderman Displaced called Jeffery, A Sasuke Uchiha Displaced, There was a guy called Mike… don’t know what he was Displaced as, there was also there Warhammer Displaced I met I think their names were Ahriman, Khârn and Zhufor. There was Asphyxious who I only had a quick talk to when I arrived at the War of Shadow and also someone Displaced as Misty for the pokemon series if i remember correctly.” I said as I tried to remember everyone I’d met on the first day of the War of Shadows. “Alright that is a pretty diverse group of people I will admit but I also want to ask, what exactly is the War of Shadows? Seems like a pretty big deal if so many displaced are a part of it?” “Well it’s basically two displaced that got into a fight after one injured his daughter by accident and the other attacked the first one’s Twilight and well there Displacer now is dragging a ton of displaced into it most of them against their will to lead the sides, there was this one person who was Displaced as Crona from Soul Eater but didn’t want to even be there.” I explained. “So this whole war was started over some stupid feud between two idiots?” asked Hichigo. “Yep… and I don’t even know why I joined… I only realised what i did after I got back to my equestria… I didn't even remember who I sided with till I arrived.” “Well while I’m all good for bloodshed and death but this has no meaning to it except for two idiots wanting to hurt each-other and not ballsy enough to settle it by themselves.” “Exactly why I said you wouldn’t want to join, I don’t want any others being pulled into their stupid war.” “Yeah but they’ll keep dragging others into it whether they want to go or not. I’m mostly concerned about what will happen if one side actually beats the other. What happens to the loser and who sided with them?” said Hichigo. “Well… I know all Displaced that die get sent home but the actual displaced that were forced… well… you can guess,” I admitted sadly. “Yeah I can and I don’t like it. But on a higher note I don’t think my chances of being summoned there particularly are very high at the moment so no worries there. So where do we go from here?” “Well… I know your Mane six hate me now… so thats a thing.” I admitted whilst rubbing the back of my neck. “Don’t take it too hard man. Most of them hate me to and I’m basically stuck with them so if anything I should be upset. But in all honesty I really don’t give two shits cause I got something over all of them. I’m officially the King of the Demon lands so on a political standpoint I can’t be touched without causing an international incident. That Tree of Harmony though is still a real perverted bitch that I would love to take an axe to.” Hichigo muttered the last part to himself. “You know… I can still hear you and don’t try to cut the tree of harmony down that will end badly.” I replied before saying “Anyway… you said you wanted to duel each other?” “Oh yeah.” said Hichigo in realization that he had asked for a duel with Craig after the dragon left. “Just give me a sec to get ready.” finished Hichigo before summoning his Bankai form and getting into a ready stance. “Ready whenever you are.” said Hichigo happily as he was itching for a fight and his spiritual pressure was pulsing wildly. “Well then, let me just get ready,” I said as I placed my hand on the back of my guitar before it turned into a sword. I was wearing a black chestplate which was below a black trench coat before I was covered in a blue skin. I then drew the sword that matched my token in my right hand as my left hand glowed in a purple light. I then looked to Hichigo before I said “I’m ready,” as I lowered into a deep stance with my sword held in front of me. -Third Person POV- Hichigo’s eyes narrow for a moment before he grins even wider and disappears with Sonido to appear behind Craig with his sword coming in to bisect Craig at the waist. “So that’s your game is it?” Craig said as a blue tendril shot up from his back to block the attack before his hair turned golden and stood on end before he said “now then… let's get this started,” before he quickly spun around as there sword collided with each other. Hichigo’s smile turns to a frown for just a moment before coming back full force as he pushed back Craig’s sword and unleashing a multitude of slashes aiming for Craig’s upper half. Craig then smirked before he began to glow before he began to block each blow using two fingers before he said “Come on, I know you can do better than this… or do you want this to become a fist fight?” before he threw his sword into the air before he shouted “Rasengan!” as he launched his hand into Hichigo’s chest . Seeing the attack coming Hichigo sends a lot of his spiritual pressure in the spot where the Rasengan would impact to increase his Hierro. When it made contact Hichigo felt the attack drilling away at his armor like skin but it was holding for now. Using this Hichigo jabbed two fingers into Craig’s chest and shouted, “BALA!” as a small beam about the size of a silver dollar flew from his fingers at near point blank range. Craig just smirked as the attack just dissipated on contact with his body before he brought two fingers to his head and teleported away. Cursing Hichigo gets into a ready stance as his chest heals almost instantly from the damage it took. He uses his spiritual sense to try and pinpoint Craig’s location. “Well… I will admit you surprised me, I may not have know a lot about your anime counterpart but you really have surpassed my expectations… maybe I should show you my next form?” Craig said from a distance. Hichigo turned around quickly spotting Craig and was tempted to rush in but his instincts were telling him to hold back for now as he could feel his spiritual pressure rising the longer the fight went on. “Oh yeah? Well lets see it.” exclaimed Hichigo with excitement clear in his voice. “Well… okay then… if you want to,” Craig said before his muscles seemed to expand before he grew in size as he held a similar appearance to that of Frieza’s first transformation in Dragonball Z apart from the fact he still had his golden hair before he said in a much deeper tone then before “Now then let’s see what you can do?” before he charged forwards and disappeared as he moved before Hichigo heard him shout “Shadow Clone Jutsu!” Hearing this Hichigo knew he had to move as standing still would just get him pummeled as clones of Craig started to appear in poofs of smoke. Using Sonido to it’s fullest Hichigo would disappear and reappear hacking and slashing at anything that moved. As he did this however Hichigo felt his spiritual pressure start to rise exponentially. Then on instinct Hichigo appears on the far side of the area so all the clones are in front of him, bringing his blade back it glows black with red lining and while bringing the blade forward in a horizontal slash he yells out, “Getsuga Tensho!” before releasing a large black wave of energy that starts to cut across the whole area at high speeds. “Well then that is a surprise,” A voice said from behind Hichigo before the voice shouted “Kamehameha!!!” a a large blue beam of energy appeared behind me. Hichigo barely had time to turn around before the large beam plowed into him as he used his sword to block the beam as it started to push him back. A little bit away Hichigo managed to dig his feet into the ground and stop his being pushed back. He was still struggling with the beam before he brought his left hand up holding the beam back with only his right hand. Putting his left hand up to the beam pure white raietsu begins to form in the palm of his hand. Then Hichigo yells, “CERO!” as a beam just as large as the Kamehameha impacts and begins to fight back against the beam pushing it back until it now holds in between Craig and Hichigo. “You know this pose looks pretty cliche right?!” called Hichigo as he holds back the attack with his own. “Yeah… good old beam struggles,” Craig chuckled before he said “Although there is a great thing about shadow clones.” another voice then shouted from three directions “Kamehameha!” as three more beams appeared from each side of Hichigo. “Oh fuck all kinds of duck.” was all Hichigo managed to say before the three beams hit him making him lose concentration of his own beam and letting the fourth hit him. Hichigo grit his teeth as his Hierro was quickly being eaten away by four beams continuously pounding him at once. His reiatsu spiked once more and Hichigo felt his hollow instincts crying out for blood and to fight back against the four beams. With an inhuman cry Hichigo’s power spiked dramatically dispelling the four beams as his form changed once more. Now Hichigo could be seen in his Vasto Lord form which now showed his destroyed top and displayed his hollow hole in the center of his chest. His white hair had now grown longer to his mid back and he now possessed a mask with two large, sharp horns. “You still okay to continue buddy?” Craig asked. In response Hichigo brought his blade across his chest before swinging it down and behind him. The sheer action causing the ground behind him to erupt and fly backwards in large chunks. “I’ll take that as a yes.” Craig said before a large majority of the shadow clones began to charge Hichigo again. Hichigo simply stood where he was as the clones approached showing no outward reaction. Then when the clones were just in striking distance Hichigo released a wave of pure raietsu sending the clones flying back and creating a crater under him from the pressure. Then Hichigo started to carve through the clones his speed nearly triple it was with Sonido with every hit being just as strong. Occasionally Hichigo would used his free clawed hand to pierce a clone’s chest or if they were standing in a line he would pierce up to three at once, all the while all attacks thrown at him were just shrugged off. Craig just stood a small distance away as he was flanked by multiple Clones who each either had two fingers on their foreheads or their hands held above their heads while Craig was lying prone on the floor watching Hichigo through a sniper’s scope while his clones kept trying to wear him down. After destroying a few more clones Hichigo disappeared only to reappear a few hundred feet overhead. Staring down a large red orb the size of a yoga ball began to form between the horns on his head. Then with a loud shriek Hichigo fired a large crimson beam at the center of the clones. When the beam struck a large dome of red energy erupted. After a few seconds the dome dissipated to show a large crater where the beam had struck. Craig then looked towards the clones behind him and the ones that hand their hands near their heads nodded to him before they began to run into a nearby forest before the remaining clones walked towards Craig as five of them merged what appeared to massive balls of energy together above me as I began to absorb the energy into myself as I began to wonder just why Hichigo hadn’t found us yet. As if to answer Craig’s question Hichigo’s gaze then focused on the original along with the clones around him. Faster than one could blink Hichigo was now standing directly in front of Craig just looking at him with his gold eyes waiting for Craig or the clones to do something. Craig then smirked before he said “Are you not going to hit me… why just stand there and do nothing… or are you waiting for me to make my next move so you can counter?” “You think I did not notice the orbs earlier? Hard to miss them. Your gathering energy for something and the hollow in me is curious on what your planning. It will not let me strike just yet.” responded Hichigo only his voice now was more of a rasp and screech mixed into one instead of his usual voice. “If you knew what those balls was you’d not give me time to have done what I did.” Craig said calmly before he disappeared along with his clones before multiple voices shouted from around them “Special Beam Cannon!” before multiple gold and white beams of energy flew towards Hichigo from all directions. Hichigo disappeared just as the beams reached his position before appearing behind one of the clones with his hand already piercing through his back and out the chest. From that very same hand Hichigo released a barrage of Bala’s that eliminated the other clones. “Your clones won’t hide you forever Craig. Unlike you they possess no spirit and I can practically taste yours.” said Hichigo. “That may be the case but, I need to ask you… was you watching the previous attack?” “What do you mean? Surely you're not talking about those Special Beam cannon’s? Or are you talking about the Spirit Bombs?” Craig then smiled as Hichigo realised his eye was pulsation between gold, red and white before he said “The Special beams.” His fingers then moved slightly to the right. Tilting his head to the right Hichigo spared a glance in the direction Craig had gestured to nothing of any particular danger. Scoffing Hichigo says, “if you're going to gesture at empty air then I might as well take the initiative now,” he said before bringing up his hand and unleashing a barrage of Bala’s. Craig then smiled before he brought his hands upwards as multiple special beam cannons burst from the ground below Hichigo impaling him on the one by one as Craig said “You really think that was me directing you?” whilst the Bala’s dissipated on contact with Craig’s body yet again. Hichigo stumbled a bit as the holes made by the attacks healed over in a matter of moments. Glaring at Craig Hichigo released another hollow cry that shattered the ground around him before lunging at Craig with his sword raised to cut him down the middle. “And… release,” Craig said before a burst of gold energy struck out from his knocking Hichigo off balance before opened his palm as a purple light struck Hichigo’s hand as his sword was launched from it before all of the energy that Craig had built up was unleashed instantly in one beam as Craig shouted “Final Flash!” as he held Hichigo’s sword behind him. The beam carried Hichigo far away before a loud explosion occurred where he had finally stopped. It was all silent for a few moments before Hichigo’s sword began to move about on its own. Then with a burst of burning reiatsu it broke from Craig’s hand before twirling away at intense speeds into Hichigo’s hand who was panting a few feet away. His mask was cracked in various places and his body was covered in burns that showed the muscle and bone underneath in some places. He was also healing a lot slower than before. Craig then looked before he said “Let’s end this here… we don’t want to risk killing each other or any bystanders.” “Agreed. At this rate we’ll both end up dead. That or the whole planet will be a crater.” said Hichigo as he finally finished healing. “Yeah… that wouldn’t even be near what would happen if this continued with me gaining power.” Craig admitted. “So how are we gonna finish this?” “Let's just call it a draw, that's probably for the best,” Craig suggested. “Yeah I guess so.” agreed Hichigo as he released his Vasto Lord form and returned to his base form large cleaver and all. “Okay then,” Craig replied as he returned to normal before he turned his sword back into his guitar. “Good news though, I finally learned Getsuga Tensho and unleashed my Vasto Lord form at the same time! Looks like all I needed was a desperate situation in order to bring them out.” “I will say this you are an amazingly powerful Displaced, sure we could have kept going for much longer and i have a feeling we wouldn’t get to a point where either of us would surrender.” “Oh I hear ya on that. And thanks, you're pretty powerful yourself using DBZ and Naruto attacks like that. If not for my Hierro and regeneration I would have been done a few times over.” “What do you expect from a guy who spends his spare time trying to learn other ways to crossover different moves… heck i’m trying to combine the Kamehameha with skyrim spells to augment its effects.” “Now that would be amazing. Can you do dragon shouts? Maybe try and combine the Storm Call with it? That would make a badass move.” said Hichigo. “Umm… I did use Dragonrend earlier to bring that dragon down,” Craig pointed out. “Oh so that's what you did. I don’t know the dragon words for shouts so I didn’t really know what you said.” said Hichigo with an embarrassed laugh at the end. “Hmm… do you want to learn a few?” Craig offered. “Can I really learn them?” asked Hichigo now really hoping it was possible. “I could pass on the knowledge for a shout… but you would still need to practice… or I could teach you to control ki or chakra,” Craig admitted. “If that’s the case I would go with chakra. Shadow clones would be really helpful. Plus adding the elements into my attacks would be an enormous increase in power.” admitted Hichigo. “Hmm… you know i’m in a good mood what shout do you want as well, i’ll give you a two for one deal.” Craig admitted. “Wow thanks man!” said Hichigo happily with a large smile that was genuine and not full of his usual bloodlust. “No worries, just name the shout and I’ll put the word on the ground for you.” Craig said as he placed his hand on Hichigo’s head before passing over a small amount of knowledge on how to control chakra he then continued to say “you should be able to create a small amount of shadow clones and maybe the chidori aswell.” “Thanks man. As for shouts the ones I would like to have are Elemental Fury, Unrelenting Force, Slow time and Storm Call please and thank you.” said Hichigo. “I wish I could give you all those, but I can only give you one full shout.” Craig admitted. “Hmmm. Well if that's the case then just give me Unrelenting Force. It may be the first shout you get but it's also the best in my opinion.” said Hichigo not at all bothered by only having one shout. He was happy to get any! “Okay then,” Craig replied before he opened his hand as three symbols appeared on the ground as he whispered “Fus, Ro Dah.” Hichigo looked at the symbols in awe for a moment before feeling the knowledge held within them flow straight into his brain. Craig then looked to him before he said “How do you feel?” “Wiser if you can believe it.” “I can… Is it bad i’m considering teaching Fluttershy this shout as well back home?” Craig inquired. Hichigo looked at him for a moment before bursting out laughing, “hahahaha! Are you kidding me? That would be hilarious! Imagine her just whispering those words and sending someone flying!? I say go for it!” “I’d literally have the whole Flutterkin thing back in my world… at the moment i’m content trying to train my daughter to use Ki though,” Craig admitted. “Whoa you have a daughter! Adopted or biological?” “Adopted… I am only 18 right now.” Craig replied quickly. “Oh alright, I had the image of a Centaur for a moment and it was going down some dark roads.” Hichigo muttered in a bit of fear at his own twisted imagination. “No worries, hey, sooner or later I may end up having to perform to a crowd back home when that day comes do you want me to call you along so you can have a day to relax, heck you could even bring a friend along?” “That would be amazing man. By the way how far along is your timeline?” “Well… considering the fact that Discord escaped from stone less than a month ago i’d say the start of season 2,” Craig admitted. “Huh. Well I only beat the crap out of Nightmare Moon and for some reason Sombra was out before the wedding so I had to go and kill him with Church.” “Huh… you know it’s weird… in all of our history there’s actually a lot of things mentioned about him… one being he was a hero who aided Celestia in defeating my worlds Nightmare moon,” Craig admitted before he said “There’s even a statue of him in the canterlot gardens.” “Yeah I wonder why he would go to dark magic though? He was already famous and world renown so why risk his sanity by going all dark and shit. I smell conspiracy.” “Maybe… maybe, eh… everything a conspiracy to me though.” “That’s cause you got a thousand year old horse with a sun on its ass runnin things and you don’t get to be that old without a boat load of skeletons in your closet.” said Hichigo. “True… true.” “Well that and she hates the idea of killing an enemy but has no problem turning them into lawn ornaments like Discord. Bitch is seriously messed in the head.” “You had to mention that,” A voice said from seemingly nowhere. “Yes, yes I did. Now who the fuck just said that!?” demanded Hichigo as he brought Zangetsu to bear. “Oh calm down buddy… it’s just my worlds Discord.” Craig admitted “Yeah well just make sure he keeps out of my head like my worlds Discord didn’t do. Plus it can’t be too bad being a lawn ornament. They at least washed you daily right?” “Umm… nope… Celestia didn’t really keep much of an eye on me… she did on three other statues though… seemed to cry often when she’s near them,” Discord admitted as he sat on his shoulder. “They look familiar to you? And what were they species wise?” asked Hichigo truly curious on why these three were so important to her. “Umm… one was a pony… the others… well that’s harder to explain around Craig right now,” Discord admitted. “But if it’s his Equestria this is happening in then shouldn’t he have the right to know?” “He can’t know,” Discord said. “I can’t know what?” Craig asked. “About two out of three statues in Celestia’s garden which are apparently so important to her that she cries over them whenever she sees them.” stated Hichigo casually. “You mean the statues of my mum and brother from back home,” Craig admitted calmly causing Discord’s eyes to open in shock. “That's what you were trying to hide from him!? That’s a dick move. But why would there be statues of your mother and brother in Celestia’s garden. And why are they important to her?” “The legend of the mare in to moon was different in our world, it said with the aid of three of her strongest soldiers she was able to hold back and imprision her sister on the moon, however this came at a cost as her soldiers were sealed in stone,” Discord admitted before he said “it was her biggest failure as she lost no just three soldiers, but three friends.” “HOLD UP! Isn’t the Nightmare moon in your world dealt with already? Why not just break them out then?” declared Hichigo not believing for a second that there wasn’t someway Craig’s family couldn’t be freed. “Because I can’t… I’ve tried to do it but I couldn’t do it,” Discord admitted. “Why not? You managed to break out of your own stone prison on your own so what's so different about theirs?” “I didn’t break out myself… it required chaos around me to break… they will need their representations to break it… that being bravery and compassion.” “Okay not to sound too cliche and unoriginal but Craig here has both of those in spades so why not let him try? And you still haven’t said who the pony is in that trio.” pointed out Hichigo. “...Sombra.” “..... well I’ll be a son of a bitch. At least in your world he’s a good guy. In this world I have his head mounted somewhere in the Crystal Empire.” “But the statue isn’t him… he wasn’t sealed in stone he just disappeared.” “Also I tried to free them and I wasn’t able to… heck I was attacked there and almost died to save someone, hence why I can do this,” Craig admitted as a set of dog like claws appeared between his fingers. “Maybe it just isn’t time for them to be free just yet. As for Sombra who knows what could have happened to him. But I can tell you're not just gonna give up are you? That doesn’t sound like the kind of guy you are. But that's just me.” “He’s definitely not… even though he hides it.” Discord admitted “Plus he’s got the backing of not just the residents of his own version of Equestria, but the backing of a lot of Displaced from other Equestria’s. You ever need a hand I’ll be the first to jump in. Unless of course I’m in the middle of a battle for the fate of the world but it's not like those don’t happen in every single season right?” “True… watch them escape during the invasion,” Craig chuckled. “Damn I did forget about the changelings at the wedding. I wonder what a bug pony looks like as a human?” “They already tried to take Fluttershy back in my world,” Craig admitted. “They dared to try and kidnap the most adorable being in any Equestria!? Blasphemy! Take her head, down with the bug Queen!” declared Hichigo dramatically. “Oh she knows... she pissed me off to the point she been threatened by me,” Craig said as what looked to be a pair of very sharp canines appeared in his mouth. “I’d still keep her at arms length. But on a scale of 1 to 10 how evil is she in your world? Like Sombra’s enslavery kind of evil or more like a necessary evil?” “Chrysalis… no idea she sent one drone to impersonate her and that failed… the drone couldn’t act like she did around animals.” “...okay I say that your Chrysalis is a moron. I don’t think you’ll have much problems with her.” Hichigo deadpanned. “Oh i know,” Craig admitted with a smile. “Well that leaves me to deal with my own little bug Queen. And after that I gotta deal with Tirek. Sunset Shimmer and that Twilight rip off can be dealt with by the elements. I’m more excited about seeing other Displaced. Well the good ones really cause I’m sure there are evil ones right?” questioned Hichigo as that thought popped into his head. “Okay then well if things get bad here you know i’m always free to call,” Craig said with a smile. “Always good to know I got friends who got my back.” returned Hichigo with his own smile. “Yeah… and I know Church abuses that so often… heck he called me a day after we met to deal with an attack by some flood.” “Hahaha yeah that sounds just like him…. He’s got a hot sister though whenever she’s not in the body of an elite.” “Well.. okay then, oh and to send me back you’d just need to say ‘Craig our contact is complete’ but don’t worry bout that I can head home myself.” “Guess I’ll be seeing you around whenever a disaster happens then?” “That or I offer you a backstage pass for a performance,” Craig admitted. “What kind of ‘performance’?” “Well considering i’m a guitarist and singer what do you think?” “I think that sounds awesome. And I accept!” “Well then expect a call soon… I have the feeling one gonna happen soon.” Craig admitted with a smile. “I’ll keep my eyes and ears open.” replied Hichigo. “Okay then, I’ll see you soon,” Craig said as he used his token to open a portal in front of him before he saluted Hichigo before walking through as it closed behind him. Chapter 26 - A family reunion part 2Chapter 25 - A Family Reunion Part 1 -Craig POV- As I began to look at the two statues in front of I began to feel depressed about everything that was happening to me. First the war, then finding them in stone, and then bomb from the marines I feel like people are just ruining my life. I then reached my hand down to touch Scootaloo’s head as she said, “So this is your Mum and brother?” “Yes… god, I miss them.” She then smiled at me then said, “At least you know they're alive now that’s an improvement.” “I suppose you're right.” I then felt a small portal open below me and shouted, “Worst moment ever” I then saw Scootaloo grab hold of me as she said “Not this time.” However it was futile as she got dragged through the portal as well, which promptly shut above us. -Church POV- “Oops?” I repeated. Craig then looked up and muttered, “It’s rarely an call with you is it Church?” “I don't know, my new adopted brother, is it?” “Wait what? What are you on about?” Scootaloo then looked at me and asked Craig, “Dad what does he mean?” “Ooh! Dad! You know what you have to do!!!!” Amor yelled, making everyone stare at her in confusion as she happily bounced towards Scootaloo. Craig then stared at me and said, “Please explain because I am officially lost.” “Oh trust me there is more.” A voice said from behind Craig. He then quickly turned around to see Asuna standing behind him as he just collapsed and said, “okay what in god’s name is going on?” Asuna then smiled as she grabbed hold of him and said, “Craig I missed you so much!” Scootaloo then looked at them in confusion and asked Amor, “What’s going on between that woman and my dad?” “You don't know? That is his mom!” Amor shouted excitedly. Loud enough in fact, that Craig heard it. “Wait what! But that’s not possible… You're encased in stone back home how are you even here?” “Okay, did you ingest any fear gas lately?” I asked seriously. Kirito then walked beside me and said, “Am I missing something… Craig!” I turned holographic grabbing everyone’s attention, “Dr Jonathan Crane: Creator of Cloud Burst, Dubbed Fear Gas. Results: Causes you to live your worst nightmare. Can cause you to kill yourself from fear. Hallucinatory.” I said in Delta's voice. I then looked back at Craig as he collapsed on the ground and passed out as Scootaloo ran over to him and shouted “Dad wake up!” Asuna then looked back to me and said, “I think he’s just broke… got somewhere for him to rest?” I had already resumed my regular form so I just nodded. Kirito then smiled and said “I’ll carry him” he then threw him over his shoulders and then proceeded to ask me “Where to?” “I'm sorry but we have royal duties to a-” An explosion was seen as Canterlot Palace fell off the mountain completely. Asuna then smiled and said “you mean relocation to attend to.” “T’would have been comical, were it not for all the deaths.” Luna said as she casually mentioned the macabre state of the palace. Asuna then frowned and muttered “and one more thing” her glare then sharpened at them as she shouts “why the hell did you abandon your people!” I suddenly stop moving. Everyone notices that I am staring at something. Amor slowly turns her gaze to see another new ship in the sky except it was UNSC this time. Everyone then looked up as Kirito said “this isn’t good” “That… That is ONI…” I muttered loudly. “What is the Office of Naval Intelligence doing here?” Asuna then looked at me in confusion and said “Get Craig up he’s useless if we get attacked right now,” “They won't attack us.” I said confidently. “How do you know that?” “Do you see them attacking us right now?” I asked as I pointed to the cruiser that was scanning the area. “Ok then if they aren't attacking why are they here?” “Colonization?” I ask bluntly. The ponies look at me with wide eyes. “And you think everyone wants that to happen?” “I never said they couldn't be reasoned with.” I then heard Craig moaned as he muttered, “This is ridiculous” He then opened his eyes to see the ship and said, “Why does this always happen to me.” “What? Pregnancy?” I asked randomly. He then looked back at me and asked, “What are you on about?” He then floated off Kirito’s shoulder and landed on the ground. “You are pregnant according to this scanner.” I show a plasma pistol scanner that nobody had noticed before now. “See? The light is green.” Craig then sighed and said “Not physically possible buddy not a gal.” “Did you forget what happened to Tucker?” Amor fainted. Craig, Kirito and Asuna then looked at me and then all said “yes… what happened” I explained how Tucker was impregnated by an alien. Craig then shook his head then said “I ain’t been touched by any alien buddy… you must be losing it” “Fine. Stupid thing.” I charged the plasma pistol and unload the entire charge into a completely untouched house and nearly dropped from shock when the whole thing exploded… “Oops…Yeah, I'm not paying for that.” I said bluntly. “They should have plasma pistol insurance.” Celestia glared at me but I just arched an eyebrow until she finally sighed in defeat. Luna was next, she trotted up to me and said, “HUZZAH!” ...What? Craig then sighed before he muttered “I’m to young for this” Kirito then smiled and said “Hey at least were back together” “Hey Craig, isn't it funny how my favorite person used to be Daniel Craig and both of your names are Daniel and Craig?” I said in Pinkie’s voice at a ridiculous speed. He then sighed again and said “Just explain everything I really am lost… why did you call me your brother Church?” “Nope. Mom is explaining this shit.” I snaped my fingers and a portal to the warp opened depositing boxes of pizzas shaped like grenades. “Danke.” I tell the warp as I snap the portal close. Amor snaps up after I eat one of the exploding pizza. “You could said the pizza is… explosive AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!” “Okay Mum what’s going on?” However before she could answer we hear a voice said “Umm Craig I sense a portal opening in your pocket?” I quickly do the impossible and jump into Craig's pocket. After a few seconds a muffled explosion was heard before I jumped out with my head smoking in a cartoonish fashion. “That grenade was delicious. A bit on the spicy side though.” I then hear Craig mutter “Fucking Space marines why won’t they give me a break.” Asuna then just muttered something before she punched Craig in the side of the head and said “Craig there are children around.” “Yeah! You dingus. You crazed malfeasant! Stop hurting the children's ears!” “You really can’t said much Dimitri.” Kirito pointed out “Well at least the children know to punch me when I said- FUCK!” I screamed as Amor punches my in the funny bone. I collapsed on the ground on my chest with her on my back. Craig then smirked and said “Yeah sorry it’s just last time they did it it was a Anti-armour grenade they used.” I throw an extremely dull pocket knife at Craig which hits his leg with the force of Miley Cyrus’s get shrekting ball. It somehow gets stuck in his leg drawing no blood though. Craig then sighed and said “Really Church?” seconds later a small bit of blue appears next to the knife, before Craig pulled it out and then threw it into a nearby tree. He then smiled and said “thanks Bii” “I just realized something.” “What is it?” Craig asked. “Mom is Joseph Stalin us so she doesn't have to explain things.” Everyone then looked at me as Craig asked me ”what do you mean?\” I walked up to Asuna, who I towered, and asked, “Why you be stalling?” She then smiled and said “why not… it’s fun seeing you and Craig argue” She then sighed and said “Okay i’ll explain, Craig what’s happened is that we have adopted Church and his daughter. We heard that he never had a family and decided to give him one and in turn he is now your adopted brother.” Craig then looked at me and said “Can this day get any weirder?” “Does this mean I have to be on the good side? Can't I be that one rogue who is on nobody's side?” Craig then laughed and said “You can be who you want Church… you are in control of your own destiny.” “Oh that is a relief. CAC18 Destroy nearest planet.” An explosion. “CHURCH!” Everyone screamed. “What?” I ask blankly. Craig then laughed and said “and the readers call me vegeta.” He then shook his head and said “I need to stop using my Deadpool powers” “Shut up fourth wall breaking imperialist scum.” “Yeah, I know, blame Discord he has some control over my powers.” “Blame me for what?” A Discord wearing a I shit you not Helghast uniform with a fucking swastika on it. Asuna and Kirito then shouted “Discord!” as they grabbed their weapons. Craig then looked at them and asked “okay what's he done to you?” Helghast Discord then does a air spartan kick before yelling, “ラディアント火災” (Japanese: Radiant Fire) Craig then sighed and said “really Discord?” Second later Craig's Discord appeared on his shoulder and said “Not me.” “My name is not Discord. It is Fuwa!” FD proclaimed. “That is the same thing. Just in Japanese, you idiot.” I said. He just rolled his eyes. “I thought you were dead.” Celestia said sadly. “Good.” “Good?!?!?!” “You heard me. Good.” Discord fired tear gas at Celestia, “Aw, don't cry.” Craig then sighed, grabs the canister in mid air and threw it back at Fuwa. Fuwa does the unexpected. Instead of dodging or teleporting away or even taunting about how useless it is, he just swallows it. “Ah, how delightful. The chaos I could sew. Why stop there? Tata for now!” He teleported away. Craig’s Discord then looked at him then said “was I really like that?” “Yes, yes you was,” Craig admitted. “I mean… Holy shit what the fuck no Fuwa don't do that!” Fuwa laughed as he gleefully jumped out of an exploding bank carrying sacks of money. “Holy shit, when did Discord turn into Two face?” Craig then sighed as he touched the back of this guitar and then bolted towards Fuwa and threw him to the floor then said “I have had enough of you.” “Well then, why don't you snap my neck? Hehe. One simple movement, so powerful.” Fuwa still had his incessant Joker smile on. Craig then sighed as he puts his hand on his head and blanked out a few memories from Fuwa and dragged him back to the group. He then said “sorry about that.” “Well you are no fun at all.” Fuwa said as he snaps a talon and frees himself before turning into the Joker. I heard you were fond of this one.” Fuwa even had the voice right. He pulled out a giant revolver before aiming it at Craig. “Boom!” He shouted as it fired a bullet and a flag before he took off running madly at inhuman speeds of 68mph. “We're you listening in on conversations again you little shit?!” I screamed as I gave chase to the jackass. “Yes! Now come and catch me! If you can!” Another house exploded. Craig then appeared in front of him and punches him straight in the face and said “oh shut it.” Fuwa shook his head. “No magic allowed.” He pulled a Tirek and grabbed the magic from Craig and snapped the tether. “Oops. It appears to be broken.” He giggled as he jumped over the magically incapacitated Craig. I ran up to Craig. “Holy shit he just did a fucking Power Rangers on you!” Craig then smiled and just jumped back in front of him again and said “that ain’t no magic” Fuwa gets a smirk, “Then you won't be needing it. Ever.” He said bluntly as he completely destroyed his attunement to magic. He then spartan flame kicked him in the nuts, setting them on fire before continuing to run. Craig’s eyes then turned blood red as he shouted “I’ve had a fucking nough of you!” with that he brought his hands to his side as he shouted “KameHameHa” as a blue beam of light flew towards him. I watched as the others, Amor, Scootaloo, Asuna, Kirito, Celestia, and Luna arrived next to me. I put on U’Moon - Mad Road because I know the tempo of the fight already. Craig then charged towards Fuwa who just avoided the blast and shouted “Surrender before I need to go full power!” “Fuck you!” Fuwa pulled out a bomb vest and strapped it to himself. “For the system admins!” He rushed Craig. Craig’s body then began to glow as his helmet flew off to show his hair had turned golden and was standing on end he then shouted “you have no idea who you are messing with!” “ALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALA!” Fuwa jumped straight at Craig and… exploded. No seriously. That was fucking lame. “That was anticlimactic.” I said in disappointment. Amor slapped me. “What?” She motioned for me to apologize. “Uh no.” She glared at me but gave up. “Hey Craig! What is 69 divided by zero?” He doesn’t answer, but turned around as we see his eyes pure red and his hands against his head as he looked out of control. “Huh. That is one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen.” Everyone even Craig looked at me in complete confusion but Craig was still pretty fucking furious. He then muttered “get me out of here… we're not safe” “Uh Craig. I'm never safe. Hell, I'm a danger to myself.” I said bluntly. Craig’s Discord appears next to me and said “you need to stop him his powers are out of control there’s a reason he holds back his powers.” “Are they psionic?” “No my magic was stopping him from losing control.” “Hey Craig! I know how to calm you down! Let's blow up another fucking planet. You do the honors!” before anyone could react, I had already teleported us to a backwater planet with no life on it. He then shouted “please you all need to get out of here! I’m not in control somethings in my head, it’s manipulating me!” “Okay sure. But you are going to regret that.” I teleported everyone except Craig into my pelican in orbit above the planet. “Now we wait f-” The entire continent Craig was standing on starting sinking. “What is he doing?” Scootaloo then rushed over to the window and said “you’ve got to help him… please I don’t want him to suffer.” I then looked back to the planet to see a dark black outline begin to grow around the planet as his anger begins to grow more intense. “Good thing this is in a different solar system. And uh yeah, about helping him. Can't do that. Unless you want me to potentially kill him. Not the best idea.” Asuna then looked at me and asked “what happened to him he’s never been like this… yeah he’s always had a temper but he’s never lost control like this.” “That isn't something I can answer. Insufficient data.” I said sadly. I then looked back at the planet to see that the land now looked like it was burning. I then heard Kirito say “man, this is almost like the Black Star Dragonballs in Dragonball GT.” Seconds later it exploded leaving not even debris where the planet once was. “Huh. The covenant would want that.” I said in awe. We then see a small speck near where we left Craig and as we looked closer we could see that he was unconscious and back to normal . “See? Destruction is a healthy way of making you feel better.” Everyone glared at me. Asuna and Kirito then looked at me in shock and said “he has that much power trapped inside him… and has so little control if he snaps.” “Well yeah, it is like constipation.” Celestia and Luna winced. Scootaloo and Amor gagged. Kirito and Asuna just looked in shock at the damage he could do if he was pushed to his limit. They then turned to Discord as Asuna said “Look I don’t care about what you have done just get him back here and get him in control again.” Discord then sighed and said “And to think I gave him this power?” “That power is nothing compared to what it would have been if he was actually constipated.” “STOP BRINGING THAT UP!” Everyone yelled. “No.” I retorted as I crossed my arms, “Constipation constipation constipation.” Seconds later a flash appeared behind me as I felt something strike me in the back. I then heard Craig say “Oh shut up you're giving me a headache.” “Warning: The Director has been attacked on deck. Orders Director? Do we initiate self-destruct?” “No.” I waved dismissively as everyone stared at me cautiously. I snapped my fingers and a holopanel slid up into everyone's view “This is Griffin Daily, The Equestrians have been crippled and we can now rightfully reclaim what is ours. Let us gather arms as conquistadors!” I stared at the screen for a few seconds before facepalming. Craig then muttered, “I can’t believe this… I am a danger to everyone I care about, I… I’m sorry about everything.” “Eh, no big deal.” I wave it off dismissively. A portal opened next to me. “Khorne will have your head!!!!” A bunch of melta grenades flew out of the portal with it closing behind. I caught and ate them one by one. “What the fuck Khorne? They aren't spicy!” I moaned. Craig then muttered, “I am getting sick of of those marines and their gods.” “Actually that wasn't the marines this time… that was Khorne himself.“ I opened a portal and screamed through it, “KHORNE! THOSE FUCKING GRENADES BETTER BE SPICY NEXT TIME OR I WILL RIP YOUR DICK FROM YOUR LEGS AND STITCH IT TO YOUR EYES!” I closed the portal behind me and laughed. Right before another one opened, with a grenade flying out that hit Craig in the nuts and exploded. Craig then looks around and shouted “I am sick and tired of being hit and blown up by grenades!” A note slides next to me. I pick it up and read it, “Prepare yourself for bla bla bla yada yada yada… Kharn Ahriman Piraka bla bla…” Craig’s eyes then twitched as he looks at Kirito and Asuna and said “get Amor and Scootaloo to safety these guys are no joke” I just continued reading ,”- Daemons, the emperor, yada yada, Tzeentch.” Craig then muttered “we need help… please say we have someone in reserve” “Well, I do know Loki.” “As do I but it’s unlikely he’ll help” “No. I mean, I can get him to come if they decide to take it to far and threaten the balance. He is the Balance after all.” “yeah… I don’t want to risk my powers overloading again.” He then looked to Asuna and said “get everyone to safety you can’t fight these guys they are leagues above you” “Thank you for the compliment!” A booming voice said through an open portal that I was near. Craig's eyes once again twitched as he shouted “Mum get out of here! Now!” Asuna then shouts “No! I’m not letting you fight them alone!” “You will not be able to fight them.” A voice said with great authority yet pessimism. “Yeah… I don't know what side I am on…” Everyone looked at me with betrayal and confusion. “They are kinda my friends too… And by friends I mean allies. I am not allowed to fight allies. I am sorry.” “Don’t worry about just keep everyone safe.” Scootaloo then looked at me then muttered “You can’t dad.” I then looked at her and said “Scoots they will hurt you if I don’t… Please trust me.” “THIS FIGHT IS NOT HAPPENING IN MY BRIDGE OR I SWEAR TO ALL THAT IS UNHOLY I WILL CAUSE SUCH UNBALANCE THAT LOKI HIMSELF WILL WEEP.” I threatened as I saw the marines exit a portal. Ahriman raised an eyebrow. “What are you talking about……” He trails off. “Oh, hi Ahri. Yeah, I'm not exactly good or bad. I am what you would call chaotic neutral.” “Okay then... care to explain what in Tzeentch's name is going on? I can sense a lot of chaotic energy.” He asked. “Well Khorne stopped giving me spicy grenades so I blew up a solar system and threatened him. Still awaiting a response. Hmm, that star is still going supernova. It is like if your mother stopped giving you pizza… I think.” “Well, I'd say he stopped because someone, and I can guess who, has reverted this universe's version of the Warp to a point before Khorne's existence. Whoever is giving you grenades is not him.” Ahriman replied. “FOR FUCKS SAKE LOKI! THEY WERE FOOD GRENADES!” I angrily grabbed my phone and dialed his number and waited for a response. Craig then sighed and walked towards Ahriman then said “Hi how are you.” “You are not getting back those chaos Daemons!!!” Everyone heard from my phone in Loki’s voice. “Firstly, Church, the slaughter of millions is slowly reverting the Warp to it's state as the Warp. And to Craig, greetings, it's been a while.” Ahriman stated. “Actually. I would count it as over seventy trillion deaths if you include intelligent microorganisms.” Delta said helpfully. “Yeah… I’ve been getting your ‘gifts’ not been great.” “I tasted one of the gifts, I don't know why you are complaining.” “In truth, the first one is because we sensed you talking shit about us.” Khârn replied. “The second one was for shits and giggles.” A portal opened and I threw the phone in it, “Hey Khorne! Loki just wants to talk!” Screaming was heard as the portal closed. “Yeah, that sounds like the Warp.” Khârn said. “At least, Khorne's side.” He shrugged. “Huh. Why do I keep hearing the word Piraka?” A portal then deposited two robot like figures, who fall to the ground in a small heap. When they stood up, we could see two massive grins and green and red armor. “Oh fuck! Kill it with cleansing hellfire!” I grabbed my forerunner gravity hammer and proceeded to try to beat the shit out of them. “Get over here you Joker hybrids! I'll fuck you up!” Suddenly, a massive amount of pain echoed around my head. I stumbled, gripping my head. “That is for insulting us, punk.” The red one growled. “Fuck you think you can handicap me?” I drop the gravity hammer and pull out my pistol and shoot myself in the head. “Never been glad to die. I'll be back bitch!” Craig then sighed “God dammit Church.” “Did he just shoot himself in the head?” “yes, yes he did.” “Eh, I've seen stranger. Names Hakann.” The red guy greeted, holding out his clawed hand. “I can still fucking hear you. By the way, other than the Jokerish look that is kinda fucking awesome.” I say over the intercom. “Church you're lucky we sent our kids away” shouted Craig. “You know what they say. The Pirate Captain owns the ship. Well I can do whatever the fuck I want here. Oh hey look! The sun blew up again.” “Pirate? He sounds more like a Piraka than us. Right, Zaktan?” Hakann asked his green compatriot, who gripped his triblade wearily. “Sounds like Blackbeard or Edward Kenway.” I fell in front of everyone in a suit of bedrock (minecraft) armor that looked like Helghast armor from Shadow Fall. “I fucking love Minecraft.” Hakann’s grin grew wider. “Oh by the way, the mental blast was only temporary. You didn't need to kill yourself.” “But presentation is important.” I said. “I give myself a -666/420.” Hakann facepalmed. “That was a bad pun and you know it.” He replied. “Hey! Who wants to go to Korea? I just remembered that one movie.” Craig then looked at Ahriman and asked “anyway why did you come and visit us?” “To be truthful, mostly to visit him, and make sure that our universe's Cadence isn't causing a universe destroying paradox. As well as possibly duel you.” Khârn answered snarkily. “You seriously don’t want to wait for the war? Heck I just lost control and blew up a planet as my powers overloaded” “Destination: North Korea!” I fell on my ass and looked out the window. “Wait what year is it?” “Midnight could overwrite our own universe if she wanted. She just doesn't think it will be as fun.” Khârn replied. “Do you guys know what year it is?” I asked in confusion. “I don't remember Korea looking like Star Wars.” Khârn looked up. “Well shit. Looks like I might get my chance to fight a bunch of people.” “Warning: We are under attack. Though the attack is not very effective.” I chuckled at that. Craig then said “give me a second,” He then teleports outside of the ship before I could stop him. “Are you fucking serious?” I asked in exasperation. Ahriman sighed, donning his Warmaster gear. “I'll be right back.” his eyes flipped into Rinnegan mode as he teleported outside as well. “Fuck.” I stared at what looked like Korea if it had become the Death Star. “Well, At least I have weapons.” The window opened and I jumped out and dived down and rolled on contact. Hakann and Zaktan looked at each other. “Do we steal his weapons, or go help him?” Kirito then looked at them and said “you try to steal anything and I will end you” “I swear I will self destruct the whole fucking ship.” the onboard AI said angrily. Zaktan shrugged. “Yeah, but then how would your blue armor boy get back home?” “The void or self destruct he doesn't care.” “Then what about him?” He pointed to Kirito. “...” A giant cable came out of the floor and punted the Piraka out the window. Kirito then smiled and said “thank you for that.” Zaktan then rematerialized on the ship. “I'm made out of millions of tiny creatures.” “Your point? I can keep doing this longer than you can exist.” Zaktan wasn't punted this time but instead a hole opened in the floor and the ship completely disappeared. He just floated there. Meanwhile, Hakann fell. Zaktan quickly grabbed his hand, keeping him from falling to the planet below. “I'll find a way.” He chuckled. I kept running past gunfire from these crazy people, some of them had suicide vest robots. “Ahriman? Craig? Kharn? Anyone?” I then heard Craig’s voice say “I’m fine Church just wanted to avoid them starting anything on the ship.” “Uh yeah, about that, the ship will be here in a half hour. It somehow disabled that thing that made it bigger on the inside. Just a regular heavily heavily heavily armored transport now.” “Ok then… I’m sending you my location, you should be able to find me if anything happens.” It was then that a titan stepped out of a portal nearby, laying to waste many enemies. “What about those who were left on board, like Khârn?” Ahriman asked over the comms. “Pocket dimension most likely.” I answered simply. A giant tank that looked like it came from an Asian sci-fi movie drove into view. It was easily taller than any skyscraper from the 21st century and had a ridiculous amount of cannons. I then heard Craig mutter “well that’s not good.” “prepare for Vortex Warhead launch. All forces retreat from area.” a monotone voice boomed from the titan. I aim my battle rifle at one last target, the target on a turret of the monster tank and fire off three rounds consecutively. After a few seconds of nothing they finally go limp and start falling. “Go ahead.” I confirmed as I exited the vicinity. “You clear Craig?” I hear nothing but static for a few seconds then a faint grunt say “no my powers are still locked can’t get away from that... “ his voice then cut off. “Firing.” a large missile shot out of the titan, and impacted the tank. It stood there for a few seconds, before turning in on itself, before disappearing entirely inside a massive vortex. “Ahriman. You know what we have to do. We have to find a body. But first we need to secure the battlefield. Any room in there?” “We are recalling the Titan and waiting it out in the Warp. You both are free to join us. We do have Geller fields on this thing.” came Ahriman's reply. “Yeah about that, Craig is MIA.” “I have a tracking beacon on his staff and bolter. I can teleport him, but it's risky.” Ahriman replied. “Craig, do you copy?” I get no reply from him but second later see a small flare appear in the sky. “Preparing teleport. If he appears fused to a wall, then it's not my problem.” Ahriman said, and I felt a weird buzzing feeling, before reappearing inside the titan. “Understood, we n *gunshot* *static*-” I clutched the back of my neck as I fell to the ground. Blood had started pooling from an area that had been shot one too many times. I dropped the radio and started searching for something to stop the bleeding. “This is why we gave you that suit of Terminator Armor. Get him to the medbay.” Ahriman said. “This is too fucking strenuous, who makes these suits require a body?!” I yell into the radio. “You don't have to shout into the radio. You're already on the Titan.” Ahriman said next to me. “I blame Sony. Hey, does your suit have an AI slot?” I ask Ahriman. “Heck if I know. I did find a small slot next to my head though.” he replied. I exit the suit and look at the area he mentioned. “Looks like some kind of implant. Let me see here…” I suddenly feel like I am Ahriman but not. “Did that do anything?” “It feels like someone's in my head.” Ahriman replied. “Jeez man, how many memories did that guy block?” I asked as I look around his head. “All of them. Stop poking around my head.” Ahriman grumbled. “Well actually they were the first thing I saw… I think he put them there so people could mess with you or something. Eh I'll leave them if you so truly desire. Not like your past would help you anyways.” “I don't believe they will be.” Ahriman stated. “Bring Craig here.” “He should be somewhere on the titan.” Ahriman glanced around. “This is the United Empire, surrender at once!” A human with an official uniform that had a reverse communism symbol combined with an American flag ordered. Seconds later Craig walked into the room holding his arm and muttering “Damn Discord blocking my healing magic.” “United Empire, this is Ahriman, leader of the New Black Legion, and I would be more concerned with saving your own soldiers first. Because right now, you are in no condition for ordering me to do anything.” Ahriman replied to the man. “We aren't the ones who need saving, you are. Human.” The ‘human’ spat the term with contempt before the humans all turned into terminators. “Oh you have got to be kidding me! I went to the wrong place!” “Machines, your request for our surrender has been denied.” Ahriman growled, before pulling out his staff. “As well as your right to exist.” With that, a massive portal opened up above the planet, and in moments, the planet vanished into the Half Warp. The Titan remained in space, floating aimlessly. “Ahriman. Why do the weird things always happen to us?” “Because we are Displaced. I hope the machines enjoy turning into servants of the Dark Gods.” Ahriman replied. “That or it would end up like that one robot army that there were so many of to the point that the universe couldn't hold them…” “They are in the Warp. Most of them are likely being possessed by daemons and other forces.” Ahriman commented. “I meant if they were smart.” “True, however, I doubt they thugs of being attacked here. This planet will reappear in my universe. I'll collect the forces, and put it back.” “What is your obsession with war anyway? Not that I don't like war but-” I heard Craig angrily stomping. “The fact that I am a Adeptus Astartes.” “So… living without it equals big nono?” “I'd have nothing to do, so I suppose.” Ahriman replied. “Now, we should check on Craig.” “Craig. You can stop angrily stomping your foot behind us now.” I projected my voice through Ahriman and it for some reason sounded like a female version of Church. Heh, sultry. Craig then sighed and said “look it’s not i’m not grateful for what you did but well i wish today didn’t go so badly for me… I just feel like my world falling apart after those Terminators i just feel like well…. hell.” “Well at least you weren't shot in the head.” I said, but my voice still sounded feminine. Damnit now is not the time for sexy voice! “Umm i’m afraid that I was. I got lucky and my helmet stopped the bullet long enough for Bii to block it. It’s why i lost contact with you they shot the communicator.” “Then it doesn’t count. That thing pierced my skull.” “Oh look it's the Piraka.” Ahriman pointed out to space. “I'm going to do it now.” We all watched as the pelican appeared suddenly and rammed them away before speeding towards us. “That's for solicitation you pieces of shit!” “We are still here you know.” Zaktan chuckled as he sat on top of the Pelican. “I don't give a shit. This is a dud man. The real pelican is away.” I taunted. Ahriman sighed before teleporting Zaktan and Hakann into the Titan. “Hey Ahriman. Can you do me a favor?” I asked him mentally. “What?” He replied. “Can you give those two a taste of some P.A.I.N.™?” “Eh, why not. But why was there a™ at the end of that?” “Wait you saw that as well? I think it was some fourth wall bullshit.” “Eh, whatever. Let's see here…” he closed his eyes, and in a few moments, Zaktan seemed fine, but Hakann was screaming in pain. “What about Zaktan?” I asked. “It should be affecting him…” Ahriman replied, confused. Zaktan chuckled. “Sorry, Ahriman, but your pain tactics don't work on me. After all, being turned into millions of protodites is very painful. This pain is like a fly.” He told us. I leave Ahriman and suddenly get a very fucked up idea. “Oh? It never had to be physical pain…” “Mental doesn't really work either. Being teamed with Hakann does that to you.” Zaktan replied, raising an eyebrow. “It never had to be mental either…” Truth be told, I knew about way more than two types of pain. “Oh? Then enlighten me.” Zaktan shrugged. “Well you were describing neuropathic and somatic pain earlier. But those aren't the only ones. Then again. You will feel the pain eventually. The damage has already been done. Not that you are alone in that...” I admitted. I walked over to a wall and leaned against it. “Eh. It doesn't really matter.” Zaktan shrugged “I'm not here for a lesson, teach.” “Yet. It doesn't really matter yet. Anyway, you should probably get your ‘compatriot’ and go. You obviously don't belong here.“ My tone wasn't harsh, it was apathetic. “Sure. Bye!” he picked up Hakann and a portal opened up. “Oh, and thanks for the sniper rifles!” he added before jumping into the portal. “Ahriman. Would you please blow up that star in front of us before I go rampant.” “Sure.” The star imploded majestically. “Better? Because now we need to go to the Warp.” “You don't mean…” “Well, unless you want to be swallowed by that star, which is currently expanding, then yes.” “No, I meant… you realize that the pelican is going to be following us right?” “Indeed. What of it?” “Will… the others from before be there?” “Yes. Don't worry, I've expanded the Geller Field to cover the Pelican. Somehow.” he waved “Midnight still herself?” “Yep.” “I would like to talk with one of these… Daemon Princes. “ “Well, I could summon one to serve you. It's within both my and Midnight’s power.” “Serve me?” “Assist you in any battle, as well as educate you on the Warp. And for small talk.” “Yeah. Let's do that. I assume there are intelligent ones?” “All Daemon Prince’s are. They were all once a being of the mortal realm.” “No. I mean like… not lost their marbles. Mostly.” “Yeah. In fact, none of them are actually crazy. Just filled with a very large amount of knowledge.” Ahriman raised an eyebrow. “Why?” “Fuck it I'm in. Enlightenment here I come!” “Alright. I'll be able to make the necessary summons in my own dimension, then send them to you. Which type of Daemon Prince do you want: Tzeentch, Khorne, Nurgle, or Slaanesh? I would NOT recommend Slaanesh. Unless you want your child to be raped endlessly.” Ahriman asked. “What would you recommend for… someone who wants power and knowledge? After all, knowledge is power. Most of the time.“ “Tzeentch.” Ahriman answered. “Though, they will always be planning to stab you in the back.” “Aye Aye Skipper. Tzeentch we go. I like the feisty ones. It makes KILLING THEM AND BRINGING THEM BACK THAT MUCH MORE FUN!” My voice had changed to Omega at the end. “Quiet, Church, there's one of those ‘Hero’ types in front of us.” Ahriman pointed to Craig. “It's okay, you won't do anything, will you?” I asked as I slithered, yes slithered over Craig. He didn't seem to notice. I finally realized he had fallen asleep standing up. “What the fuck?” “You can never be sure with these guys. Just like that Jason Hughes asshole.” He poked Craig. “Oooh! I can't wait to meet Jason. He will be so much fun to fuck with.” “As Khârn would call him, he's a moodkiller. And he will probably kill you. Very painfully. If you do meet him, be careful with what you say.” Ahriman warned. “I can't completely die. Remember? Kinda sucks to be honest.” “He can delete your universe.” Ahriman deadpanned. “All I need is my pelican…” I whispered. “And he wouldn't anyways. There is a difference between can and will. If he is a hero type then he won't threat innocent lives on other galaxies.” “Have you ever heard of SCP-682?” Ahriman asked. “Yes and no.” “It is nigh immortal, and adapts to everything. He can turn into one. However, we created a handicap for it. Every time he uses it in a Warp infested universe, our virus will temporarily neutralize his adaptability and regeneration powers.” Ahriman explained. “Well either way I know to not fight every battle with weapons anyways.” Craig then opened his eyes and said “don’t push it... i’m not in the best of moods” Ahriman glanced at him. “Yeah, I can sense all the negative emotions around you. Probably some sort of Daemon affecting your thought process.” “Or the fact that Churches Discord has blocked my magic and I now have no way to limit my powers” “Well, I could get my Draconequus Army to go teach him a lesson…” Ahriman said, mostly in thought. “You’d struggle he committed suicide after he destroyed my connection to my magic… it’s why my powers failed earlier.” It was then that Ahriman grinned evilly. “He can't escape me in death. After all, the Afterlife is the Sea of Souls, which is currently returning to being the Warp. And I have control over the Warp.” He told him, holding up his staff. “Don’t waste your energy... “ He then smiled and said “It’s hard to believe but we are on opposite sides of the war and yet we’re not trying to kill each other.” Ahriman chuckled. “Well, technically we aren't in the War here, since the War is secluded to that Universe only. Of course, I could just be waiting till we don't have anything attacking us or until we aren't in space to try to kill you.” He grinned. “After all, I've only tested my new abilities against one Displaced.” “Point taken… but you realise that if you tried to start a fight don’t forget my powers are unstable right now and could cause us all a lot of problems.” Ahriman laughed. “It'd be more fun that way.” He replied. “would be… but I don’t really want to die after being reunited with my mom and brother” “Trust me, I wouldn't kill you. Not unless it's in the War. I'd only beat you within an inch of your life, then heal you.” Ahriman said. Craig then smiles then says “God you sound like the Electrocutioner from Batman Arkham origins,” he then mimicked his voice and said “I could kill you, then restart your heart, and then kill you again!” Ahriman just laughed at that. “My memories might be gone, but I still find that funny.” Craig then laughed and said “Live while you're young mate… live while you're young.” Ahriman chuckled. “Why don't we fight out in my universe later? I don't want to cause Church an inconvenience, like destroying most of his Equestria.”He asked “Huh? What? What about Equestria?” I asked as I had zoned out. Craig then smiled and said “Ahriman's just offered me a challenge in his world.” he then turned around frowned then said “but I have to say no to it i’m afraid at least till I get my powers back in control.” “Oh yeah, speaking of that…” Ahriman pulled out a jar, which held a swirling mass of strange energy. “Here's Discord's soul.” He tossed it over. “I could force him to return your powers, or you could.” “MINE!” I jumped in the way and picked it up. “Tell me your secrets!” I screeched. “Currently, he is nothing more than a swirling mass of energy. He currently can't access his magic, but someone with mastery of the Warp could communicate with him.” Ahriman told me. “I was talking to the jar!” I sounded exactly like Golem. “My precious…” I said as I caressed the jar of the soul. Ahriman shook his head. “Displaced….” Was all he said, before pulling Discord's soul out, and holding it in the center of the room. After a moment, it glowed, and formed a new body. “Now then, Discord, I've rerouted your power to only do one spell. The spell that reverses what you did. You can't do anything but that. You have two choices, either reverse it, and live, or become my experiment. I've never tested on a Draconequus spirit before.” Ahriman explained. I changed my voice to a creepy alien one that sounded kinda like the flood, “Comply or die…” “You know, I could just not give you what you want.” Fuwa retorted. “True, but then you'll be my personal experiment. And my experiments don't tend to get an afterlife.” Ahriman sneered. “Who is to say I am not already an experiment. That all my actions weren't orchestrated by a greater being, that this all happened only for chaos. You are missing the greater picture here.” “That is possibility number forty one. Even so, I could just force you to do what I want. I'm giving you a choice here.” Ahriman replied. “Plus, your Discord, the so called ‘Spirit of Chaos and Disharmony’. Chaos doesn't involve such planning, especially your type of chaos.” “But am I really Discord? Or just a facsimile? Check my soul signature if you wish. You will be disappointed.” Fuwa said monotonously. Ahriman chuckled. “I am a master of the Warp. I checked veloce capturing you. And plus, if you weren't Discord, then why would you pretend like you were?” “It doesn't matter what you are. And I never pretended. I am just another draconequus. We all enjoy good old chaos after all. Why do you think Discord enjoyed it so much? Why do you think I denied it when you called me Discord?” “If you aren't Discord, and just another Draconequus, then you'll work just fine.” Ahriman chuckled, before pieces reverted to Rinnegan. A beam of energy shot out from the Draconequus, hitting Craig in the chest. Fuwa rolled his eyes before he broke into pieces. Craig then looked at him in shock and asked “Did you just kill him to give me my powers back?” Ahriman shrugged. “Of course not. I know how you Hero types are when it comes to sacrifice. I merely removed part of his energy, and cast him back to the Warp. I am not responsible for what happens in the Warp, however.” Craig then smirked before he admitted “If you had destroyed him i really couldn’t care less… he caused me to lose control and endanger the life of innocent creatures… I would have prefered it if you had destroyed him.” “Oh, if that's the case, I can send a greater daemon of Slaanesh after his soul.” Ahriman chuckled, before thinking about it. “Actually, that's impossible, since Slaanesh doesn't exist in this universe. Oh well, I'll just send a Tzeentch Daemon.” “That is what you think…” I said vaguely as I laughed my ass off at the ignorance. “Actually, I know, since The Eldar don't exist in this realm, and therefore can't murderfuck Slaanesh into existence.” Ahriman told me. “Shhh.” I shush him. “You don't want to know.” He raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. “Anyways, we should return to Equestria. Church's Equestria, that is.” He closed his eyes and focused. In moments, the view of the Warp vanished, replaced with the Planet of Equestria. “Here they are.” Amor said as she saw us come into view from the pelican. “Alright, you two. I'm teleporting you to the Pelican, and retrieving Khârn, before returning to my own universe. Craig, when you want to battle, just send me a message through my token. It has a hidden audio camera on it.” Ahriman said. “I wondered why it felt like you had Pinkie Sense… Now I know that I don’t feel as worried,” Craig admitted Ahriman chuckled. “Oh, Khârn does. He just doesn't listen to it. Most of the time.” He told Craig. “Uh-huh.” I teleported into the pelican, and in view of Asuna, Khârn, Kirito, Amor and Scootaloo before sitting down. A portal appeared under Khârn, and he fell through. Craig came out of the portal upside down. “Portal’s always screwing me over” muttered Craig. He then focused his energy and began to spin his body around and stand back up straight. “Dad, you are in trouble.” Amor said. I felt myself get picked up and set onto Amor’s back easily due to me being in my physical AI form. “What have we done to upset everyone?” Craig asked. I had finally noticed that instead of smiling, all the displaced and ponies were glaring at Craig and I. “...shit.” “What did we tell you two about not dying?” Our family asked us sternly. Craig then smiles and says “You didn’t exactly tell me anything and besides i’m not dead” “Craig…” Asuna warned. He then looked at her and said “what?” “Why do you want to die so much?” Amor asked seriously. I flinched at that. She noticed this and looked at me. “Not you as well!” “Craig, they don't know.” Everyone glared at me in confusion and concern. “...Right?” “I honestly have no idea what your on about… nobody died… except for the Terminators” “That is incorrect. 20 billion civilians were killed in the destruction of Genisys.” Delta retorted. I suddenly realized that I was in my human form on the ground when he said that. “Uh… Don't listen to him?” I tried. “Well I haven’t killed anyone. The only time was when i lost control the second time me and Church met.” Craig admitted “WHAT HAPPENED TO FAMILY?!” I cried as i started bawling comically and uncontrollably in front of everyone while Amor rushed to hug me. Asuna then smiled and said “Are enjoying playing a joke on you two… well especially you Craig, haven’t been able to for months.” I suddenly pulled Asuna into the hug evoking a loud yelp. Kirito then smirked before he asked “Well Craig what was this about losing control?” He then stuttered and told us “well a day after i first met Church he called me to ask him help protect Equestria and well we were attacked by The Flood. I lost control and blew up a whole ship in one blast… not even a warships shield could stop it” “Actually…. I have a confession to make… the shields were already damaged...” I said awkwardly. Craig then laughed and said “well atleast I know my powers aren’t able to bypass shields” Another awkward silence started at that, causing Craig confusion. But it wasn't for the reason he thought. “*static* UNSC Teminite sighted.” Craig then looked at me and whispered “why do I get the feeling something going to go wrong?” “...Because that isn't a UNSC ship…” I said as I awkwardly pointed out a window. “It's insurrectionist.” Craig then looked at me and asked “aren’t they rebels?” “You just answered your own question.” “Firing secondary cannon.” The pelican shot an experimental antimatter round that could destroy a planet in a single shot. IT DIDN'T EVEN HIT. “It appears they have deflected our weaponry.” Craig then looks at me and says “try hailing them, see if they answer, we may get answers that way.” “This is UNSC CCK 119 to Teminite, identify yourself immediately!” “I? I am just a bounty hunter of sorts. Now get out of the way before I blow you to scrap!” A huge beam of energy WAY bigger than a kamehameha was sent straight towards us which we barely dodged due to autopilot. “Church we need to call a ceasefire between us… as much as I hate to say it we need to talk to this bounty hunter on his terms” “You said you were a bounty hunter?” Chapter 1 - I had a bad dayI had been standing in front of my house, right in front of the door, staring at its wooden surface for five minutes now. I sighed, closing my eyes and resting my head against it. It had finally happened, after two long years, I had finally been fired. I looked back, thinking my day over. What could I have done to get myself fired? The only thing that really came to mind was perhaps sounding a tad unprofessional whilst answering calls. “Damn Asperger’s Syndrome!”, I yelled, slamming my fist into the door, “Can’t do anything right!” I grit my teeth, my anger boiling up inside my chest. I took several deep breaths, letting them out slowly, focusing on them as I calmed down. Perhaps that was it? Could I have been fired over my anger? Would that have been a good enough motive for my boss to get rid of me? It seemed a bit shallow to me, certainly not reason enough for him to fire me, as was required by law. I suppose it was bound to happen anyway, regardless. But still, I wished it hadn’t. Pushing myself off of the door, I stared at the doorknob, before letting out another sigh as I wrapped my fingers around it, and entered my home. I stood there in the doorway a moment, taking in the house’s cold and unappealing atmosphere, a sadly common feeling for me. Locking the door behind me, I dragged myself across the room, throwing my stuff into some random corner. I collapsed onto my couch, it’s soft and comforting embrace a welcome contrast to the room it was in. I grabbed the remote off of my mahogany table, a few short feet away, and turned the TV on. I leant back into the couch, relaxing my body as best I could, as the TV buzzed into life. The first thing that showed up on the screen was the intro to “Dragon Ball Z”. “Man!”, I thought to myself, “I thought that show had stopped years ago!”. I was quite surprised, given its age I was sure it would have been replaced. “And yet, here it is still being shown.” My head resting in my palm, as my thoughts quickly turned bleak. “I wish I could feel like I had some sort of relevance, some worth in this world.” It took only twenty minutes of watching the bright screen before I quickly found myself immeasurably bored. I glanced at the clock that was hanging by the TV, it read that it was one o’clock in the afternoon. “Hmm… it’s still quite early...” I got up off of my couch and went into the kitchen, flicking on the light switch as I went and illuminating it. The floor was clean and nicely reflected the light off of it. The walls were smooth and painted a solid white, with waist-high counters going all the way around them, leaving a gap only for the fridge and cooker. The ceiling was equally smooth, painted a simple cream colour. I walked over to the fridge and opened it up, pulling a can of Diet Pepsi from the top shelf. I closed the door and leaned back on the edge of the counter. Bringing it up to my lips I took a swift gulp… followed by another gulp, and then another. Soon enough the can was almost empty, downing the last dregs from the can, I placed it on the countertop next to me, before bringing my fingers up to massage my temples. Okay. I thought to myself as if the limits of my boredom had been reached. I need to clear my head! I pushed myself up off of the counter and walked back into my living room, quickly turning the TV off, before heading over to a set of carpeted stairs. Letting my hand run over the railing as I ascended them, I quickly reached the top, greeted by a dark and rather creepy looking hallway. A quick flick of the switch changed that, as the hallway was flooded with light. There were two doors along this corridor, one leading into my dark and foreboding bathroom. The other lead to my bedroom. I entered my bedroom, noticing the array of clothes and personal belongings that were scattered across the floor. Among them were several colourful Xbox 1 remotes buried under several shirts and trousers. It was quite a bit messier than I was expecting, but feeling no need to clean up, I stepped around the mess and sat on the edge of my bed. I leaned over and picked my laptop up off of my desk nearby before swinging my legs onto my bed and laying back. Opening up my laptop, I powered it on and waited for it to start up. Thankfully it was a quick load, and I entered my password. The Wi-Fi in my house was not the best, indeed it was quite irritating, as it frequently cut out. However, it was enough to get me through the day, so I made do. I moved my cursor over to the Google Chrome icon and opened a fresh tab. However, as I looked at the blank page, I found myself becoming sadder as I reflected on my current state of being. “Blank… just like my future” I muttered before leaning back. I slouched close to my computer and brought the cursor over the link in my taskbar in an attempt to consequently load the most famous movie, music, and video site: Youtube. I try to look into a video one of my friends recommended to me before I got fired, but the internet. As usual. Was being well...damn stupid on me. I facepalmed with disappointment as the screen read: “We are sorry the video has either been removed or the user has not uploaded it”. Great… My palm slides down my face before landing on my side. I sat on my bed, thinking of anything else to do in my life. It was practically over for me now that I was fired. It was then that I remembered the little show that once showed up on the front of my TV when the commercials were on. My Little Pony. I shook my head rapidly and chuckled. My shoulders bounced up and down repeatedly and my body jumped. I was crazy! To even think of it at first made me laugh! But when I first saw it, I was mesmerised by the colours and the characters! I guess even for a little girls show, it was interesting? I slap my hands together and shout. “Screw it!’ I open another tab which brings me to the Google home screen. I type “My Little Pony, season one” in an attempt to find where I had previously left off on one of the episodes. I did not know what order they were in seeing as I hardly watched it. Ten minutes of searching and, I had at last found my place. The episode was called “Feeling Pinkie Keen” as Google said. I would like to say I enjoyed the wonderful sight of friends and family getting along, not that I didn’t of course! But it was unrealistic. It was all fake. The way the ponies all had this light inside them that could not be penetrated or even bruised. The way they laughed, the way they moved in such a happy manner. Why it also made me happy. It was when the video ended I felt the life and colour drained out of my body and splattered onto the cold unfeeling walls. It was a moment of understanding for me. A moment where I could understand myself for a short second at least. I had, in a sense, a sort of appreciation for the little girl’s show. I sigh with disappointment. I clicked the next episode, waited, leaned back, and gazed at the dry ceiling. My chest rose and fell with each breath I took. “I wish... Something like this would happen to me...” I said, questioning my own words. “Well... Something special… Even a little... To have something special about me.” The loading screen stopped and pulled up a video of another episode of My Little Pony. I begin to watch the second episode. My eyes slowly feel tired and heavy and my head was light headed. I immediately point my finger at the computer for its destructive force on my brain and eyes. I stood up from my position, placed the end of my palm near the camera connected to the end of my computer and shut the laptop before sliding it into its appropriate bag, then placed in back on the desk I originally got it from. I walked back to my bed and slam down onto my bed, face first and eyes shut. I turned to my side, my weight focused on my right shoulder. I could feel crushing leaves under my body. I also heard the sound of dozens of popping rocks and gurgling water before slipping into the depths of darkness. Author's Note Hello Everyone, A Gamer In Equestria is back... well it's starting to come back. Here is the first chapter of the new Gamer In Equestria edit* Thank you to Azure5555 for helpig with editing this chapter. Chapter 10 - It’s a new Dawn, Day and Life for meThe next morning I woke up to a sound I hadn't heard in a long time. Silence. I finally had a moment where I could think clearly. I then slowly sat up to see Discord sitting on a chair on the almost out of my line of sight near the corner of the room, before I looked at him and said “Good morning.” "That it is. Oh by the way as we leave be careful Rainbow Dash tried to pull the old water bucket trick.” I then shook my head and muttered “is that seriously the best she could do? My younger brother has done better. I guess we'll just need to outplay her, let's wait till we are done with our meeting with the princesses.” I then sighed then said, “Discord just check outside see where she is.” He then just nodded to me before he clicked his claws and disappeared. Whilst he was gone I walked over to the desk before I saw a cupboard that was open slightly. As I walked closer I saw something that seemed to be out of place, a large black and white trench coat that almost looked to be made for a human, not a pony. I then thought why is this even here? I looked at the desk nearby as I saw a small note that read Craig, take this trench coat as a gift, we wish you the best you luck. We’ll both meet you eventually. K&A I then looked back at the coat in the cupboard before taking it out before putting it on to strangely found it fit almost as if it had been tailored to fit me. I the quickly grabbed my guitar from beside my bed before turning back into my sword and attaching it to my side. After a minute Discord appeared in the room and said “she's outside waiting around the corner for you to leave.” He then stopped as he saw the trench coat and asked almost as if he had seen it before “Where did you get that?” “It was in the cupboard with this note on the desk.” I admitted. “Well… okay then,” Discord replied with a look that left me to believe that he had indeed seen this coat before as he said, “shall we go?” “yep let's go,” I then smiled before I said “I’ve got an idea you'll like,” I chuckled as I walked towards the door. Once I reached the door I closed my eyes and sensed where the bucket was before I locked on to it with telekinesis. I then slowly opened the door before stepping out of the room leaving the bucket floating just above the frame. I then turned to Rainbow Dash and smiled at her as she stepped towards me before I said “good try but my brother tried that for his last April fools joke before I came to Equestria.” I then flicked my wrist towards her before the bucket of water went flying towards her and before she could react, she was soaked from head to hoof with the water that was in the water. I then smiled at her as I said “Better luck next time,” as I began to walk towards the throne room with Dash walking just behind me water dripping from her coat. I then stopped and decided to take pity on her as I told her “stay still for a second.” I then clicked by fingers creating a red ball of energy in each of my hands that were radiating heat before I slowly moved them near Rainbow Dash’s coat which began to dry her instantly. Once I had finished I calmly said “sorry Dash but I can't let you get one up on me that easily.” She then asked me “But how did you know about the bucket?” “Discord told me.” “I should have known,” she groaned. “It wasn't that much of a surprise was it, you must have known I would be expecting something like that besides you never were the sort of per... pony to take things slow.” She then rubbed the back of her head before she said “I guess you're right there.” I then smiled before I told her “any way we better head to see Celestia and the others. Come on we don't want to be any later.” With that, we both rush towards the throne room. I then shouted to Rainbow Dash “race ya!” “Oh you're on,” She replied before she began to fly around the castle whilst I ran next to her keeping up with her without trying as the trench coat behind me lifting up flowing behind me. Once we arrived at the throne room I quickly skidded to a stop before I said “well done Dash you almost kept up with me.” She just stopped there breathing hard and muttered “how... in Equestria... are you that fast?” “Dash in the anime there were people who could travel at supersonic speeds from a dead start. Not to mention I could have just teleported here.” Seconds later we heard another voice say “Well that is a surprise, Ya beat rainbow in a race. Not an easy thing to do.” I then turned around before I said “really Applejack, you sure about that. I didn't even go full speed. I could go faster but that wouldn’t be fun would it and it would probably have caused havoc in the hallways.” She then just stopped and said “Ya didn't go as fast as ya could, and ya beat Rainbow in a race. that's crazy ya must be jokin’.” “No. Do I look worn out to you, to be honest, if we were both flying it’s likely she’d be faster than me.” Applejack then just looked at me before she said “Well ya look like ya could still go another round with Discord.” “He probably could,” Discord agreed. “Fair enough.” Applejack agreed before she continued to say “Anyway the princess’s asked us to meet 'em in the courtyard. Everypony else is already there waitin' for us.” “In that case, we’d better get moving wouldn't want to keep everyone waiting,” I admitted before we began to walk out of the throne room as we made our way towards the main courtyard. Once we reached the courtyard I took a deep breath in as I realised that for the first time in years I was walking around without fear of being attacked. As soon as I looked forwards I saw everyone smiling at me as Celestia said “Looks like you had a good night's sleep.” “Yeah first one without a nightmare for years, and first time in a comfortable bed in two days, along with it being first time in two days I fell asleep naturally. So yes I definitely had a good night sleep, although it would have been better if I wasn’t in my armour,” I admitted with a smile. “Well, we are glad we help thou last night,” Luna replied as she stared at me. I then looked at her before I said “Sorry, is there something on my face?” “No, but where do thou get that,” Luna asked me gesturing to the trench coat I had found. “Oh, it was in the room you gave me it was in a cupboard with a note on the desk saying it was for me. It was signed K & A.” I explained “K & A?” Luna whispered. Celestia the quickly announced “anyway Craig we would like to thank you for what you have done for us. In three days you have befriended an enemy that both myself and my sister could never have managed to do.” “It was my pleasure,” I said with confidence. To this she just smiled at me before she said “however we would still like to reward you for your actions.” Seconds later her horn began to glow with clear yellow light, then seconds later a similar glow appears on my sword and my armour however it soon fades and she announces “It can't be comfortable walking around or sleeping in that armour. So when you turn the sword into your instrument the armour will fade and you will see your normal clothes underneath or I guess now it may be that jacket.” I then smiled at her, before I bowed to her and said “thank you that is very generous of you, it’s more than I deserve.” I then heard Luna announce “we would also like to give you a gift, of our own,” before she lowered a small bag into my hand in her magic that faded almost instantly as I heard what seemed to be the faint sound of rattling of coins. I then look back to Luna before I asked her “if I may be so bold as to ask, what is it inside?” Even though I had a fairly good idea of what the bag contained. She then just smiled at me before she said “We have given you a few bits. We can't have you starve now, can we. There should be about one hundred and fifty bits in there.” I then just smiled as I attached the pouch to my belt and said “thank you Luna. I am honestly glad to say that I met you. I honestly wouldn't be standing here right now if it wasn't for you both.” I then bowed to them before I stood up straight. Celestia then looked at me before she asked “what's your plan now Craig?” “Well, I plan to head back to Ponyville, finish adopting Scootaloo and then move into my house.” “That will take a while. Are you sure you don't want a lift back?” Offered Celestia. “Thank you for the offer but I'll probably get back faster by myself” She then asked me “but Craig the Canterlot Express takes hours to reach Ponyville. I can get you there in almost and hour.” I then heard Twilight say “to be honest Princess I believe he could get there even faster than you. He can teleport long distance with pinpoint accuracy and it only takes him seconds.” “I would love to see that even me and my sister take minutes to cast a single spell to take us from here to Ponyville. I would like to track your spell and see how you move.” I then smiled mischievously before I said “I would love to.” I then turned to everyone else and said “I will meet you all back in Ponyville. See you all later” I then turned back to Celestia and asked “are you ready?” “I am ready when you are,” she replied her horn glowing. I then placed two fingers on my forehead, closed my eyes and then focused on Ponyville before I instantly disappeared from in front of Celestia, Luna and the others. I then instantly reappeared just outside of Ponyville and just smiled as I thought enough proof for you Celestia? I could only imagine her reaction when she felt where I had ended up. I then heard Discord begin laughing before he said “Wish I could see Celestia's reaction I bet it was priceless.” I then rolled my eyes before I said “anyway... we better head into town. Where do you think we should head first?” “Well, I’d probably make my way to see the mayor first so I could get the papers signed for Scootaloo's adoption and get the keys to the house, that way you can at least drop your things off before then, you’d also need to get your bags from Applejack’s.” “Yeah I guess you're right.” I agreed before I said, “let's go.” With that we began to make our way into town. As I began to walk through town all I could see was all the nearby ponies staring at me as I faintly heard them whisper “it's him, the one who saved us yesterday.” while others whispered “I hear the mayor's got him to perform for us on some occasions.” along with others slowly backing away in fear. I then stopped which caused all of them to stop what they were doing before I said “If you want to ask me questions you can just talk to me. I would like to meet new ponies being I'm living in town soon.” Seconds later I saw a small mint green unicorn walk towards me who said “Thank you my name is Lyra. Lyra Heartstrings,” she then looked up at me and said quickly “are you a human?” before looking away. I then smirked as I began to think wow I guess the fandom called that one right I then said to Lyra “Yes, yes I am Miss Heartstrings. Living your ultimate fantasy are you. Let me guess your next question is going to be about my hands” I said as I presented them to her. She then quickly grabbed them and said “these are amazing. I've read about humans in the past and heard about them walking on two legs, and having hands instead of hooves.” We then heard a voice behind Lyra say “Lyra you're such a fan mare sometimes.” I then looked towards the voice to see an earth pony with a cream coat and a two tone pink and blue mane and tail. she then turned to me and said “I’m sorry about her she can get a bit carried away at times.” She then put one of her hooves out and said “my names Bon-Bon what's yours?” I then pulled one of my hands away from Lyra as I shook her hoof and said “My names Craig. It's a pleasure to meet both of you.” I then stopped shaking her hoof and asked her “you wouldn't mind showing me to the town hall, I don't really know my way round town just yet.” Bon-Bon then just smiled at me before she said “No problem it's on the way to Sugarcube Corner we'll show you the way there.” “Thank you it's very much appreciated” I then heard Lyra say “Well you said that your new, can’t have you travel around alone can we.” “Thanks whilst we walk I may end up playing music. Do you mind” To this I heard them say “no problem” Lyra then added “I'd prefer if you did to be honest.” “Okay then whist we are walking I will perform some music for you” With that we began to walk up the street as I performed an acoustic cover of Somebody to you By The Vamps. I used to wanna be, Living like there's only me. But now I spend my time, Thinking 'bout a way to get you off my mind. I used to be so tough, Never really gave enough, And then you caught my eye, Giving me the feeling of a lightning strike. Look at me now, I'm falling, I can't even talk, still stuttering, This ground of mine keeps shaking, Oh oh oh, now! All I wanna be, yeah all I ever wanna be, yeah, yeah, Is somebody to you. All I wanna be, yeah all I ever wanna be, yeah, yeah, Is somebody to you. Everybody's tryna be a billionaire, But every time I look at you I just don't care, 'Cause all I wanna be, yeah all I ever wanna be, yeah, yeah, Is somebody to you. I used to run around, I didn't wanna settle down, But now I wake each day, Looking for a way that I can see your face. I've got your photograph, But baby I need more than that, I need to know your lips, Nothing ever mattered to me more than this. As I looked to Lyra and Bon-Bon they were smiling as they looked at each other smiling as they were humming along. Look at me now, I'm falling, I can't even talk, still stuttering, This ground of mine keeps shaking, Oh oh oh, now! All I wanna be, yeah all I ever wanna be, yeah, yeah, Is somebody to you, All I wanna be, yeah all I ever wanna be, yeah, yeah, Is somebody to you. Everybody's tryna be a billionaire, But every time I look at you I just don't care, 'Cause all I wanna be, yeah all I ever wanna be, yeah, yeah, Is somebody to you. I then heard the sound of nearby ponies singing along as they looked towards their friends and partners that were nearby, how they knew the lyrics were beyond me. All I wanna be, yeah all I ever wanna be, yeah, yeah, Is somebody to you. All I wanna be, yeah all I ever wanna be, yeah, yeah, Is somebody to you. All I wanna be, yeah all I ever wanna be, yeah, yeah, Is somebody to you. All I wanna be, yeah all I ever wanna be, yeah, yeah, Is somebody to you. Everybody's trying to be a billionaire, But every time I look at you I just don't care, 'Cause all I wanna be, yeah all I ever wanna be, yeah, yeah, Is somebody to you. 'Cause all I wanna be, yeah all I ever wanna be, yeah, yeah, Is somebody to you. Once we reached the Town hall I turn around to see both Bon-Bon and Lyra smiling as I bowed, before I heard a group of ponies around us applauding me. A few seconds later I turned around as I heard the sound of someone coughing to see the mayor smiling as she said “You haven't changed at all. Still pleasing crowds and you're not even on a stage yet.” “Thank you for the complement. Mind if I come in?” “Not at all” She replied. I then turned to Lyra and Bon-Bon and said “Thank you for helping me get here. I'm sure we'll see eachother again.” “I’m sure we will,” Lyra replied before they waved to me then continued to walk toward Sugarcube Corner. Before I turned back around and began to follow Mayor mare into the town centre. As soon as I entered her office I looked around as she said “Please take as seat.” I then looked at the small stool and said apologetically “I’m afraid I have to decline. I hate to say it but if I sat on that I'd most likely end up breaking it.” As I knelt down infront of the desk. She then nodded to me before she said “fair point. Anyway, I guess you're here to take me up on my offer to give you a house in return for performing on some occasions.” “You guessed correctly. How could I reject such a fair offer, anyway what is it you need me to do to get the ball rolling?” She then passed me a scroll, opened it and said “you’ll just need to sign here, here and here and produce a document to show us who you are.” “Well here’s my authentication documentation,” I replied as I passed her the scroll I was given previously before I then smiled at her and said, “I’ve never used a quill and ink before.” I then closed my eyes as a ballpoint pen appeared in my hand, before I asked her “do you mind if I use this instead?” “No problem whatever you are comfortable with.” she replied strangely unfazed by my powers. I then carefully read each section of text until I was satisfied and then signed each section as I was requested. After I had signed the last section the mayor took the scroll back, rolled it back up and put it on a shelf behind her desk. She then passed me a set of keys and said “these should get you into your new home.” “Thank you.” I then looked at the scroll she was holding and asked her “is it possible for me to sort out the adoption papers whilst I'm here as well?” She then smirked before she said, “Well the document you gave me earlier is more than sufficient to allow us to finish off the paperwork along with the fact that you now have a home for her to go to.” She then passed me the scroll I got from Shining Armour back before she said “you have very powerful friends Craig, you know that.” She then passed me another scroll before she said “You just need to sign here and here and then everything will be in order once I bend the system.” With that I once again read everything on the scroll and then signed where I was instructed on each scroll. Once I had finished she took the scrolls off me, rolled it up and put it on the same shelf as before she passed me another scroll and said “Congratulations you are now the legal guardian of Miss Scootaloo.” I then take the scroll from her and say “Once again thank you for everything” She then smiled before she said “you are very welcome. You may want this as well” she added as she spread a map of the town out on the table as I saw a circle around a house that I assumes was mine. She then pointed to the circle and said “this is where your house is, if you get lost just go to carousel boutique and Rarity will show you where to go.” I then stood back up before I bowed to her and announced “thank you for your... generosity.” She then replied “I was glad to help. Anyway when I need you perform I will post you a letter. I look forward to your first performance.” I then shook her hoof, before I walked out of her office and out of the Town Hall before I proceeded to levitate off the ground before I made my way towards the Schoolhouse. A few minutes later I landed in a field just outside of schoolhouse before I sat down as Discord appeared next to me looking like a pony and said “you're having a good day aren't you.” “Yeah you know what I feel like singing... Is that normal in Equestria?” I asked him. To this, he smiled and said, “yes I'm afraid it is normal.” He then continued to say “I can tell what you're thinking of singing by chance is it It's a Beautiful Day by Michael Buble?” “Nearly, It’s a cover of it.” “Well then fire away,” chuckled Discord. I then just smiled before I simply said “Okay then.” with that I just closed my eyes as a wireless microphone appears attached to my head along with some speakers resting just behind us before seconds later I began to perform an acoustic version of Michael Buble’s It’s A Beautiful Day. I don't know why, You think that you could hold me, When you couldn't get by by yourself, And I don't know who would ever want to tear the seam of someone's dream. Baby, it's fine, you said that we should just be friends, While I came up with that line and I'm sure. That it's for the best, If you ever change your mind, don't hold your breath. Cause you may not believe. That baby, I'm relieved. When you said goodbye, my whole world shines. It's a beautiful day and I can't stop myself from smiling. If I'm drinking, then I'm buying, And I know there's no denying. It's a beautiful day, the sun is up, the music's playing, And even if it started raining, You won't hear this boy complaining, Cause I'm glad that you're the one that got away. It's a beautiful day. It's my turn to fly, so girls, get in line, Cause I'm easy, no playing this guy like a fool. Now I'm alright, Might've had me caged before, but not tonight. And you may not believe. That baby, I'm relieved. This fire inside, it burns too bright, I don't want to say so long, I just want to say goodbye. It's a beautiful day and I can't stop myself from smiling. If I'm drinking, then I'm buying, And I know there's no denying. It's a beautiful day, the sun is up, the music's playing, And even if it started raining, You won't hear this boy complaining, cause I'm glad that you're the one who got away. Cause if you ever think I'll take up, My time with thinking of our break-up, Then, you've got another thing coming your way, Cause it's a beautiful day. Beautiful day, Oh, baby, any day that you're gone away, It's a beautiful day. Once I finished I looked up to see a group of foals and a mare looking at me before I said “sorry.” I then heard three voices shout “Craig!” Then before I could work out who shouted me I was knocked to the floor. I then looked up see Sweetie Bell, Scootaloo and Applebloom on top of me as I began to laugh before I said “can I sit up?” I then heard the mare say “that's enough girls let him up.” I then heard all three of them say “sorry Miss Cheerilee” with that the three of them climbed off of me at sat beside of me. I then looked to the Mare to see that she had a cherry red coat and a two tone pink mane before I said “I'm sorry about interrupting your class.” She then smiled before she said “it was no problem. Besides they were all just coming outside for a break and we heard you singing. We were all curious on who it was and came to take a look.” “Well, it's good that I didn't interrupt any learning. Anyway, I actually wanted to talk to Scootaloo, well to be more accurate show her something.” I then reached into my pocket and got out the scroll the mayor gave me and handed it to Scootaloo and then said “You may be interested in what it says.” With that, she opened it and then began to read it, before stopping and then began to read the last bit out loud “you are now the legal guardian of Scootaloo.” She then stared at me before she ran up to me, and hugged my legs before she said “you're my dad.” We then heard the sound of someone sniggering from the group of foals before I calmly said “Scootaloo mind letting go of me for a second.” She then nodded to me before letting go of me before I stood up and said “Diamond Tiara. Silver Spoon. I want a word with you.” With that I saw two earth pony foals step out of the crowd, One of them had a pink coat along with violet and white hair and was wearing what looked to be a silver tiara whist the other had a gray coat along with a gray two-toned mane and tail who was wearing a pair of glasses. They then both stopped in front of me before the first one who I knew was Diamond Tiara said “What do you want?” “Has nopony ever taught you any manners?” I asked in surprise, “I would expect a filly who is the daughter of Mr Rich to show some respect to their elders.” She then just looked at me and said “Yes he did.” “Well, then I would like to say one thing to you. I don't take kindly to bullying, especially when it's towards my family.” With this, the second foal who I knew was Silver Spoon began to walk backwards away from me as Diamond Tiara said: “Yeah so who have I been bullying?” “My daughter and her friends for one, tell me does this sound right?” I then mimicked her and said “Nice try blank flank!” I then crossed my arms and said “When you say that you don't only insult them but you also insult my entire race, my kind can never get a Cutie Mark.” As I said that I saw Miss Cheerilee's and the rest of the classes eyes go wide before I continued to say “What else have you two said to them? I believe it was something like the problem is, I mean, she's like, totally not special?” I then looked towards Silver Spoon before to see she had lowered her head before I said “When you said that to them you were saying there is nothing special about any of my race. You think I am happy being called talentless?” “No, you blank flank!” She shouted as everyone backed away from us leaving just Diamond Tiara in front of me. “Let's prove a point then, shall we. I’d watch carefully.” I then clenched both of my hands before I opened them to reveal a red orb in my right hand a blue orb in the other I the launch both hands upwards as a fireball ignited from my right hand and flew upwards with blue wave of lightning following just behind it, before they collided and exploded like fireworks. I then turned back to them and said “I am not a unicorn but I can use magic.” I then began to levitate off the ground and hovered there and said “I can fly but I'm not a pegasus.” I then lower myself to the ground in front of her before I grabbed my guitar and turned it into my sword as my armour appeared under my coat and continued say “I am trained to wield a sword.” before quickly turning it back into a guitar before I asked her “So I'll ask you again am I not special because from where I stand I can safely say that I am more special than you.” I then stop and took a breath before I announced “yet I am how did you say it a talentless blank flank?” Diamond Tiara then stepped back away from before before she franticly said “I'm sorry. I was wrong blank flanks do have talents. Please don't hurt me.” I then turned back to Cheerilee and said “I'm sorry about that but I felt like I had to address that before she started talking like that to me.” “It's no problem.” She admitted before walking up to me as she whispered “She had it coming for a while but I never had any evidence to prove what they were up to.” I then walked up to Diamond Tiara and knelt down infront of her and said “I'm sorry about how I reacted. I have issues with bullies since they caused a lot of problems for me. I needed to prove a point that it's not right to treat ponies differently because of who they are. I hope you can forgive me.” “No you're a horrible freak!” Diamond Tiara shouted back. My eye then began to twitch before I muttered “you aren't worth my time. You know if I wasn't or the fact I have just had a hectic day yesterday I would have scared you more than I did a minute ago.” I then heard a voice next to me say “even if she doesn't forgive you sir. I do.” I then turned to see Silver Spoon smiling before she glared at Diamond Tiara and said “you know I've heard a few things about this creature Diamond. You do realise that he saved us all yesterday?” “What are you on about it was the elements that stopped that creature yesterday.” I then shook my head and said “No the creature that attacked yesterday corrupted them. I had to step in and stop him alone.” She then went silent before she said “that's a lie, nopony can defeat an enemy like that alone.” Scootaloo then walked up to her and said “it's not a lie. I was there, he threw himself right into the line of fire and distracted that creature whilst I escaped. But I didn't run away, and instead I watched him toy with the creature and single-handedly beat it. My dad is powerful and I'm glad he's here.” I then smiled at her before I said “thank you Scoots but please don't call me dad just call me Craig. If you call me dad it makes me feel old.” “How old are you?” asked Diamond Tiara. “Believe it or not I'm only eighteen.” They then all stared at me and Diamond Tiara “that can't be right you look about thirty.” I then laughed then said, “man now I feel old.” I then then heard everyone began to laugh before Diamond Tiara said “OK I forgive you. You're not as bad as I thought.” “Thank you, Miss Tiara” Cheerilee then walked up beside me before she asked me “Craig, would you mind doing another performance for us?” “It would be an honour to perform for you if you don't mind can I have a moment to talk work out what to perform?” “Of course we wouldn't want you to pick an awful song.” “Thank you” I then shut my eyes and asked Discord wh had disappeared when I started singing before “Got a song in mind?” “No have you?” “Yeah you should be able to tell I'm thinking of the name now.” “An acoustic cover of Don’t you worry Child by Swedish House Mafia. Yeah that would work.” He admitted. I then opened my eyes and said “I've got a song for you.” Cheerilee then nodded to me before she said “Okay then.” she then turned to the foals and told them “Okay class we have a special performance by our guest here.” They all then turned to look at me before I smiled and said “Well then… I guess I've got an audience, okay then I will performing a song called Don’t You Worry Child. There was a time, I used to look into my father's eyes. In a happy home, I was a king, I had a golden throne. Those days are gone, now the memory's on the wall. I hear the songs From the places where I was born. Upon a hill across a blue lake, That's where I had my first heartbreak. I still remember how it all changed. My father said, Don't you worry, don't you worry, child. See heaven's got a plan for you. Don't you worry, don't you worry now. Yeah! Oh, oh, oh! Don't you worry, don't you worry now." There was a time, I met a girl of a different kind. We ruled the world, I thought I'd never lose her out of sight. We were so young, I think of her now and then. I still hear the songs, Reminding me of a friend. Upon a hill across a blue lake, That's where I had my first heartbreak. I still remember how it all changed. My father said, "Don't you worry, don't you worry, child. See heaven's got a plan for you. Don't you worry, don't you worry now." Yeah! Oh, oh, oh! See heaven's got a plan for you. Don't you worry, don't you worry, now. "Don't you worry, don't you worry, child. See heaven's got a plan for you. Don't you worry, don't you worry now." Once I finished performing I bowed to everyone before I heard them begin to cheer before I heard them begin to shout “One more song!” over and over. I then rubbed the back of my head before I thought what else do I know, that would be suitable for kids? I then smiled before I said “Okay I've got one more, it’s called The Days,” I admitted before I began to strum the first few notes. Under the tree where the grass don't grow. We made a promise to never get old. You had a chance and you took it on me. And I made a promise that I couldn't keep. Heart ache, heart break, All over town, But something flipped like a switch when you came around, And I'm in pieces, pick me up and put me together. These are the days we've been waiting for, On days like these who could ask for more? Leave them coming 'cause we're not done yet, These are the days we won't forget. These are the days we've been waiting for, Rattle the cage and slam that door, And the world is calling us but not just yet, These are the days we won't regret, These are the days we won't forget. Out on the midnight the wild ones howl. The last of the lost boys have thrown in the towel. We used to believe we were stars aligned. You made a wish and I fell out of, Time flew, cut through, All over town, You made me bleed when I look up and you're not around, But I'm in pieces, pick me up and put me together. These are the days we've been waiting for, On days like these who could ask for more? Leave them coming 'cause we're not done yet, These are the days we won't forget. These are the days we've been waiting for, Neither of us knows what's in store, You just roll your window down and place your bets, These are the days we won't regret. These are the days we will never forget! And these are the days. Yeah, these are the days. These are the days we've been waiting for, On days like these who could ask for more? Leave them coming 'cause we're not done yet, These are the days we won't forget. These are the days we've been waiting for, breaking the cage and slam that door, And the world is calling us but not just yet, These are the days we won't regret, These are the days we never forget. Once I finished the song I was once again greeted with cheering before I before one again bowing to them before they each walked up to me before thanking me before walking back towards the school. Miss Cheerilee then said “thank you for doing that. We will finish in around an hour you can come and pick Scootaloo up then” “Okay, then and thank for allowing me to perform for you.” “The pleasure was all mine. It was nice to meet you, Scootaloo deserves a good father. Look after her,” replied Cheerilee. “Will do. Oh and tell Scootaloo if I'm not here at the end of the day to go home with Applebloom.” “I will pass the message on for you” with that Cheerilee walked back into the schoolhouse before I began to float into the air before I flew off towards Sweet Apple Acres. Once I reached Sweet Apple Acres I looked around to see Big Mac trying to fix the fields after the fiasco the day before. Once I got closer to him he turned to look at me before I asked him “So… you're dealing with the mess from yesterday?” “Eyupp” “You want me to stay quiet about what I saw happening?” “Eyupp” “Do you remember where Applejack put my stuff?” I asked him. “Eyuup, I’ll get em for ya,” Big Mac replied before he made his way towards the house. I then looked around the field he had been working in before I muttered “I have time.” I then brought my hands together before multiple clones appeared around me before somehow managing to use my powers as effectively as I could as they created shovels and began using the dirt to fill in the holes before others manipulated the land around them to allow him to replow the fields easily. Once Big Mac got back outside he looked at me and the clones in surprise before he stuttered out “Wha…” I then smiled before I said “Sorry about the surprise, I wanted to help to fix this mess so you can get everything fixed quicker.” He then looked at the clones before he said “Those are,” “Clones… yes. Well temporary clones of myself,” I admitted before they bowed to us before disappearing. I then looked to Big Mac before I continued to say “Well, hopefully, this will allow you to get everything back on track,” as I walked over to him as he passed me my bags which I promptly threw over my shoulders. I then smiled before I said “Thanks for the help, if you need me at any time ask and I'll try and help you.” I then quickly placed two fingers on my forehead before I disappeared leaving Big Mac confused. “Right then, what house number am I” I then looked at the map I was given to see that the number three was written over the house that was circled. I then looked at the house over the road from me and muttered “fuck my life” as I saw that my house was right over from Carousel Boutique. I then heard Discord say “It's not that bad” “Yeah, I guess. At least Scootaloo is near Sweetie Bell. I'll just need to deal with Rarity constantly trying to get me to try out some new clothes.” “Oh well, at least you'll get new clothes on the cheap.” “Fair point. Let's go inside and see what we have,” with that we walked inside and saw that not only is the place well furnished but had everything we need. I then smirked as I thought now If only we had electricity I'd be set. “To be fair with you being able to learn instantly you create create solar panels or a wind turbine?” pointed out Discord. “Discord if I made a wind turbine it would be Kenny from South Park for a lot of pegasi. To this Discord said, “Oh my god we killed Rainbow Dash.” “No just no. That is overused. Let's just drop my laptop and bag off and see if the girls are back yet they should be at the train station soon.” With that we walked upstairs to what appeared to be a bedroom. As we step inside we saw that just like the rest of the house it is well furnished with a bed that actually looks like I could sleep in it comfortably along with a desk against one of the wall and beside it a cabinet. I then walked towards the cabinet and put my bags inside it. I then looked towards the desk and saw a letter on the side. As I picked up the letter I noticed a message was written on back that read “A gift from a friend” I then opened it, and tipped it up to see a chain necklace fall into my hands that as I looked closer had the letter C attached to the chain. I then reached into my pocket and got out my token, closed my eyes I then looked back at my token to see a small loop had appeared on the hilt of the blade. I then proceed to unclip the chain and thread it through the loop on the token before reaching. I then put the necklace over my head as the token rested against my chest. I then walked out of the room, down the stairs and out of the front door. Once I was outside I locked the door and then begin to fly towards the train station.
Chapter 2 - Everything has changedSomething has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.
Chapter 3 - A Royal DreamSomething has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.
Chapter 4 - A Rude AwakeningAuthor's Note Hello everyone, I finally decided to release a new chapter, heads up for anyone who decides to pick out error this chapter has not been cleared by the editor, however, I have not seen or heard from him in a month. Once this chapter is cleared by my editor I shall update the chapter and leave a blog post to tell you. I am sorry this chapter took so long and is unlikely to perfect at this time. As always hope to hear from you The Dark Brony Chapter 4 - A Rude Awakening There was this soft, buzzing ring echoing in both of my ears alongside a throbbing sensation in my eardrums. I open my eyelids only to be greeted by the sight of a wooden nightstand and a plastic guard railing that prevented me from falling off the soft white bed I lay in. Even if I could muster the energy to roll off the platform, my hands were bound to the sides of the bed. I looked away from the neatly crafted nightstand and stared at the figures resting at my side. Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo and Applebloom. They were huddled around the bed, looking down at the floor with grief. I slowly lifted my head up and with tired eyes, I spoke. “Who died to upset you lot so much?” The heads of the three fillies instantly shot up. They cheered with delight before wrapping their hooves around my neck, cutting off the air I needed to breathe. I choked and coughed until I was able to pry the little fillies hooves away from my windpipe. “How did I get here?” I said whilst rubbing the back of my head with my right hand. “You were out for a while, we thought you were dead, or worse!” Scootaloo reacted, not quite answering my question. Applebloom stepped in. “Well, when we were tryin’ to get ya back to Ponyville, two nice gentlecolts came to the rescue from out of nowhere! One of them was really funny. He kept saying all kinds of funny words and stories, he had this really deep voice too!” “Yea, he also had an accent like bloom here!” Scootaloo jabbed her friend’s chest with her hoof. Applebloom slapped her friend's hoof away from her front body before continuing her story. “Well, not exactly like mine but a lot different. Very different! He wore this strange looking hat as well, it was big and fluffy. The other was a bit more serious and kinda quiet; really nice though! He never really spoke loud. He had this kinda sad smile, he also wore this creepy looking sweatshirt-” “Seriously, in the middle of summer!” Sweetie Belle imposed, crossing her hooves. “Yeah, he also had this cool looking necklace with metal beads and two small metal things at the end that spelt out his name and everything!” The orange pegasus jumped with excitement. ’They sound like dog tags to me...’ I thought. “He also had these beautiful wings that were jus amazing!” Apple bloom cooed. “They were huge, large enough to cover you, Craig!” “Yeah...a show off with them too,” Scootaloo grumbled. I was impressed at how well the girls seem to describe the whole story without having any trouble whatsoever. I was even more surprised that the girls managed to survive out in the forest while, I myself, had been a burden to them. I was just glad that they were safe and out of harm’s way. My attention was brought back to the two ponies the crusaders recently talked about. “So I’m guessing that they helped you bring me here?” I asked, still drowsy from what felt like a long sleep. “Yeah, some stallions came by and helped us to Ponyville hospital!” Scootaloo smiled. “Did they leave you with a name or a way for me to thank them?” “No, not really...” The filly said as her ears drooped. I sighed with defeat, knowing I wouldn’t get any more information. “Well, I’ll probably see them again eventually.” I lay in the bed and stared up at the white ceiling. I slowly breathe in, feeling the stale air in the room enter my lungs as my chest began to rise. I exhaled and I attempted to sit up, and I slowly begin to feel the strength in my upper body. Strange, I felt like I had power stored within...my own blood? I felt rings around my wrist suddenly, and I was pulled back by the force and landed back on the white pillow behind me. I rose my left arm to see a white cuff strapped to the side of the bed. I look over to my right only to find the same restraint. I rose an eyebrow before turning my head to see the hard working and somewhat sceptical face of Applejack. A large stetson adorned her crown, her mane was as blond as growing wheat, her coat was the bright colour of orange, and a strong odour of cider and apples surrounded her form. This was The Element of Honesty… “Umm, why am I tied down?“ I ask with a puzzled expression, not noticing the restraints until now. “Sorry sugar cube, ain’t my idea. The doc thinks ya’re dangerous. While I will be honest, I sorta thought the same at tha time,” She said with a hint of guilt, removing her stetson before bringing it close to her chest. “Can’t be too careful and all”. “I really don’t blame them,” I shifted my head forward to see my large body still strapped to the overly small bed. “ I do look like a monster and a threat, don’t I?” With another look of guilt resonating off the orange mare, she placed her Stetson back on her head before giving a weak smile. “I’ll try ta talk to them when they aren’t as jumpy as they’re now” “See! Ah told ya he was alright!” Applebloom jumped in, who later starred at her sister intently with furrowed brows. “So now you can let him go right?” Applejack reached down with her hoof to pat her sister’s head gently, the bow that tied her mane behind her head bobbed up and down. “Sorry, ah can’t Applebloom. Not till the doc says so.” A smile was fixed on my face at the affection the two mares displayed. I laid back down and stared at the ceiling before another thought came to mind. Luna I tentatively turned my head towards the two sisters to stare into their abnormally large eyes. “Well,” I began with a hint of scepticism. “Once I’m released I need to try and find Twilight.” Both Applejack and Applebloom stare at me with confusion. The small yellow filly yet again trotted over to the left side of the bed where she placed the bottom of her chin on the smooth rails. “Why ya lookin for Twi?” “Luna contacted me whilst I was out and said Twilight would be able to help me,” I said, answering immediately while also acknowledging the little filly’s strong accent. “What!?” Scootaloo argued, marching over to Applebloom’s side. “Why would Luna want you to go to Twilight!?” The question brought up a good point, why would luna ask me to see Twilight? It would remain a mystery for now. I shrugged my shoulders at the favoured fan of Rainbow Dash. “I have no idea, but I should probably listen to royalty. After I’ve been discharged from the hospital that is.” “Ah can help ya when ya get out too!” Said Applebloom. I then slowly tilt my head in the direction of the small yellow filly before raising my left eyebrow. “And how do you plan on doing that?” I asked with the same puzzled look as Applejack. Applebloom opened her small mouth exposing her red, saliva covered, tongue. Unfortunately, her sentence was made short as the small door on the opposite side of the room opened. It's hinged squeaking at the first motion of the door. Taking her place in the doorway leading into the hall of the hospital was a white earth pony. Her mane and tail was a light pink, a thin white cap with a red cross in the middle adorned her head and that same cross was on both sides her flank, but was instead surrounded by small hearts. “So I’m discharged?” I ask as I attempt to lean forward and flee the bed but to no avail. The nurse gasped and quickly trotted over to the side of the bed where the two fillies stood awestruck at the nurse’s quick actions. “No!” She calmly yelled with a sheepish smile. “Not. Yet.” She said, tightening the restraints on my wrist and leg, which began to hurt. I then stared at her before I said “Why do you need to tighten the restraints this much… it’s actually digging into my skin,” as I contorted my face in pain. “Nurse!” The voice of the western mare bellowed, scaring the nurse away from the third restraint, near my right ankle. “What in tarnation are ya doin!?” “Applejack I was only-” “Only what! Hurting our friend here!?” “No no that’s not what I-” “Well, couldn’t ya hear em-” “Relax,” I said, raising my hand as far as I could. “She’s only doing her job, even if she’s not really thinking about my health at the moment.” I admittedly said before staring at the nurse with a half-open glare. “Could ya at least loosen the restraints?” Said Applejack to the still thunderstruck nurse. “He ain’t going nowhere,” The nurse shook her head furiously up and down with complete understanding, afterwards smiling at me. She stepped back and turned to a silver cart which lay in the middle of the room. With a clipboard now in hoof, she continued to stare at me with her eyes. “Sorry, I just came in to check up on you and make sure you’re okay,” leaning her head down onto the cart, she clenched a silver pen in her mouth which she directed to the clipboard in her grasp. “I need to ask you a few questions before we can determine whether we can let you leave.” I then looked at her be then said “Fire away then.” “Are you experiencing any pains whatsoever?” “If you mean more than when I got here. Then no.” “Alright. Do you, in any way, feel dizzy or loopy?” “Not in any way, no,” I replied The pen between the white mare’s teeth wobbled and shook with each word that was written on the bare parchment. With a single smile, she slid the pen between the metal clip with a satisfied grin. “Thank you, I’ll be sure to send this to the front desk.” As she turned to exit the room, she apologized to me for the earlier fiasco and departed. Applejack, with what appeared to be a relaxed stature, approached the front door of the room and closed it gently. No sound protruded from the iron mass. “How long do ya reckon it’ll be before the doc comes in?” “Absolutely no idea I’m afraid,” I replied whilst squirming against my bonds. The same look of guilt once again appears on the blond mare’s face. Her green eyes gazing at the straps wrapped around my wrist and ankles. Trotting to the side of the bed, she reached over to my appendages and loosened the restraints. My arms and legs were free and able to move. And I was thankful for that. When I looked at Applejack, I could see a sense of relief. “You know you didn’t have to do that,” I said, rubbing my wrist and ankles, now feeling the oxygen and blood flow through them. “But I am thankful you did.” “Awww!” The three fillies who were huddled together chimed at the scene which was displayed before them. Applejack dipped her head down in the direction of three crusaders, a single glare from ponyville’s best athlete was enough to send burning chills down the young ones’ spines. Time ticked by as we sat in the quiet room waiting for the doctor to excuse me from my sentence which was granted to me by means of sleep and exhaustion. It was only half an hour before he came in and declared I was in good health afterwards scowling at Applejack for releasing me. I dashed out the door and ran down the few halls and stairs with the fillies close behind, we reached the lobby where we found most of my belongings leaning up against a bare wall. I either strapped them over my shoulder or held them firmly in the palm of my hand. Stares of uncertainty, fear, and confusion littered the lobby. Although there were only three ponies, it felt closer to a dozen. One cowered in the corner of the waiting room, the pony at the counter hid under her desk, and the other showed no signs of motion other than the repetitive turning of a newspaper he held in his hoof. His face was hidden but two green eyes revealed themselves peeking through two cutout holes in the newspaper. I sigh with an obvious sign of irritation, knowing that my existence scared and frightened the ponies. “I knew this was going to happen! Everyone’s terrified at the mere sight of me.” I lift my arm to point at the group, only to witness the same sense of fear resonate off the ponies. Applejack noticed this and scowled at them with a stomp of her hoof before staring up at me. “Well we can’t do much about that Craig,” Applejack declared. “What would you do if ‘ya saw somepony who’s big’a than you were and different lookin?” I take that into consideration and imagine the thought. “Fair point, I’d probably be scared as well,” I admitted. “Not like that’s new to me.” I muttered. The ears on Applejack’s head stood straight before swerving in all directions. “Now! Quit that their negative talk, we have ears too ya know! Jus be glad for who ya are Craig, you probably have y’re own special talent that nopony else could match! That and ya saved my sister!” She boasted, later patting the top of her blushing siblings head with a hoof. “Yeah―I suppose you’re right―It just feels weird; me being able to save someone…” I brought my hand to my chin and thought to myself quietly, hoping Applejack would not hear my voice this time. “Almost like it’s just a dream,” The more I questioned the logic behind this strange occurrence of events, the more I questioned whether or not I was actually alive. Applejack opened the door to the front of the medical centre. “Well, C'mon, grab yer things so we can get goin’ ta Twilight’s house. Hopefully, she’s there and not spendin the entire day ‘stickin her snout in another book.” She said heading in the direction of the exit. “An hopefully I can repay ya for saving my little sis.” “You don’t owe me anything Applejack.” I sighed. “Ya sure do like sighing don’t ya?” Applejack raised an eyebrow in a joking manner. “What? It’s depressing to think your whole family believes that you’re dead!” Her smile dissipated quickly and was replaced with a look of stigma. “I-... I’m” She stuttered and choked as if touching upon a personal conversation. “Am sorry ta hear that...” “Don’t worry about it Applejack, my past is my past. I’ll just have to live with the memory of them-” “Hey~!” Sweetie Belle jumped in with a sheepish smile, trying her best to diffuse the emotional conversation both I and Applejack were having. “Has Scootaloo ever told you who she’s so~ obsessed with?” “Hey!” Scootaloo hollored with red cheeks. “I’m not “obsessed”! I’m just a huge fan of Rainbow Dash.” As I stood there, I saw the opportunity to play dumb and mention Equestria’s best flier. “Rainbow Who?” I said with a playful grin. “Sorry, the name doesn’t ring a bell.” Scootaloo gasped. “You don’t know who Rainbow Dash is!? She’s the most awesome pony in Equestria!” “Hate to say it girls, but you lot are the only creatures I know.” “Y'all can’t be serious ‘bout that,” Applejack questioned, raising an eyebrow. I look back on the past and slowly dip my head towards the floor, displaying a sombre expression that worried the group around me. “You weren’t joking. You really have nopony left.” “It’s why I want to avoid causing anyone pain.” “Then that changes today!” Applejack stomped. We continue our talk with a lot of emotion and stress. I explain to them my past life and how it’s like where I was before I came to this cartoonish world. I explained who my parents were, my schooling life, my job, and basically anything simple. They asked a lot of questions like “Where did I live?” and “Did we have flying chariots that’s not controlled by pegasus?” We even talked about a few ponies I haven’t even met yet like Fluttershy, Rarity and Pinkie. Applejack gave me a speech about how the world was governed by a powerful princess known as Celestia. As we finished our some-what long conversation, I attempted to walk outside of the clinical area and into the open, only to be stopped by Applejack’s strong voice. “Ya leavin without us?” She said in a playful manner. I turned to face the apple bucking mare to explain to her why I wanted fresh air. “Just a quick warm up and some training.” I gestured my hand to the window next to me before opening the door. The bell above it rung loudly. When I felt the cool air of wind hit my face, I felt like I could breathe! Well...normally at least. I took a step forward from where I stood and observed the hospital. It was 3 storeys, 9 meters in height. It was very small. Which was logical seeing as most of the ponies around here were small. Pint-sized really. I gently place my bag down on the cold soft grass and unzip the top. The inside of the said bag was stuffed with white clothes and large trousers. As I stared at the large bag, I found a clean cloth wedged deep between my shoes and jeans. I reached my hand into the bag and produced a small white shirt. I place the cotton garment next to me and close the bag, afterwards taking the shirt I wore now and replacing it with the shirt I held in my hand. I lifted my guitar bag up and placed it on the side of the hospital. “That’s what that was when ya bucked those Timberwolves!” Applebloom shouted, pointing at the case, exiting the hospital and joining me by my side. “Oh, so that’s what those things were called?” Again, I played dumb. “Mind if ah ask what y’re doin out here?” Applejack asked. “Just taking a few laps.” “Around the hospital?” I nod my head. “What are ya? An athlete?” “No, but I used to take Taekwondo.” Hoping that this satisfied her question, I began to stretch. Once I had finished stretching I decided to simply take a small jog around the hospital, it was at that point that Applejack walked up beside me. “So you’re just... Running?” “Yeah, I’m just raising my heart rate.” “Mind if I join ya?” She smiles. “Mind if you get miles ahead of me,” I smirked. “I doubt you’re that slow.” She retorted with a cocked eyebrow and a sly grin. We shall see... I then bring myself towards the floor and into a starting position, like I was almost coming off the starting blocks on a running track. As soon as I sprinted off the block, Applejack was instantly ahead of me and quickly gaining distance on me. I began to think that the whole thing was pointless! I mean come on, I was no athlete! Applejack turned the corner of the hospital and was quickly out of sight. I then sigh in defeat and begin to slow down to a jog instead of a run, however to my confusion I felt a strange burning sensation in my lower body as I began to realise that the world around me seemed to be moving faster. No. Not the world around me. I was running faster and within seconds I had passed Applejack and already disappeared from her sight around the next corner. I then begin to think and wonder how it was I was running at such speeds. How was I able to pass Applejack within less than a second? I managed to slow myself down before stopping near the entrance of the hospital. I then collapse onto the floor and feel a sharp surge run through my skull. I brought my hands to my head. “What the hell is happening to me?” I muttered. “Whoo-wee, Craig, I ain’t seen anypony gallop like that!” Applejack praised, grabbing her stetson with her hoof and smacking it on her side with excitement, finally managing to catch up to me. I don’t answer, still staring at the hard soil beneath me. “Are you ok partner?” Applejack called with concern tone. “What is happening to me? I never had these skills before, so why do I have these skills now?” Joining Applejacks side was Sweetie bell: “Craig, are you Okay?” I look up at the two and stared into their large eyes. “I don’t...know?” I said, still gripping my skull with both of my hands. “I could never move that fast before, same as I could never make that sword from earlier… I just don’t know what’s happening to me and… It scares me.” I confessed. For a long moment, we stared at one another. It was then that Applejack broke the silence. “Craig you don’t need to be scared of who you are.” “I’m not scared of who I am,” I interject “I’m scared of what I could become.” I stared back at the floor. I shook my head, I stood up and picked up my guitar and bags from the wall they lean on “I need some alone time. When Twilight and Scootaloo come back I’ll be behind the hospital!” “If yer going ta blow off steam then that’s fine with me. I’ll be sure ta come get ya when they come by...” “Thank you.” I then began to walk out of sight of them as I heard Sweetie Belle say “Are you sure he’ll be alright?” Just before I turn the corner I heard Applejack reply “I don’t know, but all we can do is hope.” As I rounded the back of the building I just laid back against the wall as I began to think. These powers, what do they have in common? The first time it was a sword from Skyrim and then some sort of intense speed boost, what is the link between them? I then stop and think about the dream as I continue to think, and how did I even know how to wield that sword, I never used one before? It makes no sense. I then reach towards the guitar and say “and this. Why do I get the feeling I can use this? I’ve never played before, but I feel as if I know how to play now.” I then carefully pluck at the strings that seemed to come easily, without practice and without even trying, I was able to play. I began to feel a bit more cheerful. I then grabbed hold of the guitar and played an acoustic version of Boulevard of Broken Dreams by Green Day. Https:// (green day boulevard of broken dreams) I walk a lonely road, The only one that I have ever known, Don’t know where it goes, But it’s home to me and I walk alone. I walk this empty street, On the Boulevard of Broken Dreams, Where the city sleeps, And I’m the only one and I walk alone I walk alone, I walk alone I walk alone, I walk a… My shadow’s the only one that walks beside me, My shallow heart’s the only thing that’s beating, Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me, ‘Til then I walk alone. Ah-ah, ah-ah, ah-ah, aaah-ah, Ah-ah, ah-ah, ah-ah I’m walking down the line, That divides me somewhere in my mind, On the borderline, Of the edge and where I walk alone Read between the lines, Of what’s fucked up and everything’s alright, Check my vital signs, To know I’m still alive and I walk alone I walk alone, I walk alone. I walk alone, I walk a… My shadow’s the only one that walks beside me, My shallow heart’s the only thing that’s beating, Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me, ‘Til then I walk alone. Ah-ah, ah-ah, ah-ah, aaah-ah, Ah-ah, ah-ah I walk alone, I walk a… I walk this empty street, On the Boulevard of Broken Dreams, Where the city sleeps, And I’m the only one and I walk a… My shadow’s the only one that walks beside me, My shallow heart’s the only thing that’s beating, Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me ‘Til then I walk alone… As soon as the song finished I heard the sound of breathing behind me as I turn around to see the familiar image of Applejack looking at me in surprise as she says “Wow ya’ll can really play.” I then rub the back of my head and say “Can I? I’ve never actually played before, I found this with my stuff when I woke up this morning.” She then looks at me and says “Are ya serious? Ya’ never used it before? How are you that good?” I then pick up my bags and say “I’ll be honest, I think it has something to do with whatever it was that happened to me, but whatever it was I am grateful it happened.” She then smiles and says “Well if yer grateful that you ended up here, maybe you should try to get along with everypony.” I then smile and says “Give Pinkie a day and I probably will.” She then looks at me and says “an’ how do ya’ know about Pinkie?” I then gave a small smile. “Luna told me about her.” Which of course wasn’t a complete lie. Applejack only smiled back. “Anyway, you should probably come back. Scootaloo found Twilight, an’ they both heard you.” I then cringed. “Oh, was I on some sort of medication? I rarely ever sing in public because I think I sound like a cat in a vacuum cleaner.” She then looks at me in confusion. “Never heard that saying before? I meant that I sound dreadful.” Applejack could only shake her head and smile. “Well, it sure didn’t seem that way.” I chuckled and picked myself up. “Well let’s go and meet the resident bookworm.” With that, I began to walk back towards the front of the hospital. As I got to the front of the Hospital I saw a purple unicorn standing next to Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo that I instantly recognised to be Twilight Sparkle. As I got closer I heard Applejack shout. “Twi, over here!” She then turned towards us and began to scream. “Applejack! Be careful, there’s a monster behind you!” I could only sigh. “Nice to meet you too Twilight.” Applebloom, a little hurt, went to confront the unicorn. “Twi, he’s no monster, for one he saved us from a pack of timberwolves.” She then looks back to me and says “What did you do to them? Release them from whatever control you have over them!” I sigh again and try and make my case. “Twilight, I have done nothing to them… in fact, if it weren’t for them I’d probably be dead by now.” “Like I’d believe that!” she shouted. I then see her horn and eyes begin to glow. “Release them from your control, or else.” She stated with a quiet anger. Applejack steps in front of me then shouts “Twilight, stop! He has done nuthin’ wrong!” I pinch the bridge of my nose and throw a sigh Applejack’s way. ‘I seem to be sighing a lot today…’ “I said this wouldn’t work Applejack… Look I know you just want to help, but I don’t think it’s going to work, I’m just...too different to fit in here…I won’t waste your time Twilight, I’ll just leave and go back to the Everfree and disappear. Scootaloo then runs up to me and tries to stop me, her forehooves clutching my gut “Don’t! You know what will happen if you go back there! You’ll die… I don’t care what anypony thinks! You saved us and I will not let you go back in there.” She let go and stomped her hoof, more than likely to tell me that she was putting her foot down about this. I kneel down and ruffle her hair, a bit of my spirit lifting. “Scootaloo...You know I want to say here… but if all that will happen is...” I gesture to Twilight and her slightly diminished orb of magic. “This. What hope do I have of not being treated like dirt? Honestly I...think it’s better for everyone if I just didn’t exist.” I guess what I said must have struck a chord with Twilight, as she gave me this look of...pity? Regret? “Applejack is what he said true? Did he really save them?” Twilight then asked. “From what Applebloom told me, he saved them from a pack of Timberwolves. They’d be dead if it weren’t for ‘im.” She then looks back to me, her eyes filled with guilt and doubt. “Is this true?” I return the gaze, a bit of conviction filling my voice. “Yes… they followed me in after I fled… I didn’t want to scare anyone so I hid…but they followed me into the forest and we were attacked…I only got them out because of something that’s happened to me, changing me…Somehow I created a sword that made them ignite into flames and then I did everything I could to get them out and then… well, then I collapsed from blood loss.” Twilight’s horn finally stopped glowing. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know...I thought you were attacking Applejack.” I smiled and shrugged. “No harm done Twilight, I don’t blame you. After all, let’s face it, I do look like a monster, so your fears are perfectly understandable.” Twilight then looks to me, her ears folded back. “Why are you so forgiving? If I did that to anypony else I’d expect them to not want anything to do with me, so why are you being kind to me?” “Probably because you were only thinking about the safety of your friend, and the fact that Princess Luna told me to seek you out, seeing as she told me you could help me. I’ll be honest though, I don’t really see how.” I admit Seconds later I see a small purple reptile appear near Twilight, a scroll in it’s claw. “Twilight this letter just came for you.” he then looks towards. “Twilight what is that thing?” The drake asked. I shake my head and sigh. “My name is Craig, I’m… well, lost and have no idea what’s happened to me, but I’d rather not dwell on the past. So, what’s your name?” The reptile then looked towards Twilight clearly scared… which actually wasn’t surprising as I was almost three times the size of them until Twilight reassured him. “Spike it’s alright, he won’t hurt you.” I kneel so as to meet his gaze. “Spike, I swear on the memory of my family that I mean you no harm.” This then caused Twilight to look at me in surprise. “What do you mean by the memory of your family?” I turned away, my eyes now focused on the ground. “Twilight… I… Don’t even know if my family is still alive… one minute I was in my room and then the next I was in the middle of nowhere. In a bog to the south of here, I think… well south of the everfree.” I look back up, hoping to change the topic. “Well anyway, you got a letter from the princess. What was it about?” Twilight, with a bit of trepidation, begins to read the letter. “You… the letter is relating to you.” “Wait? what?” I asked, my eyebrows raised in curiosity. She then smiles and gives me the note in her magic. “It may make more sense if you see it.” I retrieve the parchment and read. My faithful Student, I would like to advise you about a creature that may be arriving in Ponyville soon. It will unlikely be hostile but it will be afraid. Please help the creature, it was described to us in the past as a young child, likely alone. He may have powers he can’t understand and according to my sister will be searching for you, she has also informed me that the creature is named Craig. I will be arriving in Ponyville soon to meet him, please make sure he is safe until I arrive. I will leave this task in your capable hooves. Princess Celestia I look at Twilight, my mind silently freaking out, and tell her how I feel about this situation. “You can’t be serious. The Princess wants to meet me… welp I’m out of here, can’t do it.” Applejack, no doubt catching on to my sudden spike in paranoia, starts to ease her way towards me. “What are you…” However before she can finish her sentence I had already begun to run away shouting: “I’m sorry, I just can’t!” With that, I disappeared back around the side of the hospital and attempted in hiding amongst the hills beyond... As I began to run across the brow of a nearby hill, I get to thinking. THIS is crazy, there’s no way I could do it, I’ll break down from the stress if I try to talk to her. I then look towards the sky as I stretch one hand upwards, Even now, I can’t find the freedom I want I’m still so trapped by my past mistakes...even in a new world, I’m still limited by my own fears. Shaking off my self-loathing, I catch a rainbow contrail .in the sky. Apparently, it was Rainbow Dash being… well Rainbow Dash and it was highly likely she had already noticed me and was judging me, waiting… so unlike her. I clear my head of those thoughts. Maybe I’m just being paranoid. There was a change in direction in the rainbow mare’s flight path. She angled downward in my direction. I quickly realized that Rainbow Dash was indeed targeting me and had me in her sights. I opened the palm of my hand which was wrapped around the sash of my bag, letting it drop to the floor. I dove to the side, letting the rainbow-coloured projectile pass by. The earth shook as the mare hit Equestria’s soil. I rolled onto my side and stared at the still form that lay on the ground. I place my hands on the ground and slowly stand to my feet. I hesitantly position one foot in front of me. “Hey?” I lean forward to gain a better visual. “You okay?” I ask in a concerned tone of voice, hoping the mare that attacked me was still alive. An undesirable groan vibrated from the Element of Loyalty. The wings on her side beat with fresh flowing blood. I watched her rise from the floor and rub the back of her head with her hoof. “Ok,” She groaned. “That hurt.” “I’m not surprised,” I mutter under my breath. Walking towards the bag I let fall to the ground, I glanced back at the pegasus with the same look of concern. I picked up my bag and opened it, producing a white shirt. “We need to get you to the hospital.” I tied the shirt around her wings to restrict the blood from flowing out of the wound. “That should hold for now, but we still need to get you checked over!” “Don’t touch me.” Again, she groans. “Listen you think Scootaloo would like to see you die due to an unseen injury?” I ask calmly. “If you hurt her in any way, Celestia help me!” “I haven’t hurt her… I did the opposite actually. Timberwolves attacked her, Sweetie Belle and Applebloom, I saved them and then,” I then close my bag up as I throw it over my shoulders. “Well let’s just say blood loss isn’t new to me.” I then proceeded to carefully pick the pegasus up and walk back towards the hospital. As I got nearer to the hospital I looked down towards the Pegasus as I realised that she had stopped moving. Placing my index and middle finger on her neck, I found that her pulse had become much slower than I had expected. Seconds later a strange feeling of dread came over me as I realised that her injuries were far worse than I thought them, and by moving her I had caused even more damage. With as much care as possible, I lay her on the floor and start to wrack my brain. “There has to be something I can do,” Looking at my hands, I begin to put my thoughts in order. “Whatever happened to me, maybe her only hope… I need to know the link… Skyrim, speed… wait speed may be Sonic… games… is it manipulation of abilities from games?” I then begin to think What games have healing as a mechanic? I then look at the pegasus’ body taking note that she was running out of time. Placing my hand on her chest, I focus... Something. “I don’t have much time… I’ll just go with restoration magic, it’s all I know I can access right now.” I close my eyes, take a deep breath, and whisper: “Grand Healing.” My eyes open to a glowing light that appeared around my hand as the pegasus’ body began to glow white. Exhaustion begins to fill me but even then, I kept up the spell for as long as I could. It was a minute until I dropped the spell and collapsed, breathing hard as I heard the pegasus begin to stir. “What happened?” “A miracle, a miracle that just saved your life,” I whisper out. Grimacing in pain, she turns to me and asks me, “Why… help me?” To this, I just smirked. “Do I need a reason to help a friend of Applejack’s?” I try to stand up but collapse on to my knee. “Look, I’m uh...unable to move or fight back. So if you uh, want to hit me, injure me or even kill me, go ahead, I won’t stop you.” She shakes off her fatigue, a thankful smile on her face. “Dude, you know I’m not gonna to kill you. But you know...thank you.” I smirk and get the need to give a bit of snark. “Oh, the famous Rainbow Dash has emotions? Who would have thought.” She laughs and flicks my forehead with her tail. “Yeah, but if you ever tell anypony you’ll wish I did.” “Duly noted,” I muttered as I let myself lay on the ground. “I’m just going to rest...I feel like I just carried a mountain.” I then roll onto my back and look up to the sky breathing in the daytime air. “You know, I’ve always wanted to be able to fly,” I say whilst raising my left hand towards the sky before continuing my train of thought. “See the world in a new perspective… I suppose you get to do that every day.” She gives me this surprised stare. Like I just said the most profound and philosophical thing in existence. “Hey kid, what’s your name?” “Craig. You can call me Craig, and I guess you’re Rainbow Dash? Dubbed “The most awesome pony in Equestria”; by Scootaloo.” “Craig… A pretty strange name for a pony.” Joked Rainbow Dash. I gave her smirk in retort. “Do I look like a pony to you?” “No, but you do look like a minotaur.” I shift my eyes upwards. “I’m not a minotaur. Does it look like I have horns to you?” “But if you’re not a minotaur what are you?” She asked as she circled around me and sized me up. “I’m what’s called a human or Homo-sapiens.” She then looks at me in confusion. “Humans. I thought they were a myth?” “And I thought the same about Pegasi and Unicorns,” I reply Rainbow Dash laughed at the notion no doubt. “C’mon, ponies? A myth… you can’t be serious?” “I’m deadly serious…, unless you’re kind’s seriously that good at hiding…ponies are a myth where I come from, well all except Earth ponies.” “So what? You come from somewhere that only has Earth Ponies?” Asks Rainbow Dash. “Umm well, yes, but the ponies where I come from aren’t all that sentient.” She circled back around me, her hoof on my chest and fire in her eyes. “Say that about my friends again… I dare you.” I sigh, for what had to be the hundredth time today. “I said where *I* come from, not here… that’s really not the case *here*.” I stated with emphasis. I manage to find the strength to sit up, taking a few breaths to keep steady. “Well, I think I better go back. I may have royalty to see.” Rainbow dash gives me an odd look, kinda like if I had just grown an extra head. “Who’s coming to see you?” “Princess Celestia from what the letter Twilight got said,” I reply Now it looked like that head had a hand for a face. “Why would the princess want to see you?” She asked in disbelief. “I don’t know… Luna seemed to know a bit about me though.” “You’ve met Luna?” asks Rainbow Dash. I then smile, grabbing my bags as I get myself off the ground. “Wel, it was in my dreams. It was when I fainted after saving Scootaloo from Timberwolves, but yeah, I’ve technically met her.” “So you saved Scoots from a pack of Timberwolves… and why did you run when you heard that you’d be meeting the princess?” Asks Rainbow Dash. “Well I’m kind of scared of Celestia… I’ve heard of the things she’s done… even to her own sister, and I guess I’m worried she’d do the same to me.” “Craig, she wouldn’t hurt you without reason.” Replies Rainbow Dash. “But what if whatever it was that caused my powers to go haywire… I could hurt innocent peo… ponies. If that did happen she would send me to the moon and seeing as how humans aren’t immortal I’d die up there, alone.” Rainbow Dash then looked at me, conviction in her eyes. “Well… if what you have told me is all true… I’ll help you, the princess trusts me.” I had to smile, a bit of hope building up inside me. “Why wouldn’t she trust the element of loyalty.” She then looks back at me with a bit of shock. “You know about that?” “Well yeah, I know all about you and your friends,” I admit. She then looks at me in confusion and her head tilted to the side “What are you, a stalker?” “Nah, I’m just a child who’s learning as he goes.” We then begin our walk back to the hospital grounds, my resolve strengthened.
Chapter 5 - Today Just Gets Weirder and WeirderSomething has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.
Chapter 6 - A Chaotic Day Part 1Author's Note Thank you to Solarkness for helping to improve this chapter. Chapter 6 - A Chaotic Day Part 1 As I began to wake up again I found myself back inside what seemed to be a blurred hospital as I began to feel like the throat was on fire before hearing two faint voices in the room around me. I then heard one of them say “Look he’s waking up.” I then attempted to sit up to find that this time my arms weren’t tied to the bed and were free to move as I rubbed my eyes before I was able to see both Twilight and Applejack looking at me clearly worried before Applejack placed a hoof on my chest before she said “Careful their partner, don’t move too fast.” “Fine… what was the number of the train that hit me, though? That hurt.” I admitted. “It’s called your powers,” replied Twilight before saying “and what was that white light that surrounded you when you collapsed?” “What… a white light… you sure?” I asked as they nodded their heads before I thought The only white light that surrounds you I know of is the Zenkai boost from Dragonball Z, and if that's true it means I may be able to use Ki from it. I then smiled before I asked them “Anyway how long was I out?” “jus' till the mornin'. Think ya feel ok to move around” asked Applejack. “Yeah I'll be fine… I’ve lived through worse” I replied. “How can you have been through worse?” asked Twilight before she continued to shouted “you had second-degree burns along the inside of your throat! If it wasn’t for the magic that was used you’d be dead right now!” “Twilight… I have had to go under the knife multiple times in my life for surgery to save my life… this isn’t the first time I’ve been near death and lived to tell the tale.” I admitted as I lifted my hairline as a symbol in the shape of a crucifix was visible on my forehead causing both Twilight and Applejack to gasp before I let my hair fall back and cover the scar before I continued to say “I’ve been in positions most would have just decided to pull the plug and survived so yes I have survived worse.” “I’m sorry I didn’t know,” stuttered Twilight. “Relax Twilight I hold no hatred towards you for something you didn’t know about.” I explained before I added, “anyway, Applejack I believe that you need to get to work on the farm instead of worrying about me.” Applejack then looked at me before saying “I guess ya right” “Applejack, I was also wondering if you need any help on the farm, it would be an honour to help you.” “I couldn't accept ya help Craig. Ya may not be better” She replied hastily. “Listen Applejack. Back home I get injured most days and was doing martial arts the next day. I'm pretty sure I'm fine” “Even then… how can you be sure you’ll be fine doing that and why do you think you’d be able to handle the work?” To this, I just shrugged before I said “I’ve always been quite weak, I had issues with falling over and cutting my head open from a young age, hence how I got the scars on my forehead.” “So ya’ think ya’ can handle workin’ on the farm because you’ve handled other things in the past?” She clarified. “Yes, Applejack. Yes, I do. But we're getting off topic as I said, I know when I am well enough to work. I also know when I want to help somebody, and I’d like to help you Applejack, and like you, I don't like backing down.” Applejack sighed before saying “Ya seriously won't not help me will ya?” “Nope. I'm determined to help you Applejack.” “Fine I guess ya can come too and help,” replied Applejack. “Thanks, Applejack, you won’t regret this.” I replied cheerfully before I turned to Twilight and asked her “So I guess you’ll be going back to the library?” “Yeah, I do need to get back in case anyone comes in to get some books… It still is a public library even though ponies don’t come in often.” She admitted sadly. “Well… if I ever move into Ponyville, I may just visit every once in awhile… could always find a good read… well if your written language is like mine that is,” I admitted. “You didn’t use Equish where you were from?” Asked Twilight. “No, I used English… It seems to be spoken the same but I don’t know about written.” I explained. Twilight then grabbed a small sheet of paper before she handed it to me as she said “Can you read this.” I then skimmed the page before I said “Sort of it has some similarities to written English but then some differences those being the symbols above some words. It looks like your language is a mix of English and possibly French.” “Hmm… looks like you’ll need to relearn how to read and write.” “Great” I muttered before I continued to say “I’m gonna need to wait again aren't I.” “You should,” Admitted Twilight. “But I bet ya won’t” added Applejack. I then chuckled before said “Nope” as I opened a nearby window before I whispered, “I wonder if my powers would allow me to float using Ki like the games?” I then heard Twilight say “Craig what are you doing?” “A bit of experimentation, ” I said as I vaulted out the window. I then heard Twilight shout “Craig!” Before she ran towards the window before she stopped before she spluttered “What the…. How are you… That's not possible” as I just floated back up to the window as she shouted, “How are you flying!” “Absolutely no idea I just thought about it as I jumped and I was hovering like this.” I said as I began to descend towards the ground as before whispering “That was amazing… and I can do that at will.” A minute later Applejack and Twilight ran up next to me before Twilight shouted “are you crazy?!” “Probably” I instantly replied. “Well, anyway… I say we get moving and get back to the farm.” “Okay then, we’ll see you later Twilight,” I said as both me and Applejack made our way to Sweet Apple Acres. Once we reached Sweet Apple Acres I quickly realised that all my stuff was missing before I said “Where did all my stuff go Applejack?” “Ya don't need to worry about ya things. Me an' Applebloom brought ya stuff here after the incident last night.” “Thank god I'd hate to lose them. They're all I have left from home. I say we get to work. What do you need me to do?” “I guess I need ta harvest the corn. Ya could 'elp with that if ya like?” Suggested Applejack. To this, I just smiled before I nodded to her and said “Let's do it.” Once we reached the corn field Applejack said “Just wonderin' do ya know how to pick corn?” I then just looked at her before I said. “no, I don't... But no time like the present to learn right.” She just looked at me before she said “I like your Attitude, Craig. Right here's what you do to harvest corn.” -One explanation Later- “Okay, I think I understand so is this how I do it?” I confirmed with Applejack. “Yeah ya got it” I then looked up towards the sky before I asked “Um... Applejack, are the clouds normally pink?” “No. Why?” she looked at me with a puzzled look. “look up,” I quickly said She then looked up and said, “What in Equestria is goin' on?” At that moment it started raining but we noticed something strange about the rain. “Applejack is the rain normally brown?” “No, not normally...” At this moment Rainbow Dash flew by the farm and shouted, “Hey I didn't tell you to go anywhere!” At this moment Applejack shouted back to her, “Rainbow Dash what's going on with this rain? I mean chocolate milk. I mean chocolate milk rain!” “There's crazy weather all over Equestria!” To this, I just looked at her before I asked, “How crazy we talking?” “Cloudsdale's getting soaked by a major cola storm right now. So beyond Pinkie crazy.” At this both me and Applejack turned towards each other before we said in unison, “Pretty crazy then.” Rainbow Dash then looked at us and said, “Don't worry. I'm not leaving you until I get control of Ponyville.” As she began to fly off, we heard what seemed to be a popping noise from behind us. We then quickly turned around to see the corn behind us turning into popcorn before our very eyes as it covered Applejack completely as I heard Pinkie Pie say, “Why would you wanna stop this?” As she dived back into the popcorn. Applejack then popped her head out above the popcorn as we both just ignored Pinkie as we heard Rarity say, “Ahem. I heard about your troubles, Applejack, and I came to see if there's anything I can do without getting wet. Or dirty. Or out from under my umbrella. Oh nice to see you when you're not fainting.” To this, I just looked at her clearly unamused before I replied, “Charming... nice to meet you too.” Applejack then looked towards the orchards to see all the apples almost triple in size before causing the trees to topple over as all the animals starting to eat the fruit. Applejack then shouted, “Fluttershy do something!” I then saw Fluttershy try to talk to Angel only for the little spawn of satan’s legs to grow instantly, I then heard Fluttershy say, “No! It's not possible! I must be seeing things!” I then turned my head around knowing Twilight will appear over the hill momentarily and as expected caused me to internally smirk as I thought, It's a shame that the fail-safe spell will fail. I then looked at a Twilight as I began to mentally count down. three, two, one fail. I then chuckled as I heard Twilight say, “My fail-safe spell... failed. What do we do? “Uh, give up?” Spike said. Rarity then said, “Spike, Twilight will come up with something,” as she placed an umbrella that was mounted on a saddle onto Twilight’s back. I then began to think, cue a solution in three, two, one. I then turned my head towards Twilight as I saw her start to trot towards Dash who was stuck in a cotton candy cloud as she said, “Time for plan B, Rainbow, can you corral all those clouds in one corner of the sky?” Rainbow Dash then saluted Twilight before she began to collect all the clouds together in one place in the sky as Twilight said to Applejack, “I need you to bring those high-strung storm clouds down to Earth,” with that Applejack then lassoed the clouds together as she began to drag them down towards the ground. Twilight then walked towards Fluttershy before she whispered something to her before she said, “Oh dear. I hope none of the animals see these delicious chocolate-filled cotton candy clouds. I'd hate to have to share them,” as Applejack tied the clouds to a nearby fence. I then heard Pinkie say, “You and me both, sister,” Just before all the animals that had been eating the fruit ran towards the clouds, before knocking Pinkie out of the way before she shouted, “Hey!” As the animals ignored her and continued to eat the clouds. I then heard Applejack shout, “And when y'all are done with that, feel free to have some popcorn for dessert!” I then turned to Applejack before I said, “Well said. And Spike that is why you never give up.” Twilight then turned to me before saying, “You got it, Craig. You should never give up. There's nothing we can't overcome if we all work together.” I then muttered, “Yeah together,” as I thought about my family back home. My thoughts were then interrupted as a green flame flows out of Spike's mouth which left a scroll resting on the ground between us that Twilight quickly picked up in her magic and began to silently read after which she gasped and said, “Come on, girls. Princess Celestia wants to see us all in Canterlot immediately!” I then sighed and said, “I guess I'll see you when you get back” Twilight then looked at me before saying “You'll see Celestia as well she asked for you too.” I then rubbed the back of my head before I said, “Why would she need me… I’ve got nothing I could add to the group.” “Well, "maybe she just wants to see how you're doing?” replied Twilight. “Maybe… where did you put my guitar?” I asked Applejack Applejack then replied, “I'll get it for ya,” and with that she ran into the farmhouse. I then turned towards Twilight and said, “Twilight any idea what Celestia wants you all for?” She then looked towards me and said, “No but I have a feeling we'll find out soon.” I then turned back towards the farmhouse to see Applejack carrying my guitar, “'ere it is Craig.” She then continued to ask me, “Why do you even want it?” I then looked at her before I said, “I don’t understand why but I feel like I need to have it with me. Anyway, let's go.” Applejack then smiled at me and said, “Are ya’ walkin’ or flyin', to the station?” “Flying?... Since when can you fly?” asked Rainbow Dash. “I worked it out earlier,” I replied as I began to float up into the sky next to Rainbow dash before she said, “That is amazing… where are your wings?” “Don’t have any… I think I’m manipulating Ki,” I admitted. “Ki? What's that?” asked Twilight. “Well, it’s basically spiritual energy… it can be used in many ways from flying to… well creating attacks, some very dangerous one that could potentially destroy the planet.” “What!” screeched Twilight, “Why would anyone want that sort of power.” “It’s anime… it never makes sense why people want anything in those worlds Twilight,” I explained, “Anyway, shouldn’t we get going?” “I suppose,” replied Twilight. “Okay then,” I then smirked before saying, “Rainbow.” “Yeah?” “Race ya,” before flying off as she shouted, “Hey no head starts!” before she flew off after me as the rest of the girls ran off after us. -A train ride later- A matter of an hour later we all arrived at Canterlot. As we arrived at the palace we all rushed towards the throne room as I just walked and was easily able to keep pace with everyone excluding Twilight and Rainbow Dash. As soon as we reached the throne room Twilight instantly saw Celestia and said, “Princess Celestia, we came as fast as we could!” “Thank you, Twilight,” before she turned to the rest of us before she continued to say, “Thank you, all.” I then turned towards her and bowed before I said, “It is an honour Princess,” I then stood up straight, “However, I have a feeling that we're all here for more that a mere chat.” “That is, unfortunately, correct.” “Is this about the weather? And the animals' weird behaviour? What's happening out there? Why isn't my magic working? Is ther–,” Twilight said hectically. Celestia then just looked at us and said, “Follow me,” with this, we all began to walk down the hall as Celestia continued to say, “I've called you here for a matter of great importance. It seems an old foe of mine, someone I thought I had defeated long ago, has returned. His name... is Discord.” “Discord,” I muttered before everything clicked as I said, “Wait he’s the creature that refers to himself a the prince of Chaos.” “Yes, he is Craig… looks like you're remembering things or have you known the entire time since you got here,” asked Celestia “What do you mean he knows,” asked Twilight as I began to shake. “Craig… I know what we are in your world… we are just a story in your world are we not?” Celestia asked me. I then lowered my head before I said, “How did you know that,” causing everyone to look at me in surprise. “My old friends,” she replied cryptically. “You mentioned these ‘old friends’ who are they,” I asked clearly getting annoyed. “They were like you, they were humans,” She answered “Wait… you mean the humans that were in the history books in the library, they were real?” Twilight asked. “They were Twilight but we need to get back to dealing with the current threat, anyway Discord is the mischievous spirit of disharmony. Before my sister and I stood up to him, he ruled Equestria in an eternal state of unrest and unhappiness. Luna and I saw how miserable life was for Earth Ponies, Pegasi, and Unicorns alike, so after discovering the Elements of Harmony, we combined our powers and rose up against him, turning him to stone.” I then heard Rainbow Dash shout, “All right, Princess!” “There's a problem, isn't there. Same as Luna's time on the moon the spell only lasted for around 1000 years, but you hoped it would hold Discord forever” “Yes, however since Luna and I are no longer connected to the Elements, the spell has been broken.” Twilight than just looked at Celestia in confusion before she said to her, “No longer connected?” I then turned to her and said, “Since you now bear the elements both Celestia and Luna has no control over them. Meaning that the six of you are the only ones who can use them.” Celestia then smiled at me then said, “You've explained that quite well Craig, you really do know a bit about the elements don't you.” “Thank you. I suppose I do,” I replied as I began to feel a bit flustered, “Anyway, I guess the next thing to ask is where we are now” “This is Canterlot Tower, where the Elements are kept inside since they were recovered. I need you to wield the Elements of Harmony once again and stop Discord before he thrusts all of Equestria into eternal chaos,” explained Celestia. I then saw Pinkie looking at one of the glass windows before she said, “Hey, look! We're famous!” I then thought, More than you know Pinkie, more than you know. I then heard Princess Celestia say, “You six showed the full potential of the Elements by harnessing the magic of your friendship to beat a mighty foe. And as Craig said although Luna and I once wielded the Elements, it is you who now control their power, and it is you who must defeat Discord!” I then looked at them and said, “We both know you are more than capable of defeating him.” Twilight then looked at us and said, “Princess Celestia, Craig you can count on–” I then heard Pinkie shout, “Hold on a second! Eternal chaos comes with chocolate rain, you guys. Chocolate rain!” I then looked at Pinkie before I said, “Yeah but also unmatched sadness, and a world where nopony smiles or laughs. I think we all know that's not the sort of world you want. I felt like that was my world for years Pinkie. It hurts; a lot.” Twilight looked first to Pinkie before rolling her eyes then towards Celestia and said, “Don't listen to her, Princess. We'd be honoured to use the Elements of Harmony again.” At this point, Celestia opens up some large golden doors and collects a jewel encrusted box contained inside. We then heard Rarity say, “Ooh. You can keep the Elements. I'll take that case!” “Really Rarity, you would want a box over looking Fabulous again?” I chuckled. She just looked at me before saying, “I guess you're right,” She then quickly backpedalled before she said, “Wait I never got a chance to ask you your name before the incident last night.” I then laughed as I said, “Well you’ve heard it from everyone already but let's start over,” I then place my hand out before saying, “My names Craig and it’s a pleasure to meet you Miss Rarity.” Rarity then looked at me before saying, “Well at least you have some manners even if you have an awful fashion sense. You really must allow me to make you some proper clothes when we get back to Ponyville.” “I say that we have this discussion after the current threat if over,” I replied as I thought, Did she forget I came directly from working on the farm and that I don’t have a home? “I guess you're right.” Celestia then looked at all of us before he said, “Have no fear, ponies. I have total confidence that you will be able to defeat Discord with these!” She then opened the box causing everyone excluding myself to gasp as they realised that the box was empty then seconds later I heard Pinkie say, “Oh, well. If anyone needs me, I'll be outside in the chocolate puddles with a giant swizzle straw.” “The Elements! They're gone!” Twilight shouted. Me and Celestia then looked at each other before she said, “That chamber is protected by a powerful spell that only I can break! This doesn't make sense!” “I have a feeling we know who did this ” I then turned to one of the glass windows and shouted, “Discord! Come out and show yourself!” I then heard a voice that I hadn't heard before say, “Oh, you're no fun.” Celestia then shouted, “Discord... Show yourself!” At this point a creature that had the head of a goat, a deer antler on the right, a goat horn of the left, one long fang, yellow eyes with red pupils, a donkey's mane, and a goat beard. The rest of his body consisted of the right paw of a lion, the left talon of an eagle, the right leg of a dragon, the left hoof of a deer, the right wing of a purple bat, the left wing of a blue bird, and a dragon tail witch and a white tuft of hair at the end appeared in one of the many glass windows that were littered around the room. He then turned to Princess Celestia and said, “Did you miss me, Celestia? I missed you. It's quite lonely being encased in stone, but you wouldn't know that, would you, because I don't turn ponies into stone… although it was fun talking to those friends of yours and oh their son, they did have high praises of the boy always talking about him saying that he’ll be around here one day and they’ll see him again,” he then looked towards me before he glared at me before stopping as he stuttered in surprise, “You… how are you here… you should be in that other world.” I then looked at Discord in shock before I said, “How, what, how do you know that?” “Oh, all the fun I had with those people… how much chaos they caused you… oh the fun it was seeing you suffer,” chuckled Discord. I then glared at him before saying, “I… I… I don’t understand,” however deep down I completely understood where he was going with this. Celestia then looked at me in shock before she shouted, “Discord what did you do!” “I may have used my time in stone to torture him back home… oh, it was fun manipulating all those children's minds to ruin his life.” I then slowly sunk to my knees as I muttered, “No… this can’t be, that can’t be the reason for it… no, it just can’t,” before I slowly curled up into a ball and began shaking. “And there he goes again back into a mess… oh, it’s hilarious to see him like this in the flesh… it’s even better than before,” he said as I saw him create a bucket of popcorn that he started eating. I then slowly stood up as I continued to shake uncontrollably before I muttered whilst getting louder as I spoke, “She may... have been the first... to turn you to stone, but she won't... be the last,” I then shouted, “Now come and face me you chicken!” as my hands clenched into fists. Celestia then looked at me clearly worried before saying, “That's enough Craig, you need to calm down,” She then turned to Discord and asked him, “What have you done with the Elements of Harmony?” He then looked at Celestia as he said, “Oh, I just borrowed them for a teensy little while,” He then snaps his fingers, and an image of the elements disappear, from the stained glass window he was in. At this both me and Celestia said, “You'll never get away with this, Discord!” After this, I heard Discord say, “Oh, I'd forgotten how grim you can be, Celestia. It's really quite boring.” I then heard Rainbow Dash shout, “Hey! Nopony insults the Princess!” And then seconds later she began to fly towards the window as fast as she could but Discord just moves to another window and she crashes face first into it, but strangely the glass didn’t break. He then teleported back to the window he was in previously before and said, “Oh, you must be Rainbow Dash, famed for her loyalty, the Element of Harmony you represent.” Rainbow then looked at him and said, “That's right! I'll always be loyal to the Princess!” I then heard him say, “We'll see about that.” Seconds later I heard Rarity say, “I can't believe we're wasting our time talking to a tacky window.” Discord then looked at Rarity before he said, “The beautiful Rarity, representing the element of generosity if I'm not mistaken?” I then heard Applejack say, “So you know who we are, big deal.” He then turned to Applejack as he said, “Oh, I know much more than that, honest Applejack.” Seconds later I heard Twilight say, “You seem to know our strengths too.” Discord then looked at Twilight and said, “Yes, Twilight Sparkle and yours is the most powerful and elusive element, magic. Fluttershy's is kindness and Pinkie Pie's is a personal favourite of mine – laughter.” Whilst pointing to each of them in turn. I then heard Pinkie trying not to laugh before Twilight shouted to her, “Pinkie!” I then turned to look at Pinkie as she says whilst laughing, “He's standing on your head!” I then looked in the direction she looking and, see him dancing on top of one of the stained glass images of Twilight. He then turned to me before he said, “And then, there's you. I have no idea how you got here, or what significance you have. I don't see how you could even be a threat to me, you're just a weakling that no one will ever care about,” he then laughed and stared at me, “A freak like you couldn't do a thing to me,” he then teleported behind me and whispered to me, “I bet your parents were even bigger freaks than you.” With that, my eyes suddenly sharpened before I said with venom in my voice, “What did you just say about me and my family.” “Your family are freaks,” he spoke slowly drawing out each word. I then closed my eyes before what felt like the hilt of the sword in my hand before I opened my eyes to see a sword in the shape of katana that had a black leather hilt and a brass guard in the shape of a coiled serpent. I then quickly brought my hand backwards as the sword sliced his right leg causing him to scream out in pain as I just remained embedded in his leg before I swept the leg tearing the blade out of his leg I then angrily said, “You can insult me all you fucking like, but when you insult my family, you have gone too fucking far!” My hand then began to glow as a white ball of air appeared in my hand before it struck Discord sending him flying backward, I then put two my fingers in front of my forehead and disappeared only to reappear milliseconds seconds later behind him and shouted, “And you're one to talk about being a fucking freak. Just look at yourself!” I then took a deep breath in and shouted, “Fus Ro Dah,” that instantly displaced the air in front of me and in turn caused Discord to plummet back towards the ground. He then clicked his claws together causing him to disappear and then reappeared in one of the glass windows breathing slowly and says “What, the hell, are you. How did, you get that sword… how did you do those things to me,” He then looks towards me and continues, "You’re like those freaks I met last time." I turned to him and said, “I am the person you should never piss off Discord,” as the sword disappeared and I began to calm down, I then smirked before I continued to say, “The sword I struck you with was called Dragonbane. It is a sword that has been created with the exact purpose of doing more damage to dragons and I can see you; are part dragon.” I then see everyone looking at me surprised until Celestia said, “I am disappointed in you Craig. We will be having words.” I then lowered my head before, saying, “Okay princess” I then began to leave until I heard her say, “I didn't tell you to leave,” she then turned to Discord and said, “Okay Discord stop stalling! What have you done with the Elements of Harmony? Tell me unless you want Craig to hunt you down and strike you again.” I then looked at him and said, “It would give me no greater pleasure than to make you suffer for what you said about my family.” Discord then looked at Celestia and then said, “Celestia. Really? Fine, I'll tell you, but I'll only tell you my way. To retrieve your missing Elements, just make sense of this change of events. Twists and turns are my master plan. Then find the Elements back where you began,” then with a laugh he disappeared. A second later Celestia turned towards me and said, “Now Craig why did you do that” I then just looked at her before saying, “I don't know. As soon as he said everything to me about what he did, it was like something inside me just snapped and I wanted to… well, kill him.” Applejack then looked at me in surprise at what I said before she asked me, “What did he say about ya family, to make you react like that?” “He said that my family are freaks, disgraced their memory,” I whispered so it was almost unheard. To this, both Applejack and Celestia walked up to me. Applejack then just looked at me whilst Celestia calmly said, “Craig, family is important, and I will agree that what he said to you was wrong. However, you can't defeat him without the elements,” she then smiled and continued to say, “However I can help you stop him.” I then looked at her and asked, “How?” She then smiled at me before she asked me, ”Could you please give me your guitar?” “Huh… what will giving you my guitar accomplish? What, am I going to so sing him into submission?” Celestia then smiled at me as she said, “You’ll see.” I then shrugged my shoulders before I passed her my guitar as it was enveloped in a bright yellow light, I then looked at her suspiciously as a second object began to float into view that looked similar in design to the Master Sword from The Legend of Zelda, before both items were surround in a bright light that caused me to shield my eyes from the flash. Seconds later the light faded as my guitar began to fall towards me, however strangely the sword was nowhere to be seen. Once it was on my lap I noticed one difference with the design that made everything make sense. On the back of the guitar, there was a clear symbol embedded into the wood in the shape of a sword. I then looked at it as Celestia said, “Touch the symbol with your hand.” “Okay,” I said clearly doubting here before as I touch the symbol. However to my surprise, the guitar's shape changed dramatically as it changed into the shape of the sword that she had picked up in her magic as well. I then looked carefully at the blade to see that it had what looked like Celestia’s cutie mark embedded, on the side of it blade. I then looked back at her and said, “Wait a second, this is a sword, and why does it have your cutie mark on it?” To this, she looked at me and said, “This is a gift, that I am giving you. You said you wanted to help protect Equestria, however, you are unarmed, and have no weapon that you could use to defend yourself. Furthermore, it has my mark on it as the sword does something special; please touch the symbol.” To this, I look at her quizzically before I said, “Okay.” I then touched the symbol as the blade began to glow in a red light before bursting into flames. I then looked at it in amazement and said, “What does it do?” To this, she just smiled at me and said, “This allows you to cleave through any defence or illusion that you may face,” seconds later the flames died down before the blade returned to normal and looked as if it hadn't been ignited at all. She then said, “You will also want this,” she then starts to lower a white metal sheath with a black trim around the edge, that was connected to a belt in her magic before she said, “Here's something for you to carry it with.” I then looked at her and asked, “How can I turn it back into a guitar?” She then grinned mischievously before she explained, “Take a look at what I just gave you.,” I then looked at the sword’s sheath as I noticed that there was a small indentation in the shape of a guitar embedded into the metal. She then continued to say, “If you ever want to turn the sword back into a guitar, all you need to do is put the palm of your hand on the indentation.” I then sheathed the sword before I looked at her before saying, “I don't know what to say. I don't deserve this,” I then bowed to her the said, “I guess I need to earn the right to wield this, Princess Celestia,” I then began to clutch my head before saying, “What’s happening?” A voice then said, “No cheating, you will have figure this out without your memories, have fun without them,” Before I heard the sound of . I then slowly stood up before I heard Fluttershy whispering, “Can we go home now?” I then looked at her before I said, “I'm afraid not Shy. We have some missing elements to find and deal with a deranged god. But first, we need to deal with his riddle.” I then hear Applejack say, “What do you reckon he meant? Twists and turns and ending back where we started?” “Wish I could tell you… but it’s all blank, I can’t remember anything that could help us,” I admitted sadly. “But the Princess said you knew what was going to happen, how can you not remember?” asked Rainbow Dash. “I don’t know… It feels like a large portion of my memories have just disappeared,” I explained, We all then looked towards Twilight as she said, “It’s fine, it’s not your fault,” before she said, “Twists and turns... twists and turns... twists and turns! That's it! I bet Discord hid the Elements in the palace labyrinth!” I then looked at Twilight before I asked her, “how does that fit in with the second part of the riddle when he said, ‘then find the Elements back where you began?’” She looked at me as she tapped her hoof on her chin before she said, “I guess they could be near the entrance.” To this, I looked at her doubtfully before I said, “I guess there's only one way to find out… but I doubt even he’s that stupid as to make it that simple.” “Well, we don’t know what’s he's like… he could make it that simple expecting us to think there’s more to it.” I then heard Celestia tell us, “Good luck, all of you. The fate of Equestria is in your hooves,” she then chuckled before she continued to say, “Or hands in your case Craig.” To this, both me and Twilight said in unison, “Thank you, Princess. We won't let you down,” and with this, we all made our way towards the labyrinth. As we began to approach the castle's labyrinth, I began to think, Why would he do that… why torture me for years and why use everyone around and even more importantly… why me of all people? What made me that important, he could have used a celebrity's child to cause more chaos than I ever could. I then heard Twilight’s voice say, “Craig are you alright?” I then shook my head before I replied, “Yeah, sorry was just thinking about things that's all.” “What were you thinking about… I’m sure it can’t be that bad?” said Rainbow Dash “Well not bad… I was just thinking about why the Princess gave me the sword… it’s just confusing me, I just don’t think I'm worthy,” I lied. She then started laughing before she said, “Craig you don’t need to be worried about not being worthy after all you’ve done already.” “Ya’ saved my sis an’ her friends and you saved Rainbow here, ya 'ave spent the whole time ‘ere provin’ that you’re worthy of what you 'ave been given,” added Applejack. I then began to laugh before I said, “I suppose you’re right… but I worry that if what happened earlier repeats itself I could put you all in danger or even kill an innocent pony.” Rarity then looked at me before saying, “Honestly darling, I'm sure you can control a temper, even if it causes you to go mad and attempt to kill a god.” “Way to put his fears to rest Rarity,” groaned Rainbow Dash. “Don’t worry… I know that I’ll just need to keep you all safe… my only worry is that now that I'm armed I risk losing control and in turn putting everyone in more danger.” Twilight then walked up to me and calmly declared, “You can protect us all because we will always be by your side and will help you to stay calm, besides how can you get mad with Pinkie around.” I then heard Pinkie laugh before she announced, “Yeah. How can you be mad with me around?” I then laughed before I continued to say, “It's not possible for me to feel sad. I just hope nothing happens to you to change that… if only I could remember what’s going to happen, I may be able to predict where the elements actually are.” “Don’t worry about it, it’s not your fault,” said Twilight seconds before she declared, “okay we're here. Dash you fly ahead to see if you can see our elements in there.” “No problem, Twilight,” Dash replied before preparing to fly into the air, however, just before she got airborne both her’s and Fluttershy's wings disappeared from their backs. I then quickly turned towards Rarity and Twilight to see that the same had happened to their horns. I then heard the four of them scream before I looked up towards the sky and shouted, “Discord! Where are you?!” There was then a flash a light from in front of us before Discord appeared in front of us before he began laughing as bolts of lightning were visible around him as he said, “Oh that is priceless,” however he stopped as soon as he sees me and said, “Oh not you again, why don’t you just go home… oh, wait I forgot you don’t have a home anymore, do you?” I then glared at him and shouted, “Give them their horns and wings back Discord!” “Not till they have played my little game, they’ll get them back in due time, it’s the first rule of our game,” explained Discord. I then shut my eyes before I said, “No more games Discord, this is your last warning. Give them their horns and wings back... Now” “And I said not till they play my game, besides what are you going to do make me laugh myself to death.” I then opened my eyes and announced, “I warned you and now it's time, for you see the error of your ways,” I then launched off the ground leaving a mist of dust behind me as charged towards him my right hand on the hilt of my sword before unsheathing it as I got closer to him. I then heard a faint click and he disappeared from in front of me. I then closed my eyes again before a blue light appeared to my left before I opened it as it arced towards a single spot in the air before a yelp of pain was heard nearby before I placed two fingers on my forehead and I disappeared before reappearing behind him as I whispered, “Time to pay the piper.” I then punched him directly between his two wings before I heard a loud cracking noise from his back as he plummeted towards the ground. I then teleport once again and punch him back towards where we were seconds before, I then teleported ahead of Discord as I brandished my sword and got ready to strike him with it. However at the last second I heard another click before he disappeared. I then heard an ominous sound behind me mutter, “My turn,” before something grabbed my left arm before I felt it smash into something before I heard a loud cracking noise as I began screaming in agony which caused me to drop my sword. I then felt what seemed to be almost like claws tearing into my back before I was thrown towards the ground as I heard a voice say, “That was pathetic… I expected more from you.” I then looked up slowly reaching for my sword before I said, “This isn't over, Discord,” as I reached it and used it to support myself before I continued to say, “Not by a long-shot.” However seconds later I began to fall forwards dropping my sword in the process before hitting the floor face first. I then heard Fluttershy run up to me and shout, “Craig!” I then heard her shout, “Does anyone have any bandages or anything to keep the pressure on this!” Whilst she pushed her hooves against the gash trying to stop the blood flowing from the wound. I then collapsed onto my knees as both Fluttershy and Applejack grab me and as Applejack shouted to me, “Craig, stop, you can't beat him... not in this state.” I then heard Twilight say, “We'll play your game Discord, just leave him alone.” “Wonderful, all you have to do is find your elements and you win,” replied Discord. Applejack and Fluttershy then moved me to rest my back against a wall as Applejack said, “We'll beat that no good Discord then we'll get you help, Craig. Just hold on.” “We can’t leave him like this! He’ll die from blood loss if we don’t stop the bleeding!” argued Fluttershy which ? surprised at the fact that she was actually fighting her case. “The longer we take the less chance Craig has of surviving this… we need to hurry,” Rainbow Dash argued. “But… he won’t survive if we leave him bleeding like he is,” Fluttershy replied once again. “If we don’t go soon he won’t last long enough for us to save him,” Twilight pointed out. Fluttershy then lowered her head before she said, “Okay,” as she made her way towards the entrance to the Labyrinth slowly looking back at me, as she was followed by Twilight who quickly declared, “Never fear, girls. We have each other!” I then heard Rainbow Dash shout, “Yeah! Like Twilight said, there's nothing we can't overcome if we all stick together!" They then all walked into the entrance of the labyrinth as I heard them all shout, “Together!” Before they placed one hoof forwards before multiple hedges surrounded them and sealed them inside the labyrinth. Discord then turned to me and said “you have no hope Craig, You will never stop me you simply are not powerful enough to do so” he then clicked his claws together teleports beside me and whispers “I will break the elements and make them hate you. Just like I did before you came to Equestria, you will be alone again.” My eyes then open wide as I mumble out, “No, I don’t care how strong you are now… you won’t hurt them?” “Like you’ll be alive to stop me. You’re dying, you’ve got an hour at best,” replied Discord before he clicked his claws and disappearing as a dark figure appeared in the sky, before seconds later I heard someone shout, “Are you okay?” I then slowly looked up to see the figure of Princess Luna standing in front of me. I tried to tell her I'm not but I struggled to even utter a single word. I then saw her look at the wall behind me as her eyes went wide as she saw the crimson streaks of blood dripping down the wall that created a small puddle on the floor before she yelled, “We need to get you to our sister, you'll die without her help… but we won’t be able to get you there… unless.” Her horn then began to glow as I felt a cooling sensation near the gash in my back, however I could still feel my hot blood coming out the wound if not at a slower pace than before. She then proceeded to carefully levitate me onto her back and carried me back into the castle.
Chapter 7 - A Chaotic Day part 2As I was carried through the castle I kept hearing Luna say to me “Just hold on Craig we’ll get you help, just don’t die.” But all I could think was Well today went from bad to worse. I couldn't protect my friends and I found out that Discord was the one who screwed with my life before I got here. That just leaves more questions like how did he get his magic to my world whilst he was in stone? And if he could manipulate my world what else could he have done? Could he be the reason I am here? Did he pull me into Equestria if so what is his motive he clearly wasn’t aware I was here? Right now though I need to focus on surviving long enough to save everyone from him. I then heard Luna shout “Sister! Sister! Where are thou?!” She then muttered “We can’t let this happen, We couldn’t protect them last time we won’t let the same happen again.” I then thought What’s happened that they regret? I then heard a voice say “what's happened now Luna?” I then heard a gasp for the voice shout “What’s happened to him, this is bad we can’t let this happen” I then weakly whispered “I’m fine, I just need to be bandaged up and i’ll stop him.” However it seemed like they hadn't heard me as Luna said “We found him just outside the labyrinth,” I then groaned “I’m fine,” “Craig, You are not fine… Discord did this to you, you back is cut open, it’s a miracle you survived this long.” Celestia said. “You mean by all right he should be already dead!” Luna exclaimed. “Yes… I know what must be done,” Celestia said as I was lowered onto the ground before I felt a burning sensation in my back and I began to scream in agony as I began to feel like my entire back was burning, before within seconds the pain subsided before I could feel what seemed to be my skin morphing which began to make me shiver from the feeling before I felt what seemed to be a small needle go through the skin on my back. I then asked them “What are you doing?” Only to get no reply before I then heard what sounded like someone panting before I felt the burning sensation returned in my back as I began gritting my teeth to prevent myself from screaming again, after a few seconds that pain began to fade as well before I slowly began to breath normally before I heard the sound of someone collapsing behind me, as I slowly began to attempt to stand up before collapsing onto my side as I heard another sickening crack which to my surprise popped the joint in my arm back into place. I then once again tried to stand up before I said “Dammit… What just happened” “Me fulfilling an old promise” muttered Celestia. I then looked over to her as I saw a small pool of blood around her before I screamed “What did you do!?” “Saved your life, you shouldn’t die when you are still young” Celestia admitted, “For a someone who’s lived as long as you have, you really didn’t think that through, I’m not worth giving your life for,” I replied “But you are… you would willingly give your own life for others, you deserve to live,” “And your still needed, by everyone here” I reply before my hand begins to glow before Celestia looked at me questionably before I said “relax, this will close the wound.” After a few seconds the light began to fade before Celestia said weakly “Thank you,” before she attempted to stand. I then quickly said, “No, Princess you need to just rest and wait for some medical attention, the spell healed the wound over but it may still have left something extra which I can’t see, i’d get a medical expert to give you the once over, but rest would be beneficial, I’d recommend being carried in magic, carefully.” “If your sure” she replied before closing her eyes. “We are not sure why you worry about us, we have lived long enough to make our own choices.” “Yes, you have but you also don’t need to sacrifice yourselves so willingly. You both have ponies who would give their lives for you.” “We guess you are right even though my sister would never let the guard fight for her.” “She’s afraid of sending them to die a pointless deaths, isn’t she.” “Yes we are… but we are more afraid of you putting your own life at risk.” “By chance is it something to do with that old promise she mentioned.” “It is… You're going after Discord again,” Luna replied “I’ve got choice… I know what's happened, whatever he did to me is wearing of I am remember everything, I know his next move.” “Whats Discord going to do?” “He’s going to separate the girls from their elements and then… then… I can’t remember… dammit,” I groaned in annoyance. “We won’t worry about that for now” Luna said “Do you still have the sword my sister gave you?” I then looked towards the floor before saying “No… when Discord broke my shoulder I dropped it… It’s likely still near where you found me.” Seconds later we heard a voice behind us say “Princess Luna one of the guards found this near the Labyrinth.” We then turned around to see a white unicorn that had dark blue mane and tail with some brighter streaks that was running through it. He was wearing what looked to be purple and gold armour and appeared to have what looked to have a six pointed star on a shield shaped buckle resting near the front of his armour, and was holding my sword in a bright pink glow. “Thank you Shining Armour, We were just looking for that.” As Luna slowly began to the remove the sword from Shining Armour’s magic before she levitated it into the air much like Celestia had previously before it began to shine in a dark blue light causing me to shield my eyes from the light. Once the light faded I looked back towards the sword to see that it was slowly rotating before Luna slowly slid it into its scabbard that was attached to my side. I then looked at Luna questionably before I asked “What did you do?” She then smiled back before she said “Take a look at the blade.” I then slowly drew my sword from the scabbard to see that there was an indentation in the shape of Luna’s cutie mark embedded into the blade on the opposite side to Celestia's. I then looked back to her before I asked her “what will it do?” She then began to chuckle before she said “try it out.” I then slowly placed my hand on the symbol which caused the blade to covered in a black light but strangely I saw no other differences until I heard Shining Armour and some of the nearby guards shout “Who turned out the lights!” I then rose one eyebrow as I contemplated what that meant as i sheathed the sword then said “So Luna, this can create the effect of darkness or blindness on everyone in the area?” I then continued to say “I hope I can work out how to have it affect a single target.” I then saw her smile as she said, “if thou focuses on specific targets to blind, then yes” she then continued to say “You need to stop Discord and save Twilight and her friends, however, this is not a task that thou will take on thy's own we will be sending you with help” I then rose an eyebrow before saying “Who?” “Captain Shining Armour requested that he would be able to stop Discord.” “You mean the guy who scared of the dark?” I pointed out as we saw Shining armour shaking on the floor. Luna then looked at me before we heard him mutter “get off her… no leave her alone.” “Umm… could the sword have made him see an illusion of someone they care about being attacked?” I asked her. “That is possible” she replied We then heard Shining Armour say “Get away from them.” I then rolled my eyes before I said to Luna “I think we should help him.” “Let me” she replied as she lowered her horn towards his head before it began to glow before fading before she said “Shiny wake up” Shining armour then shot up before shouting “Twilight! Cadance!” As he kissed Luna before backing away blushing in embarrassment before stuttering out “I’m sorry Princess, I don’t know what came over me.” Luna then began laughing before she said “you have no need to apologize.” I then looked at Shining Armour before saying “So what makes you think you can fight Discord?.” “Well I don’t have one… but I want to save my sister and her friends but it’s clear you can’t do that without almost killing yourself.” Shining armour pointed out. I then sighed before saying “sadly you’re correct, I tried to protect them and well failed… I’m not strong enough to stop Discord alone, the only way have a chance is if i have friends by my side and if not friends an ally.” He then stared at me almost like he was judging me before he said “Well if you really want to help my sister, you have an ally by your side. However you are not going to fight alongside me without armour of your own, can’t have you almost getting killed again today.” “I haven't been meaning to almost kill myself today, but I doubt any armour you have in the armory will fit me.” I admitted. Luna then smiled before saying “well actually we do have one piece that would fit,” as she levitated over to me a dark black chestplate that had patterns engraved along the sides of the plates and a shield that had similarities to Shining Armour’s but in black and had no star on it and instead had a pattern that held a similar design to that of the rest of the chestplate in her magic before she said “This was made by a friend a long time ago, she originally had it made for her brother but she never got the chance to give it to him.” “But if this was supposed to be given to her brother why give it to me?” “Her brother is gone and you need it more that he ever would have” she admitted as she tightened the armor to my body as a bright blue star appeared near the top of chestguard. I then looked at Shining Armour as I realised that it was the same symbol that I saw on his armour before I said “Inducting me into the Canterlot guard are we? If that is the case I wish to do something to this armour” I then close my eyes and two objects appear in front of me. The first one being an enchanting table and the second being a black soul gem both of these being from the game Skyrim. I then slowly opened my eyes before quickly placing both my hands on the table before I remembered two enchantments from the game those being both health regeneration and fortify health and stamina. I then took my hands off the table and said, “That should help deal with any injuries that occur and allow me it strike him with the sword for longer” I then looked back to Luna before I asked her “Have the elements left Canterlot yet?” She then looked up before saying “we believe they left five minutes ago.” “Dammit, We need to catch up to them,” I then gripped my forehead as more of my memories flooded back as I remembered the events that happened in the show to bring everyone back to normal. I then turned to Luna and asked her “is it possible for you to send Twilight's friendship letters that she sent to your sister back to her?” To this she just stared at me and said “yes. But we don't see what that will do.” “You'll just have to trust me on this Luna. I'll just say that this knowledge is from my past” I then realised that Twilight would likely think the worst for me and said “And could you send her an extra one saying that I was saved by your sister and yourself.” Luna then simply nodded understandingly as I saw that she to saw what I was thinking before she said “we understand.” I then nodded to Luna before I turned to Shining Armour and announced, “we need to get to Ponyville, fast.” I then began grin mischievously before I continued to say “and I know the perfect mode of transportation.” He just looked at me with a look of confused on his face before I smiled then asked him, “How do you feel about seeing the world from a pegasi's point of view?” He then looked at me before he shouted “you can't be serious!” I then looked at Luna before we both began to laugh before she said “thou probably is.” “Oh, I am. But we need a wide open space to launch from.” I then heard Shining Armour declare whist clearly questioning my sanity, “there's a large space outside the castle, just behind the labyrinth. It faces towards Ponyville. Will that suffice?” I just looked at him quizzically and asked him “how big we talking?” “Big enough it fit half the castle in the space,” Shining Armour replied. I then smiled and said “That's more than enough space to launch from. Lead the way” With that we both began leave the throne room before Luna shouted “Captain Armour could I have a word with you alone?” “Of course Princess,” He replied before he turned to me and said “Would you mind meeting me by the labyrinth?” The very thought of that left me shaking as I remembered what happened earlier before I stuttered out “No problem” I turned around before making my way towards the door as I heard Luna shout “good luck!” I then turned back to her before I gave her a salute as I walked out of the throne room and back towards the labyrinth. -10 minutes later- As I arrived outside the labyrinth I looked down the path where the girls had originally walked down into the labyrinth as I thought I was to cocky, I let myself think I was powerful enough to beat Discord alone, but i’m not i’m still mostly human but i somehow gained new abilities along with a big ego to boot. I then looked behind me to see the wall that I was placed against still stained crimson with my blood before I looked up to see what looked like two figures I hadn't seen before against the windows. I then heard someone say behind me “Right then how are we getting to Ponyville?” which snapped me back to reality as I looked away from the window. “As I said we fly to ponyville” “Fly? How are we going to do that?” Shining armour asked. I then looked at him before I smiled as I looked to the open area of land nearby and closed my eyes before a large purple jet plane that had multiple fleurs-de-lis decals along the hull and the world ‘SAINTS’ written in bold along the back of the ship. I then walked towards the ship before I looked back towards Shining armour as I saw him slowly stepping backwards as he stuttered out “What is that thing?” I then smile as I say “This is the VTOL, it is how we are getting to Ponyville.” The door to the cockpit then slowly began to open as I jumped in before I said “come on! Jump in!” I then tapped my hand on the seat behind me before I asked him “or do you not want to help your sister?” He then glared at me before he shouted “I would never abandon Twilight!” Before he jumped into the seat behind me and said “let's go.” I then quickly nodded my head as the cockpit door began to close before he heard an almost robotic voice said “Initiating start-up sequence” I then began to slowly raise the ship off the ground before I pressed a big red button on the cockpit before we heard a similar voice to before say “flight mode engaged” before I began to fly the ship at full speed towards Ponyville. As we flew towards Ponyville I shouted to Shining Armour, “I hope you don't mind but I fly better with music!” I then reached toward the disc drive as a song I vaguely remembered began to play. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEnxIbwlNG8 Halfway through the song I shouted to Shining Armour, “do we have a plan to deal with Discord?” “Yeah. Find my sister and her friends and get them to stop Discord.” “And what about fixing the elements?” I asked him. He then looked down at me and shouted, “What's happened to them!? What's happened to my sister!?” “Discord happened. He messed around in her friends heads and changed what makes them fit their respective Elements, for example he made Fluttershy cruel instead, of kind.” “How do you know this?” Shining armour asked in confusion. “I'm from another world or reality, although Discord messed with my head so much, that I don't know what to believe anymore” I then sighed before I continued to say "how could I not have remembered about the maze being a trick." “Wait another world or reality? Does that make you an alien?” “I guess it could. Although it seems to be Discord knew exactly who I was, but I don’t understand how.” “I thought aliens were scary monsters that are not to be trusted? But you don’t seem to fit that description.” I just smiled at him and said “I will leave you to cast your judgement on me. But nevermind that, we need to help the elements and to do that we need to remind them about who they are and not who Discord has made them.” “How would we do that?” “My guess with Twilight is that we need to remind her that she still has friends who will stand by her side through thick and thin. Then we will make the rest up as we go along.” “Okay so we do have a plan then” “Yes we have the basis of a plan and now it's time to start once we land.” I then pressed the red button again as we heard the voice say “hover mode engaged” causing wing flaps to open and cause the ship to slow down instantly before falling to a near stop as I began to slowly lower the ship towards an open area on the outskirts of Ponyville. Once we landed we heard the ship AI say “powering down” as the door opened and we both jumped out of it as it began to fade away. I then breathed a sigh of relief before I muttered “thank god we were on the ground or that could have been painful.” I then looked at Shining Armour as he stared at where the jet was a second ago before I shouted “Equestria to Shining Armour! You okay?!” “Yeah just. What happened to the ship?” “Made with my powers the ship wasn't permanent. I'll be honest I'm surprised it lasted as long as it did. Now let's save your sister and her friends.” We then nodded to each other as we both began to run towards the main gate. As we tried to sneak through the town I began to think Right then mental checklist. Step one, save Twilight. Step two ask Shining and Twilight to help save Rarity and Applejack whilst I help Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie. Step three, Get everyone to sort Dash out whist I distract Discord. Yeah this plan will need be changed quickly but I'll make it up as I go along. Shining Armour then put his hoof out in front of me then whispered “Careful there's Discord” whist he pointed towards the Draconequus. We both then stood still for a few second as we heard him laugh before he said “It was so easy to mess with Twilight's head just like her little friends. Not just that but that freak from that other world is gone as well, how he got here is a mystery but that doesn't matter now that there is no one left that can stop me.” with that he disappeared as me and Shining Armour continued across the road towards the library. I then grunted before muttering “I really hate him right now” Shining Armour just looked at me and said “he'll get his just desserts soon enough.” “I hope you're right” I admitted before I continued to say “right we're here.” As we arrived at golden oaks library and slowly walked towards it. As we reached the door I looked towards Shining armour before I whispered “ready” to which he just nodded his head. I then knocked on the door and said “Twilight…” And got no reply. “Twilight are you there?” We then heard someone shout “Go away!” Before a blast of purple magic flew towards me which I quickly blocked with my sword knocking it away before resheathing it. I then stared at Shining Armour and we both sighed before I turned back to the door and shouted “Twilight, I'm not leaving till you listen to me!” “I don't even know who you are! Leave me alone! He’s dead, and it’s all my fault.” I heard as I slowly heard someone faintly crying behind the door. I then looked back at Shining Armour before saying “You try.” To this he looked at me before nodding his head before he walked up to the door as he calmly said “Twily it's me.” We then heard a voice quietly say “Shining Armour?” “Yes it's me Twilight.” I then heard what sounded like a lock being opened on the other side of the door before I flew open as Shining Armour was hit by a gray blur that I realised was twilight, I then looked at her before I said “you look like hell Twilight.” Twilight then glared at me before igniting her horn before Shining Armour shouted “Twilight what are you doing?!” “It can’t be him… Discord killed him, it was my fault, I chose to leave him.” Twilight muttered as he lowered her head. I then knelt down before I said “Twilight. Look at me” She slowly rose her head to look at me as I continued to say “I was saved by Luna and Celestia and, I’m sorry for making you think it was your fault, I should have been more careful and not so cocky.” Shining armour then said “Craig you can’t blame yourself for this, it wasn’t your fault.” We then heard a voice from upstairs shout “Twilight!” “Spike!” Twilight shouted as she turned and ran upstairs causing both myself and Shining Armour to look at each other other before we slowly made our way to the stairs. Once we reached the top of the stairs we saw Spike on the floor surrounded by multiple scrolls as I heard him say “make it stop.” Seconds later Twilight lifted up one of the scrolls up in her magic before she said “these are all the letters i’ve written to the princess since i’ve lived in Ponyville” She then lifted two more up before she said “But why would she send them back?” She then picked up another scroll before she said “what’s with this one, it’s not in mine or the princesses hoofwriting… who wrote this one?” Dear Twilight Sparkle, We are sure thy have seen thou's brother, and a creature that says it's name is Craig. Well we are writing to tell thee that it is Craig. We found him outside the labyrinth after what we believe to be a fight. When we found him he was injured and in great pain. We took him to our sister who healed his wounds and then she collapsed from exhaustion. We sent him and thou'sts brother to help stop Discord. We hope thou the best of luck. thous hopefully, Princess Luna She then looked at me before she began hugging me and said “It it you, I didn't kill you, we all blamed ourselves for what happened.” “Twilight... you're... crushing... my... lungs” I muttered as I realised that I was unable to breath clearly. She then released me and said “Oops sorry, It’s just good to know your alive and that this wasn’t my fault.” “Twilight, Don’t worry about it, it wasn’t your fault… maybe you should read the letters that the princess sent you she must have had a reason.” I pointed out “Oh, thanks Craig.” She replied as multiple scrolls were held around her in her magic as she read each one out loud one after each other "Real friends don't care what your cover is, Friendship is a wondrous and powerful thing, And like the path cut through the orchard, there will always be a way through, The best thing to do is stay true to yourself, everypony has a special magical connection with her friends. Maybe even before she's met them." which as she said the colour slowly returned to her. I then looked at Shining Armour as we just nodded to each other as Twilight said “Spike! Craig! Shining Armour, it's all so clear! Can't you see? Discord's trying to distract us from what's important. He knows how powerful our friendships are, and he's trying to keep us from seeing it. Do you remember what I said the first day we arrived in Ponyville? I told you that the future of Equestria didn't rest on me making friends. But the opposite is true! The friendships I've made since I've been here are what saved Equestria from Nightmare Moon. And now they need to save it from Discord!” I then smiled to her and said “I saw it the moment my memories started to return… and Spike, you may want to just rest here while we deal with this” To which I just heard him groan in pain as yet another Scroll appeared. I then nodded to Twilight and Shining Armor before we walked down the stair and back into the library before Twilight said “So… what's the plan we know I was brought back to my senses but how?” “You were reconnected with your element, you remembered the magic of friendship and it brought you back, we’ll need to do the same for everyone else.” “Still it was weird the fact that he used what we thought was your death to make us blame each other.” “Wait he used me… I’m really that important to you all to mean anything to you.” “Craig you are our friend… I’m just sorry that the others don’t realise your still around, your death helped to tear us apart, both Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy were upset about it,” Twilight explained. It was at that point everything clicked as I said “that’s it he used me to break you all.” “What do you mean Craig?” Asked Shining Armour. “I mean he used the fact they were each blaming themselves as an insecurity to start getting them to doubt themselves before changing them into well… their opposites.” “So we were all tricked by Discord… that's why he separated us in the labyrinth, so he could use our individual doubts to defeat us,” Twilight admitted. “Well then I say we take him down, but first we need to get to the others… the question is who to save first?” I then look at Twilight before I asked her “What do you think?” “I would say we should get to Applejack first, the way everypony's acting she will be able to get them to listen… and if the worst should happen she can help us round them up.” I then look at her before muttering “You're the last person I expected to try and tell a joke Twilight” I then sighed before continuing to say “but you're right, we’ll make our way to her first… although I think we should split up, if Discord see’s me it’ll make getting everyone back to normal much harder.” “I suppose you're right… but how will you get around you’re not exactly going to able to hide from him and move quick enough in your armour,” Shining Armour pointed out. “I’ve got a short term plan for that until we have a few of you back together.” “If you're sure” I then placed two fingers on my forehead before saying “I’m sure, I’ll meet you at Sweet Apple Acres.” To which they both nodded to me as they made their way to the door before I disappeared from the room. Seconds later I reappeared a fair distance away from the Library looking back towards the town as I began to think Twilight will not believe what I just did, wish i could see her face. I then turned back around before muttering “well then, let's see if can find Applejack anywhere nearby, she shouldn't be that far from the farm.” I then looked around before saying “Now where did I land” I then looked above me to see a sign that read ‘Sweet Apple Acres’ just in front of me as I thought. Lucky me I must be better at using Instant Transmission than I thought before I slowly began to walk up the path towards the farm. As I approached the farm, I noticed what looked to be Big Macintosh who seemed to be acting like a dog and digging holes in the cornfield I was working in earlier, I then looked towards the main farmhouse to see and elderly mare dancing and Applejack sitting down behind the mare eating an apple core before taking a bite as a section reappeared connected to the apple before she threw it away. As I approached her I heard her say “And so I tried to defeat Discord, but none of my so-called "friends" would lift a hoof to help me. “Well, being I was otherwise occupied with not dying I couldn’t really do a whole lot to help you could I Applejack?” I said to her. She then quickly looked towards me before saying “Well Discord we meet again here for round two?” I then quickly look around me before I said “I don’t see Discord around here Applejack” I then turned back to her as I realised that she was charging towards me as she said “Discord stop taking the form of Craig” “What are you on about Applejack!” I shouted as I jumped out the way rolling over one shoulder before I said “I’m not Discord.” As I began to reach towards my sword before I thought No i can’t use that she has no idea what's going on as she turned back towards me and began charging me again. I then slowly took a deep breath before I said “Applejack, stop I don’t want to have to fight you.” “Stop actin’ like him, you killed him, it’s your fault.” “You don’t want to fight me we’re not enemies.” I shouted before once again reaching for my sword as I quickly drew it before placing my hand on the image of Luna’s cutie mark instantly Blinding Applejack before she shouted “Discord! What did you do to me!” I then used the fact that I blinded her to sneak behind her before I quickly grabbed her and pinned her to the ground before I said “Applejack calm down it’s me, It’s Craig, I’m not dead, Celestia and Luna saved me, just please just stop, this isn’t you.” “You ain’t him, you can’t be, We left you to die, We all purposely left you to die” I then calmly said “Applejack you are not a lier.” She then looked up at me with her eyes wide before he normal colour began to return to her from her head downwards before reaching her back hooves before I released her and sheathed my sword as I took a step back before she placed one of her hooves by the side of her head before rapidly shaking it before she said “What happened?” “You thought I was Discord, attacked me and I had to stop you from trying to kill me.” She then lowered her hat to her chest before saying “Craig… I thought I saw you die, then I saw a vision of me and Twilight feudin' and fightin'. I couldn't face the truth, so I started tellin' lies. Can you ever forgive me?” I then rubbed my chin before saying “It’s not me you need to apologise to Applejack.” I then point behind me and say “It’s more her you need to apologize to” as Twilight and Shining Armour appeared behind me as I stepped out of the way. Applejack then looked to Twilight before saying “Twilight… can you forgive me?” She then smiled at Applejack before saying “I already have,” Applejack then looks to me before saying “So what's the plan?” “I’ll explain in a minute… can we talk in the barn, I feel I bit too exposed out in open with Discord around.” I asked Applejack. “That's probably a good idea” She agreed before we all made our way into a nearby barn. Once we get into the barn I look around me to see that there was a lots of farming equipment resting against a far wall, against the right wall was what appeared to be a plow and laid out in rows along the left were some hay bales piled ontop of eachother. “Okay then what's the plan?” Asked Applejack. “I had a plan, but I just don't want to continue on this path alone anymore. I'm just one big target travelling alone and I don’t want travel alone through the town, so the new plan is to stick together,” I explained. “That's not much of a plan” Shining armour pointed. “It’s part of a plan!” “How much do you actually have?” asked Applejack. “twenty percent of a plan,” “You can’t be serious,” groaned Applejack. “Well being the original plan initially consisted of me going to each Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie alone, whilst the rest of you helped Rarity before we all went to get Rainbow Dash.” “That’s a better plan, why scrap it and start over?” asked Twilight “Simple, i’m scared of losing control and killing or seriously injuring someone, my first reaction when Applejack charged me was to reach for my sword, if i do that to someone else and can’t stop myself it would be dangerous,” I explained. “So you are worried about hurtin’ somepony?” Applejack asked me to which I nodded as she continued to say “Right then, so who are we goin’ after next?” “I’d say we go after Fluttershy, she is the closest I think,” “It’s likely she’ll be near her cottage,” Twilight replied. “I can get us there faster than walking could” I admitted “Craig no flying!” ordered Shining Armour. “I wasn't planning on it. My plan was to use the technique I use to teleport to take us there directly,” I explained. “Okay, I don't care how strange your powers are there is no way you can teleport.” Twilight argued. “Twilight, What do you think i did when I disappeared earlier?” I replied cheekily. she then continued to say “Right to get from here to the cottage it will take a lot of bursts of magic to teleport us there, you would be exhausted if you tried that many spells without practice.” I then laughed before I announced “One burst to take us all there” Twilight's eyes then opened wide before she shouted “One spell! You've got to be joking!” “let’s see shall we.” I replied before I continued to say “all of you place your hooves on any part of my body and we'll get going.” Seconds later they are all began to place one of their hooves on my legs before I place two fingers on my forehead before i closed my eyes and said “Don't remove your hooves or you’ll be left behind” then seconds later we all disappeared from the barn leaving no signs we were even there. Once we reappeared after teleporting Twilight jumped away from me before she said “I knew you couldn't do it.” I then began to laugh before I said “turn around Twilight” She just smiled at me before she began to turn around as she said “there’s no way that worked.” however once she turned around to see multiple trees that seemed to have birdhouses hanging from nearby trees and what seemed to be burrows running next to a stream and placed next to a path. At the end of the path there was a small cottage that seemed to have a roof that was made of what looked to be grass. Twilight then looked back at me and asked “How did you do that?” I simply replied to her “the power of anime Twilight. Don't question it. It has no logic whatsoever.” She then looked at me questionably before she asked “whats anime?” I then shook my hand before I said “I'll explain later. In fact I'll show you one later after this whole mess is sorted.” “I guess that's okay” she muttered. I then looked towards Applejack and Shining Armour to see them shaking their heads before I said “Right then, once you are all ready let’s go a fix Fluttershy.” Once they were ready they all nodded to me before we began to make our way up the path towards Fluttershy’s cottage. Once we reached the door to Fluttershy’s cottage I looked towards everyone before I said “I will try to talk to her first see if it snaps her out of it.” Everyone then looked towards me before nodding to me before I turned back towards the door before knocking on it and saying “Fluttershy are you okay in there?” only to get no reply. I then knocked again and shouted “Fluttershy are you there!?” We then heard a faint noise as quiet as a whisper squeak “go away” before I heard a window break before I quickly spun around before an object come flying towards me and in turn hit me in the face along the bridge of my nose before I scrunched my eyes together before looking down to see a bucket on the floor. I then stopped as I heard a voice behind the door whimper “It's my fault. I should have stayed with Craig, not left him injured. It's my fault he's dead.” At this I slowly walked toward the broken window and then stopped just out of view as I heard her mutter “I should have stayed with him. I should have got help. Not entered the maze with the others, it’s all my fault.” “you care that much for me Fluttershy? What have I done to deserve to much kindness from you?” I asked her from outside the building. I then heard a faint voice say “Craig? Is it really you?” “Yes it is, could you open the door?” “Prove it’s you” “How do you want me to do that, I don’t know anything that only we would know, we only just met.” “You have one thing that matches you, a song can say more than words alone.” “So you want a performance, I can do that” I then rub my chin as I think but what song would work? There’s not many that won’t draw attention to myself… maybe... I then smiled before I said “I’m going to play a cover of a song called What Makes You Beautiful” with that I switched my sword back into my guitar before I began to perform the song. You're insecure, Don't know what for, You're turning heads when you walk through the door. Don't need make-up, To cover up, Being the way that you are is enough. Everyone else in the room can see it, everyone else but you. Baby you light up my world like nobody else, the way that you flip your hair gets me overwhelmed, but when you smile at the ground it ain't hard to tell, you don't know, oh, oh,You don't know you're beautiful, that's what makes you beautiful. So c-come on, you got it wrong, to prove I'm right I put it in a song. I don't know why, you're being shy, and turn away when I look into your eye-eye-eyes. Everyone else in the room can see it, Everyone else but you. Baby you light up my world like nobody else, the way that you flip your hair gets me overwhelmed, but when you smile at the ground it ain't hard to tell, you don't know, oh oh, you don't know you're beautiful, that's what makes you beautiful. That's what makes you beautiful. Baby you light up my world like nobody else, the way that you flip your hair gets me overwhelmed, but when you smile at the ground it ain't hard to tell, you don't know, oh oh, you don't know you're beautiful. That's what makes you beautiful, oh and that's what makes you beautiful, that's what makes you beautiful. Baby you light up my world like nobody else, the way that you flip your hair gets me overwhelmed, but when you smile at the ground it ain't hard to tell, you don't know, oh oh, you don't know you're beautiful. If only you saw what I can see, you'll understand why I want you so desperately, right now I'm looking at you and I can't believe, you don't know, you don't know you're beautiful, you don't know you're beautiful, and that's what makes you beautiful. Once the song finished I looked towards the door to see it slowly open as a small gray pegasus walked out of the cottage and glared at Applejack and Twilight before she looked at me before she ran towards me and grabbed my leg before she said “It is you, I didn’t get you killed,” before she slowly released my leg. I then nealt down to face her before I said “Fluttershy you could never kill me willingly, you are the kindest creature i’ve ever met, I would trust you with my life if it was ever needed.” She then looked at me before saying “Craig… I, I.” I then lowered my head towards her as I said “both me and you are similar, we both has it rough through life and we are both stronger because of it.” I then kissed her on her forehead before her original colours began to return from her head down towards her hooves. She then slowly looked around before she said “Oh no! Twilight, Applejack, I just had the worst dream!” She then looked where she was grabbing before she said “but if I am still dreaming I don’t want to wake up.” “Well considering this isn’t a dream you may want to stay awake.” I joked before she let go of my leg before she said “Craig… You're, alive.” “Well, yeah… like i’d die without fighting for those I care about,” I then looked towards the town and muttered “Besides, it’s not like it’s just everyone here i’m fighting for now.” They each then looked towards me in confusion before I smiled and said “So who’s next” “Well we’re nearest to Rarity’s, so i say we go there next,” Twilight admitted. I then groaned before I saying “Well this one will be on you to sort her, I doubt I mean that much to her.” “So how are we gonna get Rarity back to normal?” asked Twilight. “Hmm i’m not sure…” I then gripped the side of my head as more of my memories began to return before Fluttershy looks at me before saying “Craig are you okay, what's wrong?” “Just memories returning” I replied to Fluttershy before I continued to say “Twilight what about a memory spell, could that counteract the spell Discord used on everyone?” Twilight then looks at me and says “and you didn’t think to tell us to try this till now why?” “Well I didn’t have the memories relating to that till now, it’s all hazy and I only get small pieces of information at a time” “Fine” She muttered before continuing to say “Craig, let's get going can you teleport us all again?” “I can try, all of you grab hold like before,” I then realised that Fluttershy had no idea what I was doing as I said “Fluttershy, I need you to place a hoof on my left arm or my legs, I’m going to get us to Rarity’s quickly.” She then nodded to me before hovering next to me and placing a hoof on my shoulder before the others followed and I placed two fingers on my right hand against my forehead before Fluttershy quickly wrapped herself around my neck as we disappeared. We then reappeared just outside the boutique as everybody but Fluttershy lets go of me. I then looked at Fluttershy who has her eyes closed and was still curled up around my neck before I whispered to her “Fluttershy. We're safe, you can let go now.” She then slowly opened her eyes and whispered “what happened?” as she let go of my neck and hovered just above me. “We teleported” I replied before my legs suddenly gave way beneath me and I fell onto my back. “Craig, are you alright,” they all asked me clearly worried. “Yeah. Guess I can't teleport myself and four ponies as easily as I thought” I then attempted to look towards them but fail to do so due to the weight of my armour and muttered “God that takes it out of me.” I then calmly said “I just need to rest for a minute, you girls go ahead and help Rarity.” Fluttershy then just looked at me before she said “Craig I'm not leaving you a second time, last time we did it left us all thinking the worse.” she then turned to everybody else before she said “You all go ahead. I'm staying with Craig.” “But what if Discord come here?” Twilight asked me I then looked at her and said “We'll be fine, go help Rarity.” To this they all looked at me and as Twilight replied “Okay. We will help Rarity then be back,” with that they all headed towards the boutique. I then looked towards Fluttershy and asked her “why did you blame yourself for me being injured earlier Fluttershy?” “I thought something had happened outside the labyrinth, when you wasn’t there after we came out, it was weird. I felt like I was behind a wall but was able to see everything that I was doing at the same time.” To this I smiled at her before I said “No. Luna found me and took me to Celestia who healed my wounds. Luna was also the one who gave me this chest plate and she improved the enchantment my sword.” “What else can you do with it now?” she asked me. “I can create an Illusion of it being pitch black. When Luna asked me to test it, it made Shining Armour scream like a gi… sorry here I guess the phrase would be mare.” “So you can make your enemy blind?” “In a way I guess I can.” We then looked up as I heard someone shout “What do you think you're doing? Get away from my gem! Get away--!” I then looked at Fluttershy before saying “I don’t want to ask.” to which she nodded back to me in agreement. We then saw a large bolder being pushed out of the boutique by Rarity before she said “Let us never speak of this again.” Everybody then turned and began walking towards us before Rarity said “So you aren't dead.” “Nope, but looks like Tom is to you.” “I thought I said for everyone to never speak of that… infact how did you know about that?” “Well we all have secrets Rarity, that is one of mine,” I explained. “Well it’s good to know you are still alive and here.” I then smiled at her and said “and it’s good to be alive.” “Just don't do that to us again darling.” “I'll try my best Rarity, but I won't make any promises.” Seconds later Shining Armour said “Okay everypony that leaves two of your friends to save. Who are we going for next?” “Probably Pinkie. Rainbow Dash's location is unknown at the moment,” I explained. Twilight then looked at me in confusion before she asked “what do you mean by Rainbow Dash's location is unknown at the moment?” “I mean that I don't know how to find her without Pinkie's hot air balloon, as she's likely to be flying or on a cloud, also you know how easily pinkie can find her,” I explained. “Okay then one more teleport and we're at Pinkie's” announced Twilight before she made her way towards me again. To this my eyes opened wide before I said “No. Not a chance I'm teleporting whilst carrying another pony. Just carrying you lot last time did me in. Sorry but we're walking to Sugarcube Corner.” “You managed it before, why not now?” Asked Shining Armour. Seconds later Fluttershy quietly said “You saw the state of him last time. How much worse do you think he will be carrying somepony else?” I then nodded to Fluttershy before I continued to say “I'll be too drained to help against Discord. I'm not risking you all falling a second time. I will be there standing by your sides” Applejack then smiled at me and said “An I'll be happy to be with ya.” before everyone else said “we all are.” I then lowered my head towards the ground before I began to laugh and looked towards them as I began to smile before I said “first time in years I've had a group of friends stand by my side, and say that want to be with me. Normally it was me against the world.” To this Twilight announced “Like we’d abandon you Craig, you're our friend and we always stick together.” “Well it won't be all of us till we have Pinkie and Rainbow back,” I pointed out. Twilight then nodded to me before she replied “then let's save our friends,” before she nodded to everyone and we all made our way to Sugarcube Corner. “So how we gonna 'elp Pinkie?” asked Applejack. “I'm going to talk to her” “How are you going to help her?” asked Twilight. “I think that she is feeling similar to how Fluttershy did. Think about it this way she had a new friend but before she could make me feel welcome in Ponyville she believed I was killed. That would be the final straw for her,” I explained. To this Twilight then said “I guess you're right. Good luck.” I then walked towards the door and said “luck will have nothing to do with it.” Once I got inside I heard a voice say “welcome to Sugarcube Corner” however before I can say anything I heard a scream come from a earth pony mare that had a bright blue coat and a two toned red and pink tail and mane who then whimpered “please don't hurt me.” I then put my hands up and said “calm down. I'm not here to hurt you.” She then asked me “Then what are you here for?” “To help Pinkie. I know I look strange but I swear I am not here to harm anyone. You must have guessed something's wrong with her?” “I did but I didn't want to upset her” I then smiled at her before saying “do you mind if I go up to see her?” With that she smiled and said “Please do she's in the second room on the right.” “Thank you Mrs Cake” I replied before bowing to her before I made my way up the stairs. Once I reached Pinkie's room I knock on the door and shout “Pinks you in there?” I then heard her shout “Who are you!? In fact I don't care, just go away!” “Not a chance Pinkie. I'm not leaving without my favourite pony being back to normal” “Who are you?” “Pinkie, it’s me, Craig.” I then waited a second before the the door flew open as a bright Pink blur grabbed hold in me and shouted “Craig it's you I thought you were dead or worse I so happy to see you again I should throw a thank Celestia you're not dead party.” I then laughed and said “How about we both throw Discord a this is why you don't mess with the elements of harmony party?” to this she looked at me with a disapproving look before I put my hands up and said “yeah bad idea.” She then smiled at me before she said “Seriously of all the names you could have thought up you chose that” “Cut me some slack Pinkie I'm not you. I have to make thing up as I go. It's not like I can break the fourth wall whenever I want. Anyway let's go to everypony else just Rainbow Dash left to save” Pinkie then looked at me and asked me “Is Dashie still in a bad way?” “We don't know. We haven't seen her yet, but shall we get going?” She then nodded to me before we both began to walk down the stairs as we heard Mrs Cake say “I see your better Pinkie.” she then looked at me before she said “ and I guess I have you to thank for helping her.” I then clench my hand and place it on my chest then said “it was no problem. I would never abandon a friend.” She then smiled at me before she asked me “but how did you know my name?” “Mrs Cake, my name is Craig, I am from... well actually I am questioning that after something Discord told me. Anyway I know a bit about Equestria and the inhabitants of this town prior to my arrival yesterday.” “So you were the strange creature we heard customers talking about?” Pinkie then began bouncing around before she said “yeperoonie you got it” I then smiled and looked at Mrs Cake then asked her “Do you mind if we have this conversation later. We need to stop Discord, to ensure that everypony is safe” “No problem just keep Pinkie safe will ya,” requested Mrs Cake. “No problem. With any luck she'll be the one looking after me.” With that we both walked out of the door, shutting it behind us before we walked towards everyone else. Once we got close to them Pinkie ran up to each of then excluding me and Shining Armour before she began to give each of them a hug. To this both me and Shining both smiled at eachother. I then stopped as heard a faint noise in the distance. I then quickly looked around and asked everyone “did any of you hear that?” I then heard the voice again but this time even clearer I managed to hear the words “help me.” My eyes then open wide as I say “wait that's Scootaloo's voice” not even considering how i was able to hear her. To this all the girls turned to me before Twilight said “wait did you say Scootaloo?” Second later we heard the voice again but this time it was a clear as day, “Get away! Somepony! Anypony! Help me!” I then looked to everyone before saying “All of you go help help Rainbow I'll buy you some time.” I then began to run towards Scootaloo’s voice before I look beside me to see Shining Armour running next to me as he said “You think I'd leave my teammate alone?” “Not a chance, let’s stop Discord for a long as possible” He then smiled and said “Wouldn't have it any other way” I then smiled before I replied“let's go we have a pony to save,” we then nodded to each other as we both ran towards the sound of Scootaloo's screams.
Chapter 8 - A Chaotic day Part 3Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.
Chapter 9 - The Start of Something New.As I sat on the long train ride to canterlot I just stood there and contemplated what I had just done. Well I have to say this is strange to think about I have Discord in my head, a house to return to and Scootaloo as a daughter soon. Life couldn't be better. However, I was quickly cut off by a certain Draconequus that said “Oh of all the things on your mind I'm the first. How quaint.” “Great you can hear my thoughts” I groaned before I decided to try something “what am I thinking about now?” “You're thinking about what happened to Scootaloo's old dad. But you know it doesn't make sense what happened.” “Discord in my world Lightning is a random occurrence. However here it can be controlled and in theory, be aimed at a pony but I don't know enough about how lightning works here. I'll need to ask Rainbow about it.” “We got plenty of time till we reach Canterlot why not ask her now?” “I suppose you're right” I then opened my eyes to see everybody staring at me I then just ask “what?” Twilight then looked at worry pasted over her face before she said “Thank Celestia you're alright I thought you couldn't hear us. We were talking to you but you were completely unresponsive.” I then smiled before I told her “I was asleep Twilight, but unlike you, I'm a bit big for those tiny bunks so I slept standing up” “That wasn't the only thing you were doing Craig. Were you aware that you were creating sparks from your hooves… or whatever you call those things?” “Sparks? No, I wasn't aware of that Twilight and there called hands.” I then began to think about my powers before I said “Skyrim of course.” “What does a game have to do with this?” she asked. “Would you believe me if I said it was magic? I have just one question was the sparks a certain colour?” “I wouldn't believe it's magic but for the sake that it is it was a dark blue colour similar to the shade of Luna's mane.” “In that case, that could be a destructive spell with the properties of lightning.” Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy then looked at me before Rainbow Dash asked me, “Wait you can create lightning from your body?” “I could in the game, but I was never great with that type of destruction magic. I was more adept with fire based magic” I then clicked my fingers and a red spark appeared and I slowly open my hand to see an orb a red light emanating from my palm I then clenched my fist again and the light fades. I then look to Twilight and said “that was the basis of a fireball spell.” Her eyes then twitched before she said “but, you don't have a horn. By all rights, magic shouldn't be possible for you to do.” “In my world that would be the case the same goes with me floating in the air but here something has happened to me to give me powers, also Twilight I think I proved earlier that I can do magic, you’re just choosing not to accept it.” A brown and grey coated stallion with a black and red mane and tail then appeared standing next to me before he said “to be fair that’s not something I can't tell you because I don't know myself.” “Okay, then Discord then how did I learn those abilities?” “Maybe, because your world was void of magic, you never had a source to pull magic from, and now you're in a world which has it your body is accessing the ambient magic around you and using it in a way you know how to use,” Discord explained. “So you're saying Craig’s powers are feeding off the magic surrounding him to allow him to use his magic and abilities?” Asked Twilight. “That’s one theory, the other is that whatever brought him here adapted his body and powers to survive.” “That still doesn’t explain how I am able to instantly master weapons and gear I pick up?” “And once again I don’t know, I never planned for you to come to this reality.” I then sighed before I said, “well I guess it can’t be helped I’ll just need to figure this out in my own time.” I then turned to look at Rainbow Dash before I said “by the way I was wondering what you could tell me about Equestria's lightning?” “Oh Mr I can create lightning from my hands need to know more about lightning,” Rainbow Dash smirked. “Yes, I do Dash. I need to understand how it could have killed Scootaloo’s previous father.” Rainbow Dash then sighed before she said “In all rights, it shouldn't have been able to kill him the lightning clouds that Equestria manufacturers at the Rainbow Factory are supposed to go around a pony's body. It's been made that way to protect everypony. The only way it could have happened is if somepony targeted him or he was carrying something that conducted the lightning towards it. “Okay, but where would the cloud have to be to hit him?” “It would have had to be right above him or he would have had to be inside the cloud at the time. But even then somepony would have to manually discharge the cloud.” “Okay, then that tells me that the death of Scootaloo’s father wasn't an accident. Somepony wanted him dead.” “But who would have a reason to do that?” “I have no idea but we do know it wasn't an accident, and that the culprit would have been a pegasus. Oh god my head hurts I need to rest fighting Discord took a lot out of me” Discord then laughed before he announced, “I thought that you didn't try against me.” “Oh I didn't Discord but considering the fact that I haven't eaten anything in two days I'm just hungry it’s just leaving me a little drained.” I then heard Pinkie say “I'll go and grab you some food Craig” before she disappeared in a pink blur. I then just smiled before I said “she's one of the kindest creatures I've ever met reminds me of one of my cousins. Always full of energy.” I then looked towards the ground and muttered “hard to believe I may never see her, or any of my family again.” as I sunk to the ground to sit on crossed legs. Applejack then took off her hat placing it near her body before she made her way towards me and placed one of her hooves on my shoulder then said “as long as ya don't forget em they'll always be with ya” She then reached towards my chest and said “in ‘ear” I then smiled and said “if you were meaning in my heart you would want to point to here” I then move her hoof just in front of the location of my heart. I then heard Rainbow Dash say “besides you have the squirt now. That's sort of a family.” “I suppose after one door shuts another one opens. I may have lost my old family but I can always start again.” Fluttershy then smiled before she said “I suppose you are taking the changes well. I mean you lost everything and yet you still act like this is normal for you. I can't understand how you must be feeling.” “You know what Fluttershy you are right about one thing. I am acting as if everything is normal and you know why” I then stood up and announced "and this is why” I then flicked my guitar from the ground into my hand before I began to sing a cover of Feeling Good by Michael Buble. Birds flying high, you know how I feel. Sun in the sky, you know how I feel. Breeze driftin' on by, you know how I feel. It's a new dawn, it's a new day, it's a new life, for me. And I'm feeling good. Fish in the sea, You know how I feel. River running free, You know how I feel. Blossom on a tree, You know how I feel. It's a new dawn, It's a new day, It's a new life, For me. And I'm feeling good. And I'm feeling good. Dragonfly out in the sun, you know what I mean, don't you know. Butterflies all havin' fun you know what I mean. Sleep in peace when day is done, That's what I mean. And this whole world is a new world, and a bold world, for me. And I'm feeling good. I'm feeling good. Stars when you shine, you know how I feel. Scent of the pine, You know how I feel. Oh freedom is mine, And I know how I feel. It's a new dawn, It's a new day, It's a new life.It's a new dawn, It's a new day, It's a new life. It's a new dawn, It's a new day, It's a new life, It's a new life, For me, And I'm feeling good. I'm feeling good. I feel so good. I feel so good. And I'm feeling good. As I finished the song I looked towards Rarity and Fluttershy before I said “I’m definitely feeling good.” I then heard the sound of someone applauding behind me before I turned around to see a small group of ponies looking towards me and strangely not running away in fear of my presence. I then smiled before I heard a voice from the crowd say “You know you're not that bad,” Causing me to look around before I saw a white unicorn with a cyan and cobalt blue colored mane and tail, that was wearing some black and purple glasses and a set of headphones on her head. She then continued to ask me “Is music your special talent?” I then shrugged my shoulders before I said “I don’t have any idea I'm afraid, my kind don’t get any indication of what their talents are.” I then shook my head before I asked the pony “but enough about me, my names Craig, may I ask your name miss?” She then walked closer to me before saying “Well most ponies know me by my stage name DJ Pon3 but my friends call me Vinyl Scratch.” “Well, then Miss Scratch it’s a pleasure to meet you.” “The pleasure’s all mine.” Vinyl replied before she continued to say “It’s my pleasure to meet the amazing creature that saved Ponyville.” “How did you know that?” “Pinkie, she’s not exactly the best at keeping quiet about new friends, she was talking about you as she travelled through the train.” “That sounds about right for Pinkie,” chuckled Rainbow Dash. “Yeah, but she got something wrong, I’m nothing amazing.” Vinyl then looked at me before saying “So maybe Pinkie wasn’t accurate when she said you were an amazing friend.” “Don’t you ever say that about him,” shouted Rainbow Dash “Rainb…” “Don’t you ever say he isn’t an amazing friend he could have abandoned us after what happened to him but he came back to save everyone instead.” “Rainbow Dash calm down!” I shouted causing her to jolt back before I said “It doesn’t matter if that's her opinion because that's all it is. Maybe I’m not as great of Pinkie made me out to be, it’s not like I'm anything special.” “Craig! You single handedly defeated Discord. You can't say anyone helped you to defeat him.” Rainbow Dash shouted. Vinyl then froze before she stuttered out “That was you, I heard the commotion from the station, a few of us were hiding there waiting for the train to arrive so we could escape.” “Guilty as charged” I chuckled. “So I guess that makes you a hero?” Vinyl asked me. “You bet he is!” Shouted Rainbow Dash. “No I'm not a hero, I’m just a guy that was in the right place at the right time.” I then smiled before saying “You know, I remembered a song that fits me at the moment, it called Hero. I then began to perform the song. Let me go. I don't wanna be your hero. I don't wanna be a big man. Just wanna fight with everyone else. Your masquerade. I don't wanna be a part of your parade. Everyone deserves a chance to. Walk with everyone else. While holding down. A job to keep my girl around. And maybe buy me some new strings. And her a night out on the weekend. And we can whisper things. Secrets from our American dreams. Baby needs some protection. But I'm a kid like everyone else. So let me go. I don't wanna be your hero. I don't wanna be a big man. I Just wanna fight like everyone else. So let me go. I don't wanna be your hero. I don't wanna be a big man. I Just wanna fight with everyone else. Your masquerade. I don't wanna be a part of your parade. Everyone deserves a chance to; Walk with everyone else. As I finished the song I once again heard everyone around me applauding me before Vinyl said “You sure your special talent doesn’t have something to do with performing, you seem to be very good at it.” I then began laughing before I said “I doubt it, besides I'm my own man, if I need to perform to live then I'll do it, same as I became a guard to allow me to help everyone.” “Well then if you are ever in need of a DJ just ask for best DJ in Equestria and I'll see what we can do,” Vinyl said calmly. “Will do Vinyl. Might call you up to open one of my performances in Ponyville.” I joked “More like you covering me, I'd always be headlining any show.” “Sure you would,” I chuckled as she walked away. “Once you get settled, give me a call” Vinyl replied as she began to walk out of the carriage we were on and back into the attached carriage she came from before. Once she had gone and the door separating the carriages shut Rainbow Dash shouted “Do you know who you just spoke to!” “Yeah Vinyl Scratch, a celebrity DJ, no big deal,” I admitted. “Craig you just spoke to a celebrity like it was nothing. Most ponies would die for a chance to speak to her and you got to perform to her not once but twice!” Shouted Rarity. I then rubbed my head before I said “Okay maybe I was a bit calm about meeting a celebrity.” Pinkie Pie then walked back into the carriage somehow carrying a box on her back before placing it on the floor before throwing me a small box that read ‘Daisy and Daffodil Sandwich’ before she said “Nope Vinyl’s a nice mare. She may seem to be a big deal but she prefers to be treated like anypony else.” “Thanks, Pinkie,” I replied as I opened the package that the sandwich was in before I said “So I guess heard me performing.” “Yep, I heard the whole thing sound like you and Vinyl and friends now. Hey, maybe one day we should perform with her.” “Yeah maybe. Wait. what do you mean by we?” “Well yeah you need a band and I would like to be a part of it.” I then tilted my head to the side before seconds later looking back at her. I then placed my hand out to her and said “welcome aboard Pinkie. You've already proved yourself to be adept with the drums and I couldn't think of anypony I rather perform by my side.” We then heard a voice over the loudspeaker say “Attention everypony we will be arriving in Canterlot shortly.” I then sighed before I said “guess this is our stop, we best get moving. I'll meet you girls on the platform” I then began to walk towards the door to the carriage we were on, as I waited for the train to come to halt before exiting the carriage. When we finally arrive at the palace both me and Discord began to organise a plan for when things inevetibly got out of hand... or claw depending on the individual. “Discord you will need to say out of the way whilst we talk to Celestia. I have a feeling if she found out we didn't reseal you, she'll have my guts for garters,” I explained. “Your what?” Discord asked me in confusion. I then sighed before I said “she'll end me, or put me in stone for one-thoudand years.” “Oh I hope you don't deal with that, it's not a nice experience, at least I could still have fun using my magic.” “Oh yes, all the fun had ruining my life, you know I could very easily ask them to put you back in stone.” I then stopped before I remembered what he had said earlier before asking him, “didn’t you mention something about me being a different reality.” “Well yes… but why does that matter?” “There was a few stories from back home that would have referred to me as a Displaced.” “A what?” Discord asked me “A Displaced or Dimensionally Misplaced, from what I remember most of the time the person who was Displaced is sent to an alternative Equestria from buying an object of some kind. But there are rare occasions when this happens from finding an object or from just plain dumb luck,” I explained. “So these other realities have no connection to each other?” “Well no they all can meet up but I'll explain more later, right now we have a meeting to attend.” I admitted before I continued to say “Just promise me you'll stay quiet whilst in the meeting.” “Fine but if she tries to do something I'm going to throw her off.” “Using your magic are you?” I chuckled Before I heard a voice shout “Craig, What’s wrong!” I then smiled before I said, “Look like they're worried about me, we’ll talk later.” Discord then chuckled before he said “Good luck.” I then opened my eyes before I saw Luna staring at me as she shouted “Craig! Craig! Is thou okay!” I then flinched backwards before I said “Please Luna, can you not shout, I just spaced out that’s all.” She then backed away from me slightly before she said “We are sorry, but at least thou is okay.” “Well, it would make sense for his mind to feel all over the place. After all he has done so much for us in such a short space of time,” Celestia admitted. I then bowed to the Princesses before I said “it was an honour to do that for you and your pe... ponies. Besides, if someone needs help I will make it my job to try and help them.” “As is a noble mission for a new father to protect those thou cares for?” Luna announced. “Wait how do you know about me adopting Scootaloo?” I asked in surprise. “A ponies dream can tell us a lot of things about current events,” Luna explained. “So she was dreaming about me?” I checked in surprise. “Well that and thou saving her from Discord then defeating him alone” “So you know about that,” I said as I looked to the ground. Celestia then said “we know that you have show kindness to a creature that almost took your life. I also know he is here right now so maybe you should tell Discord to show himself.” I then gulped before I said “Discord she knows you're here. You might as well come out.” “Oh I was enjoying playing minesweeper in there,” Discord groaned. I then stopped at what I heard him say before I asked him “Wait I have games in there?” “Yeah. Minesweeper, Snake, Hill Climb Racing and Jetpack Joyride,” he clarified. “Oh god don't download anything else you might just cause me to buffer.” which caused both me and Discord just laugh as everyone else just stared at us in confusion I then smiled at them before I said “inside joke. You'd only understand it if you've seen how a computer works on the internet back home. “Craig, why did you choose not to reseal Discord and let him remain free instead?” Celestia asked. “I spared him because of something I felt. I felt like he was terrified of something or someone, he told me that he was threatened whilst he was in stone, and that someone was going to destroy him, I refuse to let him die and I won't break a promise.” Celestia then smiled before she said “that's a very noble thing for you to do Craig. But I have a feeling there's something else you're not telling us.” I then rubbed the back of my head before I said “Well from what Discord told me, I believe that I am what is referred to as Displaced. In layman's terms, it means that I have come from a different reality, not a different planet like I originally thought.” Twilight then asked me “Wait so you're saying the multiverse theory is true and that It's possible for us to travel between different realities.” as she pulled out a notepad from somewhere. “Well, not alone it's not. Not many people know how it actually works apart from someone called The Merchant. There are literally thousands of other realities each with a small difference in them although I can’t tell what it is here.” “What sort of difference do you mean?” Twilight asked. “Well, I can tell you more when I actually get to see what it’s like first hand.” “Is there a way for you to travel between these worlds?” “Yes there is, but only between different displaces realities. We can use an object called a token, it's an object that represents a different Displaced.” Rainbow Dash then asks “Do you have one of these token things?” “No I don't, I need to make one, but first I need an object that says what I am.” I then looked at my guitar before turning it back into a sword before I asked Celestia, “may I make a copy of the sword you gave me to use as my token, it does show who I am after all.” Celestia smiled before she said, “You may.” “Thank you” I then drew my sword from its sheath, held it facing away from everyone in my right hand while loosely holding my left closed and then closed my eyes. I then carefully slowed my breathing before I felt what seemed to be a small object appear in my other hand. I then opened my eyes before opening my left hand to see a small replica of my sword in it that almost looked like a small amulet that could fit on a chain. I then sheathed my sword before I turned back to everyone and said “this is the token that will be seen by other displaced. All that I need to do is record a message that any Displaced will hear.” I then sighed before I told everyone “I have no idea what to say, though.” Luna then said, “Maybe thou should just say who thou is and what thou believes in?” “I think you're on to something there Luna give me a second,” I then closed my eyes once again before the amulet of my sword began to glow. I then said “Hi my name is Craig. If ever you are in danger, are scared, frightened or even just need an ally to stand by your side in your darkest hour. Call on me and I will come and do everything in my power to aid you.” I then open my eyes again before glow ceased before I said “the message is now transcribed in the token ready to be sent off.” I then heard Twilight say “Do other displaced have tokens similar to yours?” “Well yes but I have no idea what they look like until I get summoned or I find someone else's and summon them to me.” I then stop as I realised it would be easier to keep a previously transcribed copy of my token on me to copy when I met someone who didn’t have my token. I then muttered “I just thought I'm going to need more than one of these things” I then closed my eyes once again holding the amulet in my right hand another replica appear in my left hand. I then put one of the tokens into my pocket and then moved my hand with the other token in it in a downwards slashing motion before a small black rift in the space in front of me was visible. I then slowly placed my hand inside and let go of the token as it floated away from my hand as I pulled it back. I then removed my hand from rift before it began to reseal leaving no clue it was ever there. I then heard Twilight stutter “what was that?” “It's called the void, It's a space between realities. Displaced use this space to travel between realities we also use it to send our tokens between the different realities.” “So this void, is it dangerous?” Asked Twilight “Well, I don’t know anything about the Void apart from what I already said... I’m sorry Twilight.” “Don’t worry about it, I can’t expect you to know about something like that,” Twilight admitted. “Well now that’s sorted I suspect we should expect to see more of your kind in Equestria?” asked Celestia. “Yes, but I can't promise they'll all have good intentions. Some of them may want to cause trouble. We will need to be ready for when that happens.” “So there will be people like you appearing all over Equestria?” asked Twilight. I then shook my head and said “not all over Equestria. They will most likely appear nearby if they use my token. If they ever are a threat I will be able to stop them and if they aren't bad, I will be nearby to help them. They shouldn't cause any damage that can't be fixed. At least I hope that's the case.” “You seem sure you can handle them,” Celesta replied. “To be honest from what I remember there are few displaced who would want to cause harm to anyone.” To this Celestia said “Well Craig I trust you. I will also leave Discord to you, on your head be it. I just want to know where you will staying whilst you are in Equestria?” “I have a place organised thanks to the Mayor in Ponyville. She has offered me a place to stay at on the concept that I perform some music in town on some occasions.” “Well, when one of those shows come up ask Twilight to send me a letter I believe both me and my sister would like to see you perform,” Celestia said calmly. I then once again bowed to her and said “I would love to perform to royalty. I'll make sure that I get Twilight to send you a letter near any performance I get.” “We would be grateful to hear thou's music again,” admitted Luna. “Would you like a performance now?” I asked calmly “Thou would do that?” She asked in surprise. “Yeah why not. I've got time” I then brought my guitar that was resting against my back to my front before I began to check each of the strings and then began to play Boyce Avenue's cover of Coldplay's Viva La Vida. I used to rule the world, seas would rise when I gave the word. Now in the morning I sleep alone, sweep the streets I used to own. I used to roll the dice, feel the fear in my enemy's eyes. Listen as the crowd would sing, "now the old king is dead! Long live the king!" One minute I held the key, next the walls, were closed on me, and I discovered that my castles stand, upon pillars of salt and pillars of sand. I hear Jerusalem bells are ringing, Roman Cavalry choirs are singing, be my mirror my sword and shield, my missionaries in a foreign field, for some reason I can't explain, once you'd gone there was never, never an honest word, that was when I ruled the world. It was the wicked and wild wind, blew down the doors to let me in. Shattered windows and the sound of drums, people couldn't believe what I'd become. Revolutionaries wait, for my head on a silver plate. Just a puppet on a lonely string, oh who would ever want to be king? I hear Jerusalem bells are ringing, Roman Cavalry choirs are singing, be my mirror my sword and shield, my missionaries in a foreign field, for some reason I can't explain, I know St. Peter won't call my name, never an honest word, and that was when I ruled the world. Hear Jerusalem bells are ringing, Roman Cavalry choirs are singing, be my mirror my sword and shield, my missionaries in a foreign field, for some reason I can't explain, I know St. Peter won't call my name, never an honest word, but that was when I ruled the world. Once I finished the song I heard Luna announce “Thou has improved since we met you in thou's dream yesterday” “I need to be good, and I guess I have had a little practice. Heck, I even have a group of amazing friends and an amazing band member.” I then smiled at Pinkie as she said “yeperoonie we’ll make a fantastic team.” “Well we look forward to seeing what you two can do together,” announced Celestia. “Thank you,” both my myself and Pinkie replied. Celestia then said “and to thank you for what you have done for our people, we would like to give you all a room in the castle for the night.” She then turned to Shining Armour before she said “Shining Armour would you mind showing them to their rooms.” He then bowed to her and said “It would be a pleasure” He then looked at all of us before he made his way towards the door. “Thank you,” We all said to the Princesses before we followed Shining Armour out of the room. One by one we each were shown to our rooms until only me, Discord and Shining Armour were left. Once we reached a room further down the hall Shining Armour said to me “you know you are truly and amazing creature. Not only have you quickly learnt to control your new powers but you were able to use them under pressure. You would make a good soldier.” “Like you will make an amazing husband.” I pointed out. He then just stopped before he asked me “How do you know about me being engaged?” “Hello from another reality I know about Princess Mi Amore Cadenza and the fact that you are getting engaged to her… it also helps you screamed her name before you kissed Luna earlier.” “Okay well two things one, never mention that to anyone and two after what you did today you're more than an ally. I'd be inclined to call you a friend.” “Well if I was honest with you I saw you as that from the beginning.” To this he just smiled before he said “Anyway I would like to give you this.” he then handed me a scroll and then continued to say “I heard the mayor say about you needing documentation to prove who you are. I went ahead and had Spike send Celestia a letter in advance so she could get something for you. This is basically a document to say that you are part of the guard… the only problem is I didn’t know your full name, so Luna filled it out for me.” I then opened the scroll to see what they had used for my name before I stopped as I saw the name ‘Craig Jordan Rhodes’ clearly near the bottom of the Scroll. I then look back to Shining Armour as I rolled the scroll back up and said “How did she know my full name? I haven't told anyone that.” “Well who knows, she seemed sure when she handed me that scroll.” I then smiled before I said, “Thank you, you didn’t need to this for me.” “Well, what are friends for” Shining Armour then continued to say “I would also like it if you attended the wedding when it comes around.” I then stopped before I asked him “You'd really want a strange creature like me at a wedding?” “Well yes, it is a royal wedding and I would like to have somepony or as you keep saying someone around who I know is prepared for what's coming.” “So it has nothing to do the fact that you want a performer to help entertain everyone?” He then began to rub his mane before continued to say “That may amount to a bit of it.” “Well, you can have me free of charge.” I chuckled before I said, “I would never ask a friend to pay for me to perform. Although I would hire more than me... maybe get that DJ... what was her stage name... DJpon3?” I suggested. “Thank you. You don't know how much easier it is now I have a little less to worry about if we can't get some more entertainment, it helps you've recommened someone else aswell.” I then stopped as I thought yeah you just need to worry about the Changeling’s and Queen Chrysalis attacking Canterlot. I then told him “anyhow I would like to get to my room and finally get some sleep that's not been forced due to injury.” He then just smiled and said, “Yeah you've earned that much after the day you’ve had.” With that, we both said bye to each other before I entered my room for the night. I then heard Discord say “Well it looks like your life is getting better. Not only is everything ready for you to adopt Scootaloo but we are going to a royal wedding.” “Well buddy I suppose you're right but I was wondering who we will be visiting or be visited by first. I wasn't joking when I said there are thousands of different realities.” “Well wherever we go, we go as a team.” “Wouldn't want it any other way,” with that I took my guitar from my side before placing it on the floor next to me. I then slowly began to lay down on the bed to find that the armour did not disappear as I lay down and thought well… looks like it’s going to be hard for me to get a comfortable night's sleep as I began to attempt to drift off into a natural sleep for the first time in two days. Author's Note And now Craig's token is back out again, however, he is still gonna be unavailable for crossovers for a while, I am also sorry for the high amount of musical content in this chapter. If you saw any problems or want to ask about anything to do with the chapter please don't hesitate to ask in the comments. Thank you The Dark Brony
Chapter 11 - Meeting a ShadowAuthor's Note This is a rewrite of Crossover I did with kingrulerworld's story The Price Of Power. I enjoyed the Crossover the first time and I enjoyed seeing it again now, You can expect more to come in the future as we get closer to getting back to the where the old story was before the restart. Hope to hear from you The Dark Brony Chapter 11 - Meeting a Shadow -Craig POV- Once I arrived at the train station I looked down the tracks and see that there is no train is in view. I just sighed as I thought My life has changed so drastically in so little time. This time, three days ago I was sitting down in my room about to give up on life and now I'm standing in a world I could only dream existed. “Craig do you know what was going to happen if you hadn't come to this world?” asked Discord from inside my mind. “Probably the same as in the show I’d guess.” “No there was one difference to the show. My reasons for doing this.” “You did it to save yourself so what?” “In the show, I wasn't living in fear of being killed. That difference would have caused me to seek help but they wanted me to cause someone to lose hope. So I tortured a being that had little to lose and a lot to gain. I never assumed you’d even find a way to get here, which was when I saw you knew had to keep the ruse going… but I didn’t want to keep it going until I saw…” He then went quiet. “Let me guess the person who threatened you?” I checked to which he just muttered “Yes...” I then just smiled before I said “Discord… I'm here to help you, you know that.” “Yeah I know… Craig was you aware of your eyes when you were fighting me?” “Well no, why you ask?” I asked him as I looked towards the timetable to see that the next train was supposed to arrive in one minute before I thought At least things can't get any stranger. “Well, it’s becau…” Discord said before I heard him scream causing me to say “what the...” however before I could finish my sentence I felt a jolt of pain shoot through me as I fell onto my knees and put both my hands against the sides of my head. I then managed to look up to see the train coming into the station. The train then stopped before everyone stepped out onto the platform, However as Twilight looked around the platform she saw me with shock plastered over her face before she began to run towards me and shouted “Craig what's wrong!?” however before I could answer her a portal appeared below me which I fell into and closed behind me before Twilight could reach me. -Unknown POV- I woke up on the train next to Starlight. She was still sleeping so I got up and looked around. The train car had a desk, two beds, and a table. Probably shouldn’t have slept with Starlight. Oh well, she’ll never know. I sat down at the desk and opened my book. I started making some of the scrolls I’d need when a sword dropped on my desk. It looked like the sword from the Legend of Zelda. Weird. It had Celestia’s cutie mark on one side and Luna’s on the other. Very weird. I picked it up and a voice shouted in my head.Hi my name is Craig. If ever you are in danger, are scared, frightened or even just need an ally to stand by your side in your darkest hour. Call on me and I will come and do everything in my power to aid you. I reflexively sent chakra through it and felt a strange wave of energy pass through me. After a moment of hoping I didn’t do anything world-breaking, I put the sword down and sensed the train. At the back, there was a new power. It was comparable to my own but it felt different from anything I’d felt before. It was possibly very dangerous. I’d wait to see what it did before I did anything else. -Craig’s POV- Once the light faded I shook my head before I saw that I was no longer at the train station but was instead on a train. I then blinked, before I said “Discord you there?” “Yes. Any idea where we are?” “On a train. I wonder if I just got displaced?” “Any skills from games you could use to find out?” I then scratched my head and said “there was sensing power levels? I could give that a try. If there anyone one with a larger power level I should be able to pick them up from the crowd.” “Might as well give it a shot,” replied Discord. “It's the best chance we have of getting answers, I guess” I admitted before I closed my eyes and instantly get hit by a wave of energy and grab my head again however I manage to regain composure and focus once again. Seconds later I tried again and managed sense a stronger power further up the train and tell Discord “found someone with a high power level. Could be our guy?” “Let's go and find out.” “Yeah” I agreed before I opened the door between the carriage and walk towards where the energy was coming from. As I continued to walk through the train I could sense his energy getting stronger and stronger. No not energy... Chakra. “Discord you felt that too right. it’s the same type of energy as when I cloned myself against you. This guy must have been cosplaying as someone from Naruto.” He then asked, “Naruto wasn’t that another anime?” “Yeah. I just hope it’s not Pain or Orochimaru. neither of them are good news,” I then stopped and said “to be fair it could be bad if it’s Naruto or Sasuke they're both dangerous. I just hope that this guy's in control of himself.” I then continued to walk through the train and eventually some of the ponies on the train saw me and instantly hid from me, leaving me to think what has this guy done to scare them this much? Seconds later I felt a nearby power level skyrocket as I approach a door to the left of me. I then carefully reach towards it before slowly opening it to see someone who looked like Sasuke Uchiha sitting next to sleeping unicorn as I think what the hell is going on? -Unknown POV- “Well now. That’s not something you see everyday,” I said. Standing in front of me was another human. It was the power I was sensing earlier. I must have summoned him with the sword. “Who are you?” I asked as I eyed him suspiciously. “Names Craig and from that getup I guess you are Sasuke?” “Second question: why couldn’t you have been a beautiful woman?” I then turned my head to see Discord standing next to me as he says “Strange the aura around you is similar to that around you Craig,” he then clicks his fingers and Craig’s body changes into that of a woman's. “I can work with this,” I said wondering how Discord escaped again. “How is it you’re here? Both of you. And why don’t you recognise me, Discord?” To this Discord said “We are not of this world. Your world's version of me is probably still in stone whilst in our world Craig here defeated me single-handedly and the elements weren’t used on me.” Craig then said, “I suppose you found my token and then summoned me here.” He then turned to Discord and said “okay the jokes over Discord turn me back to normal.” “Wait, before you do that,” I said. “Want to do it? I haven’t seen a woman since I first arrived in Equestria like over a thousand years ago. I’m starting to feel things for horses. Unnatural things.” Craig then just chuckled before he asked me “One what the hell is wrong with you and two that explains the Unicorn there. What is she your marefriend?” “What? NO!” I yelled. “She’s just an employee. Besides, I’m married.” My outburst woke up Starlight. She shook the sleep out of her eyes and sat up. “Why are there two of you?” she asked groggily. “Take a closer look, Starlight,” I said. “This guy is different.” “Oh Faust, not another one,” she whimpered. “God am I really that bad? What has he done to make you think I'm evil?” asked Craig in confusion. “I didn’t do anything,” I said. “Ponies are just super sensitive.” “DIDN”T DO ANYTHING!?!” Starlight screamed. “There was a special newspaper release last night! You put Princess Celestia in the hospital! An ALICORN! YOU PUT AN ALICORN IN THE HOSPITAL! And then you let an Ursa major loose in Canterlot!” I smiled, “I really think I deserve a medal or something. Do you know how hard it is to give an alicorn lasting injuries?” Craig then looked at me before his eyes turned blood red and he punched me straight between the eyes and said “What the fuck is your major malfunction. Do you realise how many people you could have killed? Were you born stupid or something because that is just pure stupidity!” I rubbed my face in pain, “Ow, you dick. Everything was calculated. There were no ponies on the street during one of the busiest times of the day. I couldn’t sense anything from the houses either. Clearly they had all been moved someplace safe. The only casualties would have been the guards and they signed up for that kind of thing. Plus Celestia can raise the sun in her sleep. I know, I’ve seen her do it before.” “That’s not the point. The point is that in my world I have protected the innocent and you have soiled that very claim in this world. The only way this could be even stranger is if you were married to Luna for god’s sake” “Yeah, so about that…” I started. “You’re married to Princess Luna?” Starlight screamed. “Yes?” I responded. Craig’s eyes then went wide as he said to Discord “Turn me back to normal now.” with that he quickly turned back into a man and then asked me “You were going to start a relationship with me and you're married to royalty. Were you dropped on your head when you were born?” We then all turned our heads towards Discord as we heard him laughing and he said “oh Celestia this is just priceless you're saying that you are married to Luna and you wanted to do another guy from another reality. You are crazy you know that and I should know I am the god of chaos.” “My marriage with Luna was an accident. Although I am still technically king of Equestria. When I was imprisoned they forgot to strip my title. We were on a mission, there were some dragons, it’s a long story. And who said anything about a relationship? Relations. Not relationship.” “You’re disgusting,” Starlight said. “Aww, don’t be like that,” I pleaded. Craig then said “That is just strange. but I'm not one to judge people on one action they make. why do you think I forgave Discord for trying to kill me, and making my life back home a living hell. besides I may be loyal to Celestia, however, I am also a free man in Equestria. Oh, and by the way sorry for punching you, I have a bit of a short fuse.” “It’s fine,” I said, “I would probably get punched in the face more if ponies were as aggressive as humans. But don’t forget, I’ll tag you back eventually. So I’m curious. You already know my powers; what are yours?” To this Craig just smiled and said “my powers are quite strange I can manipulate any power from any game I have played. For example, I am able to use thu'um from Skyrim and I have also managed to perform a shadow clone Jutsu. But you already know a lot about how chakra works I imagine.” “Interesting,” I said, “So you played Skyrim? Does that mean you can use God Mode?” He then scratched his head and said “To be honest I've never heard of that. But it is likely that I could if I knew how it worked.” I activated my Sharingan and placed Craig under my genjutsu. I showed him how to use the console commands and the effects of God Mode. “You’ll get unlimited health, Magicka, and stamina,” I told him as I released him. “You’ll also eliminate the need for cooldowns and be able to cast any spell even ones you don’t normally have the capacity to use. Wanna see if you can do it?” He then looked at me and asked me curiously “sure it’s safe to try whilst we are on the train. wouldn’t it be better to try when we are outside?” “That is an excellent point,” I said grabbing his shoulder. “We won’t be gone long Starlight.” -Badlands- I teleported us to an open field in the Badlands. I had a fought there a long time ago and some of my shurikens remained. “Go for it,” I said. He then closed his eyes and then said “here goes nothing” second later his body began to glow. hH then open his eyes and said “this feels strange.” he then quickly turned around and asked me “wait do you feel that?” “Yup. You feel like a bottomless well of power.” “Yeah but that's not what I mean. it feels like we're being watched” he then turned his body around and brought his hands to his side and then shouted “Kamehameha!” second later I see a crevice filled with changelings staring at us he then said, “I knew something didn’t feel right.” “Haven’t seen changelings in a while,” I said. “Want to test out your new powers on them?” “Nah they’re not worth the energy it would cost to do so” “You’re no fun,” I activated my mangekyou sharingan and surrounded the changelings with black flames. “Tell your queen, Sasuke’s back,” I instructed them. I quelled the flames and they flew away. “So how will you test out your powers?” “I can see one person who would be a great sparring partner.” “Well then,” I said drawing my sword, “Let’s do this.” -Craig POV- With that, I grabbed hold of my guitar and turn it back into my sword and then quickly unsheathed it and said “Ready when you are” I then bow to him and hold my sword ready to defend myself. He runs at me and slashes. I defend and we start sword fighting. He’s quick and his sharingan gives him a slight advantage. I then smile and say “Nice try maybe it’s time for a bit of fun” I then quickly perform a Shadow Clone Jutsu and say “you ready for some fun” I then shout “Mul Qah” and each of the clones begin to charge towards him. I then jump off the ground and just float there and watch as he tries to fight each of the clones. He forms his own clones and one of them starts breathing fireballs while another blows wind from either side. When the two attacks collide, they turn into fire tornadoes that come after myself and my clones. To this, I just smiled and then placed two fingers on my forehead and teleport into the centre of the tornado and hold my sword up and walk inside the tornado and wait to see what he would do next. All of a sudden giant timberwolves run through the fire and attack me. To this, I just smiled and said “not bad Sasuke.Shame these aren’t real or I might have actually been worried” I then placed my hand on the back of my sword on top of Celestia's Cutie Mark and the Timberwolves begin to fade away I then shouted “FiemZiiGron!” and I completely disappeared and the Tornado stopped motionless. I then saw Sasuke standing outside of the where the tornado stops and he looked straight at me. “You can’t hide from the sharingan,” he said with a smile. “Now let’s see how strong you really are.” He forms Susanoo’s bones and fires a giant purple arrow covered in a black fire at me. I then just smiled and stood there and the arrow hits me with a direct blow. however once the flames scatter over the battlefield I simply said “Well that was ineffective what else you got or do you want me to start trying?” “No,” he says. “This was a pretty good test. Taking one of Susanoo’s arrows to the face is a pretty good indicator. Wouldn’t you say? What I really wonder is what happens to your body once you turn God Mode off.” I then laughed and said, “Wait you thought I had it on I turned it off after the changelings arrived I haven’t been using God Mode at all during this fight.” He looked confused, “Then what was the point of this fight?” “To prove to you that you're not as powerful as you made out. Now do you want me to fight properly?” “Not particularly. I am on the run after all. Spending too much time in one place and fighting with you is a huge ‘Here I am’. Besides,” he grinned. “You helped me lead them in the wrong direction.” “By them, I guess you mean the royal guard, and don’t worry I don’t think they’ll get here for a while.” “Next time, eager beaver. I promise I’ll beat you senseless, how’s that?” he said as he grabbed my shoulder. We teleported back to the train. -Sasuke POV- Once Craig and I were back on the train I saw Starlight talking with Discord. Starlight’s hair was a mess and she seemed very agitated. Her ear and eye were twitching. “What’s wrong with you?” I asked her. “Oh nothing,” she said sarcastically, “just talking about how you humans are chaotic and violent species with a god of chaos from another world. I think I need to lie down.” Craig then looked at Discord and asked him “what did you do?” To this Discord replied “I didn’t do anything. Why so offensive?” “I’m going to have to ask that you do not traumatise my employees,” I said. I walked over to Starlight. “Speaking of speaking, Starlight stick out your tongue.” “Why,” she asked while complying. I pointed two fingers at her tongue. Cursed Tongue Eradication Technique. A black mark showed up at the back of her tongue. “Now if you try to reveal any information about myself or my new associate here, your body will be paralysed,” I said. I turned to Craig, “Got to cover our bases. You should use that one sometime. Helps protect captured allies.” Craig then said, “I honestly don’t think that my friends would be like that and besides I don’t even know if I would need to do that to anyone.” I then knelt down next to Starlight and say “are you OK. I’m sorry if Discord scared you at all.” “I’m fine,” she said. “It’s just a week ago, I never really left the lab and now… it’s just a lot to take in.” Craig then just smiled and said “To be honest at least you’ve had a week to get use to being around one human. I’ve only had three days to get used to the whole population of Ponyville and Celestia and Luna. It’s a lot different to home.” Starlight then smiled at Craig and closed her eyes, resting on the bed. “She’s a lot tougher than she looks,” I pointed out. “You're no weakling yourself,” Craig admitted. He then asked me “have you made yourself a token yet?” “A token?” I asked. “Is that what those weird things are? No, I haven’t made one.” “By weird things I take it you're referring to the blade that you found?” Craig checked. “Among other things,” I said. “By the way, I’m keeping the sword. Looks awesome. You can’t have it back.” To this Craig just smiled as he reached just under his top and pulls out a chain that has a copy of the blade attached to it. he then says “I don’t think that it is an issue. you can keep it.” “Great. Then I should give you this,” I summoned a small jade magatama necklace. I held it to my chest and whispered, “I am Sasuke Uchiha, Black Sun of Equestria, Two-Legged Pony, etcetera, etcetera. Should you need my assistance in any endeavour, just give me a call and I will appear.” The necklace multiplied as soon as I finished speaking and the copies disappeared. “That’s unusual,” I said as I handed Craig the original necklace. Craig then smiled back and said “Thank you. I'll be honest if you ever do need my help just ask and I will come and help you” He then turned to Discord and said “We better be heading off soon. Everyone's probably worried about us back home.” with that Discord disappeared from in front of me. Craig then proceeds to place my necklace around neck next to his own and placed them both back below his top. “It has been a pleasure,” I said. “We’ll have to do this again sometime.” To this Craig simply smiled and said “I look forward to it.” He then extended his hand out and we both shook each other's hand. He then reaches towards his amulet once again as it begins to glow and then a small gateway appears near the door and he walked towards it. Just before he walked through the portal he put one hand up and waved just before he stepped through the door and disappeared. -Craig’s POV- Second later I arrived back in my own reality before I stood up, rubbed my head and said, “did all that really just happen?” I then reach towards my chest and felt the necklace Sasuke gave me resting against my chest before I thought that did happen... I didn't imagine that. I then looked up to see that I was just outside Sweet Apple Acres before I smiled and began to walk up the road and towards the farm.
Chapter 12 - Along Came A SpiderAs soon as I arrived at Sweet Apple Acres I looked around to find that it was quiet before I shut my eyes and felt around for any signs of life around me. I then felt a small group of ponies in the barn before I began to walk towards it. As I got closer I could hear the sound of familiar voices says “He just disappeared. He was right in front of me and he just disappeared.” I then heard another voice ask “Why would he just leave ya in the middle of the station?” “I'm sure he had his reasons, ” another voice said quietly. “What possible reason could he have for leaving Scootaloo?” I then stepped up to the door before knocking. Seconds later I heard the sound of someone walking up to the door and as it opened I saw everybody inside staring at me. I then put my hands up in the air before I said “Before you say anything I have a reason for disappearing.” I then heard Twilight say “Okay then let’s hear the reason. I would love to hear why you left us at the train station.” I then hear Applebloom say “And left Scootaloo at the school when ya said ya would pick her up” “Okay here is my reason. I got displaced in another reality.” “Wasn't that what you described to us yesterday?” asked Twilight. “Yeah , it was. Anyway, after I disappeared, I arrived on the Canterlot express in a different reality. Where I met a Displaced named Sasuke Uchiha and his 'employee' Starlight.” “You met two Displaced!” shouted Rainbow Dash. “No I only met one, Starlight is a Unicorn.” Rainbow Dash then asked me “So what does his token look like?” I then just smiled and reach for the necklace Sasuke gave me before I took it off my neck and showed it to the group. I then said “This is the token he gave me, if either of us ever needs help we will be able to call each other.” I then heard Fluttershy ask me “Was he nice?” To this, I shook my head before I said “definitely not. In his world, he had put the Celestia into the hospital, asked me to kill innocent creatures just to test my powers and then used a horrible spell to threaten Starlight.” I then heard everyone gasp before Twilight shouted “He injured Celestia!” “Yeah, he's that powerful. And I got to see his powers first hand and I doubt that was even using his full power, in fact, I could sense that he was holding back. If he ever came to this reality he could be a massive threat.” Twilight then asked me “What was the spell he put on Starlight?” “From what he said the spell will paralyse her if she tries to tell anybody about me or humans in general. From what I remember in the show, it was referred to as a curse mark.” “That is the worst possible thing, ” Rarity said before she fainted somehow landing on a couch. I then rolled my eyes and said “I have to agree with Rarity on this one, but I can promise you that I will never use that on anypony it's just wrong, it inhumane... or whatever way you say it.” “Wel, at least you know right from wrong. Unlike him,” Twilight announced. “Yeah, anyway Listen girls after the day I've had I think I want to just rest at home.” I then turned to Scootaloo and said “I think you might want to see our new home. But I recommend we wait for Rarity to wake up and head back with her and Sweetie Belle.” To this, both Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo looked at me in surprise before they asked me “Why?” I then smiled before I said, “Because we live just across the road from them.” Seconds later Rarity regained consciousness and Sweetie Belle shouted “Sis did you hear Craig and Scootaloo are moving in across the road from us!” To this, she smiled before saying to Sweetie Belle “Well that is good.” she then looked to me before she asked “Craig would you like to help me model some clothes for you when you get time?” “I'd normally say no to that. But I know you well enough to know if I don't you will begin to tell me that I must. So yes.” “Thank you, darling,” she replied with a smile. “However. If anything comes up you will stop and let me deal with it.” I added She then sighed before she said, “if I must.” I then smiled before I asked her “would you like to head home together, my lady.” “Always a gentlecolt,” Rarity replied. I then say to Scootaloo “Let’s head home” I then heard both her and Sweetie Belle say “See you later Applebloom.” I then looked to everyone else before I said “we'll see you all later.” before the four of us left the barn and began to walk home. Once we reached Carousel Boutique we all went our separate ways only saying bye to each other before entering our own homes. Once we got inside I turned to Scootaloo and said “here we are.” She then looked around the room before she said “I'm actually in my own home.” I then see a tear start to form in her eyes as she continues to say “It' been so long since I haven't slept in a box.” I then knelt down next to Scootaloo and hugged her then said “I will never make you do that again along as we live. That's a Pinkie Promise.” I then stood up then said, “I say we head up to bed we've got busy days tomorrow.” Scootaloo then looked at me and said “Yeah I guess we do.” I then smiled at her before I said “Want a lift upstairs?” “Yes,” she admitted almost looking away like she was embarrassed. I then knelt down and picked her up as she begins to rest her head against my arm. I then walked up the stairs past my room and open the next door down the corridor. However, when we entered the room I notice that it is completely empty. I then looked to Scootaloo before I said “I'm not having you sleep on the floor.” I then rubbed my head and then continued to say “Would you like to sleep in my room tonight?” She then looked at me and said “Are you joking? I would love to!” I then laughed and said, “sounds like you're asking me out on a date.” I then looked back at her and smiled before I said “let's head to my room.” Once we reached my room I walked up to my bed and placed Scootaloo down on it. I then placed my guitar next to the desk before I then walked back over to the bed and began to lay down next to her before I thought I never dreamt I would have a life like this. I then turned to Scootaloo and said “I wish you could have met my family.” To this, she looked at me and said “I bet I'll meet them someday.” I then smiled before I kissed her on her forehead and said “chances are you're right. We’ll just need to wait for that day to come.” With that, we both climbed into the bed, pulled the covers over us before we then began to fall asleep as she rests her head against my chest. Just before I fall asleep I whispered “Life couldn't be better” before I then drifted off to sleep. The next morning I slowly rose from my slumber to the feeling of Scootaloo sleeping quietly next to me. To this, I just smiled and slowly got out of my bed before I walked up to the windows and opened them as light flooded the room. I then heard Scootaloo say “Oh morning already? I guess my day starts faster than normal.” To this, I just laughed before I said “forget about me that quickly Scoots?” See then turned to me and said “Oh dad sorry I forgot that you adopted me” with that she climbed out the bed and said, “What have you got to do today?” I then just smiled and said “Well I’ve to find you a bed so you have somewhere to sleep. I can’t have you sleeping in my bed every night.” She then smiled back to me before she said “I guess you're right.” she then asked me “Do you mind if I use the shower first?” “Go ahead” I replied, “It’s not my place to say you can’t.” “Thanks” she replied before she walked out of the room before I hear the bathroom door shut. I then walked over to my desk and picked up my guitar and put the strap over my shoulder before seconds later a small portal appeared just above the desk as a mobile phone appeared on my desk. I then began to think what the hell is this? The phones voice mail said, "Hi listener I'm Jeffery the Spiderman. If you need a friend, some help in a fight, just someone to talk to, hell a person to relate to use on speed dial 1 and I might pick up...ok where is off button on this...ah there." “Oh, so a merchant tricked this guy as well.” I stopped as I thought I guess a lot of people have been going missing in America. I wonder how long he’s been trapped in Equestria? I then heard the bathroom door open and see a wet Scootaloo walk back into the room as she said “Ah best shower in a long time” she then turned to look at me before she asked me “hey what you found?” “Seems to be another token,” I responded. “Cool, can we. How did you phrase it, Summon him?” asked Scootaloo. "Yeah I don’t see why not, but I guess it may be better to get everypony together no doubt that Twilight will want to see how this works,” I replied. “Yeah, you're probably right about that.” “Okay then Scoots get dry and then could you get Rarity and Rainbow Dash and have them meet me possibly near Fluttershy’s, and if you could explain to them what's going on.” She then smiled before she replied to me by saying “Yeah no problem” before she grabbed her Scooter and rushed out of the door towards Carousel Boutique. Seconds later I picked my guitar up of the floor on put it over my shoulder supported by the strap and left the house locking the door behind me. -Unknown POV- As I ran from a rather angry Celestia I let Hybrid take control to keep us moving faster than my spider speed. As Hybrid ran with my body in control, he web slings through Everfree. While we were swinging through the trees, I let my mind wander to random thoughts and idle hopes that I don't have to deal with clone me and the universe getting confused when someone calls me and sends us both. Thus causing a major confusion for the other guy/girl/thing. Once hybrid got us the safest distance away from angry Celestia Fat-asseus Cake Addict, he swung us to our lab to rest and think, since Alduiin really did a number on the changelings and ruined most likely screwed over a chance peaceful relations with them. I also wondered who else has found my cell phone token and has yet to use it. I also realise I need to let Lee know how Hybrid is doing. During my mental musing, I feel my cell ring, this time before I answer I pick up my Iron spider suit. Which then reminds me I need to make some more suits to fight the powerhouses of my world; Tirek and Sombra. -Craig’s POV- Once we had gathered everyone in a field just outside the Everfree forest I turned and looked at everybody and said “Okay this may seem different but I’m going to call this Jeffery to us. I have no idea what he is like and if he is dangerous.” I then grabbed hold of my guitar and turn it into my sword then said “You can never be too careful. Please stand back” I then see everyone nod and take a few steps back before I pressed one on the phone's speed dial to call Spiderman. Seconds later a man dressed in a black spiderman suit with a red a gold backpack on appears in front of us and then said “Hello you called on your friendly neighbourhood Displaced Spiderman." I then looked at him and said “pleasure to meet you must be Jeffery, names Craig pleasure to meet you,” I then put my hand out to him and we shook each other's hands. Seconds later I heard Rainbow Dash say “Who the costumed guy?" "I am the Spiderman, Ironspider, and Hybrid." Said Jeffery. I then looked at him warily before I said “Hybrid oh shit. Please say you can control him?” "So you're familiar with the Hybrid Klyntar, good and yes he is tame enough, much like Toxin and his first owner had a deal going." Said Jeffery then asked, "What are you and how did the Merchant trick you? And Rainbow Dash, you seem to be a consistent egomaniac...sweet" To this, I smiled and said “well first I only know of Hybrid from a game back home and maybe a comic or two. Second I don’t know of any Merchant I don’t actually know how I got here. Third I am not based off anyone and I don’t completely understand the origin of my powers, but from what I can understand I easily can manipulate any power from any game I played back home.” "Wow was the game you played for Hybrid info, Marvel Avenger Alliance on facebook. That is a cool power set you have." Said Jeffery. “Yes, and yes, I guess my powers are pretty cool, especially the fact that I can do this” I admitted as I began to hover above the ground. "Well, I must ask what brings you to calling me?" Asked Jeffery. “I’ll be honest it was just curiosity. No other reason for it although I guess that I wanted my friends to know displaced exist and I didn’t make it up,” I admitted. "Well that is cool, well I figure as long as I'm here maybe we can have some fun," Jeffery said. I then looked at him, as I slowly descend back onto the ground then asked him “what do you have in mind?” "I think maybe we both play a prank on Celestia, also do you have a token I can have to summon you some other time?" Asked Jeffery. I then smiled and said “Yeah I have a token” I then grabbed my necklace from below my top and reach for the token attached to it. I then closed my eyes as a replica of the blade appears in my other hand. I then looked back at Jeffery then said “here you go” as I passed him the token, which he promptly put in his belt. I then looked at him and said “I don’t think we should mess with Celestia. Don’t really want to get on her bad side after four days in Equestria.” "You have been here only four days I have been in mine for about 1000 or so years." Said Jeffery. “Yeah and I don’t think anypony here in Equestria would take that kindly.” I then smiled and said, “But maybe Pinkie and Rainbow could be good candidates for a prank?” "Yes, they are good targets, should I use my iron spider suit or Hybrid, or stay as black suit spiderman?" Jeffery asked “Probably for everyone’s safety stay as you are except for rainbow use your iron spidersuit to get her.” We then heard both Pinkie and Rainbow Dash shout “Not cool Craig!” I then smiled and said “Not like you weren’t thinking of pranking me.” Jeffery said, "Or me," before he chuckled. I then smiled and said “How about to liven it up we have a challenge, Displaced VS ponies? Whichever group pulls off the best prank wins,” I then looked at everyone and asked them “that okay with you lot?” "I am game, " said Jeffery then Hybrid took over and said, "We are too." I then heard Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie say “Do we get a head start you do have superpowers after all.” I then looked at Jeffery/Hybrid and asked him “what do you think?” "We don't see why not." Said Hybrid I then smiled and said, “Okay girls we’ll give you a head start.” With that, they all made a run for it as I heard Rainbow Dash shout “we will get you!” Jeffery then whispered, "You know my spider sense will keep them from pranking us." I then smiled and whispered back “yeah and anyway I have a trick up my sleeve as well.” "What kinda of trick is it a way to get around the pinkie sense?" Asked Jeffery. I then smiled and simply replied, “All it takes is a bit of chaos.” "Discord?" Asked Jeffery Seconds later Discord appeared behind him and said “you know it.” I then smiled before I said, “the only creature Pinkie can’t predict.” "Deadpool?" Jeffery asked. I then chuckled before I replied, “I’ll give you that but I meant Discord.” "Ok, well at least that's cool," said Jeffery. I then smiled and asked him “okay then how do you think we should prank them?” "By first tricking them into thinking we didn't do anything and managed to prank all their friends and after they are so paranoid from this they don't sleep. Then the next day when they pass out from sleep needin' we then laugh since they pranked themselves," Said Jeffery. I then heard Discord say “that really won’t work Pinkie won’t sleep when she’s focused on something.” "Everyone need sleep eventually, so they will pass out if they don't or better yet we could just prank Celestia and frame Pinkie and Dash." Said Jeffery I then shook my head and said “I’m not framing my friends.” Seconds later we heard a voice behind us say “You think I’d let you prank Rainbow Dash by yourself?” We both then turned around and see Scootaloo standing there with a smile as I said smugly “Defecting to the dark side are we?” She then smiles and says “yeah and besides they won’t expect me to be working with you." Jeffery said, "they will not." “I guess you're right” I admitted before I continued to say “okay then I think that's enough a head start for Dash and Pinkie. let's get started.” I then look at Discord and told him “You take Pinkie, Jeffery Scootaloo we’ll take Rainbow” Seconds later Discord nodded at me then disappeared. Seconds later I asked, “either of you got an idea on how to get Rainbow?” To this Scootaloo just looked at me then replied “No idea.” “You got any?” I asked Jeffery before I added, I'm“Any that don’t include Celestia or destroying the town." "I do, you familiar with Cupcakes story?" Asked Jeffery. “Yes I'm familiar with that grimdark Fanfiction,” I admitted before continuing to say “but let's not talk about that here.” I then realised what he is implying and shouted “No we are not doing that to her. We would essentially ruin her life!” I then stopped as I realised “Hybrid’s talking isn’t he.” "No, that as me. I can be a bit of a sick person." Said Jeffery then Hybrid then took over and said, "Well we could since Dash know almost every prank in the book. Try something random, like... maybe have her house filled with a huge timed explosion that will cover her and her house in whipped cream and honey. then leave clues that make it look like Pinkie Pie did it then have those two go at it, while we rig some of their war pranks blow up in their face." I then said "okay and how would we set everything up in case you don't know I can’t walk on clouds.” Jeffery said after hybrid retreated, "Do you have a cloner machine since well I don't know the limits of your abilities, or maybe you could ask Twilight to help you. After, that we start up the prank." Seconds later Scootaloo says “Or I could just set it up?” I then sighed and said, “Yeah but you can’t climb up to her cloudhouse.” "Well I could fly her up there," Said Jeffery. I then asked, “You up for that Scoots?” “Oh definitely. When can we start?” "Let's get the stuff we need first, also who should get the incriminating evidence to frame Pinkie?" Asked Jeffery. “And what would you recommend. It’s not like we have a party cannon we can set everything in,” I pointed out. "Okay, well I'll be back once we get the gear," replied Jeffery as he walked to a party store. I then shouted back to him “Okay then see you later!” -Jeffery’s POV- I started to make my way to the party store. As I walked there I smiled since I had money on my person. Once I got there I entered the store, but as soon as I was inside I stopped dead as I saw Pinkie Pie taking all the prank gear. Seeing this I took a chance and take some of her hair to use as incriminating evidence. I then stored it away before I said to Pinkie, "Hey Pinkie, I have an idea for you." Pinkie then stared at me before she asked me “and what idea’s that Jeffo?” "Why don't you have me help prank my team, in exchange you keep me out of pranks. Who else would expect a double cross?" I replied. “Hasn’t Scootaloo already sided with you?” "Yes, but since due to that, I figured why not have a double agent. So what do you say?" I replied. “I don’t see why it’s a bad idea. it’s not like you just took a bit of my hair.” "I must ask Pinkie do you break the fourth wall?" I asked curiously. "Oh, you mean when I talk to people nopony else can see? Yeah, all the time." "Yes, well it's interesting to peer into the multiverse, isn't it? Well let's get working," I replied smiling. “Yeah. Do you have a plan to deal with Dashie?” she asked. "Why do you ask?" I asked her. “Oh, I just heard you and Craig talking about using me to start a prank war between me and Dashie and frame me for a prank at her home. Was that your plan?” "Well, I thought, maybe rig a timed trap that when Dashie is asleep it goes off and completely covers her and her house in either whipped cream or frosting," I answered. “Oh that's why you got a lock of my hair, you were going to use it to say that I was there. You know you could that by ripping the corner of a Wonderbolt poster in her room for the same effect right?” "Really, she is that easy?" I questioned. “Yeah, she idolises the Wonderbolts. Damage a poster and she would be mad." "Oh, want to help me do this?" I asked smiling. “Yeah It would be fun to trick Dashie and that way I get to work out what Craig will want at his Welcome to Ponyville Party." "Cool, do you think that I should do the ripped poster or the frosting prank," I inquired. “Why not both?” she asked. "Great idea" I replied smiling then I asked, "Do you know know where I can get the whipped cream to do this prank?"
Chapter 13 - Let the Prank's Commense-Craig’s POV- As I and Scootaloo walked up the street we felt the strange feeling of unease as we imagined one of our friends planning to jump out of nowhere and get us earlier rather than later. later I turn around before I asked Scootaloo “Does something feel strange to you or is it just me?” Scootaloo looked at me with a raised eyebrow “Yeah like someponies watching us.” “I wonder” I replied looking around, I then closed my eyes and checked for nearby life around us. Seconds later I felt Twilight standing in a nearby alleyway behind us before I opened my eyes and sighed, tilting my head to the ground in disappointment before I shouted “I can see you Twilight come out!” From behind the corner of the stone wall, Twilight revealed herself, walking out from behind the Alleyway “Hello again, Craig” she said, grinning in an evil way. “Was there something you wanted to ask me?” She smiles as she pulls out a small chalkboard “Prepare to be pranked, what is 658 x 823 x 45?” I stared at her in disbelief, for once I thought Twilight had lost it “That’s the best you got Twilight?” I looked at Scootaloo and see her mouth touching the ground “Have you ever pulled a prank in your life!?” “A math problem is not a prank, Twilight,” I added. “It is if it’s a hard one!” Twilight said shaking her hoof at me. I shook my head in disappointment “No, the mare-do-well fiasco was a better prank than this... that was a prank. This is just a poor excuse of a badly thought up plan.” She then rubbed the back of her head with her hoof and nervously laughed “Yeah I guess it is, back to the drawing board I guess.” “Or you could help us prank everyone else?” Scootaloo grinned. “You heard Craig Scootaloo, I’m no good at pranking, what use would I be to,the one of, ” Twilight said, lowering her head. She looked up at me then Scootaloo and said “But what about the whole ponies versus displaced thing. If I join you it would no longer be us versus you and Jeffery.” “Scootaloo turned to the dark side. why not you too?” I admitted whilst grinned evilly. “Come on Twilight!” Scootaloo tried to say in a deep voice, but failed due to her small vocal cords that were held in her throat “Join the dark side, we have cookies~” Scootaloo then magically rose a cookie into her field of vision with her hoof. She bit into it, small brown crumbs covered her mouth as she chewed very slowly. Twilight laughed, tears of joy fell from her purple eyes, she brought her hoof close to her eye and wiped the tears away with one swipe. “Twilight one of the strongest unicorns in Equestria. If you work with us I don’t think Rainbow would stand much of a chance” I said, as I crossed my arms close to my chest. Twilight thought for a moment, though I did have my doubts about her agreeing to join us “Make them daisy flavour and we have a deal” “Deal!” both me and Scootaloo say in unison before she brought out a basket from behind her filled to the brim with cookies. Twilight then levitated a cookie from the basket and brought it close to her mouth, The purple unicorn then bit down on the soft doe and chews with her mouth open. “These are good what did you put in them?” Scootaloo took out a cookie from the basket, examining it “Just flour, milk, sugar and…” I noticed Twilight's legs began to wobble and her eyes slowly closed “Why do I feel so tired?” Twilight said, strafing left and right. Scootaloo then looked at Twilight with the most evil smile I had ever seen, it would sure out-match the wicked smile of Discord “That would be the last ingredient... Sleeping powder.” I then smiled and informed Twilight “And that!” I motioned my hand towards Scootaloo “Is how you pull a prank.” Twilight then collapses to the ground on the cold dirt and began to snore. I then looked at Scootaloo before I said “Well done! You are a lot like Dash you know that?” She looked at me with wide eyes “Yes!” She pumps her hoof in the air in excitement. I knelt down, grabbed Twilight and put her over my shoulders before I look over at Scootaloo “Scootaloo grab hold of one of my legs.” She then looked at me with a confused look and asked “why what are you doing?” “Showing you what it’s like to be Twilight. We’re going to teleport.” Scootaloo then grabbed hold of my leg then said “this is going to be awesome!” I then smiled and said “All aboard next stop Twilight's library” I then placed two fingers on my forehead and we disappeared from the street. -Jeffery’s POV- After a small amount of information on where to get the whipped cream. I proceeded to get it, while in the Iron-Spider suit. Once I managed to haul the damn thing up to Dash's house along with a homemade timer and pressure plate to go off when Dash lays down on her bed. After finishing the deed with help from Alpha Red, since my trap rigging know how sucks. I then flew back to find Craig, hoping that I was able to find him. My thoughts also started to drift to what I can do in my world since I really didn't want to have a life of unrelenting super heroics, sleep, tinkering, and preparing for an event that may never happen. During my thinking, my spider-sense went off. To which I barely get time to react, by barrel roll out of the way. What I managed to dodge is a speed flying Rainbow Dash. Seeing the Cyan blur fly by me I decided to test the limits of the Suit flight capability. Rainbow Dash looks behind her most likely she hears my suit propulsion system flying to catch up with her. She stopped to question me I hope since well she did nearly crash into me, but didn't question it. Which I found odd since that must mean she see a bunch of weird ass shit flying and doesn't question it. I then said to Alpha Red, "Alpha Red, play Iron protocol music from my Iphone." Alpha Red said with the British accent that sounded like Alfred from batman, "On it sir." As I stopped to hover and wait for Rainbow Dash to catch up Black Sabbath's Iron Man is playing through the speakers in the suit. Rainbow Dash then flew up to me and said, "What the hell are you?" I answered smirking, "It's me Spiderman." "What do you want." Asked Rainbow Dash "I want to race you if you are up for it." I retorted. Rainbow Dash said after smirking, "I'll race and beat you." "Okay from here to Celestia's throne room," I answer her unasked question of location. Rainbow Dash taking no chances of being beaten and started to fly away to Canterlot. To which I then used the flight systems in my suit to start flying after her. I actually started to catch up to her rather easily, which caused me to chuckle and change the music to a random song for racing. As we raced I laughed since I was passing her with my suits flight capabilities. This has strangely kept my mind off the stress and craziness that I had been having due to everything. "Feels good doesn't it to relax, maybe this was what you needed a fun displacement call in to unwind." Hybrids voice chimed in my head. I nodded in agreement since Hybrid might be right. I had needed this since the back home was nothing, but stress and the major events of my little pony since time skipped ahead while I visited other displaced and helped them. During my thought, I auto pathed my fight and didn't even notice that Rainbow Dash was now ahead of me until Alpha Red said, "Sir, Miss Dash is now in the lead. Permission to change from autopilot back to manual control?" This snapped me out of my muessing and I said, "Alpha Red, permission granted, and reroute 50% of the power to the thrusters." as I started to accelerate forwards as I flew around all the clouds Rainbow Dash put in my way. Even with this going on I still managed to pass Dash after about 22 seconds. As we both got close to Canterlot, I felt a sonic boom and then saw a rainbow blur move past me that headed towards Celestia's castle. I then stopped since well I lost and I'm was not willing to maybe destroy all of space-time to win a race. -Craig’s POV- Once we arrived at the Library I heard Scootaloo shout “That was awesome!” “Yeah I know, although I have only managed to teleport five ponies at a time,” I chuckled in agreement. We then heard a voice above us say “That’s still pretty impressive.” This caused me to look up as saw Spike above us. He then continued to ask me “what did you do to Twilight?” “Well we are in the middle of a prank war between me, another displaced and Scootaloo and we’re against everyone else. All we have done is pull a prank on her,” I admitted. “What was the prank?” “We tricked her into eating a cookie that had sleeping powder mixed in with it,” explained Scootaloo. “She’ll be asleep for a bit but she’ll be fine after she wakes up,” I added. Spike then smiled at this and said “at least she’ll be fine when she wakes up.” I then heard a loud noise that seemed strangely familiar echo from outside that caused me to turn around and look outside. As I looked outside I saw what appeared to be a circular rainbow that was moving outwards from a central point radiating across the sky which I realised was Rainbow Dash’s signature flying move The Sonic Rainboom. I then turned to Scootaloo and Spike and declared “looks like Jeffery and Rainbow Dash are doing something stupid. Spike look after Scootaloo I’ll be back in a bit.” they then both nodded their heads before I proceeded to place two fingers on my forehead and teleported towards where The Sonic Rainboom had originated from. -Jeffery’s POV- As I made my way back towards Twilight's Library to maybe try and prank Twilight, I wondered what everyone was thinking as they saw the Sonic Rainboom. I then landed on the ground outside Ponyville and shifted back to normal costume mode, before I started looking Craig. As I walked through the town I kept looking around for anything strange. During my search, I found the library and enter inside of it. As soon as I got inside I saw Scootaloo in there by herself before I said, "Hi, Scootaloo." She then looked back to me before she said almost quietly, "Hi..." "What?" I asked. The orange pegasus simply replied, "You just missed Craig he left to find you and Rainbow Dash." "Oh, well might as well sit and wait for him to return, " I said taking a seat in a chair. I then closed my eyes to nap before I let Hybrid take over for now. -Hybrid's Pov- After we took control of Jeffery we looked around to take in our new surroundings. Seeing the orange one that Jeffery had talked too. We asked, "Hello, when do you think Craig, will reappear with Skittles?" Scootaloo just shrugged back to me, "Not sure, but I hope it's soon since you're kinda creepy looking." "Well, we are sorry," We apologised as we shift our look to a less scary look, which caused Scootaloo to relax quickly. Scootaloo then asked, "So, what do you and Jeffery even do for fun?" "Um well, Jeffery just tinkers and uses his skills to prep for anything to go wrong, strangely enough, we do play chess." "Wow that's kinda lame," Said Scootaloo. "Well, I can teach you how to play." We said Scootaloo raised an eyebrow and then replied "Sure why not we can kill some time." Well after we found Twilight’s chess board and all the pieces for it. We set it up and got ready to play. -Craig’s POV- As I reappeared I looked around to see a Rainbow coloured blur flying towards Canterlot Castle as I thought Oh god, what has Jeffery done now? I then began to fly at full speed towards the blur and within seconds had covered a few hundred metres as I slowly managed to catch up to the blur that I realised was Rainbow Dash. As I got closer to her I shouted, “Hey Dash wait up!” She then momentarily looked back and saw me slowly gaining on her and began to slow down. Once she stopped she looked at me and said, “Good to see you, Craig, have you seen the guy in that awesome suit of armour? Me and him were having a race.” I then smiled as I told her “I hate to disappoint you but you were talking to Jeffrey, he was using his Iron Spider suit. My guess is that he decided he couldn’t win and stopped racing you and headed back to town to rest” I then stopped and shouted “Oh shit. We need to get back now!” Rainbow Dash then looked at me in confusion before she asked me “Why is there a problem?” I then looked at her with a hint of fear in my eyes and told her “If Hybrid's in control then yes there could be. He’s dangerous.” “Nightmare Moon level dangerous or Discord dangerous?” Asked Rainbow Dash. I then quickly said “more dangerous than them both.” I then turned my head and looked back at ponyville then asked her “want to get back extremely quickly?” “What do you have in mind,” she asked clearly interested. I then smiled as I realised that she has never been teleported before I then looked back to her and announced “Instant Transmission.” She then stared at me in confusion and replied “Instant what?” “Inst ant Transmission. It’s the techniques I used when I was battling against Discord in the palace two days ago. When we were travelling around to save everypony I used it to move us a lot faster. All you need to do is grab hold of my leg and I can get us back to Ponyville instantly.” She then smirked and said, “If you can get back to Ponyville that fast I will personally train under you and learn some of your tricks.” “Grab one of my legs and I’ll get you there before you can blink,” I chuckled. She then carefully placed one of her hooves on my leg as I slowly placed two fingers on my forehead and told her “Off we go,” before second later we disappeared from the sky. -Twilight’s Library- Once we got back to Twilight's Library, I saw that Hybrid and Scootaloo was playing...wait is that chess? I then laughed and said “Chess that brings back memories. I used to play with my cousin and dad before everything happened.” I then look at Hybrid and asked him “how's Scoots doing Jeff?” Hybrid said, "Jeffery is asleep, we're in control, and Scootaloo is doing good, she is surprisingly a fast learner." “That’s brilliant, Oh and sorry about getting you two mixed up,” I said quietly. "How, we look different from Jeffery." Asked Hybrid whilst he rose where his eyebrow would be on his face. I then shook my head and said “you give off a similar energy to him I use that instead of how you look.” I then continued to say “I struggle to remember people from how they look plus it helps to check if it is them I’m talking to.” "Oh anti-changeling measures clever," Hybrid said with a smile. Scootaloo then looked at us in confusion and asked me “what’s a Changeling?” Hybrid then moved his queen and said, "Checkmate." I then smiled and said “Check again Hybrid” I then moved Scootaloo’s knight and took his Queen and said, "Slightly off.” "Nice use of telekinesis." Said Hybrid who has his bishop take a pawn and said, "Should we answer Scootaloo's question?" “That event hasn’t happened yet. Their whole race is unknown at the moment they may as well not exist.” "True, but you should always get everyone prepared so you can maybe do better than Jeffery since we kinda screwed up going for the peaceful method, due to reasons," Said Hybrid. I then smiled and said, “What did he do, Call in a Displaced to help him?” "Yes, but the attack was already going on so we couldn't do much else. Though some good did happen we did meet some of my cousins...sisters...still don't know on the classification for that," said Hybrid scratching his head then he shrugged. “Why do I get the feeling there are more symbiotes in the multiverse." Second, later scootaloo asked “What event, what did they do, what attack, what's a symbiote?” she asked quickly. Hybrid said, "To answer all the questions. Yes, there is are more Symbiotes, in fact, we got spawned from a Displaced Venom. The questions I'm not sure if we should answer them due to as Pinkie Pie would say spoilers." Seconds later we heard Scootaloo moan before she said “oh come on dad, not even a hint.” I then shook my head and said “Sorry Scoots no can do, the event has to happen it’s imperative that it does. One small change could mess the timeline up even more than my existence already has?” Hybrid is thinking now when he says,"Might as well tell her since then maybe you can be ready. Plus who know she may know some." I then sighed and told him “thanks to Celestia, I can see through any illusion. this includes the Changeling's ability to change how they look.” Seconds later Scootaloo screamed “Come on dad! I want to know about these Changeling. for all we know my special talent could be finding them!” To this, I smiled, looked at Hybrid then back to Scootaloo and told her “A changeling is a bug like a pony that is covered in what seems like black armour plating. They can change their shape into anypony they see, use magic and fly. They feed off love to survive, and this is the reason why they disguise themselves as ponies you know and trust.” I then turned to Hybrid and said “anything you’d like to add?” "Yes, they taste like pork, that is honey glazed, and they also share a hive mind link," said Hybrid. I then smiled, looked back at Scootaloo and tell her “okay that's all the non-world breaking things we can tell you Scoots. However, we can’t tell you about the specific event.” To this, she began to inquisitively ask “Why?” “Let me think Scoots. Discord should be back in stone, but instead, he is in my head and at the moment trying to prank Pinkie.” "Yeah, good way of not causing a panic," said Hybrid with a smirk. I then smiled and asked, “Did Jeffery get the stuff we need to pull off the prank?” "Yes," Said Hybrid then he asked showing a very out of character amount of care, "can we ask you a huge favour when Jeffery wakes and takes control?" Dash then said before I could speak, "Hey red guy you never answered what is a Symbiote." Hybrid said, "Oh, sorry about that Skittles. Symboties or Klyntars as they are really called are and I quote from Jeffery's memory from the best source of info he has also this is the condensed answer. Klyntars are normally benevolent beings that travel the universe to help the universe by turning people into the ideal warrior at the right times. The balance though must be perfect, or else the Klyntar may become corrupt. A one of the Klyntar's will basically tell lies and false truths to ruin the name of their race, plus also be murderous psychos like Carnage and slightly like Venom, but they might be exception we aren't sure." I then whispered, “And at some point you.” "In cannon 616 marvel yes, but our respective Displaced reality no, Jeffery is keeping us in check and also it is slowly changing our personality and outlook." Said Hybrid honestly. “But didn’t you says seconds ago that if the balance is incorrect you will lie? How do we know that's not the case now?” "Due to this." Said Hybrid who then started to do the Pinkie promise with words and motions and once done, "We promise that all we have said and will say out our information is the truth." Second later myelf, Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash look at each other as I said, “sound legit.” "May we continue a little bit of what information we're going to give off that we have left, or do any of you three have any questions?" asked Hybrid. To this the three of us shook our heads, however, seconds later we heard a voice behind us shout “Yeah, I’ve got one. What the hell Craig! You said we were on the same side and then you and Scootaloo prank me!” "Oh Twilight, wow didn't think you were going to wake yet. Did you take notes on what we said?" Hybrid asked it is unknown if he is joking. “Yes I did, but I'll talk to you later.” she then turns back to me and said “I’m waiting” I then sighed and said, “Somebody needed to show you how to pull a real prank, and besides I wasn’t going to prank my daughter was I?” "You could, it would have strengthened the family bond," Said Hybrid sagely. Second, later Scootaloo said, “I doubt it, besides I know my dad would be able to tell if I was going to trick him.” I then smiled and rubbed Scootaloo’s head then said “Thanks.” She then just grinned at me and said “Oh come on if it was the opposite way round would you be any different?” “Probably not?” I admitted. I then turned back to Hybrid then said “did anything strange happen when you were gathering what we needed for the prank?” "Nope." Said Hybrid since it's not a lie strange is a relative term for the person whose perspective it is. I then looked at him and said “so Pinkie predicting everything Jeffery did wasn’t strange?” "Not really, " said Hybrid. Seconds later Rainbow dash said, “that’s just Pinkie being Pinkie.” Hybrid said, "Okay." “You're not finding it strange that I know what happened but I wasn’t there?” "No, since you're just pulling a Deadpool, by breaking the fourth wall to read an earlier chapter." Hybrid retorted. To this, I laughed and muttered, “Yeah okay you got me.” Hybrid then nodded back and laughed too. Second later I realise something and said “Oh shit.” "What?" Asked Hybrid. “I just realised that Pinkie is working with us now, and Discord is getting ready to prank her." "Oh not good...wait we never promised that Discord would never strike." Said Hybrid. I then looked at him and quickly admitted “It doesn’t matter. The only reason I pranked Twilight was to show her how to do a real prank.” I then closed my eyes and whispered “I hope this works” I then closed my eyes and tried to sense Discord. As I reached out across the town I manage to sense him then latched onto to his brainwaves. I then telepathically shout to him “Discord stop! she’s on our side.” He then stuttered out “Since when can you contact me this easily?” “Mutant powers.” I admitted, which wasn’t a complete lie “anyway come back to Twilight's library. We’re all here.” “Okay, Craig see you soon.” I then opened my eyes back in the library and said “thank god I stopped him.” Hybrid smiled and said, "Twi, we can answer all questions now if you want." Twilight then said, "Okay" then she magics to her a new notebook. Then asked, "Why do you speak when talking about yourself use 'we'?" Hybrid answered, "Since we are made of four different Klyntar's, whose names are Lasher, Agony, Riot, and Phage." Twilight wrote that down and asked, "Is this thing normal?" "No" answered Hybrid "it isn't since we are a rare case." "How do you reproduce" asked Twilight still writing. "Genetic randomization then we drop off a portion of ourself that we genetically randomised. That offspring is then left to fend for himself unless they are the 1000th spawn of us. Then they lose all genetic memory. With that, they would be mentored by for the most mentally stable of the Klyntar in the planet at the time." Said Hybrid Twilight asked, "Are you going to spawn soon, if so can we get a Klyntar to study?" Hybrid then stopped thinking then said, "We are not close sorry. Wait let us check our gene time" then Hybrid closes his eye, after doing so Hybrid said, "Soon probably before we leave we will be spawning, but if we do you guys are getting it. Be careful though with it since it may be a bit hard to control." Twilight said, "Yay, I promise to take care of it." Hybrid said, "okay Twilight...we wonder is the pranking is still going on." Twilight was about to go grammar nazi on Hybrid to which I would have laughed, but she doesn't for some reason. Hybrid smiles and said, "So what, else do you wish to ask of us." Twilight asked, "What do Klyntar's eat?" "We take nutrients from our host that is excess and not necessary to the host." Said Hybrid. Twilight wrote that down and said, "Cool, I think that is all." Seconds later I heard Rainbow Dash groan “Come on guys this is boring.” I then looked at her and said “if you want to go home you can. I’m sure you could use a rest, not like you don’t do it often when you are supposed to be working.” She then looked at me and sighed then said “fine” she then turned to walk out the house however just before she leave she say “I’ll see you all later” and with that, she walked out of the house and then began to fly towards her cloud house. As soon as we can no longer see her in view I turned to Hybrid and asked “Is everything ready?” Hybrid nodded and then said, "Yep." I then placed my hands together, tap my fingers together and say “Excellent” Hybrid said, "It is excellent," Hybrid then doubles over and the said somewhat pained, "but if you don't mind it seems our mental clock for when we will spawn is very off also Jeffery will be awake in about ten minutes." Hybrid then slides off Jeffery and then slithered his/their body over to the bathroom then used a tendril to slam the door shut. Twilight said, "Well that is interesting, it seems that the Symbiotes are able to act like a water when they are hostless, need to keep a mental note of that for whoever gets Hybrids spawn, who until properly named should be called singularity for point of conversational convenience. That also begs the question to do Kylntar's even have genders or is it just that that assign one based on who their first host is, to dictate such identification." She then continued to ramble on about science stuff that isn't important to normal people/ponies. I then turn backed Scootaloo and asked her “So what do you think about this whole Kylntar thing?” She then smiled and said “Pretty Cool” I then looked at both Scootaloo and Twilight and say “When it comes down to it what would you two call it?” They then both shrugged at me then said “no idea” I then scratched my head and said “If it was me I’d call it something like Bii Sah Spaan which means Blue Phantom Shield in the language of dragons well maybe change the first bit depending on its colour though I’d probably shorten it.” To this Twilight said “I guess you do have ties to that Draconic language” she then looks at me then asked me “what is the name of the language?” “I believe that it’s Dovahzul,” I admitted. Hybrid then came out nine and a half minutes later with a white and blue mix goo bundle then said, "Ok this is the first spawn of Hybrid, who want this little one of ours? Whomever gets it gets to name it." Jeffery who was still sleeping and appeared to be having the best sleep he’d had for a while. Twilight then looked at me and declared “Craig you have it. you probably know more about them than us.” I then looked at her then turned my head towards Scootaloo and said “You both okay with that.” She then smiled and said “Yeah why not. I don’t want a cutie mark in looking after aliens anyway.” I then turned back to Hybrid and said “looks like the little guy goes to me.” Hybrid then tossed the Klyntar onto me before it then started to slide onto me as this happened it felt cold as it comes in contact with my skin. I then began to shudder then said “Man that feels weird. it feels like someone's poured ice cold water down my back.” Seconds later Discord appeared behind me and said “Craig we need to” however he stopped then gestured towards the Klyntar sliding across my body then asked, “What is that?” I then looked towards him and said “This would be a Klyntar. it’s the same thing as Hybrid.” Seconds later it began to crawl towards my face before it slowly covered it leaving what looks like a dark blue suit covering my entire body. I then heard Scootaloo say “wow dad you look different.” Twilight then looked at me and said “This is amazing I need to record this” with that she created yet another notebook and started to write me more notes. Hybrid then went back and rebounded with Jeffery, then Hybrid said, "Don't get power drunk on the Klyntar's extra powers." I then smiled and said “don’t think that will be an issue. I’ve got powers that can do anything. If it was going to happen it would have happened already.” "Okay." Said Hybrid before he asked, "So, you think Dash will be mad?" I then smiled and asked, “Want to find out?” "Not really." Said Hybrid “Okay then fine by me” I then shut my eyes and whispered “three, two, one action,” I then reach towards Hybrid's shoulder and allow him to see an image of Rainbows house and seconds later we saw an explosion of cream that filled the house to the point of it bursting. I then telepathically shouted to Rainbow Dash “and you're out. Ponies lose Displaced win. Better luck next time Dashie.” Hybrid then laughed and said, "That is funny, man we wonder if Skittles will come back to hurt us now," before he patted my back and said, "Promise us if you find Venom's token tell him we are okay and not as crazy as the canon counterpart." I then smiled and said “She will tomorrow but you’ll be gone by then” I then looked back to him and said, “do you mind telling me what I should look out for if I ever find his token?” "It looks like a mini scythe” Hybrid explained “Good to know” I then continued to say “and I’m going to guess that I’m likely to see him looking like Venom?” "Maybe , maybe not quite frankly Lee might be bound to Twilight and look different. Other than that we think that's it." Said Hybrid. I then smiled and say “I guess they are a perfect match for eachother I would guess Lee’s a bit of a bookworm.” "No clue, but we figure they would since Lee isn't acting like Venom of cannon 616, they are." said Hybrid then he said, "Jeffery is up now." Jeffery said, "Well what did I miss when I was asleep?" To this, I smiled, gestured towards myself and said “take a few guesses” "Hybrid spawned." Jeffrey answered then said, "Wait don't answer I'm right aren't I. Did Skittles fall for our prank?" “Hook, line and sinker, oh and I’d be ready to make a quick escape if I was you.” "Well for a quick escape just say our contract is done then I'm gone," Said Jeffery. “In that case, you may want to get ready.” We then heard someone shout “Craig you're so dead!” I then looked back at Jeffrey and said “Rainbows on her way. Listen if you ever need help don’t hesitate to give me a call.” "Can do." Said Jeffery. I then saluted him and said “our contract is done” before he disappeared. I then turned back around, sighed then muttered “Best get ready for hell.” Seconds later one of the library's windows exploded into pieces as I hear Rainbow Dash shout “You're so dead!” She then ferociously charged towards me as I extend my hand forwards and she stopped dead in a purple bubble. She then shouted, “what the hell Twilight!” To this, I just smiled and said “That wasn’t Twilight Dash. That was me” the bubble then began to dissipate as I rushed behind her and immobilised her by holding her on the ground. I then whispered to her “You calmed down yet?” to this she just nodded her head as I released her. She then muttered “are you always going to do that?” “Only if I need to” I admitted with a smile. We then all just smiled at eachother as Rainbow Dash said “Anyway there's something I wanted to show you and the squirt. It’s back at your home.” I then turned to Scootaloo and said “want to see what it is?” She then looked at me and replied “Are you being serious... of course, I do.” I then smiled and said to both her and Rainbow Dash “Grab hold and I’ll get us there quickly.” To this, they both smiled as Rainbow Dash said “Instant Transmission?” To this, I just nodded my head as they approached and placed a hoof on my legs. I then heard Rainbow Dash shout “This is going to be awesome!” and with that, I perform the motions to carry out the skill as we disappeared.
Chapter 14 - This is Why I Hate Parties.Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.
Chapter 15 - A New Type of ElementAuthor's Note Thank you to Wanderer_Mike for Doing this crossover with me. If you are interested in Mike go read his story Guardian of Equestria. Chapter 15 - A New Type of Element -Unknown POV- I finally arrived at my mansion in the Everfree Forest. I swooped down to the trees below and landed roughly on the green lushes leaves of the dark tree. My Fire Strike wings instantly vanished in flames and ash, as he came out from my right arm plate. A small whistle escapes his beak as he admires the new house. “You weren’t kidding when you said Claw Leaf remodeled big.” He spoke in a deep tone while he admired the scenery around him. “Told ya,” I replied. Looking around, I noticed a few Timberwolves around the house pacing and sleeping. “Claw Leaf, did you have some visitors?” “Some pegasus guards flew overhead after they saw you flying away. ” Claw Leaf replied “I hid the mansion and put some security, just in case they decided to land” I nodded, as Fire Strike looked around “Are you kidding me?” “Not the time for this conversation. Nice to see you again, Strike. Although I can only feel you.” Fire Strike looked at me. “Order of the Elements, isn’t it?” he asked. I nodded. “Fine.” Strike admitted, looking around. “Leaf, I hope you thought of adding a few rooms for each one of us.” “Try the top floors.” Leaf replied towards Fire Strike, before directing his speech to me “By the way, another token arrived.” I raised an eyebrow. “Another? What is it this time?” “A amulet.” I traded a glance with Fire Strike, before we both walked inside, directing ourselves towards the living room. There I noticed an amulet in the shape of a long sword, somehow similar to the one Zelda used to have, with Celestia’s and Lunas’ Cutie Mark embedded on each side of the blade. I calmly approached the blade and touched it. A message instantly sprung into my head. Hi my name is Craig. If ever you are in danger, are scared, frightened or even just need an ally to stand by your side in your darkest hour. Call on me and I will come and do everything in my power to aid you. I tilted my head “Somehow, I expected Link's’ name, but Craig?” I spoke out loud. I look at Fire Strike for a moment, then back at the sword. “Should I call him?” “You’re not in danger.” Claw Leaf started. “Or scared.” Fire Strike added. “Or frightened.” Leaf continued “Or in your darkest hour.” Strike finished. “You’re right. But I do need somebody to have a chat.” I then picked up the sword and raise it in a knights’ salute. “Hey there Craig, Mike Elemental here. I’m not in any peril right now, but I do miss another human to talk to. You’re available?” -Craig’s POV- As I slowly rose my head I began to rub my forehead as I feel a strange sensation all over my body. I then looked around me and see what looked to be my amulet glowing on the desk beside me. I slowly touched the hilt of the amulet and hear a voice as quiet as a whisper say “Hey there Craig, Mike Elemental here. I’m not in any peril right now, but I do miss another human to talk to. You’re avaliable?” Yeah might as well, I could a bit of a wake-up call I thought. I then quickly grabbed a piece of paper and the pen from a nearby draw then wrote “Got a call from a Displaced be back soon. see you later, Craig.” I then continued to walk downstairs and placed the note on a table. Once I was sure Scootaloo would find it I continued to walk back upstairs to my room and grabbed my guitar from beside my bed and put the strap over my shoulder. I then grabbed my amulet, raised it above my head and then quickly slashed the amulet downwards in a vertical motion directly in front of me that created a portal that was large enough for me to walk through. I then placed the amulet back around my neck and walked through the portal and towards wherever this Mike was. -Mike’s POV- A few minutes after I made my call, a portal suddenly opened in the same place I was standing a few minutes before. Fire Strike jolted at the sudden appearance from his perch, as the entire tree shook when Claw Leaf felt a strange presence. “Easy guys” I spoke to both “I believe my call has been answered.” even so, I kept my left hand at the ready in Strikes’ view. Seconds later a figure similar to mine began to walk out of the portal. Once he had passed through, he opened his eyes, looking around until he focused on me. With a smile, he said “You must be Mike” he extended his hand out “I’m Craig. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” I relaxed my left hand and raised my right, grabbing Craig’s and shaking it. “Nice to meet you too, Craig. And it’s good to meet someone new, even if they’re from an Alternate World.” I then point towards Strike “That’s Fire Strike, a phoenix and the Flame of Loyalty.” At the mention of his name, Fire Strike puffed out his chest, showing his regal self towards Craig. Craig then smiled and said “Well, I might as well introduce you to my friends” seconds later a Liquid form began to appear from between his clothes and slowly covered his body, leaving what appeared to be a dark blue suit covering him. Once his body was completely covered he said “This is BiiSahSpaan or Bii for short” Seconds later I heard a voice chuckle and then Craig said “and as you can guess” he then pointed at him and continued to say "this is Discord.” I blinked at the draconequus. “My world or his?” I asked Discord. To this, he just smiled and said “Craig’s, I do owe him for the trouble I caused to him.” “Good to know,” I said, turning to Craig. “I think Discord must have some kind of grudge towards me in here, after the prank, I managed to pull. Either way, what’s your timeline?” Craig then looked at me and said “in my world, we are around three days after Discord was released from stone the first time. “In other words, you got in the beginning of season two.” To this Craig just smiled then said “Eyuup.” “Okay,” I glanced at Discord “More than enough. But where are my manners?” I moved my hand towards a pair of couches “Get yourselves comfortable while I prepare a drink. Tea?” To this Craig just shook his head and said “No thank you I'm fine”. I then looked at Discord to see that he had already got himself a drink of lemonade. “Right.” I then walked towards a small couch, picked up a kettle with water before I put it at Strikes’ level, “Heat it up, please.” Fire Strike arches his head, and a small stream of fire comes out of his beak towards the bottom of the kettle. Five seconds later, the kettle starts whistling. “So, can you tell me how you ended up in Equestria?” I asked, pouring the boiling water into a cup while thanking Fire Strike. To this Craig looked at Discord then said “well Discord screwed with me for years before I arrived in Equestria before he was released from stone, but to how I got here… well, I don’t know.” I blinked, turning to Discord. “You can do that?” To this he smiles and says “Yes but it wasn’t easy but i’d had years of practice in breaking the fourth wall as you all like to call it. I then used my magic to find a being whose life had been destroyed by chaos.” “Why?” He then looked down to the ground and muttered something that I didn’t hear. Craig then said, “Someone threatened to destroy him whilst he was encased in stone, he hasn’t told me who but I believe him.” I frowned for a moment, until I felt my couch tug my arm. Claw Leaf sending a message. “I see.” I started slowly. “And if Discord doesn’t want to tell, then that means he’s afraid of whoever threatened him. Even for a being of Chaos.” To this Craig nodded his head then shut his eyes before I heard a voice in my head say “There's more to it than I'm willing to let everyone know. I’m pretty sure who it is but I don’t want to risk Discords safety until I have evidence to prove who it is.” My eyes widened, and before I could speak, Claw Leaf beat me to it “Okay, now that we know that you can speak telepathically, let’s put a few rules: one, warn Mike beforehand, if you don’t want a sudden mind trap; two, never pull that unless in case of extreme emergencies; three, signal the next time you do it. I’m Claw Leaf, the Nature of Honesty, by the way.” Craig then smiled and said “I wondered who it was I knew there was a third life source around here and duly noted. Oh and do yours and Fire Strikes personalities match your element counterparts?” Fire Strike recoiled, as I tilted my head “Okay, I’ve been meaning to ask, but what kind of powers do you have?” Craig then opened his eyes and said “I can manipulate anything from any computer game I've played. Up to yet, i’ve used things from Dragonball Z, Skyrim, Saint’s Row and Skills from Naruto.” “A Reality Manipulator.” Fire Strike spoke up for the first time. “What he saw once can be replicated at will.” Craig then smiled and said “I guess I can create things like this” He then closed his eyes and a black sword appears on his back. he then opens his eyes and quickly unsheathes the sword and holds it sideways and then said “as easy as that.” I eyed the sword for a few moments, nodding “Quite the useful ability you have.” He smiled “yeah, I pulled a similar trick on Discord and summoned a sword that hurt dragons more than normal.” "So your abilities depend on your knowledge from games, anime and cartoons." I said, thoughtful "Gotta admit, that's one of the best, yet dangerous ability you have." “No just games the skills from Dragonball Z are from a game called XenoVerse. I haven’t tried anything from cartoons,” admitted Craig. “Then don’t try it. You have Pinkie as the perfect example.” I told him before sipping some tea. He just smiled and said “Yeah, she’s not that bad, though. She’s quite a good drummer as well, we are part of a band.” I lowered my cup, looking at him. "Cool. Maybe one of these days you can summon me to one of your concerts." I put down the cup then got myself comfortable on the couch "Don't you have any questions? So far, I'm the only one doing them." Craig rubbed his head and said “That's one thing about me I omit from all conversations I have the social side of Aspergers.” he then sighed and said “I’m terrible when it come to meeting new people.” He then looked to the side of him before he smiled and asked me “I do have one question? Why is Celestia and Luna hiding outside? You piss them off or something?” My eyes widen at the question “What?” I instantly jumped off my couch, reaching the window beside the main entrance, and took a peek outside. “Claw Leaf.” “I can’t feel them.” Leaf reported “They’re veiling themselves quite well.” “Why didn’t you hide the mansion when we got in?” Strike asked, sliding towards the other window. “The mansion is hidden.” Leaf retorted “Otherwise, we would already be surrounded by their guard.” “I doubt it.” I turn towards Craig “Are you sure they’re hiding outside?” I asked. To this he just nodded his head and tells me “I can sense their power levels.” He then shuts his eyes “they're using magic. Tracking magic.” he then opened his eyes “They're tracking you using a spell.” He then walked up to me, placed his hand and my chest and whispered “Spell Break” and said “There, they can’t track you anymore.” I look at my chest for a second, thinking. How did they manage to follow me this far? And this is Leafs' territory. Surely they know the risks of an ambush from him by reaching me. I blinked. "Craig, can you do the same to Fire Strike?" I ask, looking at Craig. “No problem give me a second” He then moves his hand towards Fire Strike and repeats the same process as before. He then looked back at me and said “Let me deal with the Princesses.” I shook my head. “No. Celestia and Luna are after me. Celestia especially.” I glance at Fire Strike, lifting my right arm. Strike nodded and spread his wings, before turning himself into fire and taking off towards the armplate on the arm, disappearing. The armplate changed color, becoming red with his insignia. “If they saw you, things could get even more complicated, and I don’t know how to remove a petrification spell from the outside.” He then smiled and said “Yeah. But when are you not you? Besides, they can’t hit what they can’t see.” I put my hands on his shoulders. “Let’s keep the surprise attacks for another time.” I look outside. He once again smiled and closed his eyes and seconds later becomes a perfect copy of me. He then mimicked my voice perfectly “Like I said when are you not you?” I stared at him for a moment, as an idea formed in my head. “I suppose pranking them a little wouldn’t hurt,” I said, grinning. “Give me time to give you room to move.” “Hmm… I have a better idea. Ever watched Tom and Jerry?” -Third POV- Mike calmly walked outside the mansion, noticing the door disappearing between the leaves of the tree. He stopped at the edge of the tree, looking around. No-one in sight. “Showtime,” he muttered before taking a deep breath. “MARSHMALLOW! MOON PIE! COME OUT COME OUT WHEREVER YOU ARE.” The reply came out instantly. “STOP CALLING ME THAT!” No sooner Celestias’ voice was heard, both Princesses revealed themselves from the veil that was covering them. No big surprise when they revealed the armour they wore the last time both sides fought two millennia ago. The only difference was that Celestia was red with rage and Luna was flushed with embarrassment. “Those still fit?” Mike asked, eyeing the armour “Even after all this time?” Celestia's’ glare was strong enough that it felt the entire forest was about to enter dry season. Luna looked at him. “It is not as if we’ve been getting ourselves out of shape after so long.” Mike raised an eyebrow. “Maybe not you Luna, but my question was more directed towards Celestia.” Luna pursed her lips, looking unamused. “And Celestia, could you lower the temperature? There are living beings in the forest that don’t like that kind of heat. Especially when you’re drying the spring and putting the Everfree on the verge of a forest fire.” Celestia kept glaring at Mike for a couple of seconds before realizing he was telling the truth. The lake that surrounded the tree was turning into steam, and the column of trees that surrounded it were starting to have dry leaves. She took a deep breath, closing her eyes. After a full minute, the temperature was back to normal and the Sun Princess had regained her regal posture. Her glare, however, didn’t waver. “You should know by now that I’m being very patient towards your insults and provocations.” she spoke, keeping her voice leveled. “Yet, your actions have been proving otherwise.” I replied “Sending spies after me towards the Badlands was also a bad move, considering the group of dragons that showed up after I reunited with Fire Strike.” Both Princesses stared at him, wide-eyed. “You got Fire Strike back?” Luna asked suddenly. Mike tilted his head towards them, raising an eyebrow. “Oh yeah. How do you think I figured you were close enough for me to throw an insult?” he smirked. “Even after two millennia, those necklaces can still be used.” Celestia winced at the answer, but quickly recovered “It doesn’t matter. We can still defeat you, even if you have only one Elemental Spirit.” she said, lowering her horn. Mike frowned “I’ve told you already. I’m not going to fight you.” Luna took position besides her sister “It matters not if you either want to fight or not. You better surrender and return to your stone prison.” her horn lit up. “Otherwise, be ready to face us at full strength!” Celestia finished, her horn also lighting up. Mike sighed. “Fine. I’ll take the chance to try something new then.” Taking a stance, he took a deep breath and let out a shout, and two arms suddenly popped into view. Both princesses stared in shock at the sudden appearance of the new arms. Mike then shouted again, and another pair of legs popped into view, side-by-side with the first pair. He looked at both Princesses with a maniac grin, and with one more shout, another head popped beside the first one. Celestia and Luna just stared in horror, their eyes complete pinpricks, as each pair of heads focused on each one of them. Both heads changed a brief glance, before turning back and asking at the same time, hands twitching “Do you know what time it is?” Both Princesses stared at the sudden transformation, unable to talk. Both gave a slow, small shake of their heads. Mike's’ grin widened “It’s HORROR TICKLING TIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” both heads yelled, their voices echoing through the Everfree as red wings sprouted from his back. Without giving them any time to react, Mike charged towards the Princesses cackling crazily, four arms stretched and fingers moving in wiggling motions. As if that triggered an old memory from the Princesses, both screamed and disappeared in two flashes of light, moments before Mike could reach them. He stopped in midair, looking around. “Are they gone?” the left head asked the right. Before coming out of the mansion, Mike and Craig had come to a plan. Something both remember from a show in their Worlds. With that in mind, Craig hid behind Mike and Bii camouflaged him in order to hide his presence until the right time. The second head shook “No.” he whispered. Suddenly, he pulled to the side, as a dazzling white light passes by where both were just standing. Mike looks up. “I believe your senses are a little off in this World,” Mike spoke. Out of the sky came a light blue chariot, pulled by a pair of pegasus wearing armor of the same color as the chariot. Both armors covered their bodies completely, only revealing the feathers of their wings, telling the color of their coats: dark blue and lemon yellow. On the chariot, a unicorn wearing the same kind of armor looked down at them. “Elementalist!” the Unicorn called. A Mare by the voice. “Surrender yourself to the Order!” Mike landed on the top of the tree, allowing Craig to detach from him, still looking at the chariot. Craig then shouted, “Who on Earth is that?!” Mike's’ eyes narrow “Trouble.” he looks at Craig “You asked me what I did to piss off Celestia and Luna. My answer lies in my past here, since I was a stone statue for two thousand years.” he explained hurriedly, then passed Craig a small, glowing marble “This is my token, in case you need to summon me.” Craig then nodded his head before he said “thank you” after that he tell Mike “If you're telling me to leave you’ve got no chance. Besides it looks like you are in danger and I don’t leave my friends behind; ever.” Mike tilts his head, as a small smile appears on his lips “Craig, I admire your trust, and you can expect mine in return.” he turns towards the chariot “You better get ready for battle.” “It’s time to show them what we can do.” Seconds later his disguise disappeared and he flexes his hand as his guitar came to him. he then flipped the guitar onto his back and places his hand on a strange symbol on the back. Seconds later a sheathed sword appears at his side along with a dark blue chestplate he then shouts “Come and get me if you think you're hard enough.” Mike clenches his right hand, and the armplate where Fire Strike resides starts to glow. The glow spreads through the white stripes until they touch all the armor, changing it to match the same color of the right armplate. A second later, the black suit bursts into flames, disappearing right after, leaving Mike with a set of a red suit and light armor. A japanese sword materializes from the flames in front of Mike, allowing him to grab the handle. With a swift move, Burning Edge gleams at the sunlight, as Mike points it towards the Chariot. “I remember leaving a message to the previous members of your order!” Mike shouted “This is the third attempt you try at me and the Elements!” Burning Edge erupts into flames, as the entire armor also fire up “You really are hard at hearing, aren’t you?” The ponies in the air smirked. “We do not fear you or your Elements!” the unicorn shouted, “Your attacks will not affect us, and your Elements are useless against us!” Craig then shouted “It’s not just the elements you need to deal with this time. Leave now or you won’t leave at all!” he then began to levitate off the ground and then stopped level with the chariot. The group of ponies looked at the newcomer Displaced, surprised that he was flying without any wings, and the mare lowered her horn, preparing to shoot him. “I would think twice before doing that,” Mike called, still from below. Everypony glanced down, as Mike takes off, stopping on the other side of the chariot, hovering. “You know, the order really has an awful sense of timing.” he starts, leaning the sword on his shoulder “Honestly, attacking me on my home turf? And right when I have visitors, not knowing what they can do? Not to mention that the entire forest is being watched, and thanks to recovering Fire Strike, this place is about to get livelier with a band of migrating phoenixes that will probably start scanning the skies.” he frowns at the unicorn “I don’t need to hit you with the Elements. I can simply break that chariot, forcing your guards to carry you. And all I need to do to deal with you three is forcing you to be low enough for Claw Leaf to be in reach. After that, he can decide if you’re going to be the next meal of the Everfree” Mike smiles, revealing all of his teeth “or if he’ll share the meal with me and my guest.” he looks towards Craig “Ever tasted pony?” He then smiled sadistically and said “No but maybe Bii would like to give one a try?” “Tastes like lamb, I assure you.” Mike said, licking his lips towards the mare, then at the pegasus “All meat, no fat. Pegasus have a slight taste of turkey in there, near the region of their wings.” Everypony present was tense enough at what Mike said. All three swallowed loudly. “Take my friends’ advice.” Mike pointed the sword towards the edge of the Everfree, his face neutral “Leave. Before I decide what kind of meat I should cook later for dinner.” The pegasus didn’t wait a second. They bolted in fear, moving as fast as they could while wearing the armor and pulling the chariot. Mike heard another rhythmic flapping and looked up in time to see another chariot flying fast in the same direction of the first group, carrying two ponies. Craig then smirked and closed his eyes as a small pistol appears in his hands he the point it above his head and shoots three bullets straight towards the sky then shouted “and don’t come back!” Second, later he flew over to Mike and said “Sorry I couldn’t resist.” Mike looked at him and smiles, shaking his head “It’s okay, after all I couldn’t resist in pulling that prank towards the princesses too.” he looks towards the two chariots leaving the Everfree, then back at the tree, his eyes narrowing. “Two chariots, one pulling a pair, other pulling one…” he muttered. Craig looked at Mike. “What do you think the purpose of this attack was and when do you think Celestia tagged you?” “Celestia never tagged me. It was a charm I gave her twenty five hundred years ago.” Mike replied, still looking at the distance “A way for me to know if she was ever in danger. It seems that she managed to reverse the location spell on the charm.” he turned towards the top of the tree, his eyes narrowing “And this attack was aimed at taking me out to obtain the Elements.” Without warning, Mike turned towards the tree, lifting Burning Edge as if it were a spear, and threw it. The sword blurred through the air until it hit the top of the tree. A short cry was heard, before a pony appeared right in front of the blade, fumbling back. He looked at the blade in shock, before reaching his head with a hoof. Mike landed loudly right beside the blade. “Consider yourself lucky.” he spoke coldly “I wasn’t aiming for your horn.” Craig then walked up to the now hornless unicorn and said “are you okay?”before he sighed “okay stupid question, Second and third question, Do you have a name and what are you doing here. Oh and just so you know think of this as good cop bad cop, you do as I ask and my friend here won’t hurt you any more.” The pony stared at both of them, before assuming a defiant stance. “You get nothing from me.” he snarled. Craig then looked to Mike and said “go ahead” He then whispered to him “Don’t kill him just rough him up a bit.” Mike cracks his knuckles, grinning “Oh, I’m going to enjoy this.” he then starts rubbing his hands. “Craig, there’s a full body armor under his cloak, protected with paralysing poison for those who touch it.” he then flex his fingers, making them crack “Can Bii remove them without any risk?” Craig shrugged and said “Most Symbiotes are, the only poison that they weren’t immune to what specially made to kill them” Craig then walked over to the unicorn as Bii forms a sharp blade and quickly slices some leather straps that are holding the armour to the unicorn's body. As it begins to come off Craig said “if you tell us your name I promise I will make sure my friend here doesn’t kill you.” The pony laughed. “Please. I’ve been trained to withstand any kind of pain. Do you really believe hitting me will do you any good?” “Who said anything about hitting?” Mike spoke, approaching the pony, now revealing his coat. pale orange. “I’m not gonna beat you to a pulp. I’m not going to kill you.” Mike blinked, and his eyes flashed blue for a few seconds “But I wonder if the treatment I’m going to give you will make you reconsider.” The pony glared at me, keeping his stance, but his hinder legs were quivering. “I know all of your treatments. No matter what you do, you’ll never break me.” Mike's’ grin widened. “Challenge accepted.” Without warning, Mike dashed towards the unicorn, his hands flexed like claws. “Here’s a funny fact about pressure points.” he started, hitting the unicorn under the muzzle with two fingers “If hit in the right order with the right strength and precision, any kind of pent up stress can be relieved. But what happens if we hit them in the wrong order or miss the pressure point or don’t apply the right strength?” Craig then smiled and said “you can cause complete paralysis to the target's body. leaving them immobile until a time you decide to let them move.” He then walks up the side of the unicorn and whispered “Imagine what we could do to you in that time.” Mike raised a hand towards him. “Don’t get in my range, or the treatment will hit you,” he spoke without slowing down the hits. Craig then said “you still have time to tell us what we want” and then proceeded to walk away. “Or not.” Mike stopped “What you said was partially right, Craig. But my treatments have a funny side effect.” “Like what?” Craig asked. Mike shook his hands, sighing in relief “I have three treatments that I consider forbidden to ponies. But against dangerous creatures or prisoners, they’re the most lethal.” he smiles at the Unicorn “Purgatory, Hell and Reaper. Guess which one you got?” The unicorn stood still, eyes wide at Mike's’ question. Mike approached him and flicked his forehead. The reaction was instant. The unicorn fell to the ground, twitching and spasming violently, unable to scream. Craig then looks at Mike before he said “release him.” “Just because he cannot scream, doesn’t mean he cannot speak.” Mike told Craig, kneeling on front of the pony’s face. “Hell is one heck of a treatment, you know? All the nerves in your body just became sensitive spots from the accumulated stress, becoming too much unbearable to withstand.” the pony gasped for air, his legs twitching “It won’t kill you, but the pain you’re feeling is going to put you into an eternal agony.” Craig then said “tell us what we want to know and i’ll make him stop” The unicorn stared at them both, clenching his teeth. “N...nnnn...” “Don’t make me use the Truth treatment on you. And believe me, that one is even more painful.” Mike added as a matter of fact. Craig then walked up to Mike and said “let me try something.” Mike looks at him and nods “Go ahead. But be warned, touching him will worsen the torture he’s feeling right now.” Craig then nodded his head and knelt down next to the unicorn and said “I don’t like to see creatures suffer. Please let me help you.” The unicorn then looks at Craig and says “I don’t fear your threats!” he managed to growl between clenched teeth. Craig then sighed before he drew his sword and the unicorn then begins to flinch in fear. Craig then rotates the blade and shows the unicorn the side of the sword with Celestia’s Cutie Mark on it and says “You know I am a Canterlot knight and do want to protect the innocent but I can’t help you unless you tell us your name, I swear on my parents memory that I won’t kill you but if you don’t tell us not only will I make sure you feel more pain but I will start scanning your mind to get the answers I want. I imagine that there wouldn’t be much of a brain left from the mess I could leave it in.” he then walked up to the side of the unicorn and said “I can’t imagine your family would like to see you as a broken, slobbering mess. I wonder what I could do to them, I bet the everfree would love to see what your family tastes like. One click and I can have them all here in cages and feed them one by one to the Timberwolves, And you know the best thing I could do is force you to watch them being devoured. It’s your choice.” Mike looked at Craig with a raised eyebrow “Wow. Dude, you can be quite a nightmare when you want.” he said before turning around “I’m gonna call the pack. They sure would love some ponies for dinner.” Craig then smiled “The balls in your court, little Unicorn. The information we want or your family’s lives are forfeit. Do you want to risk it?” The Unicorn stared his eyes pinpricks. As Mike reached the limits of the tree and prepared to give a sharp whistle, he gasped “Wait!” both Mike and Craig looked at him “Camouflage. That’s my name.” Craig then smiled and said, “Thank you Camouflage, now why are you here?” Camouflage gasped and groaned, trying to hold the torture of the treatment. Mike approached him, kneeling in front of him. “Camouflage, we’re both being patient with you. Claw Leaf is holding back at my order, and Fire Strike sometimes has a really short fuse when either my life or his are at risk. I didn’t call the timberwolves, but your order knows very damn well who’s the one controlling them.” his eyes narrowed “Last call, Camouflage. Three questions: What is the order of the Void, what’s your mission here and why?” Camouflage stared at Mike, trembling. He gulped visibly, still trying to hold on against the torture, until he saw Fire Strike materializing from Mike's’ right armplate, red eyes glowing towards him. “T-the order of the V-Void…” Camouflage stammered “w-was created two thousand years ago, after the Week of Darkness. I-Its objective is the capture and destruction of the Elements. M-My mission was to infiltrate your house and capture the Element of Fire and Nature when they were at their weakest moment.” “Tough luck with that.” Claw Leafs’ voice was heard “I admit, you managed to hide your presence on top of the tree, but the moment you entered the mansion, your talent would become useless.” Mike kept looking at Camouflage for a few seconds more after his confession. He then sighed and pressed a spot behind his head. Camouflage tensed and went limp. Craig then looked at Mike and said “is he going to be okay?” “Yeah, don’t worry.” Mike replied “I released him of the treatment.” with a snap of his fingers, a trio of timberwolves appeared between the foliage of the trees “Take him to the outskirts and leave him there. Make sure he’s not touched by any predator.” he then thought for a moment. “Your kind included.” The Timberwolves nodded, but before they took him away Craig shouted “What one minute.” Craig then walks up and whispered “I swore I'd never use this” he careful opens Camouflages’ mouth and points his fingers at his tongue then says “Cursed Tongue Eradication Technique” seconds later a small black mark appears on the back of his tongue, he then whispers to Camouflage “I’m sorry but I have to ensure you never tell anybody about us if you ever do from now on you will be paralyzed. May Celestia have mercy on my soul.” he then nodded to the Timberwolves and said “take him away” Two of the wolves disassembled themselves, forming a larger version of themselves. the third one then picks up the Unicorn and gently lowers him on the back of the combined. Once he’s strapped, Mike goes into his mansion and comes out writing a message on a piece of paper. Marshmallow, Start looking for secret organisations bent on hunting me and the Elements. Otherwise, I might start hunting them. This is one of their members. They call themselves the Order of the Void. Lay off the cake you’re eating in frustration and start searching. Mike The wolves waited patiently as Mike finished the letter. With it finished, he rolls it and ties it around Camouflages’ neck. With a nod, the timberwolves depart at a fast jog towards the edge of the Everfree. “Let me guess: that was from Naruto.” he finally spoke towards Craig. Craig then sighed “yeah. I learned it from the first Displaced I ever met. He was sent to Equestria as Sasuke Uchiha and when I met him he had just hospitalised Celestia. He then used that technique to prevent his assistant from saying anything about me.” “Each World with its problems, it seems.” Mike said “Thanks for the assist back there.” Craig then said “No problem nobody hurts my friends” “That wasn’t the only assist I was talking about.” Mike added with a grin. Craig then smiled, rubbed his head before he said, “you mean the threat to harm his family don’t you.” Mike chuckles “I was talking about the prank we did to the princesses.” “Oh yeah. I’ll admit that was brilliant,” Craig chuckled. Both burst into laughter as the memory of the prank came to their heads. “I think Celly is going to have some nightmares after what she saw. And Luna… I don’t even know how she’ll react!” “That's something I was wondering. Why did that scare them so much?” asked Craig. “I used to tickle them nonstop when they were fillies. Every. Single. Time.” Mike explained with a wide smile. “Seriously that’s what terrified them. Oh my God that's hilarious.” “Try growing up while getting tickled for any reason.” Mike explained “They were so adorable I couldn’t resist spoiling them each time I saw them.” his smile faded “Until they hit their teens. After that, I simply tickled them each time they did something wrong or got into trouble.” “So in essence you see them as your children,” asked Craig. “More like little sisters.” Mike said “I saved them from a pack of Manticores when I came to Equestria. Nice way to discover my powers and the Elements.” Craig then smiled at Mike before he asked him “want to see them when they can’t see you?” Mike shook his head “No, let them be. It would be rude to spy on them. Also, I have other plans for the future.” “Okay then” he then looked at the sky and “I better head back soon my daughter will probably be worried about me.” Mike nodded. “Okay then.” Mike looks at Fire Strike “Can you get his sword?” Fire Strike nods and prepared to take off, but Craig said “there’s no need” he then reached under his top and pulls out a perfect copy of the blade and says “I have my own copy” Fire Strike stares at the sword “Always prepared to go back, it seems.” he spoke. “Wouldn’t say I'm ever prepared for anything, but I am prepared for most of the unexpected.” Mike smiled and approached Craig “Then I guess this is goodbye.” he pulled out a pair of bracelets. In each there were three feathers, each one a different color, one leaf and one dragon scale “This charm is meant to protect you against enemies. If you’re attacked while wearing it, it will trigger a defensive barrier from one Element. If ever in danger, it will provide protection.” he passed both to Craig. “Be warned that it only has energy for one defense from each Element. Good for escaping dangerous situations.” Craig then smiled and said “Let's hope I never need to use it.” Craig them smiled and said “If the order ever give you trouble again, or Celestia and Luna don’t hesitate to give me a call.” he then rubbed his head and said “one good turn deserves another, do you remember Dragonball’s potential unlocking do you want to to boost your power as thanks?” Mike shook his head. “I’ll pass.” he raises his right arm, touching the white stripes. “In comparison to Goku, I also have my own training gear, ready to jump out in case I need to fight seriously. And I don’t want to get too much overpowered. But I’ll keep your token at the ready, just in case.” “It has been a pleasure to meet you Mike.” he then laughed and said “If you had took my offer you could have been Mystic Mike.” Mike smiled wryly “I already have two titles, don’t need another one.” he said, “May the Elements protect you from future dangers.” Craig then smiled and saids “Same to you” he then raised one hand to his head then salutes Mike. He then takes his amulet off his neck and quickly slashes the blade of the downwards creating a large hole similar to the one he appeared from originally. He then placed the amulet back over his head and begins to walk through the portal and disappeared from view.
Chapter 16 - Me and My EgoSomething has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.
Chapter 17 - Jagged Claws-Craig’s POV- I arrived back in my Equestria. I realised what I had just agreed to do something unimaginable and that my hands were shaking and my palms were sweaty. “Oh god!” I muttered. “A war between other displaced, what the hell have I just agreed to!” As I walked down the street I heard ponies of different genders and colours greet me with warm smiles and open hearts. However. The cheery attitude I once had this morning was replaced with fear and worry, leaving me in silent as I walked down the path and past my friends without even seeming to notice them, leaving what was just confused faces on the ponies behind me. I walked closer to home when a loud familiar voice snapped me out of my train of thought. “Hey, Craig! How you doing!” At first, I just ignored her and continued my walk, It was when Rainbow Dash flew up next to my ear and shouted. “Equestria to Craig are you alive in their?!” I motion my head left to right, trying to shake the ringing sound out of my ear. “Oh sorry, I have just been told something a bit worrying,” “What do you mean?!” She asked shifting her body. I tilted my head close to the ground, guilt-ridden across my face. “War,” I muttered. She was muffling a laugh with both her hooves while she hovered in the air. “Ba ha, Oh~ Good one, Craig you really fooled me there, haha. Right!” I kept my head tilted towards the ground, trying to show Rainbow Dash that I was not joking what so ever. “...Craig… you’re joking, right?” Her tone quickly turned to worry. At that point and time, I could feel the eyes of praying ponies directed towards me and Rainbow Dash as if they were trying to listen in on our whole conversation. Their stone glare digging straight into my heart. I leant in close to dash's ear and whispered. “Let’s not speak about this here," I pleaded. "let's wait till I’m at my house. Ok, Dash," I leant back and noticed that her eyes had dilated to a smaller size. “OK," she quietly replied. “Thanks” I continue to walk into the direction of my home while Rainbow Dash hovered close behind. When I looked back I could see that all of the nearby ponies were very confused, I was surprised they didn't hear me and Dash's short going conversation even though ponies had much better hearing than humans. When I looked up into the sky, I found the sun peacefully planted in the sky, it reminded me of a certain ruler of Equestria. Celestia is not going to like this, I thought. As we steadied down the path to my home Rainbow raised her hoof to ask a question, she hesitated but never spoke. She put her hoof down and ended the tension between us. When we got back to my home, I was greeted by a still small little door that was meant for ponies, not humans. I opened the door, gestured Rainbow to come inside and closed the door. I flipped the lock on the handle, locking the door so that nopony would barge in on our conversation. “Okay!" Dash quickly shouted. She took in a deep breath and exhaled. "Can you please tell me what you mean by "War"?!" She asked in a shaky tone of voice. I sighed, knowing Rainbow Dash she wouldn't stop asking until I either gave her the answer or told her the truth. So either way, she was going to know. "What I mean by that dash is.." I sighed again, slipping my lengthy fingers through my hair as stress flowed through my aching head and chest. "That... During my recent Displacement, I heard of a war between two Displaced. One who I have already heard off and kinda met and another which I've never seen or heard of. When I found out more about this, our enemies I heard that there is a creature that refers to himself as "Killjoy" that started all of the war off and could potentially be very dangerous.” She then looked at me and said “God you sound like Twilight, but I don’t see how this affects you.” I then sighed and said, “it effects me as I am now part of that war.” She then looked at me and shouted “what the buck! Why in Celestia’s name would you join a war!” I then looked at her and said “I joined it to protect those who are close to me, you, Scootaloo, Twilight, Everypony.” She then just looked at me and asked me “protect us from what?” I then nod my head before I said “I can’t tell you any more, however, I can tell you that some of these guys have had years of experience in honing their skills. I know at least one even defeated Celestia and Luna and another is a murderer.” “You can’t do it you're facing monsters, murders and Celestia knows what else!” she shouted as he looked directly at me. “It’s not just this reality need to protect. I met some innocents during my last adventure, young foals, one was attacked and I saved him, I then met the Displaced of that world and let's just say I need to help friends and uphold a promise” I then heard Rainbow dash say “But… it’s a war, you could be killed.” I then looked at her and said “Ask Twilight about the multiverse theory, to sum the bit I'm worried about up, when realities collide they merge or destroy each other this would mean that the whole universe would not exist killing all the inhabitants of both realities, but I am no physicist so I could be wrong about my fear.” “Everypony could die.” Rainbow Dash whispered almost unheard I then nodded my head and said “that is why I need to fight, if I can’t stop what's going to happen he could kill you, Twilight, Scootaloo, everyone.” She then looked me dead in the eyes and says “then you need to be ready for anything.” I then looked at her in confusion and asked her “what do you mean?” “We are getting Celestia’s help.” “Wait what?” She then smiled and said “you’ll see. But first, we need to see Twilight.” I then just rubbed my head and think “what is she planning” with that we then begin to walk out of my house and towards the library. -Unknown POV- Far off in the Whitetail woods in Equestria, A small orange creature was cutting and chopping through leaves, roots, branches and bushes with a large silver machete with its tip cut clean at the end. “First thing ya know yu’r hav’n fond memories with y’er dear old nephew after not see’n him for ov'er 1,720 years. And as ya just about ta give’em an old gift ya walk straight in’ta ah bloody Gat-way!” He said aloud with a semi-high pitched Scottish accent. He walked through the Whitetail woods with no sign of stopping or resting. "Right lad, jus remember what th'e, Angel said ta ya and find ah well-managed city or village and tell them ta direct ya to the nearest capital and ask for elp!" He prepped himself. "That!-" He brought the knife in his hand down upon a tree branch, cutting it out of his way leaving a small opening for him to fit through. "-Or jus survive off th'e land until ah Canis comes ta find ya!" He stopped and questioned his last option. "I'll choose th'e first!" As he cut his way through the forest, water like sounds made its way to his large furry ears. He travelled further and was met with a revine, possibly a 75-foot drop down into a strong, rushing current. He raises his arms high above his head and drops them to his side in a dramatic motion. "Great!" He said slowly. Putting his knife in its respective holster. "Great," He repeated. He threw his fist in the air and shouted. "What else can ya throw at me, mother!" As if on cue, large deep breaths and low growls pushed the orange bipedal creature forward from behind, tempting him to jump and take a chance with the fish. He slowly tilted his head back, finding that most of the space behind him to be occupied by a large lion-like creature with bat like wings and a scorpion-like tail. The orange creature nervously smiled at the fierce monster that blocked his only escape route. He spun around and put his hands close to his chest, pointing them outward to show the lion he meant no harm. "Hey, lad!" He said in his happy tone. "Would ya min’d directin me to th'e nearest-" Large sharp claws swooped past his head, by habit, he dogged the lethal blow by mere inches. Again, he spun around 190 degrees and jumped off the cliff into the ravine. The wind past his ears, making a loud whistle sound as his fall accelerated. While in the air he motioned his legs straight, crossed his arms and crashed into the rapid stream with no injuries. He made a quick stop to admire the blue water and swam up. His head hit the surface of the water, he struggled for air. The current pulled him side to side, each time he hit the riverbed wall he cringed as it was felt with great force by the small animal. The strange creature was pulled under the water and dragged across the floor, driving him Into sharp rocks. Blood seeped out of the wound under his belly. Crimson dyed the water as the strong current started to calm. His eyes felt heavy and his body began to weaken from the cold and the thrashing. He struggled to lay the back of his body flat on the stream's surface. Floating like a boat he managed to get his body in the right position, letting his body rest and relax. His vision went dark and his heart slowed, taking the cheerful animal into a soft sleep. Flashing images of him and his family passed him by as they represented something close to his heart, his soul, and his mind. After watching time pass, he slipped from consciousness. -Craig’s POV- As we made our way towards Twilight’s library, I could tell that things were extremely tense between me and Rainbow Dash. I sighed as I attempt to create a conversation between us. “Dash mind explaining what's going on,” I asked. She didn't reply, only stare in awe at the colourless floor. I smiled as I rethink the past, I close the distance between us and shouted next to her ear. “Craig to Dash, you alive in there!” Amazingly I surprised her, she shakes her head back and forth, but as I am imagining she is trying to get rid if the loud ringing sound in her ear. “uhh yeah, just…” she tilts her head towards the ground and whispers. “Worried… You and...” Again, I sighed as guilt spread through me. “let's just stop at the bridge and just have a rest,” I offered the stressed mare. She looked at me with her rose eyes and nods with her head. We made our way onto the bridge, I leant over the rails of the pink coloured bridge “You sure there’s no other way” She then looked at me and I just shook my head at her. I then sighed and said “I don’t think there is. I wish there was another option but I don’t-" I then stopped as I saw something small floating in the water. Rainbow Dash then said, “You don’t what Craig?” I don’t reply as I was fixated on the strange object in the water. It had an orange texture to it and seemed small. Like a child's toy. “What's wrong?” Rainbow asked. I then noticed the water around it is coloured Crimson and my eyes open wide as I run off the side of the bridge and down the bank on the other side. Without thinking about my own safety I just run into the water and up to the creature in the water and carefully pick it up out of the water and walk back up the bank on the side and shouted “Dash go get Fluttershy take her to the library this creature is in bad shape. I’ll get him to Twilight and see if she can help him.” She just looked at me questionably and flew over to see what I was worried about but as soon as she saw the strange animal she instantly flew off as I began to ran towards the Library and said “Hold on little guy, don’t die on me." I reach for the front door of the library I quickly push the door open to find Twilight organising her books and neatly putting away scrolls. I shook my head remembering the reason I was here “This isn’t the time to think about that I need to help this creature” I then shouted “Twilight!” She then turned around and said “Oh hi Craig what's…” she then saw my arms stained in blood and screamed, “what did you do!” I then quickly say “me nothing but found this creature bleeding out, we were too far away from Fluttershy’s to get her, you were the closest person I could think off. Think you can help it?” She then looked at me and said “put it down on the table I’ll see what I can do.” I quickly rushed over to the nearby table and carefully place the animal down. Twilight rushes over with a medical kit in her mouth, places it on the table and opened it with her telekinetic magic and takes out a small rag, places it over the gash on his side and putting pressure on the wound. “We need to work quickly!" Twilight yelled, taking in a deep breath. "I’m not sure how long this thing can last!” I then nodded my head and said “Just do your best, you just need to keep him alive till Rainbow Dash gets Fluttershy here. She’ll know what to do” She then sighed and said “Let's hope your right” As we continued trying to save the small creatures life we became more and more anxious as it became clear neither of us knew what we were doing and understood that we needed Fluttershy to get here as soon as possible. I then decided that we needed more time and I place my hand on the creature's chest and cast grand healing which gave the creature some more of his energy back. Seconds later Fluttershy came through the door and quickly started to examine the creature at this point I walked out the way and took a deep breath as Rainbow Dash walked up to me and said “Are you okay?” “Yeah just worried about the little guy.” She then looked at me and said “the little guy seems to be getting better you did a good thing, Craig.” I then looked at her and said “Then why do I feel like something's wrong. Like he’s not from this reality, it’s like how I feel when I see another Displaced. I can’t explain it.” “I’m sure he’ll be fine we’ll just have to wait and hope for the best.” “Let’s hope it wakes up soon,” I admitted hopefully. Fluttershy ran through the house, picked up the small animal off the table, tucked him under her wing and ran to Twilight's room, not bothering to ask the owner if she may occupy or use the bedroom. Though Twilight didn’t object, she knew that the animal was in pain and thought it would be fine to let the small creature use her bed for the time being. Twilight turned to me with an angry glare. “What did you do, Craig!” She shouted. I raised my hands in the air in a defensive manner. “I didn’t-” “He didn’t do it, Twilight!” Rainbow cut in, she flared her wings open and put her body between me and Twilight. “We found him on our way to your house. He was near the old ponyville bridge soaking in the water. When Craig found him he ran into the water and brought him here, to your house because you were the closest to us!” She said stomped her hoof on the old wood floor. The tension in the room was agonising. Both friends having a stand off to the end. When Twilight regained her composure, she walked over the nearest table, sat in one of the many chairs and smacked her head on the hard surface of the wood. “Sorry, Craig…” Twilight apologised, leaving the room in an empty silence. -Unknown POV- The small creature slowly opened his squinted eyes. Light from the nearby window illuminated the room he was now in. Said room was made of wood, plants, and the windows were made of glass. As he began to sit up, a sharp pain ran from his side to his whole entire body. He looked down and found that his wound from earlier was healed slightly and that they were covered in thick white bandages, soaked in blood. He also found that he was covered in a blanket and his body rested on a very soft bed, possibly made of cotton. When the orange creature managed to sit up without falling back down on the soft bed, he took note of the large room and the cracked door to his left. Voices, male and female were heard. He also took note that his shirt and all the rest of his belongings were missing. Unlike his family, he never liked showing his fur or any other part of his body to sapient creatures, he saw it as uncouth and disturbing. He hopped off the bed and landed on the on the wood floor with his small feet. He tip-toed his way to the cracked door and pushed it open with the palms of his hand. *CREEK* He flinched at the loud sound. From outside, chairs scraped across the wood floor as footsteps made themselves clear of the oncoming guest. The small animal quickly jumped over to his bed and covered himself with the blankets, laying in the same position he woke up in. The door swung open with a loud gasp accompanying it. Silence, then a sigh of disappointment from what he assumed was a female voice. "Oh..." The voice said aloud. "Just give him time, Fluttershy. He'll come around?" A young male voice spoke with sympathy. The door closed and the clopping of hooves made their way outside, leaving the room in an empty silence. He took a peek over his shoulder and found the door behind him to be -as said before- closed. He hopped to his feet and looked out the window that was closest to him. He saw that he was in a little town or village, inside a tree. He put both of his palm on the windows surface and pushed. Unlike the door, it made no sound and fresh air flooded the room. It was when he saw the locals, he questioned where he was. Again, he jumped off the bed and landed on the solid surface of the wood floor. He ran over to the corner of the room and threw open the door to the closet. He pulled out a small green blanket and wrapped it around his torso. He walked over to the door where he believes the strange creatures came from and opened it, ready to meet the locals. -Craig's POV- As I got back down the stairs I just collapsed and murmured “It’s all too much, war, worrying about that creature, it’s just too much.” I then lower my head into my hands whilst looking towards the floor. I then felt a small figure tug on my shirt and I look up to see everyone looking at me in surprise. I then look over my shoulder to see the creature I saved looking at me. "So are ya the bleedin bloke that saved m'he?!" It said with a semi-high pitched Scottish accent, as it's squinting eyes stared at me. I then looked at him and replied “Well yes and no, I found you floating in the river but you were saved by Twilight and Fluttershy” I then pointed to each of the respectively and then continued to tell him “I just brought you here” He just stared at me in disappointment. "Come now lad, yes or no, did ya save m'he?"! He asked, raising his eyebrow. I then sighed and said, “I guess I did in a way, but I don’t take credit alone I have to say it was a group effort.” The small orange creature quickly took my hand and shook it up and down. "Well thank ya for sav'in m'he!" He directed his eyes towards the girls. "And thank you as well girl's!" He motioned his head back at me "The names Paorach lad, nice ta meet'cha!" I then smile and say “Craig and it's a pleasure to meet you.” I then look at him and ask “this may be a touchy subject but what happened to you to give you all your injuries?” Paorach put his hand on his chin and hummed. "Well, lad ah-..." He stepped back and turned his attention to the group in front of him. "Sorry if I'm act'in a bit normal about this, ya get used ta it after traveli’n far off into the depths of space and time!" He turned his attention back to me "But as fu'r yu'r question lad, all I was doin was really mindin ma own business when I jumped in ah ravine full ov sharp rocks and the like!" He continued, waving his hand up and do as if he were describing rushing water. "I went ah wee bit close ta th'e floor of the stream and th'e rock cut onto m'he skin, pullin it off m'he wee skinny body!" I then looked at him and said “Wow you were unlucky.” I then think about what he said and said “Wait did you say space and time? That sounds a lot like the Displaced.” Paorach scratched the top of his head in confusion. "Displaced?" He asked. "Ah don't know what ya mean by that lad?!" “I suppose I may be wrong but the Displaced are being who have been removed from their own realities into a different one in my case from Earth to Equestria.” He took his hand from his head, down to his chin, scratching it. "Sorry lad, but never heard of such ah thing in th'e Canis's archives? Sorry lad, just too much ta take in right now. Remember, just got out ov bed!" He chuckled, walking over to one of the chairs next to the table. "Thanks again for Savin m'he life lad, th'e Canisis will be in your debt when they find out ya saved their shaman!" He laughed. I then turned to Fluttershy and asked her “Have you ever heard of Canis before?” She then looked at me and says “It's a dog I think?” I then shrugged my shoulders and said “well that explains that I guess” I then turn to Poarach and said, “Do you even know where the rest of your kind are?” "It's been a while lad, haven't seen m'he kind in 50 years! Time just flies fu'r m'he!" His smile grew. "But if yer talkin about the Canisis, then yes, seen them 2 days ago!" I then smiled and said, “I guess I better help you find them, I need to make sure you get back to them safely.” Paorach muffled a laugh, his cheery demeanour stayed the same. "Haha, hold on there!" He said, waving his arms at me. "They don't live here lad!" I then looked at him and say “Wait what? You're from a different reality aren’t you, I guess you need a token to get you back home.” He took the token out of my hand and placed it gently and carefully in the other. "Whoa, wait, lad, let m'he finish!" He looked up at the ceiling. "Ah never said ah wasn't from this reality!" He pointed his index finger up at said ceiling. "They live up there!" He smirked. Rainbow Dash then shouted “You mean you live in the sky? How? You don’t have wings? how do you fly?” I then shook my head and said “I think that it’s more likely that he means that he comes from another planet.” Paorach folds his arms over his chest. "Well kinda," He said gesturing with his hand. "Th'e live in th'e "depths" of space, they don't have a planet. Only ah moon." “I guess that means that your people have a lot of advanced tech?” "Floating islands lad, not ships..." I then laughed and said “Sounds like something from Sonic the Hedgehog” He turns his head away and mumbled something I could hardly hear. He looked back at me and frowned. "...Try not ta insult them when ya meet them, they don't like ta be harassed and their very sensitive ta mean words," “Any specific words I should avoid” "Na, just try not ta be a jerk!" He chuckles and jumps off his chair, onto the floor. "They may be wonder’in where ah am by now. Am an alchemist so I need a few things to contact them... It's a magic slash science thing lad, hard ta understand." I then smiled and point to Twilight before I said “If it’s science and magic you need to talk to Twilight, I'd say she’s our resident techie” Paorach slowly walked over to Twilight with his hands behind his back. “So ya th’e one about magic? Well, ah suppose ya could help m’he with contacting them… all ah need is one large crystal!” “Sure! It’s so fascinating to see another creature from another planet! This could help a lot for my research on space!” She said happily. They were about to leave out the front door of the library when Paorach stopped and look at me. “Hey lad will be back in ah bit. We jus going ta‘get a crystal, ah large one at that!” The door shut and opened back up, with Paorach jumping through and landing on the table. “Mind if ah have m’he clothing and stuff back?!” He said, embarrassed by not having his shirt and only a blanket wrapped around his torso. I then smiled and said “We may have, but we only found you with your trousers. Don’t worry I’ll talk to Rarity about getting you some new clothes.” “Thank’s but no thanks, lad!” He said in a worried tone of voice, waving his hand side to side as if to say no. “It’s ah special shirt made from ah special sheep or wool. It’s ah gift from the Canisis!” I then sighed and said, “Well I'm afraid you didn't have it when I found you... but I'll fly upriver and see if I can find it for you.” “Thanks, lad… You said you can get another for m’he- fu’r th’e time being… Right? “Yeah just ask Twilight to take you to Rarity’s and she’ll sort you something out.” I then stopped as I remember something “Oh and be careful not to get wrapped up helping her. Let's just say it won’t be an enjoyable experience.” “Well… OK, Oh head towards th’e woods where there are white trees!” That said, he joined Twilight to head to Rarity and set off to find a large crystal. I then turned to Rainbow Dash and said “Want to help me find it for him it will be easier with the two of us.” She then just nodded her head and said “Why not, I've got nothing better to do.” I then smiled and said, “OK then let's get started.” With that, we walk out the door and we both begin to fly towards the river to try and find the shirt. As me and Rainbow Dash made our way towards the Whitetail Woods, we found the place to be, honestly, very white. We later found a large ravine surrounded by paw prints and yellow fur. My mind instantly thought of a manticore and probably Paorach. We climbed down the steep cliff and reached the bottom. We searched for thirty minutes and not long after we found Paorach's shirt submerged in the shallow water, wet and not a single scratch. Rainbow Dash flew back up while I jumped scaling the cliff to the top. I propelled myself to the surface and landed on my feet. I looked towards Dash and gave her a thumbs up, signalling that we have the garment. We voted to go back to ponyville, knowing that the walk would be long. We decide to strike a conversation, to pass the time. “So, Craig. What are humans like where you’re from?!” Rainbow Dash asked. “Well most of them I met were dicks, the only one’s I truly trust would have been my family and to some extent my martial arts instructor, but apart from that I wouldn’t say a majority of them were pleasant.” I then smiled and said, “There were a few people though who were bearable however most of these I never physically met, a lot of them were people I met through online media.” “Online media?” She said tilting her head. I then smile and say “You remember the laptop I had when I arrived, that was one of the ways I got in contact with them. One of my main friends was someone I met while writing stories” I then begin to frown and muttered, “I wonder how he’s doing now?” “That’s kinda cool! Meeting somepony you can talk to from across Equestria! Sounds like something Twilight would be into?!” I then laughed and said, “Yeah, that reminds me, never let Twilight get hold of my laptop she’d probably try to disassemble it to see how it works.” I then smiled and said, “But yes it is quite cool the only problem was the difference in time zone’s a lot of them were based six hours behind me, always made it difficult to talk to them.” “That’s a bit of a letdown?” “It was but I always say when life gives you lemons make lemonade.” I stopped in my tracks as the feeling of magic washes over my body, but dash somehow didn’t notice. I turn around but found nothing behind us. Dash quickly saw that I fell behind and called my name. “Hey, you okay, Craig?” She asked, flying over and elbowing my shoulder. I then rubbed the top of my forehead and said “I… Don’t… know, Something feels… Wrong?” When Dash turned to walk in the direction of ponyville she was stricken with fear. “Craig,” She whispered. I hear the bushes on the sides of the trail fidget and move. “Craig!” Rainbow yelled, tugging on my shirt. “Whats… Wrong?” I muttered out clearly in agony. I turned around and found that the road was occupied by a large, Orange to Red, 5.9-foot wolf, his size surpassing mine. I then managed to stand up and say “What the hell, Dash behind me… now!” I then quickly drew my sword in one hand and formed a fireball in the other. The wolf angrily barked and growled, the sound echoing off the peaceful wood forest as saliva dripped from the wolf’s mouth. The wolf walked forward, Each step he took, he made a black paw print that scorched to ground, sending smoke from the soil to the air. I then gulped as wherever he stepped he left a scorched pawprint in his wake. I turned to Dash and shouted.“Get out of here I’ll hold it off!” Rainbow Dash then took flight into to the sky, making her way into the direction of ponyville. The wolf barked more and I saw something I thought I would only see in a horror movie. The wolf’s muzzle and jaw opened and split in two, something I would normally see from a zombie in Resident Evil. Smoke left the muscle of the now open wound. razor sharp teeth decorated its mouth, threatening to crush any meat that enters it’s now morphed mouth. I then slowly backed up and muttered “Not good” my hair then began to glow as it slowly rose from my head and turned almost golden. I then say “It’s now or never” I then brought my hands to my side and shouted “KAME...HAME...HA!!!” Seconds later a large blue beam expanded from where my hands were and hit the wolf dead on. However, when the beam faded I found that the creature was still standing and didn’t seem to even have a scratch on it. I then spluttered out “Nothing! I’m screwed, I can’t go near it and I can’t hurt it from a distance.” The wolf smirked and laughed in a deep voice. His body coming ever closer to mine. “Help! Help!” The all too familiar raspy voice yelled. Out from the bushes rose another wolf but with a much larger body, different colour fur and holding Rainbow Dash from her wings with its mouth. The wolf had large angel like wings and bright white fur, with amber eyes. She was female and showed the face of confusion. “Dash!!” I shouted as I clench my fist against my sword. “Get the fuck off her!!” I then bolted forwards as a black gun appears in my other hand as I shot three times at the first wolf, he flinched with every hit. I then jumped and kicked it in the side of the head and pushed off and propelled myself towards the second one and threw my fist towards the jaw of the second one but stopped just before and instead struck her in the chest causing her to drop Rainbow Dash from its mouth as I grabbed her before unloading a whole clip into the wolf's face. The White wolf’s face was set with fear with its ears dropped to the side of its head The wolf fell onto the floor, moaning in pain. I heard the first wolf shout something in a strange language. He took off towards me as if he were not affected by the bullets I shot into him. He motioned his head up, and threw it down, sending a sharp pain down my back. Although the wolf was in front of me and at a good distance, he somehow managed to send fire down my back onto my skin as smoke emerged from the back of my shirt. I then stopped as I realised one important fact “Fire” I then close my eyes as my hands began to change from skin to flowing water. I then shout “Water VS Fire!” I then send as much water as I can find cascading towards the wolf which started to slowly push him back. The red wolf quickly brought together his split muzzle, he grunted as he struggled to keep his pose. He was dripping with water, although I thought he could no longer use fire, he was still a threat with his teeth. He began to regain his footing and trudged through the flowing water. I noticed this and put more power into my water attack. He slipped and fell, sliding on the now wet soil. A single silver male voice yelled from behind, I quickly spun around and was kicked in the chest by a blue airborne wolf with his hind legs stretched out, making contact with my upper body. He propelled himself off my body and successfully accomplishing a backflip while landing on all fours. My ribcage caved on my lungs, making me wheeze and heave as I struggled for air. I fell on the ground, scratching at my throat for oxygen. I moved my hand across my chest feeling my appendage dip into my body, feeling the pain and worry wash over my mind. I coughed blood which poured down my face. “CRAIG!!!” Rainbow screamed while whaling her hooves back and forth, trying to break free from the white wolf’s grip. When I looked over at Rainbow I saw that the white wolf was, again, carrying Rainbow by her wings, somehow unharmed by the bullets I placed in her head. She motioned her head towards the red wolf who only took the features of anger and disgust. “What brought you to attack them!” The white wolf muffled a yelled, her voice easily matching that of Celestia’s. “Did you not smell him!” The red wolf yelled back. “He is drenched in his scent!” I then shouted, “Wait you understand me?” I then turned back to the white Wolf and say “how about this, if I put my blade away you release my friend.” “Simple words are not enough, human,” She said calmly. “We have no reason to bargain, you are in no position to speak at this very moment.” I then angrily shouted “And you had no right to attack us! All we were doing was trying to find our friend's shirt that got lost when he was attacked and arrived in out town bleeding to death!” I coughed, each time I spoke I was interrupted by a sharp pain in my upper body. “We were not the ones to attack first! Our monster of demons over here was merely trying to scare you, and he was told to keep his distance and not interact!” The blue wolf stepped in. “So it was our disobedient Canis who started all this, I will say only that!” I then turned to the new wolf and said “And pray tell what we did to warrant that action!” “Our friend, you are drenched in his scent and blood!” The white wolf yelled, letting her grip on the rainbow mare ease. “We fear you have killed him!” I then clicked on to what was going on and said “Wait, you mean Paorach? I didn’t kill him I found him bleeding to death in the water he’s back in town after being patched up! In fact, he’s trying to contact you. He said he wanted his shirt back that he lost and me and my friend here came to find it” The white wolf took a step back, surprised by the speech I gave her. She shook her head with concern. “You… As you say, he is alive and unharmed?” She asked me. “Yes he’s unharmed, a little injured after what happened to him, but we did not harm him in any way whatsoever!” I then look at her and say “Would you kindly release my friend” “He’s lying! He should be deemed food-” “SILENCE, FLAIR!” The white wolf yelled, sending an echo around the forest. “Your muzzle is to remain shut and unmoving till the remainder of our journey!” Her eyes gazed across my body, examining the damage that was done to me. “Wolf, take this skittle,” The blue wolf wrapped his teeth around the wings of the mare and held onto her the same as the white wolf did. “I believe this was all a misunderstanding, we apologise for our actions and your first impression of our kind.” She said with a concern and soothing voice. White particles wrapped themselves around my body, making the wounds I had dissolve and disappear. It was when it stopped, I was able to breathe normally and able to move. It was when I saw the white wolf pacing back and forth her angered appearance replaced with concern. “Alpha?” The blue wolf asked, his words were muffled due to the feathers in his mouth. But no answer was given. “Alpha?” No reply, but the decorated wolf could tell something was wrong with his own leader. “We can resolve this Alpha?” He said with a soft gentle silver voice. “That all depends, Wolf. We kidnapped a species of this land, we harmed another who was only thinking in self-defence, and we managed to threaten them due to our actions and appearance,” She let her head dip with sadness. “It’s obvious we will not be forgiven for our actions,” I then smiled and said, “Well you're wrong on not being forgiven, after all, if I can forgive a god for making me live through eighteen years of hell and can forgive your kind for a few minutes of suffering.” I then sighed and said, “besides I knew that your kind wasn't like you were acting, I met Paorach after all.” “Your government is different human, they will not be as forgiving as you, we know your kind well and most of your kind is blinded by the evil your leaders holds. But the African American man changed that when he was elected king,” She said, smiling at her thoughts. “He was very kind… though I may be wrong, for there are different species of humans, so I have seen.” “Species… no, we refer to them as different races, and yes I will admit that some of my kind are blinded by darkness, but all it takes is one man to create chaos or create a light to burn that darkness away.” The white wolf pondered Craig’s words, uncertain of his speech. “Tis different human,” She turned to Rainbow, examining her. “But I am more worried about this rainbow-like creature. I fear more for this one, I’ve never seen her kind before?” “I’m a pony and don’t forget it!” Rainbow yelled, still trying to escape Wolf’s grip. I then sighed and said “Dash calm down” I then turned towards Alpha and said, “Would you mind putting her back down, that might be one way to repair your relation with their race.” Alpha, concerned about the thought, decided to compile. “Wolf,” She signalled. Wolf slowly loosened his grip on the mare and placed her on the ground. Rainbow rubbed her wings and ran over to me, checking to make sure I was okay. “Craig! Are you okay?” Dash asked, putting her hoof on my arm and shaking it profusely. Even with our strange situation, I still managed a smile. “Yeah I’m fine. I guess we found Paorach’s rescue party, the better question is are you okay?” “Pff, I’m fine,” She boasted. I then laughed and said “Good to know” I then began to look more serious and told her “can you forgive them for what happened?” Rainbow put her hoof to her chin. “I… guess?” I then smile and look back to the wolves and say “See like me most of the ponies in this world are similar to me in moral.” I then smiled and said, “But let's be fair to Dash if she hadn’t forgiven you would have probably have been in a bit of trouble.” “I would agree,” The Alpha replied. “If you would not mind, will you take us to our shaman?” She asked. “No problem” I then scratched my head and said “So there's five of us should be doable” I then looked at them and said “Grab hold I'll get us back in an instant” The three wolves looked at one another, confusion written on their faces. “We do not understand?” The Alpha replied. “Ok, well…” Rainbow Dash started to explain. “Craig has these awesome powers that are just awesome! So he can do anything that is like, Fly, copy stuff from other games and it’s just so AWESOME!” She put her hooves to her cheeks. “Way to make me feel even more powerful than I am.” I then turned back to the wolves and said “Though it wasn’t much good against you, I can’t believe you survived bullets to the face?” “Yes… For that question, you did not shoot me with your weapon?” She weakly smiled with concern. “You shot yourself, near your foot… It was a mere illusion and alteration spell,” I then looked at them and muttered “For god's sake that’s ridiculous I thought I'd nailed you from where I was” “...Do you remember when you felt pain in your mind, just before we encounter you?” “Yeah I thought something was wrong that's when Dash alerted me to your presence. That's another thing how did you catch her? She’s faster than near enough everyone I know the only exceptions being me, Pinkie and maybe one of the displaced I met if he didn’t hold back” Alpha spread her angel like wings out, making the other two wolves look smaller in comparison. “My wings?” She said flatly. “Though to catch her, it took me some time.” “I guess she underestimated how fast you could go,” She continued back to her story about her magic. “So as we were discussing, My magic was brief as it’s effects do not last long, It takes your mind and makes you think you've done harm to others, but in reality, you put harm to yourself.” “Well I guess it could be worse, I could have ended up killing myself?” She drew her head back, alarmed by what I said. “It’s not possible to have one kill themselves with hypnotic or illusionary spells” “I wouldn’t let some ponies catch wind of your spells.” I then looked at them and said “Anyway let's make our way to Ponyville.” I then gesture to them “You only need to be in contact with me or this to work” “I would rather walk!” The red wolf yelled angrily, walking away from the group. “I do not want your filth, oil like skin to touch my fur!” With that said, he walked down the dirt road in the direction of ponyville. Alpha turned her attention back towards me with an apologetic look. “I apologise for his words and actions,” She motioned her head back to the red wolf. “He hates the human race and is holding a strong and elongated grudge for what they have done to him” The words she spoke caught my interest. “What did my kind do to him?” I asked with a raised eyebrow. “I wish I could change his opinion on us. I for one don’t wish for him to hate me for as long as I live” “He was venturing the planet ‘Earth’ when he was struck with one the human's shocking machines. He was sent to the human scientist and was being dismembered by them,” Her face saddened. “They managed to make him no longer feel physically and he has taken a new path, far from our tradition,” She looked back at me. “I wish we could change that as well, Mr…?” I then angrily stab my sword into the ground and say “I can’t believe my kind would be that evil! If I ever get a chance to find those monsters I will show them how it feels to be dismembered” I then shook my head and said, “where did that come from?” I then scratched my head “Anyway since I came here I have refrained from using my surname. Not even my daughter knows it.” “But you must have a name I can call you by?” “Yeah, just call me by my first name, I don’t mind us speaking like friends” I then smiled, put my hand out and said “Craig” I then picked my sword back up from the ground and quickly sheathed it. Alpha put her right paw out in front of her, shaking my hand, “It is nice to meet you, Craig. I am Alpha.” She directed her attention to the blue wolf. “And this is, Wolf,” Wolf smiled, not saying or speaking a single word. “Ah, Alpha, the leader of the pack I presume?” “Yes, I am the leader of our kind,” She smiled. I then smiled back and said, “You may want to meet Celestia and Luna, they are the Princesses here and the highest authority in Equestria.” “I will Craig, thank you,” She smiled. “Shall we make our way to the village or town that our shaman currently occupies?” “Of course as I said before you just need to be in contact for me to move us.” The two wolves nodded their heads and moved closer to me. “You too, Dash don’t want to leave you behind.” “Alright!” She replied, placing her hoof on my shoulder. I then slowly raised my hand towards my forehead, touch it with two fingers, close my eyes as we all then disappear from sight. We were greeted by the site of white and purple, the area was littered with garments and cosmetics furnished on the ground and walls. As we let go of each other, Rainbow flew out the door with her hoof covering her mouth and Wolf seemed to hunched over almost as if he were ready to spew on the spot while Alpha stayed on the scene unfazed. I scratched the back of my head, concerned for the wolfs well-being. “Wolf, you okay?” “I’m… Fine, Just… Not used to such a form of… Quick transportation,” He replied, closing his eyes in pain as his stomach growled. “I did warn you about the ‘instant’ part of what I was doing, but still Dash isn’t doing well either” I then turned to Alpha and said, “You seem to be fine, though.” She closed her eyes and smiled at me. “I am a leader, we must learn to cope with our situations,” “I wish I could find it as easy as you especially after what I’ve got to do soon.” "And what would that be?" She asked. A scream came from the other side of the room. As this was Rarity's home and workshop, it was obviously her. "Oh, my!" Rarity squealed as she stepped in front of Alpha. "Your fur! It's so beautiful and white!" She said, rubbing her hoof against Alpha's body, feeling the soft surface of said fur. "Tell me, who does your fur, to make it so beautiful of course?!" I then laughed and said “Am I invisible again Rarity” Rarity only stares at Alpha, not paying any sort of attention towards me, the gleam in her eyes showed she was more interested in the figure in front of her. Alpha looked at me with a somewhat uncomfortable look. "Is this a friend, Mr Craig?" “Prepends how you’d class a friend, wouldn’t say we're close but it’s hard to make tight bonds in a few days.” "Is that a no Mr. Craig?" She asked as Rarity kept rubbing the surface of her body. I then sighed “yes we are friends but not close, let me help” I then walked up to Rarity and click my fingers just in front of her face then say “Personal space Rarity!" "Huh, yes dear?" She let go of Alpha and directed her attention towards me. “Rarity, have Twilight and Paorach came by here today” Rarity's eyes widen with happiness as she recalled the not too recent encounter. "Why yes darling, they came by ten minutes ago. Though that small little orange thing does not have a taste for fashion!" She pouted. "If I could have convinced Twilight to keep him here, I could have made some improvements to his clothing and show him how to dress." “I don’t think he’d want that, he was rather set on his previous shirt which me and Dash went to find and met Alpha, Wolf and another one who didn’t want the quick way back." "Well..." She stood next to Alpha and brought out her hoof. "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance Alpha, I am Rarity," Alpha shook her hoof with her paw and gave her a friendly smile. "As is the same Ms.Rarity," She nodded her head towards Wolf. "And this is, Wolf Ste'fur Spirit," Wolf also shook Rarity's hoof up and down gently, his size towering over both me and Rarity. Rarity hesitantly laughed as reality showed her that she was very small compared to these wolves. She closed the distance between us and whispered in my ear. "They are quite tall?" “And I wasn’t when I got here? I can only just get in and out my door each morning” I arguably whispered. "Their features are slimmer and could easily fit through the door if they crouched down, same as you Craig?" She whispered back. then laughed and whispered, “point taken, but you realise they probably heard all that right.” She looked back at the two, Wolf waved at us while Alpha examined Rarity's creations. "What if they did," She turned back to me. "I would take it as a compliment." She puffed her chest out, trying to stay true to her words. I then nodded my head and said “You may, but what about other races, you don’t know anything about their traditions, and I don’t either” "Well... That would be a difficult situation to be in," She admitted. “Just be careful, don’t want to make a whole race hate you.” I then muttered, “Mine already has.” "We are a kind of peace and protection. I apologise, I overheard your conversation," Alpha said, still keeping her directed attention on the clothing. “It’s not a problem.” Rarity was taken aback by the sudden voice. "Oh, I- I am deeply sorry if I offended you in any way Alpha!" She bowed her head. "I took no offence to it Ms.Rarity, do not fret, " She said with a soft voice. “Anyway, Rarity do you have any idea where Twilight and Paorach went after leaving?” Rarity put a hoof to her chin, pondering the thought. "I believe they said they were heading to a gem store or they were going to go out to the edge of ponyville to find a crystal?" She put her hoof down on the floor. "Why do you ask darling?" “They wanted to find a large crystal so Paorach could get in contact with his kind. but that's not an issue now so I was going to find them to save them some time.” "That is so sweet of you darling" She pat my shoulder. "I suggest going to either the ponyville market area or next to Fluttershy's, that would be the best decision." She calmly walked over to one of her many drawings that were plastered on the wall that helped design her dresses. I then turned to Alpha and Wolf and said “Let’s try to catch them up. maybe be better to do this on foot this time” They nodded and began to exit out the front door of the home. Alpha ducked to avoid the impact of the doorway while Wolf managed to hit his head, later on, he learned his lesson and crouched out the door. I then smiled and said “See you later Rarity” and then just teleported myself out the door. I then instantly reappeared outside the door and asked “where do you want to try?” Wolf started to walk in the direction of ponyville market area without saying a word to both me and Alpha. “Do not worry, we shall go search at this ‘Fluttershy’s’ while Wolf looks in the local areas,” I then just nodded my head and shouted “See you later Wolf!” Wolf looked back and nodded his head at us without a word, for not talking at all, he sure was quiet. I then turned to Alpha and asked “Why doesn’t he talk?” “He is very social and will talk occasionally, though I am uncertain of why he is not now?” She turned to me. “Aside from the many questions one has, shall we leave to this ‘Fluttershy’?” I then smiled and said, “Yeah, oh one thing the last bit of her name does say a lot about her she is very shy around new people.” She nodded and understood. The walk was not long but It was not short either. We were greeted by a hill with a small cottage on top of it, it's green and brown textures told that it was old and fragile. I walked up to the door and knocked on it three times with my fist. Hoof steps made themselves clear as they approached the wood door. Said door creaked open as a small cream coloured pegasus reviled herself. “Y-Yes?” She asked in a soft and timid voice. “Hi, Fluttershy how you doing.” She heard my voice and opened the door a lot wider to reveal the interior of the home. “Oh, hello Craig,” “Hi, just a quick question did Twilight and Poarach come near here earlier.” “Who?” She asked, confused by the situation. I then sighed and said, “that creature you helped to save?” “Oh!” She quickly remembered but shook her head. “Well they did come by, but they said they were going back to the library to get… something?” She said, closing the door halfway but still keeping eye contact with me. “Is something wrong Fluttershy?” “No! No!” She quickly replied. “Just uhmm… busy?” “Busy with what?” “...Things?” “I won’t press on if you don’t want to tell me, if you ever need my help just ask?” “uhmm… thanks?” She said as she slowly began to close the door. “Well, I'll see you later? “Okay, Fluttershy I’ll see you later? Although I wish you could have met some of Poarach’s kind?” Fluttershy poked her head out of the door and saw Alpha who sat next to me. She seemed unfazed by the Canis. “Cool,” She said with little enthusiasm. “What’s wrong? you're acting different you're normally more enthusiastic when it comes to meeting animals.” “Wait,” Alpha cut in. “Do you hear that?” She lifted her head up, her left ear twitched. “No I don’t but I can sense something strange” I then shut my eyes and sense something wrong with Fluttershy. I then opened my eyes and reach for my sword and shouted “Who are you and what have you done with Fluttershy!” Alpha runs behind the home, searching for the sound she heard, while me and Fluttershy stare at eachother. “What gave it away?!” She said angrily. “Many things but you didn’t sound like she normally would, plus she’d never push a friend away!” “So what!” She shouted. “It’s not like you’ll find out who I am If I just told you. Besides, you don't even know if this body is the real Fluttershy, so you can't do a thing about it!” She smirked. I laughed before I said “I don’t need to know as I can just do this” I then charged forward and grabbed her by the neck as my other hand touches her forehead and I look into her mind. I open my eyes and say “Changeling. So you're attacking the elements before the wedding.” I then smirked at it and said “I wonder what hurting you could do to little Chrysalis?” “It would do nothing Mr.Craig, only alert the insect-like creatures.” Alpha came from behind the house, holding a gagged and tied up Fluttershy on her back. At that point my blood boiled as I grabbed hold of her even harder than before and say “Being your queen can sense what I’m doing I’m going to give her a message; you fuck with me or any of my friends you will see me at my worst, no holding back, no mercy. This is your first and last warning, the next time I see any changeling a full mind wipe will be the least of your worries. but Chrysalis because I know your hive is connected so I am leaving you with a gift” I then link in completely with the changeling mind and sent a high pulses electrical charge through the hive mind’s network that second later causes the whole system to break into screams of agony I then grab hold of the mind of the changeling I am grasping and wipe everything and let her drop to the floor as her disguise disappears and it crawled to the walls of Fluttershy's house. “Craig!” Alpha called, she looked back at the pale pegasus on her back. I then turned back and ran towards them and say “Fluttershy you Okay” “Would you mind untying her, Craig,” “No problem, I’ll have you free in a second Fluttershy” I then attempt to loosen the rope to find that for some reason they they wouldn’t break I then sighed and said “Fluttershy you’ll need to stay calm I’m going to try something” I then click my fingers and a small flame appears in my hand and I carefully start to burn through the rope as it slowly begins to weaken and fray where the flame made contact with it. After a few moments the remains of the rope that were trapping her snapped off releasing her from her bonds. I then looked at her and say “Are you okay?” Fluttershy runs up to me and puts her hooves around my body, hugging me. She weeps and cries as her whole entire body begins to shake uncontrollably. I then knelt down and grabbed hold her and said “It’s okay now Fluttershy it can’t hurt you anymore, it’s no more than a broken shell I have erased its memories and could remake them in any way we want.” She said no words but only nod. She looked over at Alpha and weakly smiled. “Thank you…” Alpha smiled as well. “You're very welcome, Ms.Shy,” I then looked to Alpha and said “Thank you for finding her, If anything happened to her I wouldn’t forgive myself.” She put her paw up in front of her. ‘Its fine, Craig. You were the one to untie her,” “I suppose I did.” I then looked at Fluttershy and asked her “What to do with that creature, I say being that it hurt you, I’ll let you decide” Alpha put a paw to her chin and hummed in a questioning tone. “I am uncertain? But… We could benefit from this body as it holds much of their magic and their DNA,” She looked back at me, “But I must ask, who are they?” I then looked at the ground and said “they are being who shouldn’t have appeared yet they weren’t supposed to arrive till the wedding, but now their queen has pushed me to the point of no return.” “What do you mean?” “In the reality I came from, this was all fiction I thought I knew what will happen… Well I thought I did but this event didn’t happen and if this has changed who knows what else could be different.” I then sighed and said “And by pushing me past the point of no return I mean that they pushed me to threaten them with everything I have, nobody hurts my friends be that old or new, that's why I swear to you if anything ever hurts any of your kind just ask and I will protect your kind!” “...That is very thoughtful you Craig,” Alpha smiles. “I just wish I could find those who destroyed… I never did ask our red friend's name did I?” She looks back at the supposed trail the red Canis was going to come from. “His name is Flair Fin’ra Lovingheart,” She leans in close to me ear. “But don't tell him I told you his last name,” She giggled. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but his name is a little ironic isn’t it? And don’t tell him what?” I then wink and laugh. “It might sound ‘Ironic’, yes. But he is kind when not being viewed.” She laughed. “Mostly to inanimate objects and shy creatures,” She looked down at Fluttershy who sat inches away from her. “Such like you Ms.Shy,” Fluttershy blushed. I smiled at the two. “Fluttershy do you want to come with us and-” I turned around to face the shapeshifter. “We will bring along this changeling for good measure” I walked towards the terrified creature and carefully pick it up and place it across my shoulders. I look back at Alpha and show her the changeling. “Probably best to take this thing with us.” Alpha wrapped her right wing around Fluttershy, bringing her close to her side and hiding her upper body. “Do you Miss, Shy?” Fluttershy hesitated, but nodded her head and followed, intimately close to Alpha’s side like a small cub next to a mother bear. We made our way down the hill of Fluttershy’s home, walking down the dirt road. From a distance, we noticed that the town’s ponies seemed to scatter in the market area. I then sighed and said “looks like Ponyville met Wolf!” “It would seem so,” Alpha agreed. “Wolf is adequate, if rocks are thrown he shall not attack. He’s very tolerant,” I then look at him with worry and say “that's not what I'm worried about when I first arrived I almost caused a lot of problems, like angering Twilight and almost being rammed by Rainbow Dash. I don’t want a repeat performance of my arrival.” Alpha pondered the thought. “What sort of magic does this “Twilight” use?” I then looked at him and said “I’m afraid I don’t know. However, her talent is magic and she was trained by one of the princesses.” “And this princess, she is the ruler?” She asked me with a raised eyebrow. I then nodded my head and said “Yep!” We walked further to the town and saw ponies flee their homes and shops with horrified looks and bewildered stares. We turned the corner of one of the many houses, and to our amazement, Applejack stood up to the large dog in the middle of market area. “Give me a few minutes” I told the white canis next to me as I jogged over to the Applejack and Wolf. I shook my head in disappointment. I put my body between the two, stopping their argument. “Break it up you two!” I shouted at both Wolf and Applejack. “Craig!?” Applejack said with surprise. “Well ain’t it about time ya got here. Tell this here dog to get out of the market area! He’s scar’in off all meh customers and he broke the wheel ta meh wagon!” She shouted, demanding results. “T’was a mere accident,” Wolf pleaded, his ears were flattened to the side of his head. “I was merely trying to find a friend” He said apologetically. “Yea! Well, the only friend yer gonna find here is ah broken leg!” She replied. “Firstly he’s looking for Twilight and a ‘little Critter’ that we helped earlier today. Second you have to consider that it was most likely an accident and you of all peop-… ponies must understand that. Thirdly I think you should calm the hell down before I have to make you stop by force,” I cut in clearly serious about my threat. Applejack was astonished by my threat. “Well-, He-,” She pointed her hoof at the Canis behind me. “Oh! Fine!” She sighed. “But why are ya take’n his side! He’s the one who just waltz right int’a town and starts looking around!” She argued. “Yeah and who’s the guy who felt like he was going to be attacked and feared for his life when he first arrived? You could have said I was just looking around as well, also i’m taking his side because he is my friend and as you all remind me ever so often you don’t leave a friend behind” Applejack, again sighed. “Fine! Twilight and the little critter are back at the library, she told meh ta tell ya’ll to go their if ya ever come back from… Wherever ya’ll went off ta?” “Whitetail Woods, and thank you. I’m sorry for any trouble Wolf caused” Wolf nodded in response. Me and Wolf walked over to Alpha and Fluttershy where they were watching from a distance. After discussing what happened in the market are to both Fluttershy and Alpha, we walked towards Twilight’s house. After a short walk up the streets of ponyville, we managed to make it to the library. As we arrived, I walked up to the front door, I sighed. “Who wants to guess we need look somewhere else” I then knocked on the door as say “Twilight you here?” ...That was fast? Twilight’s voice sounded behind the wood door. WHAT!!! Footsteps slammed across the wood floor of the library. The door quickly swung open, revealing a small orange animal, standing on two legs. Paorach stared at me for a while. “Well, it’s about bloody time ya got here! It’s been ah full two hours!” He yelled argerly. “And you!” He pointed at the Canisius. “How did ya get here so fast, ah just sent the bloody thing?” I then smirked and said “In my case just say your friends gave me a hard time, to be more specific your blood on me. I’ll let you connect the dots.” His features were neutral, and his emotions blank. I assumed he was taking his time figuring out what happened. “...We'll just be glad ye’r still alive lad!” He weakly smiled. “To be honest, ah thought they would take some time ta get’er!” “I thought the same, but it was a surprise when they found me.” I then scratched my head and said “I wasn’t great at not insulting them though guess I should have been more carefull instead of jumping to conclusions when we met.” I then smiled as I threw him his shirt. “We found this for you.” Paorach quickly snached the small fabric out from the air and threw his temporary shirt behind him, landing perfectly on Spike's head. He folded the shirt over his head and wore the green garment. “Thanks lad!” He bowed. “So, where is that burning corps?” He asked me. “Ah know he came with ya, so don’t try ta fool m’he!” “He didn’t come back with us, he chose to walk back as he didn’t trust me… not that I blame him after what my kind did to him” “Alright, Angel!” He called the white Canis. “Our friend gets ah freebie!” I looked over to Alpha who was just as confused as me. “What do you mean?” “You know what i’m talkin about lad!” He replied. “I mean that we… Ah think its called “IOU”, ah think?” I then sighed and said “As nice as it is, I would prefer that you don’t owe me anything. I don’t like having to force people to do things for me.” “Is anything I’m say’n sound like I don't want to owe you!?” He raised his left brow. “I’m say’n ah want ta at least repay ya for savin m’he life!” He lift his shirt up, showing his new scar. “Ah mean- look at this here! It was right on m’he stomach!” “I know… however there is a reason why I saved you. You see I don’t like to watch creatures suffer, I don’t like to see things die, it’s one of the reasons I didn’t destroy Discord after he had me suffering for years on end” I then reached down and touch him on the shoulder before I said “And it’s for that reason that you don’t need to owe me as it’s just who I am... besides I don’t even know if I could risk letting any creature worry about if I would ask them to do something for me.” Paorach stood on the spot with eyes of concern. He straightened the goggles which were slightly crooked, he reached his hand behind his head and scratched his scalp. “Well…” He pondered. “If y’ur that bent on havin no hand or al’least a gift, ah can't stop ya from that.” “Thank you” I then stopped as I think before I said “Actually there's one thing you could do. Is it possible for you get send a message to my family… Just tell them that I am still alive, and that I miss them.” Paorach jumped in the air with joy. “Ah knew ya would come through!” He shouted. “Sure can lad! So! How do ya want m’he ta tell them!” He fistpumped the air. “Ah letter?... ah visit?.. or ah sign of hope!” I then look at him in surprise at the second one and said “wait are you saying I could physically get back home!” “Whoa lad!” He put his hands on his hip. “Yes…” His face saddened. “Technically... Yes, but, its hard ta pinpoint th’e exact location ov y’ur home. Ya could wind up anywhere if you're not careful… Our way of travel, is not meant for human kind!?” My smile the disappeared as I muttered “Well I guess there's always hope and that's the main thing.” I then look to everyone then said “Although even if that was the case I wouldn’t go home, I have a daughter to look after, a better life than before I left and peo… ponies who I can actually trust.” I then smile and click my fingers as a old style camera appears in front of us I then look to everyone and say “Please stand in front of the camera, there's only one surefire way that they’ll think I’m alive.” I then looked at the sky and said “although Scoot’s should have finished school by now.” We then heard a voice behind me shout “hey who forgot about me!” I then see Rainbow Dash standing behind us with Scootaloo next to him shortly followed by Sweetie Belle and Applebloom. I then laughed and said “How could I forget about you.” I then smile and say “Want to get in the picture?” “I’m gettin in” Paorach yelled. Wolf shrugged his shoulders. “It would be fine?” He said, walking in front of the camera. Alpha smiled, and walked over to the huddled group. I then smiled at the bizarre group of cannis and ponies, walk over to the camera the say “Everyone ready?” The group nodded, waiting for the photo to be taken. I then set the timer to a few seconds then ran and knelt down in between the group and then almost instantly the camera went off as i looked towards it. I then walked up to the camera and looked at the photo as Twilight began to envelop the picture in her magic. She then smiled and said “what we don’t want this disappearing because of sunlight.” I then laughed and said “okay thanks, Twilight.” I then looked at the picture and smile as I placed it in my hand and put a small amount of magic through it that makes a exact copy of the image. I then looked to Twilight and said, “Is it possible for you to write the message as much as I hate to say my writing is dreadful.” She then smiled and said “Spike mind writing on the back of this for us?” “Sure what do you want writing?” I then scratched my head and said “I guess something like.” If you are reading this, you should be able to guess who this is from, If not look at the picture. I just want to tell you this is not a hoax or a lie this is me and the image is authentic and also that I am alive and I miss you. Please don’t forget about me as I love you. Thank you for looking after me through the worst days of my life. Your lost boy, Craig. I then began to almost cry as Spike writes the letter and Scootaloo trotted towards me. “Dad, you okay?” She asked, holding onto my leg with both hooves. I looked at the small filly who is cradling my leg. “Yeah Scoot’s i’m okay, just can’t believe that I finally get to tell my family that I’m alive. I don’t think any other Displaced get this opportunity” I said, rubbing my eyes of the tears I shed. Wolf’s left eye turned transparent red as a tear began to form. He covered his eye with his paw and slowly walked out the library. Alpha followed Wolf outside, worried for the young pup. “We will be back,” She informed the group who later left the room. Paorach took the note from Spike’s hand and places it firmly in his satchel. “Will see ya in ah bit!” He said running out the door. I then quickly followed them out the door and shout “Thank you! Thank you for everything!” I then brought one hand up to my head and saluted to the wolf like creatures. “You're very welcomed Mr.Craig!” She replied. As they faded out of view the sun began to set. They left. I then looked back to everyone and said “I guess we all better head home I need to make sure Scoot’s gets to bed.” “Ohh~ But I'm not tired” She wined. I then shook my head and said, “Yeah but you went to bed late last night and I don’t want you falling asleep in school. I got into enough trouble for that when I was at school as a kid, and besides. You said that yesterday and I had to carry you to bed?” She then began to mutter something I couldn’t hear. “We’ll see you all tomorrow” I laughed. With that, they all wave to us as we begin to walk back home.
Chapter 18 - A meeting with Chaos-Unknown POV- Today, I decided to move out and about to explore the Badlands. The cultists had already made a map, but I wanted to see it with my own eyes. So, after leaving the underground base, I chose a random direction and started walking. After about an hour of walking across the desert, I came upon a strange structure. It reminded me of the Tyranid Hive Fleets but grounded. And as black as a shadow. Curious, I stepped towards the peculiar structure. Then the Bug ponies showed up. They almost looked like they appeared out of the ground, because suddenly, I was surrounded by at least a hundred of the horrid things. I quickly charged my energy into my staff, but it was knocked out of my hand by an armoured bug, and their spears all levelled at my head. Thinking quickly, I fed power into my hand, and it shot out, disappearing into a small portal. When I pulled it out, in my hand was the sword Amulet with the strange message. I grunted. Now or never, I guess. I fed some power into the Amulet and felt a connection to it in an alternate realm. My powers quickly latched onto the other end, and pulled. Seconds later a white light began to glow and a human in a dark blue chest plate appeared in front of me holding its head. it then said “I hate it when people force me through portals” he then stood up and looked around to see the creatures surrounding us. he then turned to me and said “what the heck have you done?" "I simply walked towards the strange building when they popped up out of nowhere. Now then, should we just stand here arguing while they try to tear us to pieces, or are we going to break out." I replied. He sighed, nodded, and braced for combat. I remembered a basic levitation spell from a book I read during the war, and my staff flung back to me. Gripping it, I fed it a large dosage of power from the Warp. While I could use some of my warp powers without the staff, I used it to amplify my power tenfold. I slammed the blade edge of it into the ground, resulting in a massive shockwave. The Bug things reeled from the blast, but while most of them were swept away, some remained, clearly stronger than the others. I grinned from within my helmet. "That should even the odds a bit," I told the newcomer, to which he rolled his eyes. The rest of the bug pony things charged, mostly focusing on me since I released that shockwave. I raised the staff, then, thinking better of it, placed the staff in my pocket dimension. Instead, I drew my Bolter Pistol. The Tyranid copycats, because, I mean seriously, look at them. All they need now are some big giant Carnifex's and they would be a complete ripoff! Anyways, I voxed in my report of the Tyranid wannabe to my other brothers, telling them to meet me at these coordinates. I then shot lightning at a bug, frying it instantly. I had too many on me to see how the sword guy was doing, but I was too preoccupied to care at the moment. Irritated, I raised my bolter into the air and fired it once. The bugs all flinched. "Okay, now that I have your attention, cease all hostilities and take me to your leader before anyone gets--" a groan of pain emanated from one of the downed things. "--Anyone else gets hurt. I only came for an examination of your apparent home, and this is the welcome party? I'm not impressed. My brothers will be here in but a moment, and trust me when I tell you that they will not show mercy like I am. Do I make myself clear?" I yelled, and the bugs nodded. I looked over to my new 'partner'. I could tell from the moment I looked at him that he was one of those 'Heroic' types. And I could tell that he sensed the bone-chilling powers of the Warp I unleashed earlier. "So, should we head in, or do you want to wait here for my brothers?" I asked. He shrugged, and so we waited, the Bugs eyeing us warily. After about thirty minutes, Khârn and Zhufor came into view. Another ten, and they were close enough for communication. "Khârn. Zhufor. Welcome to the Tyranid Wannabe school. This is.... forgive me, I forgot to ask your name. I assume it's Craig, as the amulet suggests?" He nodded. I turned back to Khârn and Zhufor. "This is Craig, a human from an alternate world as far as I'm aware," I told them. They both looked at him and nodded in greeting. Craig then looked at them both and said “It’s a pleasure to meet you” "The pleasure is ours. I am Khârn, Chaos Space Marine and Champion of Khorne. This is Zhufor, also a Chaos Space Marine, and a Khornate. And I see you've already met Ahriman, our brother sorcerer. So, Ahriman, what is this? It looks like a miniature Tyranid Hive Ship crash-landed and burned into a black husk. And what are these bug creatures? I admit, they look a little like Tyranids, but there's more bug than 'Nid. For example, 'Nid's don't have cheese legs." Khârn said, turning to me. Craig then smiled and said “these things are called Changelings they a pony like creatures that can fly, use magic and shapeshift. They also follow a queen and are all connected as if they were one mind.” I nodded. "I see. Well then, let's go meet the Queen of these... Changelings. I would like to discuss a few things with her. Oh, also, Khârn, Zhufor, don't forget to later make your own tokens." I replied, before marching into the hive. Khârn looked at Zhufor, then at Craig, shrugged, and followed. After a few minutes of wandering through the hive, we arrived at what appeared to be the Throne Room. A few guards took up positions, guarding their queen. I looked up at her, then bowed. "Your majesty," I said sarcastically. The queen scoffed. "Who and what are you, and why do you intrude upon my hive?" She asked, glaring at us. "I have come with a... business proposition. If you will hear me out without your guards attacking me or my friends here." I replied. She looked at me, then to Craig and the two Khornates. "Are they some sort of honour guard? If so, they aren't much." She told me, to which I just looked at her. "No, they aren't. And even if they were, just one of us could defeat your entire hive singlehandedly. So, I suggest you not make any of them angry. Just in case, though. You guys should wait outside the throne room. Any bugs give you trouble, you know what to do." I smirked, but also sent out a small burst of Warp energy, too small to notice even by a magic user, and sent it in a wide area to scan the entire hive. Craig's POV As we walked out the room I threw a small device into the corner of the room and then said “You realise you don’t own me but I will leave you two in peace” I then smirked before I said “have a nice date” with that I followed Khârn and Zhufor out of the room. Once we got outside I then asked “What is your brother hiding? I’m not that thick there’s something wrong with him” "Oh, he's always hiding something. Ahriman's a follower of Tzeentch, God of Change, 'magic', schemes, and more." Khârn replied, glancing at the doors. “But you still trust him I don’t not one bit” I then clicked my fingers and said, “let's see what your brother sent us away for.” I then threw a small projector onto the floor that brought up a screen showing an image of the room. "So, strange creature, what business brings you here?" The queen asked. Ahriman leaned on his staff. "I honestly doubt you know about this, but do you know of what the ponies call, 'The War of Darkness?" He asked. She nodded. "Yes, I remember. I was a part of it." She replied. "Well, I don't care which side you were on back then, but do you remember who Luna's Top Librarian, as well as her Right Hoof, was?" She looked to be thinking about it. "I believe his name was... Ahriman? Why do you ask?" She replied. "Oh, that's right. I forgot to introduce myself. I am Ahriman The Exiled, once Chief Librarian of The Lunar Guards mage squadrons. I lead the armies of the Night in the Siege of Manehattan. I summoned and controlled the Deamons that finally claimed the Keep. I am Champion of Tzeentch, God of Change, Sorcery, Knowledge, and Strategy. In the final battle between Luna and Celestia, I, along with my brothers, were banished to the Warp, a Realm of all emotions and thoughts ever made by any creature in this universe. The remnants of my Librarians brought us back from it. For us, it was a century. For them, it was a thousand years. And I want you to join me. We are going to give them a taste of revenge." Ahriman declared. To this, I just sighed and said “always hating Celestia but still another Displaced I meet being banished seems to be a running trend with the alternate Celestia's.” Khârn looked at me. "If you were just banished, with feelings of hate towards her, into a Realm that contained every emotion ever felt, for a hundred years, trust me, you would be angry too. Granted, our feelings were probably heightened due to the emotions, but still." He told me. I then smiled and said “I understand what you mean, even though what happened to me was different I still understand what you must feel. However I have forgiven the one who caused me pain and now he is a trusted ally maybe the best thing you could do is to just forgive her.” Khârn snorted. "Sure, if you're a normal human. For one thing, normal Humans who look into the warp will go insane, and they can't even see its true horror. The only way we survived with our sanity intact was because we were Space Marines, and also, we are used to it. We Chaos Space Marines spent more than a thousand years in the warp before we came here. And normal Space Marines are bred Xenophobic. We see a creature that is not human, we get the urge to kill it." He stated. “Wouldn’t say I’m completely human anymore either but oh well.” I then turned to see a changeling lunging towards me and sighed as a blue tendril flew out of my back and speared the Changeling straight through the body then just as quickly as it appeared removed from its body and disappeared. "Impressive. But we are made to fight. You are not. We can't do peace. We can be diplomats, sure, but peaceful civilians? Nope. Impossible. Our entire purpose in life is to fight.” “Then you will struggle in the upcoming years the world is at peace... Well mostly.” I then looked back at the screen and continued to listen to the conversation. The queen looked at him, smug. "Prove it." She ordered. The temperature in the room dropped suddenly. "As you wish." He replied, before focusing his magic onto his staff. It began to glow a dark red, and a portal made out of every colour, even some that didn't exist, appeared in between the two. A horrendous creature stepped out. Its skin was a bright red, with razor sharp teeth and a forked tongue for a mouth. Its tail was ablaze with fire, as was the massive sword it carried. Upon its head rested a strange glyph. With a snarl, it lunged at the queen, only to be held back by a chain, which ended at Ahriman's hand. "This, your highness, is a Bloodletter. A Deamon of Khorne, and denizen of the Warp. It is with these that the Keep of Manehattan fell. Normally, it takes a lot more to summon, but as this is only an example, it will die off and return to the Warp in but a moment." As he said that, the beast screamed, before disintegrating, and returning to the portal, which closed afterwards. "Believe me now?" He sneered. The Queen nodded. "Well, Ahriman, I am Queen Chrysalis. I believe it is in our best interest to work with you. After all, I too have a bone to pick with Celestia. But what of Luna?" She asked. "Her? I have no reason to serve her anymore. Even if I did, they would try to kill me on sight." He replied. "Well then, I guess I can consider your offer. Where should we meet?" Chrysalis asked. "We will meet at the mountains. Three o'clock PM, on Sunday." He replies, then marches towards the door. I then quickly switched off the screen and picked it back up off the ground just before Ahriman came back out the door. "So, are you all ready to leave?" He asked. I just nodded my head at this then said “Ready when you are.” "Then let us be off." With that said, Ahriman and the other two began walking towards the exit. When we exited, Ahriman turned to me. "As a gift of thanks, I give you this." He reached his arm out, and a portal sprung up. He reached his hand in and pulled out a massive gun. "It's a Bolter pistol. I don't know if you can use it, but if you can, then it won't be just an ornament. It has infinite energy ammunition. It should serve you well." I then reached out picked up the gun and said “Thank you” I then brought it up in line with my sight and pulled the trigger as the gun instantly fired and my back leg moved backwards to compensate for the sheer amount of force the gun released. I then looked at them in surprise and said “That's got a lot of power behind it.” I then look at them and said “Is there anything I can do for you?” "I doubt it. We got pretty much all we need at the moment. Khârn controls an entire tribe of Dragons, I lead the remainder of the Librarians, and Zhufor.... he doesn't need an army. His Terminator armour is like a tank." “Well let’s hope I never have to go toe to toe with any of you.” I then took my necklace off and place it in my right hand, close my eyes and my hands began to glow. As I open my left it had two perfect copies of my token resting on my palm, I then tossed the copies of my token to Khârn and Zhufor and said “If you ever need my help don’t hesitate to give me a call.” "Alright. If that is all, then you are free to leave. Let's see, how do you do this again? Oh right." Ahriman told me. "Craig, our contract is complete." He recited. He then tossed me a staff. "That's my token. If you ever need my powers, give me a call. Just send your thoughts into it. It will also unlock a being's ability to look into the Warp, and control its power. But only if you want it to." Once I returned home I muttered “Idiot he thinks I don’t understand what he is doing, he thinks I didn’t know he knew about my device” I then laugh and say “Fool, I know that man is evil” I then looked at Ahriman's token and say “This controls the warp, what was the things he did, he opened a portal maybe to a pocket dimension and said I could see the warp at the cost of my sanity… definitely don’t want to risk that.” I throw it over my shoulder and it attaches to my back. I then looked up and sighed as I realised what was likely to happen “If any of them find out about that war they will be there without a shadow of a doubt… I need to be ready in case there on the opposite side of the war” I then grabbed the bolter Pistol I was given and look at it once again and sighed “as great as this is, am I sure it’s right to wield the things that monster gave me.” with that I placed it near my hip as it connected to my clothes. I then placed my hand on the scabbard and it changed back into my guitar making it seem like I hadn’t received the weapons. I then began to walk down the street, however, this didn’t last long as within second I felt a strong pull begin to affect me as I think Not again best prepare for another headache and with that, I disappeared from the area around me.
Chapter 19 - Craig VS BlueAuthor's Note Hello Everyone, This was another Crossover this on being with LostFaith and his story The Alpha. I can promise you that this will not be the last we hear of Church. And with is chapter, we are one chapter away from where we left the original story. Chapter 19 - Craig VS Blue "Today could not get any worse!" I quietly said, evaded the patrolling group of royal guards left and right, as I evacuated Porussia citizens from an attack that I wanted no part of what so ever. I look up and find a strange glowing object flying towards me. It reminds me of something from Zelda but not quite. It looks like it has a blade on a part of it with two sides and two Cutie marks on either side adjacent. One is Princess Luna’s and the other is Princess Celestia’s. "Not the face!" I screech. I hear someone talking and look at the amulet glowing. "Hi my name is Craig. If ever you are in danger, are scared, frightened or even just need an ally to stand by your side in your darkest hour. Call on me and I will come and do everything in my power to aid you." I kick the sword but it doesn't move. I tap it and it glows brighter, nearly blinding me. “Hello.” I state blankly, not actually expecting anything to happen. *Flash* My polarized visor prevents me from getting blinded again. A human kinda? is sent sprawling in front of me from an unseen portal. He has black hair with a set of green eyes and is holding a guitar. As he begins to stand up he moaned “I fucking hate getting dragged through portals, I really need to learn to ignore these headaches.” He then looks towards me before he said “Are you the one who summoned me?” I look at him blankly. “You what mate?” He then sighed and said, “Did you find an amulet that looks like a sword that glowed before I arrived?” “Eh… This thing?” I pick up the aforementioned object and wave it in front of his face. “Yeah, that's my token.” He then looks at me and asked, “Have you not heard of the Displaced before?” “If you aren’t referring to slipstream space or something like that then I have no idea what you are talking about…” I answer. He sighed, “No the Displaced are beings who have been sent from one reality to another.” He then looked at me and said, “It looks like you got Displaced as a spartan from Halo.” "Uh... Does this have anything to do with having over 10 personalities?" Craig looked at me and then said as he clicked his fingers “wait... multiple personalities… Oh hell, you must be Church, Epsilon or the Alpha depending on your perspective and yes you got changed into him, in essence, you have all of the Freelancer AI with you including Delta, Sigma and Omega." I do something that I know freaks out everyone and my voice becomes distorted and is like a combination of all the Alpha fragments as their holograms appear outside my armour. "We. Are. Meta." I shake my head. He just shrugged and said, “at least you're not bonded with a symbiote from the Marvel Universe and have Discord in your head, not that they both aren’t a good thing." Randomly, another amulet falls from the sky and hits me in the head again. "Seriously? Is it supposed to do that?" He just looked at me in confusion then said “no not really heard of the same person getting multiple copies of a token... Strange.” "Huh. So about this "displaced" topic, if that were true then what are you even supposed to be?" He then laughed and said “My terms of Displacement was different to most other. I wasn’t tricked by a merchant but was dragged through a portal after Discord tortured me for years back on earth, So i ain’t actually a copy of anything.” "Ha. Yeah um about that... I knew something was wrong with that guy as soon as I saw him. I just was too curious and plus, who doesn't like to love life on the edge from time to time?" Craig rubbed the side of his head and said “point taken, but anyway is there anything specific you want help with?” "Uh... Yeah. How do I make these... tokens." I picked up his token and threw it in the air and wait for a few seconds before I caught it with one hand. "Might make my life a lot more interesting." Craig smiled and said, “First you need to find an object that you want to use as a token.” I detached my energy sword and hold it up waiting for Craig to continue. "Okay..." Craig just looks completely frozen in thought so I walk in front of him, drop my energy sword and unsling my sniper rifle, aim it over his head and let loose a round, causing a shell casing to eject from the side and a very loud gunshot to be heard for miles. Craig shook his head, strangely unfazed and said, “Sorry was just remembering the process. Right after you have decided what you want your token to be you need to… what was it… oh yes put some energy into it and then put in some information about yourself that others will hear, you heard the one I used." "Uh... Energy. Let's see... Energy... I leave my possessed armor and jump into my energy sword which is still laying on the ground. "It's a sword not a fighter jet! No but in all seriousness, if you ever need someone to hack into technology or just talk or fight, summon me, Epsilon-Church." The energy sword duplicates, leaving the original unchanged but with a copy right next to it which is glowing. I exit the sword and re-entered my armor. "Anything else?” “In terms of your token? Not that I'm aware of. However, if I’m right about Church you're not normally an amazing shot… no offence” I was about to get angry but I realised something. "Well, I'm good with fluke shots when it comes to ricocheting. But that requires a surface." “Ah yes… The only reason I was asking is because I was wondering if you wanted me to calibrate your rifle to you so you can fire it more accurately.” Pinkie Pie suddenly popped out of thin air. "You will do no such thing!" She screamed with a satanic scowl before disappearing. "Uh... Maybe you could do that really fast?" I whispered to Craig. “Okay could you just fire one bullet so I know how much I need to adjust it for you.” I pick up my energy sword and attach it to my hip and then aim the sights of my sniper rifle at a tree near an abandoned town. I fire, and the round plays Pinball with the houses quite literally. After a few seconds all the windows are shattered. "Uh... Is there any way for you to make a setting so I can switch between Church's usual accuracy and extreme accuracy?" For reference from now on we are going to call his usual accuracy flukeshot and then the extreme accuracy deadeye. Craig then smiled and said “I believe I can by the way if Pinkie comes after me whilst I'm sorting this could you please stop her or I may have to use one of my little tricks” A Pinkie Pie that looks strangely holographic appears and speaks in an electronic voice, "The Pinkie Pie 4th wall breaking army has no reason to attack you if you keep flukeshot aim as a setting." She disappeared. "I will never get used to that shit. It's like an army of pink Deadpool equines." I throw my sniper rifle at Craig who catches it. “Okay give me a few minutes” he then closed his eyes and the rifle levitated from his hands ands begins to hover in front of him. Seconds later it began to slowly change as a small switch begins to form on the side of the gun and it slowly falls back into his hands. he then opens his eyes and says “Do you mind if i just take a test shot?” I shrug, "Go ahead." He then smiled and said “Thanks.” He then brings to look down the scope and takes one shot that bounces off the wall of the tallest building in the village and hits the same spot as mine. He then smiled “flukeshot works.” He then flipped the switch and once again looks down the sight and aims straight at the tree we hit. He then pulls the trigger and a bullet goes flying towards the tree however when we look where the bullet hits we see the tree begin to slowly shake then topple to the ground as Craig looks at it in shock and shouts, “What the hell! Thats insane” he then passes the gun back to me and says “You try.” I take the sniper rifle and aim at the center ground of the village to see if it gets lodged into the ground instead of bouncing like flukeshot. What happens next is completely accidental. The entire ground starts shaking intensely and every building in sight starts to slowly sink to the ground until all that is visible is a giant crater. Craig and I look at each other and nod and we slowly back away. He then said, “I think I need to reduce the power of that setting.” I look at him like he's gone insane, not that he would ever actually be able to tell. "Uh. No thanks, I think I want to keep this setting." Craig then asked me the million dollar question, "Why is there an infinity sign on your sniper rifle ammo counter?" "I dunno. WHOA WAIT A MINUTE!" I yell. If that means what I think it means does that mean... "Hey, Craig?" “Yeah, what do you think it is?” "Have you seen seasons nine and ten of Red Vs Blue?" “Yeah saw up to the start of season 13… why?” "Let me sum it up for yours. Agent North. Super fast sniper rifle. Basically automatic. See where I'm going with this?" “I think so.” I pulled up the rifle and time seems to slow down as imaginary targets appear in my field of view and I slowly right myself and fire automatically taking them all out one by one. For Craig however... Earrape. He then dropped to the floor covering his ears in pain. I hear some flapping of wings in the sky and turn around to see a couple dozen chariots of pegasi, the Elements of Harmony, and the Royal Sisters. I quickly run towards Craig and tap him rapidly. He looks at me and removes his hands from his ears. I motion behind me and ask, "Know a teleportation spell?" I ask desperately. “Yeah but only when I can focus” he then muttered “Bii Camo quickly” with that he instantly disappears completely from view. I focus on Omega and he does what I need to do without hesitation. A nanosecond later I'm completely invisible but since Craig and I are relatively close in distance we can see each other. "Fan out and find the traitors!" Princess Celestia orders her guards who all salute and jump off the chariots and start searching for us. "Uh, Craig? Do you think you can help me find us a spot to lay low for a while?" He then smiled and whispered to me “No problem you just get to the forest, I'll give you a window to move.” With that he began to move towards a wall across from the guard and a faint glow appears in his hands and a small tube appears. He then pushes a small dart into it and it shoots towards one of the guards and he begins to fly towards one of the other guards and begins to attack him. As soon as the other guards saw him then they began to head towards him in an attempt to subdue the mad pegasus with that we both began to run into a nearby forest. As we reached a spot deep inside the forest with Craig panting and me waiting for him to regain his breath. Craig's cloaking had already worn off half way through the forest while mind had just now deactivated. "Delta, report," I ordered. A holographic green spartan appeared and spoke, "They did not see us leave. There is a 99.4% chance they are too busy still trying to subdue that guardspony." "Good. Did you mark Craig as friendly?" "Done." Delta disappeared. Craig then stood up and said, “Good don’t want to be hit by that gun now, there wouldn’t be much of me left after if it connected.” Gamma and Delta appear suddenly in front of us and Gamma talks in his Stephen Hawking voice, "Your displaced conversation earlier." I regard him curiously. Delta continues for him, "Theoretically that would mean things from the universe your costume was made about would start appearing in a space rift. Correct?" What? Is he saying what I think he's saying? "Uh, Craig? Does that actually happen?" “Does what happen?” Without hesitation and very confusingly, the two ai fragments repeat the entire conversation. "Does it?" “Umm I’m afraid I don’t know I haven't heard about it happening, but saying that I haven't heard of multiple copies of the same token appearing before so who knows.” I groan and point up. "I think I know why they asked that now." Craig looks at where I'm pointing. "Aw... you've got to be fucking kidding me." A pelican that is very much on fire and getting closer crashes right next to us after a few seconds. "Okay, Craig. I'm going to ask you a question and I want you to answer it truthfully. Okay?" “Okay, what do you want to know?” "Why did you say the forbidden words and evoke Murphy's law?" “I don’t understand what you mean?” "Then why is there a pelican gunship... Wait. Gunship? Holy shit! Help me open the back!" I rush over to the back of the pelican and try to pry open the hatch but it doesn't budge. Craig then walks up to the door and places one hand on top of it and some blue tendrils seep in between the gaps in the hatch and spread out and then rip it off the door completely removing it. What is seen inside has brought many to tears with its beauty. ROWS upon ROWS of every single type of weapon is inside it. "Is that a fucking gravity hammer?! It is!" I pick it up and put it on my back. "And an incineration cannon?! Craig! We're rich!" He then laughs and says “Until Celestia finds this and finds a way to use them on us.... we need to take what we want and destroy the rest, she can’t get a hold of this stuff.” "Do you have pocket dimension technology?..." He then looks at the staff on his back and says “maybe but I've never used it before the guy i got this from said this could cause insanity” he then reaches for the staff and says “but it’s that or ponies wielding these weapons” "Is that a token?" “yeah, it’s from a Displaced I met recently, It gives me access to something called the warp.” "Is the warp a pocket dimension?" “I think it can be used that way… Only one way to find out” he then smashes the staff on the floor and a small portal appears beside him. “Come one lets's get this stuff away” "Wait!" I take the staff from him and hit the ground with it extremely hard. Nothing happens. "I'm an AI I can't really go insane. So... maybe I can replicate the effects of the staff by hitting something with it or something? Would that imbue the thing I hit it with if I charge it with energy?" He then looks at me and says “I don’t think you can get it to work.” He then looks at the staff and says “We have no time to mess with the portal we need to get this stuff out of here.” "Fine. I'm going to try something." Suddenly all the fragments of Alpha appear in front of me and Craig's eyes widen. "Time to go meta." I suddenly feel stronger, more angry, and many other feelings. My armor starts to change until I'm taller and look exactly like the Meta's armor except mine is blue. I run towards the pelican and slam the hatch shut before literally grabbing the whole fucking thing and throwing it into the portal. After a few seconds I revert back to normal, drained. "I didn't think that would actually work." “You and me both” he then hit the staff on the floor again and the portal closed, Craig then proceeded to put the staff back on his back. "Erm... So how will I get some of the weapons if I... wait a second. Are you serious? I just realised something. These weapons were all at infinite ammo and energy." I grab the incineration cannon and it forms in a really cool way before finishing in my arms. "Then again... I have no idea how we would even get energy for forerunner weapons in the first place." Craig shrugged his shoulder and said, “I don’t either but…” He then stopped and said, “hide quickly.” We then activated active camo before disappearing from sight. Seconds later Twilight, Rainbow Dash and Applejack walk towards where we were standing previously. I then hear Applejack say “Ah heard him and that other feller over here. Where'd they go?" Craig then looks at me and starts a psychic link with me then says “Let me lure them away.” I nod at him "Did you get any weapons from the gunship?" He just shooks his head and said “Nope but I won’t need it just give me a minute” he then quickly changes from standing on two legs and instead turns into a dark blue pegasus with a black mane and tail along with green eyes. He then nods his head as his camouflage fades as he begins to walk carefully in front of Applejack and then promptly collapses. Seconds later they look at him in shock and run over to him, at this point, I realised what he is up to as I see a small image of a bullet hole in his back hooves. "We have to get him help! What if Church is being possessed? He might not be in control of his actions! Rainbow Dash." Rainbow turns to Twilight, floating in the air. "Get Princess Celestia, the Elements of Harmony, and the rest of the gang here!" Rainbow Dash salutes and takes off in the direction of her leader. Huh. I thought as I see Twilight and Applejack thinking of a battle plan and not noticing Craig's body slowly dissolving until after he is already gone. By then we are already far away. 2 hours of running later Well... more like me just running nonstop 40 miles an hour while carrying Craig. I finally slowly down and look back. We already passed three villages by now, not that anyone saw us in the thick of night. I put Craig down who wakes up as soon as I drop him. He then slowly sat up and muttered “I need to stop making my injuries work so effectively. I even felt it then.” "Yeah well... Now, what do we do? We definitely aren't in Equestrian territory anymore if that city has anything to say." I point at the gigantic mountain range in front of us with a huge ass fortress on it. Craig then looks at me and says “what is this place?” We both hear something that nobody wants to hear. "For the holy flag! Kill the blues!" "Please no." I moan. A bunch of screaming and gunshots is heard and then nothing. "Okay, so you know what? I want to go home." The shooting renews again afterwards. "I think we both know who that is… but he can’t exist… Let me try something” He then changes into a red solder with Pink Armour and shouts “I didn't know you could put a flag there! What a tight fit!" I swear you could hear the record scratch as every single red and blue soldier just stares at us. I take a moment and then shouted while pointing somewhere randomly "Hey he has the flag!" Everyone looks at a blue soldier who actually had the red flag. He sighed. "Well, shit." And everything dies. Except well us. Cause you know. Can't have that happening. "How do I send you back?" I ask curiously. He then looks at me and says “Most people you just say our contract is complete but I can get back whenever we are ready. Anyway, do you want to sort out what you need from the ship?” "Open the portal" I order bluntly. He then smiled as he changed back to his original form and grabbed the staff off his back and smashes it against the ground again causing a massive portal and the ship to just fall out of it. Strangely the ship appears brand new again. "That's epic, a repairing portal. Not that the ship was really that damaged. Take any weapons you want but leave me with at least two types of every one of them. It looks like I have a new personal vehicle." He then looked at me and asked “you sure?” "Yeah, it will give me more space anyway. Not like we need ammo since everything is infinite." He then smiled and said “Okay then." He then walks in and takes a look at what was there and then kneels down and picks up a helmet that was on the floor and says “Am I okay to take this?" "Eeyup isn't that an EOD helmet? That's fucking epic." And it was. It looked to me like a black EOD helmet with red eyes. I then looked at it and said “may need to change its colour but it looks okay” he then carefully places it over his head and says “what do you think?” I simply give a thumbs up. "Anything else? You can still grab one of everything you know." “Okay,” Craig then look at a Sniper rifle similar to the one I have and places it on his back he then proceeds to pick up a standard assault rifle, pistol, a few grenades and a rocket launcher. he then walks back out and says “I think that will be enough” "Okay well if you ever need anything just call." My token falls from the sky and hits Craig in the nuts before falling to the floor. I cringe. "Anyway. Craig. Buddy ol pal, our contract is complete”. Craig then smiled and saluted me before he disappeared and said “If you ever are in trouble you know who to call.”
Chapter 20 - Being Thrown to the WolvesAs I arrived back in my Equestria again I just thought And now I am armed to the teeth with halo weaponry… This is seriously happening in just a few days. I hope Equestria calms down soon. I then looked at myself and said “Don’t want ponies getting the wrong idea” with that I turned my sword back into a guitar and said, “That's better.” I then looked up as I saw Twilight run up to me as she shouted “Craig we need to head to Canterlot!” “What's the emergency?” She just smiled and said “No emergency just some training for you courtesy of princess Celestia and Luna.” I then sighed and replied, “Dash told you about what I've got to do.” “Yeah… I still think you're crazy for doing this.” “Please, Twilight don’t remind me.” She then smiled and said, “okay Craig let's get to the station the train leaves in a few minutes.” “Ok let's go.” with that we both began to run towards the station. Once we reach the station we saw that everyone was there waiting for us and I said “you all coming along to see me get thrashed by whatever Celestia has planned for me.” I then saw Rainbow smiled and said “You really think the guards can do you in?” “No, but no reason I can’t humour them, I’m worried about getting knocked around by Shining Armour” I then heard Twilight say “I doubt you’ll need to fight him he’s probably busy” “Twilight he’ll be overseeing his guards training most likely which will include me” Rarity then walked over to her before she said “and even if he is I doubt that Craig will use everything he’s got.” “Yeah, I wouldn’t use the majority of my gear. Some of the stuff I've recently acquired are quite dangerous, lethal in fact.” They then all looked at me in confusion as Twilight asked “What do you mean?” I then think about the dangers of showing them whilst on the platform the say “It’s not exactly safe to use them here… how about this I will demonstrate most of the weapons once we are at Canterlot where it is safe to do so” She then looks at me and asked “why most and not all?” “One of the weapons are very dangerous. It can cause insanity if you look into the portal it creates.” “Seriously Craig… insanity, pretty ridiculous lie… it’s even worse than my prank” replied Twilight. “Applejack am I lying to her?” She then looked at me, then to Twilight and said “I hate to say it Twi but I don’t think he is” Twilight then looked at me and muttered “that is crazy, just crazy, that makes no sense” with that she walks onto the train. “I think I broke her again,” I chuckled “I’m sure she’ll be fine” Fluttershy whispered “I hope your right,” I muttered before we followed Twilight onto the train. -3 Hours later- Once we arrived in Canterlot we walked off the train and onto Canterlot station. I then looked up to see that there were a few guards waiting for us, at this I pointed towards them then smile to the girls as I said “I think Celestia send us an escort to the palace?” Pinkie then looked at me and said “think she expects you to cause trouble” I then laughed and told her “Maybe… but I don’t plan on causing any.” She laughed then whispered “Oh Craig… you're a Displaced it kind of comes with the job per say.” “I suppose you’re right” I then looked at everyone, rubbed my hands together then said, “alright let’s get this party started.” I then heard Pinkie shout “hey that's my line!” At this point, we all laughed as we left the station under the escort of the guards. As the guards escorted through the castle, both me and Pinkie eavesdropped on their conversation. Seeing as we had nothing else to do other than waiting until we got to the throne room. “Hey… did you hear about those huge dogs that entered the castle?” The guard whispered to his comrade. Seeing as all the guards look the same, it was hard to point out who was talking and who was not. The other guard looked back at his friend with a raised eyebrow. “Dogs? What dogs?” “Guess you didn’t hear." He started. "There is a pack of wild dogs in the castle, saying they are here to make "peace". Like they are some higher class or honourable warrior or something,” “Sounds like some weird rumour going around the castle, that isn't true!” He whispered back eagerly to his close friend. “No, I’m telling you! I saw it! A massive white dog that was taller than Celestia herself!” “I’d say the Canisius are more important than you for one, and secondly I'd say that they are likely here to talk to us and the Princesses!” I leant in and whispered into their ears, sending chills down their spines. The two guards gulped in response, ending their somewhat quiet conversation. We turned a corner of the maze-like castle, ahead of us were two large gold doors with small silver handles decorating its front. The two guards ran to the sides of the doors and opened them, revealing the throne room and it contents. As usual, the room was large and seem to show royalty in every corner. We entered the royal room and to my amazement, we found Alpha and Celestia talking to one another at the large center table. Celestia noticed our presence and slowly turned her attention to us. “Ah, Craig. Come, sit down.” She said, pulling out seven of the chairs on the other side of the table with her telekinetic magic allowing me and my friends to sit down. “Thank you Princess” I smiled, walking towards the chair. “And it is a pleasure to see you again Alpha” I bowed before sitting in my seat. Alpha nodded her head with a smile. “As well, Mr.Craig,” “I see you have met Ms.Engel Mor’feea?” Celestia replied. "Yes and I can say our first meeting was… memorable” I weakly smiled, scratching the back of my head with my fingers. Alpha coughed with her paw next to her muzzle, remembering their first encounter. “Yes, it was… Unexpected to say the least,” She raised her head. “But as always, It is nice to meet you too Mr.Craig,” “Anyway, how is everyone doing since we last saw each other?” “Fin’ra, Ste’fur, and Paorach have all been fine. They are actually walking this world as we speak,” She smiled. “I’m glad our encounter left a good impression, in the end, I’d feel bad if I caused your kind to avoid us over that misunderstanding” Celestia looks at both me and Alpha with confusion. “And what misunderstanding would that be?” Alpha looked back at the ruler with a warm smile. “A simple rock that had been accidently thrown, Celestia,” Celestia's concern look was now dotted with worry. “Well, at least you settled your differences without problems?” “Dan’t Worry Princess! They dan’t hold unta grudges f’ur long!” A familiar semi-high pitched Scottish accent sounded through the room. From the entrance of the throne room, two earth ponies were pampering a lunging biped, hands behind his head in a moveable hammock. "It all depends on what happens in th'e situation!" He slowly rose from his pose on his newfound bed and waved at me. "Hello, lad!" He smiled in a happy demeanour. He jumped off his hammock, performing three front-flips before landing perfectly on his tippie-toes. "How ya doin on this'er fine day!" He smiled, putting both hands on the side of his hips. "OhmyCelestiahe'ssocute!" Pinkie yelled, squishing her cheeks together with her hooves, making her lips pucker. She leant in close to me and whispered. "What is he~?!" She asked, pointing her hoof at the orange biped. “A good friend Pinkie” I then looked at Poarach and asked him “It’s good to see you again how are you feeling?” “Th’e day is getting ah lot better!” He happily said, walking over to the table and taking a seat of his own. I then smile and say “Pinkie Pie meet Poarach, Poarach meet Pinkie Pie” “Nice ta-” Pinkie quickly snatched Poarach's hand and shook it drastically up and down, lifting the small creature up, keeping him airborne for a short duration. “Hi, I’m Pinkie Pie!” “Pinkie personal space” “Oh, sorry!?” She let go of Paorach’s hand, letting him land face first onto the marble floor. As soon as his body made contact with the floor, I noticed a silver transparent octahedron envelop his body, it quickly faded just in the time it took to appear. I quickly glanced back at Paorach, confused on what just happened. “What was that?” I asked. Paorach put the palms of his hands on the floor and pushed himself upright, standing on both paws. “It’s called “Barrier” It reduces force taken ta one’s form” He cringed, rubbed the front of his head. Scratch marks were visible on his face. “Is this bracelet ah enchanted ta keep th’e spell on m’he. Although not as powerful...” Again he cringed at the small bump that was now growing on his forehead. “It helps,” “Ah, similar to some spells in games. I believe there was one in a game I played only days before I arrived here, what was it called ... Witcher? I believe the spell was called something along those lines... What was it?” I thought to myself, putting my hand up to my chin. “Quen... or was it... Aard?” I muttered. The chairs in the room scooted back, causing everyone to hold onto their seats. “Ok maybe not that one” “lad!” Paorach said with disappointment, getting to his feet and sitting back down in his seat. “What ah used was ah part of Abjuration magic!” I rub my head, uncertain of the word he used. “I’ve not heard of that before… but saying that I come from a world without magic. So, I suppose that makes sense?” “Ok lad… Abjuration magic focuses on magical energies to provide protection. It can take a number ov forms, including warding off specific types ov weapons or creatures and discouraging or dispelling enemies!” He gave a quick description, dramatically taking off his goggles and cleaning the lens with his thumb. “Abjuration also includes ah variety ov spells involving avoidance and repellency. Abjuration spells concentrate on eliminating or hindering sources ov potential harm rather than repairing the damage. Seeing as It’s rarely used lad, not many know about it!” “I suppose that makes a lot of sense... a lot more sense than all my powers.” A cough made its presence clear. Paorach put his goggles back on his head and turned to Celestia. I did the same. “Shall we continue with our meeting Craig?” I then smiled and said “Ah yes, sorry about that please continue” “Thank you, Craig. I heard about what you shall soon attend from my faithful student and I wish to give you as much time and training to prepare you for what lies ahead. I have decided that the best way from you to train is to face the full force of my army whilst not using any of your advanced weaponry.” “Seriously Princess I can’t use my advanced weaponry…?” I then rubbed my head and continued to say “thank god now I don’t need to worry about seriously injuring one of my opponents.” “And if You do defeat Celestia's Army, You will be training with one of my pups,” She smiled. “I and Celestia have been discussing this matter and she has convinced me to help you, but you must earn it,” I then look at them in confusion and said “You really want me to face a pup? No offence but in my world it’s like attacking a small child… I’d say it’s pretty wrong to do that?” Alpha laughed, her voice echoed across the royal walls. “You will see what I mean Mr.Craig when you are finished…” “Okay, I look forward to meeting him” I then turn to Celestia and said, “when do you want me to start training?” She then smirked before she simply said “now” with that she ignited her horn before we were all teleported outside. As we appeared outside the barracks I saw that we were in a large yard where I saw what must have been just a few hundred soldiers and I look at her and say “that's the whole army, Celestia? I hate to say but it seems quite underwhelming considering that this is the force that’s supposed to be able to protect the whole of Equestria.” She just smiled and said “we'll see soon won’t we” I just nod my head as I changed my guitar into the sword and with that producing all of my weaponry, of which I removed then placed them against a wall behind us before I turned back to Celestia then said “okay ready.” I then turned to my opponents and bow to them then quickly ready my sword as Celestia just nods as four pegasi bolt towards me. I then just smiled and said “Lets see what you can do” I then waited until the last possible second and then slip to the side and instantly uppercut one of them in the chest which cause him to instantly collapse then within seconds I dropped next to two of the others and quickly knocked their heads together instantly knocking them out. I then looked around for the fourth one of the pegasi but failed to find him. I then shut my eyes and sensed a figure rapidly falling toward me as I looked up and saw him moving at what seemed to be as fast as a bullet towards me. I then pull my hand to my side and as he gets nearer and thrusts it upwards just before he makes contact with me causing him to collapse onto the floor in pain holding his muzzle. I then looked around to see that I was surrounded by twenty-five more soldiers that all seemed to be Unicorns. I then look around in worry and move my hands into one symbol and shouted “Shadow Clone Jutsu!” I then saw the unicorn's back away as now instead of me being surrounded the circumstances had changed and my clones had surrounded them outnumbering them two to one. They all then charge towards them and in turn strike them each down before they can even cast a spell. I then turn towards the remaining ponies to see that that what remained were what seem to be forty earth ponies, twenty-five pegasi and eleven Unicorns. I then smiled as I saw that the one who was leading them was no other than good old Shining Armour. I then smiled and said “let's have fun with this thing” with a click of my fingers With that all of the clones charged towards the Earth ponies and unicorns each holding a ball of seemed to compressed air in their hands and charged towards them. As each one makes contact with a pony sending them flying backwards as the majority of them smashed into the surrounding walls whilst an unlucky few get knocked into the air causing many of the pegasi to come crashing to the ground unconscious from the force they were hit. I then looked up to see almost all of the remaining forces dropping their weapons and running away apart from just Shining Armour and one Pegasus. I then called off all of the clones as they disappeared and I shouted “Shining! How about we make this interesting just you two against me!” They then looked at me as Shining Armour says “okay then, you best be ready Craig.” With that they both of the ponies charged at me Shining armour on the ground whilst the pegasus in the air. I just smirked and took a breath before I whispered “Yrden” Which instantly creates a small circle on the ground infront of me which as they move into it caused Shining Armour slow down. During which time I quickly dispatch the confused Pegasus as I quickly ran forward, jumped into the air as I brought my knee up into his chest knocking him out of the air and leaving him unconscious before he hit the floor. I then landed behind Shining Armour and said “Sorry I’ll rephrase that one on one” We then turned toward each other as he said “You took out my whole guard singlehandedly and you don’t even look like you’ve even started trying.” he then smiled as he continued to say “let see how our newest recruit lasts against a captain” with that he charged towards me as I closed my eyes and I begin to feel like time began to slow. I then open them as I quickly sidestep him and attempt to strike him in the side however before I make contact a small shield appears in front of my hand as it appears in a purple glow. “Okay then let’s turn it up a notch” With that I jump backwards as a red flame appeared in my hand before I threw it at Shining Armour however instead of hitting him it instead struck the ground beside which knocked him off balance from the explosion it released, I then charged towards him and managed to catch him by sweeping his front hooves out from under him causing him to fall to the floor. I then jumped into the air before I buried my sword into the ground beside his head. The girls cheered me on, raising their hooves and stomping the ground with excitement. Fluttershy fainted and Twilight seemed to breathe in and out at fast speeds while putting her hoof onto her chest. I rose to my feet and offered a helping hand to the guard on the ground. He nodded and took my hand with his hoof, I pulled him towards me. As I supported the soldier to his hooves, I saw two white figures approached me, one with her chest puffed out and her head held high was obviously Celestia, while the other was none other than alpha, her wings tucked next to her side. "It was very entertaining to watch Mr.Craig," alpha praised me with a smile. "I'm impressed by your magic powers and skill," I then blushed and said “Wouldn’t say it was that amazing” I then looked at Celestia then told her “And sorry about holding back on your guards and Shining" Rainbow dash flew towards us with her jaw wide open. "You were holding back!" She yelled, waving her hooves at the unconscious pile of guards. “Yeah I've never needed to go full out… think the most I’ve ever gone to was around maybe forty percent and that was against another Displaced. I’d say I used about twenty percent at a push.” "I see..." Celestia hummed, looking back at her entire squad of guards who were now struggling to their hooves. "I may need to give my guards more training?" I then smiled and said “Give me a few minutes Princess” my body then began to glow as I walked up to each guard I subdued then whispered “Grand Healing” as they instantly begin to feel stronger and begin to stand up almost as if they hadn’t just be knocked out. I then turn to Celestia and say “that should help them.” with that the glowing ceased. "You still cease to amaze me, Craig," She shook her head with a weak smile. I then rubbed my head and said “Thank you, Princess. but all I did was fix the mess I caused.” "So Mr.Craig" Alpha started. "You have peeked my interest. I will allow you to train with any of our pups and learn from them... That is if you wish?" “It would be an honour.” "That is wonderful!" She smiled, walking towards the castle. "Walk with me Mr.Craig, and I will show you who you will be with," “Okay, then Alpha ready when you are.” with that I collected up my weaponry from against the wall before I followed her towards the castle. As we walked through the castle, it was like an endless maze of marble and glass with gold props hugging the walls of the hallways. "Who would you like to train with Mr.Craig?" She asked, shifting her wing. “Who is there to train with?” "You may train with any of us, as long as you have reason to. Paorach is available, he may be small, rude, and... Immature, in some situations, but he knows much." She said admiring the stained glass that we passed by. "There is Ste'fur, Wolf, who knows much about patience and change, who would gladly help you. Fin'ra... I am uncertain of him. Although..." She put her paw next to her chin, her face contorted to concern. "There is Tel'den," “Why are you unsure about this Tel’den? Is there something I should know?” "No," She shook her head. "He is fine and well, but I worry more for him than I do for the rest of my pups," “Why do you worry about him… is there something wrong with him?” I asked. "There are many things wrong with him. He is not very social with his own brothers and sister, isolating himself from his own kind. He will visit and come from time... The only worry I have for him is that I feel like he is different from us... Like he is not a Canis..." Her head dropped close to the floor, saddens very clear in her voice. "The only reason I am putting him as a candidate is that he is here, on Equestria ground" I then look at him, my eyes filled with determination and say “I know who I’m training with… Tel’den!” Alpha lifted her head with ears pointing to the ceiling, astonished by my sudden outburst. "Are you certain Mr.Craig?" She tilted her head. I then nodded my head and say “As sure as I can be… He sounds a lot like me, he isolates himself, avoids contact with other beings, doesn’t act like others do, he seem similar to me before I arrived on Equestria. and besides, only a diamond can make a change to something that is the same as itself.” I then smiled and said “You never know we may be the only ones who can help each other solve our own downfalls. "You are very kind as always Mr.Craig..." She giggled. "I shall summon him then. Where do you wish to meet him?- umm, may I suggest somewhere less populated?" I then scratched my head then say “the best place would be the everfree but that's not exactly safe… give me a minute” I then close my eyes and try to get in contact with the Mayor. As soon as I manage to get a link with her I say “Mayor can I speak with you?” "...Who's there!?" She asked looking around her office. “sorry if I startled you… It’s Craig. If you're looking for me you won’t find me nearby I’m talking to you telepathically from Canterlot” "Oh?" She said with a confused voice. "Ok... So, what can I do for you, Craig?" She sat back in her chair, her eyes still searching the room. “Okay, I know this is a bit out of the blue but I was wondering if I could get your permission to set up a training field in a large empty place outside of town, I also thought you could use it as an area for ponies to perform when it’s not being used.” "Humm. I do not mind you... Training in or around ponyville, but setting up a large area away from the town is a bit tricky Craig. Is the grassland not that wide or open, and ponies could always go to the hills and practice... things?" “You won’t need to worry about building it, I can prepare the land and build it up overtime and I was thinking as more of a larger area for when musical artists or performers come to town instead of packing lots of ponies into the town centre.” "W-Well!" She thought. "I guess Craig," The mayor sighed with defeat, knowing that I would not give in with a polite no. "Mind if I ask how you are going to do this?" “Not at all. I plan on working with the local community over time starting as just a small stage and a large space in front of it and slowly building it up overtime until we have a good size area for ponies to use” "Okay Craig," She leant back in her chair, looking up at the ceiling. “Oh, and sorry about the surprise call I’ll try not to do it again.” "Thank you Craig?" She wrote down notes on a blank piece of paper with a quill. "Just be sure to clean up when you are done?" I then laughed and said “No promises with my luck I'll be all over the place… almost like Pinkie.” "Don't remind me," She sighed. “Okay, I hope to hear from you later gotta get back to my meeting.” I opened my eyes and faced alpha. She was waiting with patience. "Did you ask for permission to train in this... Place?" “Well yes and no… we have a permission to use it but in return, I need to build a stage and prepare it for use.” "How do you plan to accomplish this on your own Mr.Craig?" “by one of my kind’s most hated topics… hard work and on a brighter note I’m going to get help from the community.” “I See” She was intrigued. “Where is this location if I may ask. So that I may send Tel’den to this location.” “It’s the field just outside the main entrance ponyville, for simplicity's sake tell him to meet me at the entrance to the town”. “As you wish” I sat outside Sugarcube corner, in the small wood chair that sat next to a pink wood table, just outside the candy coated building. I watched ponies of different bright colours enter and exit pinkies home. Either walking out with a smile on their faces or leaving with a cardboard box filled to the brim with cakes or sweets. It was all fine and relaxing, I was only waiting for the unintroduced Canis who I have yet to know. I stared at the edge of town, waiting for the strange creature to appear over the green, grassy hills. I took In a deep breath... And exhaled. All the while looking at the endless rows of large earth mounds that surrounded the peaceful village. I had already made plans to summon the building I told the mayor and alpha we would be training with when we meet. It was then, that I noticed a small figure approaching Ponyville’s front entrance. I squinted my eyes, trying to get a better view of the far off figure. It was another pony, His coat was white with gray scattered around his body, his mane was very short with a dark grey colour and his cutie mark was the USB connector symbol pointing upward. The obvious things that were noticeable about the stallion were that a titanium prosthetic leg occupying his left hind leg, and he seemed to slouch with his head half ways from the ground. He walked into town and from what I could guess, he seemed to be paranoid and insecure. The only emotion he seemed to show was a blank stare. I then sighed and muttered “he really is no different than me before I came to Equestria,” I then stood up and began to walk towards the pony I assumed was Tal’den as I thought I hope this doesn’t seriously backfire two of us who struggle with being around others trying to get over it… This sounds like a worse idea every second. “Hello!?” He said as I approached him in a low, gravelly, monotone voice, his eyes directed to the ground with expressionless features. I then sighed, knelt down so I was nearer to his eyes level and said “Are you Tal’den?” His ear twitched and swivelled in my direction. “That I am... Tech Tel’den and you are Craig?” He asked in the same low monotone voice. “Yes, I am… I’ve heard a lot about you from Alpha but I for one do not like to go on the word of others I prefer to understand them from my own meetings.” “Then you must know that I am not a pony if you have talked to leader Alpha. I am a being of a sentient species” He specified, moving his head to the side to allow his ears to point towards me, his fully grey eyes examined nothing but air. “As are all these ponies they're not like the ponies and horses where I'm from and anyway if what she said was true, you and me are more alike than we make out.” “Is that so?” He asked, tilting his head. “Yes Alpha said you avoid contact with your family, me I avoided all contact out of fear of being hated and always attempted to hide my face.” He hummed. “...Shall we train, do you accept or decline?” He asked. “I accept and am ready when you are.” “Then where are we going to train. I look around and I see nothing but darkness. The only available description I can make out from this land is an open area?” “You’re looking where we are training give me a second” I then closed my eyes before a building similar in shape to the Colosseum in Rome appeared in the open space. I then open my eyes, point toward the newly made stadium and say “that is where we’re training” His head rose from its position, he sniffed the air. “Are we safe from prying eyes? “Once we get inside I will create clones of myself to ensure nopony or nobody watches us.” “Then let us proceed inside.” “Ok then let's go.” As we walked inside we are surrounded by pristine marble walls that are engraved in gold and walk over what look like ancient mosaics that are in a multitude of images and colours. As Tel’den followed me through the arena his form began to static. His body changed and morphed quickly from an equine to a Canis. His fur was white with small grey lines appearing on certain parts of his body, battle scars. His left hind leg and right foreleg were replaced with thick metal in the form of a dog’s leg. His eyes were covered with a strip of white cloth that wrapped around his head and his tail was cut in half, leaving metal to replace what was left. As I look at him I cringe as I say “looks like someone did a number on you…. what happened?” "I was once a normal Canis, not a “Ceaseless”. HQ was attacked by enemy forces. Enemies thought I was a Ceaseless, they tortured me to reveal info on HQ. I did not know any. They gouged out my eyes, severed my tail for my body, they cut off two of my legs and they poured acid on my lung, heart, and my throat." I then begin to feel terrible as I walk over to him place my hand on his shoulder and say “I am so sorry, nobody deserves that sort of torture… if you ever want revenge for what they did to you just tell me where to find those monsters and I will end them. Nothing hurt my friends.” "Yes... The monsters, but I died when they were finished with my corpse" His emotions did not change neither did his voice. "I was dead for ten moons..." I then sigh and say “I’m afraid I don't understand what you mean by ten moons” “10 years" he quickly replied, walking further into the arena while I walked beside him. I then look to the ground and say “Ten years… I wonder how long I was gone before I got a message to my parents and younger brother?” "It all depends on how old you were before you came to the world" “I was eighteen when I arrived, I still am, I only went missing a few days ago.” He was silent for a short duration. "I am 567 years old in human belief. Before I turned into..." He looked at his right foreleg, the sound of a piston sounded from within the metal prosthetic. "This... I was 21, the average lifespan for a normal Canis is 57 to 78. But for a Ceaseless, or Immortal, it is usually 90,000 to 700,000." “Wow, I never thought about a being living that long… to be fair before coming here I never believed in magic, gods or any of the things in this reality.” "I do not use magic Craig, although I do wish I could have it back. You should favour your life My heart was destroyed by the acid, my heart is where my soul lays. But that I have a heart made of metal with sheets of iron. I can no longer use magic for my soul can not remain. It would rust. I am a walking corpse if I do not have a soul. Then I do not have life inside of me," “I think you're wrong about not having life… just because you lose something doesn’t mean it’s gone, I believe that if you want something hard enough you can amount to anything, you just need to not give up on yourself. look at Flair, for example, he was killed by my kind, he lost everything, and yet he didn’t give in, he persevered and now he can at least say he’s working for something he believes in.” “He was not killed and his heart's still beating!” His voice rose from Its previous quiet and monotone self to a much louder, angrier form. “He was only experimented on, and he was asleep! I was not! And I was awake for my torture” “And that brings me to my second point you say you don’t have a soul but I my experience everything does every plant, every creature that has life, you still walk you still breathe and you still have emotions, you may hide it but you still have a feeling for others.” I then muttered “As did I even after all my injuries” I then looked back at him and said, “You’re a survivor, you don’t give in, in my eyes that gives you as much of soul as anyone else.” “Emotions!?” His monotone voice reappeared, but a look of surprise was plastered across his face, even with those covered eyes of his. He looked down at his paw, he brought it up to his throat. He shook his head. “Disremember this conversation, we will train” He walked further into the arena and sat down. “What do you want to learn” I then smile and ask. “That depends onHammer-space… what can you teach me?” “Using weapons and Conjuration. I am more familiar with guns and projectiles.” I rose my hand to counter his words, but his voice sprung to life before I could say anything. “-I am unable to use magic. But I never said I did not know how to use it. looking at your musical instrument” He pointed his head at the guitar on my back. “It is eHammerspace, there are weapons contained in the object?” I then smile and say “Yeah the weapon is a sword I was given by Celestia which she and Luna the improved using their magic.” “Other weapons than the sword?” He asked, adjusting the metal box that lay on his back. “Yes but it may be easier to show you rather tell you” I then place my hand on the back of the guitar as my sword, Ahriman's staff, and Churches sword and all of the guns I had acquired during my travels appeared on my body. Tel’den seemed mesmerised by the weapons that lay scattered on the floor. He walked slowly over to the weapons. One of the guns were enveloped in a fuzzy, transparent texture. The MA5D slowly rose from the ground and hovered close to Tel’den’s face. He placed his paw on the white bandage around his head, lifting up the right side of the bandage, revealing a blue bionic eye. His reaction was that of surprise. I then look at him in confusion then ask “What's wrong?” “This is UNSC technology… Where did you claim this weapon?” “I didn’t claim it, it was given to me by another Displaced a guy who had been turned into a guy from the show Red VS Blue. He gave them to me as thanks for helping him.” I then tap my helmet and say “He also gave me this” Tel’den looked up to see the helmet I held on my head. He looked back at the assault rifle in his magnetic grip. The large box that was placed on his right side opened. Two ammo clips rose from the metal box. One of the two clips levitated towards the bottom of the assault rifle, replacing the clip that was held in the gun. The recently detached clip levitated back to the metal box and disappeared from sight. The sound of metal slugs scraped against a hollow container. He looked down the sights, determining the metal guns accuracy. “Do you know how to use it?” I then look at him and say “yeah it’s one of my strange powers, I can instantly learn and understand how to use anything I find” “What about functioning ammo?” I then rub my head and say “look at the ammo count.” Tel’den looked at the guns blue textured ammo counter. “I understand the clip size. I was referring more to how much ammo you have.” “It doesn’t run out… it doesn’t need to reload same goes for all weapons I have. I only ever need one clip.” “Then this weapon is flawed.” He placed the gun gently back on the floor. “Same as the rest, there are rarely any weapons that have infinite ammo, that or this weapon is only a fake” He walked over to the rest of the guns. “Even I do not have infinite ammo…” “When we found them they were in a UNSC Pelican and were like this after they came out of The Warp” “...” He stood there staring at the guns for a short moment. “Then what are we here for?…” He said walking towards the exit of the arena. “What do you mean?” I asked in confusion “You seem to know everything there is to these weapons and have no clue of what you don't know. How are we supposed to train if you know all!” “Because I don’t understand everything… I understand how they work but I don’t understand much else… my powers let me master things quickly but don’t give me any actual knowledge of their limits” His mind wondered. He thought for some time. staring into my eyes. He sighed with annoyance. “Then I will show you.” “thank you” I then bowed to him as I heard a voice say “Come on Craig, I need you!” I then spun around and asked, “Did you hear that?” He lifted his ear, scanning the area for any sound. “I heard a voice?” I then looked down to my armour and say “Wait… my token is someone contacting me… wait that voice… Church!” I then quickly grab the amulet the said “Oh man Church you only gave me half a day without a call, that's fast… Give me a second” I then look at Tal’den and then sensed another group of ponies and said, “Sorry guys looks like I need to call it a day early.” Tel’den looked at me with a face of confusion. He placed the white cloth back over his eye, concealing his bionic vision. He turned around, looking in the direction I shouted towards. I then turned to the entrance and said “I can sense you all… Alpha, Twilight, Celestia, Rainbow Dash you to Paorach” “Ah come on lad!” Paorach angrily yelled, the illusionary sphere that surrounded them shattered, revealing Paorach who was atop of Alpha’s back. “Maybe we wanted to stay hidden! And not let em know!” I then smiled as I picked my stuff up and said “Sorry you lot I've just been summoned I need to head off… I’ll be back as soon as I am able” With that, I opened the portal to Church's world and walked through it. Before I left the world, I could hear the faint monotone voice of Tel’den, followed by the working of springs and pistons scraping against metal. Author's Note And we are back to the end of the original story, next up something completely new and the first in a long line of crossovers. If there are any mistakes please drop a message below See you all next time.
Chapter 21 - The Call of the AlphaAuthor's Note This was another Crossover this on being with LostFaith and his story The Alpha Chapter 21 - The Call of the Alpha -Church’s POV- With a covenant threat looming overhead quite literally in my case I had little choice but to go to extreme measures to fix the threat. I exited the library right after Celestia finished her power transfer and walked into my pelican. “How are the systems?” “All systems online. What do you need?” I transfer my electronic copy of the map of Equestria to Virgil. “Destination: Edge of the border. Speed: Mach 8.5” -Two hours later- As we arrived at the edge of the border and I waited for the gunship to land. When it did I got out and took Craig’s token from the pile and say, “Come on Craig, I need you!” A few seconds later a voice came back through the amulet and says “Oh man Church you only gave me half a day without a call, that's fast… Give me a second” I then hear him say “sorry guys looks like I need to call it a day early.” Seconds later a bright portal appeared in front of me as Craig walked through it and it closed as soon as he was clear. He then looked at me and said “Well what's happened for you to need me so badly?” “Pop quiz, what destroyed Reach?” I then saw Craig’s eyes widen before he said “Oh hell you got the fucking covenant to deal with great I'm getting pulled into two wars.” He then continued to say “okay then what do you need to do?” “Well first, what do you think will happen if we destroy the ships above us currently? Exactly, more will come to finish us off. We need to scare them off somehow. Flood? No. Too risky. Uh… no. Forerunners will only attract their attention. Shit.” “Or maybe you could just go up there and try peaceful negotiations…” “Um, Craig… Have you taken any drugs or alcoholic substances recently?” “No, but I have been hit round the head by half the Equestria army. so yeah that could be it.” “Virgil, open the hatch.” The hatch of the gunship opened. “Now Craig, have you read any of the Halo books? Every single weapon even the ones that were prototypes that were never released in Halo are in this pelican. It’s using Red Vs Blue logic where it’s bigger on the outside than the inside as it may be a facsimile of the pelican they transferred Sheila into. Now look in.” I pull out my m99 Stanchion rifle. “You see this? It’s a fucking Gauss sniper rifle.” I pulled out a M6J Carbine and threw it to Craig. “What's eating you up so much… listen, buddy you're talking to a guy who doesn’t want a full-scale war, that could kill everyone on Equestria.” He then looked up and said, “Listen, if push comes to shove there is one thing I can try to do and that is rewrite their captain’s memory.” I get a shit-eating grin inside my helmet. “Can you breath in space?” Craig then scratched his head and said, “Did Bardock in Dragon Ball Z?” “I don’t know, I never watched that show,” I said blankly. I then smiled and said “He did when fighting an alien who could breathe in space, I am able to manipulate any ability, skill or technique so yes I can.” An idea enters my head and my grin is so big it could split the planet, yes it’s that big. “Wait a minute, bigger on the inside… LOADING BAY! ARMOR! AI! DRONES! Oh my god. Mexican Army! Yes. So much yes. We have to do it! It’ll be like Halo legends ‘The Package’ except with Mexican space robots!” Craig then smiled and asked “Are you sure you don’t want them to speak Spanish and call them Lopez?” -2 hours later- We had finished assembling all the sets of armour and installing voice chips in them. “Activate Lopez Protocol!” Yes, I made a protocol for that. “López se ha activado.” They all say in their native language. Craig then smirked and said “Sorry but I feel like one's going to turn evil and attack us” “Si usted es Simmons te mataré.” The Lopezes say dangerously. Craig then put his hands up and said “and they know about Simmons we are in trouble” He then smiled and said “No, mi nombre no es Simmons . Mi nombre es Craig y yo no soy tu enemigo.” (No, my name is not Simmons. My name is Craig and I am not your enemy.) “Ah, hablas español a diferencia de ese idiota roja Sarge. Él es como un borracho rusa en su estupidez.” (Ah, you speak Spanish as opposed to the red idiot Sarge. He's like a Russian drunk in his stupidity.) "Wow, that’s fucked up. That hurt what feelings I had left." Craig then said “Estoy de acuerdo contigo López Sarge era un idiota absoluto.” (I agree with you López, Sarge was an absolute idiot.) “Ok, I get you guys like talking to people that speak your language but can we move on and get armoured, we are going to space to take out covenant. “Pacto?! ¿Estas loco?” (Covenant? Are you insane?!) “I don’t know. Am I insane?” “Sí. Sí, tú eres.” (Yes. Yes, you are.) The Lopezes all say in agreement. “Okay, then just make backups of yourself.” The Lopezes all facepalm. Craig then looks at me and says “Seriously Church? You realise they are all just one program, right?” He then turns to the Lopezes and says “Sin ofender” (No Offence) “RACIST!” We all say to Craig as we crossed our arms. He then raised his arms and said “Yeah I'm sorry” “Seriously? You guys already made two million backups?!” I shout in surprise. “Nunca está de más estar preparados, idiota.” (It never hurts to be prepared, idiot.) I look around at the group of thirty Lopezes and say to Craig, “Half of them are with you. Get them armed and ready.” I turn to the rest of them which don’t move. “You heard that?! Half of you with Craig and half of you with me! Get armed and I need a sitrep!” Half of them move towards Craig and stand in front of him, awaiting orders. Craig then turns to the other half and says “Ya has oído la IA Estamos mejor prepararse.” (You heard the AI. We best get prepared.) “Warning,” Virgil says. “Precursor presence detected. Identified as Flood, and are capable of Neural Physics. You have been warned.” “I fucking hate my life.” I cursed. “At least they can’t screw you over buddy.” “You know why it said Precursor presence? The Flood were created from the ashes of the Precursors when humans and San 'Shyuum ate pheru which were infected by the ashes which failed to revive the Precursors. This infected humans and other life forms. These motherfuckers mean business. They hate all life for destroyed them. I’m only worried about your survivability.” “You and me both. I think I need to get in some XCOM Genetic Modifications.” “Recommended loadout for this mission: Forerunner weapons. No Covenant presence detected. If you look close you will see a flood hive connected to that ship. We need to stir it away from the planet and towards the sun.” I said. “I got a better Idea” He then put two fingers on his forehead and disappeared. I looked around since my promethean vision shows him as completely gone. My eyes rest on the window. As I looked towards the location of the hive and see a tiny spot that is barely noticeable floating nearby I then see a bright blue light flies towards the Hive and the smash into it leaving it pieces as it begins to just float away from the ship and slowly begins to break apart. Seconds later Craig then reappeared back in the Pelican and said “That should thin the numbers a bit.” “Warning: Flood spores en route towards planet Equis.” I sighed and was about to get up before I fall to the ground immobile. The Lopezes collapse as well. “Electrical failure in sector 6! Warning: Energy failure. System failure.” Virgil’s voice starts to distort as the pelican starts to go off course. -Craig’s POV- I then saw all the Lopezes collapse suddenly. “Electrical failure in sector 6! Warning: Energy failure. System failure.” Virgil’s voice said. I turned towards Church as he collapsed and shouted, “Church! Church you OK” Delta’s distorted hologram appears in front of me and said, “I’m afraid you are going to have to restore the power somehow. This unit is suffering failures.” He disappeared. I then muttered “dammit wish one of you guys were active right now could really use the technical knowhow to fix this mess.” Suddenly a hologram of Church appeared as he exits his armour. “Me. Inside your head. Now.” I then nodded my head and quickly grabbed my helmet and put it on as Church accesses the neural Interface in my helmet and Bii begins to cover my body encasing me in my symbiotic skin I then asked “You okay up their Church?” “Your architecture isn't much different from this Pelican's…” “Don’t get any funny ideas.” I said, “You really don’t want to piss Discord off.” “Fine. I’m going to activate your HUD and I need you to get armed. There should be a weapons bay around here somewhere. Grab any Forerunner weapons you need.” I then said, “Okay,” With that, I ran towards a Z-180 Close Combat Rifle/Asymmetric Engagement Mitigator otherwise known as a scattershot and a Z-130 Directed Energy Automatic Weapon also known as a suppressor. “New energy source found. Enough power has been restored to keep autopilot enabled but I’m afraid your MJOLNIR Mark VI Generation 2 army will not be active.” The pelican rights itself back towards its destination. I rolled my eyes and said “Absolutely bloody brilliant” I then ran towards one of the doors and said “Church where is the nearest power source we can use to refuel the ship?” “Hehe… Yeah, about that. You’re looking at it.” I look at him in confusion. “What?” “You see that sun right there? Yeah, it’s an artificial star. My guess is that it is forerunner-made.” “How are we gonna sort this out then we can’t leave the ship to get it otherwise they’ll take over… Got any good ideas.” “Wait. Something’s happening. The flood spores… they’re actually burning in the atmosphere. That isn’t supposed to be possible. Or at least very unheard of.” Church’s projection flickered for a moment. “There.” A waypoint appears on my hud about 300m away. “There should a backup power generator in that direction. I run through the corridor and up some stairs until I reach a door that was locked. “Fuck the doors locked. We got any way to open this or does it need to be forced open?” “You realise you are talking to an artificial intelligence program right?” Church quips sarcastically. “Yes… yes, I do. Okay then could you get this door open I know this is Delta’s speciality but you should be okay” “Delta.” Church’s voices rings out. A hologram appears next to Church. “Yes, Epsilon?” “Get this door open.” “I’m afraid you are going to have to wait a moment. Virgil has currently locked herself out and is denying communications.” A hologram of Tex (Allison or Beta) appears next to Delta. “Well, she probably has a very damn good reason for doing so.” “Beta. I have not seen you in a while. The door is unlocked.” With that, the holograms disappear. “Okay then wasn’t expecting that let's sort this generator out then stop that invasion before it begins” With that, I ran into the room as I heard the sound of footsteps outside the door “fuck… you deal with the generator I’ll deal with our uninvited guests.” “If you say there are Flood in there I will literally fucking scream,” Church says. “I don’t know what it is but I can swear I heard something outside.” “Do you want to pull a Halo 2 on those fucking flood if they are outside?” I then smiled and announced “thought you’d never ask.” “Delta, are there any space pickles in here?” “Covenant antimatter charge located.” A waypoint appeared on my hud, right next to the banging that is coming outside. “I really don’t like where it is located. Chance of survival: 13.9%” “Great. The percentage has a 13 in it. We are fucked.” Church moaned. “Oh quit your bitching,” Tex said. “Could be worse I could act like Agent Carolina” “*sigh* Did you really just talk about her in front of Tex?” Tex’s hologram appears and flipped me off before disappearing. “Oh bad thinking on my part, sorry.” I then grabbed the scattershot from my back and get ready to fight and whispered “We got any music up there?” The instrumental version of Breaking Benjamin’s Blow Me Away starts to play in the background. I then smiled and put three fingers up and begin to count down and on one kick the door down, sending it flying, revealing a small group of grunts, one of them saying, “We barely got out of there! The demon is here somewhere. We must kill it.” “Ok I’ve had enough I think it’s time for the best battle plan of all time” I then fire off one shot and obliterate one of the grunts and said “It’s called shotgun to the face.” “LEEEEERRRRROOOOOYYYYY JEEEENKIIIINSSSS!!!!!” Gamma/Garry shouted. What? If he couldn’t tell a knock knock joke then he had to choose an even worse one. Seconds later multiple black tendrils shot out of my body and begin to impale each of the grunts on them and instantly retracted leaving the dead body of multiple grunts in my wake. I then looked up and said “You are fucked.” At that point, I grab my staff and smash it on the floor and a portal opens up below the group of grunts sucking them into the Warp I then closed it and said “Prepare for insanity.” “That shit is seriously fucked up.” Before Church can say anything else something that makes me literally shit myself appears. A dozen flood juggernauts jump through the glass, shattering it. “I don’t even want to know how the fuck that is possible,” Church says, pointing at the abominations in front of us. I just look at Church and say “how's the reboot going for the generator?” “All systems online. Life Support Online. Artificial Gravity Online. Shielding system online. FTL Drive online. Starboard cannons enabled. Self-Protective Priorities Authorized.” Virgil announces. “Disable United Nations Space Command Emergency Priority Order 098831A-1.” Church says I justed look at him in confusion. “Cole Protocol disabled. Are you sure about this?” Virgil asked. “Affirmative.” Delta replied. I then looked at my side and said “ok time for something new I then grab my bolter pistol and form a fireball in my other hand and shouted “BARBEQUE’S ON!” I then throw the fireball just in front of the juggernauts that begin to launching them backwards from the force of the explosion and then fire the bolter pistol multiple times at them getting multiple headshots with each shot. Down the corridor, we heard a shout, “Usted no va a destruir el López Ejército pesado!” (You will not destroy the Lopez the Heavy Army!) With that, all thirty Lopezes charge and fire. “Targets identified.” One of the Lopez’s assault rifles pulls a Freckles and shouts every single enemy in sight. “Targets neutralised.” “This is why I am scared of Freckles.” Church said. I laughed and told him, “Same here, before and after.” “Had a bad experience?” Church quips sarcastically. “Nah just saw how badass he was beforehand… hey if the covenant and the flood are here that could mean you could get Agent Maine to deal with in the future or even the rest of the gang appearing.” “Wait a minute. Flood, covenant. In season 1 Master Chief was mentioned… Project Freelancer… Staff of Charon… Mother of Invention… We need to find out what season this is. But how?” “If only we knew someone who could break the fourth wall.” Discord’s distorted voice is heard, “Oh shut up, you read too much fanfiction.” “Why does his type of humour remind me of Wyoming so much?” “I honestly have learnt to ignore it.” “Wait a minute. I just realised something. The freckles assault rifle said targets neutralised. Does he mean… all of them onboard? The lopezes could have taken out all invaders since the power has restored...I remember outfitting the lopezes armour with promethean vision.” “I don’t know.” I then closed my eyes and said, “There's some left feels like there in the control room.” “Fucking hell, why did I have to get a Tardis pelican. I mean I’m not complaining, it’s just… It feels too easy.” “Yeah, I thought the same thing it’s like…” We then feel the ship getting dragged by something, “We can’t catch a break today. What are the chances of blowing up their tractor beam?” “Hyperdrive, Warp drive and Interstellar teleporter have been enabled.” Virgil’s voice says over the intercom. “Excuse me?” Church says in confusion. “SOMEBODY PLEASE TELL ME WHY THE FUCK WE ARE IN A DOCTOR WHO PELICAN?!” Delta’s hologram appears in front of me. “The chances are 199.3215223%. Hmm, my systems are functioning normally so I am unable to gather how I received that percentage.” He disappeared. “Okay, Virgil where are we going?” “Destination: Unknown. This system has not been catalogued by the United Nations Space Command.” “Okay, this is getting ridiculous… Virgil who entered the commands to where we are going?” “Do you talk to your mother like that?” She quips. “And for your information, I did. I locked the system out to these unggoy who are trying to hack into me.” “Wait, why are there only grunts here? Is it another grunt rebellion? I swear, the last one almost destroyed the entire covenant.” “Unknown.” “Virgil Send me the coordinates of the grunts. we’ll deal with them” “Access denied.” Virgil replies to me. “Access override, level Alpha.” Church says. “Access granted. Welcome back, Director.” I look at Church and whisper, “Wait a minute, she didn’t notice that before?” He just shrugs. “meh suppose it never gets old” “Virgil! What is the real classification of this ship?” “Ship identified as G79H-TC/MA Pelican.” “Director override.” “Ship identified as Project Freelancer G79H-TCTA/MA Quantum Pelican Experiment #2601” “Hey, Craig? Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” “I don’t know” “Good because that would be fucking creepy. So, what I’m thinking is, we should destroy the whole covenant fleet. This is an experimental prototype pelican which uses quantum mechanics right? Well, there has got to be a mac cannon on here or something.” “Virgil are any experimental weapons on this ship that will work? if so send them to my hud.” “Designation Craig, you realise you forgot about the covenant antimatter charges right? Before I allow to use any others you must first go through with your original plan. Organisation is important.” She says icily. “Okay, I do not want to piss her off.” The sound of a palm hitting face is heard throughout the galaxy. “Did you really forget that plan?” Church asks, sounding strangely betrayed. “Sorry, a lot to deal with right now. cut me some slack I'm only one guy” I then shook my head and said, “I should have done this earlier.” “Oh, dejar de poner excusas. Esto es por qué las máquinas son superiores.” (Oh, stop making excuses. This is why machines are superior.) One of the lopezes who we forgot about said all too enthusiastically. “I’m basically the same thing as you and yet I’m insulted.” Church replied to Lopez who facepalms. “Yeah, Yeah don’t blow a fuse” I then closed my eyes then whispered “Shadow Clone Jutsu” I then looked at the copies and said “get rid of any covenant soldiers you can find” With that, they all just nodded their heads and disappeared. “Fucking Naruto.” I cursed. “Whats wrong with Naruto?” “I’m just saying that because you’re OP as fuck. Not that I’m not OP as fuck as well.” I then smiled and said “okay let's deal with that Covernet ship” I then teleported outside and moved my hands to my side and shouted “Big Bang Kamehameha!” with that a massive beam burns through the whole ship disintegrating it completely. “Case in point. That is why you are op as fuck. You even went through the shields.” I then shook my head before I said “Oh god did I just do that… that's insane” “Yes. And it was cliche as fuck. I’m so proud of you.” Tex says sarcastically. “Are you done yet or have you got some more insults to go?” “Maybe. You never know. She’s only female.” Tex’s hologram appeared and she punched Church in the nuts. “Ow you fucking bitch!” She flips him off and disappears. “You really shouldn’t have gone there, buddy.” “Okay, well the flood is pretty much gone, and the ships are disintegrated and I didn’t get to go through with my plan.” Church grunted. “We should try to find a way to contact the UNSC or something. Actually no that’s a terrible idea. But if we don’t do that then how will we find out what season we are in of RvB? I already know we are past Season 5 of MLP.” Maybe you’ll get lucky and a ship will just come into this Solar System.” “Nice try but-” Before Church can finish red lights start to flash. “Slipspace rupture detected.” A ship bigger than the Mantle’s Approach exits a slipspace portal. “Do you hate me or something, because I don’t know what I did to deserve this. YOU SHOULD KNOW by now that Murphy’s law loves to fuck with people here!” “Hey, it could worse it could be one of the red or blues from Blood Gulch.” “The mantle’s approach is over 100x larger than the unsc infinity and this ship is at least 10x bigger than the mantle’s approach. So tell me, what could actually equal worse?!” “It could be that ship from Halo 4 at least I think it was.” “Which one? The didact’s ship? Because funny story… That ship you’re talking about is the Mantle’s Approach. An-” A black hole suddenly appears and pulls the entire ship back, literally tearing it in half and suck the halves in before closing. "Craig, I can't. Craig our contract is complete." Before Craig could react he was pulled into the portal as I exited his helmet.
Chapter 22 - Never Trust Your ShadowSomething has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.
Chapter 23 - A Soul Reaper and an AI.Author's Note This is the Start of the War of Shadows, these will be added and may appear at near random intervals also there is near no editing done as I can't bear to reread this but if I can get ahold of the edited/retconned version of this I will remove and readd this chapter. Hope you enjoy this and as always please drop your opinions in the comments. Side Story 1 - Let the War Begin! Dark Magician was in the watcher room again like always to see what the other displaced are up to. He then felt something pulling him and when he knew it was summoning. So he went and grabbed Dark Magician Girl just as a portal opened up and we both walk in as it closed. We both appeared in front a castle that looks like a giant treehouse that was made out of crystal. “So we are at some point after season 4.” Dark Magician Girl said as she looked around. “Yes, but the question is. Which Displaced does this Equestria belong to?” Dark Magician asked as he tried to spot where the displace right then. “I guess that’d be me,” Said a voice from behind the duo. They spun to see a tall pale skinned, haired, and clothed man who wore a trench coat. His right eye was missing, but the other was grey, and a pair of wings of white and black were sprouted from his back. “My name is Time Spinner, welcome to land of the screwed!” He flashed his shark teeth as his arms went up. “We know who you are since I saw you talking to some displaced like Max and Lance. Not only do I know that you are founder of a version of the Power Ponies. So my name is the Dark Magician. I am an ace to the king of games, co-productor of all elements and cmc and the watcher of all Displace and it's nice meet you.” Dark Magician said as he offers a hand to shake. Time didn’t take it though, “Okay, kind of weird… Fine, whatever. Welcome to the battleground of the war of- you know what? I won’t say it since you already know most likely. What side do you choose, I’m setting up the bases right now.” “Oh oh. We are going on Lee’s side of this war and my name is Dark Magician Girl and I am happy to meet you Timey.” Dark Magician Girl said with a Pinkie size smile. Time Spinner opened a portal, this one immediately sending all three of them to a night club, “Well… That’s a new one… I’ll have to remember that one… Anyways, this is the first base of the Alliance. Make yourselves at home, it’s only temporary.” A vortex to the void opened up in the room soon afterwards, walking out was what looked like Discord wearing a full body cloak and drinking a 58 ounce soda with 3d glasses. He finished the drink and soon eat both it and the glasses. “I heard your call, so what’s happening this time? I have you know I almost missed Avengers Age of Ultron with spider-man!” “Tuff nuts, I’m working on a war.” Time Spinner sighed, “Look, you weren’t called, but if you want you can stay… Wait, did you finish it?” The one eyed Displacer asked. “Had to take it with me on the go, boy is that movie theater going to have a riot.” the cloaked Dranconquess said looking around. “So let me guess two of your displaced decided to go about killing each other? Well I think I’ll stay, might need some help keeping things from getting out of hand with magic.” He soon spotted the two Dark Magicians. “Oh hello there, I’m Loki God of Balance.” Loki answered. “Hello I am the Dark Magician co-productor of all elements and cmc and watcher of all Displace.” Dark Magician responded as Dark Magician Girl gives Loki a hug. “And I am Dark Magician Girl. Its nice to meet you along with your Discord and evil anthro Twilight Sparkle.” Dark Magician Girl said grinning. Said Discord and Evil Twilight appeared behind Loki in their Astral forms. “Well that’s a party pooper I was hoping to surprise them with us.” Astral Discord said. “Won’t matter they might just die in a war the least on their minds should be Astral ghosts.” Astral Twilight answered. “It’s amazing how you both haven’t started fighting each other…. again.” Loki said as he floated away and to Time Spinner. “So then how many are coming to this war?” Seconds later a bright portal appeared in front of us another human walked out of the portal and looked towards everyone and said “Well this is a small group that’s arrived up to yet.” “Hello Craig I am the Dark Magician and this is my girlfriend Dark Magician Girl.” Dark Magician said as he point at Dark Magician Girl who is still hugging Loki. Craig then smiled and said “Pleasure to meet you all, and you too Discord and Twilight.” “Actually we are him.” Discord pointed to Loki. “Yeah can you both return to my mind now?” Loki asked, the two Astral forms disappeared. “Hey I’m Loki, God of Balance I’ll be neutral in what’s to come.” “Okay then it’s good to meet you,” Craig said before he continued to say “I guess i’d better introduce one of my mates” seconds later yet another Discord appears beside him and just smiled at everyone. “Anyways…” Time Spinner said in annoyance, “Enough interruptions! This is the base for the Alliance! The Empire's base is almost co-” “Hey Craig!” Jubilee appeared next to Time, “What’s up?” Craig just smiled “Oh hi… to be honest I haven’t had much of a break since I left it’s only been a few days and all I’ve had is a bunch of meetings with other Displaced I think about two in just a day. But enough about my time what you’ve been up to?” “Nothing much, just getting some brain matter in my hair, meeting Displaced, annoying Time and Sylar, that kind of stuff…” Jubilee said. Craig just laughed and told both her and Time Spinner “Seems you’ve both had the time of your life.” The pun got a chuckle from Loki who saw Time Spinner glare a bit. “That was Discord.” Loki ignored the protests of his Discord in his mind. Time Spinner rolled his eye, “I hate those puns… In any case, I welcome you as well to the war. Sylar!” Another human male appeared wearing glasses and a top hat, “Yes, it’s done, now can I go?” He sighed. Time ignored him, “Okay! Empire base is complete! I’ll show you later, but right now I guess I’ll answer any questions you have.” “Yeah. So what are this Equestria’s Elements be doing during this war?” Dark Magician asked as he slap Dark Magician Girl in the ass which made her go eep and grin at him. “Simple,” Time said as a chart appeared out of nowhere. There were four images, one of the Elements just having fun, another where they fought Changelings, the third showed them beating Tirek and the last depicted them versing Starlight Glimmer. “They’ll be kicking ass and chewing bubblegum with the Alliance. And no, I’ve taken care of the rainbow power by stealing Twilight Sparkle’s ‘magic’.” “Why did you take her magic? She’s useless without it.” Dark Magician Girl asked frowning. Craig then looked at him and said “Nobody’s ever useless, no matter what their circumstances are. Even if they’ve got no magic she’ll still as much moral support as everyone else.” “He means the power of magic in harmony not her Alicorn magic.” Loki answered then turned with a raised eyebrow. “Right?” “Of course Loki, what fun is there is magic rainbows of destruction that would seal any Displaced in stone. And what fun is there in a magicless Twilight.” Time chuckled, “I’m a monster, not a villain.” The ground shook a bit as a vortex opened up and out walked a black metal armored Alicorn with magma flowing under them being seen between plates. “I figured the place wouldn’t be big enough for my full form, Hello I’m Netherion, or Deathwing nice to meet you all.” “Well now we have the embodiment of the planet here.” Loki commented. “Time, Chaos, Earth. What’s next, Retroness?” Asked Jubilee with a snicker. “A bear maybe?” Asked Dark Magician Girl as she snickers with Jubilee. “I guess that can be bear-able.” Dark Magician joked. Time Spinner just groaned. “Next question?” Time asked. “You just asked it,” Jubilee tried. “You walked into that one Timey.” Dark Magician Girl said laughing. “Where the Alliance’s leader?” Loki asked. “Back home for now, I’ll call him when I’ve got everything ready. Shouldn’t take too long.” Time responded, “As for Folteren… He’s… Around…” “So what do we do in the meantime?” Dark Magician asked while looking at a book. Time Spinner face palmed, “Of course! I knew I forgot something… You’ll be diplomats today!” A goofy grin spread across his face, “I’ve got an Alliance General waiting for you! Wait, are you all on Lee’s side?” “Yep we are.” Dark Magician Girl said grinning while eating a cupcake. Deathwing turned to Loki about to ask. “Yeah…. I don’t think having a Void dweller who can level a Universe on either side a good idea I’m neutral.” Loki answered him. “There are a couple neutral’s, yes. I’m also on Loki’s side,” Time stated, “I think most of you are ‘Heroes’. Meet Blossom when you’re done conversing here. I’ll be in the Castle of the Two Sisters if anyone needs me. Sylar and Jubilee wika be here if you want to ask questions, and Loki will… I guess he can watch and do damage control if anyone ‘dies’ and send them home for a week. That okay for you?” “Sure why not, though I might scatter some supplies around, nothing too major mostly for healing.” Loki answered. “Okay! Blossom is waiting at Ponyville Train Station due east of here. If you get lost, ask Loki to call Jubilee for directions.” “I live to serve.” Jubilee saluted. “Any questions?” Time finished. “No.” Deathwing answered. “We are cool.” Both Magicians said at the same time. “So then guess you all can head off good luck.” Loki said giving them a talon thumbs up. “Oh, and remember, Ponies aren’t your friends, and neither are they your foes. Make a good impression on Celly and Lulu so your team can get Equestria as an ally.” Time added, and he then faded away. Jubilee stepped forward, “Kay! You are free to leave whenever you want! Go as a team, or as individuals. Your choice!” “Ok. Well then. Last one to the train station is Blueblood.” Dark Magician said as he and Dark Magician Girl teleports to the train station. “They never grow up…” Sylar mumbled to himself. “Teleportation? That’s a cheap way to win a race if you ask me.” Loki answered. Astral Twilight voice rag through his head. “Oh like you one to talk?” She asked. Deathwing sighed. “It would be best if I meet with them first.” Deathwing said remembering he was in Alicorn form. “They are sun and moon, I am the earth they're a strange understanding between us.” As the group of “Heroes” got to the station they couldn’t find the Dark Magician duo anywhere. “That’s strange, shouldn’t they be here?” Deathwing asked still in his Alicorn form. A piece of paper appeared. I delayed their appearance, Teleporting for long distances is out it seem with some exceptions. signed, Loki. Craig sighed, then looked at the note and said “Brilliant better keep that in mind.” A girl with red hair, pink eyes, wearing a pink one piece dress, high socks, a pink bow in her hair and glasses sat outside of the station reading a book. She was the only living thing they saw, so she had to be Blossom. Two moments later the two Magicians appeared next to the group and both of them aren’t happy. “D*** it Loki!” Shouted a very tick off Dark Magician. “Looks like we’re going to have kick Loki or Blueblood’s butt for this.” Said Dark Magician Girl with a sweet smile and a twitchy right eye. “Looks like you came in last place. We need to find you a prize for being the least punctual I guess,” Craig joked. “Whatever.” Both Magicians said rolling their eyes. Deathwing gave a chuckle, turning to Blossom. “Hello, I’m Netherion, Time Spinner told us to come see you.” The planet-Dragon in Alicorn said. Blossom didn’t seem to listen until Deathwing said ‘Time Spinner’, to which she slammed her book shut and squeaked in surprise. She pulled off her glasses and stood up clumsily, “S-sorry, didn’t notice you there!” “Are you kidding? How can you not notice someone that big?” Dark Magician deadpanned. “My sister talks like Pinkie Pie, and I’m the only one she does talk to. My other sister used to beat up Hydra’s while screaming references as loud as Luna… I built up a tolerance to the world around me when I’m reading…” She blushed in embarrassment at the last part, but kept a deadpan through every other word. Craig then smiled and said “Don’t worry about it. I’m the same when it comes to music.” “For the record I’m in my Alicorn form.” Deathwing added, he may have been bigger the Celestia but he wasn’t that big. “So what now you cute Powerpuff Girl you?” Said Dark Magician Girl whos is giving Blossom a hug. Craig then sighed and hit her around the side of her head before he said “Show respect to your superiors.” Blossom backed away a bit, shaking off her confusion, “U-uh… We board this train to Canterlot. It won’t take too long, since the Castle is just up that mountain.” Blossom pointed towards Canterlot, “But, there is one problem… Strange black ponies are appearing around there. My guess is King Sombra’s joined Darth Folteren.” “If the Princesses and mane six are in trouble there. Then let’s get going and kick Sombra’s butt back to hell.” Dark Magician said. “They just started appearing. I’ve got everything set up, and Lee’s units are already in the train.” Blossom walked around the side of the station a gestured to the train, “This is the Exposition Express. Don’t look at me, Time named it.” Craig then sighed and said “Not surprised… at least he didn’t call it the time train.” “Let’s get going then.” Deathwing said. Blossom stood to the side, “Oh, and since there’s been more surprises, Spinner told me that we needed another Displaced.” Just then, a wormhole appeared. A guy jumped out with four raptors behind him and asked “I guess it’s time for the war then right?” Eyes wide, Blossom backed up, “Wait! Raptors!?” “What you got a problem with us?” the grey one with two blue streaks running down her back said. “N-nothing… Just…” Blossom struggled for words, but luckily, a blond girl with pigtails and a light blue version of Blossom’s dress popped her head out of the train. “She’s an egghead!” Her high pitched voice called over, “She was into Dinos a lot! Like, a lot.” “Well then at least we got off to a good start. My names Owen.” Owen said. “Hello Owen” Craig then walked up to him and shook his hand then said “The names Craig, nice to meet you.” “Likewise.” he said shaking his hand “So what’s happening now?” “Now? Hehe.” Dark Magician Girl said while wearing a TF2 Medic outfit. “Let’s go do some medicine.” She added. “Ve shall make zem cry vid Sasha” Owen said in his best Russian accent and snapped his fingers and a minigun appeared in his hands and his outfit changed into a TF2 Heavy one. “Hello, Equestria to idiots!” Blossom said waving her hands in front of the two, “We don’t have all day. Meet Lee’s army,” She gestured to a dozen pony-shaped steel armor. Craig the muttered “I feel like I’m seeing the army of lopezes from yesterday...” “Cool mind if I bring my own?” Owen said gesturing to the portal and a couple raptors, one with a cybernetic tail and Pteranodons, one with a metal wing walked through wearing body armor and lasers attached to the side “We're gonna be on a train right, so I brought my two best raptors and flyers with me.” Blossom’s eyes almost glowed, “YesyesyesyesyesyesyesYES!!!” She squealed, “I- uh- I mean, sure,” She tried. Bubbles, the girl whose head was hanging outside of the train mouthed ‘egghead’, and slowly brought her head inside. “Right can we get going now?” Dark Magician said after he facepalmed at Blossom’s reaction to the dinosaurs. “Oh, uh, yeah! Sorry everyone,” Blossom whistled and the armors quickly jumped onto the train. “Get on losers!” Yelled a Rainbow Dash lookalike, “Me and Rarifruit are getting bored!” Craig then looked at the lookalike and asked “Rainbine. How far did Time go with his Displacements?” “Unicron is his biggest!” Rainbine replied, “He did a lot!” “I ain’t even gonna try and work that out.” Craig said whilst walking onto the train. “Allons-y.” Said Dark Magician Girl as she ran into the train with Dark Magician. When everyone was inside, Rainbine greeted Owen. “Hey! Sup Owen!” “Sup Rainbine long time no see.” Owen said. The cyborg pegasus gestured to a Rarity lookalike, “That’s Rarifruit. Pinkis is doing good too, but she’s on the other side.” “Bubbles! Get this piece of uncouth metal going!” Rarifruit shouted in a shrill voice. “I got it.” Owen said pushing the metal pony. “What are you up to dino boy?” Dark Magician Girl asked Owen. “Trying to help Rarifruit.” “With what?” She asked. “She wants the armor moved somewhere else.” “Ok.” Dark Magician Girl said as she gets out a cupcake from nowhere and start eating it. “What’s that a magic infused cupcake or a Pinkamena Diane Pie cupcake?” Owen asked. Craig then laughed and said “Do we really want to know if it’s made of ponies?” “You’d be surprised…” Rainbine said with a green face. “Oh god no... You can’t be serious.” “Crud I think I’m gonna be sick.” Owen said walking to the side of the train and puking. “One… Cupcake… That’s all I ate and I didn’t know that Pinkis made it with…” Rainbine flew over to an open window and threw up. Owen finished puking and asked “When are we gonna reach Canterlot?” Craig then looked at him and said “It’ll be a while.” He then went back to tuning his guitar. “Somewhere around an hour,” Said Blossom. “Song montage!” Owen shouted and snapped his fingers and strummed an electric guitar. Craig then smiles and says “What song were you thinking of?” “We will rock you by Queens?” Asked Dark Magician. Craig then laughed and said “Anyone know how to play drums?” “Me!” Said Rainbine, “Used to be an amiture musician when I was human!” “Sabaton No Bullets Fly.” Owen suggested. “I’ll be honest I've never heard that one” replied Craig. “From a Swedish Metal band.” Owen said. “Explains a lot, before I came to Equestria I lived in England.” “Shall I start?” Owen asked. “Give me second… Discord mind breaking the fourth wall buddy?” Craig then smirked, clicked his fingers as a drum kit appeared then said “okay ready.” Rainbine jumped on it, “Guess this’ll do,” “Cut me a break, I had to use my powers to get that for you.” Owen strummed the guitar faster and faster and sang. From down below an enemy spotted, So hurry up rearm and refuel, But through the bomber's damaged airframe, See wounded men scared to the bone. Look to the right and then look again, And see the enemy in the eye, No bullets fly sparred by his mercy, Escorted out, Out of harms way. Fly, fighting fair, It's the code of the air, Brothers, Heroes, Foes. Killing machine, Honour in the sky, B-17 flying home, Killing machine, Said goodbye to the cross he deserved. He risked his life two times that day, To save an unknown enemy, Escort to safety out of the kill zone, A short salute then departed. Fly, fighting fair, It's the code of the air, Brothers, Heroes, Foes. Killing machine, Honour in the sky, B-17 flying home, Killing machine, Said goodbye to the cross he deserved. Fly, fighting fair, It's the code of the air, Brothers, Heroes, Foes. Killing machine, Honour in the sky, B-17 flying home, Killing machine, Said goodbye to the cross he deserved. Once they finished Craig smiled then said “You two ain’t bad… Not as good as Pinkie but still not bad.” “Thanks.” Owen said and snapped his fingers and the guitar disappeared. Rainbine growled. Craig then smiled and said “Ya know there’s a bit of time.” he then turned to everyone and said “any other requests?” Deathwing eyes opened for a moment. “I have none, never really listen to music… other than the sound of volcanoes.” “There’s one song I used to do but it’s very long… what was it called Through the fire and the flames or something like that?” “Through fire and rain?” Blossom asked. “I have a better idea!” Rainbine announced “Don’t Mine At Night.” “Wasn't that a parody song by a member of the Yogscast… who was it BebopVox or something like that?” asked Craig “BebopVox YOGSCAST, and yes.” Blossom said, reading a book about Dinosaurs. “Okay might as well give it a try” Craig said as he clicked his fingers as a set of turntables appeared. He then walked over to them and began to perform the song. Got my helmet on my head, Figure out what that zombie said. Lava all over the room, Gotta' half heart left, man, I am doomed. Don't have any iron bars, my pick just broke into some shards. Scary noise what should I do, Go left or right I'll have to choose. Visions of last time, flash inside my mind, I'm scared. Oh well. and I'm pretty sure, there's a big creeper, Right there! Don't mine at night. I know you're lookin' at that cave, and you're feelin' kinda' brave, Go to bed you'll be alright. Don't mine at night. There's nothing that is gonna' change, If you just wait until the day, Zombie wanna' eat your brains. Don't mine at night. I know it's me you're gonna' thank, Make a bed it's not too late, three wool and three wooden planks. Don't mine at night. How many times I have to say, Drop the pick and walk away-a, Woah, Don't mine at night. Don't mine at night. Don't mine at night. Don't mine at night. Don't mine at night. Stomach's all tied up in knots, This labyrinth, I'm gettin' lost, This is really gettin' old, Found like two pieces of coal. Down one way there's just stone, Monsters won't leave me alone, Down another there's some lava, And of course I get, PWND. Remember last time I tried to mine at night, I failed, so bad, I lost all my stuff, It was really tough, That's it. RAGE QUIT! Don't mine at night. I know you're lookin' at that cave, And you're feelin' kinda' brave. Go to bed you'll be alright. Don't mine at night. There's nothing that is gonna' change, If you just wait until the day, Zombie wanna' eat your brains. Don't mine at night. I know it's me you're gonna' thank, Make a bed it's not too late, three wool and three wooden planks. Don't mine at night. How many times I have to say, Drop the pick and walk away-a, Woah. Don't mine at night. don't mine at night. Don't mine at night. don't mine at night. D-O-N-T M-I-N-E. D-O-N-T M-I-N-E. D-O-N-T M-I-N-E. D-O-N-T M-I-N-E. Don't mine at night. I know your lookin' at that cave, And your feelin' kinda' brave. Go to bed you'll be alright. Don't mine at night. There's nothing that is gonna' change, If you just wait until the day, Zombie wanna' eat your brains. Don't mine at night. I know it's me your gonna' thank, Make a bed it's not too late, 3 wool and 3 wooden planks. Don't mine at night. How many times I have to say, Drop the pick and walk away-a, Woah. Don't mine at night. don't mine at night. Owen clapped his hands and said “Bravo bravo.” “Nice singing.” Said Dark Magician Girl as she get out another cupcake to eat. “Sorry for me asking but are those chocolate flavored cupcakes?” Deathwing asked. “Nope they’re toffee flavored.” Dark Magician Girl say grinning. Rainbine backed away from her, “No cupcakes!” Deathwing raised a metallic eyebrow. “Something you’re not telling us?” Owen whispered in Deathwing's ear, “The cupcakes are pony flavored maybe.” Deathwing thought it over. “Who would even eat one like that? They are supposed to be sweet not taste like cooked meat… well maybe the griffins….” Everyone was looking at Deathwing wide eyed. “What?” “Sigh. The cupcakes Dark Magician Girl have been eating aren’t made from ponies.” Dark Magician said annoyed. “Forgive Dasher, she got scared when Pinkis fed her a cupcake made of a pony… She’s been scared ever since…” Rarifruit said with a sigh. “It tasted… Like strawberry…” Rainbine whispered, face pale. “Are we there yet?” Owen asked. “No worries here.” Dark Magician Girl said as she get out a can Bonk to drink. Blossom sighed, “Speed up time…” And like that, they all appeared in Canterlot. “There… HAPPY!?!?” “Jeez no need to be grumpy.” Owen said. “I’ve been trying to make this as not fake as possible! With no threat of death, Time feared it’d get boring.” Blossom sighed, “C’mon, I think Sombra is waking up the rest of his army. Rainbine, Rarifruit, Bubbles, stay here and guard the train. Everyone else come with me to the castle! Understood!?” “Yes ma’am!” Owen said “Crystal clear.” Said both magicians at the same time. “Very Well.” Deathwing simply answered. “No problem.” Answered Craig. “Well, what are you all waiting for?” Blossom took to the sky, “The Merchant? Come on!” Deathwing raised his wings and took off for the castle. Owen got out the model bike and it enlarged and got on and rode to the castle with the raptors and Pteranodons following behind. To this Craig just sighed and said “Another race, we must look like a group of kids… No point in staying behind,” with that his legs began to glow and instantly disappeared in a cloud of smoke that led towards the castle. “Time to open a portal to the castle.” Dark Magician said as he opens a portal to the castle and walked in with Dark Magician Girl. “No teleporting!” Yelled Bubbles with red eyes. A unicorn next to her simply said, “No Teleporting yes but opening portals are fair game.” The unicorn answered with a smile. “Shouldn’t you be with Time about now? I think he’s calling the neutrals now.” Bubbles retorted. Loki rolled his eyes. “Fine.” With that he was gone though the ground. Celestia sat in her throne room drinking a cup of earl tea with a content smile. Two guards posted by her sides looked tired, even if they tried not to. Pretty soon there was a scream from the other side of a double door, which was soon kicked open with four humans, two Raptors, and an Alicorn. “Nice first impression, guys…” Blossom deadpanned. “Are you all really that dim?” Craig said clearly annoyed. “Yeah. It should have more fare to the first impression.” Said Dark Magician. “In hindsight we didn’t really have a plan.” Deathwing answered. The Solar Alicorn’s cup soon fell from the shock. Craig then quickly opened his hand as the cup stopped falling before he placed in on a nearby table then said “We are sorry for the intrusion Princess.” He then brought his hand over his chest and bowed to her. “Who are you?” Celestia asked, shaking herself from her daze. “Our specific names are of no importance. We are the Alliance of Heroes, human being turned into these forms and have chosen to fight for good. An evil tyrant and his army come here to destroy you and us. We need your help.” Blossom stated. Deathwing simply had the wind drown her out. “Hello I am Neltharion the Earth-wander, I be quick a great evil soon to come and I can tell you felt it too, I humbly ask for your help and I and my friends offer our own.” Deathwing finished with a bow. Craig then smiled and said “Princess my name is Craig and where I come from I’m a member of your guard.” He then quickly placed his hand on the back of his guitar and it turns into a sword he then said “You were the one who gave me this sword, you gave it to me as a way to defend myself when everyone was attacked by Discord, however I now see it as a symbol of loyalty, to you, to your sister, and most of all to all the citizens of Equestria.” Celestia shook her head, “Please… Repeat yourself… Why are you here?” “There is going to be war here in this Equestria and we need your help as an ally.” Dark Magician said as he gave a small bow which Dark Magician Girl did the same. Blossom rubbed her temples, glaring daggers at the Alicorn/Dragon. “The being known as Darth Folteren has already set up a base. Our leader wishes to give you protection and in return, you supply us with the necessities.” “What is this war exactly?” The solar princess questioned, a bit worried. “And why here?” “Simple, Folteren is a misguided man, who’s twisted his reality and the many who serve him.” Blossom explained. “And I don’t know why here specifically. I’m General Blossom.” “So you’re here to wage war in my kingdom?” “Not to wage war Princess… to protect your ponies,” replied Craig. “Plus nobody will get killed and even if they do. Then they will be revived back to life.” Dark Magician Girl said. Blossom giggled nervously, “Yeah… About that… Only Displaced and their armies are… safe. It’s a real threat for the inhabitants.” “Wait… innocent civilians could be killed… I don’t care what any of you think but I would rather die myself than let any ponies suffer.” said Craig “It won’t just be ponies who will be affected.” Said a deep voice from inside the castle. “Hi Asphyxious.” Dark Magician Girl called out. The Lich Lord Displaced then came out of the wall and bows to the others. “It is good to see someone that I know. But I can’t help but see this war as foolish.” Said Asphyxious as he put his arms behind his back. Craig then smiled and said “In more ways than one… it’s just like brothers arguing.” “Agreed, but I must make one thing clear. I will be neutral in this conflict.” He said bluntly as he looks around at the other displaced. Craig then once again smiled and said “At least I know who is who in this war.” “Me too.” Dark Magician said. Asphyxious looked pleased at this, it was kind of hard to tell with his head being a skull and all. Blossom cleared her throat, “Sorry, but Neutrals can’t be in Canterlot. Time Spinner’s hosting that somewhere else.” Asphyxious, Dark Magician and Craig look at her. “So… where was it where we were meant to meet up then?” Asked the Lich as he looks to the others. “Looking at the wrong person mate.” replied Craig. “There’s a place called the Tomb of Starswirl. That’s where the Neutrals are. You won’t be able to go there today though.” Blossom stated. “Why is their base at a tomb?” Dark Magician Girl asked confused. “Sounds interesting, but I think I can get there no need to sleep like this. But the hard part is getting there.” Said Asphyxious as he looks outside. “Where is this tomb?” “It’s in the ruins of Skybard, in the North, near the Crystal Empire but to the east.” Blossom stated. “We know where we’re going then. Dark Magician if you will.” Asked Asphyxious as he moves to stand by his side. “I am helping Lee in this war Asphyxious.” Dark Magician deadpanned. “Me too.” Dark Magician Girl said happily. Asphyxious growled softly at this as he moves away. “Just open a portal and I’ll make the rest of the way by foot.” He asked calmly. “Okay, something tells me that you didn’t get laid today.” Dark Magician said as he open a portal. “One of my mates was almost killed… I have every right to be angry.” Said the Lich Lord coldly as he walks into the portal. “Must be a future thing for you to see Dark Magician.” Dark Magician Girl said to Dark Magician which he nods in agreement. Craig then waved to him, “Good luck.” Asphyxious laughed at this then said. “I need no luck… Just for my enemies to be stupid.” “Don’t we all?” laughed Craig before the portal closed behind the Lich. Blossom places her hand over her ear where an earpiece appeared. After listening a bit, she voiced her reply. “Sure thing Knox.” Turning her head to the others, she said. “Guys, I need you to go down to the Marketplace. One of our Commanders is having some troubles. Mind helping him? I’ve got this here, no use boring you.” “Sure what kind of trouble is it?” Dark Magician asked. “Terry says it’s Sombra’s goons flooding the city. Oh, and just a warning, he’s very… Egotistical. Just try not to piss him off, he’s a real asset.” Blossom stated. “Owen, mind staying with me?” “Sure.” Owen said, shrugging. The creature turned in their general direction, and roared. “Who are you maggots!?!?” Deathwing who was quite looked at him. “I’ll handle this.” The alicorn flashed back into his dragon form. “Okay.” Both Magicians said as they ran to kill some goons. “I said,” The creature said, walking forward. “Who are you?” “Simple.” In a burning flash, Deathwing returned to Dragon formed. “The Earth, literally.” Deathwing had a chuckle. “In all seriousness, I’m Neltharion the Earth Wander, but I go by Deathwing.” Another being walked out of the broken building. This one was wearing a Spiderman costume. “Ignore Abomination, he’s taken the war thing too seriously. I’m Grand Commander Terrance Knox, or Superior Spider-man to you guys.” Four spider-like arms appeared around him. “You must be the re-enforcements I called for…” “Yes we are. My name is Dark Magician Girl and my boyfriend’s name is Dark Magician.” Dark Magician Girl said as she appeared behind Abomination. “I guess you’ll do.” Superior Spider-man said. “There’s an infantry AT-AT coming towards the city. A few actually. Me and Abomination can’t leave our posts because of Sombra’s shitheads, and the few Imperial Scouting Droids, so I’ll need you guys to take them out, as well as their escort team. Can you guys do that?” Craig then smiled and said “Tell us where to go and we’ll hold them off.” Deathwing’s form altered until he was in his human form. Maul in hands he gave a smile. Superior pointed towards the walls of the city, “Hurry up, if they get here the city is lost and all the ponies here will die. My man can’t handle something that powerful!” Craig then looked up then said “I’ll buy you some time.” He then began to levitate off the ground and disappeared. Deathwing’s wings formed as he took off into the air. He came landing into the fight sending bounders up which he smashed at the attackers. He made a raising motion as the clouds readied their lighting. Dark Magician fired a magical EMP blast at the Imperial Scout Droids, frying their systems. Outside the walls of Canterlot, three AT-AT’s were… Walking up the mountain… Craig then appeared above them then said “I don’t think you’ll get far.” He then brings his hands to his side and shouted “KameHameHa!” Seconds later a blue beam of light explodes from his hands destroying the AT-AT below him. The second AT-AT aimed it’s head at Craig and shot him so hard he went flying and was disoriented. “Gah, stupid tanks!” He then looked back towards the AT-AT that shot him, draws his sword and then charges at the cables attaching it to the wall and somehow manages to slice them causing it to stumble, but it didn’t fall. Black magic held it’s feet to the stone. “dammit why won’t this thing fall!” “Need a hand?” Deathwing asked the lightning Deathwing summoned struck him with his hands raised a massive bolt shot third and toar through the AT-AT. “Thanks, needed the support.” shouted Craig Deathwing nodded. “DARK MAGIC ATTACK!”” Dark Magician Girl yelled as she blast the AT-AT with dark magic. “Nice Shot.” Dark Magician said which made Dark Magician Girl blushed. There was an explosion in the market place. “Oh now what?” Dark Magician Girl asked. The Superior Spider groaned as he sat up… Well, tried to. Abomination was on top of him, most likely having saved him from the explosion. “Someone get Abomination off of me!” He yelled. Craig then walked over and said “I got you.” two blue tendrils then appear and slowly rolled Abomination off of The Superior Spider’s body before he asked “are you okay?” The Spider sat up and brushed himself off. “Yeah, but the markets aren’t. Hope their owners have insurance.” “Especially the pony that owns the cabbage stall.” Dark Magician Girl said as she ran by them. Superior looked to the stall and noticed it was a pile of rubble. “I’ve seen-” He was cut off as it suddenly caught on fire for no reason. “Nevermind.” “I feel sorry for cabbage stall owner.” Dark Magician said as he blast a goon that was about to attack the Superior Spider-man from behind. “Hey! Where’d that Death Knight go!?” Yelled Rainbine who had flown over to them. “What Death Knight?” Superior asked confused. “She’s the one who attacked the market!” Dasher replied. “Maybe she went to the bathroom?” Dark Magician Girl suggested. Superior groaned, “She’s a Death Knight, she can’t go to the bathroom… Why do you ask?” “Alduin and Deathwing had her captive, but they left her and she most likely got away!” Rainbine reported. Everyone face palmed at this. “You better not be facepalming at me!” “Nope.” Dark Magician Girl said as she hides her hand she just use to facepalmed. “Definitely not you Rainbine. More the fact that they let an enemy escape after defeating them,” admitted Craig. “Good! Cause it wasn’t my fault!” Rainbine said before flying off. Superior crossed his arms. “Well, I’m surprised Canterlot’s still standing, let alone there haven’t been any casualties.” He stretched a bit. “Guess I gotta give you an objective, huh…?” “What is it?” Dark Magician asked. “Well, before that explosion happened, one of my Spiderbots located an encampment in the Cloud District. They have vital information that could jeopardise my operations here. I’d say that’s the most important thing, but there’s also a squad of Clones trying to evacuate a large group of citizens.” Discord came floating down. “So you need someone to get the information back, or erase it? I’m up for that.” “They’re somewhere in the east, here.” Superior gave Discord an odd device, “This is the only way to retrieve the data by the rules. Destroy the droids, plug this in, and we’ve got our stuff back. There are five of them scattered around.” “Okay a stealth mission it is.” Discord body soon became a copy of a droid. “Wish me luck.” He said as he floated off. Superior was focused on a data pad. “Luck is an illusion, and you’d do best to know that.” Discord seemed to ignore that as he headed off. “Now what?” Dark Magician Girl asked. “Because I think all the goons are gone.” She added. Superior laughed. “These boneheads are respawning enemies! And if you listened, I said there was a group of clones who are helping the citizens escape. They’re currently under fire from a bunch of droids. When you’re done, meet me at the southern part of the city, and I’ll give you something else to occupy your time.” “Okay.” Dark Magician Girl said as she pulls a TF2 Sapper out of her hammer space as she flew off followed by Dark Magician. Craig then smiled and said “There ain’t no rest for the wicked.” He then began to follow Dark Magician Girl. Five clones hid behind cover with ten ponies who were cowering in fear. “Where’s that backup!?” Yelled one named Waster. “They’re a little busy!!!” Yelled their captain. “Did someone call for backup?” Dark Magician Girl asked as she and Dark Magician landed next to the clones. “Oh thank god!” Said another clone. “The cavalry!” “Quiet Visor!” The Captain said. He then saluted. “My name Captain Beckett sir and ma’am!” Craig then landed next to the magicians and asked “are you all okay?” “We’re fine, but that unicorn filly needs to get out of here and get medical care. There’s a few CIS Droid Tanks blocking our path out of the city, already two groups got killed trying to make a run for it. Take those things out, and we’ll be able to get out of here.” Said Beckett. “I think there are around twenty three of them-” “Twenty-four Captain.” Corrected Visor. “They’re lined up so we can’t escape. Folteren’s forces seem to have the intention of giving us no Quarter.” Craig then looked at Beckett and said “Please take me to the injured… I know a bit of healing magic to help her.” Beckett brought Craig to the filly, who was hacking and coughing. Ash covered her body as well as blood, and her left hind leg was severely broken. “Our medic tried to fix her up, but we don’t have the supplies or time to help her. She might get an infection if she doesn’t have one already.” Craig then nodded to Beckett and then looked to the filly and asked “Are you okay miss?” “It hurts…” The filly said, tears brimming in her eyes. Craig then knelt down and said “I’m going to help you… this may sting a bit so forgive me.” He then placed his hand over her and then said “Grand Healing.” Seconds later she was surrounded by a faint white glow which began to heal some of the injures as she became able to breath easier and her hind legs began to heal. He then whispered it a second time and the injures completely disappeared. He then looks back to her and said “Are you feeling any better?” “Y-yeah…” “That’s good, what's your name miss?” “T-Twinkle Sage…” “Well miss Twinkle, You need to keep out of sight. My friends and I will deal with the threat outside.” “We’ll get rid of all the tanks for you.” Dark Magician said as he and Dark Magician Girl who was wearing a TF2 Spy outfit walked back to the group. Craig then nodded to them as he followed them and said “Let’s deal with these robots.” “Its zapping time.” Dark Magician Girl said. Craig then smiled as he grabbed his Bolter pistol and a Plasma Sword as a blue synthetic skin covers his body. He then said “Let's do this.” “Let’s.” Dark Magician said as he charge at the tanks with a EMP blast and frying their systems. Craig then shouted “I’m with you!” He then runs forwards whilst shooting and slicing the droids as he approached the tanks. Once he got close he brought his hands near to each other then shouted “Final Flash!” Seconds later a bright yellow beam destroyed all the droids and the tank that was in front of him. He then shouted back to Dark Magician “Your turn!” “DARK MAGIC ATTACK!” Dark magician shouts as he blasts the tanks. A clone trooper shouted, “Boom!” As he and two other troopers threw a grenade each at the last tank of that area. The three exploded in key areas, sending the tank backwards in what they could only assume was shock. “Finish it!” “Okay.” Dark Magician Girl said as she blasted the tank. It exploded, causing the surrounding droids to fall over. The clones shot them until they were dead. Visor laughed as he looked at Dark Magician Girl. “Damn, you guys make that look easy…” “Oh stop it, you’re making me blush.” Dark Magician Girl said blushing. “Well then you just made my day.” Visor added. “Shut it Visor! We’ve got more tanks up ahead!” yelled Beckett. “Sorry Cap!” Visor apologised. “I got an easier way for this.” Dark Magician said as he open a portal right under the tanks and they fell in. “Beckett! Why didn’t you tell us he could teleport!?” Waster asked. Beckett grumbled, “I’ve never met a Displaced other than Bly...” “Guess that’s taken care of.” Visor added. “Alright! Visor, Patch, you two take care of the cives! Waster, Redeye, you two scout out X-23’s last location, I’ll report back to Commander Knox.” Beckett said. He then turned towards the Displaced. “Is there anything I can do for you sirs and ma’am?” “None at the moment.” Dark Magician said as Dark Magician Girl shook her head. “Well, if you do, we’re at your disposal.” Beckett said. “You guys should return to Grand Commander Knox.” Superior was sat next to Abomination, who was still unconscious. A human male stood beside him wearing a black tuxedo and had his hands clasped in front of him. “Who’s the tuxedo man?” Dark Magician Girl asked as she and Dark Magician landed next to Superior. Craig then landed next to them and said, “That's the million dollar question.” The man held out his hand. “Agent Coulson.” Craig then smiled and said. “Ah, Agent of Shield I presume?” “Technically yes, but I’ve never met Fury.” “He’s a Displaced. The most useless Commander, I might add.” Superior added. Craig then sighed and said “Even if someone’s not powerful they are still useful in other ways… heck they could be an amazing tactician for all I know.” “It’s okay, he has a superiority complex. My comrades say what I lack in power I make up with dealing with his bitching.” Coulson smirked. “You must be Craig.” “Yes and it’s a pleasure to meet you.” “I am the Dark Magician and this is my girlfriend Dark Magician Girl.” Dark Magician said as he offers a hand to Coulson. “Just to make this clear, Superior, Abomination and I were Displaced together with a bigger group.” Coulson stated, shaking Dark Magician's hand. “I’ll be your handler until such time as Webhead gets on his feet.” “Which Webhead? Lee or Superior?” Dark Magician Girl asked. Craig then sighed and argued “You want to insult either of them?” “I’m right here.” Superior growled. Coulson, ignoring the Commander, chuckles. “There are quite a few of them, aren’t there?” “Yeah there's a third I met.” replied Craig “Oh yes I have seen a few while I watch all of the Displaces back in my Equestria.” Dark Magician said while thinking about those spidermen and Gwens. “Yeah, well there are four on the Alliance’s side and one on the Empire’s. Three are in my group, and I’m not even counting Lee.” Coulson shook his head. “Anyway, since Alduin and Deathwing let Shea escape, you’re going to have to pick up the slack. There’s another Imperial Commander by the name of-” Craig then punched into his hand and said “who’s the target?” “Why don’t you wait for him to finish.” Discord said as he floated up to them. He handed Coulson the drive. “Here’s the intel by the way.” “Thank you,” The drive shrunk, and Coulson placed it into his pocket. “The Commander's name is Crona. You may know him from Soul Eater.” Craig then sighed and said “never heard of it… this is one of the moments I wish I listened to my anime loving brother.” “I do but it’s only from Loki memories.” Discord said with a shrug. “I have heard of Soul Eater but I didn’t watch it. All I know of it is that one person turns into a weapon and another person can use it to fight with.” Dark Magician said while Dark Magician Girl was eating a cupcake. “Well, it’s like this. There’s a weapon that turns into… You get it. And there’s a Meister… Hope I said that right… Well, only certain Meisters and Weapons can team up, but Crona’s weapon is… Different…” Coulson looked to a pad of paper he pulled out of his pocket. “Something like a demon weapon… I don’t know, but it’s best you don’t touch it or Crona’s blood.” “Demon Weapon? Huh? I wonder if I could call Erza over to this Equestria to help fight this Crona.” Dark Magician Asked with a thoughtful look to his face. “Okay, that’s good. Discord, I need you to bring Abomination and Superior to the medical bay, it’s somewhere near the castle I think.” Coulson said. “Crona was last spotted near the south part of the city before we lost communications there. There might be other Imperial Commanders, but we don’t know. Speak to Wasp, she’s set up near that area.” “Very well.” Discord said as he floated away to get Abomination and Superior. “Wasp? Who’s next Deadpool?” Dark Magician Girl joked. Craig then laughed and said, “With the way my powers have been recently I’m halfway there.” “Right then. Let’s go hunting for a Crona.” Dark Magician said as he and Dark Magician Girl fly off to the south part of the city. “I can’t catch a break today” muttered Craig as he began to follow them. Explosions went off left and right while the Wasp was crouched behind a building that was falling apart. “Why did I get picked for this…” She sighed. A voice then shouted “Hey, need some help?” Wasp looks around, trying to locate the speaker. The voice then shouted again “Above you!” Wasp looks up to see Craig, Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl. “Oh thank gosh! Can you help me out!?” “Just give me a target and I’m set.” Craig said as he landed next to Wasp. “And we will send them to the Shadow Realm.” Dark Magician said as he landed with Dark Magician Girl. “I’m guessing Coulson sent you after Crona… Great… Well, might as well get my sorry ass out of here! Look, the comms tower was damaged when Crona arrived. I tried to get some troopers up there to fix it, but we’re so uncoordinated without communications that I sent them in blind and I haven’t heard back from them. They’re most likely dead, but there are still some guys here I wanna get home! Mind fixing it?” “Sure and don’t you worry Waspy. We will fix that tower for you in no time.” Dark Magician Girl said with a Pinkie sized grin. “Do you even know how to?” Wasp questioned. “Nope but Dark Magician is a being of understanding. So fixing that tower is no problem.” Dark Magician Girl said still grinning. “Well, still. If you can’t figure it out, there’s a carrier that contains a bunch of Astromech Droids that can do it.” Wasp said, “And if you want, take one as your own. As a reward, if you want.” “Dibs on R2-D2!” Said Dark Magician shouted with a smile. “I don’t think we have that guy, but there’s a similar one. You like purple? R3-D3 is a good one.” “Okay. I can change its colour to blue later.” Dark Magician said nodding. “Or we could just name it Twilight bot.” Dark Magician Girl said giggling. “Twi-Bot!” Wasp adds. “Or Iwt! Nah…” “I think I’ll avoid taking it. The ponies in my world are in what feels like the dark ages it would send Twilight over the edge,” admitted Craig. “Suit yourself. It could come in handy.” Wasp said. “Well, hurry up! I don’t have all year! The tower is the only sci-fi building here!” Craig then nodded his head and said “Let’s go.” He then vaults out of cover drawing his Plasma sword and Bolter pistol and begins to charge into the oncoming bullet fire. “LEEEERRRROOOOYYYYY JEEEEENNNKKKKIIIINNNNS!!!!!!” Dark Magician Girl shouted as she and Dark Magician follow Craig and blasting some droids that he saw in the way. “Ahh!” One of the Droids yelped as it hid behind a pebble… Dark Magician Girl giggled at that droid before blowing it up. “Too easy.” She said. “Worst hiding spot ever.” Dark Magician said in agreement. “Without a shadow of a doubt” agreed Craig “There’s the tower.” Dark Magician Girl said as she points to the sci-fi looking tower. It was black and smooth, with blue lines traveling upwards. “Okay and I bet our target’s around as well,” Craig said. “Then let’s get there quickly.” Dark Magician said as he and Dark Magician Girl speeds up to the tower. Once they reached the foot of the tower Craig said “Okay, I’ll keep an eye out. You focus on the repairs.” “Roger that.” Both Magicians said as they enter the tower from behind. Along with grabbing the purple R3 on the way. While they did that, Craig noticed a blond pigtailed girl wearing a trench coat and a miniskirt. She was skipping around, not seeming to notice the mayhem. Craig then looked towards her and just shouted “Hey, what are you doing here miss?” She just ignored him as she went over to a squad of clones and waved at them. They jerked back as a scythe appeared in her grip and she cut them down. Craig’s hand then fell to his sword as he ran over towards the girl and shouted “Hey, you! Leave now if you don’t want a fight, but if you do I am more than happy to oblige.” The girl turned to Craig, showing him her hollow green eyes. Her head tilted, and she grinned sadistically. “That’s a funny word… Oblige…” She started twirling her Scythe a bit, and spun a few times before freezing up. Craig then sighed and asked “what is your name, miss?” “Miss? Do I look like I’m old!?” She tossed her weapon into her other hand. “Maka Alburn!” “No older than me but heck you can’t think someone’s young or old in this world. Now, miss Alburn, what are you doing here?” “Isn’t it obvious? Helping Crona!” Maka started twirling her Scythe with one hand. “And stop calling me miss!” “What would you prefer me to call you then?” Maka rolled her eyes. “How about something less… Annoying? Like my first name?” “Okay then, Maka. Second question, who is this Crona?” An anime vein appeared on her forehead. “You know who he is. You’re trying to capture and/or kill him! Well guess what?” She slammed her Scythe into the ground, which brought up ten Super Battle Droids, weapons pointed at Craig. “I’m not letting you!” “Okay then Maka, I can promise you that wasn’t my intention. But if you want to do this then I guess you leave me no choice.” The Droids opened fire, sending a barrage of red towards Craig. He then closed his eyes as a blue lightsaber appeared in his hand and he deflected the blasts back into the droids which in turn destroyed them. He then turned to Maka and said “where is Crona? Don’t make me beat it out of you.” “I’d rather die…” Maka said, clicking her left index and thumb, which summoned a dozen CIS Tank Droids around the tower, each aiming their cannons at it’s base. They opened fire, having the full intention of tearing it down. “MIRROR FORCE!” Shouted Dark Magician from inside the tower which created a barrier that send the attacks right back at all the CIS Tank Droids and destroyed them. Craig then turned back to Maka and said “I gave you fair warning.” He then ran towards her and shouted “Rasengan!” causing her to be sent flying backwards. He then reappeared behind her and elbowed her square in the back which caused her to collapse onto the ground. Maka screamed in pain. Her body spasmodically twitched, and her Scythe lay twenty feet away from her. A clone on the sidelines held a scanner in his hands, which he proceeded to break. “It’s over nine thousand!!!” “It’s actually over eight thousand.” Craig pointed out. “Must have been a malfunction…” The clone mumbled as one of his brothers patted him on his back. Maka coughed, trying to readjust herself to be propped up by the remains of a pillar. Craig then sighed as he ran over to her and said “stay down.” He then struck her along multiple pressure points which completely paralyzed her. He then knelt down and said “I’m sorry Maka.” “No you’re not… You aren’t sorry… At all…” Maka said as she slumped over. “Crap…” Craig then knelt down and said “If you had just told me what I wanted to know this could have been avoided… I’m sorry but now I must take you as my prisoner.” “You think you’re… A hero just because… You’re fighting for what's ‘right’?” “No, I never identified myself as a hero… I only fight to protect those I care about or to protect the innocent. You harmed somebody and I had to stop you.” “And you don’t think I care about someone? Maybe I’m protecting Crona…” Maka groaned. “I know you care for him and that’s why I’m sorry for doing this to you, we were both only doing what we thought was right.” Wasp jogged over, wheezing. “Jeez! You guys work fast! Comms just went up, and a unit of clones located Crona.” “I told you it was no problem.” Dark Magician Girl said as she and Dark Magician came back with R3-D3. Craig then looked at Wasp and said “We also have Maka here as our prisoner. Don’t worry about her attacking you she’s completely paralyzed.” “Kay, I’ll take psycho back to base. Crona’s in Hoity Toity’s old manufacturing building. Apparently, the Empire thought it would make a good camp for its Commanders.” “If it’s a camp for their commanders we’ll need backup before we attack,” Craig said. “Backup you say?” Dark Magician Girl asked with a grin. “What are you thinking?” Craig asked. “Well back in our Equestria we removed monsters from the heart of ponies and seal them stone tables. We found a way to summon those monsters to fight for us when we feel like being lazy. Which is very rare for us to be.” Dark Magician Girl while grinning at the idea. “Or maybe my sister Blaze and our other friends from our Equestria could come and help fight Crona.” Dark Magician suggested. While they continued, Wasp dragged a moaning Maka along with her and called in a drop ship. Craig then looked towards them and said “but first I will make sure Maka is taken into custody safely. Once it’s done I will catch up with you.” “Really? I can take care of it, you don’t have to baby an Alliance Commander. Besides, maybe Coulson can help you. He’s pretty agile.” Wasp said as the drop ship arrived. “That's not the reason, it’s more to allow her to move again after she gets to base,” Craig admitted. “Oh, we can do that too. Heck, I’m pretty knowledgeable on paralysis.” Wasp said. “So, should I call Coulson?” “Sure why not.” Dark Magician said. Wasp got Maka on the ship and pressed a button. “Hey, Agent! Looks like these bigshot Displaced need some help from your stun gun!” “Not funny Wasp. Why are you really calling me?” Coulson replied. “I’m serious. Right, bigshots!?” Wasp asked. “Yeah.” Both Magicians said. “For once in her life she’s being serious,” Craig said. Coulson sighed, “If you knew her better, you’d know that when she’s serious, she’s not… If you really need backup, I’ll call Misty.” “Oh come on! I love watching you flail!” Wasp gushed. “I hate you Wasp…” “I wonder what Pokemon Misty has.” Dark Magician Girl said. “I think they are going to be water type Pokemon.” Dark Magician said to Dark Magician Girl. “Most likely” Craig agreed. “You’d be surprised…” Wasp said. “Need anything before I go? That clone with the green paint should take care of everything anyways! Later!” With that, the ramp closed and the ship left. “She means me…” Grumbled a clone in green armor. “My name is Captain Hulk… Sirs and ma’am...” “There’s a joke in there but I am not going to say it.” Dark Magician said to himself. “The green paint is where I get the name… Wasp’s idea… Guess it’ll do until I’m dead. Do you need my squad's assistance?” “Yes. We are going after Crona and we help all the help we could get.” Dark Magician said to Captain Hulk. “Perfect. Glad to know we’re your first choice for your human shields.” Hulk said sarcastically. “More like you guys taking out Crona’s guards or droids while Dark Magician, Craig and me fight Crona. Is that alright with you, Hulky?” Dark Magician Girl asked. “Not like I have a choice…” Hulk grumbled. “Forgive him, he’s one of the oldest clones.” Said another trooper. “Some reason he doesn’t like shooting clankers. Or fighting…” “Maybe he’s a pacifist?” Craig suggested. “I’m not a pacifist, I just don’t like fighting a war that doesn’t make sense to me.” Hulk said, before signaling his Troopers to head to Hoity Toity’s place. “Scout the area, but do not engage until Misty’s here!” They saluted and ran off, leaving Hulk and the Displaced behind. “This war is pointless… You Displaced don’t know what’s really at cost here. The inhabitants, and the soldiers are dying here, and the more that join, the more good people die.” Craig then sighed and said “I agree with you, this war is pointless, it’s basically like two younger brothers fighting over a toy.” “Try being the toy…” Hulk said pulling out a minigun. “I wasn’t referring to you. I meant their arguments are pointless, I used the toy thing as an analogy.” “Well… Let’s hurry up…” “Misty is being a real Slowpoke getting here.” Dark Magician Girl while giggling at her joke. Suddenly, a shuttle arrived and landed, lowering its ramp to reveal Misty and a Togepi. She hopped off, flashing a smirk. “Some of us don’t have portals.” She said. “Well now you are here. Crona better be prepared for trouble.” Dark Magician Girl said. “And make that double.” Dark Magician said. Craig then sighed,“Any more Team Rocket lines and I will paralyze you.” “Wobba Fett.” Misty smirked. Hulk snarled. “Can we get moving?” The Captain asked impatiently. “Wait for me.” Discord said as he flew up to them, “Sorry I’m late wanted to rendezvous with you all as soon as I was done.” “Well there you go, you’ve done it.” Hulk said. “Can we capture this Crona kid?” “I think the answer is yes.” Misty stood in front of Hoity Toity’s place, Pokeball in hand, standing over a few Battle Droids. “Hulk, secure the area outside the building.” She ordered. Hulk grumbled and signaled his unit to split up and do what the Commander said. Misty opened her Pokeball, summoning a Dugtrio. “A Dugtrio?” Dark Magician Girl said confused. “What?” Misty asked. “Nothing really. I just thought you would use water type Pokemon.” Dark Magician Girl answered. “If she has a ground type I wander if she has a bug type as well.” Dark Magician said to Dark Magician Girl. Craig then smirked and said “If she has her phobia as well I very much doubt it.” Misty shuddered. “Don’t go there…” “That’s a yes on the phobia part.” Dark Magician Girl said giggling. Craig then smiled and said “At least you don’t have Acrophobia. It does my head in when I’m flying but I’ve learn’t to ignore it since I got Displaced.” “Try being around Wasp…” Misty grumbled. “Anyway. Let’s get in there and beat Crona up really good.” Dark Magician said as he checks his hammer space. “So who’s going to knock?” Asked Dark Magician Girl. “I was thinking Dugtrio.” Misty said as she pointed towards the door, which was thrown off it’s hinges by a headbutt. “Knock knock.” Dark Magician said. “Housekeeping.” Dark Magician Girl said giggling. “Let’s hope we can do this without too many casualties,” sighed Craig. “These are Droids, not organics.” Misty said. “Well… Not sentient? I dunno. Doesn’t seem like they're on this floor...” Once inside they saw the middle of the room had what looked like a large pile of droid body's put in it. Craig then closed his eyes then said “I can sense five living targets in there, but I can’t sense any more than that.” he then opens his eyes. “Dugtrio, use dig and figure out what’s here.” Misty ordered, and Dugtrio nodded and went underground. That’s when they heard a loud hiss from the pile of dead robots. Then a large skull like head pokes out and looks at Misty in the face as it mandibles move. Craig then looked at Misty and said “Get behind us.” Misty screamed and scurried behind Craig. The metal worm then started to dig its way into the floor as black smoke flowed behind it. All that left is a hole in the floor where it once was. Craig then closed his eyes and sensed where the creature would reappear and then said “It’s gone.” “What… Was that!?” Misty yelled. “A metal worm.” Dark Magician answered Misty. “B-but Folteren doesn’t have any bugs yet!!!” Misty said, fearful tears streaming down her cheeks at the thought of fighting bugs. “No, that worm belongs to an Iron Lich we know.” Dark Magician Girl grinned. “It’s not funny~!” Misty whined as Togepi hugged her from behind. Craig then sighed and said, “Don’t worry Misty, it’s gone and if it does come back it will be turned to ash.” Misty sighed. “We’re gonna need help…” “Yeah some dino help.” Dark Magician said nodding. “J-just call him…” Misty said as she pulled out another Pokeball. “Right. Hey Owen get yours and your dino’s lazy ass out here right now!” Dark Magician Girl shouted. A boom sounded and and ODST dropship landed in the middle of the droid pile and a few others outside landed as well. The first one opened and Owen came walking out. “Did somebody call?” he said. The other dropships opened and six raptors walked out, one having a metallic jaw and another had a very spiked tail. “That would be me.” Dark Magician Girl said waving her hand. “Hello again. So what’s the reason you called me here?” Owen asked. “We need your help with dealing with some droids.” Dark Magician answered. “Alright then, just let me get my Z-6 rotary cannon.” Owen snapped his fingers and the minigun appeared in his hands. “Girls, come over here.” Owen said. “Coming dad.” a raptor with blue streaks running down her sides came with the other five raptors. “You guys are our eyes in there. Lead us to the other droids in here.” Owen said. They walked forward and smelled the air. “Sir, the droids are on the upper floor.” the raptor with the metal jaw said. “Good job Carnifex. Radio the Dactyl brothers to shoot any enemy that comes out of this house.” Owen ordered. “Sir, yes, sir!” “We knew they were there…” Misty mumbled. “Anyways, I’ll check the basement to see if there’s anything useful. Commanders can be slippery and get away like the Magicians, so I’ll be as quick as possible. I expect Crona to be on top, so take this guy with you.” Misty announced as she summoned a Blastoise. “Cool! Let’s give Crona a shell of a beating.” Dark Magician Girl said as she and Dark Magician flew to the top. Craig then sighed and said, “I better try to paralyze this one as well.” “Hurry up Owen, you’ll be left behind.” Misty commented as she went downstairs. “I’m comin’,” Owen said following Misty downstairs. Blastoise growled as he tried going down the stairs. “Should be a squad up ahead. You take ‘em out.” Misty said. “Aw blast it!” Yelled a Battle Droid before Dark Magician Girl whacked it over the head. “You are too slow!” Said Dark Magician Girl giggling as she another droid. “Now where is Crona?” Asked Dark Magician as he look around. Craig then looked around and sayid “No idea, but I’ve got an idea how to get a reaction from her… but it’s likely to piss her off.” “Like calling her girlfriend?” Dark Magician Girl asked. “Crona’s a boy actually…” A feminine voice says from behind them. Spinning around, the trio saw a robot girl with black ‘pigtails’. “So you’re Lee’s ‘heroes’?” Craig then said, “What do you think kid?” “Wow, you really don’t know who you’re talking to. I’m Folteren’s lead General Chaos Jenny. Don’t call me kid.” “I knew who you are.” Dark Magician said. “Then you should know I’m allowed to use my full power unlike you.” Chaos smirks. “Wanna go cry to your momma?” Craig then sighs and mutters “I don’t use my full power… ever” “Oh, Chaos Jenny? You do realise you're fucked when facing me?” Dark Magician Girl asked while wearing a TF2 Spy outfit and holding a zapper. “And I can use an EMP spell.” Dark Magician said as he points his staff at the robot girl. “I am surprised you didn’t bring Robotboy with you.” He added. “I don’t need him.” Chaos laughed. “And that EMP won’t do a thing against me. I’ve made adjustments...” Craig then sighed and said “Unless we remove your batteries then you can’t do anything.” “Shut up, you’re talking is hurting my ears.” Chaos said as she sent a laser blast into Craig’s chest, sending him through the side of the building. “I’m sick of hero players…” “That’s gotta hurt. Hey, where did Dark Magician Girl go to?” Dark Magician asked looking but only to spot her declocking behind Chaos Jenny and placing the zapper on her back. Unfortunately, it short circuited. “I’m not normal hardware!” Chaos yelled as her torso spun to face Dark Magician Girl with a cold glare. She sent her fist into Dark Magician Girl’s stomach, sending her crashing into the floor. Dark Magician Girl just get back up smiling while opening hand to reveal some screws. “Look you got a few screws loose.” She said. Chaos glared. “I thought you’d be easy. Guess I overestimated Time’s commitment. This isn’t my strongest body, and it won’t be the last.” Her eyes lost color, and a timer popped up in it. “A bomb? How lame.” Dark Magician said as he open a portal right under the body bomb and it fell in. But it slammed into his back. Craig then reappeared and said, “Allow me.” He then threw it out the window and then throws it high into the air as it disappears. Then fell back down towards Ponyville… And right on top of Twilight’s castle… BOOOOMMMM!!! Craig then muttered, “Fuck my life.” “Craig you moron. You blew up Twilight’s Castle.” Dark Magician said deadpanned. Craig demeanor then completely changed before he said “You’ve got to get away from me. Quickly.” “Why?” Dark Magician Girl asked confused. Craig then looked towards them as they realised that he eyes had turned blood red and he said “my powers have overloaded you need to get to safety.” “Right.” Dark Magician said as he opens a portal to the moon right under Craig and he fell in. “Biiitttcchh!” Dark Magician Girl yelled. “Now where is that yellow belly Crona is hiding?” Dark Magician said out loud. Dark Magician listened carefully and heard a sniff and quiet breathing from his left. There was a reinforced door with the remains of Droids and a lot of blood over it. “I think he’s that way.” Dark Magician Girl said as both Magicians walk to the door. The breathing picked up, and the two heard whimpering. Both Magicians looked at each other confused before opening the door. Inside, a pink haired boy sat curled up in a corner, shaking like a leaf. “Huh, that’s Crona? I thought he would be older.” Dark Magician Girl said looking at Crona. “Yeah.” Dark Magician said. “I wonder what Craig’s doing on the moon.” He added. “P-Please, leave me alone…” Crona said. “Why?” Both Magicians asked. “J-just… Please…” Crona sniffed. “Why are you here?” Dark Magician Girl asked. “She means why are you in this war?” Dark Magician asked which Dark Magician Girl nods at him. “M-mr. Spinner Displaced me… I was forced to become one of F-Folteren’s Commander thingys…” “Hmm, right, how to deal with this problem?” Dark Magician said to himself. “The rules do say that if a displace get killed he or she get brought back to life in their Equestria and can’t rejoin until after a week.” Dark Magician Girl said thinking on what to do. “Hmm, maybe we can give him a painless death so he can relax back in his Equestria for a week.” Dark Magician suggested. Crona’s eyes widened. “N-no! I don’t have an Equestria! None of the Commanders do!” “Really? I thought all displaced have an Equestria.” Dark Magician Girl said. “Not really.” Discord came floating next to them. “Some Displaced are lost in other multiverses, and a few have no real home as they are created as companions for Void Dwellers.” He answered. “Then what should we do with him?” Dark Magician asked. “Well that depends, killing him could be permanent if he doesn’t have a way to be reforged if he dies like me and Evilight.” Discord said as he started to think, “Perhaps we should ask Time Spinner.” “Or maybe you just take him as your prisoner… Like you were ordered to.” Captain Hulk walked into the room. “Where’s Craig?” Discord looked around then looked up. “I’ll go get him.” With that he turned into lightning a few moments later Discord returned with Craig from a bolt of lightning. “He was on the moon, near where Loki set up camp.” “Okay, taking Crona as a prisoner it is then.” Dark Magician Girl said. Craig then knelt down next to Crona and said, “Time to take you to Maka.” as he sounded like he was before he overloaded. He then picked Crona up and put the boy over his shoulders. “I’ll go check on Misty,” Hulk said. “Now that is taken care off. What now?” Dark Magician asked. “Do you feel that?” Discord asked, outside the clouds darkened. Around beings of fire appeared into existence while Discord looked on. “Well, this is unexpected.” He stated looking on. The fire beings looked up and moved to them. “You are Alliance.” The fire being said. “The Earth Wander, and the Elemental Lords have sent us, we are yours to command.” “Neat.” Dark Magician Girl said. “Glad to have your assistance,” Craig replied. “What would you have us do?” He asked. “How about watch and deliver this captive?” Discord asked pointing to Crona. “Very well.” He said as they surrounded Crona. Craig then took him off his shoulder and said, “Nothing will happen to you. I promise.” He then passed him over to one of Fire elementals. The elementals moved out with the captive. Discord turned to them. “Ok, so what’s next? Or is this it?” “Well I don’t know,” Craig admitted. “We could possibly try asking Coulson.” “Right, can’t Misty call him?” Dark Magician asked. “Yes, yes she can. I guess we better go ask her.” “So, where is she?” Dark Magician Girl asked. “I got a better idea. Hey, Discord, could you take us to Coulson?” Dark Magician asked looking at Discord. “Sure hold on.” With a flash they turned into lightning and soon appeared right in front of him. Coulson was talking to Wasp about something serious, but the antennaed girl seemed to be making a joke about it. “And you let it get away?” Wasp snickered. “It had a Lightsaber, what was I supposed to do? Get my arm chopped off?” “Or you could force it to drop the lightsaber.” Dark Magician Girl said giggling behind Coulson. “Oh ha ha.” Coulson rolled his eyes. “Did you take care of Crona?” “Yes. He is now a captive.” Dark Magician said. “You make it sound like a bad thing.” Coulson said. “In any case, you’re all free to go back home. We’ve kept you here longer than we thought. If you want to say goodbye to anyone before going, feel free.” Craig then turned to Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl and said “Catch.” He then threw them both an amulet in the shape of his sword and then says “if either of you ever need help don’t hesitate to call me.” Both Magicians took Craig’s token and then gave him theirs. Which is a Yu-Gi-Oh! card version of themselves. “Same goes for you,” Dark Magician said with a smile. Discord looked down for a moment. “Great, well, I’ll see you all later.” With that he disappeared through a portal. “Well, Dark Magician Girl and I need to head back to see how my sister is doing running Neo Domino Town,” Dark Magician said as he opened a portal and steps in. “See you all in the next Alliance chapter. Bye.” Dark Magician Girl said giggling as she step into the portal as it close. “I’m not going to miss those guys.” Coulson stated. “Ditto. Think Blossom will play Halo 5 with me?” Wasp asked. “At least you didn’t spend the day with them. And who knows, you may get lucky.” He then tossed them both a copy of his token then continued to say “If any villains come after you lot shout me.” “Of course.” Coulson said, before turning to Wasp. “Maybe we shouldn’t focus on games right now, we just lost Canterot, one of our biggest assets-” They continued their conversation as they went towards Canterlot Castle as I opened a portal and walked through it.
Chapter 25 - A Family Reunion Part 1Author's Note This is a Crossover between me LostFaith and his story The Alpha and Nicranger and his story Hichigo in Equestria. I would also like to apologise for the lack of content recently I mean when did I release the previous chapter of his around last May? I had become burnt out on this story and just no longer wanted to edit it but beyond it's destroyed all my motivation to continue the story. However even though this story has been dead since then I have been working on a few new projects that seem to have gone well and reignited my inspiration to write one again. These stories are Kamen Rider: Equestrian Shade which can be found on my channel. The Second is called The Freelancer and The Huntsman that can be found on DarkSpider's profile. The third is called For Honor and the Creed which can be found on Wayward Shadow's profile. and my latest story called In Darkness there is Light and in Light there is Darkness If you could give any of these stories a look into it would help us all tremendously, and maybe even reinspire me to write again. As always I look forward to hearing from you, See you all next time. Chapter 23 - A Soul Reaper and an AI. -Church’s POV- "Uh... Hichigo. Trees of Harmony don't give a shit about American rights." “Too bad cause that’s what I’m going with. I am NOT apologizing for a second time.” "You are lucky. I wasn't asking you to." “Well if the worst thing I have to do is say ‘I’m sorry’ then I don’t think there’s much trouble in it. I just hate saying it.” A familiar token hit me in the head. "Ow. Should I or shouldn't I? Craig needs to get a token that doesn't hit people in the face or nuts." I said in annoyance. “Wait hold up who the hell is Craig and what just hit you in the head?” Asked Hichigo. "Take this and scream at it to get over here," I throw the amulet like token at Hichigo. Hichigo looks at it for a second before looking at me with a raised brow. “Seriously? Fine if that's what you want…. GET THE FUCK OVER HERE YOU PIECE OF SHIT!” A voice shouted back to me, “Go fuck yourself,” before it sighed and said “I’m on my way,” Seconds later a small portal opened up behind Church as another figure appeared behind him as he charged over and punched him from behind and shouted, “That’s for last time Church!” Hichigo stared at the scene for a second before he said, “Okay I’ll bite, who the fuck is this violent fuckhead?” "He's not exactly violent per se... He's mad about... Wait what are you mad about again?" I asked in confusion. Craig then sighed and said, “Maybe the fact that last time we met you sent me off without warning and then when I got back I was almost killed… and oh yes the fact I just got back from fighting in a war… sorry, I’m just extremely stressed at the moment.” “Join the club buddy. I just had such an emotional moment with a tree that I think I’m losing my mind.” "I'm not stressed. I just had my stressed relieved. Bow chicka bow wow," The mares that were still there blushed at this. “Church I swear to god if you don’t shut the fuck up I will beat the piss out of you and no damn twig is gonna stop me!” "Don't be so sure. I quite enjoyed the show," The Tree of Harmony said angrily. “Great the tree’s a perv. What are the odds!?” Hichigo announces while throwing his hands into the air in frustration. Craig smiled and said, “You two are even worse than those damn space marines.” "Ahriman doesn't happen to be one of them does he?" “Yeah… why?” "Because he may or may not have been summoned by yours truly." Craig said, “Let me guess, you have his token as well now,” He turned to Twilight and said, “Twilight don’t mess with Church’s tokens, you really don’t want to meet some displaced we’re not all kind people.” “I second that motion! Now…. what do we do cause I don’t want to spend anymore time around the pervy tree,” Hichigo said while jerking a thumb at said tree. "I object. Unless you want Discord in your head again," I said as I barely held back giggles. Craig smiled and said, “You're acting like I don’t see that as normal.” “Well, nothing is really normal in magic pony land dude. But Church… YOU KNEW WHAT WAS HAPPENING AND LEFT ME LIKE THAT!? GIVE ME ONE GOOD REASON WHY I SHOULDN’T USE ZANGETSU AS A CLUB AND BEAT YOU DOWN RIGHT NOW!?” "This Discord made it seem like he was stuck in a time loop for a few million years. Also, we were all in on it including Zangetsu." Craig laughed and said, “Ok your Discord is a bigger jerk than mine.” Hichigo then curled into a ball with a small thundercloud over his head and started drawing circles in the dirt while muttering, “Why do I have to be stuck with these bastards?” Craig then walked up to him and said, “If you're talking about me you're gonna get a bit of a beating.” “There is nothing you can do to me that Virgil can’t do better. I fear her and love her at the same time.” "Stop digging your grave," Virgil said from behind him. Hichigo jumped at least a thousand feet in the air at that. Holy shit. “You know it was a compliment right Virg? Please don’t hurt me,” He yelled from very high in the sky. "He is fun to troll," Virgil said. “I heard that,” Hichigo said from behind Virgil as he had more than likely used his Sonido to get down faster. She didn't even move, "I'm an AI. You can't sneak up on me." Craig remarked, “Yeah, I agree, it’s fun to troll people reminds me of when I tricked Twilight.” Twilight walked up to Craig and kicked him in the nuts before walking away. He just got wrecked. Hichigo winced at this, “I feel ya dude, I got my gonads kicked by the ficus over there not too long ago. But what’s your Equestria like? Mine is plainly obvious, I know Church’s is ponified but what about yours?” He then just stood up and shouted to Twilight “That the best you can do!” He then turned back to Hichigo and said, “It’s mostly similar to here but in my world I just beat Discord a few days ago.” "No. You signed your death warrant for your balls as soon as you said that." I say as I watch Twilight charge a spell that causes extreme pain and shoots it straight at his nuts. I winced, "Oh damn..." To this Craig just smiled before he whispered “Feim, Zii, Gron” and he disappeared from sight before he reappeared behind Twilight as he extended his hand trapping her in a purple bubble then said “Calm down Twilight.” "Um, Craig... Have you always been Rule 63ed?" I asked in horror. He just smiled and said, “nope, first time didn’t hurt and the second time it didn’t hit me.” "You guys wanna get drunk or fight waves of enemies?" I asked. Craig then smiled then said “just like last time… not gonna send me back like you did before are you?” "Oh shut up." I teleport all of us straight into the simulation chamber. "Wave one, Nazi zombies," I say. The princesses and ponies run away in fear. "What a pussy... oh wait." Hichigo gets a manic grin on his face once a horde of undead start coming towards us. “Less chitchat more combat! GERONIMO!” The battle crazed loon then leaps into the horde head first cleaving through them with his blade. To this Craig just sighed and said, “I can’t go one day without fighting.” he then touched the back of his guitar as all his weapons appeared and he draws his sword and Bolter Pistol and began cleaving through them like they weren't even there. "Wave two, Kamikaze Special forces." A wave of Japanese soldiers wearing power armor and wielding huge miniguns as well as railgun machine pistols start appearing and shoot at me, sending me flying into a wall and almost killing me with just one shot even with my armor. Just then the front line of soldiers were all cut down by what looked like a flying buzzsaw attached to a length of cloth. Then the cloth tightened and was pulled back into Hichigo’s hands revealing Zangetsu back in its giant cleaver form. A soldier shot a railgun at Hichigo which blew off one of his arms. "They aren't kamikaze for nothing!" From the stump of Hichigo’s arm, a new one shot out. Damn that healing factor really comes in handy! “Well, either way these fuckers are dead!” "Wave three, Trevor Philips and the Joker!" A bunch of Trevor's ran out carrying fucking RPGs and miniguns while jokers carrying ridiculously long revolvers started shooting at us. "...Oh shit." Craig then sighed and said “let me” Seconds later multiple dark blue tendril appear around him and then fly towards the Trevors and Joker spearing them all though the hearts as they all drop to the floor before a single bullet is fired. He then looks back to me and said “got anything else?” "Wave 4, Cyborg Superman." Oh shit if we kill him he'll just come back. We have to convince him to not come back somehow. “Fuck you Superman!.” yelled Hichigo as he hold out his right hand and starts charging up what I assume is his Cero attack. “Let’s see you take this you man of steel reject! CERO!” He then fires a beam the same size of the one he used against Quaker at the cyborg. Cyborg Superman just dodged using his superspeed before throwing a hundred punches at Hichigo in less than a second. Craig then just sighed as he grabbed Ahriman's token from his back and smashed it against the ground causing Cyborg Superman to fall into the warp just before it sealed up leaving him trapped there. "Wave 5, Thanos." "I CALL BULLSHIT!" I scream. “I call shit of bull. BE A MAN AND DEAL WITH IT CHURCH!” "But this fucker has all the infinity stones!" “Then just get the stones from him! If iron dong could do it why not us!?” Craig then said “give me one second” He then disappears and landed next to Thanos before he pulled the gauntlet off his hand and then reappeared back beside us and said “you can handle him can’t you?” Hichigo then uses a simple Bala and puts a hole right through Thanos' head watching as he crumples to the ground. “.... That was kind of boring. How about we get a guy from MY universe?” "We are lucky these enemies were nowhere near as strong nor intelligent as the real deal. Not even by a thousandth. Imagine fighting Galactus times a thousand." I say with a huge wince. Craig then muttered “don’t give the simulation any ideas” "Yeah... that would destroy this universe in a few seconds..." I say fearfully. “Oh and summoning a bunch of random joe schmoe’s is any different?” "Yes. They aren't an all powerful being who eats worlds as if it were eating simple crumbs." “And that's why we’re using one of Hichigo’s enemies instead! Now where the fuck is the console so I can type the shit in?” "Enable neural commands," I say. "Ok now think of the enemy." Hichigo seems to be thinking for a second before in the middle of a field appears a guy dressed in white pants and an open white vest with a sword at his waist. He has spiky blue hair and a hole in his gut, but his most unusual feature is the piece of bone on the right side of his face that is connected to his jaw and looks like fangs. “May I introduce Espada number six. Grimmjow!” Hichigo announces as if revealing a new car. "You're on your own for that one," I said in annoyance. “Be thankful I didn’t give him his resurrection form. But if you don’t want to join in more fun for me!” Hichigo then leaps at this ‘Grimmjow’ and they both clash blades making a small shockwave upon impact. "Don't make me spawn Galactus times a billion," I reply seriously. Craig then looked at him then said “shall we let him have this one, I did ruin the last few without trying” "Sure." We watched Hichigo as he fights. He seemed to be having the time of his life as he continuously clashed blades with his opponent. The whole fight lasted another half hour before he finally cut down the simulation and landed in front of me and Craig lightly sweating but never losing his grin. “You know that was pretty fun! I only wish he was the real deal.” "Uh. You do realize that if we spawned the exact same one bad things would happen?" “I know, but it's just not the same ya know? When you fight someone for real they have more instinct and are a lot more challenging!” "Yeah okay let's do the bonus round and watch the waves kill each other," I say. "Bonus Round 1, Master Chief and The Arbiter vs. The flood. Fight!" “Now all we need is some popcorn and we’re golden.” Craig then smiled and clicked his fingers as three bags of popcorn appeared in front of us. He then said “Bottomless popcorn at your request… thank Discord” "You guys stay back here. They won't shoot a fellow spartan." I say as I run straight into the fight and start shooting at the flood with a binary rifle. "Identify yourself Spartan." The Master Chief said in a no-nonsense voice. "Spartan A-375." I lie. I start shooting at flood left and right. "What the buck are they doing..." Rainbow Dash asks Hichigo as she appears next to him. “Killing shit. Popcorn?” He said holding out the bucket to her. She snatches it and scarfs down a lot of it at once. The rest of the Elements and princesses arrive and stare in horror as the Spartans and arbiter fight the flood. Craig then looked at everyone and said, “you think this is bad you should have seen Church and me when we were fighting the flood last time I was here?” “Yeah me, him and Virgil killed a bunch of ‘demons’ not too long ago. I personally ripped the kings head off and now Church and I are Kings of the demon kingdom.” Hichigo said. "Wave 6. The hood." We hear. Hichigo and Craig stare slackjawed as gangs from GTA V start spawning. "Nigga get yo ass outta here before I fuck you up!" A balla yelled. And a huge ass firefight ensues. “Okay, I need to get in on this shit! Girls hold the popcorn I got a gang war to participate in!” yelled Hichigo as he runs into the chaos. Craig then sighed and said, “I’ll let you two handle it. Don’t want to ruin your fun” The arbiter picks up a police officer and impales him with one arm. "THIS IS THE LSPD! WE HAVE YOU SURROUNDED!" A fucking tank drives towards the gangsters and blows them up in one shot, sending cars everywhere. “Fuck the police!” Hichigo said as he cuts the tank in half with Zangetsu and proceeds to do the same with anyone near him. "This is the army! DROP YOUR FUCKING WEAPONS!" A squadron of fighter jets flies over Hichigo before shooting missiles at him. A cargobob drops a tank down in front of the remaining criminals as it flies away with marines parachuting out. "I change my mind. You are pardoned. I don't want to deal with this fucking bullshit." Celestia said as her sister and the elements stare at her with jaws agape. She teleports away. “BRING IT ON!!” screamed Hichigo as he charges the oncoming military. Everyone even the Spartans could only stare in awe at how someone could be so reckless. "IF YOU WON'T SURRENDER THEN WE WILL HAVE TO RELEASE THE KRAKEN!" A legitimate Kraken with Chuck Norris riding it appears from the sky. Craig then sighed and said “who wants this” He then passes his popcorn backwards and then look at the Kraken and shouted “Big Bang Kamehameha!” the beam then strook the Kraken disintegrating it instantly. "HELP US AVENGERS!" The avengers jump out of a helicopter and charge at Hichigo. "HULK SMASH!" The Hulk said as he hits Hichigo hard enough and caves in his face while sending him flying into a wall in a bloody mess. Craig just sighed and he puts the Infinity Gauntlet he took earlier on and uses the Stone of power and instantly crushes almost everyone in the room excluding anyone he deemed as an ally. "That fucking sucked, Console ban the infinity stones!" I say, making Craig lose his power and the gauntlet with the stones. Craig then laughed and said, “hey I'm just using everything at my Disposal to fight… Not my fault I still had the gauntlet.” "Wave 7, The Merchant." "You have got to be fucking with me," I muttered. “Oh, I call first dibs!” Calls Hichigo before he then turns to me and said in all seriousness. “And I want a rematch with Hulk.” Before Hichigo could even take a step forward his arms blew off and his legs turned to bloody chunks. The Merchant took a step to finish him but was blown back by an energy blast from my binary rifle and disintegrated instantly. "You don't want to fight that..." I say seriously. Fluttershy vomited before fainting in her vomit while Rarity did the same. "Did you really almost get one-shot?" I asked Hichigo. “Sorry, I’m primarily a close range fighter. It’s just how I roll.” His limbs then regenerate and he stands up cracking all of his new joints. "He literally almost killed you with a simple 1887 shotgun," I say in concern. “I didn’t have my Hierro active. I didn’t want to use it as a crutch and actually try dodging for once. Next time I’ll have it up to the point a meteor couldn’t penetrate my skin.” "The Merchant's shotgun should be much stronger than a fucking meteor. You know that right?" Craig then smiled and said, “So you two hate the Merchant… in my opinion I wouldn’t say they're that bad.” "Nope. I don't hate them. I applaud them. To get that many of us? Can't be that easy." Hichigo and Craig stared at me with horror and confusion. “How can you applaud that fuck? I mean yeah that is pretty impressive, but he took us away from our world with basically no way to return home. Everyone we love back there is forever gone from us! I wouldn’t be applauding that guy if I were you.” "May it's because I never had a family?" I replied with a smirk. “Not to sound insensitive dude but not everyone doesn’t have a family back home probably worried sick over them. I for one had a pretty good family. Hell, my brother went to a con with me dressed as Ichigo and watched as I vanished. That is not the last sight anyone would enjoy.” "Maybe he erased our existence and replaced us. Otherwise everyone would be panicking." “That doesn’t make me feel any better.” "Hehe. Well, to be honest, I didn't expect it to." Craig then sighed and said “at least you haven't seen your mum and brother as statues in the fucking Canterlot statue garden” "If I had family and that happened I would fucking glass this entire goddamn planet." The ponies looked at me in fear. “I would most likely slaughter the entire population of Canterlot.” "And after glassing it I would release the flood to kill all survivors," I say coldly. “wow... just wow… I really should be worried about what goes through your two’s heads.” "And then I would bring them back to release the flood instead of glassing so they could watch as their family turned into infected monsters. AND THEIR screamed WOULD FILL MY EARS AS I LAUGH AT THEIR AGONY!" I screamed in Omega's voice. "..." Everyone just stared at Church in shocked silence. “Do I need to knock some sense into you, dude? Not even I would be that cruel.” Said Hichigo in shock. "THEY DON'T CALL ME OMEGA FOR NOTHING! I AM ANGER." "Remind me to never piss you off," Luna said. “Well, you better bring Church back right now Omega. Calm your tits.” Hichigo said while gripping Zangetsu tightly. "WELL MAYBE YOU SHOULDN'T MENTION THE SONIFICATION OF LOVED ONES!" “AND YOU THINK THIS IS ANY BETTER!? LOOK AT YOURSELF!” "I would rather not do that," Church said calmly. “Church. I won’t even begin to try and figure out what life was like for you back home, but we are in a new world, each of us! So let’s just try and live with what we’ve got. You’ve got your sister which is more than I have by far.” "That doesn't change what I will do if that happens. In fact, their agony will be tripled. Now then, it appears to be Lunch time." I said as if nothing had just happened. Everyone just gaped as I have a complete change of mood and calmly walked to the cafeteria while whistling. "He has issues..." Pinkie Pie whispered to herself. Craig then smiled and said “Don’t we all” "Simulation over. Scores, The director vs waves, 8-0. Flawless victory." “And now Church has a bigger ego… great,” muttered Craig. "Preparing for lunch. The cafeteria is now open in sector 27 room #19362b4." "There is no fucking way that this place is that big!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed. “Oh, you’d be surprised sweetheart. LUNCH TIME!” Hichigo then runs out of the area nothing but a white blur with a pink one following shortly after. Craig then sighed and said, “Come on girls we might as well try to follow them” with that we began to head towards the Cafeteria. "Keyword being try," Craig said after 15 minutes of wandering around aimlessly and passing Lopez bots. "This is the automated broadcasting system, lunch ends in 15 minutes." Craig then muttered, “They can’t be fucking serious…” "Warning, a guest has gone missing, all units be alert for any suspicious activity." Craig then said “I’m not missing just lost you try not getting lost in this place” “To think that Church got lucky and had a ship like this crash near him. I want one!" Rainbow Dash complained. I then smiled before I said, “yeah I know… I was there, you may not remember me though but saw you, Twilight and Applejack, you were so worried about that stallion wasn’t you.” "I think you are confusing us with Church's universe," Twilight said in befuddlement. I then scratched my head and said, “Oh I’m in Hichigo's universe… I didn’t realise.” "Hichigo was last sighted in the teleportation grid, he could have gone anywhere in the universe by now." Craig heard. He then quickly looked around and said “Damn ship and it AI’s I'll never get used to that.” "Yeah, because you were supposed to get used to it in the first place," Fluttershy said sarcastically. The other elements look at her in shock. Craig then looked at her then closed his eyes and said “you're not Fluttershy are you” "I am. But that doesn't mean I have to be a fucking doormat. Plus we are lost in a ship with tens of thousands of rooms." She retorted. He then muttered, “I need to be on my guard when you start acting like this in my world.” before he sighed and said, “Okay I believe I can sense Church in a room ahead of us, it really isn’t an easy job to searching for a robot.” "He's not a robot. He is an artificial intelligence. Those are two completely different things." Twilight said. “Yes he himself is an AI but the suit he’s in is robotic,” Craig retorted. "Actually it is the mechanical version of the Mark VI Generation Two MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor." Twilight lectured. He then sighed and say, “I'm not going to argue with you Twilight… it’s not worth it.” "You can't argue with proven facts anyway," She said as she walked towards a door that said Lift 9. I walked past Craig and then towards Lift 9 before placing a palm into a scanner, opening the door and closing it behind me before they can follow. "I'm sorry, but this area is a director only access point. Only personnel with level Alpha access may proceed." Craig heard from the door. "So much for that," Fluttershy said in annoyance. Craig then smiled and said “maybe not” he then closed his eyes as his body changed to look like Church and then said whist perfectly mimicking Church's voice “like I'm gonna let a door dictate where I can go.“ "I'm sorry, but you are not allowed beyond this point. Any further attempts will enact Cole Protocol, the systematic destruction of this entire ship and all personnel to prevent information from entering enemy hands." The voice said coldly. Craig then sighed and said “I ain’t gonna risk blowing this ship up.” "Wise decision. You wouldn't want to risk the deaths of over 7,000 crewmen after all." It said back. He then asked the computer “would you please direct us to the cafeteria then” "There should be a lift fifteen levels above you. Select room #19632B4." Craig then sighed and said, “well we won’t reach it before lunch ends then… shame.” The terminal for the console that was talking to Craig earlier changes to show me with a Hunter helmet from Halo 5 instead of MJOLNIR. Almost the exact same one Agent Locke had. "Need a lift?" I asked. Craig then just sighed and said, “a lift where exactly?” The floor Craig and the elements were standing on started moving upward while the ceiling did the same. He then looked at me and said “see you in a minute hopefully” "This is the director, signing off." The screen goes blank. I then just smiled and said, “scratch that girls we may get their after all.” They reach their destination and step off the lift before watching it descend again. I then smiled as they begin to walk towards where they were told the Cafeteria was. -Craig’s POV- "2 Minutes remaining until lunch is over." "Aww... I didn't even get to eat!" Pinkie Pie complained. I then heard Discord say “I’ll handle this you take a rest” I then muttered to Discord “Fine just don’t cause any trouble” He then muttered back to me “fine, fine… no chaos.” “Okay then I'm going to rest.” I replied before giving Discord contol. -Discord’s POV- I then sighed and said whilst mimicking Craig’s voice “Let me sort you something out, it’s my fault you didn’t get to eat anything” I then looked at everyone and said “what would you like?” "Cocaine. Just kidding no, um... Chicken... wait no...Pizza!" Pinkie finally decided. “any specific topping?” "Don't overcomplicate things you dunderhead!" Pinkie Pie scowled. “Pinkie you're talking to the guy who had to deal with a younger cousin who was similar to you.” Pinkie Pie's eyes widened before she slapped me in the face angrily. "That was mighty disrespectful of ya," Applejack said in a stern voice. "Indeed." Rarity agreed. I then sighed and said “fine I'm sorry, it’s just you all remind of someone from my family… each of your personalities fit them to a tee.” "Are you calling us unoriginal?!" Rainbow Dash screamed as she got up in my face. “No, not at all… All I mean is that you all have similarities to the people I used to know.” "Hey, Craig! What is a girl's best friend?" Church asked as he walked up to us. “Do you mean back on Earth? If it is the case Diamonds” "The correct answer is passive aggression," Church said as everyone gasped at him as a bunch of mlg sound effects played. "*Airhorn* Get fucking wrecked!" "Too soon!" Pinkie Pie complained. "That's mean!" A waitress mare screamed at him. "You're not denying it! *Airhorn*" He retorted. "Shots fired!" I heard a stallion yell. I then sighed as I clicked my fingers and essentially muted the sounds and Church. I then turn back to everyone and said, “Look I'm sorry...it’s only been a few days for me since everything changed for me and I just don’t like disappointing peo… ponies” I didn't hear anything and looked to see Church making lewd gestures to mock mares. I then glare daggers at Church as I turn and Strike him directly in the dick and say “shut the fuck up.” He doesn't even flinch before he presses a button that ejected me out of the ship and into space. I then sighed as I used instant Transmission and teleported back inside and said, “you done throwing your hissy fit yet Church.” "Disable artificial gravity and life support." I suddenly feel weightless and start losing air. "Get in the corner and think about what you've done. They are used to my jokes." I feel gravity return to me and air regained, but I can't teleport out. "No magic for five minutes." I then laughed and said, “The only magic I use is my spells from Skyrim, and I ain’t used that.” I then walked forwards and said, “and besides I don’t need air to breathe, don't forget I was able to breath in space when I blew up the Flood ship Church.” "You still ruined the moment. Now sit in the there." I feel the ground beneath me rocket out of the ship and I see I'm in a life pod orbiting the Sun... which is full of cracks... Wait what? How?! -Craig’s POV- I then began to take back control of my body and said “Discord remind me to never let you control me when you use your magic” He then appeared sitting on my shoulder and said, “yeah I screwed you over there didn’t I.” “Yes, yes you did...” I then looked at the Sun and said “How the hell did that happen… Something must have happened to Celestia?” “She’s probably had her magic drained, blocked or she’s injured and using the Sun to help her heal.” “She can do that?” “Yes… well, it was, a while ago since it last happened.” I then sighed and said “Discord first things first.” I then clicked my fingers as a pizza appeared back in the ship with a note saying “sorry about everything that happened Discord took control of his magic and in turn me, I had little control over my actions, please forgive me. Craig. -Church’s POV- A ripple was felt throughout the pelican. “I've been here for too long,” I said. “I'll only be able to stay for a few hours longer before the portal forcibly collapses in on itself.” I sighed. “That's not something I would survive.” I then threw my arm down and walked towards the launch bay, as I watched as Craig floated in the pod back towards the pelican. As soon as it latched back onto the ship I grabbed a Hydra MLRS and attached it to my back. “I can't stay here,” I said to Craig. Craig then sighed and said, “I see… look I'm sorry about earlier… I shouldn’t have let Discord have control.” “This doesn't change anything. I've been here too long. My way back is starting to collapse,” Church said tiredly, “If I don't find Hichigo… Tell him I had no choice.” I then turned around and walked towards a panel which I pressed before I disappeared. Craig then turned around before he said, “I better apologize to the girls… that's going to cause a lot of problems for me.” He then began to walk back towards where he could sense the girls were. -Craig’s POV- As I got closer to the cafeteria I began to get a strange feeling of dread in the pit of my stomach as I thought I am going to get hurt… a lot for earlier. I then sighed as I arrived at the door then muttered “it’s now or never” I then opened the door and walked in to see the girls all staring daggers at me. Rainbow Dash silently walks up to me and puts out her hand as if in greeting before punching me in the nuts. I sighed and said, “Okay Dash I deserved that… but maybe you want to beat up Discord instead of me?” She doesn't say anything as she walks away. “All visitors must exit the pelican in 5 minutes.” I heard an electronic voice say over the intercom. I then smiled and said “we better get off the ship” I then looked at Pinkie and said “How was the pizza I sent you?” I get the silent treatment. I then sighed and then said, “okay all of you wail on me… I really don’t care anymore” “All visitors will be registered as unauthorized personnel and therefore threats to the security in 4 minutes.” “This way to the exit.” A pony stallion in black Mark V Gen 2 MJOLNIR armor wielding a shotgun said as he points to a corridor that ends with an open hatch. I then walked over to the hatch and said, “Okay you can all beat me up after we get out.” “Warning: All visitors are no longer welcome. Combat doctrine is now in effect.” The mares ignore me and walk away from the pelican and towards Ponyville. I then shouted to them “I’m sorry I was such a dick to you girls.” They just keep on walking forward. A holographic image of Church appeared in front of me. “I can't stay any longer. Tell Hichigo that I must go and please for the love of god teach him to make a token,” The hologram disappeared and the pelican started its engines before shooting off into a portal which closed behind it. I then sighed before I said “Can I get fucked over anymore than I already have?” I then heard a voice that I instantly recognised to be Ahriman shout "Hope you enjoy this present, Craig!" Seconds later I saw a grenade appear from the portal and landed next to me and I muttered “goddamit Murphy…Feim, Zii, Gron” The grenade then explodes and I just stand there unaffected by the blast myself however the ground below me was a different story as the blast had left a large hole below me. I then heard another voice I know to be Khârn’s shout "Yeah, and fuck you too!” as the portal shut in front of me. I then stood up and muttered, “what do they have a Pinkie Sense… damn, that annoying.” “SON OF A BITCH!” yelled Hichgio as he hit the ground a little ways away making a small crater upon impact. In the sky a fairly large dragon was glaring down at Hichigo’s form as he pulled himself up. “You made a new friend?” I asked. Popping his back and neck to get a kink out Hichigo turned to me and shrugged his shoulders while he lifted up Zangetsu. “No the fucker is just a little pissy because I found his horde and took some shit. I don’t know why they leave their hordes just lying around for everyone to see and I found a nice little crown that had my name on it so I took it and here we are.” said Hichigo while he idly picked his ear with a pinkie. “Oh great, that’s just great,” I groaned in Dovahzul. “Could be worse, I could have screwed his daughter. Did you know that dragons have a full dragon form and a more human form like the ponies yet they don’t get their full dragon form until later on in life? His daughter told me that shit right before he showed up and slapped me with his tail.” said Hichigo with a smile not at all concerned about the dragon flying down towards them. “One second buddy” I said before looking towards the dragon before I shouted “Joor Zah Frul!” before it was surround in a blue glow as it fell to the ground in front of them before I said to the dragon in Dovahzul “Easy there, you need to calm down.” “That’s what I told him before he started going off about me ‘defiling his daughter and stealing his treasure.’ Seriously dude not everything is about what you have.” said Hichigo as he took a seat on the ground. “You little welp! You came into MY cave and tried to mate with MY DAUGHTER! I should roast you alive right now!” cried the dragon as he stood to his feet showing him to be a quadruped and about the size of a house. “You and what army you overgrown iguana!? Zangetsu would turn you into a pair of boots with one swing!” yelled back Hichigo in anger as he stood holding his blade tightly. “Calm down both of you!” I ordered. Hichigo looked at him for a second before turning away with a huff the same time the dragon did. “He started it.” they said in unison making them glare at each-other more to the point lightning was shooting between their eyes. “I don’t care who started it, but god dammit I have seen enough fighting to know this isn’t the way, and besides I don’t care how much treasure you have it doesn’t give you the right to try and kill anyone,” Iargued. “Honestly I was more concerned about my daughter. I’ve heard of this one before and his reputation among females.” explained the dragon with a glare at Hichigo who was looking shocked at the accusation. “Hey! Just cause I have a healthy appetite for the female form doesn’t mean I just go sleeping with any women who will bend over for me, I’ve got standards ya know!?” My eye then turned red before he motioned his hand downwards and he pinned both Hichigo and the dragon to the ground and shouted “Both of you stop arguing or god dammit I will show you want i’ve learned during the bloody War Of Shadows!” “There was a bloody War Of Shadows? AND I WASN’T INVITED!?” cried Hichigo as his battlelust had kicked in and he was itching for a fight. “Well it only started recently, and no you wasn’t invited,” I said still holding them down as his eye continued pulsating. “Well that’s not fair!” said Hichigo as he just laid there not even bothering to try and get up. “Why would you want to go into a war?” asked the dragon in surprise. “Cause I live for battle that’s why you moron!” answered Hichigo with a snarl. “Look you don’t want to be there, there are people miles stronger than me there, you wouldn’t live long,” I argued. “I’m already dead buddy. I’m practically an arrancar that means I’m half malevolent spirit and half soul reaper. And I still haven’t ascended to my final form yet! I’ve only just been able to summon my Bankai and there is still so much more for me to unlock and the only way I can do that is by taking on stronger opponents.” said Hichigo in a surprisingly serious and analytical tone of voice. “Did he just make sense?” asked the dragon in surprise once more. “He did… alright… once this mess is sorted out I will spar with you and see if you are in any way set to fight in the war, if not you don’t go deal?” “I can live with that.” said Hichigo happily before turning to the dragon, “as for you bub how about you fly on home and talk to your daughter about what actually happened. Also tell her to call me cause I get lonely.” finished Hichigo with a fake sad tone at the end. The dragon just responds with a snort of smoke before looking away. “Okay i’m going to release you both now, but if you try to go at eachother I will pin you again,” I said as I slowly released his hold on them. Hichigo instantly hopped to his feet brushing the dirt off of his white outfit as the dragon merely stood there for a moment staring at Hichigo in curiosity. “Just stay away from my daughter whelp.” was the last thing the dragon said before taking off and leaving Hichigo there to roll his eyes at the pathetic attempt to scare him. “So I assume the others headed back to their own Equestria?” he asked while leaning against his blade. “Church did he said he was sorry he couldn’t stick around but his time had run out… he did ask me to help you with a token.” “Token? You mean like the thing I used to summon him here?” asked Hichigo with a hint of interest. “Yeah… same as I’m assuming Church asked you to use to summon me here.” I added. “Alright! Sooooo how do I make one?” asked Hichigo. “Right then, first you’ll need an object that you want others to find to represent yourself, it can be anything like Church had a plasma sword and I had my amulet.” Hichigo thinks about what he wanted to represent him for a moment idly tapping his blade. A few seconds later he freezes up and slowly looks at his large cleaver of a blade before an inhumanly large smile spreads across his face. “I think Zangetsu right here would make a great token.” “If you're sure about that then you’ll just need to focus and say a phrase that a person who finds your token will hear.” Now Hichigo looks down on his blade in contemplation. What did he want others to hear when they found his blade? It would have to be something unique to him and something that gives a good representation of what and who exactly they are summoning. A whole minute goes by before Hichigo is ready. “I am Hichigo, wielder of Zangetsu, King of the Demon lands and the Slayer of Hollows. Call upon me if you wish to see your enemies fall to pieces or just need a friend. Call out my name with Zangetsu and I will come.” chanted Hichigo. “Not bad if I say so myself and it should now replicate itself and head off into the void leaving you with the original,” I said calmly. “Yeah. You know being a displaced isn’t as bad as I thought it would be. Sure I get violent a lot easier now thanks to mixing with Hichigo’s personality but I got to say knowing that there is others out there in the multiverse in the same position as me makes it a bit more bearable.” Hichigo said with a smile as he looked at his reflection in his blade. “Anyway do you want me to send your token off, some peoples just multiply others need em placing into the void for them?” “Send them off please. Who knows I may get a call earlier that way and help some poor sap who really needs it.” “So true,” I said as he was grabbed his token before creating a small break in the area around him then said, “Please may I have your token?” Hichigo silently hands it to him while staring at the small break in the area and is reminded of a garganta. I then carefully placed his hands into the void whilst holding Zangetsu before he held it inside for a few seconds then removed it as before he held two of them in his hand before he said “and done.” before he passed the original version back to Hichigo and placed the copy on his back. “Thanks man. So any other displaced guys or gals you know of?” Hichigo asked offhandedly truly curious on what other types of displaced he may encounter in the future. “Where do I start, As you know there’s Church.” “The tech guy with the surprisingly hot sister that I am currently in a very long distance relationship with.” Hichigo cut in but waved on for me to continue. “There was also two people displaced as Dark Magician and Dark Magician girl, a black suit spiderman Displaced called Jeffery, A Sasuke Uchiha Displaced, There was a guy called Mike… don’t know what he was Displaced as, there was also there Warhammer Displaced I met I think their names were Ahriman, Khârn and Zhufor. There was Asphyxious who I only had a quick talk to when I arrived at the War of Shadow and also someone Displaced as Misty for the pokemon series if i remember correctly.” I said as I tried to remember everyone I’d met on the first day of the War of Shadows. “Alright that is a pretty diverse group of people I will admit but I also want to ask, what exactly is the War of Shadows? Seems like a pretty big deal if so many displaced are a part of it?” “Well it’s basically two displaced that got into a fight after one injured his daughter by accident and the other attacked the first one’s Twilight and well there Displacer now is dragging a ton of displaced into it most of them against their will to lead the sides, there was this one person who was Displaced as Crona from Soul Eater but didn’t want to even be there.” I explained. “So this whole war was started over some stupid feud between two idiots?” asked Hichigo. “Yep… and I don’t even know why I joined… I only realised what i did after I got back to my equestria… I didn't even remember who I sided with till I arrived.” “Well while I’m all good for bloodshed and death but this has no meaning to it except for two idiots wanting to hurt each-other and not ballsy enough to settle it by themselves.” “Exactly why I said you wouldn’t want to join, I don’t want any others being pulled into their stupid war.” “Yeah but they’ll keep dragging others into it whether they want to go or not. I’m mostly concerned about what will happen if one side actually beats the other. What happens to the loser and who sided with them?” said Hichigo. “Well… I know all Displaced that die get sent home but the actual displaced that were forced… well… you can guess,” I admitted sadly. “Yeah I can and I don’t like it. But on a higher note I don’t think my chances of being summoned there particularly are very high at the moment so no worries there. So where do we go from here?” “Well… I know your Mane six hate me now… so thats a thing.” I admitted whilst rubbing the back of my neck. “Don’t take it too hard man. Most of them hate me to and I’m basically stuck with them so if anything I should be upset. But in all honesty I really don’t give two shits cause I got something over all of them. I’m officially the King of the Demon lands so on a political standpoint I can’t be touched without causing an international incident. That Tree of Harmony though is still a real perverted bitch that I would love to take an axe to.” Hichigo muttered the last part to himself. “You know… I can still hear you and don’t try to cut the tree of harmony down that will end badly.” I replied before saying “Anyway… you said you wanted to duel each other?” “Oh yeah.” said Hichigo in realization that he had asked for a duel with Craig after the dragon left. “Just give me a sec to get ready.” finished Hichigo before summoning his Bankai form and getting into a ready stance. “Ready whenever you are.” said Hichigo happily as he was itching for a fight and his spiritual pressure was pulsing wildly. “Well then, let me just get ready,” I said as I placed my hand on the back of my guitar before it turned into a sword. I was wearing a black chestplate which was below a black trench coat before I was covered in a blue skin. I then drew the sword that matched my token in my right hand as my left hand glowed in a purple light. I then looked to Hichigo before I said “I’m ready,” as I lowered into a deep stance with my sword held in front of me. -Third Person POV- Hichigo’s eyes narrow for a moment before he grins even wider and disappears with Sonido to appear behind Craig with his sword coming in to bisect Craig at the waist. “So that’s your game is it?” Craig said as a blue tendril shot up from his back to block the attack before his hair turned golden and stood on end before he said “now then… let's get this started,” before he quickly spun around as there sword collided with each other. Hichigo’s smile turns to a frown for just a moment before coming back full force as he pushed back Craig’s sword and unleashing a multitude of slashes aiming for Craig’s upper half. Craig then smirked before he began to glow before he began to block each blow using two fingers before he said “Come on, I know you can do better than this… or do you want this to become a fist fight?” before he threw his sword into the air before he shouted “Rasengan!” as he launched his hand into Hichigo’s chest . Seeing the attack coming Hichigo sends a lot of his spiritual pressure in the spot where the Rasengan would impact to increase his Hierro. When it made contact Hichigo felt the attack drilling away at his armor like skin but it was holding for now. Using this Hichigo jabbed two fingers into Craig’s chest and shouted, “BALA!” as a small beam about the size of a silver dollar flew from his fingers at near point blank range. Craig just smirked as the attack just dissipated on contact with his body before he brought two fingers to his head and teleported away. Cursing Hichigo gets into a ready stance as his chest heals almost instantly from the damage it took. He uses his spiritual sense to try and pinpoint Craig’s location. “Well… I will admit you surprised me, I may not have know a lot about your anime counterpart but you really have surpassed my expectations… maybe I should show you my next form?” Craig said from a distance. Hichigo turned around quickly spotting Craig and was tempted to rush in but his instincts were telling him to hold back for now as he could feel his spiritual pressure rising the longer the fight went on. “Oh yeah? Well lets see it.” exclaimed Hichigo with excitement clear in his voice. “Well… okay then… if you want to,” Craig said before his muscles seemed to expand before he grew in size as he held a similar appearance to that of Frieza’s first transformation in Dragonball Z apart from the fact he still had his golden hair before he said in a much deeper tone then before “Now then let’s see what you can do?” before he charged forwards and disappeared as he moved before Hichigo heard him shout “Shadow Clone Jutsu!” Hearing this Hichigo knew he had to move as standing still would just get him pummeled as clones of Craig started to appear in poofs of smoke. Using Sonido to it’s fullest Hichigo would disappear and reappear hacking and slashing at anything that moved. As he did this however Hichigo felt his spiritual pressure start to rise exponentially. Then on instinct Hichigo appears on the far side of the area so all the clones are in front of him, bringing his blade back it glows black with red lining and while bringing the blade forward in a horizontal slash he yells out, “Getsuga Tensho!” before releasing a large black wave of energy that starts to cut across the whole area at high speeds. “Well then that is a surprise,” A voice said from behind Hichigo before the voice shouted “Kamehameha!!!” a a large blue beam of energy appeared behind me. Hichigo barely had time to turn around before the large beam plowed into him as he used his sword to block the beam as it started to push him back. A little bit away Hichigo managed to dig his feet into the ground and stop his being pushed back. He was still struggling with the beam before he brought his left hand up holding the beam back with only his right hand. Putting his left hand up to the beam pure white raietsu begins to form in the palm of his hand. Then Hichigo yells, “CERO!” as a beam just as large as the Kamehameha impacts and begins to fight back against the beam pushing it back until it now holds in between Craig and Hichigo. “You know this pose looks pretty cliche right?!” called Hichigo as he holds back the attack with his own. “Yeah… good old beam struggles,” Craig chuckled before he said “Although there is a great thing about shadow clones.” another voice then shouted from three directions “Kamehameha!” as three more beams appeared from each side of Hichigo. “Oh fuck all kinds of duck.” was all Hichigo managed to say before the three beams hit him making him lose concentration of his own beam and letting the fourth hit him. Hichigo grit his teeth as his Hierro was quickly being eaten away by four beams continuously pounding him at once. His reiatsu spiked once more and Hichigo felt his hollow instincts crying out for blood and to fight back against the four beams. With an inhuman cry Hichigo’s power spiked dramatically dispelling the four beams as his form changed once more. Now Hichigo could be seen in his Vasto Lord form which now showed his destroyed top and displayed his hollow hole in the center of his chest. His white hair had now grown longer to his mid back and he now possessed a mask with two large, sharp horns. “You still okay to continue buddy?” Craig asked. In response Hichigo brought his blade across his chest before swinging it down and behind him. The sheer action causing the ground behind him to erupt and fly backwards in large chunks. “I’ll take that as a yes.” Craig said before a large majority of the shadow clones began to charge Hichigo again. Hichigo simply stood where he was as the clones approached showing no outward reaction. Then when the clones were just in striking distance Hichigo released a wave of pure raietsu sending the clones flying back and creating a crater under him from the pressure. Then Hichigo started to carve through the clones his speed nearly triple it was with Sonido with every hit being just as strong. Occasionally Hichigo would used his free clawed hand to pierce a clone’s chest or if they were standing in a line he would pierce up to three at once, all the while all attacks thrown at him were just shrugged off. Craig just stood a small distance away as he was flanked by multiple Clones who each either had two fingers on their foreheads or their hands held above their heads while Craig was lying prone on the floor watching Hichigo through a sniper’s scope while his clones kept trying to wear him down. After destroying a few more clones Hichigo disappeared only to reappear a few hundred feet overhead. Staring down a large red orb the size of a yoga ball began to form between the horns on his head. Then with a loud shriek Hichigo fired a large crimson beam at the center of the clones. When the beam struck a large dome of red energy erupted. After a few seconds the dome dissipated to show a large crater where the beam had struck. Craig then looked towards the clones behind him and the ones that hand their hands near their heads nodded to him before they began to run into a nearby forest before the remaining clones walked towards Craig as five of them merged what appeared to massive balls of energy together above me as I began to absorb the energy into myself as I began to wonder just why Hichigo hadn’t found us yet. As if to answer Craig’s question Hichigo’s gaze then focused on the original along with the clones around him. Faster than one could blink Hichigo was now standing directly in front of Craig just looking at him with his gold eyes waiting for Craig or the clones to do something. Craig then smirked before he said “Are you not going to hit me… why just stand there and do nothing… or are you waiting for me to make my next move so you can counter?” “You think I did not notice the orbs earlier? Hard to miss them. Your gathering energy for something and the hollow in me is curious on what your planning. It will not let me strike just yet.” responded Hichigo only his voice now was more of a rasp and screech mixed into one instead of his usual voice. “If you knew what those balls was you’d not give me time to have done what I did.” Craig said calmly before he disappeared along with his clones before multiple voices shouted from around them “Special Beam Cannon!” before multiple gold and white beams of energy flew towards Hichigo from all directions. Hichigo disappeared just as the beams reached his position before appearing behind one of the clones with his hand already piercing through his back and out the chest. From that very same hand Hichigo released a barrage of Bala’s that eliminated the other clones. “Your clones won’t hide you forever Craig. Unlike you they possess no spirit and I can practically taste yours.” said Hichigo. “That may be the case but, I need to ask you… was you watching the previous attack?” “What do you mean? Surely you're not talking about those Special Beam cannon’s? Or are you talking about the Spirit Bombs?” Craig then smiled as Hichigo realised his eye was pulsation between gold, red and white before he said “The Special beams.” His fingers then moved slightly to the right. Tilting his head to the right Hichigo spared a glance in the direction Craig had gestured to nothing of any particular danger. Scoffing Hichigo says, “if you're going to gesture at empty air then I might as well take the initiative now,” he said before bringing up his hand and unleashing a barrage of Bala’s. Craig then smiled before he brought his hands upwards as multiple special beam cannons burst from the ground below Hichigo impaling him on the one by one as Craig said “You really think that was me directing you?” whilst the Bala’s dissipated on contact with Craig’s body yet again. Hichigo stumbled a bit as the holes made by the attacks healed over in a matter of moments. Glaring at Craig Hichigo released another hollow cry that shattered the ground around him before lunging at Craig with his sword raised to cut him down the middle. “And… release,” Craig said before a burst of gold energy struck out from his knocking Hichigo off balance before opened his palm as a purple light struck Hichigo’s hand as his sword was launched from it before all of the energy that Craig had built up was unleashed instantly in one beam as Craig shouted “Final Flash!” as he held Hichigo’s sword behind him. The beam carried Hichigo far away before a loud explosion occurred where he had finally stopped. It was all silent for a few moments before Hichigo’s sword began to move about on its own. Then with a burst of burning reiatsu it broke from Craig’s hand before twirling away at intense speeds into Hichigo’s hand who was panting a few feet away. His mask was cracked in various places and his body was covered in burns that showed the muscle and bone underneath in some places. He was also healing a lot slower than before. Craig then looked before he said “Let’s end this here… we don’t want to risk killing each other or any bystanders.” “Agreed. At this rate we’ll both end up dead. That or the whole planet will be a crater.” said Hichigo as he finally finished healing. “Yeah… that wouldn’t even be near what would happen if this continued with me gaining power.” Craig admitted. “So how are we gonna finish this?” “Let's just call it a draw, that's probably for the best,” Craig suggested. “Yeah I guess so.” agreed Hichigo as he released his Vasto Lord form and returned to his base form large cleaver and all. “Okay then,” Craig replied as he returned to normal before he turned his sword back into his guitar. “Good news though, I finally learned Getsuga Tensho and unleashed my Vasto Lord form at the same time! Looks like all I needed was a desperate situation in order to bring them out.” “I will say this you are an amazingly powerful Displaced, sure we could have kept going for much longer and i have a feeling we wouldn’t get to a point where either of us would surrender.” “Oh I hear ya on that. And thanks, you're pretty powerful yourself using DBZ and Naruto attacks like that. If not for my Hierro and regeneration I would have been done a few times over.” “What do you expect from a guy who spends his spare time trying to learn other ways to crossover different moves… heck i’m trying to combine the Kamehameha with skyrim spells to augment its effects.” “Now that would be amazing. Can you do dragon shouts? Maybe try and combine the Storm Call with it? That would make a badass move.” said Hichigo. “Umm… I did use Dragonrend earlier to bring that dragon down,” Craig pointed out. “Oh so that's what you did. I don’t know the dragon words for shouts so I didn’t really know what you said.” said Hichigo with an embarrassed laugh at the end. “Hmm… do you want to learn a few?” Craig offered. “Can I really learn them?” asked Hichigo now really hoping it was possible. “I could pass on the knowledge for a shout… but you would still need to practice… or I could teach you to control ki or chakra,” Craig admitted. “If that’s the case I would go with chakra. Shadow clones would be really helpful. Plus adding the elements into my attacks would be an enormous increase in power.” admitted Hichigo. “Hmm… you know i’m in a good mood what shout do you want as well, i’ll give you a two for one deal.” Craig admitted. “Wow thanks man!” said Hichigo happily with a large smile that was genuine and not full of his usual bloodlust. “No worries, just name the shout and I’ll put the word on the ground for you.” Craig said as he placed his hand on Hichigo’s head before passing over a small amount of knowledge on how to control chakra he then continued to say “you should be able to create a small amount of shadow clones and maybe the chidori aswell.” “Thanks man. As for shouts the ones I would like to have are Elemental Fury, Unrelenting Force, Slow time and Storm Call please and thank you.” said Hichigo. “I wish I could give you all those, but I can only give you one full shout.” Craig admitted. “Hmmm. Well if that's the case then just give me Unrelenting Force. It may be the first shout you get but it's also the best in my opinion.” said Hichigo not at all bothered by only having one shout. He was happy to get any! “Okay then,” Craig replied before he opened his hand as three symbols appeared on the ground as he whispered “Fus, Ro Dah.” Hichigo looked at the symbols in awe for a moment before feeling the knowledge held within them flow straight into his brain. Craig then looked to him before he said “How do you feel?” “Wiser if you can believe it.” “I can… Is it bad i’m considering teaching Fluttershy this shout as well back home?” Craig inquired. Hichigo looked at him for a moment before bursting out laughing, “hahahaha! Are you kidding me? That would be hilarious! Imagine her just whispering those words and sending someone flying!? I say go for it!” “I’d literally have the whole Flutterkin thing back in my world… at the moment i’m content trying to train my daughter to use Ki though,” Craig admitted. “Whoa you have a daughter! Adopted or biological?” “Adopted… I am only 18 right now.” Craig replied quickly. “Oh alright, I had the image of a Centaur for a moment and it was going down some dark roads.” Hichigo muttered in a bit of fear at his own twisted imagination. “No worries, hey, sooner or later I may end up having to perform to a crowd back home when that day comes do you want me to call you along so you can have a day to relax, heck you could even bring a friend along?” “That would be amazing man. By the way how far along is your timeline?” “Well… considering the fact that Discord escaped from stone less than a month ago i’d say the start of season 2,” Craig admitted. “Huh. Well I only beat the crap out of Nightmare Moon and for some reason Sombra was out before the wedding so I had to go and kill him with Church.” “Huh… you know it’s weird… in all of our history there’s actually a lot of things mentioned about him… one being he was a hero who aided Celestia in defeating my worlds Nightmare moon,” Craig admitted before he said “There’s even a statue of him in the canterlot gardens.” “Yeah I wonder why he would go to dark magic though? He was already famous and world renown so why risk his sanity by going all dark and shit. I smell conspiracy.” “Maybe… maybe, eh… everything a conspiracy to me though.” “That’s cause you got a thousand year old horse with a sun on its ass runnin things and you don’t get to be that old without a boat load of skeletons in your closet.” said Hichigo. “True… true.” “Well that and she hates the idea of killing an enemy but has no problem turning them into lawn ornaments like Discord. Bitch is seriously messed in the head.” “You had to mention that,” A voice said from seemingly nowhere. “Yes, yes I did. Now who the fuck just said that!?” demanded Hichigo as he brought Zangetsu to bear. “Oh calm down buddy… it’s just my worlds Discord.” Craig admitted “Yeah well just make sure he keeps out of my head like my worlds Discord didn’t do. Plus it can’t be too bad being a lawn ornament. They at least washed you daily right?” “Umm… nope… Celestia didn’t really keep much of an eye on me… she did on three other statues though… seemed to cry often when she’s near them,” Discord admitted as he sat on his shoulder. “They look familiar to you? And what were they species wise?” asked Hichigo truly curious on why these three were so important to her. “Umm… one was a pony… the others… well that’s harder to explain around Craig right now,” Discord admitted. “But if it’s his Equestria this is happening in then shouldn’t he have the right to know?” “He can’t know,” Discord said. “I can’t know what?” Craig asked. “About two out of three statues in Celestia’s garden which are apparently so important to her that she cries over them whenever she sees them.” stated Hichigo casually. “You mean the statues of my mum and brother from back home,” Craig admitted calmly causing Discord’s eyes to open in shock. “That's what you were trying to hide from him!? That’s a dick move. But why would there be statues of your mother and brother in Celestia’s garden. And why are they important to her?” “The legend of the mare in to moon was different in our world, it said with the aid of three of her strongest soldiers she was able to hold back and imprision her sister on the moon, however this came at a cost as her soldiers were sealed in stone,” Discord admitted before he said “it was her biggest failure as she lost no just three soldiers, but three friends.” “HOLD UP! Isn’t the Nightmare moon in your world dealt with already? Why not just break them out then?” declared Hichigo not believing for a second that there wasn’t someway Craig’s family couldn’t be freed. “Because I can’t… I’ve tried to do it but I couldn’t do it,” Discord admitted. “Why not? You managed to break out of your own stone prison on your own so what's so different about theirs?” “I didn’t break out myself… it required chaos around me to break… they will need their representations to break it… that being bravery and compassion.” “Okay not to sound too cliche and unoriginal but Craig here has both of those in spades so why not let him try? And you still haven’t said who the pony is in that trio.” pointed out Hichigo. “...Sombra.” “..... well I’ll be a son of a bitch. At least in your world he’s a good guy. In this world I have his head mounted somewhere in the Crystal Empire.” “But the statue isn’t him… he wasn’t sealed in stone he just disappeared.” “Also I tried to free them and I wasn’t able to… heck I was attacked there and almost died to save someone, hence why I can do this,” Craig admitted as a set of dog like claws appeared between his fingers. “Maybe it just isn’t time for them to be free just yet. As for Sombra who knows what could have happened to him. But I can tell you're not just gonna give up are you? That doesn’t sound like the kind of guy you are. But that's just me.” “He’s definitely not… even though he hides it.” Discord admitted “Plus he’s got the backing of not just the residents of his own version of Equestria, but the backing of a lot of Displaced from other Equestria’s. You ever need a hand I’ll be the first to jump in. Unless of course I’m in the middle of a battle for the fate of the world but it's not like those don’t happen in every single season right?” “True… watch them escape during the invasion,” Craig chuckled. “Damn I did forget about the changelings at the wedding. I wonder what a bug pony looks like as a human?” “They already tried to take Fluttershy back in my world,” Craig admitted. “They dared to try and kidnap the most adorable being in any Equestria!? Blasphemy! Take her head, down with the bug Queen!” declared Hichigo dramatically. “Oh she knows... she pissed me off to the point she been threatened by me,” Craig said as what looked to be a pair of very sharp canines appeared in his mouth. “I’d still keep her at arms length. But on a scale of 1 to 10 how evil is she in your world? Like Sombra’s enslavery kind of evil or more like a necessary evil?” “Chrysalis… no idea she sent one drone to impersonate her and that failed… the drone couldn’t act like she did around animals.” “...okay I say that your Chrysalis is a moron. I don’t think you’ll have much problems with her.” Hichigo deadpanned. “Oh i know,” Craig admitted with a smile. “Well that leaves me to deal with my own little bug Queen. And after that I gotta deal with Tirek. Sunset Shimmer and that Twilight rip off can be dealt with by the elements. I’m more excited about seeing other Displaced. Well the good ones really cause I’m sure there are evil ones right?” questioned Hichigo as that thought popped into his head. “Okay then well if things get bad here you know i’m always free to call,” Craig said with a smile. “Always good to know I got friends who got my back.” returned Hichigo with his own smile. “Yeah… and I know Church abuses that so often… heck he called me a day after we met to deal with an attack by some flood.” “Hahaha yeah that sounds just like him…. He’s got a hot sister though whenever she’s not in the body of an elite.” “Well.. okay then, oh and to send me back you’d just need to say ‘Craig our contact is complete’ but don’t worry bout that I can head home myself.” “Guess I’ll be seeing you around whenever a disaster happens then?” “That or I offer you a backstage pass for a performance,” Craig admitted. “What kind of ‘performance’?” “Well considering i’m a guitarist and singer what do you think?” “I think that sounds awesome. And I accept!” “Well then expect a call soon… I have the feeling one gonna happen soon.” Craig admitted with a smile. “I’ll keep my eyes and ears open.” replied Hichigo. “Okay then, I’ll see you soon,” Craig said as he used his token to open a portal in front of him before he saluted Hichigo before walking through as it closed behind him.
Chapter 26 - A family reunion part 2Chapter 25 - A Family Reunion Part 1 -Craig POV- As I began to look at the two statues in front of I began to feel depressed about everything that was happening to me. First the war, then finding them in stone, and then bomb from the marines I feel like people are just ruining my life. I then reached my hand down to touch Scootaloo’s head as she said, “So this is your Mum and brother?” “Yes… god, I miss them.” She then smiled at me then said, “At least you know they're alive now that’s an improvement.” “I suppose you're right.” I then felt a small portal open below me and shouted, “Worst moment ever” I then saw Scootaloo grab hold of me as she said “Not this time.” However it was futile as she got dragged through the portal as well, which promptly shut above us. -Church POV- “Oops?” I repeated. Craig then looked up and muttered, “It’s rarely an call with you is it Church?” “I don't know, my new adopted brother, is it?” “Wait what? What are you on about?” Scootaloo then looked at me and asked Craig, “Dad what does he mean?” “Ooh! Dad! You know what you have to do!!!!” Amor yelled, making everyone stare at her in confusion as she happily bounced towards Scootaloo. Craig then stared at me and said, “Please explain because I am officially lost.” “Oh trust me there is more.” A voice said from behind Craig. He then quickly turned around to see Asuna standing behind him as he just collapsed and said, “okay what in god’s name is going on?” Asuna then smiled as she grabbed hold of him and said, “Craig I missed you so much!” Scootaloo then looked at them in confusion and asked Amor, “What’s going on between that woman and my dad?” “You don't know? That is his mom!” Amor shouted excitedly. Loud enough in fact, that Craig heard it. “Wait what! But that’s not possible… You're encased in stone back home how are you even here?” “Okay, did you ingest any fear gas lately?” I asked seriously. Kirito then walked beside me and said, “Am I missing something… Craig!” I turned holographic grabbing everyone’s attention, “Dr Jonathan Crane: Creator of Cloud Burst, Dubbed Fear Gas. Results: Causes you to live your worst nightmare. Can cause you to kill yourself from fear. Hallucinatory.” I said in Delta's voice. I then looked back at Craig as he collapsed on the ground and passed out as Scootaloo ran over to him and shouted “Dad wake up!” Asuna then looked back to me and said, “I think he’s just broke… got somewhere for him to rest?” I had already resumed my regular form so I just nodded. Kirito then smiled and said “I’ll carry him” he then threw him over his shoulders and then proceeded to ask me “Where to?” “I'm sorry but we have royal duties to a-” An explosion was seen as Canterlot Palace fell off the mountain completely. Asuna then smiled and said “you mean relocation to attend to.” “T’would have been comical, were it not for all the deaths.” Luna said as she casually mentioned the macabre state of the palace. Asuna then frowned and muttered “and one more thing” her glare then sharpened at them as she shouts “why the hell did you abandon your people!” I suddenly stop moving. Everyone notices that I am staring at something. Amor slowly turns her gaze to see another new ship in the sky except it was UNSC this time. Everyone then looked up as Kirito said “this isn’t good” “That… That is ONI…” I muttered loudly. “What is the Office of Naval Intelligence doing here?” Asuna then looked at me in confusion and said “Get Craig up he’s useless if we get attacked right now,” “They won't attack us.” I said confidently. “How do you know that?” “Do you see them attacking us right now?” I asked as I pointed to the cruiser that was scanning the area. “Ok then if they aren't attacking why are they here?” “Colonization?” I ask bluntly. The ponies look at me with wide eyes. “And you think everyone wants that to happen?” “I never said they couldn't be reasoned with.” I then heard Craig moaned as he muttered, “This is ridiculous” He then opened his eyes to see the ship and said, “Why does this always happen to me.” “What? Pregnancy?” I asked randomly. He then looked back at me and asked, “What are you on about?” He then floated off Kirito’s shoulder and landed on the ground. “You are pregnant according to this scanner.” I show a plasma pistol scanner that nobody had noticed before now. “See? The light is green.” Craig then sighed and said “Not physically possible buddy not a gal.” “Did you forget what happened to Tucker?” Amor fainted. Craig, Kirito and Asuna then looked at me and then all said “yes… what happened” I explained how Tucker was impregnated by an alien. Craig then shook his head then said “I ain’t been touched by any alien buddy… you must be losing it” “Fine. Stupid thing.” I charged the plasma pistol and unload the entire charge into a completely untouched house and nearly dropped from shock when the whole thing exploded… “Oops…Yeah, I'm not paying for that.” I said bluntly. “They should have plasma pistol insurance.” Celestia glared at me but I just arched an eyebrow until she finally sighed in defeat. Luna was next, she trotted up to me and said, “HUZZAH!” ...What? Craig then sighed before he muttered “I’m to young for this” Kirito then smiled and said “Hey at least were back together” “Hey Craig, isn't it funny how my favorite person used to be Daniel Craig and both of your names are Daniel and Craig?” I said in Pinkie’s voice at a ridiculous speed. He then sighed again and said “Just explain everything I really am lost… why did you call me your brother Church?” “Nope. Mom is explaining this shit.” I snaped my fingers and a portal to the warp opened depositing boxes of pizzas shaped like grenades. “Danke.” I tell the warp as I snap the portal close. Amor snaps up after I eat one of the exploding pizza. “You could said the pizza is… explosive AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!” “Okay Mum what’s going on?” However before she could answer we hear a voice said “Umm Craig I sense a portal opening in your pocket?” I quickly do the impossible and jump into Craig's pocket. After a few seconds a muffled explosion was heard before I jumped out with my head smoking in a cartoonish fashion. “That grenade was delicious. A bit on the spicy side though.” I then hear Craig mutter “Fucking Space marines why won’t they give me a break.” Asuna then just muttered something before she punched Craig in the side of the head and said “Craig there are children around.” “Yeah! You dingus. You crazed malfeasant! Stop hurting the children's ears!” “You really can’t said much Dimitri.” Kirito pointed out “Well at least the children know to punch me when I said- FUCK!” I screamed as Amor punches my in the funny bone. I collapsed on the ground on my chest with her on my back. Craig then smirked and said “Yeah sorry it’s just last time they did it it was a Anti-armour grenade they used.” I throw an extremely dull pocket knife at Craig which hits his leg with the force of Miley Cyrus’s get shrekting ball. It somehow gets stuck in his leg drawing no blood though. Craig then sighed and said “Really Church?” seconds later a small bit of blue appears next to the knife, before Craig pulled it out and then threw it into a nearby tree. He then smiled and said “thanks Bii” “I just realized something.” “What is it?” Craig asked. “Mom is Joseph Stalin us so she doesn't have to explain things.” Everyone then looked at me as Craig asked me ”what do you mean?\” I walked up to Asuna, who I towered, and asked, “Why you be stalling?” She then smiled and said “why not… it’s fun seeing you and Craig argue” She then sighed and said “Okay i’ll explain, Craig what’s happened is that we have adopted Church and his daughter. We heard that he never had a family and decided to give him one and in turn he is now your adopted brother.” Craig then looked at me and said “Can this day get any weirder?” “Does this mean I have to be on the good side? Can't I be that one rogue who is on nobody's side?” Craig then laughed and said “You can be who you want Church… you are in control of your own destiny.” “Oh that is a relief. CAC18 Destroy nearest planet.” An explosion. “CHURCH!” Everyone screamed. “What?” I ask blankly. Craig then laughed and said “and the readers call me vegeta.” He then shook his head and said “I need to stop using my Deadpool powers” “Shut up fourth wall breaking imperialist scum.” “Yeah, I know, blame Discord he has some control over my powers.” “Blame me for what?” A Discord wearing a I shit you not Helghast uniform with a fucking swastika on it. Asuna and Kirito then shouted “Discord!” as they grabbed their weapons. Craig then looked at them and asked “okay what's he done to you?” Helghast Discord then does a air spartan kick before yelling, “ラディアント火災” (Japanese: Radiant Fire) Craig then sighed and said “really Discord?” Second later Craig's Discord appeared on his shoulder and said “Not me.” “My name is not Discord. It is Fuwa!” FD proclaimed. “That is the same thing. Just in Japanese, you idiot.” I said. He just rolled his eyes. “I thought you were dead.” Celestia said sadly. “Good.” “Good?!?!?!” “You heard me. Good.” Discord fired tear gas at Celestia, “Aw, don't cry.” Craig then sighed, grabs the canister in mid air and threw it back at Fuwa. Fuwa does the unexpected. Instead of dodging or teleporting away or even taunting about how useless it is, he just swallows it. “Ah, how delightful. The chaos I could sew. Why stop there? Tata for now!” He teleported away. Craig’s Discord then looked at him then said “was I really like that?” “Yes, yes you was,” Craig admitted. “I mean… Holy shit what the fuck no Fuwa don't do that!” Fuwa laughed as he gleefully jumped out of an exploding bank carrying sacks of money. “Holy shit, when did Discord turn into Two face?” Craig then sighed as he touched the back of this guitar and then bolted towards Fuwa and threw him to the floor then said “I have had enough of you.” “Well then, why don't you snap my neck? Hehe. One simple movement, so powerful.” Fuwa still had his incessant Joker smile on. Craig then sighed as he puts his hand on his head and blanked out a few memories from Fuwa and dragged him back to the group. He then said “sorry about that.” “Well you are no fun at all.” Fuwa said as he snaps a talon and frees himself before turning into the Joker. I heard you were fond of this one.” Fuwa even had the voice right. He pulled out a giant revolver before aiming it at Craig. “Boom!” He shouted as it fired a bullet and a flag before he took off running madly at inhuman speeds of 68mph. “We're you listening in on conversations again you little shit?!” I screamed as I gave chase to the jackass. “Yes! Now come and catch me! If you can!” Another house exploded. Craig then appeared in front of him and punches him straight in the face and said “oh shut it.” Fuwa shook his head. “No magic allowed.” He pulled a Tirek and grabbed the magic from Craig and snapped the tether. “Oops. It appears to be broken.” He giggled as he jumped over the magically incapacitated Craig. I ran up to Craig. “Holy shit he just did a fucking Power Rangers on you!” Craig then smiled and just jumped back in front of him again and said “that ain’t no magic” Fuwa gets a smirk, “Then you won't be needing it. Ever.” He said bluntly as he completely destroyed his attunement to magic. He then spartan flame kicked him in the nuts, setting them on fire before continuing to run. Craig’s eyes then turned blood red as he shouted “I’ve had a fucking nough of you!” with that he brought his hands to his side as he shouted “KameHameHa” as a blue beam of light flew towards him. I watched as the others, Amor, Scootaloo, Asuna, Kirito, Celestia, and Luna arrived next to me. I put on U’Moon - Mad Road because I know the tempo of the fight already. Craig then charged towards Fuwa who just avoided the blast and shouted “Surrender before I need to go full power!” “Fuck you!” Fuwa pulled out a bomb vest and strapped it to himself. “For the system admins!” He rushed Craig. Craig’s body then began to glow as his helmet flew off to show his hair had turned golden and was standing on end he then shouted “you have no idea who you are messing with!” “ALALALALALALALALALALALALALALALA!” Fuwa jumped straight at Craig and… exploded. No seriously. That was fucking lame. “That was anticlimactic.” I said in disappointment. Amor slapped me. “What?” She motioned for me to apologize. “Uh no.” She glared at me but gave up. “Hey Craig! What is 69 divided by zero?” He doesn’t answer, but turned around as we see his eyes pure red and his hands against his head as he looked out of control. “Huh. That is one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen.” Everyone even Craig looked at me in complete confusion but Craig was still pretty fucking furious. He then muttered “get me out of here… we're not safe” “Uh Craig. I'm never safe. Hell, I'm a danger to myself.” I said bluntly. Craig’s Discord appears next to me and said “you need to stop him his powers are out of control there’s a reason he holds back his powers.” “Are they psionic?” “No my magic was stopping him from losing control.” “Hey Craig! I know how to calm you down! Let's blow up another fucking planet. You do the honors!” before anyone could react, I had already teleported us to a backwater planet with no life on it. He then shouted “please you all need to get out of here! I’m not in control somethings in my head, it’s manipulating me!” “Okay sure. But you are going to regret that.” I teleported everyone except Craig into my pelican in orbit above the planet. “Now we wait f-” The entire continent Craig was standing on starting sinking. “What is he doing?” Scootaloo then rushed over to the window and said “you’ve got to help him… please I don’t want him to suffer.” I then looked back to the planet to see a dark black outline begin to grow around the planet as his anger begins to grow more intense. “Good thing this is in a different solar system. And uh yeah, about helping him. Can't do that. Unless you want me to potentially kill him. Not the best idea.” Asuna then looked at me and asked “what happened to him he’s never been like this… yeah he’s always had a temper but he’s never lost control like this.” “That isn't something I can answer. Insufficient data.” I said sadly. I then looked back at the planet to see that the land now looked like it was burning. I then heard Kirito say “man, this is almost like the Black Star Dragonballs in Dragonball GT.” Seconds later it exploded leaving not even debris where the planet once was. “Huh. The covenant would want that.” I said in awe. We then see a small speck near where we left Craig and as we looked closer we could see that he was unconscious and back to normal . “See? Destruction is a healthy way of making you feel better.” Everyone glared at me. Asuna and Kirito then looked at me in shock and said “he has that much power trapped inside him… and has so little control if he snaps.” “Well yeah, it is like constipation.” Celestia and Luna winced. Scootaloo and Amor gagged. Kirito and Asuna just looked in shock at the damage he could do if he was pushed to his limit. They then turned to Discord as Asuna said “Look I don’t care about what you have done just get him back here and get him in control again.” Discord then sighed and said “And to think I gave him this power?” “That power is nothing compared to what it would have been if he was actually constipated.” “STOP BRINGING THAT UP!” Everyone yelled. “No.” I retorted as I crossed my arms, “Constipation constipation constipation.” Seconds later a flash appeared behind me as I felt something strike me in the back. I then heard Craig say “Oh shut up you're giving me a headache.” “Warning: The Director has been attacked on deck. Orders Director? Do we initiate self-destruct?” “No.” I waved dismissively as everyone stared at me cautiously. I snapped my fingers and a holopanel slid up into everyone's view “This is Griffin Daily, The Equestrians have been crippled and we can now rightfully reclaim what is ours. Let us gather arms as conquistadors!” I stared at the screen for a few seconds before facepalming. Craig then muttered, “I can’t believe this… I am a danger to everyone I care about, I… I’m sorry about everything.” “Eh, no big deal.” I wave it off dismissively. A portal opened next to me. “Khorne will have your head!!!!” A bunch of melta grenades flew out of the portal with it closing behind. I caught and ate them one by one. “What the fuck Khorne? They aren't spicy!” I moaned. Craig then muttered, “I am getting sick of of those marines and their gods.” “Actually that wasn't the marines this time… that was Khorne himself.“ I opened a portal and screamed through it, “KHORNE! THOSE FUCKING GRENADES BETTER BE SPICY NEXT TIME OR I WILL RIP YOUR DICK FROM YOUR LEGS AND STITCH IT TO YOUR EYES!” I closed the portal behind me and laughed. Right before another one opened, with a grenade flying out that hit Craig in the nuts and exploded. Craig then looks around and shouted “I am sick and tired of being hit and blown up by grenades!” A note slides next to me. I pick it up and read it, “Prepare yourself for bla bla bla yada yada yada… Kharn Ahriman Piraka bla bla…” Craig’s eyes then twitched as he looks at Kirito and Asuna and said “get Amor and Scootaloo to safety these guys are no joke” I just continued reading ,”- Daemons, the emperor, yada yada, Tzeentch.” Craig then muttered “we need help… please say we have someone in reserve” “Well, I do know Loki.” “As do I but it’s unlikely he’ll help” “No. I mean, I can get him to come if they decide to take it to far and threaten the balance. He is the Balance after all.” “yeah… I don’t want to risk my powers overloading again.” He then looked to Asuna and said “get everyone to safety you can’t fight these guys they are leagues above you” “Thank you for the compliment!” A booming voice said through an open portal that I was near. Craig's eyes once again twitched as he shouted “Mum get out of here! Now!” Asuna then shouts “No! I’m not letting you fight them alone!” “You will not be able to fight them.” A voice said with great authority yet pessimism. “Yeah… I don't know what side I am on…” Everyone looked at me with betrayal and confusion. “They are kinda my friends too… And by friends I mean allies. I am not allowed to fight allies. I am sorry.” “Don’t worry about just keep everyone safe.” Scootaloo then looked at me then muttered “You can’t dad.” I then looked at her and said “Scoots they will hurt you if I don’t… Please trust me.” “THIS FIGHT IS NOT HAPPENING IN MY BRIDGE OR I SWEAR TO ALL THAT IS UNHOLY I WILL CAUSE SUCH UNBALANCE THAT LOKI HIMSELF WILL WEEP.” I threatened as I saw the marines exit a portal. Ahriman raised an eyebrow. “What are you talking about……” He trails off. “Oh, hi Ahri. Yeah, I'm not exactly good or bad. I am what you would call chaotic neutral.” “Okay then... care to explain what in Tzeentch's name is going on? I can sense a lot of chaotic energy.” He asked. “Well Khorne stopped giving me spicy grenades so I blew up a solar system and threatened him. Still awaiting a response. Hmm, that star is still going supernova. It is like if your mother stopped giving you pizza… I think.” “Well, I'd say he stopped because someone, and I can guess who, has reverted this universe's version of the Warp to a point before Khorne's existence. Whoever is giving you grenades is not him.” Ahriman replied. “FOR FUCKS SAKE LOKI! THEY WERE FOOD GRENADES!” I angrily grabbed my phone and dialed his number and waited for a response. Craig then sighed and walked towards Ahriman then said “Hi how are you.” “You are not getting back those chaos Daemons!!!” Everyone heard from my phone in Loki’s voice. “Firstly, Church, the slaughter of millions is slowly reverting the Warp to it's state as the Warp. And to Craig, greetings, it's been a while.” Ahriman stated. “Actually. I would count it as over seventy trillion deaths if you include intelligent microorganisms.” Delta said helpfully. “Yeah… I’ve been getting your ‘gifts’ not been great.” “I tasted one of the gifts, I don't know why you are complaining.” “In truth, the first one is because we sensed you talking shit about us.” Khârn replied. “The second one was for shits and giggles.” A portal opened and I threw the phone in it, “Hey Khorne! Loki just wants to talk!” Screaming was heard as the portal closed. “Yeah, that sounds like the Warp.” Khârn said. “At least, Khorne's side.” He shrugged. “Huh. Why do I keep hearing the word Piraka?” A portal then deposited two robot like figures, who fall to the ground in a small heap. When they stood up, we could see two massive grins and green and red armor. “Oh fuck! Kill it with cleansing hellfire!” I grabbed my forerunner gravity hammer and proceeded to try to beat the shit out of them. “Get over here you Joker hybrids! I'll fuck you up!” Suddenly, a massive amount of pain echoed around my head. I stumbled, gripping my head. “That is for insulting us, punk.” The red one growled. “Fuck you think you can handicap me?” I drop the gravity hammer and pull out my pistol and shoot myself in the head. “Never been glad to die. I'll be back bitch!” Craig then sighed “God dammit Church.” “Did he just shoot himself in the head?” “yes, yes he did.” “Eh, I've seen stranger. Names Hakann.” The red guy greeted, holding out his clawed hand. “I can still fucking hear you. By the way, other than the Jokerish look that is kinda fucking awesome.” I say over the intercom. “Church you're lucky we sent our kids away” shouted Craig. “You know what they say. The Pirate Captain owns the ship. Well I can do whatever the fuck I want here. Oh hey look! The sun blew up again.” “Pirate? He sounds more like a Piraka than us. Right, Zaktan?” Hakann asked his green compatriot, who gripped his triblade wearily. “Sounds like Blackbeard or Edward Kenway.” I fell in front of everyone in a suit of bedrock (minecraft) armor that looked like Helghast armor from Shadow Fall. “I fucking love Minecraft.” Hakann’s grin grew wider. “Oh by the way, the mental blast was only temporary. You didn't need to kill yourself.” “But presentation is important.” I said. “I give myself a -666/420.” Hakann facepalmed. “That was a bad pun and you know it.” He replied. “Hey! Who wants to go to Korea? I just remembered that one movie.” Craig then looked at Ahriman and asked “anyway why did you come and visit us?” “To be truthful, mostly to visit him, and make sure that our universe's Cadence isn't causing a universe destroying paradox. As well as possibly duel you.” Khârn answered snarkily. “You seriously don’t want to wait for the war? Heck I just lost control and blew up a planet as my powers overloaded” “Destination: North Korea!” I fell on my ass and looked out the window. “Wait what year is it?” “Midnight could overwrite our own universe if she wanted. She just doesn't think it will be as fun.” Khârn replied. “Do you guys know what year it is?” I asked in confusion. “I don't remember Korea looking like Star Wars.” Khârn looked up. “Well shit. Looks like I might get my chance to fight a bunch of people.” “Warning: We are under attack. Though the attack is not very effective.” I chuckled at that. Craig then said “give me a second,” He then teleports outside of the ship before I could stop him. “Are you fucking serious?” I asked in exasperation. Ahriman sighed, donning his Warmaster gear. “I'll be right back.” his eyes flipped into Rinnegan mode as he teleported outside as well. “Fuck.” I stared at what looked like Korea if it had become the Death Star. “Well, At least I have weapons.” The window opened and I jumped out and dived down and rolled on contact. Hakann and Zaktan looked at each other. “Do we steal his weapons, or go help him?” Kirito then looked at them and said “you try to steal anything and I will end you” “I swear I will self destruct the whole fucking ship.” the onboard AI said angrily. Zaktan shrugged. “Yeah, but then how would your blue armor boy get back home?” “The void or self destruct he doesn't care.” “Then what about him?” He pointed to Kirito. “...” A giant cable came out of the floor and punted the Piraka out the window. Kirito then smiled and said “thank you for that.” Zaktan then rematerialized on the ship. “I'm made out of millions of tiny creatures.” “Your point? I can keep doing this longer than you can exist.” Zaktan wasn't punted this time but instead a hole opened in the floor and the ship completely disappeared. He just floated there. Meanwhile, Hakann fell. Zaktan quickly grabbed his hand, keeping him from falling to the planet below. “I'll find a way.” He chuckled. I kept running past gunfire from these crazy people, some of them had suicide vest robots. “Ahriman? Craig? Kharn? Anyone?” I then heard Craig’s voice say “I’m fine Church just wanted to avoid them starting anything on the ship.” “Uh yeah, about that, the ship will be here in a half hour. It somehow disabled that thing that made it bigger on the inside. Just a regular heavily heavily heavily armored transport now.” “Ok then… I’m sending you my location, you should be able to find me if anything happens.” It was then that a titan stepped out of a portal nearby, laying to waste many enemies. “What about those who were left on board, like Khârn?” Ahriman asked over the comms. “Pocket dimension most likely.” I answered simply. A giant tank that looked like it came from an Asian sci-fi movie drove into view. It was easily taller than any skyscraper from the 21st century and had a ridiculous amount of cannons. I then heard Craig mutter “well that’s not good.” “prepare for Vortex Warhead launch. All forces retreat from area.” a monotone voice boomed from the titan. I aim my battle rifle at one last target, the target on a turret of the monster tank and fire off three rounds consecutively. After a few seconds of nothing they finally go limp and start falling. “Go ahead.” I confirmed as I exited the vicinity. “You clear Craig?” I hear nothing but static for a few seconds then a faint grunt say “no my powers are still locked can’t get away from that... “ his voice then cut off. “Firing.” a large missile shot out of the titan, and impacted the tank. It stood there for a few seconds, before turning in on itself, before disappearing entirely inside a massive vortex. “Ahriman. You know what we have to do. We have to find a body. But first we need to secure the battlefield. Any room in there?” “We are recalling the Titan and waiting it out in the Warp. You both are free to join us. We do have Geller fields on this thing.” came Ahriman's reply. “Yeah about that, Craig is MIA.” “I have a tracking beacon on his staff and bolter. I can teleport him, but it's risky.” Ahriman replied. “Craig, do you copy?” I get no reply from him but second later see a small flare appear in the sky. “Preparing teleport. If he appears fused to a wall, then it's not my problem.” Ahriman said, and I felt a weird buzzing feeling, before reappearing inside the titan. “Understood, we n *gunshot* *static*-” I clutched the back of my neck as I fell to the ground. Blood had started pooling from an area that had been shot one too many times. I dropped the radio and started searching for something to stop the bleeding. “This is why we gave you that suit of Terminator Armor. Get him to the medbay.” Ahriman said. “This is too fucking strenuous, who makes these suits require a body?!” I yell into the radio. “You don't have to shout into the radio. You're already on the Titan.” Ahriman said next to me. “I blame Sony. Hey, does your suit have an AI slot?” I ask Ahriman. “Heck if I know. I did find a small slot next to my head though.” he replied. I exit the suit and look at the area he mentioned. “Looks like some kind of implant. Let me see here…” I suddenly feel like I am Ahriman but not. “Did that do anything?” “It feels like someone's in my head.” Ahriman replied. “Jeez man, how many memories did that guy block?” I asked as I look around his head. “All of them. Stop poking around my head.” Ahriman grumbled. “Well actually they were the first thing I saw… I think he put them there so people could mess with you or something. Eh I'll leave them if you so truly desire. Not like your past would help you anyways.” “I don't believe they will be.” Ahriman stated. “Bring Craig here.” “He should be somewhere on the titan.” Ahriman glanced around. “This is the United Empire, surrender at once!” A human with an official uniform that had a reverse communism symbol combined with an American flag ordered. Seconds later Craig walked into the room holding his arm and muttering “Damn Discord blocking my healing magic.” “United Empire, this is Ahriman, leader of the New Black Legion, and I would be more concerned with saving your own soldiers first. Because right now, you are in no condition for ordering me to do anything.” Ahriman replied to the man. “We aren't the ones who need saving, you are. Human.” The ‘human’ spat the term with contempt before the humans all turned into terminators. “Oh you have got to be kidding me! I went to the wrong place!” “Machines, your request for our surrender has been denied.” Ahriman growled, before pulling out his staff. “As well as your right to exist.” With that, a massive portal opened up above the planet, and in moments, the planet vanished into the Half Warp. The Titan remained in space, floating aimlessly. “Ahriman. Why do the weird things always happen to us?” “Because we are Displaced. I hope the machines enjoy turning into servants of the Dark Gods.” Ahriman replied. “That or it would end up like that one robot army that there were so many of to the point that the universe couldn't hold them…” “They are in the Warp. Most of them are likely being possessed by daemons and other forces.” Ahriman commented. “I meant if they were smart.” “True, however, I doubt they thugs of being attacked here. This planet will reappear in my universe. I'll collect the forces, and put it back.” “What is your obsession with war anyway? Not that I don't like war but-” I heard Craig angrily stomping. “The fact that I am a Adeptus Astartes.” “So… living without it equals big nono?” “I'd have nothing to do, so I suppose.” Ahriman replied. “Now, we should check on Craig.” “Craig. You can stop angrily stomping your foot behind us now.” I projected my voice through Ahriman and it for some reason sounded like a female version of Church. Heh, sultry. Craig then sighed and said “look it’s not i’m not grateful for what you did but well i wish today didn’t go so badly for me… I just feel like my world falling apart after those Terminators i just feel like well…. hell.” “Well at least you weren't shot in the head.” I said, but my voice still sounded feminine. Damnit now is not the time for sexy voice! “Umm i’m afraid that I was. I got lucky and my helmet stopped the bullet long enough for Bii to block it. It’s why i lost contact with you they shot the communicator.” “Then it doesn’t count. That thing pierced my skull.” “Oh look it's the Piraka.” Ahriman pointed out to space. “I'm going to do it now.” We all watched as the pelican appeared suddenly and rammed them away before speeding towards us. “That's for solicitation you pieces of shit!” “We are still here you know.” Zaktan chuckled as he sat on top of the Pelican. “I don't give a shit. This is a dud man. The real pelican is away.” I taunted. Ahriman sighed before teleporting Zaktan and Hakann into the Titan. “Hey Ahriman. Can you do me a favor?” I asked him mentally. “What?” He replied. “Can you give those two a taste of some P.A.I.N.™?” “Eh, why not. But why was there a™ at the end of that?” “Wait you saw that as well? I think it was some fourth wall bullshit.” “Eh, whatever. Let's see here…” he closed his eyes, and in a few moments, Zaktan seemed fine, but Hakann was screaming in pain. “What about Zaktan?” I asked. “It should be affecting him…” Ahriman replied, confused. Zaktan chuckled. “Sorry, Ahriman, but your pain tactics don't work on me. After all, being turned into millions of protodites is very painful. This pain is like a fly.” He told us. I leave Ahriman and suddenly get a very fucked up idea. “Oh? It never had to be physical pain…” “Mental doesn't really work either. Being teamed with Hakann does that to you.” Zaktan replied, raising an eyebrow. “It never had to be mental either…” Truth be told, I knew about way more than two types of pain. “Oh? Then enlighten me.” Zaktan shrugged. “Well you were describing neuropathic and somatic pain earlier. But those aren't the only ones. Then again. You will feel the pain eventually. The damage has already been done. Not that you are alone in that...” I admitted. I walked over to a wall and leaned against it. “Eh. It doesn't really matter.” Zaktan shrugged “I'm not here for a lesson, teach.” “Yet. It doesn't really matter yet. Anyway, you should probably get your ‘compatriot’ and go. You obviously don't belong here.“ My tone wasn't harsh, it was apathetic. “Sure. Bye!” he picked up Hakann and a portal opened up. “Oh, and thanks for the sniper rifles!” he added before jumping into the portal. “Ahriman. Would you please blow up that star in front of us before I go rampant.” “Sure.” The star imploded majestically. “Better? Because now we need to go to the Warp.” “You don't mean…” “Well, unless you want to be swallowed by that star, which is currently expanding, then yes.” “No, I meant… you realize that the pelican is going to be following us right?” “Indeed. What of it?” “Will… the others from before be there?” “Yes. Don't worry, I've expanded the Geller Field to cover the Pelican. Somehow.” he waved “Midnight still herself?” “Yep.” “I would like to talk with one of these… Daemon Princes. “ “Well, I could summon one to serve you. It's within both my and Midnight’s power.” “Serve me?” “Assist you in any battle, as well as educate you on the Warp. And for small talk.” “Yeah. Let's do that. I assume there are intelligent ones?” “All Daemon Prince’s are. They were all once a being of the mortal realm.” “No. I mean like… not lost their marbles. Mostly.” “Yeah. In fact, none of them are actually crazy. Just filled with a very large amount of knowledge.” Ahriman raised an eyebrow. “Why?” “Fuck it I'm in. Enlightenment here I come!” “Alright. I'll be able to make the necessary summons in my own dimension, then send them to you. Which type of Daemon Prince do you want: Tzeentch, Khorne, Nurgle, or Slaanesh? I would NOT recommend Slaanesh. Unless you want your child to be raped endlessly.” Ahriman asked. “What would you recommend for… someone who wants power and knowledge? After all, knowledge is power. Most of the time.“ “Tzeentch.” Ahriman answered. “Though, they will always be planning to stab you in the back.” “Aye Aye Skipper. Tzeentch we go. I like the feisty ones. It makes KILLING THEM AND BRINGING THEM BACK THAT MUCH MORE FUN!” My voice had changed to Omega at the end. “Quiet, Church, there's one of those ‘Hero’ types in front of us.” Ahriman pointed to Craig. “It's okay, you won't do anything, will you?” I asked as I slithered, yes slithered over Craig. He didn't seem to notice. I finally realized he had fallen asleep standing up. “What the fuck?” “You can never be sure with these guys. Just like that Jason Hughes asshole.” He poked Craig. “Oooh! I can't wait to meet Jason. He will be so much fun to fuck with.” “As Khârn would call him, he's a moodkiller. And he will probably kill you. Very painfully. If you do meet him, be careful with what you say.” Ahriman warned. “I can't completely die. Remember? Kinda sucks to be honest.” “He can delete your universe.” Ahriman deadpanned. “All I need is my pelican…” I whispered. “And he wouldn't anyways. There is a difference between can and will. If he is a hero type then he won't threat innocent lives on other galaxies.” “Have you ever heard of SCP-682?” Ahriman asked. “Yes and no.” “It is nigh immortal, and adapts to everything. He can turn into one. However, we created a handicap for it. Every time he uses it in a Warp infested universe, our virus will temporarily neutralize his adaptability and regeneration powers.” Ahriman explained. “Well either way I know to not fight every battle with weapons anyways.” Craig then opened his eyes and said “don’t push it... i’m not in the best of moods” Ahriman glanced at him. “Yeah, I can sense all the negative emotions around you. Probably some sort of Daemon affecting your thought process.” “Or the fact that Churches Discord has blocked my magic and I now have no way to limit my powers” “Well, I could get my Draconequus Army to go teach him a lesson…” Ahriman said, mostly in thought. “You’d struggle he committed suicide after he destroyed my connection to my magic… it’s why my powers failed earlier.” It was then that Ahriman grinned evilly. “He can't escape me in death. After all, the Afterlife is the Sea of Souls, which is currently returning to being the Warp. And I have control over the Warp.” He told him, holding up his staff. “Don’t waste your energy... “ He then smiled and said “It’s hard to believe but we are on opposite sides of the war and yet we’re not trying to kill each other.” Ahriman chuckled. “Well, technically we aren't in the War here, since the War is secluded to that Universe only. Of course, I could just be waiting till we don't have anything attacking us or until we aren't in space to try to kill you.” He grinned. “After all, I've only tested my new abilities against one Displaced.” “Point taken… but you realise that if you tried to start a fight don’t forget my powers are unstable right now and could cause us all a lot of problems.” Ahriman laughed. “It'd be more fun that way.” He replied. “would be… but I don’t really want to die after being reunited with my mom and brother” “Trust me, I wouldn't kill you. Not unless it's in the War. I'd only beat you within an inch of your life, then heal you.” Ahriman said. Craig then smiles then says “God you sound like the Electrocutioner from Batman Arkham origins,” he then mimicked his voice and said “I could kill you, then restart your heart, and then kill you again!” Ahriman just laughed at that. “My memories might be gone, but I still find that funny.” Craig then laughed and said “Live while you're young mate… live while you're young.” Ahriman chuckled. “Why don't we fight out in my universe later? I don't want to cause Church an inconvenience, like destroying most of his Equestria.”He asked “Huh? What? What about Equestria?” I asked as I had zoned out. Craig then smiled and said “Ahriman's just offered me a challenge in his world.” he then turned around frowned then said “but I have to say no to it i’m afraid at least till I get my powers back in control.” “Oh yeah, speaking of that…” Ahriman pulled out a jar, which held a swirling mass of strange energy. “Here's Discord's soul.” He tossed it over. “I could force him to return your powers, or you could.” “MINE!” I jumped in the way and picked it up. “Tell me your secrets!” I screeched. “Currently, he is nothing more than a swirling mass of energy. He currently can't access his magic, but someone with mastery of the Warp could communicate with him.” Ahriman told me. “I was talking to the jar!” I sounded exactly like Golem. “My precious…” I said as I caressed the jar of the soul. Ahriman shook his head. “Displaced….” Was all he said, before pulling Discord's soul out, and holding it in the center of the room. After a moment, it glowed, and formed a new body. “Now then, Discord, I've rerouted your power to only do one spell. The spell that reverses what you did. You can't do anything but that. You have two choices, either reverse it, and live, or become my experiment. I've never tested on a Draconequus spirit before.” Ahriman explained. I changed my voice to a creepy alien one that sounded kinda like the flood, “Comply or die…” “You know, I could just not give you what you want.” Fuwa retorted. “True, but then you'll be my personal experiment. And my experiments don't tend to get an afterlife.” Ahriman sneered. “Who is to say I am not already an experiment. That all my actions weren't orchestrated by a greater being, that this all happened only for chaos. You are missing the greater picture here.” “That is possibility number forty one. Even so, I could just force you to do what I want. I'm giving you a choice here.” Ahriman replied. “Plus, your Discord, the so called ‘Spirit of Chaos and Disharmony’. Chaos doesn't involve such planning, especially your type of chaos.” “But am I really Discord? Or just a facsimile? Check my soul signature if you wish. You will be disappointed.” Fuwa said monotonously. Ahriman chuckled. “I am a master of the Warp. I checked veloce capturing you. And plus, if you weren't Discord, then why would you pretend like you were?” “It doesn't matter what you are. And I never pretended. I am just another draconequus. We all enjoy good old chaos after all. Why do you think Discord enjoyed it so much? Why do you think I denied it when you called me Discord?” “If you aren't Discord, and just another Draconequus, then you'll work just fine.” Ahriman chuckled, before pieces reverted to Rinnegan. A beam of energy shot out from the Draconequus, hitting Craig in the chest. Fuwa rolled his eyes before he broke into pieces. Craig then looked at him in shock and asked “Did you just kill him to give me my powers back?” Ahriman shrugged. “Of course not. I know how you Hero types are when it comes to sacrifice. I merely removed part of his energy, and cast him back to the Warp. I am not responsible for what happens in the Warp, however.” Craig then smirked before he admitted “If you had destroyed him i really couldn’t care less… he caused me to lose control and endanger the life of innocent creatures… I would have prefered it if you had destroyed him.” “Oh, if that's the case, I can send a greater daemon of Slaanesh after his soul.” Ahriman chuckled, before thinking about it. “Actually, that's impossible, since Slaanesh doesn't exist in this universe. Oh well, I'll just send a Tzeentch Daemon.” “That is what you think…” I said vaguely as I laughed my ass off at the ignorance. “Actually, I know, since The Eldar don't exist in this realm, and therefore can't murderfuck Slaanesh into existence.” Ahriman told me. “Shhh.” I shush him. “You don't want to know.” He raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. “Anyways, we should return to Equestria. Church's Equestria, that is.” He closed his eyes and focused. In moments, the view of the Warp vanished, replaced with the Planet of Equestria. “Here they are.” Amor said as she saw us come into view from the pelican. “Alright, you two. I'm teleporting you to the Pelican, and retrieving Khârn, before returning to my own universe. Craig, when you want to battle, just send me a message through my token. It has a hidden audio camera on it.” Ahriman said. “I wondered why it felt like you had Pinkie Sense… Now I know that I don’t feel as worried,” Craig admitted Ahriman chuckled. “Oh, Khârn does. He just doesn't listen to it. Most of the time.” He told Craig. “Uh-huh.” I teleported into the pelican, and in view of Asuna, Khârn, Kirito, Amor and Scootaloo before sitting down. A portal appeared under Khârn, and he fell through. Craig came out of the portal upside down. “Portal’s always screwing me over” muttered Craig. He then focused his energy and began to spin his body around and stand back up straight. “Dad, you are in trouble.” Amor said. I felt myself get picked up and set onto Amor’s back easily due to me being in my physical AI form. “What have we done to upset everyone?” Craig asked. I had finally noticed that instead of smiling, all the displaced and ponies were glaring at Craig and I. “...shit.” “What did we tell you two about not dying?” Our family asked us sternly. Craig then smiles and says “You didn’t exactly tell me anything and besides i’m not dead” “Craig…” Asuna warned. He then looked at her and said “what?” “Why do you want to die so much?” Amor asked seriously. I flinched at that. She noticed this and looked at me. “Not you as well!” “Craig, they don't know.” Everyone glared at me in confusion and concern. “...Right?” “I honestly have no idea what your on about… nobody died… except for the Terminators” “That is incorrect. 20 billion civilians were killed in the destruction of Genisys.” Delta retorted. I suddenly realized that I was in my human form on the ground when he said that. “Uh… Don't listen to him?” I tried. “Well I haven’t killed anyone. The only time was when i lost control the second time me and Church met.” Craig admitted “WHAT HAPPENED TO FAMILY?!” I cried as i started bawling comically and uncontrollably in front of everyone while Amor rushed to hug me. Asuna then smiled and said “Are enjoying playing a joke on you two… well especially you Craig, haven’t been able to for months.” I suddenly pulled Asuna into the hug evoking a loud yelp. Kirito then smirked before he asked “Well Craig what was this about losing control?” He then stuttered and told us “well a day after i first met Church he called me to ask him help protect Equestria and well we were attacked by The Flood. I lost control and blew up a whole ship in one blast… not even a warships shield could stop it” “Actually…. I have a confession to make… the shields were already damaged...” I said awkwardly. Craig then laughed and said “well atleast I know my powers aren’t able to bypass shields” Another awkward silence started at that, causing Craig confusion. But it wasn't for the reason he thought. “*static* UNSC Teminite sighted.” Craig then looked at me and whispered “why do I get the feeling something going to go wrong?” “...Because that isn't a UNSC ship…” I said as I awkwardly pointed out a window. “It's insurrectionist.” Craig then looked at me and asked “aren’t they rebels?” “You just answered your own question.” “Firing secondary cannon.” The pelican shot an experimental antimatter round that could destroy a planet in a single shot. IT DIDN'T EVEN HIT. “It appears they have deflected our weaponry.” Craig then looks at me and says “try hailing them, see if they answer, we may get answers that way.” “This is UNSC CCK 119 to Teminite, identify yourself immediately!” “I? I am just a bounty hunter of sorts. Now get out of the way before I blow you to scrap!” A huge beam of energy WAY bigger than a kamehameha was sent straight towards us which we barely dodged due to autopilot. “Church we need to call a ceasefire between us… as much as I hate to say it we need to talk to this bounty hunter on his terms” “You said you were a bounty hunter?”
Chapter 1 - I had a bad dayI had been standing in front of my house, right in front of the door, staring at its wooden surface for five minutes now. I sighed, closing my eyes and resting my head against it. It had finally happened, after two long years, I had finally been fired. I looked back, thinking my day over. What could I have done to get myself fired? The only thing that really came to mind was perhaps sounding a tad unprofessional whilst answering calls. “Damn Asperger’s Syndrome!”, I yelled, slamming my fist into the door, “Can’t do anything right!” I grit my teeth, my anger boiling up inside my chest. I took several deep breaths, letting them out slowly, focusing on them as I calmed down. Perhaps that was it? Could I have been fired over my anger? Would that have been a good enough motive for my boss to get rid of me? It seemed a bit shallow to me, certainly not reason enough for him to fire me, as was required by law. I suppose it was bound to happen anyway, regardless. But still, I wished it hadn’t. Pushing myself off of the door, I stared at the doorknob, before letting out another sigh as I wrapped my fingers around it, and entered my home. I stood there in the doorway a moment, taking in the house’s cold and unappealing atmosphere, a sadly common feeling for me. Locking the door behind me, I dragged myself across the room, throwing my stuff into some random corner. I collapsed onto my couch, it’s soft and comforting embrace a welcome contrast to the room it was in. I grabbed the remote off of my mahogany table, a few short feet away, and turned the TV on. I leant back into the couch, relaxing my body as best I could, as the TV buzzed into life. The first thing that showed up on the screen was the intro to “Dragon Ball Z”. “Man!”, I thought to myself, “I thought that show had stopped years ago!”. I was quite surprised, given its age I was sure it would have been replaced. “And yet, here it is still being shown.” My head resting in my palm, as my thoughts quickly turned bleak. “I wish I could feel like I had some sort of relevance, some worth in this world.” It took only twenty minutes of watching the bright screen before I quickly found myself immeasurably bored. I glanced at the clock that was hanging by the TV, it read that it was one o’clock in the afternoon. “Hmm… it’s still quite early...” I got up off of my couch and went into the kitchen, flicking on the light switch as I went and illuminating it. The floor was clean and nicely reflected the light off of it. The walls were smooth and painted a solid white, with waist-high counters going all the way around them, leaving a gap only for the fridge and cooker. The ceiling was equally smooth, painted a simple cream colour. I walked over to the fridge and opened it up, pulling a can of Diet Pepsi from the top shelf. I closed the door and leaned back on the edge of the counter. Bringing it up to my lips I took a swift gulp… followed by another gulp, and then another. Soon enough the can was almost empty, downing the last dregs from the can, I placed it on the countertop next to me, before bringing my fingers up to massage my temples. Okay. I thought to myself as if the limits of my boredom had been reached. I need to clear my head! I pushed myself up off of the counter and walked back into my living room, quickly turning the TV off, before heading over to a set of carpeted stairs. Letting my hand run over the railing as I ascended them, I quickly reached the top, greeted by a dark and rather creepy looking hallway. A quick flick of the switch changed that, as the hallway was flooded with light. There were two doors along this corridor, one leading into my dark and foreboding bathroom. The other lead to my bedroom. I entered my bedroom, noticing the array of clothes and personal belongings that were scattered across the floor. Among them were several colourful Xbox 1 remotes buried under several shirts and trousers. It was quite a bit messier than I was expecting, but feeling no need to clean up, I stepped around the mess and sat on the edge of my bed. I leaned over and picked my laptop up off of my desk nearby before swinging my legs onto my bed and laying back. Opening up my laptop, I powered it on and waited for it to start up. Thankfully it was a quick load, and I entered my password. The Wi-Fi in my house was not the best, indeed it was quite irritating, as it frequently cut out. However, it was enough to get me through the day, so I made do. I moved my cursor over to the Google Chrome icon and opened a fresh tab. However, as I looked at the blank page, I found myself becoming sadder as I reflected on my current state of being. “Blank… just like my future” I muttered before leaning back. I slouched close to my computer and brought the cursor over the link in my taskbar in an attempt to consequently load the most famous movie, music, and video site: Youtube. I try to look into a video one of my friends recommended to me before I got fired, but the internet. As usual. Was being well...damn stupid on me. I facepalmed with disappointment as the screen read: “We are sorry the video has either been removed or the user has not uploaded it”. Great… My palm slides down my face before landing on my side. I sat on my bed, thinking of anything else to do in my life. It was practically over for me now that I was fired. It was then that I remembered the little show that once showed up on the front of my TV when the commercials were on. My Little Pony. I shook my head rapidly and chuckled. My shoulders bounced up and down repeatedly and my body jumped. I was crazy! To even think of it at first made me laugh! But when I first saw it, I was mesmerised by the colours and the characters! I guess even for a little girls show, it was interesting? I slap my hands together and shout. “Screw it!’ I open another tab which brings me to the Google home screen. I type “My Little Pony, season one” in an attempt to find where I had previously left off on one of the episodes. I did not know what order they were in seeing as I hardly watched it. Ten minutes of searching and, I had at last found my place. The episode was called “Feeling Pinkie Keen” as Google said. I would like to say I enjoyed the wonderful sight of friends and family getting along, not that I didn’t of course! But it was unrealistic. It was all fake. The way the ponies all had this light inside them that could not be penetrated or even bruised. The way they laughed, the way they moved in such a happy manner. Why it also made me happy. It was when the video ended I felt the life and colour drained out of my body and splattered onto the cold unfeeling walls. It was a moment of understanding for me. A moment where I could understand myself for a short second at least. I had, in a sense, a sort of appreciation for the little girl’s show. I sigh with disappointment. I clicked the next episode, waited, leaned back, and gazed at the dry ceiling. My chest rose and fell with each breath I took. “I wish... Something like this would happen to me...” I said, questioning my own words. “Well... Something special… Even a little... To have something special about me.” The loading screen stopped and pulled up a video of another episode of My Little Pony. I begin to watch the second episode. My eyes slowly feel tired and heavy and my head was light headed. I immediately point my finger at the computer for its destructive force on my brain and eyes. I stood up from my position, placed the end of my palm near the camera connected to the end of my computer and shut the laptop before sliding it into its appropriate bag, then placed in back on the desk I originally got it from. I walked back to my bed and slam down onto my bed, face first and eyes shut. I turned to my side, my weight focused on my right shoulder. I could feel crushing leaves under my body. I also heard the sound of dozens of popping rocks and gurgling water before slipping into the depths of darkness. Author's Note Hello Everyone, A Gamer In Equestria is back... well it's starting to come back. Here is the first chapter of the new Gamer In Equestria edit* Thank you to Azure5555 for helpig with editing this chapter.
Chapter 10 - It’s a new Dawn, Day and Life for meThe next morning I woke up to a sound I hadn't heard in a long time. Silence. I finally had a moment where I could think clearly. I then slowly sat up to see Discord sitting on a chair on the almost out of my line of sight near the corner of the room, before I looked at him and said “Good morning.” "That it is. Oh by the way as we leave be careful Rainbow Dash tried to pull the old water bucket trick.” I then shook my head and muttered “is that seriously the best she could do? My younger brother has done better. I guess we'll just need to outplay her, let's wait till we are done with our meeting with the princesses.” I then sighed then said, “Discord just check outside see where she is.” He then just nodded to me before he clicked his claws and disappeared. Whilst he was gone I walked over to the desk before I saw a cupboard that was open slightly. As I walked closer I saw something that seemed to be out of place, a large black and white trench coat that almost looked to be made for a human, not a pony. I then thought why is this even here? I looked at the desk nearby as I saw a small note that read Craig, take this trench coat as a gift, we wish you the best you luck. We’ll both meet you eventually. K&A I then looked back at the coat in the cupboard before taking it out before putting it on to strangely found it fit almost as if it had been tailored to fit me. I the quickly grabbed my guitar from beside my bed before turning back into my sword and attaching it to my side. After a minute Discord appeared in the room and said “she's outside waiting around the corner for you to leave.” He then stopped as he saw the trench coat and asked almost as if he had seen it before “Where did you get that?” “It was in the cupboard with this note on the desk.” I admitted. “Well… okay then,” Discord replied with a look that left me to believe that he had indeed seen this coat before as he said, “shall we go?” “yep let's go,” I then smiled before I said “I’ve got an idea you'll like,” I chuckled as I walked towards the door. Once I reached the door I closed my eyes and sensed where the bucket was before I locked on to it with telekinesis. I then slowly opened the door before stepping out of the room leaving the bucket floating just above the frame. I then turned to Rainbow Dash and smiled at her as she stepped towards me before I said “good try but my brother tried that for his last April fools joke before I came to Equestria.” I then flicked my wrist towards her before the bucket of water went flying towards her and before she could react, she was soaked from head to hoof with the water that was in the water. I then smiled at her as I said “Better luck next time,” as I began to walk towards the throne room with Dash walking just behind me water dripping from her coat. I then stopped and decided to take pity on her as I told her “stay still for a second.” I then clicked by fingers creating a red ball of energy in each of my hands that were radiating heat before I slowly moved them near Rainbow Dash’s coat which began to dry her instantly. Once I had finished I calmly said “sorry Dash but I can't let you get one up on me that easily.” She then asked me “But how did you know about the bucket?” “Discord told me.” “I should have known,” she groaned. “It wasn't that much of a surprise was it, you must have known I would be expecting something like that besides you never were the sort of per... pony to take things slow.” She then rubbed the back of her head before she said “I guess you're right there.” I then smiled before I told her “any way we better head to see Celestia and the others. Come on we don't want to be any later.” With that, we both rush towards the throne room. I then shouted to Rainbow Dash “race ya!” “Oh you're on,” She replied before she began to fly around the castle whilst I ran next to her keeping up with her without trying as the trench coat behind me lifting up flowing behind me. Once we arrived at the throne room I quickly skidded to a stop before I said “well done Dash you almost kept up with me.” She just stopped there breathing hard and muttered “how... in Equestria... are you that fast?” “Dash in the anime there were people who could travel at supersonic speeds from a dead start. Not to mention I could have just teleported here.” Seconds later we heard another voice say “Well that is a surprise, Ya beat rainbow in a race. Not an easy thing to do.” I then turned around before I said “really Applejack, you sure about that. I didn't even go full speed. I could go faster but that wouldn’t be fun would it and it would probably have caused havoc in the hallways.” She then just stopped and said “Ya didn't go as fast as ya could, and ya beat Rainbow in a race. that's crazy ya must be jokin’.” “No. Do I look worn out to you, to be honest, if we were both flying it’s likely she’d be faster than me.” Applejack then just looked at me before she said “Well ya look like ya could still go another round with Discord.” “He probably could,” Discord agreed. “Fair enough.” Applejack agreed before she continued to say “Anyway the princess’s asked us to meet 'em in the courtyard. Everypony else is already there waitin' for us.” “In that case, we’d better get moving wouldn't want to keep everyone waiting,” I admitted before we began to walk out of the throne room as we made our way towards the main courtyard. Once we reached the courtyard I took a deep breath in as I realised that for the first time in years I was walking around without fear of being attacked. As soon as I looked forwards I saw everyone smiling at me as Celestia said “Looks like you had a good night's sleep.” “Yeah first one without a nightmare for years, and first time in a comfortable bed in two days, along with it being first time in two days I fell asleep naturally. So yes I definitely had a good night sleep, although it would have been better if I wasn’t in my armour,” I admitted with a smile. “Well, we are glad we help thou last night,” Luna replied as she stared at me. I then looked at her before I said “Sorry, is there something on my face?” “No, but where do thou get that,” Luna asked me gesturing to the trench coat I had found. “Oh, it was in the room you gave me it was in a cupboard with a note on the desk saying it was for me. It was signed K & A.” I explained “K & A?” Luna whispered. Celestia the quickly announced “anyway Craig we would like to thank you for what you have done for us. In three days you have befriended an enemy that both myself and my sister could never have managed to do.” “It was my pleasure,” I said with confidence. To this she just smiled at me before she said “however we would still like to reward you for your actions.” Seconds later her horn began to glow with clear yellow light, then seconds later a similar glow appears on my sword and my armour however it soon fades and she announces “It can't be comfortable walking around or sleeping in that armour. So when you turn the sword into your instrument the armour will fade and you will see your normal clothes underneath or I guess now it may be that jacket.” I then smiled at her, before I bowed to her and said “thank you that is very generous of you, it’s more than I deserve.” I then heard Luna announce “we would also like to give you a gift, of our own,” before she lowered a small bag into my hand in her magic that faded almost instantly as I heard what seemed to be the faint sound of rattling of coins. I then look back to Luna before I asked her “if I may be so bold as to ask, what is it inside?” Even though I had a fairly good idea of what the bag contained. She then just smiled at me before she said “We have given you a few bits. We can't have you starve now, can we. There should be about one hundred and fifty bits in there.” I then just smiled as I attached the pouch to my belt and said “thank you Luna. I am honestly glad to say that I met you. I honestly wouldn't be standing here right now if it wasn't for you both.” I then bowed to them before I stood up straight. Celestia then looked at me before she asked “what's your plan now Craig?” “Well, I plan to head back to Ponyville, finish adopting Scootaloo and then move into my house.” “That will take a while. Are you sure you don't want a lift back?” Offered Celestia. “Thank you for the offer but I'll probably get back faster by myself” She then asked me “but Craig the Canterlot Express takes hours to reach Ponyville. I can get you there in almost and hour.” I then heard Twilight say “to be honest Princess I believe he could get there even faster than you. He can teleport long distance with pinpoint accuracy and it only takes him seconds.” “I would love to see that even me and my sister take minutes to cast a single spell to take us from here to Ponyville. I would like to track your spell and see how you move.” I then smiled mischievously before I said “I would love to.” I then turned to everyone else and said “I will meet you all back in Ponyville. See you all later” I then turned back to Celestia and asked “are you ready?” “I am ready when you are,” she replied her horn glowing. I then placed two fingers on my forehead, closed my eyes and then focused on Ponyville before I instantly disappeared from in front of Celestia, Luna and the others. I then instantly reappeared just outside of Ponyville and just smiled as I thought enough proof for you Celestia? I could only imagine her reaction when she felt where I had ended up. I then heard Discord begin laughing before he said “Wish I could see Celestia's reaction I bet it was priceless.” I then rolled my eyes before I said “anyway... we better head into town. Where do you think we should head first?” “Well, I’d probably make my way to see the mayor first so I could get the papers signed for Scootaloo's adoption and get the keys to the house, that way you can at least drop your things off before then, you’d also need to get your bags from Applejack’s.” “Yeah I guess you're right.” I agreed before I said, “let's go.” With that we began to make our way into town. As I began to walk through town all I could see was all the nearby ponies staring at me as I faintly heard them whisper “it's him, the one who saved us yesterday.” while others whispered “I hear the mayor's got him to perform for us on some occasions.” along with others slowly backing away in fear. I then stopped which caused all of them to stop what they were doing before I said “If you want to ask me questions you can just talk to me. I would like to meet new ponies being I'm living in town soon.” Seconds later I saw a small mint green unicorn walk towards me who said “Thank you my name is Lyra. Lyra Heartstrings,” she then looked up at me and said quickly “are you a human?” before looking away. I then smirked as I began to think wow I guess the fandom called that one right I then said to Lyra “Yes, yes I am Miss Heartstrings. Living your ultimate fantasy are you. Let me guess your next question is going to be about my hands” I said as I presented them to her. She then quickly grabbed them and said “these are amazing. I've read about humans in the past and heard about them walking on two legs, and having hands instead of hooves.” We then heard a voice behind Lyra say “Lyra you're such a fan mare sometimes.” I then looked towards the voice to see an earth pony with a cream coat and a two tone pink and blue mane and tail. she then turned to me and said “I’m sorry about her she can get a bit carried away at times.” She then put one of her hooves out and said “my names Bon-Bon what's yours?” I then pulled one of my hands away from Lyra as I shook her hoof and said “My names Craig. It's a pleasure to meet both of you.” I then stopped shaking her hoof and asked her “you wouldn't mind showing me to the town hall, I don't really know my way round town just yet.” Bon-Bon then just smiled at me before she said “No problem it's on the way to Sugarcube Corner we'll show you the way there.” “Thank you it's very much appreciated” I then heard Lyra say “Well you said that your new, can’t have you travel around alone can we.” “Thanks whilst we walk I may end up playing music. Do you mind” To this I heard them say “no problem” Lyra then added “I'd prefer if you did to be honest.” “Okay then whist we are walking I will perform some music for you” With that we began to walk up the street as I performed an acoustic cover of Somebody to you By The Vamps. I used to wanna be, Living like there's only me. But now I spend my time, Thinking 'bout a way to get you off my mind. I used to be so tough, Never really gave enough, And then you caught my eye, Giving me the feeling of a lightning strike. Look at me now, I'm falling, I can't even talk, still stuttering, This ground of mine keeps shaking, Oh oh oh, now! All I wanna be, yeah all I ever wanna be, yeah, yeah, Is somebody to you. All I wanna be, yeah all I ever wanna be, yeah, yeah, Is somebody to you. Everybody's tryna be a billionaire, But every time I look at you I just don't care, 'Cause all I wanna be, yeah all I ever wanna be, yeah, yeah, Is somebody to you. I used to run around, I didn't wanna settle down, But now I wake each day, Looking for a way that I can see your face. I've got your photograph, But baby I need more than that, I need to know your lips, Nothing ever mattered to me more than this. As I looked to Lyra and Bon-Bon they were smiling as they looked at each other smiling as they were humming along. Look at me now, I'm falling, I can't even talk, still stuttering, This ground of mine keeps shaking, Oh oh oh, now! All I wanna be, yeah all I ever wanna be, yeah, yeah, Is somebody to you, All I wanna be, yeah all I ever wanna be, yeah, yeah, Is somebody to you. Everybody's tryna be a billionaire, But every time I look at you I just don't care, 'Cause all I wanna be, yeah all I ever wanna be, yeah, yeah, Is somebody to you. I then heard the sound of nearby ponies singing along as they looked towards their friends and partners that were nearby, how they knew the lyrics were beyond me. All I wanna be, yeah all I ever wanna be, yeah, yeah, Is somebody to you. All I wanna be, yeah all I ever wanna be, yeah, yeah, Is somebody to you. All I wanna be, yeah all I ever wanna be, yeah, yeah, Is somebody to you. All I wanna be, yeah all I ever wanna be, yeah, yeah, Is somebody to you. Everybody's trying to be a billionaire, But every time I look at you I just don't care, 'Cause all I wanna be, yeah all I ever wanna be, yeah, yeah, Is somebody to you. 'Cause all I wanna be, yeah all I ever wanna be, yeah, yeah, Is somebody to you. Once we reached the Town hall I turn around to see both Bon-Bon and Lyra smiling as I bowed, before I heard a group of ponies around us applauding me. A few seconds later I turned around as I heard the sound of someone coughing to see the mayor smiling as she said “You haven't changed at all. Still pleasing crowds and you're not even on a stage yet.” “Thank you for the complement. Mind if I come in?” “Not at all” She replied. I then turned to Lyra and Bon-Bon and said “Thank you for helping me get here. I'm sure we'll see eachother again.” “I’m sure we will,” Lyra replied before they waved to me then continued to walk toward Sugarcube Corner. Before I turned back around and began to follow Mayor mare into the town centre. As soon as I entered her office I looked around as she said “Please take as seat.” I then looked at the small stool and said apologetically “I’m afraid I have to decline. I hate to say it but if I sat on that I'd most likely end up breaking it.” As I knelt down infront of the desk. She then nodded to me before she said “fair point. Anyway, I guess you're here to take me up on my offer to give you a house in return for performing on some occasions.” “You guessed correctly. How could I reject such a fair offer, anyway what is it you need me to do to get the ball rolling?” She then passed me a scroll, opened it and said “you’ll just need to sign here, here and here and produce a document to show us who you are.” “Well here’s my authentication documentation,” I replied as I passed her the scroll I was given previously before I then smiled at her and said, “I’ve never used a quill and ink before.” I then closed my eyes as a ballpoint pen appeared in my hand, before I asked her “do you mind if I use this instead?” “No problem whatever you are comfortable with.” she replied strangely unfazed by my powers. I then carefully read each section of text until I was satisfied and then signed each section as I was requested. After I had signed the last section the mayor took the scroll back, rolled it back up and put it on a shelf behind her desk. She then passed me a set of keys and said “these should get you into your new home.” “Thank you.” I then looked at the scroll she was holding and asked her “is it possible for me to sort out the adoption papers whilst I'm here as well?” She then smirked before she said, “Well the document you gave me earlier is more than sufficient to allow us to finish off the paperwork along with the fact that you now have a home for her to go to.” She then passed me the scroll I got from Shining Armour back before she said “you have very powerful friends Craig, you know that.” She then passed me another scroll before she said “You just need to sign here and here and then everything will be in order once I bend the system.” With that I once again read everything on the scroll and then signed where I was instructed on each scroll. Once I had finished she took the scrolls off me, rolled it up and put it on the same shelf as before she passed me another scroll and said “Congratulations you are now the legal guardian of Miss Scootaloo.” I then take the scroll from her and say “Once again thank you for everything” She then smiled before she said “you are very welcome. You may want this as well” she added as she spread a map of the town out on the table as I saw a circle around a house that I assumes was mine. She then pointed to the circle and said “this is where your house is, if you get lost just go to carousel boutique and Rarity will show you where to go.” I then stood back up before I bowed to her and announced “thank you for your... generosity.” She then replied “I was glad to help. Anyway when I need you perform I will post you a letter. I look forward to your first performance.” I then shook her hoof, before I walked out of her office and out of the Town Hall before I proceeded to levitate off the ground before I made my way towards the Schoolhouse. A few minutes later I landed in a field just outside of schoolhouse before I sat down as Discord appeared next to me looking like a pony and said “you're having a good day aren't you.” “Yeah you know what I feel like singing... Is that normal in Equestria?” I asked him. To this, he smiled and said, “yes I'm afraid it is normal.” He then continued to say “I can tell what you're thinking of singing by chance is it It's a Beautiful Day by Michael Buble?” “Nearly, It’s a cover of it.” “Well then fire away,” chuckled Discord. I then just smiled before I simply said “Okay then.” with that I just closed my eyes as a wireless microphone appears attached to my head along with some speakers resting just behind us before seconds later I began to perform an acoustic version of Michael Buble’s It’s A Beautiful Day. I don't know why, You think that you could hold me, When you couldn't get by by yourself, And I don't know who would ever want to tear the seam of someone's dream. Baby, it's fine, you said that we should just be friends, While I came up with that line and I'm sure. That it's for the best, If you ever change your mind, don't hold your breath. Cause you may not believe. That baby, I'm relieved. When you said goodbye, my whole world shines. It's a beautiful day and I can't stop myself from smiling. If I'm drinking, then I'm buying, And I know there's no denying. It's a beautiful day, the sun is up, the music's playing, And even if it started raining, You won't hear this boy complaining, Cause I'm glad that you're the one that got away. It's a beautiful day. It's my turn to fly, so girls, get in line, Cause I'm easy, no playing this guy like a fool. Now I'm alright, Might've had me caged before, but not tonight. And you may not believe. That baby, I'm relieved. This fire inside, it burns too bright, I don't want to say so long, I just want to say goodbye. It's a beautiful day and I can't stop myself from smiling. If I'm drinking, then I'm buying, And I know there's no denying. It's a beautiful day, the sun is up, the music's playing, And even if it started raining, You won't hear this boy complaining, cause I'm glad that you're the one who got away. Cause if you ever think I'll take up, My time with thinking of our break-up, Then, you've got another thing coming your way, Cause it's a beautiful day. Beautiful day, Oh, baby, any day that you're gone away, It's a beautiful day. Once I finished I looked up to see a group of foals and a mare looking at me before I said “sorry.” I then heard three voices shout “Craig!” Then before I could work out who shouted me I was knocked to the floor. I then looked up see Sweetie Bell, Scootaloo and Applebloom on top of me as I began to laugh before I said “can I sit up?” I then heard the mare say “that's enough girls let him up.” I then heard all three of them say “sorry Miss Cheerilee” with that the three of them climbed off of me at sat beside of me. I then looked to the Mare to see that she had a cherry red coat and a two tone pink mane before I said “I'm sorry about interrupting your class.” She then smiled before she said “it was no problem. Besides they were all just coming outside for a break and we heard you singing. We were all curious on who it was and came to take a look.” “Well, it's good that I didn't interrupt any learning. Anyway, I actually wanted to talk to Scootaloo, well to be more accurate show her something.” I then reached into my pocket and got out the scroll the mayor gave me and handed it to Scootaloo and then said “You may be interested in what it says.” With that, she opened it and then began to read it, before stopping and then began to read the last bit out loud “you are now the legal guardian of Scootaloo.” She then stared at me before she ran up to me, and hugged my legs before she said “you're my dad.” We then heard the sound of someone sniggering from the group of foals before I calmly said “Scootaloo mind letting go of me for a second.” She then nodded to me before letting go of me before I stood up and said “Diamond Tiara. Silver Spoon. I want a word with you.” With that I saw two earth pony foals step out of the crowd, One of them had a pink coat along with violet and white hair and was wearing what looked to be a silver tiara whist the other had a gray coat along with a gray two-toned mane and tail who was wearing a pair of glasses. They then both stopped in front of me before the first one who I knew was Diamond Tiara said “What do you want?” “Has nopony ever taught you any manners?” I asked in surprise, “I would expect a filly who is the daughter of Mr Rich to show some respect to their elders.” She then just looked at me and said “Yes he did.” “Well, then I would like to say one thing to you. I don't take kindly to bullying, especially when it's towards my family.” With this, the second foal who I knew was Silver Spoon began to walk backwards away from me as Diamond Tiara said: “Yeah so who have I been bullying?” “My daughter and her friends for one, tell me does this sound right?” I then mimicked her and said “Nice try blank flank!” I then crossed my arms and said “When you say that you don't only insult them but you also insult my entire race, my kind can never get a Cutie Mark.” As I said that I saw Miss Cheerilee's and the rest of the classes eyes go wide before I continued to say “What else have you two said to them? I believe it was something like the problem is, I mean, she's like, totally not special?” I then looked towards Silver Spoon before to see she had lowered her head before I said “When you said that to them you were saying there is nothing special about any of my race. You think I am happy being called talentless?” “No, you blank flank!” She shouted as everyone backed away from us leaving just Diamond Tiara in front of me. “Let's prove a point then, shall we. I’d watch carefully.” I then clenched both of my hands before I opened them to reveal a red orb in my right hand a blue orb in the other I the launch both hands upwards as a fireball ignited from my right hand and flew upwards with blue wave of lightning following just behind it, before they collided and exploded like fireworks. I then turned back to them and said “I am not a unicorn but I can use magic.” I then began to levitate off the ground and hovered there and said “I can fly but I'm not a pegasus.” I then lower myself to the ground in front of her before I grabbed my guitar and turned it into my sword as my armour appeared under my coat and continued say “I am trained to wield a sword.” before quickly turning it back into a guitar before I asked her “So I'll ask you again am I not special because from where I stand I can safely say that I am more special than you.” I then stop and took a breath before I announced “yet I am how did you say it a talentless blank flank?” Diamond Tiara then stepped back away from before before she franticly said “I'm sorry. I was wrong blank flanks do have talents. Please don't hurt me.” I then turned back to Cheerilee and said “I'm sorry about that but I felt like I had to address that before she started talking like that to me.” “It's no problem.” She admitted before walking up to me as she whispered “She had it coming for a while but I never had any evidence to prove what they were up to.” I then walked up to Diamond Tiara and knelt down infront of her and said “I'm sorry about how I reacted. I have issues with bullies since they caused a lot of problems for me. I needed to prove a point that it's not right to treat ponies differently because of who they are. I hope you can forgive me.” “No you're a horrible freak!” Diamond Tiara shouted back. My eye then began to twitch before I muttered “you aren't worth my time. You know if I wasn't or the fact I have just had a hectic day yesterday I would have scared you more than I did a minute ago.” I then heard a voice next to me say “even if she doesn't forgive you sir. I do.” I then turned to see Silver Spoon smiling before she glared at Diamond Tiara and said “you know I've heard a few things about this creature Diamond. You do realise that he saved us all yesterday?” “What are you on about it was the elements that stopped that creature yesterday.” I then shook my head and said “No the creature that attacked yesterday corrupted them. I had to step in and stop him alone.” She then went silent before she said “that's a lie, nopony can defeat an enemy like that alone.” Scootaloo then walked up to her and said “it's not a lie. I was there, he threw himself right into the line of fire and distracted that creature whilst I escaped. But I didn't run away, and instead I watched him toy with the creature and single-handedly beat it. My dad is powerful and I'm glad he's here.” I then smiled at her before I said “thank you Scoots but please don't call me dad just call me Craig. If you call me dad it makes me feel old.” “How old are you?” asked Diamond Tiara. “Believe it or not I'm only eighteen.” They then all stared at me and Diamond Tiara “that can't be right you look about thirty.” I then laughed then said, “man now I feel old.” I then then heard everyone began to laugh before Diamond Tiara said “OK I forgive you. You're not as bad as I thought.” “Thank you, Miss Tiara” Cheerilee then walked up beside me before she asked me “Craig, would you mind doing another performance for us?” “It would be an honour to perform for you if you don't mind can I have a moment to talk work out what to perform?” “Of course we wouldn't want you to pick an awful song.” “Thank you” I then shut my eyes and asked Discord wh had disappeared when I started singing before “Got a song in mind?” “No have you?” “Yeah you should be able to tell I'm thinking of the name now.” “An acoustic cover of Don’t you worry Child by Swedish House Mafia. Yeah that would work.” He admitted. I then opened my eyes and said “I've got a song for you.” Cheerilee then nodded to me before she said “Okay then.” she then turned to the foals and told them “Okay class we have a special performance by our guest here.” They all then turned to look at me before I smiled and said “Well then… I guess I've got an audience, okay then I will performing a song called Don’t You Worry Child. There was a time, I used to look into my father's eyes. In a happy home, I was a king, I had a golden throne. Those days are gone, now the memory's on the wall. I hear the songs From the places where I was born. Upon a hill across a blue lake, That's where I had my first heartbreak. I still remember how it all changed. My father said, Don't you worry, don't you worry, child. See heaven's got a plan for you. Don't you worry, don't you worry now. Yeah! Oh, oh, oh! Don't you worry, don't you worry now." There was a time, I met a girl of a different kind. We ruled the world, I thought I'd never lose her out of sight. We were so young, I think of her now and then. I still hear the songs, Reminding me of a friend. Upon a hill across a blue lake, That's where I had my first heartbreak. I still remember how it all changed. My father said, "Don't you worry, don't you worry, child. See heaven's got a plan for you. Don't you worry, don't you worry now." Yeah! Oh, oh, oh! See heaven's got a plan for you. Don't you worry, don't you worry, now. "Don't you worry, don't you worry, child. See heaven's got a plan for you. Don't you worry, don't you worry now." Once I finished performing I bowed to everyone before I heard them begin to cheer before I heard them begin to shout “One more song!” over and over. I then rubbed the back of my head before I thought what else do I know, that would be suitable for kids? I then smiled before I said “Okay I've got one more, it’s called The Days,” I admitted before I began to strum the first few notes. Under the tree where the grass don't grow. We made a promise to never get old. You had a chance and you took it on me. And I made a promise that I couldn't keep. Heart ache, heart break, All over town, But something flipped like a switch when you came around, And I'm in pieces, pick me up and put me together. These are the days we've been waiting for, On days like these who could ask for more? Leave them coming 'cause we're not done yet, These are the days we won't forget. These are the days we've been waiting for, Rattle the cage and slam that door, And the world is calling us but not just yet, These are the days we won't regret, These are the days we won't forget. Out on the midnight the wild ones howl. The last of the lost boys have thrown in the towel. We used to believe we were stars aligned. You made a wish and I fell out of, Time flew, cut through, All over town, You made me bleed when I look up and you're not around, But I'm in pieces, pick me up and put me together. These are the days we've been waiting for, On days like these who could ask for more? Leave them coming 'cause we're not done yet, These are the days we won't forget. These are the days we've been waiting for, Neither of us knows what's in store, You just roll your window down and place your bets, These are the days we won't regret. These are the days we will never forget! And these are the days. Yeah, these are the days. These are the days we've been waiting for, On days like these who could ask for more? Leave them coming 'cause we're not done yet, These are the days we won't forget. These are the days we've been waiting for, breaking the cage and slam that door, And the world is calling us but not just yet, These are the days we won't regret, These are the days we never forget. Once I finished the song I was once again greeted with cheering before I before one again bowing to them before they each walked up to me before thanking me before walking back towards the school. Miss Cheerilee then said “thank you for doing that. We will finish in around an hour you can come and pick Scootaloo up then” “Okay, then and thank for allowing me to perform for you.” “The pleasure was all mine. It was nice to meet you, Scootaloo deserves a good father. Look after her,” replied Cheerilee. “Will do. Oh and tell Scootaloo if I'm not here at the end of the day to go home with Applebloom.” “I will pass the message on for you” with that Cheerilee walked back into the schoolhouse before I began to float into the air before I flew off towards Sweet Apple Acres. Once I reached Sweet Apple Acres I looked around to see Big Mac trying to fix the fields after the fiasco the day before. Once I got closer to him he turned to look at me before I asked him “So… you're dealing with the mess from yesterday?” “Eyupp” “You want me to stay quiet about what I saw happening?” “Eyupp” “Do you remember where Applejack put my stuff?” I asked him. “Eyuup, I’ll get em for ya,” Big Mac replied before he made his way towards the house. I then looked around the field he had been working in before I muttered “I have time.” I then brought my hands together before multiple clones appeared around me before somehow managing to use my powers as effectively as I could as they created shovels and began using the dirt to fill in the holes before others manipulated the land around them to allow him to replow the fields easily. Once Big Mac got back outside he looked at me and the clones in surprise before he stuttered out “Wha…” I then smiled before I said “Sorry about the surprise, I wanted to help to fix this mess so you can get everything fixed quicker.” He then looked at the clones before he said “Those are,” “Clones… yes. Well temporary clones of myself,” I admitted before they bowed to us before disappearing. I then looked to Big Mac before I continued to say “Well, hopefully, this will allow you to get everything back on track,” as I walked over to him as he passed me my bags which I promptly threw over my shoulders. I then smiled before I said “Thanks for the help, if you need me at any time ask and I'll try and help you.” I then quickly placed two fingers on my forehead before I disappeared leaving Big Mac confused. “Right then, what house number am I” I then looked at the map I was given to see that the number three was written over the house that was circled. I then looked at the house over the road from me and muttered “fuck my life” as I saw that my house was right over from Carousel Boutique. I then heard Discord say “It's not that bad” “Yeah, I guess. At least Scootaloo is near Sweetie Bell. I'll just need to deal with Rarity constantly trying to get me to try out some new clothes.” “Oh well, at least you'll get new clothes on the cheap.” “Fair point. Let's go inside and see what we have,” with that we walked inside and saw that not only is the place well furnished but had everything we need. I then smirked as I thought now If only we had electricity I'd be set. “To be fair with you being able to learn instantly you create create solar panels or a wind turbine?” pointed out Discord. “Discord if I made a wind turbine it would be Kenny from South Park for a lot of pegasi. To this Discord said, “Oh my god we killed Rainbow Dash.” “No just no. That is overused. Let's just drop my laptop and bag off and see if the girls are back yet they should be at the train station soon.” With that we walked upstairs to what appeared to be a bedroom. As we step inside we saw that just like the rest of the house it is well furnished with a bed that actually looks like I could sleep in it comfortably along with a desk against one of the wall and beside it a cabinet. I then walked towards the cabinet and put my bags inside it. I then looked towards the desk and saw a letter on the side. As I picked up the letter I noticed a message was written on back that read “A gift from a friend” I then opened it, and tipped it up to see a chain necklace fall into my hands that as I looked closer had the letter C attached to the chain. I then reached into my pocket and got out my token, closed my eyes I then looked back at my token to see a small loop had appeared on the hilt of the blade. I then proceed to unclip the chain and thread it through the loop on the token before reaching. I then put the necklace over my head as the token rested against my chest. I then walked out of the room, down the stairs and out of the front door. Once I was outside I locked the door and then begin to fly towards the train station.